What do the terms "soft light" and "diffuse" or "diffuser" mean in photography?
I often hear this term in connection with portraits, when working with light modifiers. You can actually deduce something from it. If I had to describe it, I would describe it as soft light that doesn't create strong contrasts and falls lightly over the subject, thus making certain features like facial features stand out better. But I don't know the exact definition behind it, what it actually does, and when you can speak of soft light.
The same goes for the term "diffuser" or "diffuse." I'd never heard of it before, but from what I've read, the term is derived from Latin and means something like "to scatter" or "to distribute." Essentially, the light isn't concentrated in one spot, but rather spreads uncontrollably but evenly across a specific area. A diffuser, on the other hand, is a mechanism that's mounted in front of a flash head, for example, to project the light into the room, creating a soft light.
Did I understand that correctly? If not, please correct me.
LG
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I think Waldmensch70 has described it well.
If you want to create diffuse light, you have several options: either you work with a large light source (open box, diffuser), you increase the distance of the light source to the model (but then the light source must be bright enough) or you work with indirect/reflected light.
All this leads to the light coming from a "larger surface" and acting so softer.
The fact that the light is "scattered" in all possible directions in space and does not completely come from one direction from a (similarly small) light source.
Thus, the motif is not directly irradiated with a lightning or a lamp, but the light is scattered and damped by other objects (white screens, so-called “diffusers” made of fabric, matt glass etc.). Or it is reflected over the ceiling, the walls etc. As a result, the “size” of the light source is increased (ie, the places that emit/reflect light on the motif).
As a result, the illumination becomes "softer", there are no such hard light shadow boundaries on the motif (eg in the face of the photographed person). The motif thus acts "softer" on the photo as the contrasts are lower and you do not see every tiny detail as precisely (eg every single pore of the skin).
In summary, it is actually about strong contrasts… high shadows and high lights being avoided. This is achieved by taking photographs for the Golden hour, using clouds or aids that mitigate or scatter the light.
A large light source instead of a punctiform light such as direct lightning or direct sun.
Lightning over a reflector (such as a white ceiling or wall or a corresponding part on lightning) or through a diffuser (transparent matte glass or plastic) is as suitable as clouds before the sun.
This means that it is emitted by a larger area instead of a single point.
You can imagine if you have an entire surface that you have no defined shadows when you're using a flashlight.