Originally Posted by
Ulophot
Feathering the light means aiming it so that the center of the beam is off-center for the subject. How much or how little depends on the type of light, the beam pattern (how much brighter the center is and how large it is in relation to the full spread of the light, how rapidly the illumination level falls off toward the edges), the setting (light reflected from nearby walls, ceiling, etc), and the kind of effect you wish to achieve.
The way to explore is with a continuous light. Set your light and willing subject up as usual, then very slowly pan the light in both directions, watching the effect on the shadows, the quality, and the level of illumination across the subject. This can be a subtle art. Note, that as you turn the light away from center-on-subject, the effective size of the light source will diminish. At an extreme angle, even a large soft box can become effectively a very think rectangle.
I should that feathering can also apply to vertical motion and a combination of vertical and horizontal.
Have fun!
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