Soft light is the light of a cloudy day. It does not create harsh shadows. It illuminates the scene gently. Sometimes it can seem bland because it does not offer the drama of shadows and of a highly illuminated point of focus. However, it is my preferred light for most portrait photography.

Outdoors, it can be the light of early morning or later afternoon, or the light filtered through a sheet. Indoors, natural sunlight, by a window filtered with sheer curtains can be perfect. Diffusers over flashes or continuous lights are also used to create soft lights.

Soft light is flattering. It smooths skin tone. It can give an appearance of a person radiating rather than being illuminated. The subject will usually appear more warm and welcoming. As there are no deep shadows and no bright areas of exposure, the eyes tend to sparkle more.

Because the light is soft it may mean that you need to open up the aperture a bit more. This can be ideal to narrow to depth of field to make sure the subject of the portrait is in focus, but the background is a little blurred, adding to the overall pleasing effect.