Best fabric to take the edge off direct sunlight, without feeling too soft?

[Grug]

Alrighty folks,

I need a little help here. I'm trying to find a diffusion fabric that works well in 'direct sunlight' type situations.

I want something that takes the edge off the sun (particularly when it's high overhead), but still leaves enough of a specular quality, and some shape to the shadows across actors' faces, that it doesn't draw attention to the fact that the light has been softened.

I find that half soft frost is transmissive enough that faces still look appropriately bright enough (compared to the background being hit with direct sunlight), but it softens the shadows too much.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I'd be looking for something I could get in 12x12 sizes.


Cheers,


Mark

 

[abreu-canedo]

Sometimes scrims can knock of some light intensity, minimizing the contrast ratio, without necessarily diffusing it...so you keep some specularity It also doesn't significantly alter the quality of the sun rays hitting the subject. It will also knock down some specular highlights to varying degrees.

 

[Lenilenapi]

1/4 silk. Takes off the nasty edge but still looks more or less like direct sunlight.

 

[Lkorver]

+1 for 1/4 silk. If its full sun/clear sky you'll still get a ton of pop on your subject, it's a fairly subtle effect.