I was driving home this evening and realized an inconsistancy. As my SUV was happily slurping dead dinosaur juice I start thinking, the larger the light source the softer the light. Now I also shoot weddings and just got a Sunpak 120j. I know the bare bulb is softer than with the reflector, even in large rooms with high ceilings (little to no bounce). This inconsisant because the reflector is 4.5" in diameter, and the bulb is considerably much smaller. Does the softness of the light have to do with how directional it is too? Is the directionality of the light more important that the size of the light source? Why aren't bare bulbs used more in studio work (I see more softboxes)? Spill? Loss of power? On a side note, the softness is about tied between barebulb and soft cover on the reflector. It just got me thinking, thought I'd share in hopes of gaining a better understanding of light qualities. Thanks,
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