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How Do I Determine Which Soft FX Filter to Use for Portrait Photography?

Using a diffusion filter, such as the Soft FX filter series, is an excellent way to make your portrait photography stand out from the crowd. Soft diffusion smoothes facial wrinkles, gives light areas a soft glow, and creates gentle light flare around jewelry and glass. Knowing when to use which diffusion filter will help you create sharp portraits that are softened to perfection.

Things You'll Need

Soft FX filter series

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the amount of light that is available while you are shooting the portrait. Flaws stand out more in brighter light, so if you want to hide flaws, use a higher level filter. Lower light levels, on the other hand, decrease the amount of flaws that are visible, making a lower level filter acceptable.
- 2
  Look closely at your subject to determine if there are visible flaws such as facial wrinkles, age spots and flyaway hair. The more flaws there are, the higher level filter you will want to use.
- 3
  Select a Soft FX 3 for most occasions. In bright light situations or when photographing persons with multiple flaws, select a Soft FX 4 or 5 filter to increase the softness of the image and reduce the clarity of the flaws. In low-light situations or when photographing persons with minimal flaws, select a Soft FX 1 or 2 filter to reduce the softness of the image.

Photography