Diffusion Rags

DIFFUSIONS

Diffusions are the most common light control fabrics. Used in a lot of situations, at any film set.

Effects

Diffusion fabrics soften the light and make your object look much smoother. They will help you get rid of unwanted texture like wrinkles on a face, reduce harsh highlights, etc. Another application is softening and reducing shadows.

Second effect is light spread. Any beam will become wider when shot through a diffusion. This can be used for example when filming people – to make the eye light bigger.

Last effect is reducing the light’s output. In many cases this will be a negative thing, so keep in mind you may have to compensate with your light source.

Types

They differ by the light temperature, material they are made of (silks, grids, etc.), other light characteristics like bounce. Most importantly though, they have different stoppage – light loss parameter traditionally described in stops.

Decreasing stops mean reducing the light intensity.:
– 1 stop means you will have half the original amount of light
– 0.5 stop will only give you about 25% reduction.

Techniques

If you want to increase the level of diffusion – try using multiple layers of material or have the textile farther away from the light source, or bring the fabric closer to the filmed object. Opposite will give you lighter diffusion.

Below you will find a table presenting the range of diffusions we have in our offer, along with their characteristics.

Artificial White Silk Full	1.8 stops	Diffuses and spreads the light over the material, reducing any hot spots. Very soft effect.
China White Silk Half	1 stop	A soft translucent diffusion. The white is similar to the natural and can be used in the same way. The great advantage of a half silk is that you can combine it with another soft source to have greater control over the diffusion density.
¼ Stop Silk	0.6 stop	Diffuses a light source with light transparency, whilst still retaining shadow detail. Ideal for controlling overhead sunlight.
Full Grid White	2.6 stops	A very common grade of ripstop diffusion used simultaneously with brand diffusion such as Lee and Rosco filters. Full grid is quite a heavy diffusion that provides a soft glow light quality.
Half Grid White	2 stops	A very common grade of ripstop diffusion used simultaneously with brand diffusion such as Lee and Rosco filters.
Quarter Grid White	0.8 stop	A very common grade of ripstop diffusion used simultaneously with brand diffusion such as Lee and Rosco filters.