In article <32AA69B0.1773@iamerica.net>, melbrown@iamerica.net says...
[most of a nice post deleted for space reasons...]
>It is not commonly understood that the ONLY difference between harsh and soft
>lighting is the SIZE of the light. Small lights are harsh; large lights are
>soft. To prove this, hold your hand, with fingers outspread, about a foot
>from, and parallel to, a white wall. Have someone shine a small lamp toward
>your hand from about 10 feet away. Your fingers will cast distinct (harsh)
>shadows upon the wall. Now, while you remain motionless, ask your accomplice
>to move the light much nearer to your hand. As the light source approaches,
>it becomes relatively larger to your hand, abd the shadows will melt away,
>almost disappearing.

Bravo! Well-described. I have for some time tried to counter the flash
"diffuser" myth, but never with such a clear description...;-)
While flash add-on's can change the effective size of the light source
some, it is usually not enough to make much difference in photographs
made with the flash at normal distances from the subject.

>I hope that tells you what you need to know, because I just told you
>everything I know about the subject! [:)

Which is quite a bit! ;-)
Hope This helps