Soft Light Sources Are Everywhere

Soft lighting wraps around a subject and casts shadows with very soft edges. The result can be gorgeous. You don't have to buy an expensive giant soft box to get soft lighting. Just about anything can be a soft light source as long as it appears large to your subject. Normally a laptop screen wouldn't be considered a large source of light, but since the screen is less than two feet from Amy, the screen looks large relative to her face. The laptop therefore bathes her in beautiful soft light. An iPhone can also act as a tiny softbox. Strobist.com has a great post about it.