Here’s a rundown of several ways to achieve soft light for portrait photography. I also tackle the questions, “What IS soft light? Why do we like it so much?” In this demonstration video, I offer examples of using different modifiers with a basic flash unit. I also talk about improvised solutions for creating “bigger” light.
In the video, I’m using a Godox AD400 pro as the light source, but any quality flash will work similarly.
Link to the video mentioned: “Three Rules of Lighting for Photography” (it’s an oldie, but a goodie)