The closer the subject creating the shadow is to the surface receiving the shadow, the _____________ the resulting shadow will be.

• A. softer
• B. harder
• C. larger
• D. smaller

Answer: (B)

When you look at how a shadow edge is formed, the closeness of the occluding subject to the surface receiving the shadow controls how abrupt the boundary is. If the subject is right up against the surface, the rays that create the shadow come from nearly the same angles, so the edge where light stops and shadow begins is very crisp—results in a harder shadow. Move the subject farther away from the surface, and rays from different parts of the light source start to reach the surface at a wider range of angles, smoothing the boundary and producing a softer shadow. The size of the shadow isn’t the main issue here; the key effect of being close to the surface is the sharper, harder edge.