Soft vs Harsh Light

soft lighting

hard lighting

You might've described the lighting in this photograph as soft or even. There are no overly bright spots or dark shadows. If you look at the catchlight, you'll notice it is pretty big - suggesting a large, diffused key light.

You might've described the lighting in this photograph as bright or dramatic. Notice the shadow cast by her nose - it's clean line. The nose of the other woman also casts a shadow but there's no clear line, rather it fades out gradually.