Hard Light
Light from a source that is small relative to the subject, producing sharply defined shadows with abrupt edges.
In depth
Hardness depends on the source's apparent size, which means both its physical dimensions and its distance: the sun is enormous but so far away that it behaves as a point, giving razor-sharp shadows. Hard light emphasises texture and structure, which flatters landscape and character studies and is unforgiving on skin.
Examples in practice
A bare speedlight at three metres carves a hard-edged nose shadow across the cheek, showing every pore.