What light modifier helps soften harsh shadows for gritty urban decay shots?

[Joseph92]

I’m trying to get better at capturing the texture of peeling paint and weathered wood in my urban decay shots, but I’m struggling with the lighting. My shots either look flat or the shadows get too harsh and lose all detail. I’m wondering if a specific type of light modifier would help me soften the light just enough while keeping that gritty feel.

[HannahQH]

A big diffusion panel on a stand helped me soften sun without killing texture on peeling paint. I kept it slightly off to the side to preserve some shadow and grit.

[Avery69]

Sometimes the problem is not the modifier but the angle and the time of day. Side light with a large diffusion kept the grain visible and the shadows still there.

[AlexanderB]

Do you work with raw files and push the shadows in post?

[Savannah_B]

I once wandered away from soft light and tried a narrow angle of light and the wall looked blown out then I came back to a bigger soft source but kept the edge by letting some hard shadow stay on the ridges.