I built my own diffuser from a sheet of foam board found at the nearby printer. Half of it I saved to use as a reflector (and backdrop, as seen here). The other half I cut out the middle, leaving a frame over which I taped tracing paper. Voila! Perhaps not a permanent solution, but a quick and inexpensive one.
The results are here to see. Aside from being a bit underexposed, the left image using naked light has greater contrast, sharper definition, and darker shadows. The image at right using the same light with a diffuser has greater range of color as there are smaller black corners. The reflections of light are less bright, with softer edges.
This is perhaps even clearer in the next two images, which I produced to look specifically at shadows. Perhaps it goes without saying, but since this is blog is a demonstration of my learning, it seems I'll have to say it. The left image with naked light has a more well-defined shadow. The right image has a more amorphous shadow, so much so that without reference to the statue you might not be able to tell it belongs to a Buddha. In addition, the lines defining the shape of the statue appear softer. The dust in the space between arm, body and robe also appears less harsh. Overall, it's a more attractive image.
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