dreamy haze. This effect can also be improvised by smearing petroleum jelly on a UV filter or shooting through a nylon stocking. Diffusion filters may be uniform or may have a clear center area to create a vignette of diffused area around the clear center subject. Diffuser materials Silk sheets can also be used as diffusers, and in fact were until the invention of translucent plastics. "Opal" is a common translucent or opalescent diffusion. Recently, photopolymers have been used for making holographic diffusers. Photopolymers offer better performance than other materials and have a large viewing angle. Also, the process of synthesizing photopolymers is much simpler. See also Beam homogenizer Diffuse reflection Integrating sphere Photon diffusion Beauty dish Reflector (photography) Softbox Soft focus References Optical components Photography equipment Optical filters Photographic lighting Stage lighting