Improved soft lighting systems for the arts, media, and entertainment industry are disclosed. In certain aspects, the systems employ one or more edge-lit LED light guide panels using high flux, optical grade, and/or binned LEDs to produce higher quality, uniform, diffused soft visual media light. In further preferred aspects the systems are modular and portable, and have light guide panels that may be axially tilted in horizontal and vertical directions to independently direct the soft light emanating from each of the panels to achieve the desired soft lighting set up.