“Gobos” are commonly referred to as filters and lens patterns used in conjunction with projectors in theaters. The task is to create unusual shadows in the area where the object is located. A gobo can be any filtered barrier placed between the light source and the subject. For this, any material that does not transmit light will fit.
It can be cardboard or polystyrene with a specific pattern of holes of various shapes. Or maybe foil or fabric, divided into stripes. An opaque gobo must be able to move between the light and the object. This is extremely important for studio photography and is recommended for other types of framing.
The most suitable material for gobos in terms of comfort is high-density foil. It is quite easy to cut with ordinary scissors, so you can get cutouts of any shape and size. The foil is quite light and can be easily installed on any rack with lighting. Although the excessive flexibility of the foil is not at hand: the material is difficult to store, since it is easily damaged.
Pattern portability is an essential quality. You will understand this when you start using the device in your photo shoots. Meanwhile, calculating the appropriate dimensions and shape of the holes is far from the only difficult task. It is equally significant to optimally place the gobo between the light source and the subject. After all, changing the distance between the pattern and the light source by just a few centimeters significantly affects the scale and nature of the gobo shadows.
By placing the filter closer to the light, the shadows are hard and sharply defined. Light saturation and gobo distance adjustments help you find the optimal density that fits your design.
Keep in mind that in the frame area, the light should only pass through the gobos. Side lighting is completely inappropriate — it spoils the photo. You can experiment with the angle of the pattern. When one end of the template is located further from the lighting, and the other is closer, the nature of the shadows will change. The definition of color in photography will also be impacted by tilting the gobo up or down.
To take cool photos, you can use the Retouch Me app. It has a simple interface and over a hundred functions, including the gobo effect. You can download it on iPhone and Android, as well as quickly figure out all the features.
Gobo search
Gobos are often seen as part of studio photography. Meanwhile, this is far from the case. Quite a lot of things around us can be placed between the light source and the object. Sometimes you don’t even need to move them. Plants and common objects that you can find during the next walk along the street are also gobos.
The sunlight is already there, you just have to find the right angle and position the model at a certain distance. Even the fence of a nearby stadium can be used as a template. There are a lot of ideas — try to look at things around you from the other side.
Sunlight is hard to work with. For example, at noon, the sun can distort the shadows, which is not the best way to affect the photo. In this case, you can use the generalized recommendation — take pictures at dawn or sunset, or use an exter
nal flash.
Work with gobo shadows
You don’t have to go to a garden or park to find a natural gobo. Harmonious shadows can also be created by indoor plants. It is much easier to work with home flowers — here you can use an artificial light source and more finely adjust the sharpness and saturation of the shadows due to the ability to move the decorative culture.
In general, anything can become a modifier at home. For example, it could be something from home appliances. An ordinary fan often acts as a template, which can add the effect of fluttering hair and clothes.
In amateur photography, as a rule, special light sources are not used. Light is usually created with a flash. And here it is important to understand that the flash settings also affect the nature of the shadows. For example, increasing the distance from the flash to the gobo makes the shadows sharper. The nature of the scene depends on the focal length of the flash.
Amateur photos using flash and gobos frequently need to be tweaked. To make the result look decent and interesting, adjust the contrast, reduce the brightness and experiment with saturation. Generally speaking, experiments with this kind of photographs can go on indefinitely, because the ideal template does not exist.
How to make your own gobos
Branded lenses with ready-made templates are quite expensive, which is why they are used mainly by professional photographers. If you are an amateur or a beginner photographer, then hand stencils will come in handy. They do not require a lot of money and will allow you to fully experiment with light.
Usually, homemade blanks are created from the remnants of foam, which comes with new household appliances. Take a pen or pencil, the necessary rulers and blanks, and scissors. Mark the pattern and make the necessary cutouts, then transfer what needs to be cut out onto the foam and form the gobo. Be careful and remember that for these purposes it is better to use black material. This is because the white material can create unwanted smudges in the photo.
Is gobo ready? Start experimenting with a combination of pattern and lighting. Distinct shadows and harsh light gives a small light source. That’s why it’s recommended to use a flash or sunlight. When you bring the template closer to the light source, the cut-out shapes will be larger. To get an idea of what you need, try to move the pattern between the light and the subject, and you will understand which gobo position will be ideal for the intended photo shoot.
Gobo lighting scheme
When interacting with a template, it is important to understand that the final image depends not only on its location in relation on the light source. It is equally essential to choose the distance to the object, and it is also necessary to take into account the distance from the object to the background. The closer the model or subject is to the background, the sharper the shadows. Also, the closer the model or object is to the gobo, the sharper the shadows are, too.
Special Gobo Attachments
For creative lighting, professional photographers use gobo projectors. They are equipped with various lenses that have a pattern selection function. By setting the required template, the original picture may look blurry. This is a signal that it is necessary to adjust the lens — change the distance. Unusual photographs require a non-standard approach — after all, even the slightest change in the position of the subject requires adjustment of the lighting.
How to achieve a wow effect in gobos?
The interest and originality of a photo made using gobos are often given by post-processing. Converting colors to black and white, adding grain, and eliminating haze are the basic functions that are used to get a presentable photo. Together with them, experienced photographers experiment with light and dark areas, with the goal of adding detail and depth to the picture. The use of a reflector in photography eliminates the need for the latter.
The source for post-processing also matters. And along with proper camera setup, it is also important to interact with the gobos correctly. The stumbling block is light. For gobos, we recommend a constant light source, but this does not mean that a household lamp is suitable for this. In the case of using a conventional lamp, you will have to work with the exposure, increase the ISO and reduce the shutter speed. And all — because of the lack of power: flashes and studio lighting sources shine much more powerfully and brighter.
You can refer to the fact that taking pictures in the dark is not very convenient: the flash does not work autonomously, which means there is no way to experiment with the location of the template and determine the angle of the scene. In fact, this is not the case, with the help of the camera you can turn on the flash for a certain time and illuminate the scene without using the shutter. Just do not overdo it — the light source heats up quickly and if you use it for a long time, it can come to a fire. Pause to let the device cool down and use direct sunlight if a flash is not available.
Classical photography in certain cases may seem boring and uninteresting. It is for such scenarios that gobo photography was invented. Additional shadows add sharpness and dynamics to the photo and contribute to its qualitative improvement. Experiment with gobos the right way and get beautiful shots in any photography style.
