Learn How These Portraits Were Shot and Edited

The beauty of artificial lighting is that you can create fantastically creative and compelling shots that simply would not be possible with only natural light. Using a snoot and gobo is one such possibility, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how one photographer lit, shot, and edited such images using them. 

Coming to you from Nathan Elson, this fantastic video tutorial will show you how he lit, shot, and edited portraits with quite interesting lighting. In this case, Elson is using a lesser-used modifier, a snoot with a gobo insert. If you have not seen them before, a snoot is a narrow cylindrical or conical tube that allows the photographer to focus the light into a narrow beam, essentially collimating it to a degree. Meanwhile, a gobo (short for "go-between") is a small disc placed in front of the snoot that allows you to project different patterns for creative effect. Together, the combination allows to make very precisely placed and eye-catching light and shapes with crisp borders that would not be possible with more standard modifiers, making them great for exploring your creativity a bit. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Elson. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Log in or register to post comments