DIY Gobos - Easy and creative portrait lighting tricks to improve your portraits and modeling shots
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- DIY GOBOS easy to make and a great way to improve you portraits or modeling shots. A gobo is a light modifier. Of course you can purchase a gadget like the Light-Blaster that I talked about in this video: but it too has a limited amount of gobos available and while you can make your own - I love the Light Blaster for its ability to project your own images as backgrounds. Or your best option for gobos is to make your own. That way, the results in your portraits and modeling shots are unique to YOU and your photography.
One of the easiest ways to make a gobo is to use the same material that we use for the Walmart Reflectors - Foam Board. You can get 20” x 30” sheets at Walmart for just under two dollars or get a slightly thinner version at Dollar Stores for just a buck. You will need an Exacto knife which you can find at Art and Office Supply stores or at Amazon and a straight edge ruler. It’s also a good idea to use a cutting mat or at least some old cardboard under the foam board when you cut it so that you don’t ruin your table top or floor.
Simply draw out the shape that you want to use on the foam core. After you draw your shape - use your Exacto knife to cut out the design and then place your gobo between your light and the background like you see here - or between the light and your subject like you see here. Now some of you are going to ask me - How close should the light be to the gobo and how far from the background or subject should the gobo be.
This DIY lighting tutorial will show you that there is no single answer for that. You have to experiment and play with the d.i.y gobos to see what YOU like. Hopefully by now you have realized that you can use a cheap set of Mini blinds that you can get at Amazon for 10 bucks to create window light like you see here. Again, there is no “this is the right way" distance and power settings… you have to experiment - the settings and distance will be determined by the size of your portrait studio and photography equipment and most of all - your taste..
You can also add colored gels to your lights like you see here - I have a blue gel aimed at the background on camera left and an orange gel firing though the gobo, or in this example I have a blue gel on camera left and an orange gel on the camera right strobe just like in the last shot, but then I taped a yellow gel over the slots on the gobo. There are no rules - experiment!
Take the Toilet Paper GOBO Challenge! Become a member of my Facebook Group and submit your portrait or modeling shot using Toilet Paper as a GOBO Be sure to hashtag your shot: #ToiletPaperGOBOChallenge
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
Light Blaster Video: • Light Blaster - Soluti...
Gobo History Video: • 1 Light Fashion Shot u...
Walmart Reflector Video: • DIY Photography Reflec...
Mini Blinds at Amazon: amzn.to/2fR2Qbk
Light Blaster at Amazon: amzn.to/2g3UgSr
Exacto Knives at Amazon: amzn.to/2fV63SB
Self Healing Cutting Mats at Amazon: amzn.to/2gQpOPH
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Joe, this video just inspired me with unlimited possibilities. So much appreciated, and you are an amazing mentor in a lot of ways regarding to photography
I love your consistent high quality throughout everything you do. Every frame of your videos looks beautiful & I don't think you could could make a single bad-looking frame if you tried. Amazing stuff!
You are just awesome Joe. Each time when I see your video I learn something new and also get inspired to do something different from my normal works and enjoy a lot doing so.From the bottom of my heart I thank you for such lovely videos. Love from India.
Years ago when I went to photography school, the first day the head of the school told us... ''You are not photographers, you are a problem solver's'' That was the best advice I ever got from that school and have kept that with me every day in my over 30 years as a professional photographer.
Thanks Joe, those are some really great ideas. I will try some different GOBOS with what I can find around the house.
I gotta say , I always go back to your Videos for new inspiration and Ideas. Thank you for thinking outside the box and making your videos so simple.
You're welcome Andy Taveras I appreciate the comment!
I absolutely love this tutorial!!!!!
Excellent stuff Joe!!!!
some of the best videos i have seen around!
Fantabulous ! As every one of your videos - thanks muchly, Joe, for your ceaseless Inspiration and solid info !
Thanks peter quenter (crimsonbamboo) and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
Thanks Joe, for making me think outside the box.
Glad you enjoyed it NYCITY3! I appreciate the comment!
Thanks Joe, your videos are so inspirational.
Thanks voodoochile45 and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
I said it before and I’ll say it again, you’re good Joe, you’re really good. Thanks for all the tutorials.
Glad you enjoyed it Enrique! I appreciate the comment!
Great vid again. I love, love, love how you stress creativity over following the rules. Sage advice.
I appreciate your kind words and comments Michael Anderson!
Great video Mr. Joe Thank you!!
Outstanding as always Joe, some great ideas!! 😃
Thanks for commenting dunnymonster!
Great videos with unique information. Thank you!
what a fantastic lesson on "gobos" you are very creative!!! thank you for sharing with the rest.
You're very welcome Mario Vizcaya! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Possibilities are endless, great video Joe.
Indeed they are Dale Brown! Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for commenting!
Great joe! Thanks for motivating us! Cool videos ever!
Glad you enjoyed it carlos arce narvaez! I appreciate the comment!
LOL, True, we set our own limits. Thanks, time to play! love your DYI's
Glad you enjoyed it LIllyman JPL! I appreciate the comment!
So many damn good tips here. Going to implement many soon. Thanks!
Fantastic and creative, Joe, gracias!!
Glad you enjoyed it Revista Mirador! I appreciate the comment!
Your DIY approach is like myself when it comes to airbrush painting. If I need interesting textures my first stop is the hardware store and not the art store, lol. BTW a cheap snoot for speedlights is a Pringles can. I cut off the bottom, rinse it out of course, and the lipped end will just fit over most speedlights when bent in a oval, from there a little gaff tape to seal off light leaks and you have a snoot with a reflective surface to provide as much light as possible.
Great idea Crewchief 227! Thanks for commenting!
Thank you very much Joe! Awesome video👍🏻👌🏻
You're very welcome Dante Palleras Morán! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Very good Tutorial. I do this for years with wooden Gobos! Thumbs up!
Glasses with colored water are also an option!
Glad you enjoyed it TASPP Alex Schwarz! I appreciate ideas and the comment
love your videos so much, thank you!!!
Glad you enjoyed it XRoPhoto 曼思攝影! I appreciate the comment!
I love your energy
Thank you tiece92! I really appreciate the kind words!
I always carry a few sheets of blackwrap foil on shoots. Useful for shaping light and blocking glares and flares. I've made an instant gobo from time to time by poking random holes thru the black foil with a bic pen, and enlarging some of them with a fingertip. Makes a lovely stars or "clouds" pattern,depending on placement, and when I used a blue gel on one of two such gobos, I got a blue sky with puffy white clouds where the patterns overlapped. The foil is so tough, I can fold it up into a pocket square size for storage, unfold it numerous times, and it will hold shape. Pricey by the roll, but cheap by the sheet, and reusable.
Joe, thank you for the inspiration to be *creative and a rules breaker! ;-) As a new photographer at the age of 53, those pinned up creative juices from the teen years are coming alive again. Thank you! New subscriber
Thanks Charting Strategies and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
Wow you lit my brain up on the back ground gobo stuff. So cool
Glad you enjoyed it Guy Ruff! I appreciate the comment!
As a newbie to photography, your videos continue to inspire me to learn and take creativity to the max, you've made it very clear, to be a success always try new stuff. I admire your work and appreciate all your videos, thank you.
You're very welcome Gary Bleisch! Thank you so much for the kind words!
thank you so much for those tips. simple and very effective
You're very welcome Andy Taveras! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Nice!! Good, Joe!!
Totally awesome - this gives me so many ideas!
Glad you enjoyed it Robert Jones! I appreciate the comment!
...very very nice !!! Thank you Joe
Glad you enjoyed it ellebi62 - I Love Photoshop! I appreciate the comment!
Brilliant as always Joe! I planning something projecting red hearts with valentines coming up this video has really helped with ideas for that. Absolutely loved the Dog toy disclaimer as well, genius :)
Thank you Miles Thorne! I really appreciate the kind words!
That was incredible Thank you..
Glad you enjoyed it William Roberson! I appreciate the comment!
Amazing. Thanks
thank you ❤
amazing tutorial.....as usual! it's like every time i receive a notification of a new tutorial u uploaded i know for sure i'm in for an awesome treat... thank you joe
Thanks butchpouka and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
Joe Edelman it's a wonderful ride for sure! It's because of how you inspire us likes on my Instagram shot up from 60 to above 2000 and I have one photo passed the 4K 😊 it's a result of watching your tutorials... thank you
That's awesome news butchpouka - congratulations!
You are wonderfull!!!
Dear Joe,
Here are a lot of good and cheap ideas to improve our knowledge about photography. I love it. That will help me to make some very creative portraits. I started with photography about ten years ago. At the begining, I was not interested in portraits. Thanks to this video, I hope to shoot soon! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the kind words Eric B ! Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any videos!
Joe Edelman that's already done since a few months 😉 Thank you for your great quality job, nice explanation and the way you share it.
Great ideas Joe. My first maternity photoshoot is coming and I am planning to experiment for an out of the usual result
Awesome Giannis Veronis! Thanks for commenting!
you are the man, ty
Thanks for commenting John Smith!
GREAT, thanks for the tips
I appreciate your kind words Juan Figueroa! Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any videos.
loved it!
Thanks Δημήτρης Δικμάνης and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
Amazing creative thanks just love this vidoe
Glad you enjoyed it Aiden Beuker! I appreciate the comment!
Another great video Joe
Thank you ktodoma! Glad you enjoyed it!
wow!! Great Joe :) :)
this is great stuff, thanks!
Thank you for the kind words Avi Sasson ! Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any videos!
Thanks again for the tips Joe. I was recently looking into the light blaster, but noticed Magmod (which I already have), is coming out with a Magbeam kit that includes gobo slides. Now I'm thinking I can make my own slides and use with my existing gels.
Thats an option Mike Good. I like the Light-Blaster for the ability to focus and project images - if you don't need that - the magmod looks like a good solution although it is more expensive than the light-blaster.
Liked and Subscribed! Thanks Joe!
Thanks Rommel Portugal and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
great video Joe!!
Glad you enjoyed it PhotoArt ByDmH! I appreciate the comment!
ty very helpful as always
Thank you for the kind words Emmanuel Vargas Guajardo ! Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any videos!
LOVE the hairspray one!
Thank you Nick Ferry! Hope all is well! When ya coming back East?
***** I'll be in NYC the 13th thru the 15th
I can only see the shirt! I'm hypnotized by the shirt ... lol keep rooling my friend, cool tips
I started using gobos after watching a tutorial on old style Hollywood glamour lighting, house plants are my favourite look, never tried foamboard yet though, but it sure beats a plain coloured wall as a backdrop!
Glad you enjoyed it Alexandra Starr photography (photographer)! I appreciate the comment!
Wow!
Glad you enjoyed it Tabea Bußmann! Be sure to follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/joeedelman - I post a lot of behind the scenes images and clips!
Very cool tips!
Glad you enjoyed it Samy Ismael! I appreciate the comment!
Mister Joe, parabéns muito obrigado por compartilhar conhecimento e ajudar a sair da zona de conforto, assistindo em 2019, no Brasil sensacional!
Você é muito bem-vindo Alexsandro Tavares! Obrigado por sintonizar e OBRIGADO pelas palavras amáveis!
I bought one of the 6 in 1 cheap modifier kits for speedlights which come with a snoot that has a fine grid, I’ve been cutting out cardboard disks out of mounting card to make some gobos. I’ve learnt 2 things, 1) It works, especially if you colour them black, and 2) I’m not good with a pair of scissors, modelling blade or even a pencil come that!
What would we do without youtubers like you?!?!?!
Gosh I would hate to think about that enablado! 🤔🤔🤔 Thanks for commenting!
Wow you are very professional! Very good video you deserve more clicks bro! 🙏🏽
Thank you Creatrix Where the Grind don't stop! I appreciate the kind words!
Game on!
I'll be waiting Cheryl Pierce! 😎
Joe, I love this! I have a set of window blinds I'm not using that i was going to toss. Not anymore! What do you use to secure the blinds to the stand?
Good Job 👍
Do I have to add some things .......? Yes, THUMBS UP as always !!!!!!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it Skirmantas Rinkevicius! I appreciate the comment!
Fantastic effects! A couple of thoughts from personal experience with cutting foam board (and also mat board): I use a single-edge razor blade and find it easier to control and more precise than an X-acto Knife (YMMV). For a cutting surface a poly kitchen cutting board from Walmart is a cheap solution.
Good stuff William Parmley! Thanks for commenting!
You rocks
Love from francia
Thank you Andoni Bourdin! I appreciate the kind words and support!
when you said on screen ot like the video i immediately liked it. gobo sent me here
DIY is great and every one can be creative for less mony !
Agreed lilitdk! Be sure to subscribe so that yo don't miss any videos!
I recently replaced my ten year old projector with a nice new one. After seeing this video I know what to do with it. Along with an old laptop I can put up any background image I can dream up. Thanks for nudging my brain.
Indeed that would work Mike Piontek - it won't be as bright as a strobe - but it is doable.
Nice video!!!
Thank you Pavel Vavra!
thanks for idea Joe Edelman :)
genial este vídeo. Enhorabuena por el canal! aaaadios
Muchas gracias Héctor Mora!
I had a Newton moment when I was breaking my head on how to get sharp shadow edges with gobos. Playing with the sun as my free light source.
wow I'm amazed with the quality of your videos. can you share what camera and conpression for youtube you used? also the scene looks well lit. nice job!
Thank you nelsito3030, and thanks for subscribing. The video that you are commenting on was shot in 4K and down-rezed to 1080p. Shot on a Panasonic Gh4. I simply export from Fina Cut to TH-cam. Lighting - yes I have permanent lighting setup in my studio that is turned on just to do the stand-ups. I also have lighting permanently set-up in my office for the Last Frame Videos and the Live Streams. The camera used for those videos is a Nikon D810
Thank you sir.....!
Your very welcome Ameet Pawar! Thank you for commenting!
SALUDOS JOE MUCHAS GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR TUS IDEAS Y TU TRABAJO, EL CUAL ES DE EXCELENTE. TE AGRADEZCO ADEMAS POR TENER LA TRADUCCION EN ESPAÑOL. SI ALGUN DIA VIENES A LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO A IMPARTIR CURSOS ASISTIRE CON GUSTO.
Hi Joe! Thanks for the great video. Awesome tips. I have a question about custom white balance. Does setting the custom white balance using a grey card work for all skin tones? Is it the same for photos and video? Thanks!
You are welcome NEWLIFE 健身! For the most part - YES it does. Certainly some types of light will react differently with different skin tones - but those variations are subtle. The custom white balance won't take that into account - but it is usually more than enough.
Thank you for the quick reply!
Joe you can't imagine how helpful this has been!! I spent the last week doing some experiments with gobos and this tutorial came just in time to broaden my imagination.. What are your thoughts when it comes to speedlites Vs. continuous lights in this kind of experiment? * Pardon my english, I'm from Brazil..
Thank you ZERO 9, I am glad that you enjoyed it! You could work with flash or continuous - it will be a bit more of a challenge if you mix them, but if you are doing one or the other - both would work.
Just found you, watched three vids, subscribed.
Awesome Zendail and THANKS for subscribing - great to have you along for the ride!
Tis the season....
Cut small Xmas tree holes in some card that fits your filter holder. Then photograph wide open.
Just small holes.
That will totally work John Summerfield! You can use Xmas cookie cutters for the guides to trace. Thanks for the comment!
When you use the gels on the flash for the backgrounds, is the flashes power lower than the main light or is it higher? I seem to have issues doing this and the color of the gels seem to get overpowered from the main light. Any tips you can provide? Thanks!
The background light is a bit brighter than the main light Bill Hardman - because of the gel and the darker background - HOWEVER - its not as simple as saying the power level should be higher or lower. Variables of distance and opacity of the gel will impact those settings. It sounds to me (without seeing your setup) that you are placing your subject and main lights too close to the background and hence are getting a lot of your mainlight on the background. If you are limited by a small space - try using grids on your softboxes to cut down the spill on the background.
nice tips keep it up :)
I appreciate your kind words and comments GatherSuccess!
I love you Joe
I think these would technically be considered cucoloris 's not gobos, which are "Go Before Optical Lens". Love the different creative approaches though, gave me some good ideas.
Hi Joe. Just joined your channel and loving your simplistic approach to lighting etc....but.......and its a big but!!!! lol Loving that shirt your wearing...where did you get that? What!!! I like the shirt!!! So shoot me already......( with a camera of course)....
Awesome Jerry Mallett ! Glad to have you as a subscriber! The shirts are made by a company called ROAR. Unfortunately they recently rebranded as a t-shirt company - go figure!
Another great video and the TP Challenge will be the S#!* ;). Got some ideas and just need some subjects willing to help me wipe out this challenge.
Glad you enjoyed it Trevor Yannayon! I appreciate the comment and your sense of humour! 😏
This guy is a more hipper version of JP Morgan from the Slanted Lens I never heard of a Gobo I saw on the C47 some light that it looks like a Camera lens on it what is that?
Hi joe another great video, about the gobos can i use white foam board?
Absolutely Shlomi Ofir! The black makes things a little simpler especially if you are in a very small space (it reflects less) - but white will definitely work.
Thank you joe
Nice video
Thanks for commenting Ramin Pahlevani!
Just out of curiosity, can I use an overhead projector instead? I can draw these shapes on Powerpoint and even adjust them during the shot.
You could Aaron Yang - it won't be as bright as a strobe - but it is doable.
I am planning to put the camera on the tripod, use the flash to light up the model and use shutter drag to allow enough exposure on the background. I've already asked a friend to pose for me on Dec. 16, and I'll be posting the result on the facebook group.
🙌🙌🙌🙌
🙌👏🙌👏🙌 Thank you Violeta!
GREAT video but have an IMPORTANT and UNRELATED Q about the dog shot :-)
How do you get a good catch light in a pet's eyes while avoiding that dreaded "zombie" eye effect ????
i do a LOT of studio pet photography and have NEVER seen a youtube video on how to get catch lights ONLY .... it's been even harder for cats who reflect even more lights than dogs' eye catch
...or you just doing it in post with faking it like i have done //LOL//
even harder when outdoors and in low light situations
any advice would be GREATLY appreciated !!!!
......rick in Japan
Thank you hdrsmit! Certainly you can photoshop it but I find that if your lights are placed properly its not a problem. The most common thing I run into - keep in mind I don't shoot lots of pets - just my puppies - I tend to place my lights too high - the pups are small so I loose the catchlights. As soon as I lower the light source - I get the catchlights back. I usually use the same kinds of modifiers that I use for people. Softboxes and Beauty Dishes.
gracias 23-11-19
I love you Joe
LOL - I love you man! Thank for commenting Robert A!