Gobos
Hello everybody! In this blog post and the next few I will be focusing on a particularly important topic to when it comes to food photography, lighting! Today sort of acts an introduction to this “series,” and what better way to start then talking about gobos? So, let’s get started!
GOBO’s
So, what exactly is a gobo? A gobo (GO Between Optics) refers to a unique tool used to shape light. It is an object that fits between the light source and the subject. This tool allows photographers to manipulate the light around them into a specific pattern or shape.
Gobos can be made out of:
- Metal (Used for theatre and film)
- Stencils (Used for the more project specific shapes)
- Custom glass gobos (Used for very intricate designs)
- Cardboard or foam boards (Used as low budget option and what I’ll be using because regular gobos are upwards of 80 dollars)
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| Metal Gobo |
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| Foam Gobo |
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| Glass Gobo |
Fun fact! These are what companies use to shine logos or directions onto the floors or walls of their buildings; it’s sort of like a molded projector.
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| This is a Gobo!! (From Ikea) |
Now, while gobos do serve a bunch of different purposes, in reference to my goal in creating a brief, it does 2 major things to help:
1. Adding texture
· Gobos are great at adding spice to an otherwise bland background, and rather than changing locations you can use them to create a specific texture like dappled lighting (spotted lighting that usually comes from trees and leaves) to create detail that immerses you and the subject into the world of the image
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| Leaf Texture Gobo |
2. Shaping light
· Gobos can allow you to mold the light around the subject, making the product stand out. One of gobos most common usages is making the photo look like light is shining through a window, this is especially important when it comes to food photography, as it can make the food look really appetizing, and teasing in a sense.
· That window tidbit mostly applies to overhead angles though, front facing angles tend to use backlighting or side-lighting, but we will be getting into that later.
The best thing about gobos is that you can use whatever light source you want whether its natural, artificial, LED, the list goes on, the only thing to keep in mind is that they will all have their own unique results.
When using gobos, you can control the definition of the shape by moving the gobo closer or farther to the subject. The farther away it is from the subject the softer the shadows will be, and the closer it is to the subject.
The amount of light also plays apart in lighting, creating varying amounts of difficulty in casting the shadow. Smaller sources are the easiest to control, but large sources (Ex. A soft-box) can get harder to prevent light spill.
One of the biggest warnings when using gobos (and especially when it comes to food photography) is that the light is supposed to enhance the subject and not distract the viewers from what they should be paying attention to. While this may seem like an obvious pre-caution, it can become an issue that goes unnoticed to the photographer, (and in this case me) so this acts as a small reminder to not go too overboard when taking photos.
But What Will This Do for Me?
Being able to have a complete understanding of it in my back pocket will make everything a lot easier when I inevitability face issues with lighting. Gobos are a crazy important tool and extremely versatile, so much so that I can make them in the comfort of my own home without having to go out and purchase any excess attachments. The only limiter that I have noticed while researching gobos is that it seems almost locked in with overhead/high angles. When looking through photos that use gobos, I couldn’t find many that weren’t in birds eye view, and the ones I did tended to look “wrong” in a sense. I am sure that it is not as rigid as I’ve seen but I should keep in it mind when I enter the production phase.
Reflection
Today’s blog post showed me a side of photography that I’ve never seen before, learning about gobos was actually a super fun and helpful process and I hope it will be a key detail that I will be able to talk about later into this journey. In my next blog entry I will be going over the different types of lighting, this includes their pros, cons, and how it looks on the subject.
See you all on the next post!
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uUq4cUJwkQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8jJeE9kEAs
https://www.imaginated.com/photography/lighting/equipment/gobo/
https://www.gobotech.com.au/gobo-guide/
https://twolovesstudio.com/blog/dappled-light-photography/
https://photofocus.com/photography/what-is-a-gobo-and-how-is-it-used/
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