I love using the Lindsay Adler optical snoot from Westcott as my main lightsource as you have seen many times, but it’s also great for the more subtle effects.
Today in the blog I take you behind the scenes during a workshop where I use the optical snoot for a very subtle but great effect on our model/set.
In this blog I tell you more about the Westcott Optical Spot by Linsday Adler and how I use it.
Creative images are without a doubt my favorite kind.
Of course, we also shoot families and events. But when I have the chance to have a bit more freedom I love to use light shapers that give something special to the shoot. One of my favorite light shapers is the Lindsay Adler Westcott optical spot, sometimes also called a Gobo projector.
The Gobo projector projects patterns on your subject or background via metal plates.
Westcott Optical Spot by Linsday Adler the Gobos. But you can also use the blades
By using a lens in front of the gobo it’s possible to focus the shadows. In other words, you can easily create razor-sharp or super soft shadows in all kinds of patterns. And even when you don’t want to use the metal gobo’s the spot also has blades which are great to create more straight shapes.
During the recent Digital classroom I used the spot for most of the sets.
Today the results.
Do take into account that these were shot during a live stream with video lights, so they are a bit “rough” with the lighting, it’s very hard to see in a bright studio 😀
With the stars Gobo on a Geekoto GT400
As an accent light a Geekoto GT250 with the Rogue magnetic system and a blue gel.
For the second set, I’m using the same Geekoto GT400 with the spot only this time I’m using the diagonal lines.
During the setup, I added a red gel on our Rogue magnetic system in different positions giving it different lens flares and looks.
For this set, I’m not using a gobo but the blades inside the optical spot.
As an accent a red gel from the side which I varied in output and angle during the shoot.
We always get a lot of questions about the Rogue FlashBender (Frank Doorhof edition), so also this time during the digital classroom I did an extra set with the FlashBender. I’m using it on a Geekoto GT200 in the striplight configuration.
Want to see the live stream again, and see all the setups?
Every month we stream a live broadcast from our studio in Emmeloord. Most of the time with a model, but sometimes also about street and travel photography (my other passion) or just retouching tips and tricks). But also from our workshops, we make short “how did I shot this” videos.
We don’t sell the Lindsay Adler Projector but you can buy it from our friends at B&H
When you want to create something different than the standard photo there are a lot of options.
You can add some props, add a nice backdrop, maybe add some smoke and accent lights etc.
But something that will really spice up your shoot is without a doubt an Gobo projector, or optical spot.
In this video tutorial I’m using the Westcott Lindsay Adler optical spot for three completely different sets with our model Lois.
You get to see the lighting setups, all the photos I shoot and of course the technique is explained in depth.
As an extra bonus I also demonstrate the Rogue (Frank Doorhof) Flashbender.
Digital classroom is made possible by :
BenQ
Rogue
Cascable
Calibrite
To experiment with different solutions to get cool looks.
As you probably know I’m a big fan of focussed light sources, and the gobo projector is of course an awesome light shaper that does this and so much more.
The Gobo projector I’m using is the Westcott Lindsay Adler version.
Standard it’s delivered with a 135mm lens but I’m mostly using a 50mm 1.8 lens on it to get the light spread out more over a larger area.
With this Gobo projector you can choose to just use the blades to create shapes and really focus the light with one small beam on your model, or you can use the gobos themselves, small metal plates with patterns that you place between the lens and your lightsource. The cool thing about a gobo projector is that with the lens you can focus the patterns on y0ur subject or background.
Normally you use the gobos as they are, but during the workshops I love to experiment so for this setup I’m using two gels I put on the gobo.
As you can see it still needs some work, but the effect is very cool
You do have to take into account that this will REALLY eat your light, a gobo projector is not very bright, but when adding gels into the game means that in this case I’m shooting at slightly higher ISO’s than I would normally use with strobes. Luckily the Geekoto strobes I’m using can also be turned down to a really low output, meaning they mix perfectly with the projector.
Model : Felisa
Adding some smoke made the image complete for me.
But also always walk around your model and try different positions, it has happend countless times during workshops, events and commercial jobs, me and the client think one angle or position is best, and I always try to include some different positions at the end of the session, and in some cases I actually prefer the alternatives. So always make sure you shoot from as many different positions and angles as time and space allows.
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