People have high expectations for wedding photography so it’s important to have a few tricks up your sleeve for the big day. The best part about these wedding photography lighting techniques is that they don’t require photoshop: you can create these effects with a basic gobo projection setup. From creating an outdoor feel in an indoor space to creating a textured backdrop, gobos can take your wedding photography from standard to stunning.
Color diffusion
Gobos and color filters can help you make subtle changes to lighting color in a photo, helping to adjust otherwise uncontrollable factors such as the time of day and the RGB scale. By utilizing gobos for color enhancement, a photographer can make an indoor studio look more like a summer or winter day, or create the appearance of twilight or the beautiful dawn sky, all in a single photo session.
Color washes
In traditional film photography adding color filters to images can be time consuming, but with custom glass gobo designs that incorporate color, you can instantly add a wash of blue or green during the photo session.
Lighting illusions
Rather than altering colors or similar lighting needs, a photographer can alter how lighting falls on a subject in their photos with gobos. A gobo can create the illusion of light filtered through window blinds, shining through stained glass or even more fantastical looks, such as fire, water diffusion and more. These effects can be achieved using different gobos or projectors, such as the ECO Spot LED40-LE LED Liquid Effect Projector.
Patterned backgrounds & monograms
Of course, the classic use of gobos is still a powerful one. Projecting a name or other words into the back- or foreground of a photo can be a great way to enhance a wedding or other event and create a more memorable experience for the subjects as well. Make sure to check out our Wedding Gobos page for a full catalogue of available fonts and monogram designs. You can also design a custom glass gobo to meet your needs.
Wedding photography lighting technique tips
Here are a couple additional tips for using gobos as a wedding photography lighting technique:
- Gobo projections are pretty bright, so if you have one displayed behind your subject, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using a dedicated key light to keep their face well-lit. Otherwise, the brightness of the gobo could wash out the details in the subject’s face.
- If you’re using a flash, make sure to account for the fact that the gobo will appear less bright in your picture. Gobo projections are affected by the amount of ambient light in the room.
- Keep in mind that if you’re shooting with a narrow depth of field, a background gobo image will appear out of focus. If the gobo features a lot of detail, then you’ll want to use a wide depth of field by making the aperture smaller.
Related reading:
5 Creative Ways to Use Gobo Lighting at Your Wedding
5 Color-Matching Tips for Custom Gobos
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