{"id":187,"date":"2025-09-24T21:56:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T21:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/?p=187"},"modified":"2025-09-24T21:56:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T21:56:37","slug":"using-custom-gobos-for-studio-photography-creative-backgrounds-birthday-numbers-pro-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/using-custom-gobos-for-studio-photography-creative-backgrounds-birthday-numbers-pro-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Custom Gobos for Studio Photography: Creative Backgrounds, Birthday Numbers &amp; Pro Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Gobos<\/strong> allow photographers to paint with light by projecting shapes, numbers and textures directly into a scene. In this post you\u2019ll learn how to use gobos for studio portraits and product work, plus a step-by-step birthday setup using number projections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why photographers love custom gobos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Instant sets, no printing:<\/strong> Project windows, blinds, foliage, or <em>30<\/em> numerals without building a background.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Depth &amp; separation:<\/strong> A sharp or defocused pattern on the background adds shape and drama.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Repeatable looks:<\/strong> Lock in a design that you can reproduce for a series or client brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Gobo projection tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to use a gobo, photographers have different options that usually involve a slot between the light and lens to focus. Some popular options you\u2019ll see in studios are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Westcott Optical Spot by Lindsay Adler<\/strong> \u2014 uses <strong>66&nbsp;mm (M-size)<\/strong> metal gobos, this is one of the most popular brands among our customers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aputure Spotlight Mount<\/strong> \u2014 uses <strong>B-size (86&nbsp;mm \/ 3.4\u2033)<\/strong> gobos, also widely used, it required a higher size gobo and pairs with 19\u00b0, 26\u00b0, or 36\u00b0 lenses for different beam angles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nanlite Forza Projector (PJ-FMM \/ PJ-FZ60)<\/strong> \u2014 projector mount with shutters, it supports <strong>M-size<\/strong> gobos via a dedicated gobo holder.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Godox SA-P Projection Attachment<\/strong> (with SA-17 Bowens adapter) \u2014 compact \u201coptical snoot\u201d system for tight, stylized projections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tip:<\/em> Gobo sizes and holders aren\u2019t universal. Make sure to select the correct gobo size when you are placing your <a href=\"https:\/\/machineartist.com\/products\/custom-gobos\">custom gobo<\/a> order. If you are not sure you can always select &#8220;other&#8221; and type the brand and model you are using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Metal vs. glass gobos (for photographers)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Material<\/th><th>Looks like<\/th><th>Best for<\/th><th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Metal<\/strong><\/td><td>High-contrast, mono; tiny \u201cbridges\u201d like a stencil<\/td><td>Bold numbers\/letters, window blinds, geometric patterns<\/td><td>Sharp, durable, fast. Avoid ultra-thin lines.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Glass<\/strong><\/td><td>Sharp; <strong>full-color<\/strong> or grayscale, no bridges<\/td><td>Brand graphics, gradients, colored backgrounds<\/td><td>High fidelity and color accuracy.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Birthday studio recipe: \u201c30th\u201d number projection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a perfect example of a regular setup: project <strong>30<\/strong> onto the background\/floor and pose the subject in or near the light. Here\u2019s a reliable recipe you can adapt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Projection light:<\/strong> 100\u2013300W COB LED (Aputure\/Westcott\/Godox) with your projection attachment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gobo:<\/strong> <em>Metal \u201c30\u201d <\/em>number for a crisp mono look. If you want a name overlay, stack a second gobo or add a foreground cutout.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Placement:<\/strong> Put the projector 6\u201312 ft from the background. Start perpendicular to the wall to avoid keystone distortion; angle slightly for drama.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus:<\/strong> Rack focus until the edges are sharp. For dreamy looks, defocus 5\u201310\u00b0.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key light:<\/strong> Softbox or beauty dish for the subject at 45\u00b0, keep exposure about <strong>\u00bd\u20131 stop<\/strong> below the projection so the pattern reads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ambient control:<\/strong> Kill spill with flags\/black foam core. Add haze sparingly if you want visible light rays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Camera start point:<\/strong> ISO 100\u2013200, f\/4\u2013f\/8, 1\/125\u20131\/200s. Nudge shutter or ISO to balance projection and key.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Surface &amp; color:<\/strong> Projection pops on <em>neutral, matte<\/em> surfaces. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical tips &amp; troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brightness first:<\/strong> If the pattern looks faint, shorten throw distance, use a narrower lens (e.g., 19\u00b0), or dim the key.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Edge fringing:<\/strong> Some lenses show slight color fringing at the edges\u2014stop down the projection iris or refocus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keystone fix:<\/strong> Keep the projector square to the surface, or move farther back and zoom tighter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heat &amp; handling:<\/strong> Metal gobos run cool with LEDs, but glass still prefers clean, lint-free handling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Order custom gobos for your studio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Birthday numbers:<\/strong> Widely used in many studios, you can order custom metal gobos from us for any specific session. Some of the most popular numbers are: 18, 21, 30, among others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Textures:<\/strong> Window blinds, foliage and other textures can be found as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/gobos\">stock gobos<\/a> under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/gobos\/breakup-pattern\">pattern gobos <\/a>categories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand work:<\/strong> Client logos as <a href=\"https:\/\/machineartist.com\/products\/custom-gobos\">custom gobos<\/a>, just upload the file on the website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ready to create your look?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/machineartist.com\/products\/custom-gobos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Order a custom gobo<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Need a size match? Tell us your projector brand and model, we\u2019ll confirm B-size or M-size and ship fast.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gobos allow photographers to paint with light by projecting shapes, numbers and textures directly into a scene. In this post you\u2019ll learn how to use gobos for studio portraits and product work, plus a step-by-step birthday setup using number projections. Why photographers love custom gobos Common Gobo projection tools In order to use a gobo,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[18,14,19],"class_list":["post-187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lighting","tag-custom-gobos","tag-lighting","tag-photo-gobo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions\/191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machineartist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}