Gobos! Gobos! Gobos! What Are They? How Can They Add Visual Interest? How Can You Make Some Cheaply?

Gobos are a great way to add some visual interest to a photograph. Whether you are trying to spice up the background, enhance the visual contours and curves of your subject, or just trying to break up space, gobos are a great way to achieve that.

However, once one discovers the usefulness of gobos for their own photography, the shopping-monster inevitably raises its' ugly head. But fear not! Let's make some of our own and use existing equipment we might have laying around, to fulfill our gobo needs!

So... what are Gobos?

Put simply, gobos are patterns you can project onto a wall. Zebra stripes, polka dots, simple bars, lattices, or even simulate a window pane. They can be used to project shadows onto your subjects, creating additional visual interest, or they can be used to improve an otherwise bland background.

Like any photographic technique, employing it in moderation will get you where you'd like to go better than overkill.

Typically, gobos are mounted on lighting units. They can and have been mounted on flash heads.

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