Snoot!

Oh dear - I've been playing with Blog Labels and this previous post ended up here, dated today. Its a mystery. Look on it as a little bonus...


One of the joys of taking up a new discipline is the opportunity and the need to learn new specialised terms. This means you have become a member of the club. You can now use these words to confuse your friends or impress your clients.

There are plenty of strange words in the science (or art) of lighting. I now casually drop terms such as Key, Fill, Kicker, Barn Door, and Separation into conversations to the consternation of those around me.

So, here is another strange term: Snoot. I suspect this is actually derived from snout. Anyway, it is a tubular item added to a light to direct its output and reduce Spill or increase Separation.



In this case the primary or Key light is the only source. It's an overhead flash fitted with an expensive custom Snoot* used to highlight the subject and leave the rest of the scene unlit. The interior of this snoot is silvered which gives a characteristic ring and  falloff to the projected light.

*OK. It's an empty Pringles Tube....

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