Barn doors or snoot?

Roy Mathers

Could someone kindly explain to me the pros and cons of barn doors versus a snoot when used, for instance, as a hair light in portraiture - or any other situation where you want a tightly controlled light? It seems that a snoot gives a tighter light, while barn doors are more versatile. Any advice please?

davidweaver

Roy Mathers wrote:

Could someone kindly explain to me the pros and cons of barn doors versus a snoot when used, for instance, as a hair light in portraiture - or any other situation where you want a tightly controlled light? It seems that a snoot gives a tighter light, while barn doors are more versatile. Any advice please?

Think of a snoot as a flashlight with a focused beam, somewhat like a mag-lite . I sometimes use a mini maglite with a bit of pvc tube on it to add some spot lighting when doing macro. My little pocket snoot.

With a snoot I get to control where I really want to add some specific light.

With barn doors I think of where I don't want the light to go. The flaps are used to exclude light from areas.

Cheers!

Roy Mathers

davidweaver wrote:

With a snoot I get to control where I really want to add some specific light.

With barn doors I think of where I don't want the light to go. The flaps are used to exclude light from areas.

Cheers!

Thanks for that, but aren't those two examples the same? (ie controlling where you want the light to go). Which of the two methods is the more precise?

Art Scott

Roy Mathers wrote:

Thanks for that, but aren't those two examples the same? (ie controlling where you want the light to go). Which of the two methods is the more precise?

yes they do similar jobs not the same exactly...exact only to the point that both are light controllers but the snoot controls the light as a beam, where as the barndoors are used to "cut" light off a portion of the scene and leaves a straight line shadow in the wake.........

to be more simplistic.....a snoot is to pin point light (as described above)...barn doors are actually used as stated above to keep light off of something and the rest of the light is normal a really broad light with a straight edge at the shadow area......and if you light focuses(strobes don't focus but some photogs use Freznel spots and they do focus as do elipsodial spots...these are both types of "hot" lights) then you can contol if the shadow is hard or soft..........

Roy Mathers

Art Scott wrote:

yes they do similar jobs not the same exactly...exact only to the point that both are light controllers but the snoot controls the light as a beam, where as the barndoors are used to "cut" light off a portion of the scene and leaves a straight line shadow in the wake.........

to be more simplistic.....a snoot is to pin point light (as described above)...barn doors are actually used as stated above to keep light off of something and the rest of the light is normal a really broad light with a straight edge at the shadow area......and if you light focuses(strobes don't focus but some photogs use Freznel spots and they do focus as do elipsodial spots...these are both types of "hot" lights) then you can contol if the shadow is hard or soft..........

Thanks Art, tha's very clear. But - can pin you down a bit more? What would you use for the hair light in a portrait - snoot or barn door?

davidweaver

Roy Mathers wrote:

Thanks Art, tha's very clear. But - can pin you down a bit more? What would you use for the hair light in a portrait - snoot or barn door?

Errr....
Whichever looks better to you ( or your customer) is the correct answer,