How to Use Cookie Patterns in Portrait Spotlights

Choose a cookie pattern that matches the lighting effect you are going for. Hard-defined silhouettes, for instance, are made by cookie patterns that precisely match the shape of the silhouette. More ethereal, magical lighting can be obtained with a cookie pattern featuring stars of various sizes. For a texturized background, use a cookie pattern with nebulous shapes.

Mount the cookie on a light stand. Century stands (also known as "C-stands") work best, but any standard light stand with clips will suffice. If you do not have a light stand, any unit (including a person) that can hold the cookie between your subject and the spotlight will also work.

Position the cookie at an appropriate distance from the spotlight for the effect you want to achieve. Patterns placed further away from the light source (i.e. closer to the subject) will cast a more defined shadow, while patterns placed closer to the light source will create softer shadows. For a textured background, the cookie should be almost touching the spotlight. For a hard-edged silhouette, the cookie should be placed close to the subject, just out of the camera's frame.

Manipulate the cookie to give a sense of movement. For example, if you are using a cookie pattern with leaves cut in it to simulate the lighting in a forest, have an assistant jiggle the cookie so that it appears the leaves are rustling in the wind.