Photography Light Control Flags & Cutters

When you’re working in a photography studio or the motion picture industry, you should rarely use lighting gear without some sort of modification. Unmodified light is ugly, unfocused, and imprecise. Lighting modifiers like light-control flags and light cutters shape and restrict your lighting source so you can avoid light spill, hard shadows, and other undesirable effects.

Many light-control flags and cutters come in easily collapsible kits so you can bring them to on-location shoots and use the perfect gear every time. You can also supplement your lighting kits with specialized flags as needed.

Light-Control Flags

Light-control flags are some of the simplest and most straightforward lighting modifiers available. Consisting of stretched fabric and a frame made of metal, wood, or plastic, light-control flags come in a range of colors, textures, and materials so you can achieve the exact lighting look you want.

Black light flags are made of a dense fabric that completely blocks the light, so you can position them near lighting fixtures to avoid light spill and lens flare.

Light Cutters

When you don’t want to totally remove or block the light, a light cutter is the best tool for the job. Light cutters feature open-weave fabric or a lighter colored material so you can cut the light by a stop or two as needed to control hotspots or lighting discrepancies.

Light cutters, also called scrims, are the ideal tools for softening light, smoothing out shadow edges, and flattering subjects on camera.

Mounting Light Modifiers

Unlike softboxes, umbrellas, and beauty dishes, light-control flags and light cutters aren’t attached to the lighting fixture itself. Instead, they’re usually mounted on a light stand, a boom pole, or from a truss system high above the action. These flexible mounting options make it easier to achieve the exact look you want for every shot.

Multiple Sizes to Choose From

Control flags and cutters come in a range of sizes to suit any project or lighting scenario, from compact portable setups to large-scale modifiers measuring up to six feet wide. You can also use multiple smaller control flags and cutters in tandem to achieve the look you want.

Quality Counts for Light Control Flags and Light Cutters

For predictable results and a consistent workflow, it’s always wise to invest in professional-quality light-control flags and cutters. Brands like Advantage Gripware, Matthews, Westcott, and Kupo are well known in the motion picture industry for their high-quality products and reliability.