What it does
They create thin vertical highlights that separate subject from background without lighting the entire front face. Can rim, edge-light product, or graze texture.
Modifiers
Stripbox
Stripboxes are tall, narrow soft sources — perfect for edge lines on faces, bottles, and packaging.
See it in a real setup
Best example in this library
Athlete Rim & Grid
Hard gridded edges sculpt muscle definition against black. Power and grit.
Open setup board →
What it looks like
How to use this tool
When to use it
Athlete rims, product hero edges, glossy box shaping, gelled color rims.
What to look for in the photo
Thin bright lines on shoulders, bottle sides, box edges; background often stays dark if strips are flagged.
Placement basics
Align strip height to cheekbone or label centerline. Behind subject for rim; side for product edge. Flag toward camera to stop flare.
Distance & power
Closer = brighter narrower line; farther = wider softer edge. Rims often 1–2 stops under key.
Common mistake
Unflagged strip flaring lens or flattening face. Fix: grid strip + black flag between strip and camera.
Pro tip
One strip only on shadow-side product edge teaches premium shape faster than two equal strips.
Practice on set
- Light front/key first until label reads.
- Add one strip; rotate product watching edge line move.
- Add second strip only if symmetry lesson needs it.
Pairs well with
Flag / cutter
Flags (cutters, barn doors, black flats) block light — they subtract instead of add.
Color gel
Gels shift the hue of a light source — rims, backgrounds, and mood without repainting the room.
Black card (product)
Black cards beside glossy packaging carve dark reflection bands — shape without changing lights.
Related setups
Strongest matches for this tool — 8 of 18 shown. Browse all in the library →
Commercial
Dual Stripbox Product Hero
A classic dual-stripbox product hero where symmetrical edge lines define a dark bottle against a controlled background.
2 lights
map123
Product
Stripbox Edge Bottle Product
A glass bottle lit by vertical stripboxes that create controlled edge highlights while flags keep the label readable.
2 lights
map123
Automotive
Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero
A car in a dark studio rimmed by paired stripboxes — a simpler showroom hero than light painting, teaching how narrow soft sources define body lines and panel reflections.
3 lights
map123
Product
Acrylic Base Product Reflection
A premium product on black acrylic with controlled strip highlights and a mirror reflection beneath the hero object.
2 lights
map1234
Product
Black Card Glossy Packaging
A glossy packaging box shaped by strip edge light and black cards that carve premium dark reflection bands.
2 lights
map123
Commercial
Black Card Transparent Bottle Control
A clear glass bottle on a dark commercial set, where black cards close to each edge create the readable dark reflections that define transparent glass shape, with a stripbox behind for background and edge separation.
2 lights
map1234
Interview
Continuous Hair Light Interview
A soft LED panel key plus a continuous strip or small Fresnel hair light — standard three-point video grammar with continuous sources only.
2 lights
map12
Classic
Dramatic Portrait
A timeless and versatile lighting setup that creates depth, dimension and mood. Perfect for dramatic, cinematic portraits.
2 lights
map123