It was only in 1895 that portable metal pans used to reduce the risks from the “flash” generated by magnesium explosions became available in specialty stores. Marianne Strobl quickly mastered this technique and used it in interior spaces, on construction sites, and underground. When neither electric light nor gas lamps were available, she sometimes employed two flash devices simultaneously. She could thus soften shadows that would otherwise have been distracting, which became a distinctive feature of her photographs.