Abstract: A novel lantern lock for holding a light and its light shade in a fixed position when mounted on standard lighting equipment is presented. The lantern lock includes a socket assembly with a light bulb socket and power cord. A spreading frame is fixedly attached to the socket assembly, and when a shade is mounted thereon, holds the shade in a fixed position relative to the socket assembly. In one embodiment, the socket assembly is mounted on a base and mounting stud is physically attached to the socket assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a clamp clamps at least a portion of the socket assembly, and the mounting stud is attached to the clamp. The mounting stud is compatible with standard lighting equipment mounting devices, such as a C-clamp mountable on an extension arm of a C-stand. The C-clamp may be rotated in any position to fix the position of the mounting stud, and to thereby fix the position of the light.