Creative photographers do two things very well. First, they know how to use their lenses, and second, they know how to post-process them. Some readers may wonder, how to be creative with the camera besides some of its basic features like pointing and focusing on things by pressing a shutter?
To help out those searching souls, below are ten essential tricks to make you a brilliant photographer of creativity. All you need is a camera, and a dedicated time slot to execute the techniques.
Let’s start!
1. Panning To Capture Moving Subject
Pointing and capturing an object can make it blur because the subject is moving, and the camera is still. Panning lets you move your camera along with your subject. The outcome will be a beautiful image with a focused subject and a blurred background. Hold onto your camera with bottom support then press the shutter release. Half-press to focus and when the subject moves in steady, release it within the frame. It’s all about the right moment.
2. Shoot Macro By Reversing Lens
You need a detachable lens that works with every type of device. Reverse mount lens with the front camera lens to shoot a wider aperture. It will give a shallow depth by sharpening the subject. Manual aperture ring lens works best for them. Increase the intensity gradually as you get closer to the subject. You will need a macro camera, a tripod, a flash refractive board, and some passion for lightening up your little subject.
3. Time Warp With Zoom Lens
Star Trek is famous for its traveling warp speed. The light trails make spacecraft look like moving on an ultra-fast speed. A similar effect can be created with a camera without any special equipment. You can do this by being in the front or back of a moving subject. Hold on your camera still zoom for some time and zoom in at the end. Capture the right moment with a good beforehand planning.
4. Burst Mode To The Perfect Moment
Memorable moments are always unpredictable. Fortunately, modern cameras have a burst mode that captures multiple shots in seconds so you can keep the best one. Having a camera is a blessing in these situations. Keep it ready when you need to capture something, compose, and focus. As your shutter curtains go off, you will have multiple shots. Stop your device to catch up and start again as per need.
5. Custom Shaped Bokeh
Bokeh is not always rounded; it can be of any and every shape. It’s effortless to create a bokeh effect. You just need to get a piece of paper, cut that into the desired shape, and trim it to fix on your lens. The technique works with plenty of lights. Make creative and personalized cards with these images to wow your loved ones.
6. Unfocusing Your Lens
As mentioned above, bokeh is dead and natural, and you can create beautiful backgrounds by un-focusing the subjects. Find the right light source that is bigger and better as the bokeh is going to be huge. Frame the capture, turn on the focus ring, and then get experimental with different kinds of shapes, lights, and aperture.
7. Level Up Portraits Levitation Photography
Spicing your levitation photography is the new trend. Make self-portraits or get to the models to get the concept done. It is simple as making people look like floating in the air. Get the person jump to the ground or up and snap an image in midair burst mode. It’s time consuming; however, it is the easiest way. You can also mount your camera and get a shot of the model on a stool or chair and Photoshop it with a masking technique.
8. Kinetic Photography
Kinetic photography is achieved by tossing your camera freely in the air. It may be risky for your camera, but you can be cautious by taking long exposures naturally. Try this out with a lightweight and small lens initially, shutter speed to be long enough and experiment with exposure to get the best results.
9. Absolute Front-To-Back Sharpness
[eckosc_quote quote=”A genius way to tackle the issue of getting depth in an object is to play with the foreground” source=”Richard Scott, Travel Blogger – Australian Master” url=”https://www.australianmaster.com” pull=”false”]
Start by focusing your rings on the lens until foreground elements get sharpen in the vision and then take a shot. It is better to zoom in your LCD while focusing as it is easy to ensure sharpness. Move upwards gradually as loses focus and refocus on the other part to take the next shoot. Blend them and post-process the sharpness.
10. Perspective With Vertorama
Vertorama = vertical + panorama is the new way to explore the capability of your tricks. You can create jaw-dropping captures with these awesome tricks. Don’t stick to panning horizontally; try vertical panning while using the horizon as an axis. Keep your exposure and shaft consistent with the technique and stitch the image further in post-processing to get a masterpiece.
Pick ONE trick from the above ten and spend 10 to 15 minutes on it. I promise the results will be rewarding!