Adding Randomness to Your Photos
One of the wonderful things about digital photography is the creativity that you can engage in once you’ve got your image on your computer and in photoshop. All kinds of effects can be achieved to make your shots look any number of ways.
But what about in-camera techniques for more creative and artistic shots?
Here are twelve fun in-camera hacks to experiment with to get more abstract and artistic shots - the results are only limited by your imagination!
But before we start - if you’d like to improve your digital photography you can get more free tips like this from our weekly email newsletter
Move your Camera
Every good photography course drums into it’s participants the importance of keeping your camera absolutely still while shooting to ensure fantastically sharp images.
Of course sharp isn’t always what you’re after and one way to add motion into your shots is to experiment with moving your camera while shooting. Here are a few ways to experiment with:
- panning - a technique often used in sports photography.
- rotate - ever whirled a child around you? why not do it with your camera and take a shot mid whirl.
- camera throwing - not for the faint hearted - this technique involves a long shutter speed, setting the self timer, throwing your camera in the air just before the shutter is released and a safe pair of hands. It’s ‘extreme photography’ and can result in stunning shots - as well as the need for a new camera.
Zooming While Shooting
Another way of getting a sense of movement in your shots is to keep the camera still but to zoom in or out with your zoom lens while taking the shot.
While panning (above) injects a vertical movement into shots - zooming gives your shots a 3D look and feel.
Combine this with slow sync flash (see below) and you can achieve some pretty special results.
Creative Focussing
One of the most common problems that I see in readers photos is poor focussing with photographers either focussing slightly in front or behind of the part of the image that needs to be sharp.
Why not take your focussing problems and make them worse by some creative focussing where you don’t just get it slightly wrong - but make your shots obviously out of focus.
This technique is especially effective when you either have a plain background which means nothing in your shot is in focus - or when there’s a secondary element of the image that you leave in focus with the main focal point out of focus enough for it to be obvious but in focus enough to still know what it is.
Shoot from your Boots
Putting your camera on the ground and taking shots of your subject from there introduces a completely new and often random point of view for your shots.
You’ll see the world from a new perspective, add interesting foregrounds to shots and even capture a few surprising subjects along the way.
This might mean you need to get down low to frame your shots - or you might want to be a little more random than that and introduce luck into the equation.
Over expose your shots
Experiment with different exposure levels.
Bump up your exposure compensation to the max and you’ll end up with brightly burnt out images. This can be particularly effective if you’re photographing brightly colorful objects as you can end up with them on a background of bright burnt out parts of the scene.
Slow Sync Flash
This is a great technique for lower light shooting conditions where there is ambient light that you want to capture in addition to a subject that you’d like to light up with a flash.
Experiment with front or rear curtain flash for different impacts.
Monopod extenders
On the other end of the spectrum is to get your camera up high and shoot down on situations. One fun way to do this is to attach your camera to an extended monopod (or a tripod), a long shutter release cable (or a wireless one if you have one) and start shooting.
This will help you to both photograph things up high (street signs for example) as well as to help you shoot down on scenes that you’d never have been able to see from above before.
This is particularly fun with a wide angle lens (a fish eye can be even more fun)!
Multiple Exposures
I used to love experimenting with multiple exposures on the same frame with my old film SLR. Many digital cameras don’t have the ability to do it - but if you’re lucky enough to have one that does you can achieve some fun results.
One way to do it is to take pictures of the same scene at different focal lengths or holding the camera on a slightly different angle. I find this is particularly effective on shots with a repeating pattern.
If you don’t have the ability for multiple exposures on your digital camera you can always get similar results in photoshop using layers.
Go Grainy
There’s something about shots with lots of grain that adds an element of mood into an image.
Override your cameras ISO settings by boosting them right up to the maximum number available. The higher you go the more noise or grain you’ll get.
This can be particularly effective in black and white shots - especially when you blow them up for display.
White Balance
Experimenting with different white balance settings on your camera can inject different color casts into your images.
White balance settings are meant to be used to help you compensate for different types of lights (each type of light gives off different subtle colors). However, if you know what you’re doing you can really warm up or cool down an image quite a bit and get some lovely and creative images.
Master the Bulb Setting
At the slow end of many digital camera’s shutter speed settings is one often labeled ‘B’ or ‘Bulb’.
The bulb setting allows you to keep your shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter release. This opens up all kinds of possibilities for creativity - particularly in low light situations.
The Bulb is great for capturing light trails (moving traffic at night, a friend drawing out a message with a torch or fireworks) but to get the most of it you’ll probably want to secure your camera with a tripod (unless you want to add camera movement into your shot as well).
At the extreme end of bulb settings astro photographers will leave the shutter open for long periods of time (hours) to capture star trails. To do this you’ll need a small ISO, small aperture and should be aware that on many cameras it’ll drain your batteries significantly.
Infrared
Infrared photography is an art of it’s own (it deserves it’s own tutorial - as it’s something I’ve not done much of I’d be open to someone writing me one) and can create some amazing shots (black skies, white trees, dark eyes etc).
Not all cameras can capture infra red light (although many can) but check your manual to see if yours is one of them. If you’re in luck grab yourself an IR filter which cuts out non IR light and start experimenting. Because these filters block out a lot of light you’ll need to use longer shutter speeds, probably will want to use a tripod and should select faster ISO settings.
The start and end of the day is a great time to shoot in IR.
Get more free tips like this from our weekly email newsletter. Also check out our Digital Photography School forum for a community of digital camera users who love to experiment with this type of stuff.
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I was recently looking into IR photography using a Rebel XT (unmodified). Depending on who you ask you’ll find that it’s either impossible or possible (with some experimenting) with the XT. I emailed the owner of the following picture (see link below) to see how he pulled it off. Here is his reply…
http://forum.shutterbug.com/forum/fileuploads/5941-Shacklefords%20Pond.jpg
Exposure time for the photo on the Shutterbug site was 3.2 seconds at F/3.5, ISO 800. Hoya r72 IR Filter.
This what I do-
Canon XT IR
1. Set (M) manual on the mode dial.
2. Select menu
3. Select shooting 2 menu (little camera icon w/#2)
4.Scroll down, select “PARAMENTERSâ€
5. Set Parameters to B/W
6. If you want to lockup mirror (I just started trying this. Hoping for less vibration)
Select Set-up 2 menu tab (little wrench & hammer & #2)
Scroll to CUSTOM FUNCTIONS and enable mirror lockup (you might also enable
“Long exposure noise reduction†while you are there) Just started trying this also.
7. With camera on tripod I enable the self timer.
8. Focus the camera. ( good idea here to switch to manual focus. It allows you
to put the filter on without having to hold the shutter button half way down) Though I
have a felt lined filter holder that I place on the lens while holding the shutter ½ way
down. I have also noticed that the camera will focus through the R72 filter when there
is plenty of light.
In bright sunlight I start with exposures of ISO 400, 2-4 sec. Try a midrange F/stop then adjust. Experiment with ISO, shutter speed, and F/stop, you will find what works with the
Light available.
Hope this helps the XT users out there.
Wow, that’s quite a list of things to try! I like the idea of trying new things with digital cameras — the photos don’t cost much, so why not?! I’ll have to try some creative focusing, it seems like it could turn out some good stuff.
Good stuff. Looking forward to trying some of these techniques.
Now, that was a good post. Gave me lots of new ideas. Thanks.
A thoroughly enjoyable post. I’d be trying some of these methods pretty soon :)
Very nice article really.
Gives lots of ideas for shooting.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amiripz
Has anyone tried the IR with the Rebel XTI? I have tried it with a Hoya filter, but have had no success, not sure what I am doing wrong. I am assuming there needs to be a very bright light source
I agree with Taavi and Tracy.
By the way, do you also have Photoshop techniques to share?
have been having a lot of fun with in-camera radial blurs. simply pick a focus point (eye or figure or something) and rotate the camera while the shutter opens. works best with a small digital that you can rotate easily. would link to some but haven’t uploaded any yet…
Very interesting. Love to try the boot angle and camera toss.
Thanks!
http://shutterhappy.blogspot.com
Ray, check this out if you already haven’t.
cool tips!
Whew! Don’t know what to try first! This is a good article to get you thinking when you don’t know what to shoot or feel you’re in a rut.
These are some good tips for livening up your photos when we often fall into lazy shooting patterns.
And just FYI… it’s “its”.
Excellent article!
I’ve been experimenting with Slow Shutter Speed Flash and have achieved some dramatic images.
Phenomenal post. I find the picture of the tractor especially striking. Thanks for this info.
Excellent POst…
Gave some good food for thought…Specially the zooming while taking a picture.
Wonderful and useful list of techniques. I guess rather than try them all at once, perhaps experiment with one or two to get those down pat and move on to others. I will certainly be trying this.
I am looking forward to trying some of these, but the boot angle I have been using forever, I love how it made my Hot Rod Car look in my young days, I think it had to do with perspective, if you are looking up at something you naturaly give it more respect. keep up the good advice.
cool tips ..
I loved the idea of tossing the camera. I just dropped my camera over the side of the new visitor’s view point at the Grand Canyon. I can hardly wait to see the picture when I find that camera at the bottom.
verry neat pics
Why do I have out of focus shots when I use my flash indoors. My outside shots are perfect using my auto focus feature, but the inside shots are more often than not out of focus. I have the new Olyumpus SLR digital camera.
Yea I got few pics of from the boot view but umm it doesn’t work to well with alligators they are low to ground plus I have been bitten twice from them so don’t try some this stuff I do at home
Awesome information. Too bad it’s an awful (rainy - been wet enuf already) day, I’d head out right now and try all this stuff. I look forward to wathcing these posts!! Thank you
Very interesting techniques…. never heard of some! Pretty nice to know….. My next field trip will be a testing ground for them…..
Great stuff. found the link on yahoo home. this is great great stuff to get creative rather than normal.
i just discovered a new hobby!
this really helped me alot.
hey that’s some good info, but you need a REALLY really good camera for that kinda stuff. some of it doesnt even work on my camera
“Has anyone tried the IR with the Rebel XTI? I have tried it with a Hoya filter, but have had no success, not sure what I am doing wrong. I am assuming there needs to be a very bright light source”
Check my comment at the top. It’s the first one. It answers your exact question.
Great post!
Thanks for your tips, Chris!
Infrared photography is my interest after I learnt DoF. I’ll be happy if someone expert in this area, open a discussion in DPS forum.
So far I still have a problem in setting focus and long exposure. My camera is Canon S3 IS and never get exposure below 10 seconds. Hoya R72 is too dark so I can not see on LCD to set focus. I set focus manually before putting the filter on but always missed (somehow it shifted). I try focus bracketing to overcome the problem, but still not satisfy with the result. I got this picture with luck:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/435847938_bc4f9d0d85.jpg
Rgds.
“Steve Blumert Says:
March 24th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
I loved the idea of tossing the camera. I just dropped my camera over the side of the new visitor’s view point at the Grand Canyon. I can hardly wait to see the picture when I find that camera at the bottom.”
Heh. You should see the look on the guy’s face it fell on.
A comment about IR photography:
The easiest way to see if your camera is sensitive to Infra red light is to get a VCR/DVD/etc remote control, aim it into the camera’s lens, press a button on the remote control and take a picture of it. If the camera is sensitive to IR light, then you’ll see the bulb glowing in the photo.
the best post this week. really good I tried finding those things but I didn’t find. most of them are new to me and it’s great.
i highly recommend panning–it’s a great place to start trying new things because it’s relatively easy to do. it might take a few tries, but you’ll get something if you keep at it. my wife got two great shots out of her first three tries, and she had just recently heard me define panning for her (not give her a lengthy explanation). here’s one and two (my favorite of hers), along with a few from my flickr stream.
wow!
i am looking forward to trying these!
i loooove photography, and i will be trying these pretty soon!!
:]
I have a few pics I took with a very busted old 4mpx camera. I use a nicon coolpix I bought a couple years ago at a legal convention, and used it mainly for my alter ego: blacksoultan. BlackSoultan’s involved in the cali underground rap scene (read: Project Blowed) and is a photoshop NUT. However, the limited functionality of his/my camera has lead me to be more “creative”…
I sat a camera on a table in a recording studio as Project Blowed affilate “CP” recorded his verse. Engineer Ghetalion moved back and forth from the computer to the mic preamps as the camera clicked off. This is what happened by accident:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/BlackSoultan/CPSTUDIOGhet.jpg
Same thing, but this time with new major signee “Anomelee” on the mic:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/BlackSoultan/soamazingstudio2.jpg
My camera really doesn’t allow me to adjust the flash enough, so I will do it manually by putting my finger over it and varying how much I leave exposed. Adjusting the flash on the camera changes the exposure time, so doing it this way leave it as is, but only adjusts the light. This allows for the ambient light to set the mood while the subject is adequately illuminated:
AOK of Customer Service:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/BlackSoultan/customer%20service/DSCN1180.jpg
Psychosiz of Customer Service/Thirsty Fish:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/BlackSoultan/customer%20service/DSCN1176.jpg
Same venue/time without macguyvering the flash. It rinses all the flavor out of the shot:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/BlackSoultan/customer%20service/dscn1193.jpg
I have a lot of different things like this. Limited resources as far as camera and education (I got a degree in sociology. How useless is THAT??!?) leaves one to their own creative devices.
BlackSoultan aka SireEsqire.
I just bought a new HP laptop and a Nikon D40, but I cannot find any software that is Vista compatible that will allow me to create a panorama (stitch program) of 3 pictures. Picassa II and HP Photosmart do not work with Vista OS yet. Does anyone know of a software program that will allow me to stitch pics in Vista? I had no trouble at all in Windows98!
Just uninstalled Vista… back to XP… everything works again - sorry, I realise this isn’t helpful and may not even be an option, but frustration got the better of me.. gharrr…Vista Schmista… S
great post! one of the best i have seen on yahoo, and will use!