DIY Photography involves using what you have to get the results you want. This could be a great way to save money on expensive equipment and to learn how to get polished results that you would normally pay for.
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Soft Focus Filter Hack
A soft focus filter is a great way to add a dreamy, artistic feel to your photography. Whether you’re shooting portraits or flowers, the soft focus effect can help to bring a more artistic and creative edge to your photos. However, purchasing a soft focus filter can be expensive, and editing the effect in post-production can take a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, there are a few DIY photography hacks you can use to get the same effect.
One of the best DIY photography tricks is to apply vaseline to your camera lens. This may sound strange, but it works! Vaseline can create a blurry, soft focus effect that can give your pictures a vintage look. You can also experiment with other DIY filters such as colored lenses, shadow effects, and even a colored light. These photo hacks are fun and can leave your friends wondering how you did it!
Another great way to achieve a soft focus effect is to use a close up diopter lens. This type of lens is usually used to increase the magnification on a macro camera, but can be used as a soft focus filter as well. You can purchase a close up diopter lens from most camera stores, or you can make your own. This technique requires some technical knowledge, but it can be very rewarding.
You can also try using a simple glass filter to create a soft focus effect. This can be purchased at most photography stores, and it is a cheap alternative to buying a soft focus filter. However, you should be careful to avoid touching the lens with the glass filter, as this could scratch it.
Lastly, you can also try using a piece of pantyhose to achieve a soft focus effect. This is a classic Hollywood-inspired trick that can give your images a beautiful, dreamy look. You can experiment with this technique by adding small rips or tears to the pantyhose. This will result in different textures that can create unique and interesting effects.
DIY photography is all about figuring out new and inexpensive ways to get the polished results that your favorite high-end photographer gets. These photo hacks are just a few of the many that you can try, but they’re sure to impress your friends and leave them wondering how you did it!
Fairy Lights Hack
Whether you use fairy lights to brighten up a table, create a magical headboard, or dangle them in your window to bring some sparkle to your kitchen, these tiny little lights are truly versatile. They can add a touch of sparkle to any space, and here are some creative ways to hang them so that you can enjoy the glow all year round.
Creating a fireplace display is one of the best ways to show off your fairy lights and can be particularly effective if you don’t have any logs or candles to hand and also want to avoid the risk and mess of an actual flame. Clusters of fairy lights can give the feel of glowing embers without any of the risk, hassle or fire hazards, so they’re a great option for homes with pets and children.
For something a bit different, you can also use your fairy lights to illuminate a collection of items, such as logs, candles or decorative jars and glassware. Simply place the fairy lights in a container that will highlight their beauty and create a pretty display, or a focal point for your room. You could even create a whole display from empty glass jars that you might have, filling them with pretty fairy lights for a unique look, or hanging them up on the wall as Mason jar sconces like Lovely Etc.
The entryway is a great area for using fairy lights, especially at this time of year. They can help guide guests in, and they look beautiful when hung around banisters or handrails. You could also string them along a stairwell or around shelving to draw the eye up and highlight books, greenery and other decor.
However you decide to use your fairy lights, there’s a handy hack revealed in this video that will stop them from getting tangled up when you’re storing them away. It only requires an old coat hanger and a strand of fairy lights, so it’s a really easy way to save yourself a lot of stress next year.
Phone Lens Reflection Hack
Photographer Randy Snook developed this DIY photography hack to recreate the dreamy effects of the early Pictorialists. It uses a PVC joint union, a positive meniscus lens (available from most home improvement stores) and some spray paint and glue to make a cheap, lightweight filter for the front of a smartphone camera. It produces a soft-focus, dreamy image with some nice, organic shapes.
Photographers love to use mirrors and glass to create a soft, blurry edge on their images. But you can also do it yourself with a piece of plastic, as demonstrated by photographer Jesse David McGrady. He takes a plastic baggie and cuts a small hole in one end just large enough to fit the camera lens through. Then, he places the baggie over the lens to create some interesting, surreal images. He even suggests coloring the baggie with permanent markers beforehand to give the haze a colored tint.
There are all sorts of different ways to play with reflections in photography. Some are more involved, like the one from photographer Mathias Fast, who takes a DSLR and smartphone together to shoot photos with a fantastical, ethereal feel. But there are plenty of other DIY photography hacks that use things you probably already have around the house to get some neat effects.
Sandwich baggies and prisms are great for this hack, but you can use any translucent object that’s close to the lens. A coffee filter or tissue paper will also work well. This type of photo hack is especially useful for cutting down on the brightness of the light in your picture, which can cause unflattering highlights or even glares. Just be careful not to block the light completely, or you could end up with a darkened image instead of a hazy one.
Tabletop Photography Hack
Sometimes you see a photograph and it just blows your mind. You’re like, “Wow, how did they do that?” And you think that it must have taken a lot of high-end photography equipment to achieve that level of quality and creativity. But the truth is that it doesn’t take much more than a little creativity and simple photography hacks to create mind-bending photographs.
The secret is in the editing, and that’s what makes it so much easier to get professional-looking photos without spending a fortune. With photo-editing software, you can remove backgrounds, change colors, and make your images look completely different. The only limit is your imagination, and the best part is that it doesn’t cost much to get started with a free version of Adobe Photoshop.
Another great DIY photo trick is to use household items to create a unique background for your shots. For example, you can use a black tile to make your products stand out and give them more of a 3D look. Or, you can add texture to your photos by placing them on a wooden floor. Another great way to add dimension to your photos is by hanging your product from above using fishing line, string, ropes, cables, or other materials. You can also experiment with forced perspective by tilting the object to make it appear larger or smaller than it actually is.
Using household objects for your product photography can also help you save money on expensive studio lighting and other tools. For example, you can use a pleated paper shade as a softbox or a salad bowl for a beauty dish. And if you want to take flat lays or selfies, try using a piece of cardboard and tape to make a top-down camera holder. Just be sure to test it out before your shoot in case there are any problems. You don’t want to ruin your expensive DSLR camera!