10 SIMPLE AND QUICK DSLR PHOTOGRAPHY HACKS!
Photography can become very expensive the further you progress up the ladder. As you develop your skills, you soon outgrow entry-level equipment. This means that you'd probably want to invest in all the little gadgets that make your shooting experience that much better, but they all add up at the end of the day...
However, there are various ways around buying the best of the best photographic accessories to get the same result if you know how to do so...
Here are 10 simple photography hacks that will take your photography to the next level:
- Do you want to create a unique lens flare but don't have thousands of dollars lying around for an anamorphic lens? Well, hold up some fishing line up over the lens element, play around with different aperture settings and see what terrific results you get!
- When shooting a video, you might want to create some dynamic shots that require camera movement. Usually, sliders are used in this case, but they do cost a pretty penny. Using a towel over a smooth surface and slowly dragging your camera on top of it will give you a very similar effect.
- Need coloured filters? Get out those colourful whiteboard markers, colour in a part of a transparent ziplock bag, then fit it over your lens!
- Dolly shots are usually the most expensive way to achieve smooth shots. They require complex stabilisation accessories such as slide tracks or gimbals, but what's stopping you from using a desk chair?
- Want that soft filter look for those romantic and dream-like shots? Don't waste your cash on a dedicated filter. Just get out that Vaseline and lightly spread it over the outer parts of the lens element.
- Are you a fan of that vintage film burn effect? Well, there's an easy way to quickly mimic this effect. Carefully hold up a lit match in front of your frame, then take a shot of your subject with the flame out of focus.
- After some surface reflection shots? Get hold of something with a reflective surface, like a mirror. Then, hold it flush to the bottom of your frame and close to the lens.
- Want to create unique light effects? Use things that you would find around the house to modify the light source. For example, a colander with large holes, window blinds and even cut paper.
- To create fine-art effects where your depth of field runs diagonally through the frame, you'd usually need something like an expensive tilt/shift lens. But, a free method of achieving this effect is to head over into the menu of your DSLR and ensure that your camera will take photos even if the lens is removed. Then, hold your detached lens very close to the camera body itself, so light still passes through the lens and onto the camera's sensor.
- Need a pro tripod that allows you to face the camera directly downwards? Use your entry-level one, but use a chair and fit the tripod's legs through the back's openings. This will have your tripod at a 90-degree angle, allowing you to face the camera directly downwards... but ensure the chair and tripod are secure! Or else this could end up costing you more than a pro tripod!
Check out the video below by the YouTube channel Hayden Pedersen on 10 Camera Hacks In Less Than 100 Seconds!