There is more to photography than just ‘record’ shots. These shots are those you
take of your wife at the beach with her sister and your brother-in-law. You know
what I mean, and you have taken lots of them in your lifetime. Photographically,
we call these ‘record’ shots as all they are doing is recording an event. No
‘art’ or even artistic input by the photographer required. “Hold it, one, two,
three,” and you’ve got that record shot. Not something to blow up and use as
wall art.
However, injecting some ‘art’ into your photography is not
all that difficult, and the results may just surprise you. The answer here is
‘filters’ and you do not have to buy one of the expensive kits either.
The first thing to do is to standardize all your lenses.
Using stepping rings which you can purchase in good camera shops, you bring all
the lenses to the same diameter at the front of the lens. This way, one filter
can be used on all your lenses.
Filters can be used with any camera, film, digital, compact
or SLR, but digital will certainly give you an instant result. I also believe in
not spending too much on filters, and when I say cheap, the first one costs 1
baht (and is recoverable) and gives you a center-spot soft focus filter. Using
this filter this just means the center is in focus and the edges are nicely soft
and blurred. This effect is used by portrait and wedding photographers all over
the world to produce that wonderful “romantic” photograph.
You will need a clear piece of glass or plastic (perspex)
around 7.5 cm square. Put the 1 baht coin in the center of the perspex and then
gently wave hairspray over the lot. Let it dry and gently flick the coin off and
you have your first special effects filter - the center spot soft focus.
Now set your camera lens on the largest aperture you can
(around f5.6 or f4 is fine). Focus on your subject, keeping the face in the
center of the screen. Bring up your magic FX filter and place it over the lens
and what do you see? The face is in focus and the edges are all blurred! Take a
few shots, especially ones with the light behind your subject. Try altering the
f stop as well, as this changes the apparent size of the clear spot in the
middle. Simple, cheap and easy art.
Here is another, the Super Sunset Filter. This one will give
you that wonderfully warm “tropical sunset” which will make people envious that
they aren’t over here to enjoy such spectacular endings to the day. To produce
the warm glow, just take off your sunglasses and place one side over the lens.
It’s that simple! Just look at the difference yourself, with and without the
sunnies. The camera will see it the same way.
Soft romantic effects can be produced super inexpensively as
well. The first is to gently breathe on the end of the lens just before you take
the shot. Your warm breath will impart a “mist” to produce a wonderfully misty
portrait, or that early morning mist look for landscapes. Remember that the
“misting” only lasts a few seconds, so make sure you have the camera pre-focussed
and ready to shoot. If you have control over the aperture, try around f4 as
well.
Here’s another. Use a piece of stocking (pantyhose) material.
Stretch it over the lens and tie it on with a rubber band. Cut a small hole in
the middle and go ahead and shoot romantic portraits.
There are also other ways of bending, refracting or just
generally fooling the camera’s lens system. You can even use semi-transparent
material like shower screen glass. The concept is just to produce a “different”
effect, one that the camera will pick up. It is very difficult to predict the
outcomes in these situations, but you can be pleasantly amazed at some of the
results. The main idea is to give it a try!
