My first tip is to try out a Fisheye lens. So imagine you're a goldfish in a bowl, swimming round and round and round - how would the world look through your beady fish eyes - well exactly like this....
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...a slightly distorted curved convex image. Maybe not this exact picture because that would mean you would have been thrown out of your fish bowl and be amongst the grass and daisies fighting for you life! Oh how dramatic! But yes anyway... The wide angle of a Fisheye gives the photographer tonnes of room for creativity. Perfect for panoramic city shots where you've got the world to fit in or a big group of friends at a festival or even a particular item/person you want to focus on with dreamy surroundings. Very cool indeed and something a bit different.
So how can you get this effect? There are a couple of options. If you have an SLR, you can buy a fisheye lens but I always say test out before investing. There is a hire company called HiRental where you can loan lens/camera accessories for a period of time to see if you like them before shelling out the cash to buy them for yourself. The alternative is to buy a Lomography fisheye camera which start from around £45. Cheap and cheerful plus they use old fashioned film so you also get that added excitement of not quite knowing what you've captured until your film has being processed! We're spoilt for choice nowadays with technology but personally I miss the anticipation of waiting of your snaps and the surprise element of not quite knowing what you'll get. Not so much when they're crap but hey...!
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My second tip is to try out a Starburst Filter. Just pop the filter onto your lens and watch every light in shot magically transform into a bright dazzling star! The brighter the light the more enhanced the star effect will appear. Perfect for night photography to make those city lights really twinkle. So using the filter is simple, just mount the lens on your SLR and rotate the front ring. The orientation of the stars will change as the front ring is rotated. Simple but effective! Prices start from around £20.
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AND my attempt...
My fourth tip involves another special effect filter which is great for holiday shots (sun & ski) - let me introduce you to the polarising filter. This nifty accessory does two major things 1. reduces unwanted reflection from surfaces by blocking sun rays e.g. glass, windows, water and 2. makes the sky darker or lighter depending on the desired outcome. This is why I say its a handy tool to have on holiday because if you're having a slightly grey day you can dramatise the sky to make it look like one hell of a scorcher! As with the starburst filter you simply mount the lens and rotate the front ring to see the scene in front of you pop before your eyes. The advice that I was given was to opt for a B&W or Hoya brand filter - prices start from around £16. See a contrasting sky example below from my summer holiday in Vejer - travel brochure wish you were here quality or what?! ...
My fifth and final tip for you is a goody! Light painting photography = soooo much fun! Definitely another technique to master. I tried this out with biggy mouse not so long ago with the view to transform her into a glowing angel - see below.
So first things first wait until it gets dark or shoot in a pitch black room. You will need a tripod and a camera that you can get a long exposure with to get started. A tripod is needed here because you need to use a really slow shutter speed to achieve the technique - without a tripod the end shot will appear shaky & blurry. Select a source of light you want to paint with, this could be a torch, a candle, a lighter/match for example and set the camera to a slow shutter speed start with a second and you can always work up from there. Press the shutter button and once you hear that magical 'click' its open and time to get paint, paint, painting! Use the light you've opted for as a pen to highlight/draw around or over the top of your subject. Once the shutter closes and you hear the 'click' again, time's up, you can down tools and relax. The shot is in the can!
I wanted to share some other awesome examples - this really is my fav tip...
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Love this Melissa xx
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