Adding creative elements to the image is a great way to make your portrait look more special and interesting, and more importantly, it is important to; — It doesn't require spending too much money to achieve. Foreign photographers Lin and Jirsa have brought you 5 very low-cost and easy-to-use lens special effects today, which will definitely be helpful to you!
1. Plastic packaging
Let's start with the simplest.
I believe many people have heard of this method: tear open a thin plastic bag or cling film, crumple it and wrap it around the lens, leaving a space in the middle, which can serve as the simplest special effects filter:
The area covered by plastic film will produce a hazy shadow, creating a dreamlike effect without excessively distracting attention. This effect will be more pronounced under backlighting.
By the way, remember to turn up the aperture. The prerequisite for implementing all the techniques in this article is to have a sufficiently large aperture to blur the foreground.
By the way, if a thin plastic bag is unfolded and laid flat in front of the camera, it can create a global soft focus effect.
2. Glass jewelry
Some transparent, lightweight glass and crystal jewelry (such as craft bookmarks, pendants, earrings, etc.) can be used to create glare.
The usage method is also very simple: hold the camera with one hand and the accessory with the other hand, and bring the transparent glass part close to the lens.
This effect must be used in the backlit position, otherwise there will be no glare. You can change the position and size of glare in the picture by adjusting the position and distance of accessories.
3. Reflection of mobile phone
The water surface in landscape photography, the glass curtain wall in street photography, and the glass curtain wall in architectural photography are often used to create reflections, creating a combination of virtual and real effects, making the works more charming and profound.
And when taking portraits, you can also use a small, controllable reflective surface -; — Your smooth phone case, add special effects to your work.
The usage method is similar to the previous section: the photographer holds the camera in one hand and the phone case in the other hand, placing it next to the lens.
Photographers can achieve their desired shooting effect by adjusting the relative position and angle of their phone and camera, and carefully observing in the viewfinder.
4. LED lights
A small LED light placed at the edge of the lens can create halo and glare effects. Since LED lights are mostly monochrome, you can use them with color filters to obtain a wider variety of light colors.
Similarly, you need to adjust the relative position and distance between the light and the lens to achieve the best special effects.
5. Environmental elements
When shooting, you can choose some natural elements around you. This requires you to observe the surrounding environment more.
For example, a small flower on the roadside can be used as a foreground effect. Put it in front of the lens, adjust the appropriate position, and open the aperture.
When selecting environmental scenery, it is best to find a background that matches its color/theme, which will improve the shooting effect.
