Adding creative elements to the picture is a great way to make your portrait look more special and interesting, and more importantly-it doesn't require a lot of money to achieve it. Today, we bring you 5 kinds of lens special effects that are quite low-cost and simple to operate, which will definitely help you!
1. Plastic packaging
Let's start with the simplest.
I believe many people have heard this method: tear a thin plastic bag or plastic wrap, wrinkle it and wrap it around the lens, leaving a space in the middle, which can be used as the simplest special effects filter:
The place covered by plastic film will generate a hazy phantom, which will produce a dreamy effect without excessive distraction. This special effect will be more obvious under the backlight position.
By the way, remember to open a large aperture. The premise of all techniques in this article is to have a large enough aperture to blur the foreground.
By the way, if the thin fresh-keeping bag is spread out and laid flat in front of the camera, it can create a global soft focus effect.
2. Glass ornaments
Some transparent, thin glass and crystal ornaments (such as craft bookmarks, pendants, earrings, etc.) can be used to create glare.
The method of use is also very simple: hold the camera in one hand, hold the ornament in the other hand, and put the transparent glass part close to the lens.
This effect must be used in the backlight 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 the ornaments.
3. Mobile phone reflection
The water surface in landscape photography, the glass curtain wall in street photography and architectural photography are often used to create reflections, create the effect of combining virtual and real, and make the works more charming and deep.
When taking portraits, you can also use a small, controllable reflective surface-your smooth mobile phone case-to add special effects to the work.
The usage method is similar to the previous section: the photographer holds the camera in one hand and the mobile phone case in the other and places it next to the lens.
Photographers can obtain the shooting effect they want most by adjusting the relative position and angle of mobile phones and cameras, and observing carefully in the viewfinder.
4. LED lights
A small LED light placed next to the lens can create halo and glare effects. Since LED lights are basically monochrome, you can use them with color filters to get more kinds of light colors.
Similarly, you need to adjust the relative position and distance between the light and the lens to get the best special effects.
5. Environmental elements
When shooting, you can choose some natural elements around you. This requires you to observe your surroundings more.
For example, a small flower on the side of the road can be used as a foreground special effect. Put it in front of the lens, adjust the appropriate position, open a wide aperture, and you're good to go.
When selecting an environmental scene, it's best to look for a background that matches its color/theme, so that the shooting effect will be better.
