Photography tips

Love the look of rainy day photos, but don’t want to actually get wet? There are a number of effects you can re-create. All while keeping your photo subject dry and umbrella free. Water droplets can make an excellent background. Have an assistant spray water behind the subject using a spray bottle. For a less tired hand, use a sprayer like the ones found in hardware stores to spray fertilizer or weed killer on your lawn. The key though is to place a light behind the spray. This will make those water droplets sparkle. You can also use a flash gel to give the water colour. Many photographers use this trick for portraits, from Joe Edelman to Pyre Jirsa. The wet look isn’t just good for the background. If you want that shot-through-a-rainy-window look without actual rain or an actual window, use that spray bottle on a piece of glass. You can find a piece of glass just by taking one out of a large picture frame.

The right light (whther it’s artificial or natural light) can make all the difference — and so can unusual light. Instead of camera tricks, this DIY photography hack places something in front of the flash. This is to create an unusual lighting effect. Placing a kitchen strainer over the flash will create spotted light. Any household object with a unique shape and, in particular, holes or openings will work. You can do this to create beautiful light effects for close-up shots in portrait photography. You can also use a set of window blinds to create stripped light. Or use patterned lace to repeat the pattern in your light. And if you have that prism from that earlier photography trick, place it between the light source and the subject. This will create a small rainbow in the image. Or, as photographer Joe Edelman suggests, create your own gobo patterns. Cut up your own patterns out of foam board and place them over the light. That allows you to create unique lighting patterns.

Lens companies work hard to reduce flare. But sometimes, photographers want that artistic lens flare especially when shooting sunsets in landscape photography. Anamorphic flare is a horizontal flare that most associate with anamorphic, cinema lenses. You can actually create this effect with some fishing line or translucent string. Clear fishing line will create that horizontal lens flare. And it’s placed close enough to the lens not to interfere with image quality. To try it out, place a piece of fishing line over the front of your lens. The flare will go in the opposite direction of the line. If you want horizontal flare, place the line vertically across the middle of the lens and vice versa. Secure it in place with tape or rubber bands. If you point the modified lens into the sunlight,  you’ll get that long anamorphic flaring.

The bokeh in an image takes the shape of the lens aperture. Change the shape, and you can change the bokeh. Bokeh filters do the same, and while you can buy them, they are also simple to make. This neat camera trick requires a piece of paper, scissors and something to secure the paper to the lens. A hair tie works great. Cut out the shape that you want in the bokeh and place the paper over the lens. It helps if you leave some tabs of paper at the sides to help hold the paper in place with a rubber band or tape. The paper changes the shape of the hole in the lens which changes the bokeh. Be aware, though, that you are limiting the light that’s coming into the camera. So if you are in a low light environment, you may need to adjust your exposure.

Objects close to the lens can blur into neat photo effects, beyond a plastic bag. A prism held close to the lens will obscure distractions in the photo. It can also catch a reflection of something else in the scene. Or it can add a rainbow like light to the edge of the image. You can buy a prism for about $20 online. Place the prism up close to the lens. Now experiment with different positions to obscure parts of the images. Try different angles of the prism itself too and you may catch a neat reflection. This DIY photography trick isn’t limited to sandwich baggies and prisms. Placing any number of objects up close to the camera lens can introduce neat, unusual effects into the image. Anything close to the lens will blur. So this trick is open to any number of objects. Translucent items work well, and even something as simple as a glass of water can create neat effects. Solid items aren’t out of the question. But they create a colored blur effect blocking off some of the image instead of a hazy or reflective effect.

Head to the kitchen and grab a sandwich bag. That’s all you need for photos with a sharp center but hazy, dreamlike edges. This trick comes from photographer Jesse David McGrady. He places the baggie around a lens to create a surreal edge to the images. Make a hole in the closed end to fit your lens through. And make sure the opposite side is covering some of the edges of the lens glass. The plastic is close enough to the lens to blur, which will create a sort of haze to the image. Another variation is to color the baggie with permanent markers first. This will give the haze a colored tint.

A really creative way to photograph people at weddings could be something really creative such as a photo booth. Something like this is relatively easy to set up and will work wonders at the reception. The guests will be able to photograph themselves in a more relaxed manner than having a photographer in their face. Plus, everyone loves photo booths. This is something you can leave for people to use on their own, while you are still shooting. You could even plug an instant printer there and charge people for the photographs.

Destination weddings are weddings that take place in an exotic destination. Think of beaches in the Bahamas or cliffs of the Grand Canyon. As a photographer, destination weddings can provide some very beautiful locations. They help to create special images that stand out from the usual wedding photos. But, there are disadvantages that come with this style. For example, you might not be able to scout the area beforehand. If you are looking to enter this field of wedding photography, read our tips. they will help to ensure you are as prepared as can be.

Looking for inspiration to boost your portfolio? Or perhaps you are thinking about starting a website or blog to showcase your work. We have the best seven wedding blogs that are useful for wedding photographers. Not only do they help to show you what is out there. But give you an insight into what is popular and where you can find your niche.

Have a gander at our list. You won’t be disappointed. Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.