Make Camera Filters and Special Effects
If you lack sufficient money to buy extra special effects filters or expensive editing software programs, it is still possible to create special effects with items you already have at hand. Use a few items around the house to create some effects.
Contents
Steps
- Buy an inexpensive U.V filter (around $10) and smear Vaseline on it to make the subject look "soft". Sometimes you can make it foggy looking, if you want to add fog in a landscape picture.
- Also you can remove the UV filter, fog the lens with your breath, and then, before it evaporates, screw the filter back on.
- Use interesting pattern see-through cloths. Take the cloth, put it over the lens, and tie a rubber band around it to keep it in place. Make sure it looks good by checking what it looks like through your viewfinder before you take the picture.
- Go into a dark room (the bathroom with all the lights off would work well), turn on a black light and experiment. Liquid laundry detergent will usually glow blue; in black and white photography it looks interesting too. Glow-in-the-dark markers or makeup would be neat. Try toothpaste, anything that you can think of that might look neat, pour it on an object or even try stuff out on a willing model.
- Hand paint black and white photographs. You've probably seen them, the whole picture's black and white but certain things like a dress, or a rose or whatever. Take a picture that would be interesting to hand tint, get it printed on matte photo paper in black and white, then buy a cheap watercolor set (from dollar tree or somewhere) and pick parts out to paint. The more water you use the more see through the paint on the pictures will be, the less water the more the paint will be darker. You can even get a dual tone effect by picking one color to paint over the whole pick, but make sure its watery.
- Look for good pictures on your home movies. Pick a scene to photograph, get up close, and make sure you don't get the edges of the TV. You can mess with the settings on the TV for more interesting effects. You might want to try this one on digital, because of weird lighting. You don't want an over exposed image.
- Take pictures through stained glass, glass candle lamps, or through a pitcher of water. Use mirrors for reflections.
- Take saran wrap and put it over your lens (it's best to use a rubber band to hold it). Then take sharpies to it and have fun! It's even better when you over-expose the picture.
Tips
- There's so much more you can do; just try out different things, and post when you find something that works.
Warnings
- Don't put Vaseline or screens or anything on your actual lens; it can mess up the lens. Make sure it's not on top of the actual glass. U.V. filters are good for experimenting on.
