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Camera Hacks for the Creative Photographer

Model: Desiree Perkins. Using Orange Filter

Camera Hacks for the Creative Photographer

              Necessity is the mother of innovation- and creativity is its father. As photographers, we find ourselves dealing with a wide-variety of clients and situations every day, and each job has its own unique sets of requirements and expectations. With this being our daily-norm, we're often pulled into situations that couldn't be anticipated beforehand and require some quick thinking and creativity! Below you will find a list of some of the ingenious camera hacks that I have found myself using in circumstances that demanded quick solutions!

  • Don’t have time to edit an image, but need it color tinted? Just grab a clear plastic bag, color it whatever color you need, and then attach the bag to your lens! This is a popular ‘camera hack’ for sepia toned photographs, but the possibility are endless. For an even more interesting effect, cut a hole or two in the plastic before attaching to your lens, this can produce an effect known as a ‘light leak’ which was common in film photography back-in-the-day.

  • To soften light, stretching a pair of tights over the lens does nicely!

  • Need a diffuser or bounce for your flash? There are various tricks for achieving this, but my personal favorite has always been the ‘Tupperware’ solution. All you need is tape, transparent paper, Tupperware, and something to cut the bottom of the Tupperware. Cut the bottom of the Tupperware to fit over your flash, and attach it with tape. Attach the transparent paper to the top of the Tupperware, hold that down with tape, and that’s it! Another quick bounce idea for built-in flashes is standing a business card in between the flash and the camera, and allowing that to bounce the light.

  • Beanbags make the best makeshift tripods, because they don’t allow for the camera to move! Bean bags can be made yourself using a variety of ingredients such as lentils or rice, or can be purchased at a store for significantly less than a tripod. Stack a few beanbags on top of one another if you need more height!

  • Coffee sleeves make excellent lens hoods (come on- we have all lost a lens hood or two!). These makeshift lens hoods are very thick and block out the light very well, as the material is meant to prevent you from getting burned by a hot beverage!
  • Use a CD case (or any round plastic shape) to protect your lens from the rain.  Just tape it on! Be sure that the lens-to-camera attachment is covered as well, as that is susceptible to water damage also. This also works to save your camera from wet dogs!

  • Want to jump on the rad-hipster trend and add some geometrical bokeh to your images? All you need for this is scissors and some semi-transparent paper. Simply cut the paper into the shape you are interested in and tape it on over the lens (with safe-to-remove tape). Now, the lens will create bokeh in that shape on every image.

Be sure to show off the images you obtain with these nifty tricks on your online storefront, such as Instaproofs! Clients will appreciate these unique looks as they sift through the proofs in your storefront gallery. 

 

Anabel DFlux is a California native who prefers to spend every waking moment with her trusty camera in hand. In 2009 she started her own photography business on a whim and a wish, and has since gone on to work for a variety of publications, companies, and unique clients throughout the country. With her foot in a variety of photographic doors, Anabel is recognized as a zealous individual with a passion for art that knows no bounds.