Lens Hacks - Part One

Freelensing

As the name may suggest the lens is used whilst detached from the camera body, the technique requires you to hold the lens in your left hand, up to the open lens mount of your camera. By then tilting the lens slightly you can affect the depth of field, in the same way, as a tilt shift lens would work.

The drawback is to free the lens, it will be further away than normal, so infinity focus is unfortunately out of the question. However you will be able to get some interesting portraits, and close-ups this way.

Reversing Lenses

This is the same freelensing technique; except with the lens facing backwards, you don’t need anything complicated just a 50mm prime that most people will already have. It’s a little easier if you have manual control over the aperture however it’s not essential. This will instantly give you the ability to get some really big magnifications for the small stuff.

Above: When you don't haven't made plans to take macro shots, reversing
your lens can get you that shot when the moment turns up.

Photography Hacks

This has been written for a photography group that I participate in, called Birmingham Flickrmeets, where annually we hold a “contraptions meetup” where we would experiment with forms of photography that perhaps we wouldn’t otherwise consider. This made me think about projects and hacks that could be done at using little or no expenditure at all.

The industry has zero interest in promoting this kind of project, there is no benefit for them to promote people to spend less money. However for the typical photographer, being able to try new techniques without a huge investment is useful. When I started exploring photography I did not want to make huge financial commitments into equipment in subject areas I wasn’t sure I had an interest in, so often finding hacks became a fun challenge, often forcing me to really think about the photography.

Hacks for Portrait and Product Photography

In the first of these posts, I’m going to explore the hacks involved in portraiture and street photography. Sometimes you may find you’re out and about and just need that little extra zing, or perhaps you want to try something before you make a big financial commitment.

Make Your Own Reflector