7 Cool Photography Techniques to Try

It is so easy to take a picture with today’s technology. In any situation, you can just pull out your phone or camera and snap a picture of something that interests you. But it can be tough sometimes to make your photo stand out from the millions of photos if you follow the same formulaic photography techniques you always use. If you want to expand your photography techniques, want to add something different to your photography portfolio, or just want something new and fun in your photography, here are 7 cool photography techniques to try:

1. Tilt-Shift Effect

The tilt-shift effect is a photography technique that creates a specific blur on parts of a photograph. It is meant to change the focus plane of an image and change the perspective. Using this technique helps create depth-of-field as well as different effects on perspective. There are a few different ways to achieve this look. Specific tilt-shift lenses can be pricey and impractical for other situations however, if you have a lens, achieving the look of a tilt-shift effect is much easier. The lens has two knobs that will allow you to control the tilt of the lens as well as the shift, which will control the focus and perspective of the image. Cheaper alternatives to create a similar effect are using photo editing, like Photoshop, or using another technique called free lensing. There are many ways to use tilt-shift lenses like in architecture, landscape, miniature effect, portraits, or product photography. Learning tilt-shift photography takes some time, but it can make your photos very unique and more dynamic. 

Photo Credit: Smashing Magazine 

2. Free Lensing: 

As mentioned in the tilt-shift effect, free lensing is another photography technique that allows you to change the focus and perspective of a photograph. What sets it apart from using the specific tilt-shift lens is that this feature involves disconnecting your lens from your camera body. Freeing your lens from your camera’s body allows you the freedom to play with the angles and light that lets in. Using this technique you can achieve multiple different effects with more freedom than with an attached lens. When you place your lens farther away from the body and not parallel to the body it creates the tilt-shift effect. Flipping your lens to face your camera body can create a micro effect. You can even try this with a broken lens and let light bleed through the edges of the photo to create flares and different colors. Do take note that this technique is a bit risky because a detached lens increases the likelihood of dust getting into your camera. 

Photo Credits: Amy Elizabeth 

3. Light Graffiti:

Light graffiti, also known as light painting, is a technique that utilizes long exposure and light to seemingly draw shapes or letters within a photo. With a slow shutter speed, moving a light in the frame will blur the light as it moves creating something like graffiti in the air. Some tips for creating light graffiti are to use a dark location, experiment using different light sources and varying exposure times. When experimenting with different light sources you can play around with different colors, brightness, or volume. It may take a few tries but when you see the way that the light creates shapes on your photograph, it can often be breathtakingly beautiful. 

Photo Credit: The Photo Argus 

4. Burst mode

Many beginner photographers forget about one of the simplest techniques to try– burst mode. It is difficult to capture clear images of fast-moving objects. Using burst mode allows photographers to do high-speed photography to take more detailed photos of fast-moving objects. The faster the shutter speed will help get a more clear picture. When using burst mode, you can take multiple photos without having to push the shutter button multiple times. This is an easy technique for anyone with a camera to try. All you need to do is set your camera to burst mode, then select the right focus and a faster shutter speed. Just remember that it is going to take more memory so use your shots sparingly, with purpose and care. This technique is used most often for sports, animals, street photography, and event photography.

Photo Credit: Digital Photography School 

5. Motion Blur Photography:

Similar to light graffiti, motion blur photography uses a slower shutter speed to take a photo where your subject or an object in your photo is moving to create a blurring effect. You can also use Photoshop or photo editing to blur and create the effect artificially; however, creating it practically can emphasize the true motion in your photo. Using motion blur in your image helps convey the feeling of movement in a still image. Usually, photographers are not looking for fully blurry pictures, just ones with specific elements that are blurred from motion, typically just a subject or the background. 

Photo Credit: Adorama 

6. Shooting through other objects 

Another cool way to be creative with your photo-taking is to shoot your photos through something else. Objects that you are shooting through could be clear, like a prism or crystal orb that distorts the image and creates bends in lines or re-direction of light. Or you could shoot the photo through an object that isn’t clear, like a fence or tinted film, that introduces new textures, frames, and colors into the photo. This technique has endless possibilities to be creative because it allows you to create multiple different looks depending on what you are shooting through. Whatever you shoot through will help create unique competitions, flares, and perspectives. Choosing to frame something differently, can let light flare to your objects and create interesting, unnatural images. Some popular objects to try shooting through are prisms, glass orbs, drinking glasses, plastic wraps, leaves, and fences. 

Photo Credit: Giggster

7. Double exposure:

One final photography technique to try is double exposure. You can do this either in-camera or in post-production, and it creates an overlaying effect. With double exposure, two images are overlaid on top of each other so that both pictures can be seen at once, creating new and interesting compositions. Double exposure can create a more fantastical image that has a surreal feeling. Because you can see two images at once, double exposure can create symbolism and deeper meaning for a photo. With traditional film, one would have to expose the film twice and then develop it as one photo. With digital photography, there is a setting on many cameras for in-camera double exposure that will help photographers easily create this technique. You can also achieve this in Photoshop by layering multiple pictures and blending them together. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

It is easy to get stuck taking the same or similar photos that you feel comfortable with. Give these techniques a try if you want to try something new in your photography! Learning to experiment with different photography techniques can help you build up a more diverse portfolio. You might just fall in love with a new type of photography through learning these techniques, and at the end of the day, photography is an art that should be fun– so use your imagination and take what you learn from these techniques to create your own original work. 

Learn more about Auteurnet and how we can help you build your creative community.