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Posts Tagged ‘Freelensing’

The Art of Freelensing for Creative Photography

18 Jul

The post The Art of Freelensing for Creative Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

freelensing for creative photography

Photography has a great many rules and every once in a while, it is great to break all of them, don’t you think? For me, the art of freelensing for creative photography is the permission to play with both light and blur to archive a totally unexpected and magical image. 

Freelensing tips
Freelensing works for almost any type of photography, but portraits get extra special love with the soft blur of the out-of-focus elements.

My first attempts at freelensing were just lucky shots among many more frustrated attempts. So, I gave up quickly. But as my photographer friends started posting beautiful dreamy images, I was tempted to pick up my camera and lens and try again.

I gave freelensing another try and I have been addicted ever since. It is a perfect way to get those creative juices flowing and add a little diversity to your photography portfolio and client work. Plus, you don’t really need any extra equipment to purchase or invest in other than what you already have in your camera bag.

What is freelensing?

Freelensing is a technique where the photographer shoots with the lens DETACHED from the camera body, creating a unique shot. With freelensing, you can manipulate your plane of focus to draw the eye of the viewer to a specific area. Alternatively, you can have an entire shot out of focus, creating a very dreamy frame.

It’s a great way to do creative photography play.

Freelensing tips

Here are some things to consider as you try freelensing for the first time:

1. Camera settings for freelensing

Before freelensing, you must get your camera settings right. With the lens still attached to the camera, set the aperture to the widest possible value, and adjust the shutter speed and ISO settings for the correct exposure.

You can figure out the widest aperture on your lens by looking at the lens specifics. Once the lens is detached, you can make adjustments to the settings on the camera. For maximum control, use the camera in the manual mode setting where you, the photographer, are adjusting all variables like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

Check your camera and lens settings. Some lens will automatically maintain aperture when detached while others won’t. With Canon, the aperture stays wide open, so you don’t need to do anything specific. With a manual lens, you might have to keep the aperture open manually.

Freelensing tips
Using live view can help you find the focus point in your image as you move the lens around. The dark edge on the lower left of the image is part of the lens (the final image is without the lens in the frame).

2. Focal distance for freelensing

Before detaching the lens, turn the focal distance dial of the lens all the way to the infinity symbol. This sets the focal distance to the farthest possible point. Then you can detach the lens and keep it as close as possible to the ring.

Keeping your eye in the viewfinder, start tilting the lens slowly – up, down, left, or right until you see a composition that you like. Remember that by its nature, freelensing is not perfection. You will not find a tack-sharp image with freelensing, but that adds to the magic of creativity with this exercise.

Freelensing for Creative Photography - how to hold the camera and lens

3. Finding focus

The beauty of freelensing for creative photography is that there are no rules. But one thing that can make or break a good creative image is the focus. While a completely out of focus image is still very beautiful, having a focal point in the image adds to the magic. Along with light, composition, and color, focus draws the eye into that element of perfection while the rest is imperfect.

Freelensing for Creative Photography

As you move the lens around, try and get one area of the frame in focus. Landing focus in freelensing is hard, so give yourself some time to get used to it and be patient.

Try multiple frames to find the focus point. Play with the focal distance of the lens to help you determine that focal area. Also, try moving in and out of the scene until you’re happy with what you see.

As you decide on composition and focus point, consider the message, mood, and story you want to convey to the viewer.

Karthika Gupta Freelensing For Creative Photography

4. Light and light leaks

Freelensing for creative photography can lead to all kinds of interesting images, but it’s the element of light that makes them work. It can add flares and light leaks to the frame and infuse the image with an extra-magical effect.

It’s better to work with good backlight when capturing light leaks and flares. I find the ideal time is during golden hour, when the sun is straight-on but slightly softer than other times of the day.

As you tilt and separate the lens from the camera, bits of surrounding light can spill into the sensor, adding some cool light-leak effects to the frame.

Play around with the light leaks and see how they affect the frame. You can control the direction and amount of light entering the frame by adjusting the size of the gap. Be aware that too much light can ruin the image too.

Freelensing for Creative Photography. Pink Tulips
Light leaks add an interesting element to freelensing images that sometimes resemble a filter.
Freelensing tips
When outdoors, freelensing can add beautiful sun flares without the use of extra filters and prisms.

Things to note with freelensing for creative photography

  • If you have an expensive lens and camera, try freelensing inside the house on a bed or soft surface as you try to manually hold the camera and lens in your hand. Perhaps that heavy 70-200mm lens is not the one to try freelensing for the first time
  • I always shoot with the camera strap around my neck. That way, if for some reason I lose my grip on my lens and camera, I focus on saving the lens since I know the camera is secure.
  • You can do freelensing with the camera on a tripod but that can limit the range of motion and creativity of the frame. But if you are just starting out, then this is a safer option.
  • I hold the camera around the camera grip with my right hand and manipulate the lens with my left hand. I am right-handed, so this plays well with the strength of my hands.
  • If your camera has live view, use that as you move the lens around to find the perfect frame to your liking. 
  • The distance of the lens from the camera and the distance of the camera and lens from the subject will affect the plane of focus (just like it does in normal photography).
    • When you are closer to the subject, less of the subject will likely be in focus
    • When you are further away from the subject, more of the subject will likely be in focus
    • If you are far away from the subject, put the lens closer to the body of the camera
    • If you are close to the subject, you can get the lens further away from the body
  • As you move the lens away from the camera body, light leaks will enter the frame. Live view will help you find the light leaks that works best for the shot you have in mind.
Freelensing for Creative Photography. Dog
Once you get the hang of it, you will find yourself trying freelensing anywhere and everywhere. The results are so unique that you cannot help but get creative.

The best advice for successful freelensing for creative photography is to leave all the rules behind and photograph with your heart. Find that creativity and let the magic unfold.

We’d love to see your freelensing images! Please share them with us in the comments section.

The post The Art of Freelensing for Creative Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.


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Creative Macro Photography – A Guide to Freelensing

22 Apr

Freelensing is one of the strongest and most underutilized tricks in the macro photographer’s toolkit. It can add diversity to a portfolio, and—when used carefully—generates some truly stunning effects. In this article, I will cover the basics of freelensing, and discuss how it can be used to enhance your macro photographs.

freelensing macro photography bokeh

What is freelensing?

Freelensing is a technique that can be used with any camera that accepts interchangeable lenses. You detach the lens from the camera and focus by tilting the lens in different directions, as well as by moving the lens closer and farther away from the camera body.

How does this change the resultant image? The plane that is in focus is no longer parallel to the sensor. The overall effect is to get both near and far objects selectively in focus, as shown in the photographs below.

freelensing macro bokeh autumn leaves

By tilting my 50mm lens, I was able to selectively focus on these colorful leaves.

How to do freelensing?

First, equipment: I’ve found that macro freelensing works best with lenses in the 50mm range. Lenses much longer than that are going to be hard to focus accurately with, and lenses that are much shorter give a field of view and depth of field that is a bit too broad for macro purposes.

Note: because freelensing involves holding the lens detached from the camera, there is always the risk that you might drop something. Therefore, I like to use lenses that are on the cheaper side; the Canon 50mm f/1.8 is my go-to lens in these situations.

The camera model isn’t important, but I tend to use my backup body, as detaching the lens from the camera does increase the risk of dust and other debris getting inside and onto the sensor.

freelensing flowers macro photography

The freelensing process

Begin by putting the lens on the camera as you normally would. Turn on the camera and set it to Manual Mode. Choose whatever aperture you like; when the lens is taken off the camera, the aperture setting will be rendered irrelevant (it will be wide opened). Focus the lens on a distant object.

NOTE: With some camera makes and models, if you hold down the Depth of Field preview button while removing the lens it will lock the aperture closed to your desired setting. Test and see if your camera has this ability.

Make sure that your camera is not using Live View (as this would increase the exposure of the sensor to the outside world). Then, turn off the camera. Detach the lens, and carefully hold it in front of the camera body, just in front of the sensor. Turn the camera back on.

camera freelensing detach lens

Example freelensing technique with a 50mm lens. The lens is pulled (slightly) away from the camera body.

At this point, the fun begins! There are a few things to consider:

First, the farther you move the lens away from your camera, the greater the magnification.

Second, tilting the lens left, right, up, and down alters the parts of the scene that are in and out of focus. It takes a bit of experimentation to get the hang of this, so don’t be afraid to take many images while honing your freelensing skills.

freelensing nature macro photography

Third, any gaps between the lens and the camera allow for light leaks. This can result in very interesting effects (but be careful not to overdo it!). To minimize light leaks, cup your hand around the lens so as to block out the light.

A note on exposure

When it comes to freelensing, your camera’s metering system is going to be nearly useless. The proper exposure depends on the size of the gap between the camera and the lens, so you will always need to drastically underexpose if you use your camera’s meter. I often take a few experimental shots, incrementally increasing the shutter speed (and checking the image on the LCD), until I reach an exposure that I like.

Freelensing for macro photographers

I’ve given a basic overview of the freelensing process above. But how can freelensing be used by macro photographers?

1. Use freelensing to create spectacular backgrounds

One of my favorite things about freelensing is that it can generate stunning backgrounds. The shifted plane of focus causes greater subject/background separation, so the bokeh can be truly impressive.

Try shooting into the light (with the subject backlit).

freelensing macro photography bokeh backlit

The setting sun (just to the right of the flower) offered some great opportunities for freelensing.

You can also work with a shaded subject and a background lit by direct sunlight.

freelensing poppy flower macro photography

The poppy was shaded, but the background was lit by the setting sun.

2. Find a point of focus

Freelensing can be an exhilarating experience, as subjects that you’ve shot a hundred times will seem brand new. However, it’s important not to get too caught up in the uniqueness of freelensing, and focus on how the effect can be best used to create strong images.

To this end, find a focal point. This might be a flower, an insect, or some leaves. Use this point of focus to anchor your shot. Ensure that you’re tilting the lens so as to render that point of focus sharp, and the rest of the scene out of focus.

freelensing daisy macro photography

3. Use freelensing to isolate a subject from clutter

Adding onto tip number two, one of the advantages of freelensing is that you can order an apparently cluttered scene with a tilt of the lens. Look for the sort of image that would have previously felt too chaotic, then tilt the lens so that only a small part is rendered in focus.

autumn leaves freelensed macro

4. Use light leaks for artistic effects

I mentioned light leaks above, and I want to emphasize their potential. When used right, light leaks can be beautiful.

I like to create small light leaks along the sides of the image by shooting backlit subjects, and by allowing a significant gap between the camera and the lens.

freelensing daisy macro photography

The effect here was created entirely through light leaks; by pulling the lens away from my camera, I was able to give this daisy image a more ethereal feeling.

5. Use freelensing for macro-level magnification

As mentioned, pulling the lens away from the camera increases your magnification. This can allow for detail-oriented macro shots without a macro lens. So experiment by increasing the distance between the camera and lens.

freelensing sunflower macro photography

In conclusion

Freelensing, while unconventional, can be an excellent addition to your toolkit. By detaching the lens from the camera body, you can create unique backgrounds and artistic light leaks while emphasizing the main subject.

With spring flowers just around the corner (hopefully!), now would be an excellent time to start practicing!

freelensing coneflower macro photography

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How To Do Freelensing – Budget Tilt-Shift Photography

08 Jun

Photographers are always looking for new and interesting ways to create images. But even as a hobby, photography can be a very expensive venture. Camera bodies, memory cards, bags, tripods, lenses, it can all add up to one seriously prohibitive price tag. But all is not lost! We photographers are a clever bunch, good at developing DIY tricks to minimize costs. One of these is a handy little trick I discovered for budget tilt-shift photography. While it’s not perfect, the technique does work pretty well in simulating a tilt-shift lens without the price of an actual tilt-shift lens.

How to do Freelensing for Budget Tilt-Shift Photography

How to do Freelensing for Budget Tilt-Shift Photography

How to do Freelensing for Budget Tilt-Shift Photography

I knew keeping around an old graphics card would have its uses. The freelensing effect gives the impression that the little nodes on the computer board are buildings in a city.

Tilt-shift…what?

Tilt-shift photography is used to control the part of an image that appears sharp. By adjusting the knobs on the barrel of tilt-shift lens upward/downward (tilt) and side to side (shift) you can be extremely select about the area of focus, allowing for only a very small portion of the photograph to be sharp. By changing the angle of the lens relative to the camera body, you also have greater control in changing the perspective in an image too.

Tilt-shift lenses are often used in architectural photography. For example, if you take a photograph of a building from below, the lines of the building will appear to converge, and it will look as if it is leaning away from the viewer. A tilt-shift lens realigns convergence by moving the lens parallel to the sensor, without having to physically move the camera much further back.

So what is freelensing?

How to do Freelensing for Budget Tilt-Shift Photography

Freelensing is a technique of letting your lens run free of the camera body! Tilting an unattached lens in front of the camera’s docking point simulates the selective focus of a tilt-shift lens. But first things first.

As the proud owner of a camera baby, you may be thinking to yourself, “Is it actually safe to remove the lens from a camera for extended periods?” The answer is yes… and no. While the camera will function fine without a lens attached, there is a greater chance of dust entering the body and ending up on your sensor. That’s why I strongly recommend trying this project out on a spare or old camera you may not use anymore. Sensor cleaning is expensive so proceed at your own risk.

Method

The method for tilt-shifting with a detached lens is fairly straight forward but takes a little preparation. I recommend using a prime lens, because it’s lighter and simpler, with less moving parts. Before detaching your lens, line up the shot and set the camera to manual mode. You may want to use a tripod to reduce camera shake. Meter and adjust your exposure settings and switch the lens to manual focus. Now, detach the lens and hold it about a centimeter (1/2 inch) from the lens cradle.

Have a look through the viewfinder. At first, you may only see blurry versions of the subject, that’s normal! Keeping the lens close to the camera body, and slowly begin tilting the angle of the lens from side to side. Tilting the lens to the right means that the left side of the image retains the most focus, and vice versa.

Take advantage of the light peeking into the gap between the camera and the lens. Achieving atmospheric bokeh and soft light effects are another great reason to try out freelensing. Try taking photographs at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions.

One of the downsides of this method is that achieving perfect focus is almost impossible, but with a bit of adjusting, you can come pretty close. Even the slightest of movements can affect the outcome of the image dramatically, but you will get a feel for it sooner than you might think.

The light leaks peeking through the gap between the lens and the camera body make for some beautiful atmospheric images

Here’s a blast from the past! The contrasting colors and textures of the Tamagotchi and the fluffy blanket make a dynamic juxtaposition enhanced by the freelensing technique.

Conclusion and give it a try

Freelensing is a fun and simple way of experimenting with tilt-shift photography. Once you have a handle on the technique, head out into the world!

Aim to photograph scenes that have a variety of depth. Tilt-shift photography isn’t as effective when used to photograph a scene that is consistently the same distance from the camera. Try looking for subjects that trail off into the distance. Good examples are densely wooded forests, long, straight streets populated with people, fields of flowers or a line-up of dominoes.

Give it a try and share your images in the comments below. I look forward to seeing them. Happy freelensing!

The post How To Do Freelensing – Budget Tilt-Shift Photography by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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