Sometimes we have to sacrifice for our art. Today's photo tip may require some begging but it is well worth the effort!
The best photographers use photo filters on many if not all of their shots,
but they can get expensive. In a hurry! Here's some, good news - one very effective filter is virtually free! However, if you want one, it may require some begging.
It's women's nylons!
Clearly - in this case - it is a definite advantage to be a woman! You ladies out there have got it made. On the other hand, if you are a male, you may have to make a rather embarrassing trip to the store. Or you can beg a female friend to buy them for you. Or possibly avoid the store altogether and get her to give you a pair of her old panty hose!
No, we are NOT getting into porn...
When you see the results, I think you will be very pleased and you'll agree that the begging was worth the effort. We may need filters, but sometimes they can be homemade and work as well as or even better than the expensive ones.
Here's how a pair of women's nylons can turn into a photo filter…
If you stretch a piece of black nylon stocking across your lens, it makes a really nice soft focus filter.
Depending on how heavy the mesh is, it can be an almost unnoticeable softening, to major distortion. It would be worth your time to have several different mesh thicknesses.
If you don't want to carry around several pair of women's panty hose - you can make a little cardboard square - cut a lens size hole in the center - stretch the nylon across it and glue it down.
Then just hold it in front of the lens when you are shooting! Make several of each mesh!
If you cut a round or oval shape out of the center of the mesh, it keeps the middle of the shot sharp, but darkens and softens the edges. In other words it becomes a vignette.
Want more softening? Add another layer. Want less? Take away a layer.
AND it's free! Eventually, women's nylons wear out and just get thrown away - guys, here is where the begging comes in. Rather than toss them, have your wife or girlfriend save them for you! BTW - they don't have to be black - other colors work too. Experiment!
So ladies, if your "guy" asks you for a pair of panty hose, it's for his art - not a fashion experiment.
It's a tried and true technique.
It's these little things that will make you the "go to" photographer in your area. It's amazing how much fun it is to grab your camera and spend a couple hours shooting when you KNOW you are going to get better shots than all your friends!
Of course that presumes you've mastered your camera! For more information, check out the resource box.
