TECHNIQUES

Discover new ways to shoot that will spark your imagination and help you expand your photographic skills and help you expa nd your photographic skills

The term ‘creative photography’ is used so often now that it’s not only a cliché, but it’s become hard to know what creative actually is or means. Some photographers might call a blurred ‘abstract’ shot creative, while others might simply see it as a badly exposed image. 

Before we delve into any techniques, then, let’s decide what a creative image is. We’d define it as a shot that intentionally uses or adds extra elements – such as light trails, layered exposures or editing effects – to change the image from what was originally shown in the scene. We see it as adapting or enhancing reality in a scene, if you like. 

Sometimes feeling or being creative is anything but straightforward. It’s not a state that we can will ourselves into, and we all need a little nudge of inspiration from time to time. So over the next few pages, we’ve gathered 10 creative techniques to try. There are different levels of complexity; some can be captured with nothing more than your camera and a kit lens, while a few require specific lighting kit, filters or software. 

We didn’t have room to explain each technique in full. Instead, this feature is designed to give you some quick-fire explanations, handy hints, and project ideas to spark off that little light in your imagination and embolden you to try shooting something new.  

LEVITATING CAMERA

Combine frames to make it look as if your camera is floating in the air

There are several different approaches that you can take to capturing an edgy levitating camera shot, but we’ve gone with the simplest here, as there are no strings or complicated edits involved. With your main camera fixed in the same position on a tripod, you’ll need to take two separate frames.

In the first frame, drop a camera in front of your main camera and lens, and freeze it in mid-air with a fast shutter speed, such as 1/2500sec. Of course, you’ll be catching the camera again too! It can be tricky to fire the shutter and catch the dropping camera at the same time, so it’s better to ask another person to help you with one of these roles.