Digital Photographer - UK (2019-08)

Still looking for artistic inspiration?

Maybe these ideas will get your

creative juices flowing

TRY ARTiSTiC

APPROACHeS

Photographs tend to be considered more

artistic when they don’t actually look like

conventional photographs. This certainly

seems to be the case when it comes to

selling prints. Non-photographers are more

likely to splash out when they have no idea

how a photograph was created – because

they wouldn’t be able to take one similar

themselves. Infrared images definitely fall

into that category. They have an eeriness that

immediately adds an artistic feel to every shot

you take.

The best way to shoot infrared is by getting

a camera converted professionally – if

you have an old DSLR gathering dust, it

would be ideal. Advanced Camera Services

(advancedcameraservices.co.uk) are the

best-known in the UK and charge around

£300 for IR conversion. You can also pick up

converted cameras on eBay. The cheaper

alternative is to use an infrared transmitting

filter, such as a Hoya R72, on the lens of a

normal digital camera. You’ll get similar results,

but the exposure times are much longer so a

tripod is required, and you can’t see through

the filter as it’s visually opaque.

Scenes containing foliage are ideal for IR

photography as they really show the effect

• woodland, cemeteries, old castles and
  derelict cottages covered in undergrowth are
  perfect. You also get the best effect in sunny
  conditions, but overcast or stormy weather
  also work well. When you process your IR
  images, add a duplicate layer, apply Diffuse
  Glow to it from the Photoshop filters gallery,
  then drop the opacity of the layer to 15-20 per
  cent to add a nice glow to the highlights.
  Shooting through filters and screens is a
  great way to add a creative twist to images.
  You can fashion your own diffusion filters from
  pieces of plastic – rub it over with sandpaper

to create a frosted effect, smear a small

amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the

surface, or spray with hairspray. Breathing on

the lens to create a misty effect also works

well, though you need to shoot quickly as it

clears in seconds.

Experiment with the way you focus your

lens. Forget about front-to-back sharpness.

Shoot at maximum aperture to reduce depth

of field to a minimum so only part of the

subject or scene records in sharp focus. The

longer the focal length of the lens and the

closer your subject is to the camera, the less

depth of field you get.

Alternatively, switch to manual focus then

shoot with the lens intentionally defocused.

The more you do this, the less identifiable your

subject will be, so stick to bold, simple shapes.

Below left

Cobbles and curves

Shooting with your lens at its

widest aperture is a simple but

effective technique

Below top

Electric guitar

Minimising depth of field

instantly adds a artistic feel to an

image, whatever the subject

Below bottom

Soft-focus flowers

A diffusion filter on the camera

lens was used to create this

delicate soft-focus effect

Techniques