7 Creative Techniques for Funky Photos

Photography Tips

The COOPH team is back with more tips to capture unique and funky photos using a few everyday items and a lot of creativity. Photographers Anastasia Ehlakova and Julia Gebhardt have some great ideas when it comes to adding really cool effects to your images. These are easy-to-do, cheap techniques that will add that extra something to your photography, plus they’re super fun:

1. Levitation

What you need:

• tank of helium
• balloons
• ribbon

1. Fill up the balloons with helium. (Or, easier, just go buy a bunch of balloons that are already blown up. An umbrella will also work instead of balloons).

2. Have your model hold the balloons and jump off of something—a chair, table, low wall, whatever they can jump off.

 2. Freelensing

What you need:

• just a camera with a detachable lens

1. Detach the lens

2. Hold the lens in front of the camera where it should be, but don’t attach it

3. Use manual focus and snap a few shots of your model

Since the lens is detached, you’ll get a really cool tilt-shift blur effect.

 3. Light Stenciling

What you need:

• box
• glue
• box cutter
• stencil
• LED lamp
• wax paper
• cellophane

1. Take your stencil printout and glue it onto a box.

2. Cut out the shape.

3. On the side of the box where you’ve cut out your shape, layer the inside with wax paper, then add cellophane.

4. Set your camera to long exposure and have your model stay completely still as you take shots.

5. Shine the LED light into the box and walk around the room—you’ll capture the light in different places around the model.

4. Polaroid Collage

What you need:

• Polaroid camera and film

Simply take photos of your model in parts. Start with the head and move down to the feet, taking photos of different sections of the body.

5. Broken Mirror

What you need:

• mirror
• something to break mirror with

1. Have your model stand if front of broken mirror.

2. Snap shots of your model’s reflection.

6. Colored Lights

What you need:

• cellophane
• flashlights
• tape

1. Wrap the lights in cellophane.

2. Experiment with shining different colors over your model as you take pictures.

7. Hula Hoop

What you need:

• hula hoop
• Christmas lights
• tape
• scissors

1. Wrap lights around hula hoop.

2. With your camera on a tripod, set it to long exposure.

3. Swing the hula hoop around in front of the camera, play with it, making different patterns in the air—just have fun with it.

The COOPH photographers definitely have some inspiring ideas. Their simple camera hacks can be done by anyone and you don’t have to break the bank to create really amazing images. If you don’t already have the materials needed at home, they’re easy enough to get. As for camera equipment, you just need your camera and a tripod.