Funny photo effects for photographers

There are several ways to introduce an effect into a digital image. At the most basic level, you can use presets or “image filters”. Instagram has been considered the most widely used app on phones and tablets that makes use of presets to alter the color spectrum of an image.

The use of filters can enhance a person’s enjoyment of everyday photography. New cameras like Camera360 provide a host of filters to use for everyday shots.

However, to wow your friends and family, you just have to go beyond simple image filters. To get you started, here are some photo effect ideas:

1. Shoot lightning bolts – Isn’t it amazing how photographers can photograph lightning? Well the process is really simple. All you need is a wide open landscape with rays, a tripod and your camera.

Long exposures are required to capture the rays as they pass through the atmosphere. Well, some photographers are comfortable with really long exposures (some are five to seven minutes long).

“Cut” the exposures into bite-sized pieces (about 30 seconds each). Combine all the photos where you recorded the highlight lightning strikes and combine them into one photo. This can be done with Adobe Photoshop if you are comfortable with it.

You can still get great photos if you’re not comfortable with image-editing software. Just get a good tripod to hold your camera still during the exposure to minimize image noise. Image noise is a fact of life that cannot be completely eliminated.

2. Blur and dynamic motion – Many don’t like blur, but when used well as an image effect, it can look great! Motion blurs can be achieved by using a tripod and slowing down the shutter speed.

Since most DSLR cameras have a preset shutter speed of 1/100 or 1/250, try lowering your shutter speed to just 1/50 and see what happens. With a good background and a moving subject, you could easily achieve motion blur straight from the camera.

You can achieve cool effects by setting your camera on a tripod and rail system so it can move along with your subject. With the right timing, your subject will be clear and highly detailed, while the rest of the image will be blurred by camera shake. Don’t forget that timing is important, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes when trying out motion blur.

3. I can understand your disappointment when you take photos of waterfalls and other bodies of water that feature a lot of movement, only to end up with a lifeless still shot without justice to the subject. In order to create an illusion of movement in our photo, all you have to do is focus your camera and increase the exposure time. The blur will be easily created within 30 seconds and you will be enjoying your outing.