3 Photography Experiments to Try

As you have probably discovered, photography is a fun and flexible art medium. You never need to feel limited in shooting what’s in front of you. Photography offers lots of opportunities for expressing your creativity. Think outside the traditional point and shoot mindset and have fun with your photos.

Experiment 1: What’s Your Angle?

Most every photograph that you have seen of your family or friends has one thing in common – all are taken at subject’s head level. This is great, unless you cut off the top of the head, because the eyes are generally the focus for a good shot. Just because it makes sense to focus on the eyes doesn’t mean it is the best artistic angle for capturing a truly unique shot.

Get off your feet! Spend some time shooting from ground level. This means you need to bend down on one knee or crouch. You will be surprised at how changing your angle and getting below your subjects changes their appearance and the feel of the photo. Practice at this angle by taking a lot of shots. You never know what you may capture among the throwaways. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel leaving the traditional shooting methods behind.

Experiment 2: What’s a Bulb Setting?

A bulb setting is simply a setting that makes your camera shutter stay open for as long as you have the button pressed. A camera (even a digital) that has manual settings will have this option. You just set your shutter speed to “B” for bulb. Although the bulb setting doesn’t do well in daylight (overexposes the frame) in a dark environment it will shine and is a fabulous way to capture images you never thought possible.

Night time photography is made for the bulb setting, but you do need a tripod to steady your camera. With your camera on a tripod facing the dark sky, use a cable release so the shutter remains open for five minutes. You will be able to see the stars moving as the earth rotates. Or, have a friend move around with a flashlight as you hold the shutter open. Snap a flash before closing it and you will have a shot of your friend surrounded by streams of light. You can have awesome results with this setting; however, it does require a lot of practice. So, go out and experiment to your heart’s content.

Experiment 3: My Film Can Do What?

Although this experiment only applies to people using film, it's still a fun experiment to try if you can. Here’s some technical information for you before we get to the fun stuff. You may or may not know that all film has a recommended development time at any given temperature. For example (and in no way a recommendation or standard), developing 400 speed film in chemicals that are 70 degrees allows the film to soak for 7 minutes before rinsing. (Note: Check with your developer and film manufacturers for the recommended times) What you may not realize is that the longer the film develops, the more contrast - the darks get darker and the lights get lighter.

Now for some fun. If you develop your own film or know someone who can, try pushing your film development an extra two or three minutes. Be careful, though, because it is possible to push your film into an over-contrasted image, but a little push has the possibility of creating incredible results. You may be amazed and very pleased at how the important parts of your image stand out.

Keep these suggestions in mind the next time you have some time on your hands and want to experiment with your camera. The only additional equipment you may need is a cable release, which is easily available for a few dollars. Don’t wait for those important, once in a lifetime shots to experiment with angles and lighting because it takes practice to have great results. But, it all boils down to you having fun, being creative with your images and getting enjoyment out of your beautiful pictures you can share with friends. So, go out, have fun and practice, practice, practice!