6 Ways To Explore Experimental Photography

History suggests that most (if not all) of the greatest artistic achievements are a result of an individual indulging into experimentation, be it for a simple lack of something better to do or a genuine wish to reach new creative heights in a specific field. Photography is by no means an exception, thus, to help you create your experimental photo masterpiece, My-picture.co.uk has gathered a couple of exciting tips to share! 

The Blurry One

Motion blur is the best way to provide the sense of speed. Besides simply applying the effect via any of today’s advanced photo editing software, you can actually make one by shooting fast-paced movement using slow shutter speeds. The resulting picture will be either a textbook example of experimental photography or an amateurish attempt at being artsy. To escape the latter, use shutter priority mode ( the camera will adjust the rest of the settings). It's a great way to photograph contemporary dance performances and racing events. 

Beyond The ISO

An increased ISO number can create a lot of grain in your photos. However, this so-called 'defect' can easily be used to your benefit. When shooting in monochrome, the increased ISO level (thus - increased noise and grain) will provide striking noir style shots, something akin to the stills from the Hollywood movies of the 1940’s. It can work well in street photography, too. 

Expose Much

We’ve mentioned before how intentionally over-exposing a shot can give it a rather artistic feel but there won't be any harm in mentioning it again. Every picture taken with exposure compensation turned up to the max will provide ghostly and ethereal looking imagery. Even the burnt out aesthetic may not work well with every scene, it will definitely work wonders in stylised portrait photography and early morning landscape shots. Fog filled forests and rustic wedding photos will also benefit from an intentional overexposure.

Playing With The Focus

It safe to say you’ve probably employed creative focusing to your shots where you make buildings in the background appear blurred out while the figure in the foreground remains sharp.  But have you tried turning your city shoots into toy-like scenes? This has the technical term of 'diorama effect' and it basically makes everything look miniature. The implementation of the effect is actually pretty straightforward. Once you have a cityscape photo, you simply blur the parts of the photo to create an illusion of a shallow depth of field. This will make the architecture seem like a scale model. It’s better to experiment with high angle photos because the view from above will provide the sense of looking down on a miniature scene.

Getting Dynamic

High dynamic range (HDR) seem to split the audience in two. Some loath the synthetic and kinda fakey effect it provides while others endorse the surrealistic vibe the effect is capable of. The keyword in the context of HDR is the balance. When done properly, the visual outcome will close the mouths of even the biggest skeptics around.

Zoomin' And Shootin'

The zoom burst effect creates a sense of motion, making the photo subject appear to be coming into or moving away from the lens. Depending on which direction (away or towards the camera) you want the subject 'to move' you’ll have to either zoom in or zoom out during the brief moments of the shutter being open. You can also use your flash to increase the sense of movement.