10 weird photography tips that actually work

Let me tell you something I'm no expert when it comes to photography and handling a camera but let me tell you something nobody researches better than a beginner and trust me I have done my homework on this.

Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time reading photography tricks and tips online that I never see anything new anymore.  So, I set out to make this useful collection of some weird and cool photography tricks that aren't your usual run-of-the-mill variety.

I hope you find some joy and learn a new tip or two.  When you're done, comment below with what cool photography hacks you've learned!

1. Insulation reflector board

Circular reflectors are excellent for improving the lighting in your outdoor portraits.  By holding them to reflect the sun's light, you can fill in shadows and put beautiful highlights on the face of the person you're shooting.  However, most circular reflectors only work for a head-and-shoulders shot and only for one person. 

Oh, and I also use this as a way to put a little wind in the hair of my models when I'm shooting someone with long hair.  Just have an assistant fan up and down with the reflector board and it gives just the right amount of wind to give the hair some bounce without blowing the models away.

2. fake a shot 

a. rainy day: just take a transparent glass and with a water spray and just place your camera behind it and take a shot by focusing on the background or you can also choose the foreground. 

b. light: put fairy light in front of the camera and click a photo by adjusting the focus on the background.

c. rainbow: put a plastic scale in front of the camera lens just about covering half of it or just put a prism in sunlight and produce the rainbow for your perfect shot.  

3. Use A Fishtank To Get That Underwater Shot

just put the camera into the fish tank and emerge the whole set up into a pond of a lake or whatever water source you want to take the shot off. 

4. Pan to Create Motion

If you want to capture a subject in motion, then use the panning technique. To do this, choose a shutter speed around two steps lower than necessary – so for 1/250, we’d choose 1/60. Keep your camera on the subject with your finger half way down on the shutter to lock the focus and when ready, take the photo, remembering to follow them as they move.

Use a tripod or monopod if possible to avoid camera shake and get clear movement lines.

5. Create abstracts.

Abstract photos are meant to capture the essence of an object, or a series of them, without revealing the entire landscape as a whole. In other words, they serve the purpose of creating unique, surprising images from ordinary subjects.

This look can be accomplished by cropping an abstract portion of an otherwise normal photo, or by taking close-up shots of objects that leave the viewer wondering -- in admiration, of course -- what the subject might be.

6. Shape with light

Never shoot with the sun directly behind you. It creates boring, flat light on the subject. If you shoot with the light source to the side or behind the subject, you are able to shape with the light, creating a more interesting photo.

7. Rule of Thirds 


This is one of the most common tips that pop up when it comes to improving your photos.

To break it down, you cut your frame into thirds by using both horizontal and vertical lines. You then place your point of interest over the cross sections of the grid.

8. Shoot RAW

JPEG is the perfect file format for most casual photographers since they don't take up too much space on your memory card. JPEG files can also be uploaded without being converted into another file. However, this file format also compresses your image files drastically, making it problematic when you’re shooting scenes with high dynamic range.

When shooting at night, switch your image files to RAW in your camera's menu. RAW files take up a lot of space on your memory card, and your images need to be edited afterward, but at least the quality of each image is preserved.

9. Try Unusual Angles

You don’t always have to be directly facing your subjects. Some of the most interesting photos happen when you’re willing to experiment a little. Get down low, up high, move to the side, or try placing something in front of your camera. I admit that you’ll look a little strange doing this, but your photos will be much more creative.

10. When Taking Portraits, Get Your Subjects To Reveal Their True Emotions

The last thing you want is dull and bland portraits. Don’t let it happen! When you’re taking portraits, have fun and try to get your subject to laugh. Tell them to act like they’ve just won an all expenses paid a trip to Monaco where they’ll sip wine and eat caviar with foreign dignitaries. Anything you can say to get a reaction is a very good thing.