Recently, I visited my dear friend Sarah of Arrow and Apple Photography for a few days. We had a few photo adventures together and she shared a super fun technique with me that I invited her to share with you on the blog too! Enjoy…
Free-lensing is a fun technique to try if you have a camera with a removable lens! It’s a method of shooting with your lens detached from the camera- but still held very closely. Holding your lens up to the camera (instead of attaching it) allows you to create a tilt-shift effect in your photos. With a LOT of practice, you can even learn how to selectively focus on one thing, while everything else becomes blurred! But don’t be discouraged if you feel like nothing is focusing how you would like at first. It really takes a lot of practice. Practice photographing objects around your house before you try this on people! It’s much harder to focus when your subject is a moving object.
Note: Before you get started, you have to know that as soon as you take the lens off of your camera and use it, there is a chance that dust can get into your camera. Please don’t try this if the thought makes you uncomfortable! However, if you’re not in a dusty area, you shouldn’t have much cause for concern at all. When I free-lens, I hold my lens close to my camera body, and I try to use my hand to cup around the lens so as to shield the camera from bringing in dust, and from preventing too much light leak.
If you’d like to try it, here are a few tips!
Here are a few examples of photos that Sarah took with this free-lensing technique…
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing this lovely technique! xo. elsie
please help me
So going to practice this! I have a project coming up and could really use a technique like this.
I’m having some trouble with this. It looks awesome and I really want to do it but when I try my pictures don’t seem to be coming out. They just look dark and fuzzy, with nothing really look in or out of focus. I have a Nikon D300, please help! This seems like such a fun trick and I would love to try!
I’m having some trouble with this. It looks awesome and I really want to do it but when I try my pictures don’t seem to be coming out. They just look dark and fuzzy, with nothing really look in or out of focus. I have a Nikon D300, please help! This seems like such a fun trick and I would love to try!
This doesnt work with my Nikon..is there a way around this?
Thanks
Susie
This is amazing! I can’t beleive I have never heard of this technique before but can’t wait to try it out. Thank you for the tutorial and great pictures.
this is really neat! i’m so happy i stumbled across this and can’t wait to try it out this weekend.
Thankyou so much for this tutorial, never heard of the technique before and im so glad i do now as i love the look of tilt-shift but large format film is so expensive!
here are my first examples… http://amytibblephotography.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/free-lensing.html 🙂 thankyou again!
that is fantastic!! it makes the images beautiful. will definitely trying it out soon xo
The Young Bridget Jones
such a fun idea!
Parabéns pelo lindo blog e as excelentes fotos.
Att.;Juliana
http://fotojornaliana.blogspot.com.br/
I’m revisiting this after ordering my very own Canon Rebel XTi; I really want to try this after I get the hang of it. I love the artistic focusing on these photos. Not overdone at all, but just a nice touch. 🙂
This is such a nifty idea! I just found this blog through instagram and I’m thrilled. Do you mind me asking what you use to edit, if anything?
Keep it up ladies! xoxo
I tried free-lensing but I sucked at it haha I did get some good images but most of them were rubbish and I felt there must be something else – an easier way…
I found it! Its called LENSBABY and I love it! I bought a Composer Pro with an edge 80 optic plus sweet 35 and double glass. I’ve been experimenting with it a full month now and I LOVE it!! Now I’m dying to get the single glass, pinhole and plastic optic as well! Its so fun! Its like having a toy camera lens on your dslr!
I hope you’re reading this and you’re going to take a look at it because I can imagine you having as much fun with it as I’m having 🙂
xoxo
Hej tamo! Ja sam na poslu surfanja oko vašeg bloga od mog novi iPhone! Samo sam htjela reći volim čitati preko vašeg bloga, i veselimo se svim svojim postovima! Držite se vrhunski rad!
Absolutely beautiful. I’m off to try this now. (:
This is awesome, so glad I found it. I tried today and am really happy with the outcome 🙂 Even if I did manage to drop my lens in some cat poop!
Hi to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one is getting more from this web page.
Love! Love! Love!
Imeediatly got my camera and my 50mm lens and gave it a go – I need to practice though, as you said 🙂
By God, what a wonderful article is! Thank you.