Inspiration & Tips

7 photo filters & textures created without photoshop

In Camera Artistry refers to creating unique photo effects in camera without the use of Photoshop. These are 7 of my favourite photos creating filters & textures using only what was available at the location. I have included a little note about how each one was created. I hope you enjoy these and it encourages you to go out and try something new.

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This image was taken at the Retro Suites Hotel. I first noticed a cool red table with a pinup girl artwork printed on the side and thought I would take a relaxed portrait of the Groom sitting and having a laugh. As I worked the composition, I noticed the reflection on the table and thought I would give it a try. I captured this image while assisting Lens On Life Photographic Expressions in Chatham.
1/125 - f4 - ISO1600 - 105mm

A Brides veil is very versatile for enhancing portraits and bridal accessories. In this image I used the Bride's veil to cover the couple. I used a close crop so that the veil created a texture over the entire image.
1/125 - f4 - ISO2000 - 75mm

This location is Rock Glen Conservation Area. There is a broken down, 'castle like' structure there and they just happened to be hosting a wedding that day, therefore the structure was decorated with curtains on the outside over some of the window openings. I had an assistant spread out the curtain and hold it just right in front of the couple and I framed the stone wall in the back to create multiple textures. I did try focusing on the couple and the curtain and had to test various apertures to get just the right amount of blur. The image on the right shows the bottom of the curtain which does look kinda cool, but better serves as a before image.
1/125 - f13 - ISO 2000 - 65mm

As I remember, this was the last photo of the evening. It had rained slightly on and off through the session, but nothing major, just enough for a few unique photos including this one. As we were getting ready to go, I noticed that there were raindrops on the windows of my car and I had the idea to do this photo. I had the couple sit in the back seat and had my assistant hold an LED light and sit in the front seat. It was pitch black out, so it was easy to hide the background, but I did experiment with focusing on the couple vs. the raindrops and experimented with the aperture for the right amount of out of focus blur. I liked this image the best because the raindrops make a great texture and it leaves the the couples embrace slightly out of focus.
1/50 - f8 - ISO3200 - 85mm

For this wedding, I actually brought sparklers with the idea of creating a unique photo. I had a few of the guests hold the sparklers close, in front of the lens. hey had no idea what I was trying to do, but they did have a lot of fun, haha. I also used a flash to back light the couple and add a little extra.
1/100 - f4 - ISO1600 - 105mm

I had two people collect and toss the fall leaves into the air around the couple. Simple but fun. It seemed like an obvious thing to do because the couple specifically chose to have their wedding in fall. I had to stand a good distance back and use a long focal length to help crop out the busy background. The right image shows that the location itself wasn't perfect, but with a little creativity and good composition the image turned out dreamy. I captured this image while assisting Robert Russell Photography in London Ontario.
1/160 - f5 - ISO640 - 160mm

I created this retro style, faded hazy look by holding a maple leaf very close to the lens and using a large aperture to create the out of focus blur (bokeh). I used the leaf to frame the couple just right and used a warmer white balance to set the tone. I captured this image while assisting Mark Requena Photography in Chatham Ontario.
1/125 - f2.8 - ISO200 - 50mm

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