THE MISSION
Inject flare with a dynamic prism portrait
Time needed 30 minutes
Skill level Intermediate
Kit needed
• Kit lens or 50mm
• Glass prism
With the advent of digital imagery and websites now enabling us to zoom right in on images to ‘pixel peep,’ we’ve become slightly obsessed with megapixels, image quality, and getting the sharpest possible shots.
Perfection isn’t the be-all and end-all though – you can get fantastic images by introducing distortion and flare when used with the right corrective vision.
For a flare effect you’ll need some basic photographic kit, such as a Canon EOS DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual and semi-automatic modes, as well as a lens. A 50mm prime lens for portraits will work best, yet you’ll get great results even with a kit lens. Shooting towards the sun with your lens hood removed is one way to introduce flare into your shots – this will create a diffused, washed out and dreamy quality, great for creating a soft and gentle aesthetic.
You can also hold an inexpensive glass prism in front of your camera’s lens to create flair, diffusion, vibrant distorted colours and reflections.
Glass prisms come in all different shapes and sizes and can be picked up readily online for a few pounds, you can even get specialized kits, like the Lensbaby Omni system. We however used a 15cm tall triangular prism for our shoot that cost about £7. These super affordable accessories are well worth having in your kit bag as they open up a world of creative opportunities – particularly for portrait work.
This story is from the July 2021 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.
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This story is from the July 2021 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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