You’ve likely seen DIY culture take off in the past year, especially in photography. With limited access to studios, creative photographers have turned to everyday items for stunning shots. From TikTok to Instagram, they’ve posted clever tricks using household objects to create pro-quality photos!
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If you’re ready to elevate your photography game, keep reading. We’ll share 11 fun and easy DIY hacks you can try at home, inspired by some of the most innovative photographers online.
Create Artistic Shadows with a Colander
Use a colander and natural sunlight to make creative shadows. Hold the colander between the light and your subject, adjusting angles for different effects. Experiment with other items like a sun hat, sheer fabric, or a spatula for varied patterns.
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Finally, position the colander to cast interesting shadows on your subject’s face or body.
Mimic Flowing Water for Dynamic Shots
No pool? No problem. You can create a flowing water effect with a blue backdrop, hand sanitizer, and a water-glycerin mix. Use about 70% hand sanitizer and 30% water-glycerin.
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Move the mixture with your fingers or a spatula to mimic the water flow around your product. This hack adds dynamic motion to your shots, perfect for product photography!
Make a DIY Prism with Your Phone
If you don’t have a prism, you can use your phone screen to create cool reflections. Position it under your lens and move it around to find interesting angles.
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Ensure you have vibrant light sources, like neon lights, at night to enhance the reflections. This technique can add a colorful, reflective flair to your photos.
Achieve a Dreamy Look with Petroleum Jelly
You can create a dreamy, vintage look with saran wrap and petroleum jelly. To do this, wrap your lens with saran wrap, apply jelly around the edges, and capture hazy, sparkling effects in direct light.
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This adds a soft, ethereal quality to your images, perfect for nostalgic or whimsical photos.
Add Depth with a Simple Glass
Use a simple kitchen glass to create a unique, dreamy prism-like effect. Zoom in with your lens and hold the glass close to it, moving it around to find interesting angles and reflections.
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This trick adds depth and a surreal vibe to your photos, creating an engaging, multi-dimensional look!
Capture Stunning Self-Portraits with a Mirror
Take your full-length mirror outside for creative self-portraits. Angle the mirror about 35 degrees towards the sun for the best lighting. Use props like flowers to frame your shot and add depth.
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This creates striking and artistic images with a film look. It allows you to capture unique, reflective portraits with beautiful, natural lighting, perfect for enhancing your photography skills.
Create a Kaleidoscope Effect with Mirrors
Make a DIY kaleidoscope with small mirrors. Tape them together to form a prism and use a wider lens for a stronger effect. This adds a fascinating, multi-faceted look to your photos, creating a mesmerizing visual experience.
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The kaleidoscope effect transforms ordinary scenes into geometric patterns, making your shots stand out with a creative, artistic touch.
Transform Your Bathtub into a Dreamscape
Transform a bathtub into a botanical dreamscape with food coloring, flowers, and LED lights. Keep the water warm for your model’s comfort, and use various flower sizes to add depth and texture.
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This serene and surreal setup produces stunning images. It also helps you create a peaceful, ethereal atmosphere, perfect for portraits and artistic photography in a unique setting.
Use Your Car Windshield for Shadow Effects
You can create portrait shadows using your car’s windshield. Have your model sit behind the glass and cast shadows over it with your hands or custom shapes.
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Clean the windshield first for best results. Doing this adds an interesting overlay effect to your portraits, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadow. It turns your car into a creative studio for unique, shadowed images.
Make Wine Glasses Float for Fun Shots
Using acrylic blocks, woodblocks, and sticky tack, make a wine glass appear to float. Match the woodblock color to your background for better camouflage, and secure the glass before pouring the liquid.
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This hack gives a dynamic element to your product photos, allowing you to create eye-catching images.
Create Frosty Effects with Ice and Plastic
Place your product in a bucket of ice, spritz with water, and cover your lens with plastic for a frosty effect. Shoot in indirect sunlight to avoid harsh shadows.
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Experiment with different ice shapes for added creativity. Doing this enhances the freshness and coolness of your product shots, creating a crisp, refreshing look!
