Do you ever find yourself wishing that you could create stunning and unique effects in your photographs without relying on post-processing software? Well, I have just the solution for you! In today’s blog, I am going to share with you my all-time favorite in-camera photography trick that will elevate your images to a whole new level. By using this simple yet effective technique, you will be able to capture mesmerizing light trails that will add a touch of magic and dynamism to your photos. Say goodbye to hours spent editing, and say hello to an innovative method that will enhance your photography skills and leave your viewers in awe. So, grab your camera, and let’s dive into the world of in-camera photography tricks!

Table of Contents show

My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!

Introduction

Hello everybody, this video is sponsored by lumix and the plan for this video was to do a quick test of my new lenses – my twenty five mil that I spoke about in my video last week, the 15 mil that I also spoke about which is recording this Video, and another lens, a 42 and a half mil that turned up this week. I think I’ve got enough lenses for now for a little while, maybe yeah, the plan didn’t go to plan because it rained all week so, I’ve hardly been out. I’ve just been sat on my desk.

Inspiration Strikes

But there was one dry afternoon, and I decided to go and stretch my legs and try to come up with some ideas. On that afternoon, the ideas weren’t great. Idea for Broadway or the West End? Narcos The Musical? And nor was the photography, to be honest. It was slim pickings. I got a couple of selfies, aside from that, there was nothing. So, I decided instead of trying to chase photos to test my new lenses, that I would use one of my new lenses to demonstrate one of my favorite photography techniques or tricks when shooting scenes that are really ultra wide or require really wide focal lengths.

The Technique

Here is a photo which is, to be honest, a little bit boring but it’s perfect for demonstrating this point I want to make here. This photo that you’re seeing was shot with an 8 to 18 male ultra-wide lens, and I shot it at 8 mil, so 16 millimeters full-frame equivalent, so really, really wide. And then, from exactly the same position with all the same camera settings, I shot the exact same scene with my 25 mil lens. And obviously, to get the same field of view, I had to stitch lots of images together with this lens, so probably 9 or 10 images, maybe I would guess. I haven’t checked, but I’d guess it was something like that.

Reasons to Use this Technique

There are a number of reasons you may choose to do that versus just using the lens that you’re supposed to use for that focal length, and in this video, I’m going to explain why you might want to do that and also how you go about doing it.

Comparison of Images

All’s not lost, even if it did rain for four and a half days this week. Here are the two images side by side, and to be honest, I don’t know how well you can see them, given that this is just a 1080p video with lots of YouTube compression. But here are the two images side by side, and you might be able to notice some subtle differences which basically form the reasons that you might want to shoot this kind of scene with a longer focal length than you otherwise would if you just wanted to capture it in one frame.

Reason 1: Image Resolution

The first reason that you might want to do that is, well, if I just zoom in here, as you can probably see, the one on the right, which is the 25mm file is absolutely ginormous. I mean, it is 11,295 by 12,492 pixels, which works out at just give me one minute, 141 megapixels. It’s a big old file, too big, to be honest. I mean, my hard drive’s gonna give up in a minute. But it’s absolutely true that you can capture massive resolution by stitching images together with longer focal lengths than you obviously can with just one image with the proper focal length. Having said that, my g9 has a high-resolution mode, which basically, if you don’t know what that is, you sit the camera on a tripod and then the sensor will move ever so slightly between images, and that’ll stitch those images together and give you a really high resolution. So, I think in this case, it’s 80 megapixels. So, I could, in fact, shoot this scene at 8 millimeters and still get lots and lots of resolution. And, in fact, all of the factors aside, I probably would choose to do that because there’s a lot less risk when you’re asking the camera to come up with a high-resolution file versus you trying to do it yourself.

Reason 2: Depth of Field

The second reason you might choose to shoot a longer focal length with this kind of scene is depth of field. So, when you shoot with an ultra-wide-angle lens like this, even if you shoot with it wide open, so this image with the 8 millimeters was shot at F 2.8, even when that’s the case, you’re gonna struggle to get lots and lots of out-of-focus blur or bokeh. Now, if you look at the 25 mill image in comparison, there’s lots and lots of out-of-focus blur in the foreground, which can look more appealing and can draw the eye more towards the subject. Now, shooting with the 25 mill, if I wanted more out-of-focus blur in a scene like this, then it wouldn’t be too much trouble to just try and introduce some of that blur in Photoshop with one of the blur tools. However, there are scenes where that would be an absolute nightmare. So, if you had an image where in the foreground you had a girl with lots of flowing hair and then the background had to be blurry, well, you’d struggle to do that in Photoshop without spending hours and hours on post-production. So, in that kind of scene, Photoshop wouldn’t really work and this technique would.

Reason 3: Distortion

Reason number three you might choose to do this is distortion. As you can probably see, or probably can’t see actually given that this is a low-res video, but the 25 mill tree looks a hell of a lot more natural to me, given that I was there. It looks more like how I saw it than the 8 mill tree. The 8 mill tree looks a little bit stretched out and almost like it’s falling backwards, and that’s just because of distortion. With the 25 mill, you get a lot less distortion than you do with an ultra-wide-angle focal length. Even though, again, in Photoshop in some instances, you can address distortion, you can’t get a great result all the time, and therefore, it’s safer in some instances to use a longer focal length and avoid distortion in camera.

Conclusion

So yeah, there are three main reasons you might choose to do this, and there are other ways to achieve all of the results from those three ways. But yeah, this is still a great technique to have in your toolkit because, as I say, there are instances where this technique is just better than using software to try and replicate some of the results. If you’re interested in trying to replicate this yourself, there are a few things you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is in-camera photography?

In-camera photography refers to capturing stunning images and achieving desired effects by adjusting camera settings, using creative techniques, or manipulating the composition while taking the photo itself, rather than relying heavily on post-processing software.

2. What is an in-camera photography trick?

An in-camera photography trick refers to a unique or innovative technique used by photographers to create extraordinary and visually appealing images directly at the moment of capture, without relying on extensive editing or manipulation in post-production.

3. What is ‘My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!’

‘My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!’ is a topic where photographers share their preferred technique or method that they find particularly effective and creative when it comes to in-camera photography.

4. How can I learn and implement these tricks in my own photography?

Learning and implementing in-camera photography tricks requires experimentation and practice. It is recommended to explore various online resources, tutorials, workshops, and photography communities where experienced photographers share their knowledge and teach different tricks. Trying these techniques yourself will help develop your skills and allow you to discover your unique style.

5. Can I use in-camera photography tricks with any type of camera?

Yes, you can apply in-camera photography tricks regardless of the camera you own. While certain features may vary between camera models, most camera systems offer settings and capabilities that allow for creative experimentation, enabling you to implement different tricks and techniques.

6. Is it necessary to have professional photography equipment to implement these tricks?

No, you don’t necessarily need professional-grade photography equipment to implement in-camera photography tricks. While advanced gear might provide additional features and options, creativity and understanding of the technique are more important. Many tricks can be achieved using even basic cameras, provided you understand the principles involved.

7. Can I use in-camera tricks for various genres of photography?

Absolutely! In-camera photography tricks can be applied across different genres, including landscape, portrait, street, macro, and more. These tricks allow photographers to enhance their images, explore different aesthetics, and add a touch of uniqueness to their work, irrespective of the genre they specialize in.

I hope you find useful my article My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!, I also recommend you to read my other posts in my blog at this link.

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photography, Street Photography

My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!

My favourite IN-CAMERA Photography TRICK!

Introduction

Inspiration Strikes