I like to experiment and try out different effects. Below I show some recent trials.
First, I am using a crystal ball and a flat mirror to photograph plants in the conservatory:
This took a lot of experimenting to get right. I am still not happy with the reflections so I will need to try something else. To improve the back-to-front focussing I used the ‘focus stacking’ technique – 20 images were used for this.
This next photo is taken in the garden using a cheap, vintage 50mm enlarger lens. What I like about this is the subtle changes to the colour tones and how the out of focus background is rendered, especially at the edges.
I have also been trying to take photographs through a prism. This is quite difficult but here are some early examples taken in the garden:
What I have learnt from the prism is that the subject matter needs choosing with care. I also need a method the hold the prism next to the lens that enables it to rotate.
Interesting effects though…