Looking to use prisms to take beautiful pictures? You’ve arrived at the proper location.
Everything you need to know about the prism photo effect is covered in this article, including:
• How the prism effect works
• The tools required for prism images
• Easy-to-follow directions for taking inventive prism photos
• A lot more!
Let’s get right to it and start with: By the time you’re done reading, you’ll understand how to use prisms like an expert.
What is the prism photo effect?
Any photographic technique that uses a prism to produce rainbows, flares, or blur effects is referred to as a prism photo effect.
Standard triangular prisms are commonly used by prism photographers to produce their images:
However, you can also utilise prismatic suncatchers, toys, and other inventive items:
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Be aware that while prism photo effects frequently use prism effects, the actual prism is rarely visible in the photograph. As an illustration, I made the following image by placing the prism on the right side of the frame so close to the lens that it was blurry:
The rainbow effect can be seen, but the prism itself is barely perceptible.
That being stated, placing the prism in the frame will allow you to take stunning prism shots. There is no right or wrong approach; exploration is key!
How does prism photo effect work?
Triangular prisms may be a familiar sight to you from high school experiments on the properties of light.
The laws of physics operate as follows: When an electromagnetic light beam with a range of wavelengths strikes a piece of glass directly, the light simply passes through the material. Refraction is the term for the phenomenon where waves bend when a light beam strikes a glass surface at an angle.
The lightwaves bend when a beam of light strikes a prism at an angle. The lightwaves then bend once more when the beam leaves the prism through the opposite side. The wavelengths present in the light beam determine how much of it will bend. Each colour is bent differently, creating a rainbow illusion. For example, red bends at one angle, violet bends at another angle, etc.
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Normal lenses are not made to bend light into a rainbow shape. Instead, they are designed for precision and visual clarity, and this approach generally yields excellent results.
However, all you need to do to capture prismatic effects is hold a prism in front of your lens. Then, you may add additional artistic effects to your images by changing the position and angle of the prism, such as colourful flare-like splotches, intriguing blur, and even deliberate camera movement looks:
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Prism photo effect: the step-by-step guide
This section details the entire process of making stunning prism photos.
Step 1: Gather your materials
A few basic items are needed for the prism photo effect. As you may anticipate, you require some form of prism, and I strongly advise purchasing a common triangular prism. These are very trustworthy, and you can get one on Amazon or eBay for a low price.
In fact, a prism I purchased on eBay for a few bucks was used in a lot of the photos in this article:
What size prism is best? As you will need to hold the prism in front of the camera with just one hand, you want to make sure it is reasonable in size. Personally, I prefer 31 in (82.5 cm) prisms that are small, but if you want to explore your possibilities, feel free to buy a couple various kinds. I’d also advise bringing a lens cloth because after a while of shooting, your prism will have fingerprints all over it and you’ll need a quick means to clean them off.
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Step 2: Find a nice (stationary) subject
Any topic can be used to create a prism photo effect, but for practise, I’d suggest capturing a close-up, immobile natural subject (such as a flower or leaf).
When you shoot outside in decent lighting, you won’t have to worry about using a tripod and you’ll have plenty of time to experiment with prism positioning because a plant won’t run away or get impatient.
The prism effect can then be used on live subjects and in various lighting situations as you get more experience. For instance, the portrait prism photo effect may be a lot of fun. If your pet stays put while you concentrate and take the picture, you might even try the dog or cat prism effect!
Step 3: Position the prism in front of the lens
After deciding on a topic, it’s time to set the prism in place. Here’s where the fun starts; you’ll need to be patient since using a prism to produce eye-catching effects involves some trial and error.
Hold the prism a few inches in front of the lens after turning on your camera. Since lenses struggle to focus well on objects made of glass, I’d advise switching to manual focus. Then pay attention to your topic.
Once you notice the colours emerging, rotate and adjust the prism while paying close attention. Utilizing Live View will enable you to see the prism’s impact more precisely. Additionally, I advise using a tripod for your camera because holding the prism and camera in both hands can be challenging.
Be aware that adjusting the angle at which the prism is held in reference to the lens or your position in regard to the sun can also add or subtract distinct effects. Play around with the prism’s distance from the camera lens as well. You’ll start to notice prismatic effects after a few minutes—or, if you’re lucky, just a few seconds.
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Step 4: Take some shots!
Shoot after you’ve found an effect you like. If you’ve heeded my instructions up top, your lens should be manually focusing on your main subject, but do one last double-check to be sure you’ve got the point of focus down pat.
Make sure your shutter speed is fast enough to capture a sharp photograph, then use a somewhat wide aperture to blur the prism until the glass itself isn’t visible.
Of course, take a quick look at your image on the camera LCD before moving on. Are you satisfied with the result? Increase the aperture or move the prism closer to the lens to further blur it. Move the prism glass closer to the subject or reduce the aperture to give it more prominence.
When you can consistently produce a stunning prism effect, try switching up the prisms! I regularly swap between my triangular prism and a glass wine stopper I got while shopping. It’s nice to experiment and see what works best because the wine-stopper prism adds an intriguing kaleidoscopic appearance while also tending to distort the image further.
Prism photo effect: final words
After reading this post, you are now prepared to take some stunning prism images of your own.
Therefore, get a glass prism and give it a go. Have fun, above all!
