10 things you can shoot, edit or create this month, from double exposures to winter sports and wildlife
1 | CREATIVE
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon this month, why not use your photography to treat a loved one to something personal with this trio of ideas from Dan Mold
It’s February and love is in the air. For many I people that means a quick trip to the petrol station to buy some flowers and chocolates, but if you’re looking for something with a more personal touch, why not take some unique photographs for your loved one that could be printed as a personal card or as an art print? Going to an extra little effort will create a unique Valentine’s gift for your loved one!
Here are three potential projects you could try, each of which will produce a special one-off image for your significant other. From light painting outdoors for a vibrant Valentine’s Day photo to two projects that can be done in the comfort of your own home, go the extra mile this year.
PROJECT 1: CAPTURE A LIGHT-PAINTED HEART
Set up your camera on a tripod and using Manual exposure mode, dial in the settings shown above. You’ll need a friend (or the camera’s self-timer if working alone) to write your text. Take an ‘empty frame’ first, so you have an image you can use to fill in the background inside the heart, if required, in editing afterwards.
Have your friend stand in the scene ready to start writing with their torch or sparkler. For pin-sharp shots, ask them to shine a torch on themselves so that you can achieve autofocus, then lock it off using manual focus.
Now using a remote shutter release, begin the long exposure and ask your friend to start drawing a heart shape in the air. Repeat this motion a few times to get a more solid effect, as seen above.
PROJECT 2: GIVE YOUR LOVED ONE A ROSE PRINT
To get a close-up of a red rose, we’re going to use a macro lens on a tripod. This might obscure some of the light in the shot, so we may consider using a five-in-one reflector to manipulate the natural light. These usually offer gold, silver and white sides, enabling the quality of reflected light to be changed.
Adding water to your flower pictures is a great way of giving them a shimmer and shine. To add lots of small water droplets, as seen on the right, you can pick up a cheap atomising spray bottle to give your flowers a light misting of water droplets – it’s an effective way of adding extra shine and eye-catching reflections. Alternatively, use a pipette to carefully place a drop of glycerin exactly where you want it to be. This will remain as a large glistening bead of liquid.
PROJECT 3: CAPTURE A LOVE HEART
When you place a ring in the right position, you can cast a ‘love heart’ shadow onto a book of your choice with a simple to
