Creative photography: surprising and challenging
Creative photography surprises you and challenges you to look differently. The nice thing about this form of photography is that you can actually use it anywhere: indoors and outdoors, in nature or in the city, with beautiful weather, but certainly also on gray, gloomy days, when realistic photos don't cheer you up. Would you like to get started with creative photography? Sign up for a multi-day creative photography workshop or request an (individual) workshop.
You can read on this page what creative photography is, a what you need for it.
What is Creative Photography?
In creative photography you apply your photography skills to create images from colors, lines, shapes and everyday things and moments that change reality or are abstract. Creative photography requires a different way of looking, camera insight and controlled action.
Making abstract or surreal images: easier said than done
To get started with this form of photography, it is important that you understand the principles of photography and know which settings, accessories and software are available to apply or manipulate those principles. Knowing what your camera and lenses do allows you to create the image you imagined. Immediately in your camera and/or using software.
There are several ways to create creative images.
Into the camera
- are moving
- multiple exposures
- long shutter speeds
- extreme focus
- with settings such as exposure, white balance and picture style
With tools
- special lenses such as the tilt-shift lenses or a creative lens (Lensbaby)
- filters
- strobes
- Pinhole
Using software
- general photo editing programs
- specific software or plugins for creative photography
- smart phone apps
What do you need for creative photography?
In general, you must be very familiar with the settings of your camera. It is an advantage if you edit your photos. Also knowledge of Composition Styles is useful.
For pinhole photography: a system camera or SLR, so that you can replace the lens with a lens cap with a tiny hole. You can make this yourself – download the manual here – or buy a ready-made pinhole.
For multiple exposure: a digital camera with multiple exposure as an option in the menu. Look for multiple exposure in your menu or in the manual. For some Sony cameras, separate software is available to add multiple exposure to the menu. And nowadays there are also smartphones (including the Samsung Galaxy S series) that allow you to expose multiple images with the Expert Raw app.
Multiple exposure is of course also possible with an analog camera, where the roll does not advance automatically. You then determine how many images you superimpose before you continue the film. On the website by Zoltan Pasztor (1972 – 2018) you can see beautiful examples of analog multiple exposure.
Consciously moved images you can in principle make with any camera*. Because you need to be able to work with a slower shutter speed for this technique, you use an ND filter (4 stops is ideal). Without a filter, it is useful if you can set the ISO extra low in the camera (lower than 100) in order to extend the shutter speed even more.
*For a superzoom or bridge camera, the use of a filter is necessary, because otherwise you cannot squeeze the aperture sufficiently.
Consciously play with blur can be done with any camera with which you can focus manually. For applying extreme depth of field, it is useful if you have a good macro lens or a lens with a nice bokeh.
Any questions about creative photography?
Would you like to know more about our creative photography or the equipment you need? Please feel free contact on with Anton or Laurien.
Interested in a Creative Photography workshop? Let us know!
Various forms of creative photography are regularly discussed during our photo tours. You can indicate your interest in future activities using the form below.
Interested in a creative photography workshop or photo tour
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