Have you ever tried freelensing, aka lens whacking? Here’s a great example of the technique by David East, as well as a guide.
David East‘s beautiful short film Natures Attractions showcases very creative use of lens whacking, also known as freelensing.
Freelensing is often considered the poor-man’s version of tilt/shift lenses, and involves unmounting your DSLR or mirrorless camera’s lens, and holding it in front of the camera body. This allows you to tilt and shift the lens for creative focussing effects, and also creates light leaks onto the sensor that may or may not add to the aesthetic you’re going for.
Since you don’t need any equipment besides your camera and lens, it’s definitely a technique worth experiment with. Just keep in mind that since your sensor will be exposed, it might get dust on it and will probably require cleaning more often. We offer free basic sensor cleaning at both our stores, so pop in for a visit if dust becomes a problem!
If you’re still not sure about exposing your sensor, similar effects can safely be achieved using Lensbaby lenses.
Here’s a video guide to freelensing by PhotoTuts+ featuring some very handy tips and advice:
Thanks for sharing, David!
