Free Lensing Photography Tutorial | The Basics

I've been playing around with a new photography technique this week called free-lensing and I am in love with the creative possibilities! Free-lensing is when you shoot an image with your lens unattached and slightly removed from the camera. Holding your lens up to the camera (instead of attaching it) and tilting it slightly creates a tilt-shift effect in your photo that's visually interesting and just plain fun!

I used free-lensing while photographing my daughter the other day. It started snowing outside (the first of the season) and I used the technique to help the viewer feel her curiosity and strong desire to go outside.

If you'd like to try free-lensing but aren't sure where to start, you can watch my short video that I made for the CMM Facebook page, or read my quick how to steps below. Speaking of CMM! If you love photography and are a military member living in Kaiserslautern Germany, you might want to check out the Clickin Military Mamas Facebook page. We go on shootouts, share images and support, and just have fun exploring photography!



BASIC FREE LENSING STEPS:

1. Make sure your camera strap is around your neck. (Once you separate your lens you want to make sure you don't accidentally drop that camera body!)
2. Make sure your lens is switched to Manual Focus and not Auto Focus.
3. Remove your lens, but not very far! I like to rest the lens inside the camera as if I were about to reattach it. (Keeping it close also lessons the chance of dust getting inside!)
4. With the lens "resting" in the body of the camera, look through the viewfinder and very slightly tilt the lens back and forth while using your pointer finger to swivel the manual focus ring. When you find your desired focus point, take the shot.

This is not a normal everyday photo technique so don't feel frustrated if you can't put a tilt shift effect exactly where you're hoping! Keep playing with it and have fun with the creative possibilities! Like everything in photography, it get's easier with practice.

If you try free-lensing out and love what you've created, come share it on Clickin Military Mamas!

Happy experimenting!