If you're looking for an easy and fun way to add something unique to your photos, give glass prism photography a go!
Every photographer knows that understanding and working with light is a skill that can help create fantastic results once mastered. But, even in the best-lit scenarios, there may be times when some shoots, like portraits, still life, or weddings, call for an extra layer of creativity. This is where glass prisms — from simple and affordable ones to professionally designed ones specifically for photographers — come in.
What is a prism?
At the very core, a prism is simply a transparent optical element with at least one angled surface, which refracts the direction of light passing through. When this happens, white light enters a prism, changes direction, and comes out projecting all rainbow colors that you can use creatively.
You probably have already seen this on a sunny day when a glass object, like a chandelier pendant, catches the light and creates playfully colorful shapes on the wall or ceiling. Similarly, you can use prisms to purposefully add a creative light flare, rainbow, or reflection to your images without having to do it in editing.
Most prisms are affordable, and at times, you can already find one in your household. But, if you want to spend a little on a prism created with photographers in mind, you will find several options from retailers.
You'll soon discover that some prism effects are great for slightly softening the photo by adding a subtle light leak or reflection, while others help create a more pronounced stylized effect.
No prism shot can ever be the same because the slightest change in how you hold the prism or how the light catches it will result in a different photo than before. That's part of the fun, though! It takes a great deal of experimenting to get it right, but the results may pleasantly surprise you.
Different types of prisms
1 Chandelier rings and pendants
One of the smallest and most affordable prisms are chandelier glass rings and teardrop pendants, like those found on suncatchers. Chandelier rings can be used twofold — either by holding them central to your lens to create a blurry and soft light effect on the edges of your photo or by adding a flare on the corner of your frame.
To make it easier to hold the chandelier ring without getting your fingers in the shot, try adding a thread, like a garden twine, to better control and keep it in front of your lens. You can do the same for a pendant, depending on its design.
2 Triangle prisms
Generally found in science class, triangle glass prisms also make a great creative accessory for photographers. Usually, they are long enough for you to comfortably hold them in front of your lens without getting your hand in the shot. Some companies now offer triangle prisms with ¼ thread holes to screw on a tripod or a stand to make shooting even more effortless.
With a prism like this, you can create a solid, rectangular rainbow if you catch the sunlight or use it to add reflections in parts of your frame. If you find yourself looking for ideas to shoot close-ups of jewelry, triangle prisms can also come in handy for styling objects.
3 Crystal balls
Try crystal balls if you're looking for an even more abstract effect, but go for those with triangular patterns. Crystal balls will create a series of dreamy and distorted reflections in a single frame, reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. Same as with triangle prisms, you will find some shops that sell crystal balls with a ¼ thread hole for easy mounting.
If you opt for a smooth crystal ball, use it as a photo prop. It will flip the view upside down because of refraction, but you can consider that when you compose. For example, if you plan on flipping it back in post-processing by selecting and rotating it in Photoshop, you may find it helpful to avoid anything distracting foreground elements.
4 Professional prisms
If you want to take your creativity a step further, look at professional prisms designed for photographers, like Fractals hand-held prisms and Lensbaby OMNI filters. You'll find that these dedicated photography prisms have holders or can be directly attached to the lens.
How to shoot prism photography
1 Use manual focus
Having a transparent object close to your lens will make it difficult for your lens to focus correctly if you rely on autofocus. Put your lens in manual focus mode to ensure you don't end up with numerous missed-focus shots.
This way, you can get the subject in focus every time, regardless of what effect you create with a prism. If you're not used to shooting in manual focus, it may take a while to get to grips with the process, but it's worth it!
2 Experiment with different lenses
It's not just the prism that plays a role in changing the look of your photo — the type and size of your lens will also affect the final result.
Consider using larger prisms to accommodate the focal length as the lens gets wider. For example, if you shoot with a wide-angle lens, the creative effect from a prism will be more pronounced. On the other hand, a 50mm lens or longer focal length will give a softer look — ideal for portraits.
The most important thing is not to fully cover the whole of your lens with a prism but to play around using different angles to see what suits your lens.
3 Transform the background
Have you got an unflattering background or a distracting section of your shot you want to hide? Using a prism can help you add an organic, ethereal effect to your portraits or still life shots, cleverly disguising unwanted parts of your image without extensive post-processing. All types of prisms will help you do this, but the creative effect will vary.
4 Look for light sources
The beauty of using prisms is their ability to change the light creatively. If you shoot indoors and feel underwhelmed with the results, grab your prism and add light sources like lamps, LEDs, fairy lights, or neon. As you twist and move the prism around your lens, you'll soon find the light reflections can add a sparkle effect to your photo.
5 Add reflections
Triangular prisms are great for adding reflections to your photos. Shots like city portraits, street photography, or architecture will likely offer interesting backgrounds that you can reflect on your image. But, if you shoot landscapes or portraits, this technique can work, too.
If you find yourself without a prism on a shoot, you can also use your smartphone as a backup. Same as with a prism, put it near the lens and angle it to get the reflection, for example, of the sky or the subject.
Sometimes, a simple technique using shooting accessories like prisms can take an average photo and turn it into something unique and unrepeatable. Not every image calls for creative effects, but having the right tools on hand can jumpstart creativity and help break out of the rut to create something truly magical.
Images by Anete Lusina unless otherwise stated.
Anete is a freelance photographer and writer, creating content for industry news websites and software companies. Anete also helps others find their inspiration for personal photography through online mentoring.
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