This week we decided to focus on a photography technique. In case you aren’t familiar with this term, freelensing is a technique where the lens is removed from the camera and turned by hand slightly to achieve focus. I use an old lens I hacked or a Lensbaby to freelens. This is because when you remove Nikon lenses from the camera body, the aperture closes down and it won’t work as well (or you will need a LOT of light!). Freelensing or reverse freelensing (same concept, just turn the lens around so that the front of the lens faces the camera body) are fun techniques for macro photography too.
One thing I find interesting about freelensing is its unpredictable nature. You might get an image with a nice slice of focus or you might get an image that is completely out of focus, and where focus will fall is sometimes hard to predict. You might get some light leaks or flare. The images tend to be ethereal and dreamy, often film-like or vintage in appearance. If you are someone who demands tack sharp focus in your imagery, freelensing might not be for you! It can be a little scary to take your lens off your camera the first time you try it, but it’s fun to play with and a good way to let go of perfection.
I can’t wait to see how Melisa freelensed this week! Click here to find out.
Eileen Critchley 