DIY Photography Tricks: Nine Small Experiments You Can Try Safely

DIY photography tricks work best when you can tell what changed in the picture. Try one idea at a time with ordinary materials and compare it with a plain frame. You do not need to copy a creator’s video or buy a bundle to practice light, distance and timing.

Nine DIY photography tricks with a purpose

  1. Move a subject away from the background. Keep framing similar and compare background separation. Distance can change the look even when you do not change lenses.
  2. Use a window as a large light source. Turn the subject gradually and watch the shadow shape. A curtain can soften harsh direct sun, but keep fabric away from hot lamps.
  3. Bounce light with a white card. Hold it outside the frame to lift a dark side of the face. Compare before and after without making the portrait flat.
  4. Try a foreground frame. Photograph through an open doorway or leaves without blocking your view of the subject. Focus on the subject, not the foreground edge.
  5. Control a small reflection. Use a dark card outside the frame to reduce a bright reflection on glass. Be careful around fragile objects and public displays.
  6. Freeze a drop. Set up water on a washable surface, keep electronics away from splashes and use a faster shutter or suitable flash. Check the frame before making more mess.
  7. Show motion on purpose. From a stable position, compare a fast and slow shutter on moving water or a passing cyclist. Follow local rules and do not stand in a road for a shot.
  8. Make a silhouette. Expose for a bright background and keep the subject’s outline simple. Avoid pointing an optical viewfinder directly at the sun.
  9. Use perspective honestly. Make two people at different distances appear similar in size for a playful frame. Show the setup when context matters so it is not mistaken for a real-scale scene.

Pick one DIY photography trick to repeat

Keep the first and last frames and write down what you changed. If an experiment does not improve the picture, that is useful information. Our aperture tips and shutter-speed tips explain the controls behind the blur and motion.