Shooting powder photography has its own unique challenges.
The main problem is finding a quiet place where the wind will not blow the powder around. The second is that you need to be completely still while you wait for the photo to come out.
Check out our tips below.
Table of Contents
1) Lighting
If you have a lot of space to light up, choose a place that is as isolated and calm as possible. If you don’t have much room for lighting, find a place that gives you the most interesting effect. Try to set it up so that it is either lit with natural light, or a little dark and gloomy. It’s easier to see and compose a photo when there’s no bright light on you. If you’re shooting on a rainy day, choose somewhere with lots of shadows.
2) Exposure
You can use both manual and automatic settings to adjust the exposure.
With a manual camera, you can use the shutter speed to control how long the shutter stays open. Shutter speeds of 1/15 to 1/30 seconds are the recommended times for this kind of photography.
Automatic settings can be used to determine the light sensitivity of the film or digital camera. This is determined by the ISO setting. Choose a low ISO setting, such as 100. This means that the camera will be less sensitive to light.
3) Composition
It’s important to compose the image correctly. In a well-lit room, keep your subject central and the background as dark as possible. It should be completely black. If the room is not well lit, place your subject in the middle of the frame.
4) Focus
Choose the focus mode that best suits the situation. Manual is ideal, but if you’re using autofocus, try to focus on the subject’s eyes. They are usually the most interesting part of the shot. If you have a flash unit, it can be useful to point it towards the ceiling, to reduce the light hitting your subject.
5) Frame
If the room is too big, try to keep the composition smaller by narrowing your frame. Keep an eye out for any distractions.
If you’re on a trip, look for places where there is plenty of contrast. Try to find a scene with a dark side and a bright side.
6) Blur
If you want a blurred image, you’ll need to use a lens with a longer focal length. It will let more light into the scene.
If you want the image to be sharp, you’ll need a wide aperture. Use a large aperture, such as f/1.8 to f/2.0, to get the sharpest result.
Other Cool Powder Photography Tips
You should take picture in portrait mode. It is recommended for this technique.
Try to use small aperture to get nice bokeh. It will make the picture look softer. Try to adjust the setting to 1/30.
Shoot in low shutter speed to blur background. It will give an impression that you are shooting on moving water.
Make sure that you are far from the object that you are shooting. The distance between you and the object should be about 10 meters.
If you are using flash, try to set the light to about 2.5 stops under the ambient light.
Use a tripod. It will help you to avoid shake and blurs in the images.
Shooting in low light will give an impression that the scene is wet. So, it will give a different look to your image.
You should use a neutral colored background. It will make your subject stand out.