KIT Required the shooting section
You only need a few bits of kit before you can start making rainbows
01 POLARIZING FILTER
The polarizing filter is key to creating the cross-polarization effect – no surprises there! We screwed a 72mm Hoya Circular Polarizing Filter on to the front of our lens, then rotated it to create the final effect.
02 CLAMP OR COUNTER
You might need to use a clip or clamp to hold oddly-shaped plastic objects steady in front of the screen. We didn’t need to do that here, as the bottom of our Christmas tree was flat and stood up on its own.
03 LCD MONITOR
A computer or laptop monitor is the perfect background and light source for this project, as it has the polariser built in! Make sure you position the screen directly behind your subject at the same height.
04 TRIPOD
It’s best to mount your camera on a tripod, so that you don’t have to worry about motion blur if the indoor light levels are low. Set up your height and composition first, then tighten up the tripod head.
05 DSLR & LENS
It doesn’t matter too much what Canon DSLR and lens you use (as long as you’ve got a circular polarizer on). We used the 7D Mark II here with an 18-200mm lens, so that we could quickly recompose the shot.
06 PLASTIC ORNAMENT
As this technique works by showing up weaknesses in glass and plastic, it’s best to go for low-quality materials. Head to the budget section of the Christmas aisle and shop for acrylic items. Or, raid the attic!