TOP TIPS CROSS POLARIZATION PHOTOS

Experiment with different hard plastics and camera techniques

01 CHOOSE WHITE OR BLACK

One of the most magical things about the project is how the TV or laptop screen behind the plastics can be made either totally black, white or something in between, depending on the rotation of the circular polarizing filter. So try rotating the filter to change the contrast and create a range of interesting effects.

03 TRY A MACRO LENS

If you have a macro lens this is a great time to experiment with extreme close ups. Go in tight on parts of the plastic object like the bubbles in the champagne flute here. Use a fairly narrow aperture like f/11 to expand your depth of field so that more of the close up details are in-focus.

05 EXPERIMENT WITH TILT

When capturing an array of similar objects like this it’s worth experimenting with pattern-like arrangements, perhaps by spacing them all at equal distances. Try tethering your camera to a laptop or your phone to help you arrange things. Once done, an intentional tilt to the camera can lead to a dynamic composition.

02 USE DIFFERENT PLASTICS

Root around the house and you’re likely to find all sorts of interesting objects that can be transformed into a vibrant still life subject thanks to cross polarization. Arrange the objects so that the screen backlights them from behind and, if the plastic is suitable, you’ll be treated to a colourful spectrum.

04 CREATE DEPTH

The great thing about using a TV for your polarized backlighting is that - as long as it’s a fairly large screen – you can arrange your plastic objects at different distances to create a sense of depth in your cross-polarized photos. Here by focusing on the last in a line of flutes we get lovely foreground blur.

06 SHOOT A LONG EXPOSURE

You can create interesting blur effects by slowing down your shutter speed and moving the plastic object during the exposure. This was shot at 2 seconds, aperture f/16, ISO100. This will only work with a black background, so first rotate your polarizer to make the TV screen go black.