A bonus! Who doesn’t love a bonus of some kind? Do you like “buy one get one free” offers? Or getting a free tablet with the purchase of phone? How about something extra in your paycheck at the end of the year? Webster’s defines a bonus as “something in addition to what is expected or strictly due.” I’m usually all in when I see a bonus offers and a bonus almost always gets me thinking more seriously about a promotional ad!
The bonus I’m going talk about today, though, is an added bonus. As an ambassador for Lensbaby I love beta testing products. I was part of the newest release of the Rainbow Expansion Pack! I started testing late last fall and continued throughout the winter. At the same time I also started working on two different personal project involving creative techniques. Navigating the world of double/multiple exposures and ICM (intentional camera movement) became a passion . Both of these techniques can be done in camera, but a double or multiple exposure can also be done in post processing. You can check with your camera manufacturer to see if you can create multiple exposures in camera or if you need to use photo editing software
Many times when I’m creating a double/multiple exposure one of my layers is out of focus. I love stacking those out of focus images with something in focus to soften it up, add a texture to a ho-hum image or to hide something in my main layer that I want to distract the eye from seeing. There are times when I am trying to create a single image and accidentally create a light layer, as I like to call them. I take that picture and if I’m not using it for my current project I’ll file it in a folder on my desktop so that it’s available later.
One of the most convenient things about saving these layers is if you shoot in RAW mode with your camera. I usually save these layers as .tiff or .psd so I have the ability to play with the hues, saturation, clarity and texture. It’s not something that is necessary but something allows you to transform a layer into something different than what it was when you pushed the shutter button! Just another way to give yourself more options and allow for a more creative workflow!
As I was shooting with the new Omni Rainbow pack, I quickly realized that these wands and films were perfect to help with my artistic goals! When you add one of the wands in front of your lens you can create many different types of abstract images , light flares, color infusions, and more! All you have to do hold the wand/film in front of any lens and rotate the lens so that it’s out of focus and you may have a wash of color, a streak of light, a blend of lines or curves that speaks to you and then you take your picture! It’s that simple! Now you have an image you can use for double or multiple exposure later in post processing.
A Rain-bonus!
If you noticed in that last paragraph, I never mentioned using a Lensbaby lens. Just the Omni pack! Of course you can use a Lensbaby lens but it’s not necessary. You can create these layers with any lens of your choice as long as you have the ability to create an out of focus image! (I’ve labeled the images in this post that were created with a Nikon lens) The products in the Omni Rainbow pack have a unique way of moving, blending, and adding repeating objects that a typical lens cannot.
This is all in addition to creating a single image with the Omni Rainbow products! While most people will buy the pack for that reason, there is added bonus which is creating layers to use in creative photography later! Or maybe creating light layers is the main reason you purchase the pack! Whatever you decide, it’s just another way to take your work from the ordinary to the extraordinary!
Cathy Kuhlman
Cathy Kuhlman is a self taught photographer who loves pushing the limits of light and focus. You’ll find her using nature as her subject, from the smallest details in her macro work through to the largest landscapes and everything in between. She loves finding ways to infuse light and
emotion into her work as a way to express how she sees the world. In addition to being a Lensbaby Ambassador, Cathy is also a Click Pro Elite photographer
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