Freelensing, if you’re not familiar with the term, can be described as a photographic free-style technique, for its rather risky and venturous purpose. It is nothing but taking a picture with a camera and a lens, but without mounting the lens on the camera. Freelensing is all about holding the lens in front of the camera to create extraordinary bokehs and sickening light effects. But just what are the results like and how do you exactly do it? Is it really a good idea and worth taking the risk?
That is what Kai tries to answer in the following video, as he takes you on a quick experimental tour in freelensing techniques:
The results Kai obtained in the experiment speak for themselves, as they clearly depict what you can mostly achieve with freelensing. Shrinking, rotating and playing around in several ways with the plane of focus will result in extra bokehs and super macro shots.
You can also perform your own tilt-shift effects, as it also allows some extra light to get in to the sensor, causing light leaks which may result in ethereal lighting effects or similar sickening and vintage looks.
Now it’s only up to you to decide whether you should or shouldn’t take the risks, and venture yourself in this unorthodox, yet artistic, kind of photography.
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A useful trick to avoid the dust getting into your camera is also to mount a 58mm UV filter onto a reversing ring, and then put that on your camera. Reversing rings usually cost no more than $5, and you probably already have the UV, so it’s not to big of an expense for protection of your beloved gear.