8 Tricks for DIY Photo Filters

If you love taking artistic pictures, you probably use filters to help create interesting and dynamic still images. However, professional filters can be quite costly and may set you back a penny or two. But you don’t have to go that route. With a few household items and a little imagination, you can create your own filters to give your photographs a unique twist. And, as usual, the inspired minds over at COOPH can help get you started. Here are 8 DIY photo filters to add a quirky touch to your next photo shoot:

1. Droplet Filter

droplet photo filter

Fill a spray bottle with some water and spray your camera lens with fine water droplets. Position your subject toward a light source and snap away. The water droplets create beautiful light reflections on your pictures.

2. Lens Flare Filter

lens flare filter

Grab some fishing line and cut it into short lengths, then tape them across your lens in a cross pattern or however you please. The sunlight will reflect off the line and add some flare to your images!

3. Fake Tilt-Shift Filter

fake tilt-shift effect

With translucent plastic, you can make your own tilt-shift filter. Cut out a circle to fit over the front of your lens, then cut a thick line out of the center of it. Fix the plastic to your lens with some tape to get a blurry effect around the edges. You can try cutting out different shapes to create different effects for your pictures.

4. Plastic Filter

plastic photo filter

To soften the color contrast of your photos, wrap some plastic around your lens or hold it in the foreground and shoot through it.

5. Wooly Filter

wool photo filter

Get your hands on some colored yarn and bundle it up. Shoot through the wool to create a soft vibrant filter. Use different colors for some versatility.

6. Tinsel Filter

tinsel photo filter

Got some old Christmas decorations lying around? Great! Use them to add interesting effects to your pictures by holding them up in front of your lens and shooting through them.

7. Foggy Filter

foggy effect photo

Breathe on your camera lens and immediately take pictures to give your pictures a misty look!

8. Bubble Filter

bubbles photo filter

For a fun effect, blow some bubbles in front of the camera and shoot your subject through the bubbles.

Creative photography shouldn’t be hard or costly. There are so many ways you can use everyday household items to amp up your photo game. Try making your own filters and see what happens. Who knows, you may just come up with your own awesome trick that you can share with the photography community!

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