Showing posts with label trick photography ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trick photography ideas. Show all posts

Friday, February 15, 2013

Ideas on How to Take Trick Levitation Photos, No Baby Tossing Required!

Trick photography that involves levitation often puts a smile on my face. It is always inspiring to see fun and creative ideas by ordinary and talented photographers alike. Even when you know the photo is digitally manipulated with software like Adobe Photoshop, the genuine sense of wonder and amazement never ceases. Maybe it's our secret desire for flight that creates these feelings we get when we come across great examples of levitation trick photos.

Did you see the one with the floating baby?

If you've spent any time on the Internet you'll undoubtedly have seen some great examples of levitation photography. They're mostly beautiful, surreal, or creepy pictures of people floating in mid-air without any kind of support, defying gravity. One mother decided to take it even further and let her baby do the levitating. If you haven't seen it then you can search for "Rachel Hulin flying baby" online. An excellent twist on the standard baby photos that all parents love to take, her photographs takes it to a higher level, literally. The effect is so convincing that some people thought she tossed the baby in the air but she assures people her baby wasn't tossed.

So how is it done?

Basically, the simplest way to do a levitation trick shot is to just jump and take a photo at the same time. Technically you don't even need to do any photoshop work later if it's done right. As long as you can hold a pose in mid-air that doesn't look like you're jumping, the effect is very convincing. Of course this wouldn't work well with babies, so we need to use some other techniques that do involve digital manipulation.

Some ideas for jumping

To get great levitation photos from jumping, the key is to reduce all the tell-tale signs of a jump. The photo needs to look sharp, meaning no motion blur unless it's used for artistic effect. Some of the great examples are those where the body is stationary in mid-air but flowing things like hair and dress looks as if its underwater. Throwing in some impossible-to-perform jump moves can create poses that looks really wacky and outrageous.

Hiding props

If you want a specific pose or shot that is difficult to execute, then you could rely on using props, either hidden or digitally removed later in software. Sometime some rope or supporting structure is just enough for you to hold a pose long enough to take your desired trick shot.

There are many ways you could hide a prop. Remember that a photo is 2D, so with clever framing and use of perspectives you could hide all traces of a prop if you wish. Materials that flow like fabric does an excellent job of hiding rigid props.

Another thing to consider is that a photograph is static in time, so you could remove the prop just immediately before the photo is taken. A favorite is to hold onto a door knob (make sure it's sturdy enough!) while standing on a stool or box. Kick the stool or box away while extending your legs and body as horizontally as you can, and you have yourself a classic "hanging on to a door knob" pose that looks as if you're being vacuumed or sucked into a black hole or something.

Cut and paste and compositing

Sometimes you can't avoid using photoshop to create that special levitation effect you're looking for, so you'll need to composite several images into one. The trick to getting it to look right is the lighting and shadows. These are intuitively the biggest tell-tale signs of photoshop (other than the impossibility of it!). You'll need to pre-visualize what the final photo looks like so that you can set up your lights and camera. Once you find your perfect angle then lock it down with a tripod and take multiple shots with and without the floating foreground object. When you have multiple images with the same lighting and shadows then the composite image looks a lot more convincing.

Final thoughts

Photography is supposed to be fun, so spend some time and see what other people are doing. There are websites and photo albums dedicated entirely to create these trick photos, so you'll never run out of inspiration. Share your creations and you'll be inspiring others to try it out as well.


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Trick photography that involves levitation often puts a smile on my face. It is always inspiring to see fun and creative ideas by ordinary and talented photographers alike. Even when you know the photo is digitally manipulated with software like Adobe Photoshop, the genuine sense of wonder and amazement never ceases. Everyday Thousands Of People Are Looking For Photography Jobs, How To Sell Their Photos And How To Make Money With Their Photography - We Have The Answer! Make $10k/mo. With Just 5 Sales A Day! www.photography-jobs.net/index.php?page=affiliates Read MorePhotography Jobs Online | Make $10k Per Month With Just 5 Sales A Day!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Simple Ways to Get the Best Trick Photography Photos From Your Human Subject

So you manage to get someone to pose for you so you can practice taking some trick photography shots, what can you do to get the best pose or photos? The key is to make it fun so the pictures don't turn out like portraits with a forced smile. You'll need ways to relax the subject so the smile, pose, or expression you're looking for is the one you get. Here are two simple ways to improve the quality of their pose.

Distract them from the camera

One way to loosen them up is to distract them from you and the camera. Get them talking about their favorite subject or let them interact with something or someone. Keep them busy and use it to goad them into getting into the pose you want. Be clear about what you're looking for and create a fun game or challenge for them. Remember that you're holding the camera so always be prepared to let the shutter go off when you sense a great shot coming up. Ask them to do a few practice attempts and catch them off-guard.

Capture their personality

Capturing the personality of your subject can turn your trick photos from good to great. Take levitation photos as an example. Anyone can do levitation photos by jumping high into the air, but everyone jumps in a different manner. Don't dictate where and how every limb should be when they jump and just let them be. A serious person might jump more rigidly than a free-spirited person with limbs flailing everywhere. Encourage them to let loose and be playful.

As a photographer you're not just operating the camera, but also using your charm and grace to keep your subjects comfortable and willing to experiment to help you achieve the shots you want. Treat the process as a conversation between you and your subject and you'll be able to bring out the best of them.


How to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects


So you manage to get someone to pose for you so you can practice taking some trick photography shots, what can you do to get the best pose or photos? The key is to make it fun so the pictures don't turn out like portraits with a forced smile. You'll need ways to relax the subject so the smile, pose, or expression you're looking for is the one you get. Here are two simple ways to improve the quality of their pose. Become Unique, Creative, And Artistic By Taking Breathtaking Photographs That Blow People's Minds Away! Dozens Of Rare Trick Photography Ideas Are Included In This 295 Page E-book, Along With 9 Hours Of How-to Photography Video Tutorials. Read MoreHow to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Simple Ways to Get the Best Trick Photography Photos From Your Human Subject

So you manage to get someone to pose for you so you can practice taking some trick photography shots, what can you do to get the best pose or photos? The key is to make it fun so the pictures don't turn out like portraits with a forced smile. You'll need ways to relax the subject so the smile, pose, or expression you're looking for is the one you get. Here are two simple ways to improve the quality of their pose.

Distract them from the camera

One way to loosen them up is to distract them from you and the camera. Get them talking about their favorite subject or let them interact with something or someone. Keep them busy and use it to goad them into getting into the pose you want. Be clear about what you're looking for and create a fun game or challenge for them. Remember that you're holding the camera so always be prepared to let the shutter go off when you sense a great shot coming up. Ask them to do a few practice attempts and catch them off-guard.

Capture their personality

Capturing the personality of your subject can turn your trick photos from good to great. Take levitation photos as an example. Anyone can do levitation photos by jumping high into the air, but everyone jumps in a different manner. Don't dictate where and how every limb should be when they jump and just let them be. A serious person might jump more rigidly than a free-spirited person with limbs flailing everywhere. Encourage them to let loose and be playful.

As a photographer you're not just operating the camera, but also using your charm and grace to keep your subjects comfortable and willing to experiment to help you achieve the shots you want. Treat the process as a conversation between you and your subject and you'll be able to bring out the best of them.


Make Money With Your Digital Camera - Home-based Photography Business!


So you manage to get someone to pose for you so you can practice taking some trick photography shots, what can you do to get the best pose or photos? The key is to make it fun so the pictures don't turn out like portraits with a forced smile. You'll need ways to relax the subject so the smile, pose, or expression you're looking for is the one you get. Here are two simple ways to improve the quality of their pose. Home-Based Photography Business Opportunity Earns $200+ Per Day With Digital Camera Photographing Real Estate, Cars, Boats, RV's, Etc.. in Your Local Area! Make Money Digital Camera Photography Business. Affiliates: PhotographersNeeded.com/affiliates.htm Read MoreMake Money With Your Digital Camera - Home-based Photography Business!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

An Introduction to Light Paintings in Trick Photography

Light painting is a unique trick photography technique which involves the photographer making some exposures by moving his camera or his hand-held light-source. This technique was first used by Frank Gilbreth and his wife in 1914. Frank Gilbreth used an open camera's shutter and some small light sources to trace the motion of various clerical and manufacturing employees. However, Man Ray is actually the first art photographer to use light painting in his 1935 series the "Space writing". The results are so mesmerizing that even today we still find many photographers finding new creative uses for this technique.
Light painting techniques
As mentioned there are two ways to create this trick photography effect, mainly by moving either the camera or the light source. The technique of moving the camera is also known as camera painting.
1. Camera painting
This is actually the opposite of the traditional photography and it involves you taking your camera off it's tripod and using it as a paintbrush in a dark-room or at night. To create a simple but unique camera painting all you need to do is use the cityscape as your palette, the night-sky and your camera as your brush. Simply put some energy into moving your camera by stroking your light-sources, laying down your background and making some patterns.
2. Moving your light source
This technique involves you selectively illuminating various parts of your subject using your light source or painting an image by shining it into the camera's lens directly. This trick photography technique needs a slow-shutter-speed of about a second or even more. A good example of this technique is Picasso's light drawings series which he did after being visited by Mili Gjon, a lighting innovator and photographer in 1949. Milli introduced Picasso to his photographs of various ice skaters who had some light sources attached to the skates. Picasso created this pictures in-the-air using a small flash-light in his dark-room. "Picasso draws a centaur in the air" is one of his famous and most celebrated photographs from his light drawings.
Light painting can also be done by projecting various images onto different irregular surfaces light buildings, bodies or even faces among others and then painting them using a light. Another development in this field is the light-art-performance photography (LAPP), which involves the integration of the scenery and the background of the subject.
Equipment used
Different types of light-sources like a flashlight and a hose-master, which has a fiber-optic light pen, can be used to create these photographs. This is actually the main equipment you need for the job. Other light sources include matches, lighter flints, candles, fireworks, poi and glow sticks.
A tripod can also come in handy, especially when long exposure-times are involved. You can also place your camera on a solid support like a table when you do not have a tripod. Make sure you always have your shutter release cable or a self-timer to help you reduce camera shake. To improve the quality of your trick photography or change the mood in your paintings you can use a color gel to color your light sources as well.



How to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects


Light painting is a unique trick photography technique which involves the photographer making some exposures by moving his camera or his hand-held light-source. This technique was first used by Frank Gilbreth and his wife in 1914. Frank Gilbreth used an open camera's shutter and some small light sources to trace the motion of various clerical and manufacturing employees. However, Man Ray is actually the first art photographer to use light painting in his 1935 series the "Space writing". The results are so mesmerizing that even today we still find many photographers finding new creative uses for this technique. Become Unique, Creative, And Artistic By Taking Breathtaking Photographs That Blow People's Minds Away! Dozens Of Rare Trick Photography Ideas Are Included In This 295 Page E-book, Along With 9 Hours Of How-to Photography Video Tutorials. Read MoreHow to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

How to Use Pinterest to Get More Trick Photography Ideas

When you've done all the "standard" trick photo examples you see online and want to create something truly original, where do you turn to? We see a lot of examples of levitation photos, forced perspective, tilt-shift, light paintings, etc. but they usually look the same. Creating an original or unique trick photos require a lot of creativity (and sometimes technical skill), especially if we're aiming for something radically different and impressive. It only takes a brief moment of inspiration to create a spark of creativity that will turn a "standard" trick photo into an amazing piece of work.
I'd like to share with you a neat tip to get some wonderful inspiration and think-outside-the-box ideas for trick photos. More often than not we spend hours online looking at other people's photos to get some ideas and inspiration, looking through websites, photo-sharing sites, or even doing a Google image search. And one of the hottest photo-sharing sites right now is Pinterest.
Pin your interest to your own virtual pin boards
They describe themselves as a virtual pin board. The idea is that you can create boards to organize and share interesting things you see online. You create different boards for different things, so you could create a pin board for things like "pictures of dogs" and another for "pictures of cats" that you see online or that are uploaded by you.
Get lost in the amazing photos that people share
When you upload or see something interesting online, you "pin" it to your pin board. After some time of using it, you'll have a nicely curated gallery of photos that is open for anyone to see. Everyone else is doing the same, so you can discover what other people are sharing. If you like something from other people's board you can "re-pin" it to your own. It is very simple to use and have a nice and clean layout optimized for photos. Because each person is basically sharing, organizing, and tagging their board, it makes it very easy to look for you to search and discover photos that interest you.
Create trick photography and special effects pin boards
Our interest are cool ideas and examples of trick photography, so you can create pin boards dedicated to this. You can upload your own trick photos or whatever you stumbled upon online and pin it to your pin board. Later on when you're scratching your head looking for ideas then your pin board can serve as your inspiration. While you curate your pin boards you can re-pin from other people's pin boards, so it's a great way to collect great ideas and gorgeous photos to learn from them. Each pin on your board can have comments so you'll also start to get comments from other people with the same interest as yours. This is a great way to meet like-minded people and learn from each other!
Follow and learn from other people
In addition to comments, another unique feature of Pinterest is that you can "follow" other people's pin boards, a bit like subscribing to their pin boards. You'll be able see new additions so if you like a particular person's board you can follow them. This is great if you like a particular photographer's work and want to see their latest pictures.
Using Pinterest I've been able to explore and generate great ideas for my own trick photography efforts. You can get lost there for hours just looking at hundreds of amazing pictures taken by other people. The social nature of the site makes it very easy for amazing photographs to spread far and wide. Use it as a gallery of amazing trick photography and special effects ideas.



Landscape Photography Ebook


I'd like to share with you a neat tip to get some wonderful inspiration and think-outside-the-box ideas for trick photos. More often than not we spend hours online looking at other people's photos to get some ideas and inspiration, looking through websites, photo-sharing sites, or even doing a Google image search. And one of the hottest photo-sharing sites right now is Pinterest. Never revealed photography tips, huge potential in an ever growing digital photography world. 40% commission and very low refunds make this a fantastic marketing potential. Read MoreLandscape Photography Ebook

The Rising Popularity of Levitation Photos and Trick Photography Ideas

Trick photography and levitation photos aren't a new phenomenon. Amateur and professional photographers have been creating trick photos since the beginning of photography itself. Some have made fortunes creating these photos. Not long ago trick photography was only discussed in photography clubs and forums and considered a fun way for hobbyists to master photography.
The ease of sharing photos online
A major reason why the sudden popularity of levitation and trick photography is due to the influence of social media. It is easier than ever before in human history to take a photo with a camera and share it with thousands or even millions of people around the world. We can now share our photos through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and a whole range of social-enabled websites and have it reach people we don't even know.
We love to spread great photography and ideas
Like most people, we are drawn to great ideas and photographs and can't resist the temptation to share it with our friends and family. They repeat the process with their friends and family and so on. The result are ideas and photos that get spread like a viral hit. Levitation photography created by ordinary people jumping in front of a camera got a huge boost in popularity when Natsumi Hayashi started taking beautiful shots of herself levitating and posting it in her blog. Her pictures captured the imagination of many people and so now we have photography clubs dedicated to levitation photos across the world.
We're waiting for your contribution
Given how easy it is to share our photos online, it isn't surprising to see great levitation and trick photos spreading like wildfire these days. Anyone with a great idea can just grab a camera and start sharing, so if you got a great and creative idea be sure to share it with the world!



Photography Posing Secrets


Trick photography and levitation photos aren't a new phenomenon. Amateur and professional photographers have been creating trick photos since the beginning of photography itself. Some have made fortunes creating these photos. Not long ago trick photography was only discussed in photography clubs and forums and considered a fun way for hobbyists to master photography. A Resource For Posing A Model For The Camera. Never Be Stuck For A Pose Again. Read MorePhotography Posing Secrets

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Trick Photography Ideas and Special Effects on Tall Tale Postcards From the Past

Did you know that trick photography and special effects has been around way longer than us? The pioneers made a fortune from their skills at creating trick photos for the masses. This was way back before digital photography and photo editing software, so not everyone have the skills to do it. If you had digital camera and photo editing software back then, you'd be a very rich person!
Introducing the tall tales postcards
Among the earliest examples of trick photography ideas are the "tall tales" postcards that appeared during the American Golden Age of photographic postcards, produced between 1905 and 1915. Photography itself had been around for a full fifty years by the time the tall tales postcards arrived, but for many in the rural populations it was still a novelty. Picture postcards became very popular in the United States by the beginning of the 20th century as it became a quick and convenient way to communicate with people over long distances. In fact, for some it was the only way to communicate.
Food and agricultural abundance
Picture postcards from oversea or cross-border relatives offered a glimpse of the outside world for those unable to travel, so it was the next best thing for actual travel. Creative photographers manipulated and modified the photos, sometimes to exaggerated proportions, and it became known as tall-tale postcards. Initially a humorous novelty, people eventually realized that these postcards can be used to create a desired "image" or perception about a town or region.
Old trick photo ideas
Food were a recurring theme, so the tall tale postcards had super-sized potatoes, fruits, and animals hauled in by the local farmers. This is supposed to give people the idea that these rural communities had agricultural abundance, thus encouraging people to move and settle. The exaggeration was so extreme that it looks almost surreal as you look at the weathered black and white post cards depicting people catching ducks the size of cars. Unfortunately the reality was far from what the trick photo postcards portray. These days you can't go to a popular tourist destination without seeing flattering postcards for sale that you can mail home. In a way you're actually paying to advertise for them!
William H. Martin - a successful and rich trick photographer
It is around this time that one of pioneers of trick photography and special effects in postcards was William H. "Dad" Martin. He had a studio in Ottawa, Kansas and came upon the idea of using photo tricks to create exaggerated post cards for sale. His post cards were of quality that it was difficult to detect traces of manipulation or how it was joined together from various photos. The meticulous attention to detail and the creativity of his post cards became a huge success.
His post cards were so popular that he sold his studio to concentrate on the post cards. By May of 1909, the Martin Post Card Company reportedly churned out some ten thousand cards a day. A year later a newspaper reported the company was producing seven million post cards a year. In three short years his trick photo ideas made him a very rich person. So rich in fact that he sold off the business in 1912 and founded another company.
It is almost surreal to realize that trick photography and special effects existed more than a hundred years ago. If you ignore the black and white weathered look and early agricultural themes, these trick photos don't look out of place besides a collection of modern trick photos done using Photoshop software. Shows you just how far we've come!



How to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects


Did you know that trick photography and special effects has been around way longer than us? The pioneers made a fortune from their skills at creating trick photos for the masses. This was way back before digital photography and photo editing software, so not everyone have the skills to do it. If you had digital camera and photo editing software back then, you'd be a very rich person! Become Unique, Creative, And Artistic By Taking Breathtaking Photographs That Blow People's Minds Away! Dozens Of Rare Trick Photography Ideas Are Included In This 295 Page E-book, Along With 9 Hours Of How-to Photography Video Tutorials. Read MoreHow to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Top 10 Tips for Taking the Best Trick Photography Photos

The one consistent element that makes a photograph interesting are people. We just like to look at ourselves or other people. This applies to trick photography as well, whether it's levitation, forced perspective, light paintings, and more. Being able to extract the best out of people and put them in fantastical situations are what makes trick photography so mentally stimulating. So here are some great ideas for you to incorporate into your trick photography photos to take it from good to great.

1. Tell a personal story

When you photograph people, involve something that makes it more personal and individual. You could include their favorite people, objects, or pets. You could also go the other way and include things that they dislike on purpose. The idea is to have some sort of interaction that tells a personal story or capture a little bit of the true spirit of the person being photographed.

2. Have fun with your subjects

Most of my favorite trick photos are those that looks like a lot of fun to try. It invites the viewer to try it out for themselves. So the key to making sure your photographs look fun is to simply have fun! Get some close friends together and tell them what you're aiming for. Allow them to play around and experiment so you get that natural interaction and genuine smiles. Nothing kills the mood and fascination of a well-executed trick photo than a sour or gloomy face, unless you're aiming for that particular mood.

3. Don't get caught unprepared

If you're going to capture genuine smiles or anything else for that matter, remember to always be ready with the camera. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing a great photo opportunity passed right in front of you when you're not ready. Some of the best trick photographs I've seen are unscripted.

4. Nothing wrong with getting in close

The closer you are, the more personal a photograph is. Don't be afraid to get as close as possible and clip the people in the frame. After all, we're trying to create a mood, story, or a connection through our pictures, not recording everything in a scene for preservation.

5. Go outdoors

There are plenty of outstanding trick photography and special effect shots that are done in studios or indoors. Being indoors afford you more control over the environment and different variable, hence a great result. But I tend to pay more attention to those that are done outdoors if you present me with a gallery of indoor and outdoor trick photos. It's like watching a great magic trick and knowing that it is so much harder and therefore interesting when it is done outdoor.

6. Catch people off-guard

Among levitation photography enthusiasts, Natsumi Hayashi of yowayowa camera is one of the best self-portrait levitation photo-taker. Her beautiful photos of herself levitating in busy streets and ordinary locations makes her photos unique and almost surreal. The faces of people noticing her levitation efforts are where I derive the most joy from her pictures. I just can't help but imagine and wonder what goes through their head when they see a girl taking pictures of herself jumping in weird poses in the middle of the street.

7. Use a different angle

Most of us tend to see the world from the same perspective because we all stand upright. Take photos from a low angle and you will see how different the world looks from the point of view of a child or pet. If you're taking forced perspective photos, then changing the angle of your camera can sometimes dramatically alter the end results.

8. Capture natural reactions or not

For normal photography, you want to capture natural emotions and reactions. While this also works for trick photography, I do find that going completely the opposite tend to produce interesting results. Because trick photography is sometimes surprising, using a totally out-of-place emotion or reaction further reinforces that message.

9. Pay attention to your background

The background is as important as the subject you are photographing. It should complement and not distract the eye from the subject. One thing you should pay close attention to are the colors of the background. Certain colors such as red can trigger the eye to look at it immediately and drag attention away from the main subject.

10. Knowledge and practice

To improve your photos you need to keep yourself up to date with new ideas and techniques that other people have come up with and tried. Innovation comes when old ideas and new ideas get combined and assimilated to become something new. Get some guide and books so you don't waste time learning what other people already know. Most of what I know comes from reading and learning from other people, and the rest from experimenting and experience.

Think different

Your imagination is your biggest trick photography asset. Photograph things and people that interest you and add your own twist into it. There are plenty of trick photos online but people are always interested to see more because each photographer is unique, in terms of skill, experience, point of view, message, and style. So keep these top 10 tips in mind when you are trying to take the best trick photography photos you've ever taken!


How to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects


Become Unique, Creative, And Artistic By Taking Breathtaking Photographs That Blow People's Minds Away! Dozens Of Rare Trick Photography Ideas Are Included In This 295 Page E-book, Along With 9 Hours Of How-to Photography Video Tutorials.The one consistent element that makes a photograph interesting are people. We just like to look at ourselves or other people. This applies to trick photography as well, whether it's levitation, forced perspective, light paintings, and more. Being able... Read MoreHow to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects

Trick Photography Ideas for Taking Levitation Photography In-Camera

If you're like most people, you might have dreamed of flying and floating around in the air effortlessly. Some people have dreams of flying around in the living room or the house they live in, while others might travel vast distances and visit other cities, countries, or even outer space. That feeling of freedom is alluring to all of us. Some of us dream about it, some of us go out and build airplanes, and some of us recreate that feeling with trick photography.
Levitation photos are a kind of trick photography that usually depicts people and objects floating in the air. They defy the force of gravity with no real explanation on what is keeping them up. It looks and feels magical to the observer, and leaves you wondering, "How did they create these photos?"
The truth is that most levitation photography are created and digitally manipulated using photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop. You can create really stunning levitation pictures with advanced Photoshop skills and plenty of creative imagination. But there are also people out there who create this kind of trick photography in-camera. The levitation effect is achieved in real-life without resorting to digital cut and paste. Just like being told that no trick photography is used in a great magic trick shown on television, there is a certain sense of curiosity and amazement when one is told that a levitation photo is done without Photoshop.
Spoiler alert. The simplest way to levitate in a photograph is to jump, fall, or hide the elements that are holding up the levitating person or object. How convincing your levitation photography is depends on your execution. So here are some levitation trick photography ideas you can try at home or outdoors!
Minimize motion blur
You need to make sure there are no motion blur on the levitating subject that can spoil the illusion, unless you want it there for an artistic expression. Depending on your camera, set a high shutter speed or sports mode to freeze your jumps. Use a tripod to steady your camera as well. Some cameras can be triggered with a wireless remote control, which will help you tremendously if you're attempting it alone. Otherwise you can set the self-timer and get in position.
Nonchalant pose
This is somewhat common but looks really cool to those who haven't seen it before. The idea is to pose in a way that looks very ordinary and relaxed in mid-jump. It looks like it doesn't take any effort, and you don't even notice you're doing it. Try to fit the pose to the correct location, like standing and waiting at a bus stop with other people. Everyone else is standing on solid ground, except you.
Unusual pose
How unusual your pose really depends on your physical body dexterity, if you still commit to doing it in-camera. Unless you can hide the props that are holding you up from the camera view, you'll need to remove it digitally later. The more outrageous the pose you could pull off, the more surreal the levitation looks. If you happen to have friends in gymnastics, Parkour, or breakdancing then you could ask them to pull off some moves for you.
Use props to enhance the effect
A lot of levitation and trick photography include the use of props. Levitation pictures done with Photoshop often include other levitating elements like clothing and shoes. These are digitally inserted or tinkered with to enhance the effect. This doesn't stop us from trying to insert it in-camera as well. When you're jumping, you can ask someone outside the field of view of the camera to toss shoes below your bare feet. With luck and proper timing, the pictures looks as though your shoes are coming off your feet as you rise into the air. Another idea is to hang the objects in the air with a very thin and transparent string. Think outside of the box, and you can come up with neat ideas to fit props into your picture.
Finally...
Having fun and experimenting is the best way towards trick photography mastery. You will get great ideas popping up in your head when you actually go out and take levitation photos of yourself and your friends. There are no limits on creativity, and everyone has their own unique view of the world around them. This practically guarantees that we will continue to be amazed and surprised by clever new levitation photos taken by other people. So go out there and share your contribution!


How to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects


Become Unique, Creative, And Artistic By Taking Breathtaking Photographs That Blow People's Minds Away! Dozens Of Rare Trick Photography Ideas Are Included In This 295 Page E-book, Along With 9 Hours Of How-to Photography Video Tutorials.If you're like most people, you might have dreamed of flying and floating around in the air effortlessly. Some people have dreams of flying around in the living room or the house they live in, while others might travel vast distances and visit other... Read MoreHow to Do Trick Photography And Special Effects