By Catherine Hartman
May revolves around life’s transitions and new beginnings; spring season, proms, and graduations flash by. Photography has aided our busy lives by freezing time and allowing us to relive moments with great detail. We can look back on the past and celebrate our achievements through images.
Ways to Celebrate
Visit the CEPA Gallery. CEPA Gallery is a local photography center that offers workshops and rentals. Browse their gallery featuring local photographers’ works or hop into their darkroom for $6/hour. They are located at 617 Main St. in Buffalo NY.
Photograph your daily routine. Taking a moment to reflect on our routines can help boost gratitude.
Create a family tree with old photos. Using photos from around the house, compile a family
tree. Add fun captions and family history.
Set up an Instagram account for your pet. Is your furry friend adorable? Then the world needs to know! Create an account and post those hundreds of photos you’ve snapped. You can set the account to private so that
only people you know can follow it.
At-Home Photography Effects
Wine Glass Reflection. Fill a wine glass with water and put it in front of your subject. Focus the camera lens and you will find the subject is flipped upside down inside the glass. Snap a shot and rotate the photo 180.°
Free Backgrounds Online. For taking photos of small objects, google background images. Increase the brightness of your screen and snap photos of your object in front.
CD Reflections. You will need a CD and sunlight. Hold the CD out to reflect the light onto the subject. This effect can be easier with a tripod system or a friend.
Sunglasses Filter. Place the sunglasses over your camera lens. Sunglasses with a brown tint will add a sepia quality. Polarized lenses help with decreasing reflections.
Vaseline. This effect can be achieved on a phone camera using saran wrap, Vaseline, and a rubber band. Secure the saran wrap tightly over your lens and apply Vaseline to the outer corners. This gives a soft, dreamy look to your photos.