Reflecting Creativity: Mastering Photography with Glass Prisms

How to Use the Glass Prism to Take Great Photos

In this article, we'll cover some ideas and tips on how to use prism to create some cool effects in photos.

Have you ever seen a rainbow disappear due to reflective glass, and wondered how this might appear in the picture? Unfortunately, the small glass prisms used in reflective glass do not fill enough portion of the camera frame to present a detailed image. But if you have the desire to get this effect, there is a way.

The tri-prisms commonly found in university science labs have become an increasingly popular tool for adding beautiful reflections and light to an image. And because saws are small, they are easy to carry in your camera bag and ready to use on your next photo.

Physical properties

You might be familiar with triple prism and light properties from high school. Thus, the physical properties here follow the same approach. When a ray of light (consisting of different electromagnetic waves of varying wavelengths) reaches a piece of glass directly, the light passes through it.

However, if the light ray comes into contact with the surface of the glass at one angle, the waves are bent, a phenomenon called refraction. Then, when the ray comes out through the other side of the prism, the waves are bent again. And how much light will bend depends on the wavelength itself. Red bends at one angle, violet bends again, and so on until each color is dispersed into the rainbow that we see when we look through the prism.

As photographers, we exploit the inherent properties of light whenever we take a picture. A group of glass elements in a camera lens directs light from the scene and translates it to the sensor. But by adding a glass prism to this process (in front of the lens), you can introduce some creative effects to your photos. The light that normally meets at the lens first contacts the prism, which in turn scatters the light before it is directed at the camera.

What do you need

•  Camera
•  Triple post 
•  A piece of cloth for the lens

This project includes only two components:
a glass prism and a DSLR camera. For this project, I used a triple post that I purchased on eBay for a few dollars. A glass prism that can be controlled with one hand is perfect for this project. So I made a purchase of an 8 x 2.5 cm leaflet. By keeping the lens cloth close, it is useful to remove fingerprints that may appear in the photo

Way

Using prisms to create special effects in photos takes a little trial and error, and a little bit of coordination as well. Whereas, carrying the prism in front of the lens is the easy part. I recommend using a camera stand, as it will be cumbersome for you to hold the camera in one hand and the prism in the other.

 I also recommend using Live View to give you an accurate indication of the effect the post provides without burdening your eyes with stray reflections from the sun. If you've ever taken pictures with glass objects before, you know autofocus just won't work. First, focus the camera on the subject using auto focus, then switch to manual focus. That way, the subject in the background will be really sharp, without letting the camera try to focus on the post itself.

Rotate the prism slowly, and monitor the effect on the camera screen. Change the prism position away from the lens, or change your position according to the sun to add different effects. Try changing the distance between prism and lens as well. When you find the reflection you want, take the picture.

Now that you have the basics, try changing the post. I usually alternate between a triple prism and a glass stopper. The hex prism also provides more effect, but it tends to distort the image more, so you might want to try it as well. Now, it's your turn to capture the prism and try out some unique photos.