Know any fun experiments to fool around...

[JasonMX]

Know any fun experiments to fool around with you cameras various features? Someone mentioned a while back that capturing water drops with the various speeds (in Av mode on my D.Rebel) could give some interesting results, and I had a great time. While at the shore I experimented with various speeds while shooting waves, and also got some good results.

[Longwatcher]

Ended up with a cool picture because I set the shutter too slow while riding a horse, made for an interesting picture, good exposure though. Even IS won't help you in that situation. Trust me on that one.

IR photos are always interesting, but need IR filter.

I meant to try a slow shutter, second shutter snyc on my last model shoot to see what happens as she walked across frame. But got distracted and absent minded (one of those two) and forgot.

[JasonMX]

Is IR = Infrared?

I was looking for a cheap lense or filter to take fool around with. I saw the HOLGA thing for my DR, but was a little pricy ($100) and needed manual use.

[soupdragon]

Try setting your camera to self timer (10s) and then put it in your microwave for 10s and see if the timings concur.

Just kidding, don't try this at home kids.

[jeffherald]

Here's a fun idea. Get a strobe light. Have some people (kids are best) dance to some music in a dark room with only the strobe light going. Take pictures at a shutter speed of 1-5 seconds. A tripod is recommended. It requires experementation but with digital, it is easy. When I did it I used film so I didn't know if I had anything good. I doubt you will get any "artsy" photos, but it is fun and the kids love it. You could also experement with other moving objects and the strobe light as well.

This is a good thread. Fun is good!

[roanjohn]

In a dark room, set your camera on long exposure..........use a flashlight and write the word Canon (turn it off if you want to put a space).............Lets see how many attempts before you get it right.

Ro1

[tim]

Water drops on the back of a CD/DVD using a macro lens can be cool. Getting the lighting right's quite difficult, as is the DOF control. I haven't managed to do it well enough to post an example yet, never got around to finishing my experiments.

It can be interesting to play with an external flash that acts like a strobe. Play with dice.

[tim]

Further to Roanjohn, try using a laser pointer in a dark room with bulb exposures. Or long exposures at night outside - it ends up looking just like daytime, it's quite cool the first time you do it :)

[Carzee]

With my first SLR, a K1000 w/50mm (I was 20) I put a wall mirror against a wall opposite my slide projector (hope you all remember them things). I put my assistant on the floor, laying down between the mirror and the projector with his head perhaps 8" from the mirror. I put a pillow under his head and dark sunglasses on his face.
Next I emptied the contents of our large orange vinyl beanbag on his head etc piling it against the mirror too.
Then I projected a slide (actually a few varied flower garden pics) onto it all and took a roll of photos of the head in various positions and expressions. Came out pretty spectacular, color wise. Everyone said "What the?"

This scene would slip straight into an episode of "That 70s Show". Oh, the flower power days! In those far away innocent days you'd hear "homosexual" mentioned on the radio and wonder what the? And eventually you all agree it probably meant Liberace was turned on by garden gnomes...

[PhotosGuy]

Next I emptied the contents of our large orange vinyl beanbag on his head... Admit it! You smoked some of those little, white things from the bag, didn't you? ;-)

Try this:

[mdm]

cool