Past the usual photographTechniques you can take to the camera
Experimental Photography Blueprints for Photographers Who Want to Try Something Stranger
These digital, printable references are for photographers who know the basics and want to play with long exposure, levitation, high-speed work, zoom bursts and other advanced or trick photography techniques. Each Blueprint gives you a sensible place to start, then leaves room to make the shot your own.
Settings to start withTips to use at the cameraPrint it or keep it on your phone
Start Making the Photograph Before You Press the Shutter
This is not a beginner fundamentals pack. It is for the point where a technically correct photo is no longer enough and you want to make something less predictable.
1
Build the frame on purpose
Use negative space, perspective, visual weight and framing because you chose them, not because they happened to be there.
2
Work with time and movement
See how shutter speed, subject movement and camera position change long exposures, frozen action and zoom bursts.
3
Make the trick believable
Set up the shot, take a test frame and fix what gives the illusion away. That is how levitation, multiplicity and forced perspective start to look convincing.
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Who will get the most from these?
Photographers who already know their way around a camera and want stranger results. This is not an exposure course. Some ideas are quick to try. Others need a steady camera, a patient subject or several test frames before the shot works. The Blueprints help you get started without spelling out every last creative choice.
A few places you could take it
What Does Experimental Photography Look Like?
The photographs below show the sort of territory these Blueprints explore. They are examples, not a promise that your attempt will produce the same image.
Long Exposure
Use time and movement to stretch a moment beyond what the eye sees.
High Speed
Freeze a fraction of a second and reveal details that would otherwise disappear.
Levitation
Plan pose, support and frame so the final photograph makes gravity seem optional.
Multiplicity
Build a single scene from repeated appearances of the same subject.
Zoom Burst
Turn an ordinary scene into a rush of lines and movement during the exposure.
Frame Within a Frame
Use the scene itself to contain the subject and direct the viewer’s attention.
Negative Space
Let the quieter part of the frame give the subject more presence.
Forced Perspective
Use viewpoint and scale relationships to make the frame tell a playful visual lie.
The Blueprint gets you moving. Your subject, location, light and taste decide where the photograph ends up.
Made to stay close to the camera
A Blueprint Is There When You Need It
You do not need another course sitting unfinished in a browser tab. A Blueprint is a short digital reference you can print or keep on your phone while you work on one technique.
Pick the effect you want to try.
Check the suggested starting range before you shoot.
Take a test frame and adjust for the light in front of you.
There is a lot to keep straight when you try an unfamiliar technique. Each sheet pulls the useful bits together so you can check them beside the camera and get on with the photograph.
Start with the camera
A useful settings range
You get a sensible starting range instead of a supposedly perfect setting. Use it for the first frame, look at what happened, then change it to suit your light and the effect you have in mind.
When the first frame is not quite right
Things to try next
Every Blueprint has at least three short tips, including approaches that tend to help and mistakes worth watching for. They are the sort of reminders you need when a small change in timing or position could rescue the shot.
Keep an eye on these
The decisions that matter most
Each sheet picks out three things that can make or break the technique. You can pay attention to those while you shoot instead of trying to remember a chapter full of theory.
One Blueprint gives you one new idea to try. The complete collection puts 30 of them within reach whenever your photography starts to feel a little too familiar.
These comments are from people who bought other Light Stalking Blueprint products. They show why photographers like having a short, printable reference nearby.
Marc, Gerard and Christyna say the concise sheets helped them remember camera settings, move beyond auto mode and retrieve clear guidance quickly.Randy says the Blueprints helped him progress quickly; Jenny calls them clear and worth it; Teodora values their printable, concise guidance as a visual learner.
The comments refer to other Light Stalking Blueprint products, not this Experimental collection.
What the sheets cover, what you may need and what happens if you buy them and change your mind.
Is this a beginner photography course?
No. It assumes you already understand the basics of using a camera. The sheets are for photographers who want help getting started with less familiar techniques.
Do I need specialist equipment?
Not for every sheet. Some ideas only need a camera and a careful choice of viewpoint. Others work better with a tripod, flash, remote release, props or a patient subject. Use the gear you have and adapt the idea to the conditions.
What is included on each Blueprint?
Each digital, printable sheet has a suggested settings range, at least three short tips and three things to pay attention to. It is something to check during a shoot, not a course you have to finish beforehand.
How do I choose the right collection?
Click any pack comparison button. The popup shows what each option contains, who it is for and what it costs. You can then continue to SamCart checkout if you are ready.
Will I reproduce the example photographs exactly?
Probably not, and the gallery is not making that promise. Your subject, light, location, equipment and choices will change the result. The sheets give you a starting point so you can test the idea and see where it leads.
How should I use the Blueprints during a shoot?
Pick an effect, check the suggested range, take a test frame and look closely at what happened. Then adjust. You can keep the sheet on your phone or computer, or print it and put it in your camera bag.
What if the collection is not right for me?
Both collections have a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you change your mind, you can request a refund within 60 days.
Give yourself something new to shoot
There Is More Here Than One Weekend’s Experiment
Pick an effect, try it, and come back for another when you feel like changing direction. The larger collection gives you enough range to keep doing that for quite a while.
Both packs are digital and printable. Compare them here, choose one, and SamCart checkout will open. Prices are in USD.
A smaller place to begin
Mini Pack: 10 Blueprints
$7 USD
Ten sheets covering strong composition and some of the best-known experimental techniques.
This is probably enough if: You mainly want to try long exposure, high-speed photography, levitation, multiplicity, zoom burst and the other techniques listed below.
You get the 10 Mini Pack sheets plus 20 more on light, movement, perspective, composition, detail and the way a photograph tells a story.
Choose this one if: You want plenty of ideas to return to, rather than a short introduction that you may work through quickly.
Digital and printable
What you receive
All 10 Mini Pack BlueprintsEvery technique and visual foundation listed in the Mini Pack.
Light, shadow and isolationSilhouette Photography; Manipulating Shadows for Artistic Effect; Using Light to Isolate Subjects; Using Shadow to Define Form; Vignetting.
Movement and long-shutter effectsLight Painting Techniques; Capturing Movement with Slow Shutter Speed.
Composition and visual balanceDutch Angle; Scale in Photography; Manipulating Perspectives; Creative Angles for Symmetrical Shots; Dynamic Tension in Asymmetrical Composition; Balancing Elements in Frame; Using Lines and Shapes to Create Balance; Composition from a New Angle.
Mood, detail and storytellingTonality in Black & White Photography; Juxtaposition for Storytelling; Using Reflections Creatively; Texture and Detail in Macro Photography; Color Grading for Mood and Message.
