Distorted portraits are a trend in fashion photography today, with elongated body proportions. Take it a step further by using highly reflective mylar fabric in your next photo session. This article explains all you need to know to achieve this effect.
Some of the great storytellers of the past used mirrors to add layers of meaning to portraits and selfies, and used wide-angle lenses and long shutter speeds to distort and warp the proportions and appearance of the portrait subject. Imagine all of these visual effects rolled into one, and you’re imagining the results of using highly reflective mylar film to add distortion to your images.
What is Mylar film?
Mylar is a specialized polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is designed to possess exceptional reflective properties, making it ideal for optimizing light distribution in greenhouse environments, where it is often used to optimize light dispersion. bright. It is also widely used in gift packaging for gift baskets due to its attractive appearance. EQUAL mylar lightweight and flexible, ideal for maximizing the distribution of available light wherever needed. This light, flexible and portable quality has attracted the interest of more and more creative people who use the lens as a useful tool in photography and filmmaking.
Distortions and portraits
Distorted portraits offer new depths to the nuanced visual language that photographers can use to convey a variety of ideas, emotions and concepts. Distorted portraits can be wonderful storytelling tools, evoking a sense of surrealism or perhaps a dreamlike quality. By bending reality, photographers can create visually striking images that blur the lines between fantasy and reality, inviting viewers to question their perceptions.
Mylar can be placed on the floor to give a water-like reflection to your portrait subject. By placing or placing your model directly on the surface of the mylar sheet, the resulting image will look like your subject is walking on water. Experiment by laying the mylar flat and creating folds to create different visual effects.
The technique has become synonymous with music and fashion over the past few months, as many musicians and fashion houses adopt the creative style of the photographers they hire to promote their new material.
Use Mylar to distort portraits
Mylar film has become an exciting new tool in artistic and experimental portrait and fashion photography. Its hyper-reflective surface bends and twists the images it displays, making conventional portraits look wild and different; Its reflective nature is not only factual; That is the artist’s brushstrokes on a surreal painting. By pointing the lens at the reflection in the mylar instead of the object, you will see a distorted image of the object. The resulting images are like glimpses into a parallel universe, where the familiar becomes unreal and the mundane takes on a dreamlike quality.
By placing the mylar inside the frame and directing your model to interact with it, you can create some very creative results. These images here contain concepts of reality, identity and fantasy.
Use Mylar as a creative light source
Using mylar film is a unique technique for creative lighting in photography and moving image projects because it provides a refractive effect similar to the reflection of sunlight on water. By strategically placing the film to reflect light onto the subject, you can create dynamic highlights and shadows, adding depth and dimension to the final result. In the video below, you can see the effect of an LED light directed at a hanging mylar sheet, manipulated and moved by hand. The result of this is the appearance of a moving water-like light source. The reflective surface adds interesting highlights and reflections on the subject’s face, enhancing the overall visual appeal.
Go beyond portraits
Why stop at portraits? Mylar can be used to create distorted images of any object. Experiment with different materials, patterns and colors to create cohesive and visually appealing compositions. Mylar can add an intriguing dimension to any type of photography, creating unique reflections and enhancing the visual appeal of your subject no matter what it is. As objects reflect on the mylar surface, they become distorted and transformed, blurring the boundaries between the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknown. An added layer of fun for still life photography, allowing ordinary objects to be captured in fascinating ways.
If, like me, you are interested in conceptual photography then mylar could be a great tool for you. I experiment with mylar to explore concepts of duality and contradiction, as mirror images intersect and overlap, blurring the boundaries between opposites such as order and chaos or reality and illusion. If you just like pretty pictures then mylar might still be for you.
Incorporating mylar into your photography practice is easily accomplished but requires a balance of creativity and technical skill. Patience is a necessary ingredient, as small movements will change the outcome and there needs to be an element of trial and error to get that crucial shot. Experiment with different setups, lighting conditions, and mylar manipulations to achieve unique effects and unique looks.
Mylar comes in many different types. For the best optical reflective quality, invest in 98% (over 95%) reflective mylar film and buy from retailers that supply greenhouse and hydroponic supplies for the best quality.
