Weekend Project: Magical Plastic Fantastic

Continuing with our tradition of weekend projects, here is another quick one. The nice thing about this project is that little bit of camera magic it has, so it si great to do with kids as they will absolutely go crazy after it.

If that was not good enough, this project also uses that Circular Polarizer filter that you bought a while back and never actually got to use. Here is your chance to take out of that filter case and give it a good use.

This is how you do it courtesy of Jon Gibbons:

Magic Tools:

• Plastic Geometry Set
• Circular Polarizing Filter to fit your lens
• Computer Screen
• Tripod

Magic Instructions

we are going to have two separate bits of magic here, the first will darken the screen and make you kid go whaaaa. The second bit will bring out the color and make them say. WHAAAA!!!!

1. I know it does not look like this, but for this for the effect to work your computer screen has to be white, either as a Background Theme, screensaver, or even an empty notepad file.

2. Put your camera on a tripod, aim it at the screen, and here comes the magic. If your dSLR has
Live View, turn it on. Turn the Polarizing filter, until the screen
will go black. (first wha….). Shut live view off.

3. Arrange the items against the screen in a way you like. If you don’t like geometry, any flat plastic will work, like transparent plastic knives and forks, some nylon bags, Fresnel sheets, really any transparent plastic.

4. Now turn Live view again. (second big WHAAAAAA!)  and the Geometry set will show its
Rainbow colors (it may take some fine tuning).

5. Tweak the Exposure. you wanna be at f/8 or f/11 for sharpness so select Aperture-Priority (A or AV) with the right aperture and let the camera do its magic.