This photographic effect has become increasingly popular in the last two years but it’s nothing new! It was a desirable look in the 1960s-1970s. Perhaps the most famous images with this effect are the album cover and artwork for The Rolling Stones ‘Between the Buttons’ album taken by Gered Mankowitz. Fun fact: he used Vaseline on his lens/filter to get this effect!

Vaseline was a great choice- however there are more equipment-friendly ways to get this look! One technique I’m exploring today is cellophane.

Using cellophane over and around the lens creates a variety of looks and effects. It’s so simple. You only need to cut off a piece of cellophane, poke a hole through it, and pop it around the lens.

You can keep adjusting the cellophane and warping the hole to get differing effects throughout your shoot! Or try poking a couple of smaller holes into the cellophane for some variety.

The great thing about this is that you can reuse your pieces of cellophane. Just fold it up, pop it in your photography bag and then you will have access to it on every shoot!