(Pocket-lint) – There are a lot of filters, fakery and fun-filled images on Instagram. It’s often hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, but one artist is showing us how the best images are made.
Calob Castelllon is an incredible photographer with a flair for creating seemingly perfect photos with the use of simple everyday locations, props and lighting equipment.
He often includes the behind-the-scenes snaps to show the effort that goes into his photos, so it’s well worth checking out his Instagram feed.
We’ve rounded up our favorites for you to enjoy.
Colorful backdrops
Lighting is often a photographer’s biggest challenge – getting the right amount of light for the perfect photo can be tricky.
But what if you can find a shoot location that already has all the lighting you could possibly need and some pretty nifty colorful backdrops too? A trip to the shops might be the answer to your quest for masses of likes on Instagram.
Screen glow
Another of Calob Castelllon’s favorite techniques appears to be using TV screens and monitors to make up glowing backgrounds that can add a colorful glow to his photos. This is one such example, where the words glow as much as the photos.
Colorful rain
Another simply brilliant shot taken with a colorful backdrop blended nicely into the foreground that appears to show digital rain falling all around.
Windows with no view
Why spend money on expensive photo studios or luxurious locations when you can get amazing shots like this by simply visiting your local hardware store?
Some eye protection required
With this image, Calob Castelllon talked a bit about what goes into creating this sort of image:
“A tripod, blacklight, neon paint, and z pair of sunglasses (for UV protection) is all you need for DIY glow shoot.”
These are our favorites, are you feeling inspired to go out and create your own images now?
Another type of lighting
If you haven’t gathered by now, Calob Castellon’s photos rely heavily on various different light sources to create magical results.
As well as using smartphones and screens to create glows and real-world objects for bright backgrounds, he also likes to use special sprays and UV lights to create wonderful shots.
A close-up view of the world
This image is a perfect example of Calob Castelllon’s work. A hand-held light source, some heavy editing and a brilliantly creative idea results in a magnificent photo.
A woman reaches out to touch a tiny glowing vision of the world that would make flat-earthers angry.
Lighting her way
How many Instagram images show people in brilliantly beautiful spots showing off their amazing lives? How many of these images have been touched up? Probably a lot more than you realize. Some of them more than others.
This before and after shot certainly shows the model in a new light. There wasn’t even a lighthouse in the original photograph.
It’s all a matter of perspective
Some of Calob Castelllon’s shots show how the perfect image is often just a matter of perspective.
Some editing, filters and more can turn a nice photo into an incredible one. Who’d thought this image on the left was simply taken at the side of the street?
A smartphone glow
We love this behind-the-scenes shot as it demonstrates how Calob Castelllon regularly uses everyday objects to enhance his images. A participant uses a smartphone to produce a glow on the model’s face that is then carried through into the edited images.
The final shot appears to show beautiful glowing butterflies lighting up her face, instead of a phone screen.
It’s all about angles and props
Another fantastic photo that shows sometimes you need to make maximum use of your surroundings and props in order to get the perfect image.
There’s no way this model could have leant against the window so casually without the aid of the wheelchair. The behind-the-scenes snap shows the hilarious effort that goes into what otherwise looks like an utterly chilled out shoot.
Rocket boots
We’ve seen plenty of still photos of people leaping into the air. Perfectly timed images sure look great, but some editing can make for a much more interesting snap.
The subject of this image now appears to be wearing rocket boots rather than just standard Converse shoes.
Hands to the wormhole
This colorful image appears to show someone reaching into a wormhole, in reality, it’s just a man with his hands near a television.
Careful cropping, some highlights and a brilliant light source can make all the difference.
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Mood lighting or food lighting?
Another example of Calob Castelllon’s work shows how lighting in the world around us can be used to brilliantly simple effect.
With just the right pose and perfect placement of both the model and camera, a wonderfully moody image is created.
The floor is lava
Who doesn’t love a good game of the floor is lava? Real lava, on the other hand, is not to be messed with, unless of course, you have some brilliant photography skills.
Lighting up the tunes
A model poses on a bed with music playing in her ears and the lights around her dancing to the tunes.
In reality, the room is full of light sources that include someone nearby holding a lamp above her to get the right glow on her head.
Embrace the bush
The photographer posted this image with the caption “When in doubt, use a bush. Never fails.”
Amazingly, he’s not wrong. A close-up and personal shot gives a much more romantic impression to an otherwise boring location.
A quest to accept
Another snap with a portable light source used to create the fun of the final photo. It looks like a gamer has discovered an adventure quest or a power-up.
Beauty in the clouds
Clever lighting and masses of cotton wool apparently purchased from Walmart makes for a snazzy view that looks like a lady lost amongst the clouds.
We’d hate to be the one who had to tidy up after this photoshoot, but there’s no denying it’s brilliant.
Don’t burn your house down
Don’t burn your house down for the sake of Instagram likes. Calob makes clever use of portable lighting modules placed in the real world to add a bright glow to areas of the photo that can then be used as reference points and highlights when fire and other things are added to the image.
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Writing by Adrian Willings.
