Synthetic soft focus

Mike Harris applies a thin layer of petroleum jelly to an old UV filter and creates a dreamy soft-focus effect

- Mike Harris

An ‘oldie but goodie’ is the perfect way to describe this tried-and-tested technique. By loading up the edge of a lens with petroleum jelly, you can create an ethereal effect in-camera.

Photographers have been using this technique for decades, and even with the prevalence of today’s powerful editing software, it’s still worth trying this eye-catching DIY effect out in the field. Blurring the edges of the frame is a great way to hide bland surroundings, centre the viewer’s gaze, or simply create an edgy vintage vibe. There’s technically nothing stopping you from applying petroleum jelly to the front element of your lens, but we’d urge you to think twice before slathering your expensive glass with a sticky substance...

A much more sensible workaround is to purchase a cheap UV filter. These accessories cut out ultraviolet light, but the effect this has on your images is pretty hard to spot. As such, UV filters are more commonly used as an affordable way to protect the front element of a lens. It’s certainly much more cost-effective to replace a ruined filter than a front element. We purchased ours for less than a tenner and had no trouble cleaning it off for future use.

So, read on and find out how to create dreamy images in-camera, using a cheap filter and a tiny dollop of petroleum jelly.

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