Okay, so I’ve been seeing these crazy “Hand of God” pictures all over the internet, and I was like, “I gotta try this myself!” It looked so cool, and I wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. It’s basically a trick of perspective, making it look like you’re holding something huge, like a cloud or a mountain, in your hand.
Getting Started
First, I needed to find a good spot. I wanted something with a clear view of the sky, preferably with some fluffy clouds. I ended up going to this park near my house that has a big open field. It was a bit windy, but I figured I could make it work.
Figuring Out the Pose
The hardest part was figuring out the pose. I spent a good 20 minutes just messing around with my hand, trying to get it to look right. I watched a couple of quick videos online showing how to do it, but it’s one of those things that’s easier said than done.
- Open Hand: You gotta keep your hand open, but not too stiff. Like you’re about to catch something.
- Slightly Curved Fingers: Don’t keep your fingers totally straight. Curve them a little, like you’re actually holding something round.
- Thumb Placement: This was tricky. I ended up tucking my thumb in a bit, closer to my palm.
Taking the Pictures
I used my phone, cause who uses the other device now ady. I set it on a timer so I could get my hand in the right position. I must have taken like 50 pictures! Most of them were terrible. Either my hand looked weird, or the cloud wasn’t in the right spot, or the lighting was off. It was a whole thing.
It is so hard to make the right angle!
The “Aha!” Moment
Finally, after a lot of trial and error, I got one that looked pretty good! It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely gave the illusion that I was holding a big, fluffy cloud in my hand. I was so stoked! I quickly picked my favorite photo and show to others.
Editing
I didn’t do a ton of editing, mostly because I’m not that great at it. I just bumped up the contrast a little bit and played with the brightness to make the cloud pop. I wanted it to look as natural as possible, not overly edited.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a fun little project. It definitely took some patience and a lot of awkward hand poses, but I’m happy with how it turned out. It’s not gonna win any photography awards, but it’s a cool picture, and I learned something new. If you’re thinking about trying it, just be prepared to take a ton of pictures and don’t get discouraged if the first few (or dozen) don’t look right. Just keep messing around with it, and you’ll eventually get something you like!
