For last weeks I have twisted my phone like a madman, and peeps probably wonder what I’m doing. It all started with experiment based on Wired how to wiki article: Take Distorted and Psychedelic iPhone Photos. …

Speed of the slit that goes over the frame (sensor or film) determines how fast you have to move the camera in order to get this distorted pictures at all. Effect does not work on more advanced cameras where the shutter curtains move faster than on cell phone cameras (you just can not twist your wrist fast enough). The direction how the blades move determine the results. Vertical travel shutter is the usual way because then the curtains don’t have to “travel” so long way over the frame.

^ If camera hold horizontally and moved from up to down, objects become shortened. However, result may not look very impressive if there’s no recognizable objects that actually look shortened.

< Rotating camera gives much more interesting results. Rotating camera clockwise makes objects curved to the right, and vice versa. You get sharper images in bright daylight. This is because the slit between the shutter curtains is then very narrow.

Using long exposure can produce interesting results as well. Combining the rotation and long exposure you get images where rays of light draw lines across the wide slit that moves over the sensor. >

< Shaking camera rapidly, like turning the knob in short clockwise and counterclockwise moves, gives nice winding effects. This is also easiest way to get the camera aimed to subject wanted to be photographed. Like with Wii Remote, I recommend using a strap to avoid dropping your camera phone 😉