What is special effect photography
 

Can anyone help me? I am very much a novice in photography and recently joined a local club, there are monthly competitions which I try to enter so I can get feed back and involve myself as much as possible. This months competiton is "special effects" can anyone point me in the right direction please as to what is classed as special effects and or teqhniques?

Special effects can cover a massive range of techniques from in camera to PP work , I would advice you to ask some one from your camera club to clarify the theme for you and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help .

Mark

I asked a few people there but they seemed to be a little unsure and had conflicting answers.

You need to find out from the competition organiser or the person who set this month's competition to get classification as it's a huge topic. For me they would need to define 'special effects' too.

[QUOTE]The illusions or tricks of the eye used in the film, television, theatre, videogame, or simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual world are traditionally called special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, SPFX, or simply FX).
Special effects are traditionally divided into the categories of optical effects and mechanical effects. With the emergence of digital film-making tools a greater distinction between special effects and visual effects has been recognized, with "visual effects" referring to digital post-production and "special effects" referring to on-set mechanical effects and in-camera optical effects.
Optical effects (also called photographic effects), are techniques in which images or film frames are created photographically, either "in-camera" using multiple exposure, mattes, or the Schüfftan process, or in post-production processes using an optical printer. An optical effect might be used to place actors or sets against a different background.[/QUOTE]

source: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effect"]Wikipedia[/URL]