There’s a ton of older lenses from the past couple decades that you can find used at great prices online, starting with eBay. Lenses that were cutting edge for their time and that are still capable of producing crisp and clean images and that probably perform better than your kit lens can be yours for $20.00 or less. 

Using a pocket-sized convex lens, you can create natural lens flares and distortions that aren’t quite possible in post processing. Hold your convex lens freely in front of your camera lens, and play around with the positioning until you achieve a look you like. Fire off a few shots and then try a new angle or position. You can also use this convex lens as a makeshift macro lens if you reverse the orientation in front of your camera lens. 

Photographer Sam Hurd has a solid technique for lens chimping. 

If you don’t have an extra lens on hand, you can use anything you find on the ground that is slightly transparent, like some dead leaves or other foliage to add some artistic blur or soft focusing around the edges of your frame. 

You can use your camera strap as an image stabilizer by creating tension on the strap and using that tension to take shake-free photos or help stabilize handheld video. 

While rainy, foggy or snowy weather can provide some truly ethereal content, it also soaks your equipment. To keep your camera, lens and other sensitive gear dry, try using an old trusty plastic bag and a rubber band. You’ll also need a lens hood. (Use an old coffee can for a lens hood if you don’t have one).