HOW TO SET UP YOUR LENSBALL

A Lensball can be handheld, but with a camera to also contend with, this can quickly become tiring. Resting the Lensball on a tripod or on a surface gives better results

1 Set up your Lensball and choose your lens

There are several ways of setting up a Lensball. You could hold it yourself, but with a camera in your other hand, this can be uncomfortable and quickly tiring. A tripod is one solution for this. Resting the Lensball on the tripod via a rubber mount, you can position the ball exactly where you need it. Alternatively, you can place the Lensball next to your subject. I used two different lenses for photographing through the Lensball: a 70-300mm for capturing macro shots, and a 50mm for shooting landscapes.

2 Dial in exposure settings to suit the lighting

You need to consider your camera settings when taking images through the Lensball, because the light has to get through the glass of the Lensball and onto the camera’s sensor. Most of the time I used 1/160 sec at f/9, ISO 100, and 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 100. Natural light is another factor to consider: if you are holding the Lensball in bright sunlight, the ball can get warm and uncomfortable to handle. Another aspect you should consider is the reflection of light, as light reflections can be hard to edit in post-production.