Photography Masterclass Magazine
HOW TO GET CREATIVE WITH LENSBALL PHOTOGRAPHY
Have you ever used a lensball or crystal ball? These little glass balls are an inexpensive way to get creative with your photography. For around $25 you can add one to your camera bag. If photography is becoming a little dull for you, then pick one up and try one of these creative ideas to get your inspiration flowing once more!
Let’s start off with the basics of how to shoot with a lensball. There are very important tips you should keep in mind.
Make sure you focus on the ball. I also recommend using manual focus or a macro lens because your camera may have a hard time focusing on the ball when you are up so close.
Next, make sure to have someone help you by holding the ball or finding a stable position to mount the ball. They are made of glass, therefore they are easily breakable. When you are done using the ball, make sure to put it in its protective bag or an old sock. This will keep the ball from getting scratched or broken while transporting it.
Now let’s jump into the creative part!
QUOTES
If you have a favorite book or quote, simply place your lensball on top of the words that you want to pop the most. The ball acts as a magnifying glass to make the words pop right out of the page and create some pretty fun images to print and sell even!
YIN/YANG
When you are out and about shooting, look for contrasting settings to place your lensball halfway between. This can be anything from a bright wall against a restaurant. Or some flowers against a building. Look for two things that don’t look like they belong together and add the lensball to split the two and make them stand out even better.
PEOPLE
Take portraits with a lensball is a great idea. You can have your model hold the ball up so they are inside it for a fun effect. You can even try creating a witchy or fairy-like scene by having your model hold the ball with some lighting underneath the ball or wrapped around them. The sky is the limit when shooting people with a lensball, try different angles and many different ways of holding it for the best effects.
REFLECTIONS
Water and reflections are always fun tools to use when shooting. But adding a lensball into a puddle or a body of water makes for beautiful effects. You can even have an assistant hold the lensball up for you if you are trying to fit a beach scene or lake inside the ball. Once again play with different angles up high or even placing the ball in the water before snapping your final shot.
HANDS
Once again it’s best to have an assistant hold the ball for these photos. Make sure they are not blocking the background or front of the ball as they hold it from the top. Try to focus on the inside center of the lensball and the scene inside it, while using a wide aperture for gorgeous bokeh surrounding the outside of the scene.
FAIRY LIGHTS
Tiny little battery-powered lights are relatively cheap to find online. Simply place them behind your lensball and shoot in the dark or at sunset. You can play with outdoor street lights as well or even
holiday lights such as Christmas. Placing the lights behind the ball illuminates the scene and keeps your viewer looking for more.
PROPS
Get creative with the props you use to secure your lensball. You can play with ice cream cones and other food products such as fresh produce to play with the idea of using a crystal ball over food. We recommend keeping a little ice cream in the bottom of the cone and placing the ball on top so you create a dripping effect, that makes your viewers second guess what they are looking at.
PATTERNS
Look for crazy patterns in cities or in nature. If you can place your lensball over one of these wild designs they pop even better through the magnification of the ball.
Also, keep in mind that everything in your lensball will be upside down. You can also play with this effect when placing it over fun patterns. Repetition in the pattern is best for these types of compositions
USE PHOTOSHOP
By creating any of the images listed above and then importing the photo into Photoshop, you can get even more creative by adding details floating away out of the frame. Even more, you can flip the image inside the ball right side up so that it is no longer upside down if you like. Using online tools, you can create even wilder designs.
SUNSETS
Capturing the magic of a sunset or a sunrise inside your crystal ball makes for gorgeous shots. It’s worth getting up early to place those pink and yellow hues inside the framing of a lensball. As mentioned above, think about placing your ball in the sand or water with the sunset behind for even more beautiful effects.
CONCLUSION
I hope you enjoyed this creative list of ideas for lensball photography. Maybe you have some of your own? Pop a photo on our Facebook Group so we can see what you are working on and grow together as a photography community. We love hearing from our readers!