What's a lensball and how do you photograph with it?

A lens ball is a glass ball you can use to turn the world upside down with. That's because the lens ball acts as an extra lens element. This way, you add an extra dimension to your photo. Lens balls are available in various sizes, such as 60mm, 80mm, and 100mm. A well-known accessory brand that makes lens balls is Caruba, for example.

Turn the world upside down in no time. Capture a building or place the lens ball in a vast landscape during sunset, for example. It usually includes a small stand you can place the lens ball on, so it doesn't roll away. If you don't want the stand to be visible, use a more narrow ring. By photographing from various angles, you can create different effects. Hold the lens ball up in the air in your hand and photograph from the bottom, for example.

Because the lens ball is made of glass, your camera probably has a hard time focusing. That's why you have to focus on the lens ball manually to ensure that your photo is sharp. With the aperture, you can determine the amount of background blur. The lower the aperture number, the more background blur. The size of the lens ball also affects the focus. With a large lens ball, you need more distance to capture it sharply than with a small lens ball.

The glass ball lets through light, which you can use to make it stand out more. If the lighting is coming from the side, you'll see a beautiful border around the lens ball. And when you hold it in your hand, the light shines on your hand. Keep in mind that the light shouldn't be too bright to prevent glare. You can also photograph at night, when a city or village is lighted.

Use your creativity to take original photos with your lens ball. Use the reflections of a puddle, for example. Or flip the photo upside down when you're editing to see the world around the lens ball upside down. A lens ball isn't just suitable for photography, you can also use it for videos. Put down your action camera and capture a time-lapse with a lens ball, for example.