Photograph with a Crystal Ball

Have you got a new crystal ball for photography? If yes, then I will share five things that you can photograph using the crystal ball. This sphere allows you to create some unique frames provided you know how to use it properly. You don’t need any particular camera or lens to do crystal ball photography. You can either use your smartphone or digital cameras. I recommend DSLR/mirrorless cameras for better quality images, especially to help in reducing the amount of noise in your photos if you're shooting in the evening or in low light conditions.

1. People 

You can make the person hold the ball in such a way that you can see the inverted frame of the person inside the sphere. Thus, you can capture crystal ball people portraits.

Another option is to keep the ball on the ground. You can ask the person to sit on the floor behind the ball. You can even request a third person to hold the sphere. Vary the angle of photography to see the change in perspective.

2. Landscape

The crystal ball sphere captures the inverted fish eye image of the scene inside it. So, it is suitable for capturing landscapes.

You will get the actual scene inside the sphere and the blurred frame of the same scene in the background if you use a wide-angle lens or a smartphone. If you use a higher focal length, then you can capture the ball alone in the frame. The choice is yours. When you are capturing Landscape, try to use any of the basic image composition rules to make the picture beautiful.

3. Waterfalls

Always try to create some unique images with your camera. Capturing a waterfall with a silky-smooth flow inside the crystal sphere is another good option. Makes sure to include the other elements also inside the ball to make the frame more interesting.

You will have to use ND filters with a slow shutter speed to get the smooth water flow. The waterfall will be in the inverted format. If you want, you can flip the image to get it right inside the sphere.

4. Flowers and Leaves

Flowers and good leaf patterns are other exciting subjects when it comes to crystal ball photography.

For the best results, I recommend using a macro lens. It will help you to get more details of the flower inside the crystal. If you are using a smartphone, then you can even go for a smartphone macro lens, which doesn’t cost much.

5. Sunset & Sunrise

I don’t recommend to look through the sphere during harsh sunlight. It may damage your eyes. The focusing property of the crystal sphere may also cause a fire. So, don’t use it in harsh sunlight.

Sunsets are sunrise always fantastic to capture? But, you can create some unique pictures of the same using a crystal ball. The shades of Orange and Red light in the scene makes the frame very beautiful.

Conclusion

Even though I have shared five things which you can photograph with a crystal ball, there is no limitation to use it at any place, except for restricted photography areas. Once you start using it, you will come to know when to use it and when not to use it.