How to take creative photos with a glass ball

In photography, creative inspiration often comes from trying something new and shooting a scene with this new technology. Creating glass ball scenes is a good example of this, as it allows you to capture fish-eye scenes with telephoto (telephoto) lenses. Where the glass ball creates a state of mystery, as it has a relationship for some to see the future. However, shooting with a glass ball is easy to achieve with a few simple steps!

How to take landscape photos using a glass ball

To get good landscape photos using a glass ball, you will have to apply some basic rules, and understanding the nature of the place will also help you achieve your goal. The following are steps you must follow to take such pictures:

1. Choose a scene that you usually shoot with a wide angle lens.

2. Capture this scene with the sun behind you, in order to illuminate the scene you want to capture. 

3. Put the ball in a stable place so that it does not fall. 

4. Wrap your scene with the ball in it. 

5. Make sure the horizontal lines inside the ball match the background. 

6. Focus the camera on the scene inside the ball, and the best way to do that is by using live vision and manual focus. 

7. Use an aperture of about f / 4, as this will make the ball sharp and the background blurred.

8. Take a photo, and repeat it if you are dissatisfied with the sharpness inside the ball. 

9. Rotate your image in post-processing so that the scene is not upside down. In some cases, you can skip this step.

Alternative landscapes using the ball, and how to create them

It's easy to understand that every scene or situation needs a glass ball photo. But this is not the case, as you need careful consideration when choosing the image that you will take. And the most important thing to do is find an engaging subject that appears prominently inside the glass ball. Once you have completed these basic features, below you will find some different methods that you can use to create landscape photos using a glass ball.

1. The classic method

In this method, the ball fills up most of the frame, making the entire edges of the ball visible. This will produce glass ball landscapes that have a direct effect while blurring the areas on either side of the ball. This type of image is often taken with a macro or telephoto lens at f / 4 to create a bokeh effect around the sphere.

2. Method of approach

When you get close to the glass ball you will confirm the view inside the ball, and this also necessitates doing framing, which cuts off some of the edges of the ball. The focused composition with both the top and the bottom of the ball can be used here, and this has the advantage that the upper and lower parts of the scene cannot be easily deduced. The other configuration follows the rule of thirds, which shows the edge of the ball in the left or right third of the image.

3. Give the ball a little space

There are many ways to photograph the glass ball, and using a wide angle lens with this technique is very effective. In this case, you want the background scene to be neutral while making the ball stand out in the scene. This scene won't need to be rotated in post-processing, because you are composing the scene in the background. In this type of photo, the ball and the landscape should be a balanced combination.

4. Move the ball to a higher area

As with all landscape photos, the featured high position of glass ball photos works well. Go up to a tall building overlooking the city, or head up to a hillside - both are good options. Once you reach a distinct high point, find a good spot to place the ball so you can see the scene inside. You need to make sure the ball is stable and won't fall, so be very careful with its position.

5. The human element

Having people in a landscape with a glass ball is not always the most appropriate option. A blurred background may look less attractive with someone in it. However, there are many ways to add people in a photo, while still maintaining its aesthetic.

Where can you try this technique

The places you might visit to take normal landscape photos will also work well with this technology. And the roofs of tall buildings in cities work really well, or the worm's eye technology from street level would be fine as well. Moreover, the beach or the desert are excellent options as well, given the temperate nature of these areas. One of the classics of this type of photography is beach sunset photos with a glass ball. Mountains and forests provide good places as well. Photographing a lonely tree with this technique is also a nice topic, as is photographing tree trunks inside the glass ball. On the mountain tops, you can easily fill the scene inside the ball with a plethora of landscapes remarkable.

How to get the glass ball

From Amazon, you can get an 80 mm glass ball for as little as $ 20, and this is a good option although it may be heavy when you carry it. You can also use the small 40 mm ball for many cases, the price of which is close to 9 dollars, and when you carry a heavy camera bag, it will be a good choice.

Once you have a glass ball, it is best to start with your creativity and see what works best for you. You can also share your work with us. One final tip, be careful of sunlight with the ball. Where a glass ball works with sunlight like a magnifying glass, it can burn you or burn your belongings or cause fires if it is near dry grass or the like.