Macro photography produces some amazingly gorgeous images and it’s always been one of my favorite styles of photography. The way these close up photographs capture the intricate details of the world around us, the details that are easily overlooked, is astounding. But to create really stunning macro images you do need the right camera gear, something I haven’t decided to invest in yet. It really just hasn’t been super high on my priority list at this time in my life.
But, enter my trusty iPhone. Using some birthday gift vouchers (Thanks!), I treated myself to an Olloclip. What’s a Olloclip you ask? Well, it’s this ingenious little gadget with fish-eye, wide-angle, and macro lenses that you clip onto your iPhone. Yes, I’m taking my iPhone photography to the next level and attaching an external lens to my phone. I know that sounds crazy.
So far though, I’m loving this thing. My one and only gripe is having to take the case off my phone to attach it but that’s really not a big deal. I captured all the images above with the Olloclip macro lens attached and they are all straight out of camera and unedited. I shot some of them with the native Camera app and some with Hipstamatic (Loftus lens, Blanko Freedom 13 film).
Things I’ve learned about shooting with this macro lens so far:
- You need good light.
- Your ideal subject is stationary.
- You need a steady hand or a tripod.
- You need to get really, really, really close to your subject.
So, an iPhone with the Olloclip won’t be the best camera gear for getting macro shots of dangerous living animals. But, for plenty of other subjects it’s a great choice for experimenting with macro photography on your iPhone. I haven’t yet tried the fish-eye or wide-angle lenses. If you’re into iPhone photography and have a iPhone 4 or 4s, this is definitely an accessory to consider.
And, as a bonus, it will give you an excuse to treat yourself to some flowers.
