A Lensball In The Forest

This photo has the Lensball balanced on a bottle that is balanced on a metal fencepost. A precarious situation!

Lensball Photography

     The Lensball shows a different view of the world and in the midst of our current collective situation known as COVID19, I think we could all benefit by taking a moment to see things from an alternate perspective.

Cottonwood Trees of LaLadera Road

     Trees are my favorite subject matter for Lensball photography. The epically twisty turny gnarly branches of the old Cottonwood Trees in New Mexico create truly magical scenes when viewed through the curved sphere of the Lensball. 
     The spirits in these old trees sit quietly, watching the world go by. Not worried about paying the bills or if the store has toilet paper. They peacefully observe the passing of the seasons and are comforting to be around in times of uncertainty.
​     The Cottonwood trees on LaLadera Road in Peralta are my favorite. I've been driving past them for most of my life and they are especially charismatic. 
     This post is also part of a series called "Winter Trees". Click here to see all of the Winter Trees blog posts.

Lensball Composition

     There are many ways to incorporate the Lensball into any given scenario but my preference is to place it directly into the scene. When you purchase a Lensball, they usually come with a stand and sometimes with a tripod adapter. I find the tripod adapter to be useful for open-sky sunset shots but not so much for trees. Another option is to handhold the Lensball but I only like that option as a last resort or if I'm working in a portraiture setting and the subject is the one holding the Lensball. 
     Ideally, I like to create an organic look so that the Lensball appears to be part of the scene, like it may be a big drop of water or some kind of portal to another dimension, as opposed to creating a look that feels contrived or artificial by having a random hand in the photo that is otherwise unrelated to the composition.
     Composition, good or bad, creates dialog with the viewer and, as the photographer, you are responsible for everything in the image area. For this reason, it is best to avoid including anything in the photo (like a random hand) that would detract from the impact of the image.

Rio Grande River Bosque

     The Rio Grande River Bosque in Los Lunas, New Mexico has it's own special collection of Cottonwood Trees. The trees here tend to be super tall and skinny and curled around like witch fingers. 
     It was at this location that I first discovered the fire danger associated with the Lensball. They are made of flawless K9 glass and make a handy (or dangerous) magnifier. The sun was out when I positioned the ball on a tree stump but before I could even get situated to take a picture, smoke started rising up from around the Lensball and when I tried to pick it up, it burned my hand! This happened a couple times and now I don't take it out in direct sunlight anymore.
    To learn more about how to use the Lensball, check out my tutorial by clicking here.

Tech Specs

     These Lensball photos were created with a Canon EOS 50D with a Sigma DC 17-50 2.8 EX lens and a Besnfoto 90mm Lensball. Post production done in Adobe Photoshop with extra help from Actions by The Luxe Lens and Kubota.