User submission

46K

This Hack Lets You Take Amazing Macro Photos With Any Smartphone

Always fascinated with Macro Photography, bokeh, and stunning pictures of tiny little objects? Want to shoot like a professional photographer but don’t have professional equipment a DSLR?

Well, in this era of smartphones anyone can capture a stunning macro photograph with their phone. As it is said that it’s the person behind the lens who creates the image, not the camera.

Here is the step by step guide to creating beautiful photos with the gadget in your pocket.

You’ll need:

Your eye
A Smartphone
A lens
Cello tape or insulating tape

When I was learning about photography art way back in 2011, macro or close-up lenses for mobile were not available on e-commerce websites. That unavailability pushed me to search for photography hacks in my home to create a DIY macro lens.

More info: syedrizwanashraf.com

To create macro images with your phone you’ll need a Film Roll Camera

This Hack Lets You Take Amazing Macro Photos With Any Smartphone

Any old film roll camera, be it Kodak or Yashica or a toy camera (Hard to find!) which had images of monuments or actors/actresses, would work.

Lens From Film Roll Camera

Disassemble the camera you have found and take out the small lens from it carefully. Opening a film roll camera is difficult if you are not an expert, you may get electric shock because of the capacitor, reach out to an expert for help.

Lens Attached on the Phone

Once you got the lens, fix it on the camera of your mobile phone with tape. Start your camera and start shooting.

And now start taking those macro images

This Hack Lets You Take Amazing Macro Photos With Any Smartphone

Use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom to process your cool photos.

This Hack Lets You Take Amazing Macro Photos With Any Smartphone

46Kviews

A Commerce graduate, a Photographer, a Poet, a Numismatist, a Musicphile, an eSnoozer, & a Techy Owl.

Read less »

A Commerce graduate, a Photographer, a Poet, a Numismatist, a Musicphile, an eSnoozer, & a Techy Owl.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Mark Fergel 7 years ago

.....or just buy a macro lens attachment for your phone.

26points

riz (Post author) 7 years ago

Why not, you can put a magnifying glass against the camera to get magnified result but you won't get the same quality of glass in a magnifying glass or a macro lens attachment available in the market. And the quality of glass is directly proportional to the quality of image. BTW I used this trick in early 2011 when macro lenses were not easily available on e-commerce websites.

1point

Load More Replies...

Echo 7 years ago

I bought my lens at a Dollar General. In the back they have red lasers as a dog or cat toy. Unscrew and take out the plastic lens. adjust the distance with paper or cardboard and away you go.

3points

J. Philip vanHeijkoop 7 years ago

You get even a more extreem effect with the lens from an old cd-rom drive

1point

riz (Post author) 7 years ago

Correct! But the problem with that lens is the size, as a result details will be only limited to the center of the image. But the magnification will be super high!

0points

Load More Replies...

SIRiMAC 7 years ago

This is amazing!! Thanks for sharing x

0points

Ann Ros'a 7 years ago

I just used my jewelers loop and got a few cool shots... no disassemble required.

0points

Heather K 7 years ago

This is great; thanks Riz! I've got a box of old cameras that I haven't been able to bear tossing. You know, in case electronics become unfashionable, illegal, or inaccessible (should the poles curiously reverse themselves). Of course I think I'll leave my grandfather's Kodak Jiffy (ca 1939) intact.

0points

Mohil Mishra 7 years ago

Amazing ... this is genius work ... thanks for sharing

0points

POST

Mark Fergel 7 years ago

.....or just buy a macro lens attachment for your phone.

26points

riz (Post author) 7 years ago

1point

Load More Replies...

Echo 7 years ago

I bought my lens at a Dollar General. In the back they have red lasers as a dog or cat toy. Unscrew and take out the plastic lens. adjust the distance with paper or cardboard and away you go.

3points

J. Philip vanHeijkoop 7 years ago

You get even a more extreem effect with the lens from an old cd-rom drive

1point

riz (Post author) 7 years ago

Correct! But the problem with that lens is the size, as a result details will be only limited to the center of the image. But the magnification will be super high!

0points

Load More Replies...