Plan B when you find something, without your camera.

[Keith]

I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m shooting more and more with my smartphone. I’m out a lot working, mostly cutting invasive trees, but studying Bald Cypress roots, and don’t always have my cameras.

One thing I’ve found that really improves what I capture with my iPhone 16 pro max is a little ring light that came with a APEXAL macro lens kit.
As I’m sure all of you know, the camera is capable of focusing when the lens is almost touching the subject, but that blocks most of the natural light, which destroys the image.

I didn’t find much improvement using that lens kit, which was really hard to get on and off, or needed to move to another lens if I used the camera zoom. But maybe I haven’t learned how to use it.

However, by easily holding this ring light against the front of the phone, I can get in really close, even anchoring against the background to steady, I’ve got a dozen choices of lighting to choose from.

Here are a couple of shots to give you an idea. This first one was using the 1x lens, and I think only half of the ring. It’s so easy, I don’t even have to bother to focus, but can just touch the image to tell the camera where to focus.
This is a metric scale, millimeters on the right.




AND zoomed in to 4x using the full ring on the brightest setting. That is 6mm along the long axis, straight out with no editing.


Because the ring is small enough to drop in my shirt pocket, I’m sure I’ll loose it, and they are so cheap, I just ordered 2 more.

I’m not suggesting you guys give up the great creative work you’re doing, but that you give this a try, and share what you get. I’m just getting started with it, and think it’s got a lot of potential uses.

 

[DavidWatts]

My plan B is also my phone (currently an iPhone16Pro), which does a very good job, when I remember how to set it correctly . I almost always have it with me anyway for listening to music or for gaining access to my car. My best mistake is using the 1x setting and then slightly zooming in or out which instantly renders the photo as 12mp instead of 48mp. 2x does a slightly better job as it renders a 50% crop of the 48mp camera module. 5x or higher and the results are OK if full frame, but crops are blah. Macros come out pretty well too with a camera phone using 1x mode and letting the phone decide when it should get into the macro setting automagically. For the Macro Challenge thread, if that ever comes back to life, and only if I'm up next if I guess the last one correctly, I will use my phone since I don't own a decent macro lens. Still, sensors in phones are garbage not great if you look too close as tight crops appear a mushy mushy blob. That's just physics.

Plan C. Reshoot or commit to shoot with one of my real cameras. Since I like to do infrareds in the sunny leafy seasons, I find myself having to go home and grab the IR body after driving by a subject that presents itself to me. Kinda frustrating. Phone can't do that.

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the reply David. While I agree with everything you said, just let me remind you, it’s all about capturing good light, and this thing gives you a dozen good options of temp and brightness, and whether to use full ring, or half.

And for about $20 is a perfect stocking stuffer for anyone you know that might need a nudge over into the macro zone of discovery / learning.

Here is a sample of how it recently came in handy. I was out on the edge of a swamp wondering how soon mycorrhiza finds and grows on the roots after a Bald Cypress seed after it germinates.

With my pocket knife, I cut a little plug of earth around a week old seedling, and carefully lifted it out, then carefully teased away the outside until I was seeing bare roots. You can see a little of the green stem to the top left of the first shot.
These white clumps of hypha strands are mycelia.

Then on in and down I found it around the roots.this fungi plays a very important role in guiding the roots to where the fungus is breaking down the cells of dead wood and leaves with its enzymes. The tree provides it with sap/ photosynthate and probably oxygen in exchange for the nitrogen and other minerals locked in the plant cells for recycling.

Yes I could have done better with a real camera, but this was a spur of the moment opportunity, with very little effort and time expenditure.

Here is a link, Just do it!

FL26 LensLight Macro Photography Pocket Ring Light

Enhance your photography with the FL26 smartphone lens ring light! Featuring 45 adjustable light modes, compatibility with 37mm and 52mm lenses, high CRI for true colors, 8-hour battery life, and a lightweight design, it's perfect for capturing stunning images anywhere.

www.shopapexel.com