“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”—Ansel Adams
Give your back a break and leave that heavy bag of camera equipment home. Smartphone camera lenses are the perfect travel companions: they can snap right onto your smart phone and are small enough to fit snugly in your jeans pocket. Smartphone lenses weigh one-tenth as much as the average DSLR, even if they don’t produce quite the same caliber of photo as a high-end camera. Welcome to photography: the cheaper, lighter version.
Fisheye lens
Patazon Fisheye Lens ($7)
If you’ve ever wanted to view life from the inside of a fishbowl, this is the lens for you. The fisheye is an extremely wide-angle lens that can show views of more than 180°, giving the photo a spherical effect. This is probably not the best choice of lens for a clean image because of the huge angle capture and the accompanying distortion. But it’s great for a more creative shot. So break out your favorite beret and get ready to release your inner artist.
Photojojo Telephoto Lens ($20)
It’s time to get around all those roped-off areas, walk past those security guards, stride right up to that dolphin, and snap the perfect shot—figuratively speaking, of course. The telephoto lens is a better solution when you yearn for the bigger picture. This lens has a longer focal length than the actual lens length. That’s a fancy way of saying that you get big ol’ pictures with an itty-bitty lens. Why walk a hundred yards, when you can snap this gem on your phone? Say goodbye to pixels and hello to some full-framed goodness.
Patazon Macro Lens ($6)
Go for the macro lens if you want a magnifying glass effect without the hassle. Some details just can’t be missed, and this is the perfect lens to capture those intricate details. Capture the beads of dew on a fresh green blade of grass. With its marvelous up-close superpowers, the macro lens will reveal the texture and life of every subject.
Macro Lens
Photojojo Wide-Angle Lens ($20)
You know those people. The ones who make you squeeze even closer to your uncle Bob in order to make sure everyone fits into the photo you asked them to take. There’s an easier way now: the wide-angle lens. Attach this fun starter lens to your phone and have the option of playing with perspective or keeping everything in sharp focus. Get more fit in your photo and stretch the limits of time and space. Or, at the very least, fit everyone into your next family photo with ease.
—Ali Kirk
Awesome! I didn’t realize that smart phone camera lenses were so cheap! What an efficient way to document fun travel experiences!
I never knew these existed! And such a cheap option, too, if you already have a smart phone.