Cell phone macro photos

I have a passion for all living things and the photography of them.  I often come across things I would like to photograph but do not have my camera with me.  If those things happen to be small, a camera and regular lens are often not enough to capture the image.  Although I have some very nice macro equipment for my DSLR camera, I rarely have it with me when I find something.  So, I pull out my cell phone.

Many cell phones have a dedicated macro mode or can allow you to focus closely enough to get at least a rudimentary picture.  Admittedly, cell phone macros are nothing compared to what you can do with a tricked-out camera system, but it has the advantage of being there when needed.  Having said that, I have managed to get some OK photos with just my cell phone.

The above photos were taken using my Android phone set to macro mode.  The sensor is normally 12 mp (megapixels), but when I choose macro it crops the image down to 3 mp.  There is no interpolation at this setting as all pixels are recording data at a 1:1 ratio, but the resulting image leaves little room for enlarging.  My DSLR macro system records 24 mp and produces much better images, but again it is not always available.

Another consideration with cell phone macros is that you have to be right on top of your subject.  The phone says to hold it 3-5 cm away, about 1-1/2 inches, to get it in focus.  At that point, you often scare the subject away and reduce available light.  Even so, you can still get some OK photos.  

There are a few things you can do to improve your cell phone macros.  

• use the 0.5x camera instead of macro mode as you can still focus very close but get a 12 mp image instead of a 3 mp one (Android).  iPhones switch over automatically to macro mode when you get close.
• buy a macro lens adapter (filter) for your phone.  They clip on, and you can put it on the 2x camera to allow you to obtain a close focus, use all 12 mp, and give you a better working distance.  They are relatively inexpensive, but you have to have it with you when you make your find.
• take lots of photos of your subject.  Getting a decent shot rarely happens on the first try as there are a lot of variables.  Pick the best of the lot then delete the rest to save room; you don't need all those extra and less impressive shots hanging around.
• if you don't work on the image in post (on a computer with Photoshop or similar), consider playing with it in your on-phone editor.  It will allow you to crop, alter things like brightness and contrast, and ensure that your photo will be the best it can.

 I use my phone for macros because it is handy, but truthfully it doesn't compare to what can be done with a DSLR macro system equipped with a ring flash.  However, I can't keep one of those in my pocket.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com