Schoolboy Caleb Tenenbaum creates breathtaking photos using clear marble

Schoolboy Caleb Tenenbaum creates breathtaking photos using clear marble

 

A teenager has come up with an extraordinary way of taking interesting photographs - but he has not lost his marbles, indeed he is instead using a clear marble as his point of focus, and the bizarre technique has led to some breath-taking images.

Caleb Tenenbaum, a 16-year-old from New Jersey, only took up photography last August after seeing a photographic exhibition in which the snapper had used a crystal ball to create a similar effect.

The teen has entitled a collection of his photographs 'Life Through a Marble' where he has used a 1cm marble as a view finder on the landscape around where he lives.

 

Novel idea: The 16-year-old used a 1cm marble to create these breath-taking images

Tenenbaum dreamt up the idea after seeing other snappers produce similar collections, but with much larger crystal balls.

He said: 'I saw a few pictures taken of flowers in water drops or scenes in giant crystal balls and I thought I could take the idea of refractions and reflections, innovate it, and make it my own.

'I realised I had discovered something pretty special when I took the first picture. Before even processing it I realised it all worked perfectly.

'The focus was superb, the composition was right on, and it was eye-catching.'

 

Breath-taking: Caleb Tenenbaum holds the marble between two fingers and the view is focused in the little clear marble

 

Ice cool: This image shows the marble nestled into some frozen ground, creating an eerie photograph

Tenenbaum is still at school and does not possess any training in photography, but he is determined to turn his hobby into full-time work once he has finished his schooling.

So far he has created around 30 of these images - but hopes to make hundreds more.

 

 

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He added: 'The idea is quite simple - but to master it takes a lot of work. I am constantly thinking of new ideas and new compositions.

'In my most recent shot I rested the marble on my friends mouth while his head was completely tilted back. I took a picture capturing the marble, everything in it, and even my friend's chin too.

'Like anything, it takes practice and the feedback I get from my friends, family, and online helps my confidence and encourages me to work harder and produce the best photos that I can.'

 

Upside down: The teenager only took up photography last August having been inspired by artiste who had used crystal balls

 

Life Through a Marble: The artist's exhibition can be bought from Facebook and Flickr

The teenager uses a Canon XS DSLR camera with a 50mm f/1.8 lens and a 13mm Opteka extension tube in order to focus within inches of the marbles.

This enables him to focus on just what is inside the marble rather than the surroundings.

He said: 'With the focus so close, I'm able to get a sharp scene in the marble and the background just becomes a blur of colours which I sometimes make black and white to selectively colour the marble and really highlight the contrast.

'After taking the original picture, I do some simple editing which involves flipping the entire image 180 degrees because the image that you are seeing in the marble is actually a refraction so it's upside down.'

Tenenbaum's Life Through A Marble collection is available to buy online through his Flickr page (which can be accessed here) and Facebook pages.