In the world we live in we see things for what they are. Our eyes are lenses that show us our surroundings and we use our cameras to capture the things that we want to see forever. Not many people think of what actually happens inside of our camera to give us the images that we eventually see. I wanted to find a way to recreate what a camera sees before reaching our eye. By using a photo orb this recreates this idea. The orb works in the same way that the camera optics do in a camera lens. The lens projects an inverted (upside down) image onto the sensor, but is easily transformed in a digital camera. In a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera the image is inverted once onto the sensor and a second time to reach the viewfinder. Taking a variety of images and having them inverted by the crystal ball allows the viewers to look at photography in a different way. The photos that I have taken throughout this series has allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone and try various new ways to take pictures. I was inspired by seeing how others used these orbs and I wanted to try it out, but push the boundaries of what was already out there. By putting my own little twist on things and seeing photographs in a different perspective showed me there is a world of endless possibilities. Seeing things in different ways makes us question reality and if what we are seeing is actually true. When the world is turned upside down people tend to find things that they typically would look over and not think to photograph, but some of the simplest things are just as beautiful. 

        I want my photos to be a visual representation of how easily something can be manipulated. Without the photo orb the photos would be completely simple and a normal landscape photograph, but by adding a twist allows the world to be viewed in a different way. Reflection was one of the ways that added even more depth to my images. I wanted people to think twice when looking at my photographs. By having the inverted aspect, this project also allowed me to work with depth of field. In all of my images, the photo orb is completely in focus, while the background is not. Along with various techniques, there were some ideas that I tried that did not play out as planned. Pushing the limits ended up with some disappointing results. With the orb acting like a lens, I tried to make the ball the lens, but without an aperture, every photo was extremely overexposed. Sunny days brought just as many challenges as the cloudy ones, but there were ways to turn negatives into positives. With some issues during the day I turned to the night, but then I really saw how reliant the crystal was regarding light, but you never know unless you try. 

        This series project allowed me to see what can be done with the world around you. By having the world in the palm of my hand anything was possible if you were willing to take risks and explore. A photographer has endless possibilities. When you think things that are turned upside down or not going your way, just step back and realize what you are missing.