I’m always looking for ways to take more interesting photos.

The other day I was at a pool with friends and was bored about the thought of just taking regular photos. So it got me thinking: what can I do to take photos out of the ordinary?

I suddenly had an idea:

What if I put my iPhone camera into a ziploc bag and submerged it half way into the water?

I gave it a try and it was such a fun, creative experiment!

My iPhone 14 was a bit too big for the bag, but I forced it in, zipped it shut, and started experimenting with it half under the water.

It was so much fun! Here are some of the photos, and then I'll talk a bit about the pros and cons of this DIY trick:

Pros:

1. The touch screen still works. I discovered that the touch screen works even if there is a plastic bag over it. It made it easier to control the camera settings, and not have to worry about setting the camera up before sealing it up in the bag.
2. Cheaper than buying an iPhone underwater case. Who doesn't have ziploc bags lying around? Such an easy and super cheap way of having fun with underwater photos!
3. Bags create an artsy filter. Having a clear plastic bag over your iPhone lens can cause the image to be hazy, but I actually loved how it made the image look imperfect. It had an old film camera effect look to it, and it reminded me of my Holga camera with its dreamy look. I loved it!

Cons:

1. Challenging to control composition and focus. With the angle of the camera and the reflections from the pool, it was hard to properly see the preview screen before taking photos. Focusing on the subject was hard too, which resulted in a few bad shots.
2. Hard to avoid blurry photos. When the bag was a bit wet, or when it wasn't sitting flat on the lens, it made some photos quite blurry to the point that the photos were unusable. If you're serious about taking good underwater iPhone photos, I would look into buying a waterproof case specifically designed for underwater photography.
3. Risk of damaging your phone. Obviously, a ziploc bag is a risky tool to use when near a pool with a phone! I was scared of dropping my phone in the water and the bag not being fully sealed, so I was extra careful when taking the photos. This probably limited a lot of my creativity, but not to the point that I wouldn't use it again.

Though despite the cons, having less control over the camera made for some more interesting, artsy photos. It pushed me to let go of my need for perfection and just embrace the photography experience as it came. I actually ended up loving a lot of my shots that were completely out of my technical control.

• All these photos have been edited in Lightroom Mobile. I started off using some of my own Lightroom presets, but because this was my first time taking iPhone photos in a pool, I found that I had to do a lot of adjustments in Lightroom. Especially with increasing the saturation of the colours, the clarity and dehaze.

So next time you’re at the pool and you’re wanting to capture some fun, artistic photos of your friends swimming in the water, try putting your iPhone in a ziploc bag! This was a lot of fun.

WARNING: Your phone may get wet or damaged if using this trick! Try it at your own risk, and be careful not to submerge the bag and phone fully into the water. I always held it half way into the water with the ziploc bag opening always above the water surface..