Following on the earlier post about photographing the Dufour Simplicity with the use of two iPhones (*using the free TORCHLIGHT app). At the dinner gathering of Los Angeles TimeZone collectors, I tried out this method as a variation of the idea. This time round, I used just one iPhone (again with the Torchlight app) and a restaurant napkin. The image above is the product of the method. The napkin functions as a means to cut out ambient light (and provide a nice graduated background) and also provide reflective properties to bounce light from a single source.

Peter Chong (Lange Moderator) was with me captured the following steps while I attempted this capture.

STEP 1 - Set the white restaurant cloth napkin on the table with the watch and camera on it. Point one corner of the napkin towards you so it looks like a diamond shape to you.  Set the camera in Macro Mode. Adjust and move the camera as close as possible so that the watch takes up at least 3/4 of the frame. Most consumer point and shoot camera macros operate from the wideangle end of the zoom. Set the camera to Aperture Priority and set it to the widest available. This results in only the dial being in focus. Turn on the self timer (so that you will not shake the camera when you press the shutter button). Position the iPhone above the camera and the watch as shown below.


STEP 2 - Start with folding the left and right corners onto the back of the iPhone as shown below. Then the top corner. Leave the bottom corner to the last. Fold the bottom corner only after completing all the adjustments as you are viewing the watch through the LCD panel.


STEP 3 - Once you have completely adjusted and satisfied with the set up, fire the shutter and keep very still as you wait for the self timer to trigger.


Hopefully with practice, anyone with a point and shoot and a iPhone camera is able to photograph with some sharpness and detail in a dark environment. Happy shooting!