While Autum had never owned a ‘real camera’, after she received her first iPhone, she says she was pleased with how good the quality of the photos were and how convenient it was to have around. Then, just over two-and-a-half years ago, Autum saw a macro picture posted on Instagram and noticed it was also taken with an iPhone.

“I was amazed that someone could take a picture of something so small and with such clear detail with only their phone,” she tells us.

So Autum did a little bit of research and was led to Squidcam lenses that attach to cell phones.

“They weren’t expensive so I bought one,” she says. “I was hooked right away. For a few months I played around with macro pictures, teaching myself how to get the best shot, what time of day the light was best, and experimenting with editing apps on my phone. It became something I could do, just for me, that didn’t take time away from my family.”

As a stay-at-home mom to three girls, Autum doesn’t get a lot of time to herself but she’s packed her Instagram account with incredible macro photos that show the somewhat hidden world around her.

“I prefer nature for my subjects,” she explains. “Water droplets and dandelions became my first favorites. I found that the more I looked for things to take pictures of, the more beautiful things I saw, and the better able I was at spotting tiny things of beauty that are so easy to overlook in our day to day lives.

“How a single dew drop on a blade of grass can look like a jewel in the early morning sun, or a spider web covered in dew looks like a tiny universe if you look closely. That a simple dandelion seed, with a droplet, can become a garden fairy.

“Before macro photography, I never noticed how lovely a dandelion that had gone to seed even was. Using my iPhone enables me to stop and take a picture wherever I am, and whatever I’m doing. I have no equipment to carry around. No expensive lenses to buy and because the phone is small I can get into spaces a bigger camera wouldn’t fit. It’s really an ideal camera for macro.

“I have a greater appreciation for detail and the world around me since I’ve been doing this.”

While it might sound counterintuitive that the world becomes bigger as you focus on the smaller things, this is exactly how Autum Sasala describes her work.

“When you’re taking pictures on such a small scale, the world becomes bigger. Most of my pictures are taken in my own backyard. There’s an entire world of activity out there just beneath my feet, and just beyond my eyesight.”

Follow Autum Sasala on Instagram and Facebook to view more of her macro photography.

All images © Autum Sasala