Sandmarc Cloud Diffusion Filter - what is it? - Portrait - Eugene Oregon

Recently, Sandmarc kindly sent me their cloud diffusion filter for iPhone for my iPhone photography. I love all their products I’ve tried (they’re so easy and fun to use) but this one might be my favorite so far.

When I posted about this lens on my Instagram story, I got a few questions asking what this lens is for and how you use it. Me not being the best technical photographer, the best way I can describe it is that diffusion filters bloom the highlights and lift the shadows in a photo so the overall photos have less contrast. (I’ve heard people call it a “hazy” look.) In general, I prefer to have less contrast in my portrait photos, so I use a diffusion filter on my camera from time to time for my work. Needless to say, I was very excited that Sandmarc made this lens for cell phone photographers and filmmakers.

If you’re just learning to to take photos, my first recommendation is always to learn how to look for light. Once you can do that, adding accessories is a great way to expand the kinds of photos you can take, even with a cell phone. Can you get good photos without this lens? Yes. However, this lens will give you a look that you wouldn’t otherwise have in your toolkit, so if you’re getting interested in photography, I really recommend trying it out.

I used in this my studio and at the coast. Everything was shot with the iPhone 14 Pro and Sandmarc cloud diffusion filter. Here are the photos from each location.

Studio: Portrait

Beach: Sunny day

Beach: Cloudy day

Looking back at these photos, this filter shines most when it’s sunny. (On a cloudy day, the light is already super diffused!) I found that when shooting at the beach, I preferred the stronger ¼ strength filter to be able to see more of the effect.

As far as portrait goes, I was surprised how much detail the photos still retains after applying the ¼ strength filter. I can still see the details on the subject’s skin, and the colors were very easy to manipulate. I tested the effect with a few different lighting setups and found that the one where I had light behind the subject (directly facing the filter) is the one where I got the most pronounced effect. (The photo below.)

For both studio and beach photos, I noticed that this filter seems to reduce the overt digital sharpening effect of the iPhone and make the images look a lot closer to what you would see out of a digital camera, without losing the details.

The photos below were both taken with an iPhones, though on different days and with different iPhone models (iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro). Although the lighting and setting is different, in my eyes, the image with the diffusion filter has more cohesive tones and a united feel, while one without the diffusion has sharper, more contrasty look. It is up to the photographer to decide which look suits your style better. I really enjoy having the filter as an option so I can change the look as desired.

I teach iPhone photography from time to time. Although I am a big advocate for attachment lenses, some people don’t want to carry them because they want to put their phone in their pocket and go. This filter is so thin and easy to stick into a bag or a pocket. Ever since I received this filter, it stays in the front pocket of my bag whenever I go outside.

In my view, photography is an act of documenting one’s story. It can be your family, your life, or our surroundings. Whatever it is, photos tell us something important about the photographer. We tend to think we need a good camera and lens to do “photography” right. But the iPhone has come so far that it’s easier for the majority of us to do “photography” with our cell phones. (I’m sure this is true of other phones as well, I just have experience with the iPhone.) Company like Sandmarc make taking photos a lot more by opening up some avenues for creativity even when you’re using a phone.

If you want to experiment with a different look in your photography but don’t want to carry extra things like digital cameras, this is a super fun filter to try. :) Don’t get too carried away with having a good camera system if you are not taking photos as a professional. When you learn to see the light, a cell phone and some good accessories do a fantastic job. :)

Massive thanks to Sandmarc for sending me this filter!