It is surprising how often close-up or macro photography can be useful for both everyday life and dedicated work or projects. Although macro photography can be challenging, it is a skill that is definitely worth learning. Technically, macro photography is defined as photos which are made between 1/10 life size and life size.
The handiest cameras to use for macro photography are the digital SLR and 35 mm SLR. Most point and shoot compact digital cameras have built-in macro modes which let you get as close as an inch. And with TTL flash, the lighting is effortless. Most bug photographers use two flashes mounted on opposite sides of the lens. You can also use a Lepp Bracket, which holds a flash on each side of the camera. Here are a few more invaluable tips for shooting macro photography:
Often your zoom lens works well for close up shots, but for photos that are even closer, use a real macro lens. Macro lenses focus continuously from infinity down to their closest limit. A macro lens is the best choice because fiddling with close up lenses and attachments may cause you to miss your shot.
105 mm macro lenses are the most popular. This is because they are only slightly more expensive than the 50 – 65 mm lenses, yet offer about twice the working range.
Most bug photographers want 200 mm macro lenses. The 200 mm lenses usually give the same 1:1 life size magnification, but at a far enough range that you don’t scare your subject and you don’t block your light. The only drawback with this amazing lens is the 00 price tag!
There is no depth of field at macro distances. Try to orient your subjects so they lie in the plane of focus. For example, if you photograph a butterfly, its wings need to be lying flat. If you can achieve this, the entire insect will be sharp and it won’t look like an amateur photo.
Because there is so little depth of field you need the smallest aperture possible without causing diffraction. Set your film camera to an effective aperture of f/32. Experiment and see which works best for your setup. To do this well, you need a lot of light. For digital cameras, you could try f/22 or f/16 to minimize diffraction.
Manually set the camera to f/32 for depth of field and set the shutter to the flash sync speed (1/125 to 1/500 depending on your camera) to eliminate ambient light. Use the TTL flash system to let the flash control itself for perfect exposure as you vary distance.
For more professional photography tips and techniques, look no further than Red & Gold Photography. Based in Dubai, Red & Gold offers you a wealth of photography resources including quality cameras and equipment, workshops, and study opportunities. Please take a moment to explore the site at www.red-gold.net.
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Nick Griffin is the CEO of WilsonGriffin, a marketing and communications expert. Nick is also the co-founder of Red and Gold. For more on Red and Gold please click here
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