Macro Photography: Tips and Tricks
When shooting small animals, insects, bugs, flowers, or anything in need of greater detail, it is suggested to always use a macro lens. Shooting with a macro lens gives you the ability to see details that are difficult to see with the naked eye.
Macro Photography Necessities
To get started with macro photography, you will need the following:
- D-SLR Camera (recommended)
- Macro lens: A longer focal length is ideal (i.e. Canon 100mm f2.8) to minimize disturbance from bugs.
- Tripod (100% recommended!)
Wait For The Wind To Settle Down
When shooting macro outdoors, one thing I found irritating was the wind. Every time I was about to take a picture of my subject, the wind would kill my shot with making them move erratically. Be patient and wait for the wind to pass or try to block the wind by moving to the direction where the wind is coming from. Once everything has calmed down, take the picture immediately. Don’t forget your rule of thirds and composition skills.
High ISO is OK outdoors
During my trip to a nearby botanical garden, I noticed that my shutter speed would drop too low at shaded areas. Even though you are holding the camera very firm, a little bit of wind could definitely blur your photo. Don’t be afraid to increase your ISO level to compensate for faster shutter speed. Nowadays, your consumer-level DSLR cameras are able to shoot at ISO800-3200 with very low noise. My Canon 5D Mark II can do 1600 with minimal noise.
Why Use a Tripod
Using a tripod as much as possible can is ideal for macro photography. With a tripod, you no longer have to increase your ISO to compensate for faster shutter speeds. Mount your camera on the tripod and enjoy a blur-free photo even with slower shutter speeds. Partner your tripod with a remote switch and mirror lock-up to minimize your chances of shutter lag. If you don’t have a remote switch with you, you can always use the camera’s built in self-timer.
Play Around With Apertures
Many people think a macro lens behaves like a regular lens. That is not a case. A macro lens is a different animal all together. You have to pay more attention with focusing by moving closer or further to the subject and NOT with the focus ring as much. Another major difference is how narrow your Depth of Field (DOF) is compared to a lens with similar focal length. Try to use a smaller aperture (f16-22) to obtain a deeper DOF. Most macro lens will go as high as f33. Remember that you will need more light when using a smaller aperture so be sure to either bump your ISO or use a tripod.
Using a larger aperture is okay, too. Due to the narrow depth of field, the background will usually be thrown completely out of focus, which gives you a very nice Bokeh.
Macro photography can be a fun and exciting session. You will look at things very different now. The things you will learn and master are controlling the apertures, depth of field, and composition.
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Macro photography directs you as photographer into wide spread of subjects and objects to click. Subjects used in photography are endless.thanks for nice information………
digitalpicturezone
There is some wonderful information here that I will return to in the near future. I myself am deeply engrossed in the field of photography and invite any reader to view my coverage of corporate events.