Author: Felix Zhucha
One of the most satisfying forms of photography, and one of the easiest to master is macro photography.
A practical way for defining macro photography is by the strength of the lens, or how nearby it can focus. For true macro photography, you'll want to have a lens that focuses down to a 1:1 range. For example,for 35mm film,your camera has to have the ability to focus on an area at least as small as 24×36mm ,because this is the size of the image on the film.After having the film developed,the picture of the subject on the negative or slide will be exactly the same size as the subject photographed.
What makes macro photography seductive is the level of detail that you see, sometimes for the first time - familiar objects become unusual and abstract and unusual objects become even more interesting.
There are many applications for macro photography: flowers,plants,butterflies, minerals,snowflakes... Your own backyard, a local garden,beach or forest can provide you with hours of fun with macro photography.
Of course macro photography isn't always centred on the natural world. Collectors use macro photography to record coins,stamps and other collectibles that are very small.Some people use macro photography for documenting their possessions for insurance purposes or to illustrate their auction listings online.
Working with macro photography can be a whole new visual event for even the most advanced photographers.Every day can yield another subject and an endless supply of captivating images.The possibilities of macro photography are limited only by your imagination.
If you are interested in macro photography, then by all means consider purchasing a dedicated macro lens.SLR digital cameras with interchangeable lenses are ideal for macro photography.If you're primarily interested in outdoor photography, consider a 180mm or 200mm macro lens.
Alternatively you can use extension tubes,reversing rings, or close-up diopter lens.
An extension tube is placed between the camera body and the lens.There is no glass in the tube - its purpose is to move the lens farther from the film (or digital sensor) so that magnification can be bigger.
Reversing ring is attached on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse.
Close-up diopter lens are placed in front of the camera's main lens. These screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing at very low cost.However,the quality of the pictures is variable.
With all the technical side of photography, the most overlooked flower photography techniques involve field-craft. Knowing about the life of the flower you want to photograph. Each species has different flowering times. Flowers may not be at their best towards the end of a flowering period. Get a good plant field guide to let you know what times and habitats your target flowers thrive in.
Set your alarm clock
You might not like getting up for early mornings, but you'll love the quality of light it gives your flower photography. You’ll also find that the flowers look their best as they've not been wilted from the day's sun. As a bonus the flowers take on a magical appearance when covered in shiny droplets of early morning dew.
You can use the early light in some creative flower photography techniques. Placing the sun behind the plant produces back-lighting. This is particularly effective if there are see-through areas the sun can shine through, like thin petals or leaves.
The golden light of dawn is nice, but cloudy days can be good as well. If bright and overcast you'll have perfect low contrast conditions for some close up detail shots. Getting so close means even the slightest breeze has a flower swaying across your viewfinder. Wait for a gap in the wind or just avoid frustration by picking a calm still day.
You may choose to take a flower portrait shot or an image depicting the wider scenery as well. You'll need to set different lens apertures and perhaps use different lenses for each approach. A wide aperture such as f5.6 will isolate the plant from its background leaving a pleasing blur behind the plant.
Flowers make a pleasing addition to a landscape photograph. Using flowers as foreground interest to lead the eye into the picture is effective.
A small aperture like f16 will reveal more of the flower's environment and so is a good choice for flowers in a landscape shot. The longer shutter-speed that this requires makes a tripod essential.
You may want shots of groups of flowers. If there are gaps between the flowers then a telephoto lens is a good choice. These longer focal lengths have an effect of compressing the perspective. The flowers will seem closer together.
Beware the grey flower!
A frame filling shot of a white flower will fool your camera. Your camera sees a great deal of white so tries to compensate for this by underexposing. This results in a grey looking flower.
Overexpose the shot to keep the flower looking its true white, but don't go too far or you'll lose highlight detail. Luckily with digital you can check the histogram and blinking highlights on your camera's LCD screen.
Your flower photography technique will improve with a tripod because it will force you to compose the shot carefully.
A heavy stable tripod may be a burden to carry, but you'll be rewarded with sharp flower photographs. Look for the heaviest you can afford with a low minimum height so you can get down to flower level. You don't want to be pointing the lens downwards as this perspective doesn't look good.
Author: Leo Barus
Macro photography is a fascinating discipline because it allows the photographer to discover a world that is complex to view with the naked eyes. It opens up a completely new and attractive world that usually goes unnoticed. From simple everyday miniature objects to butterflies and insects, there are a number of interesting subjects that look incredible when viewed from a very close range. Having said that, capturing pictures at such a close range is somewhat hard because most cameras have limited macro photography capabilities. Although, even reasonably priced cameras have some basic macro mode, in most cases, the option is limited. Frequently, special equipments are needed to photograph a subject at macro level. You will discover some macro photography tips and tricks that help achieve the desired result.
The first choice for macro photography is to use the features existing in the camera itself. Most cameras have macro mode that allows photographing tiny subjects from a very close range. Usually, a normal lens of the camera is designed to take shots about 1 m away. However, in the macro mode precisely the same lens can be used to photograph subjects that are about 0.5m away. For the more elaborate and high quality close-up pictures, SLR type camera and special equipments are essential.
A huge advantage with the SLR camera is that its lens can be separated from the body. This opens up various possibilities for different types of photography. For close-up, the first option is to use a dedicated macro photography lens. Such an optimised lens is mounted onto the camera body and the photographer is ready to take images of close-up subjects. Shorter macro optics are light and compact. They are the preferred option for nature enthusiasts allowing to work at distance.
The next choice is to use an extension tube (no optic) which is used to simply extend the lens from the camera body and its sensor. This turns the same normal lens into a macro lens. The most common lenght are 12, 25 or 36mm: the wider the tube, the larger the reproduction ratio. Unfortunately, extension tube reduces light entering the camera and will not enable long working distance like a macro lens would.
Among various macro photography ideas, some are related to close-up filters and the reversing ring. Close up filters are cost effective adds-on that are simply screwed onto the camera lens. Those looking for expert quality sharp pictures may not like to use this option. Filters slightly compromise the image quality because there are more glasses through which the light filters through before reaching the camera sensor. They may not match a macro lens for sharpness, but they are a more economical solution for beginners.
Reversing ring is a good option for macro photography. It simply allows the lens to be reversed and mounted onto the camera body. This accessory works best with non-zoom lenses. By reserving a lens in this way, its optical centre is displaced from the sensor plane, introducing a level of extension and enabling it to focus significantly closer.
Those looking for macro photography tips must consider using good flashguns or lighting systems. Photographers who intend to do such photography quite often need to purchase a ringflash. This type of flash gives even lighting on the whole macro subject so the pictures are fully bright and all the details come out clearly.
Our final advice: at macro level even slight blur gets magnified so it is important to use a sturdy tripod to avoid any camera shake.
