Macro Photography Tips
An article by David Smith of Macro Photography Tips.
Exploring the world in miniature is a fascinating area of photography, and one that
you will not be able to leave behind once you sample the many delights it holds
in store. Being able to peer through your camera’s viewfinder and see things that
are too small to appreciate with the naked eye is an exciting experience.
There is a huge range of subjects out there waiting to be pictured, from butterflies,
bees and spiders, to flowers, dragonflies, and the many intricate patterns and textures
created by mother nature. You can also take interesting pictures of everyday items,
such as the minute workings of a wristwatch, the bristles of a toothbrush, the veins
and cells in a leaf or the tiny fingers of a newborn baby’s hand.
Still life photography and
Macro Photography use similar techniques and equipment.
Is close-up photography expensive?
Most photographers avoid shooting close-ups because they are misled into thinking
you need expensive specialist equipment to have ago.
This is half true, simply because conventional lenses will not focus close enough
to fill the frame with small subjects. However, if you already possess a DSLR you
can set yourself on the road to successful close-ups. Another misconception is the
complexity of the techniques involved. Admittedly, close-up photography does demand
a different approach to most other subjects, but the difficulties are no greater
and with a little practice you will be taking superb pictures in no time at all.
Many compact digital have a very useful built in macro function. When engaged, the
camera display acts as a magnifying glass to enlarge the subject or area. As we
have mentioned in other articles, compact digital cameras are so cheap these days
and have some great features, at Macro Photography Tips we recommend that you purchase
one to supplement your DSLR
Know your terms
You will regularly come across common close-ups terms, such as ‘reproduction ratio’
and ‘magnification’. They basically refer to the size of your subject on the camera
compared to its size in real life, and are used to express the power of close-up
equipment. For example, if you photograph a caterpillar measuring 2 cm in real life
so it measures 1 cm on the camera, the reproduction ratio is 1:2, or half lifesize,
and the magnification 0.5.
Equipment for close-ups
There are many ways to shoot close-ups but the easiest method is to use the macro
facility on your zoom lens (it should be called a close-up facility really). Many
zooms offer a reproduction ratio of 1:4, which means you can fill the viewfinder
of your DSLR with a subject that is around 100 mm long, such as flowers, small mammals
and household objects.
Supplementary close-up lenses
These handy attachments fit to the front of your lens like filters, and reduce its
minimum focusing distance so you can get much closer to your subject. The power
of close-up lenses is measured in dioptres — the most common are +1, +2, +3 and
+4. The bigger the number, the greater the magnification. A +4 dioptre lens used
on a 50 mm standard lens with the focus set to 1 m will give a reproduction ratio
of 1:4.
If you need extra power, more than one close-up lens can be used in combination.
Image sharpness will suffer if you do this, because the optical quality of the lenses
is not all that high, so at Macro Photography Tips we don’t recommend you use it
on a regular basis. For the same reason you should only use close-up lenses with
prime lenses rather than zooms — the 50 mm standard lens is ideal.
Extension tubes
These metal tubes fit between the lens and camera body, increasing the lens-to-film
distance so greater image magnification is possible. The tubes normally come in
sets of three, each a different size, so you can obtain different reproduction ratios.
When all three are used together they normally give 80 or 90 mm of extension. The
more expensive brands also retain links between the camera and lens, so automatic
aperture stop down can be used. When the length of extension matches the focal length
of the lens, the reproduction ratio obtained is 1:1 (lifesize). So 50 mm of extension
with a 50 mm standard lens or 85 mm with an 85 nun lens gives lifesize images. Tubes
can also be used in conjunction with a macro lens or reversing ring to give greater
magnification. These devices are reasonablely cheap and at Macro Photography Tips
we definitely recommend them.
Bellows unit
This system works on the same principle as extension tubes, but the cloth bellows
are adjustable so you can obtain intermediate levels of magnification. Bellows also
allow more extension to be used — often up to 150 mm, which gives a reproduction
ratio of 3 X with a 50 mm standard lens. In practice that means you can fill the
viewfinder of your 35 mm DSLR with a subject measuring just 12 mm, so for true macro
images they just cannot be topped.
At Macro Photography Tips we recommend that bellows be used on a tripod as they
are cumbersome and slow in operation. It is also worth investing in a focusing rail,
which allows you to move the camera and bellows back and forth to achieve accurate
focusing, rather than having to physically move the tripod.
Exposure compensation
Depending upon the type of equipment you are using to shoot close-ups and macro
pictures, the exposure may or may not need to be increased. Supplementary close-up
lenses and reversing rings require no exposure increase. However, bellows, extension
tubes and macro lenses work by increasing the lens-to-film distance, so the amount
of light reaching the film is reduced.
Controlling depth of field
The trickiest part of close-up photography is making sure your subject comes out
sharp. Just ask some of our juniors at Macro Photography Tips. Depth of field is
severely restricted at close focusing distances, so you should try and use the smallest
aperture possible for your lens — usually f/16 or f/22 — to maximise what little
depth of field there is and focus carefully on the most important part of your subject.
The close-focusing facility of a zoom lens will allow you to take frame-filling
pictures of relatively small subjects Of course, by doing this you encounter another
problem — slow shutter speeds. Even in bright conditions you may find a shutter
speed of between ½ second to 1 second is required and an aperture of f/16. This
makes a tripod essential if you are to avoid camera shake. Subject movement can
be equally troublesome and needs to be dealt with if you are to avoid blurred results.
With flowers and other subjects that you can spend time photographing, a temporary
windbreak can be erected from pieces of card and twigs pushed into the ground. Unfortunately,
if you try this approach with butterflies, insects and other timid subjects, they
are likely to disappear before you are ready to take the picture. So the only option
is to use flash.
Using flash for close-ups
Electronic flash is the panacea of all ills when it comes to
Macro Photography. As well as giving you more control over the quality of
lighting, the brief duration of the flash will freeze any subject movement, and
you will be able to work at small apertures for maximum depth of field. Before you
go off and start using flash for close-ups at Macro Photography Tips we think there
are a few things you need to bear in mind.
Firstly, because conventional flashguns are not designed for use at such small flash-to-subject
distances, getting the exposure right can be tricky. One way to overcome this is
by purchasing a ringflash. This unit, designed specially for close-up photography,
fits to the front of your lens and has a circular tube to provide even, shadowless
illumination. Your dedicated flashgun may also be able to deliver correctly exposed
results, although you should consult the owner’s manual first, to find out what
the minimum flash-to- subject distance is for dedicated control. At Macro Photography
Tips we definitely recommend a ringflash as you can also use it for portrait photography.
Most close-up photographers prefer to use one or two small manual flashguns mounted
on a bracket and manually work out the aperture required to give correct exposure.
Here at Macro Photography Tips we hope you’ve enjoyed this article on close-up photography.
Why not try one of our other Photography Tips article. Check the menu down the left
of this page.