Macro Photography Explained

Macro photography is the name given to close-up photography, and is best described as images that are captured at reproduction ratios of life-size or bigger. Macro photography allows you to take close up pictures of basically anything, and can be fun and sometimes educational.

Macro photography does not require a lot of very expensive gear to enjoy, almost all modern digital cameras offer a macro setting. My powershot S70 does the job, but macro lenses and a DSLR offer the ultimate flexibility in being able to customize the settings to the situation. It works best with simple lenses like prime lenses from 50mm to 105mm but zooms with macro capabilities can certainly be used.

Interesting subjects can be found all around us. Images of Spring in the form of seedlings, buds on trees, emerging blooms also different textures and textiles are good macro subjects, images may range from simplistic to abstract.

Subject movement is also an important factor to consider. A tripod is needed forsteadiness, plus flash maybe needed in some circumstances to give decent illumination. With the camera being so close to the subject when ever possible flash should either be indirect or diffused with reflectors for better results, also consider turning the flash off and using an alternative light source like a table lamp or flashlight. If shooting on a bright day use flash to fill in any shadows cast by the bright sun.

The subject should be sharp and in focus, the background should complement the subject by not being so busy as to become a distraction. Keep in mind that the depth of field at close distances drops off more rapidly, so with the shallow depth of field this creates for precise macro work, camera positioning and focus become more critical. Try shooting at slightly different apertures, with different compositions and focusing on different points of your subject to see what works best. Use the preview screen to check each setting, remembering to zoom in to the image to check for sharp focus.

Each camera will have it’s own macro characteristics but as a rough guide try these points as a starting reference.

Whenever possible do not handhold the camera, use a tripod or a bean bag or just sit the camera on something solid.

If you are using a DSLR then choose a prime lens of between 50mm and 105mm that has 1:1 focus capability. The shots you see here are shot with a 105mm which gives me a greater working distance from the subject. Try a starting f/stop value of f/16 and use manual focus. Take the pictures using the self timer or a remote release to minimise any camera shake.

Using a compact point and shoot camera, set the camera to macro mode (usually indicated by a small flower icon) and the f/stop to f/4 and use the self timer to release the shutter. Using the self timer is more important on a compact camera as this will give the camera time to auto focus before taking the shot and not add any hand movement caused by holding down the shutter waiting for it to fire.

Macro photography has quite a huge following and is truly a world in itself.