Macro Photography Beyond Flowers and Butterflies An introduction to the fascinating world of close-up and macro photography Reinier Munguía email: [email protected] www.wildstockphotos.com INTRODUCTION This publication will help you get there’s only one way of doing out the door. Research plays a big started in the amazing world of things, but in reality you can ac- role in successful photography. macro photography, its challenges complish the same effect using Preparing yourself to what you and the techniques I use to over- different techniques. Problem might encounter will increase your come some of these challenges. solving in the field will depend on chances of capturing that unique Although not a complete guide, it many factors including the weather, image. provides you with the knowledge your equipment limitations and Obviously, equipment is a limit- required to take beautiful images. your subject. That’s the reason why ing factor in how close you can get You’ll learn useful techniques that I there isn’t a single and specific so- and the quality of the image you have learned over the years, sav- lution to most macro photography obtain. We’ll discuss some of the ing you time and frustration when questions. My best advice is to most commonly used equipment, shooting small creatures. familiarize yourself with your gear, their advantages and how to prop- Most people entering this fasci- learn as much as possible about erly use them to get the best they nating field of photography think your subject, even before you get can provide. Basic photographic techniques such as depth of field, focusing and exposure will be discussed in terms of their applica- tions in macro photography. I have also covered few things that we can do to make our photography more affordable by building simple gad- gets that will improve our photog- raphy with a minimal investment. Finally, I’ll emphasize the im- portance of learning about your subject and the environment in which it lives. How to approach those skittish subjects and how to deal with nature’s obstacles will also be discussed. In order to be a successful nature photographer, you must first become a naturalist. Only through direct observation of the subject, one can learn about the natural world and that leads to better images. One final thought: practice makes perfect, and all good nature photographers are the result of many years of experience. Frustration is part of the equation, and without it, we can’t learn. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Florida. Nikon D70, 105mm, 1/250 sec. at f8 2 Introduction DEFINING MACRO First, lets define macro photogra- two ways of expressing them as magnifications of 100X and more. phy, as there are several interpreta- ratios and magnification power. For most nature photographers, the tions, but only one correct. This magnification ratios and the cal- was caused in part to the marketing For a subject that is 1 in. long. culations involved are irrelevant. hype of many manufacturers that Actual Size Magnification Ratio They’re happy with what they see on Film claim the macro capabilities of through the viewfinder and pay 1/8 in. 0.125X 1:8 their lenses, in which cases were no attention to the actual magni- 1/4 in. 0.25X 1:4 merely lenses that allowed for fication, but for a photographer 1/2 in. 0.50X 1:2 closer focusing, but not real magni- involved in research of insects or 3/4 in. 0.75X 1:1.3 fication. While the term macro and other small creatures knowing it 1 in. 1X 1:1 close-ups have been used inter- can be a plus. 2 in. 2X 2:1 changeably over the years, there’s a On this book, we’ll cover not difference that sets them apart. The For instance, an image captured only how to shoot real macro imag- main difference is on the magni- at 1:2 is called half life-size while es, but also how to get good close- fication rate. Macro photography one captured at 1:1 is called life- up shots. As I mentioned before, falls in a category of the so called size. Take, for example, the nickel most images considered macro close ups in which the subject is coin below. If we shoot the coin at aren’t real macro shots, but merely magnified or enlarge to about 1X, a 1X or 1:1 ratio, the image produced close-ups. Most nature photog- term also expressed as 1:1 that rep- on the 35mm frame will be the raphers are more interested on resents the size of the subject over same size of the actual coin. close-ups than true macro images, the size of the image on film. The due to several causes including the typical example is the macro photo difficulty of working at such close of a coin. On 35mm photography, range with subjects in the wild, the we reach 1X when the image pro- weather and the light conditions duced on film matches the actual that dictate your shutter speed. size of the coin. Twenty years back, The closer you get to the subject, a lens with a maximum magnifica- the more light you’ll be blocking tion of .25X also expressed as 1: from it, plus you run the risk of the 4 was considered a macro lens. subject fleeing the scene. Extreme Nowadays, a true macro lens is one macro shots require additional that allows you to achieve at least equipment that can be cumbersome a 1:1. for field work or too heavy to carry To further explain the concept When looking for a macro lens, for prolonged walks. lets start by defining the term you’ll find that those that can reach Nevertheless, there are situations magnification as the ratio between a 1:1 magnification ratio without in which you would love to get re- the image on film and the actual any attachments are considered true ally close to tiny subjects, in which size of the subject. To give you an macros. case you can use alternative meth- example, an image of a ladybug- Once the image size on the film ods to achieve the extra magnifica- about 1/4 inch at 1X, will render exceeds the actual size of the tion. Some of these methods I will an image of the bug of about 1/4 subject, then we’re talking about discuss in more details later in this inch on the film. The following high magnification macro photog- book. table will help you understand how raphy. This should not be confused magnification ratios work and the with microphotography that covers Defining Macro 3 EQUIPMENT The basic and most recommend- system. The lens is probably the low light levels around the sub- ed equipment for macro photogra- most important factor to consider. ject and to avoid blur due to slow phy is the 35mm SLR (Single Lens Buying good glass means sharper shutter speeds. A flash unit is an Reflex) camera with TTL capabili- images, less distortion and better essential tool that should be care- ties. With an SLR system, you see color rendition. For most of us fully selected to ensure total TTL through the viewfinder exactly it’s better to save the money on capabilities. Let’s discuss in detail what will be captured by your the camera and invest it in a better the basic gear to get you started. camera when you press the shutter lens. One other thing to consider release. TTL stands for (Through is the weight of your setup. If you Camera Body The Lens) metering, a system in do more than just closeups, you’ll which the amount of light delivered probably carry few lenses in your Any SLR or DSLR body will by a flash or ambient light can be backpack to cover all the focal work as long as macro lenses or metered as the light passes through lengths, then you know how heavy attachments are provided for the the lens. This system ensures bet- that can be. Since the quality of purpose of close focusing on the ter exposures without the guessing an image depends on the glass, I subject. Things to consider when work. Before TTL systems hit the prefer to have a lighter camera and buying a camera system and espe- market, photographers had to use save the weight for the quality lens. cially the body include: special exposure calculators to get Most of my close-up photogra- the right exposure for the subject phy was created while scouting a -Interchangeable lens capability. and to compensate for the magni- site for bird or wildlife photogra- -Manual exposure mode. fication being used. Digital SLR phy. Being prepared can save you -Exposure compensation. (DSLR) offers the same advantages a lot of aggravation and frustration. -Depth of field preview. and, in some cases, larger magni- Many times I’ve walked through a -Flash synch of at least 1/250 sec. fication due to the cropping fac- nature preserve full of macro and -Ergonomic design. tor produced by the fact that their close-up opportunities to suddenly -Mirror-lockup. CCDs are smaller than the 35mm realize that I have left my heavy -Light weight. frame. Besides, they offer a hand- macro lens at home. But a knowl- -Full range of accessories. ful of tools for the digital photog- edgeable photographer can actually rapher, including instant previews, solve this problem without having Lenses histograms and highlight warn- to come back later. If you plan to ings. Most SLRs provide you with come back later, chances are your I recommend using lenses that the flexibility of interchangeable subject will not longer be there.