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marcinklysewicz · 09-05-2008, 12:05

Macro tutorial

Remember that I’m not a specialist. I’m not a professional photographer. What is written here is my private way to do macro shots and it’s possible that there are other ways but I don’t know them or I don’t use them.

And remember – my English is not perfect, so if you see some grammar mistakes please forgive me. If something is not clear enough – please do not hesitate to ask me.

If what I’m writing is obvious for you then maybe you know some tricks that could be helpful for others (including me). Share your experience.

Marco photography

I was thinking about writing definition here but let’s just say I’m going to tell you how to do photos like this one.

Equipment

Camera

Any digital camera with zoom 10x or better. More manual settings you could access -better it is.
Any DSLR camera.

Lenses

For macro photography you need special lens. There is no way you could make good macro using “naked” digital camera or DSLR camera without macro lens (or good zoom lens). I know – I was trying with my Fuji FinePix 9500 for about 2 months. DSLR lenses for macro photography are sharpest on the market.

For digital camera – Raynox DCR-250.
For DSLR camera – any lens with that magic word MACRO on it.

DSLR macro lenses – examples:
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon EF 180 mm f/3.5L Macro USM
Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D
Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Nikon AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED
Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF-ED
Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG
Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM
Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG HSM
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 AF
And some more.

Also you could use Raynox DCR-250 on any macro lens for DSLR camera – DOF will be very shallow but you’ll have almost microscop.

Other equipment

Here it is – diffuser. You could buy one or make one by yourself. Below are photos of my own diffuser – I was using it with Fuji FinePix 9500 and after small adjustment I’m using it with Canon EOS 40D. Construction tips – empty box after some sweets with hole for flash and with two layers of tissue at the other end. Aluminium foil inside for greater light transmission.
What for do you need it? Simple – with macro photography you need as much DOF as possible. Using F11 on digital camera or F16-22 on DSLR camera is normal. And then you don’t have enough light. Using “naked” flash gives very strong light and too many reflections. What we need is soft light from flash hidden behind diffuser.

My diffuser - it's not about how it looks but how it works.

You could type "home made diffuser" in google and you'll find some other ideas how to make this very important component for macro photography.

Macro flashgun
If you have enough money in your pocket and macro photography is taking 90% of your time when using camera then you could buy one of those:
Canon MR-14EX Macrolite
Canon MT-24 EX Macro
Nikon R1 Close-Up Speedlight
Nikon R1C1 Close-Up Speedlight
or any other special flashgun for macro.
Using professional flashgun is of course best solution but also expensive. So it's your choice - home made diffuser or ready to use professional flashgun for macro photography.

Tripod/monopod – I’m not using it at all. Bugs and insects are too fast for it. Before you’ll prepare yourself they are gone. But tripod could be useful when you make photos of flowers, they are usually very patient

and if there is no wind they stay still.

People are using many different tricks for macro photography – water sprayers, paper clips (to keep some grass leaf still when making photo of some insect on it), dead flies (yes – you could feed spiders or other “deadly” insects to make some great photo), small bottle of honey (to feed butterflies and other hungry beasts out there). But I’m not going to write about those things. Be creative. Think what you may need before you go hunting.

Camera settings

For both cameras (digital and DSLR) you should use manual settings. Only then you know what is happening and you control it.

White balance
If you choose right one you’ll have natural colours. However I like to use cloudy setting even when it’s sunny day. Colours are a little bit darker and contrast is better. But you have to experiment. Try not to leave this option to AUTO – you are smarter then camera.

ISO and Exposure time
Higher ISO you have faster shutter speed (shorter exposure time) you could choose. For digital cameras I recommend to stay at ISO200 or lower if possible. For DSLR – well it depends form your camera quality. I was testing my Canon EOS 40D on ISO400 and there was no noise at all.
Exposure time - from 0.0125 and shorter. When you have ISO100 and exposure time on 0.0125 and camera tells you that picture will be too dark – leave exposure time as it is and try changing ISO to 200 or even 400 (DSLR). If it’s still to dark go back to ISO100 or 200 and use flash with diffuser. Leave exposure time on 0.0125 but if your photo is too bright change it (make it shorter). You’ll have to experiment with those settings. Main point here is to keep balance between ISO (to keep it low so there will be no noise on your photo) and exposure time (to keep your object still=sharp, because you are trying to freeze that moment).

F number (DOF setting)
In macro photography we need as much details as we can get. So F number should be starting from 11 (if possible). Bigger the number is more details we’ll have in focus. The only problem is that with higher F number we need more light. Again – you’ll have to experiment. What I was doing for last 10 months was keeping F numer at 11 all the time and trying to find balance between ISO and Exposure time to get enough light. With my new camera I’ll go for F 16 or F 22 – I’ll experiment.

I'm telling you people about details - but sometimes it's not only about details. You could try some art photos with really small DOF. This photo below is with F 2.8 - i think it still looks quite interesting.

AF/MF
Ok – it’s time to forget about auto focusing. There is no such a thing like AF in your camera

. Now when you are hypnotised it’ll be easier to explain why. DOF in macro is very shallow. It’s like 2-5 millimetres. So switch your camera to manual focusing and moving your body find sharpness on your object. And when I’m writing about moving I mean really small moves.
Important note – on digital camera with Raynox DCR-250 use maximum zoom, on DSLR camera keep your macro lens for 1:1 magnification (like max zoom). Of course if object is big (like huge ugly spider) we could change zooming to keep all object in frame.

Technical advice

Just one thing – it’s always better to make photo too dark then too bright. There is nothing you could do with overexposed photo. Details are lost. Underexposed photo is easy to correct in any software. This tutorial is not about software so I’ll leave it (maybe for another tutorial) but remember about this simple rule.

How to approach those creatures

There is no problem with flowers so I’m not going to write anything about them. The problem is to take a good photo of insect.
We are huge for them so they are afraid of us. Sensitive to light and vibrations they will run away if you scare them. So move as slow as possible and try to keep your shadow far from them.
You need to be patient.
Also you need to be ready for sacrifice – lay down if you have to, crawl if you have to, don’t be afraid to sit on the ground if you have to. Taking macro photos is dirty work. It’s simple – if you want those great macro shots you have to be close to those insects, you have to be one of them. Ok – maybe I’m going too far with it

. Just try to be there with them.
If you see some interesting insect and he is running away from you do not hesitate to follow him. Butterflies make me sick sometimes – 20 minutes chase through some meadow and no single picture because this lovely creature decided to go over the hedge. Yes it’s frustrating – but hey, do you want some nice photos or not? So be ready for long hunting – in macro photography you need time. It’s great fun spent with nature.
And it’s very helpful to know something about them. I have Pocket Nature publications about Insects and another one about Butterflies and Moths. I know where to go and where to look for them. My friend knows where they sleep, what they eat, when and where they are active. Very useful. But even without any knowledge you’ll find them everywhere around.
And again – be creative. Train yourself on flowers (they don’t run), in your garden, go to Botanic Garden, take apple with you and give it to butterfly (I’m not joking).
And last thing - there is no need to be affraid of them. In nature it's simple - if you don't attack you wan't be attacked (generally). Spiders don't bite without a reason. You could keep them in your hand if you want (I don't like it) and untill you do something strange there is no risk. Insects are not interested in you even when you are there. Only few of them will really enjoy your presence - mosquitos, ticks and other bloodthirsty creatures. But you already know that.

Action

Ok – so you are there, with your camera and you know what to do with settings. Take your time and make as many photos as you can – more then half of them will go to the bin, rest will be just fine, and 5-10 should be brilliant. It’s perfectly normal.

Composition
Taking macro of insects is like taking photo of your best friend. You don't want to cut his legs or hands . If it's portrait you'll have to, probably also this insect antennas. Use zoom to correct your composition. At the beginning of your journey to insects world - try to keep them in the center. When you'll be experienced with settings and other things you'll have time for composing your frame like an expert. Rules are the same like for any other photography - if your insect is looking right give him more space at the right so he is not looking on picture frame. If your insect is looking left - give him some free space to look at on the left. Below are some examples.

Good composition

Bad composition

Background
In macro photography background will be always blurred. It's because of small DOF. But you could still manipulate a little bit with background. It's blurred but it gives you some colour. So imagine that you have some nice insect sitting on the grass and there is some stick behind - brown stick. Green grass, insect and brown colour at the back - sounds interesting (example below). When I'm saing about background it's more about background colour. Insect on the grass and yellow flower behind also sounds good. So if you have a choice - green grass and green background or green grass and yellow background it's more interesting to choose that second one. Of course it depends - if your insect is yellow it won't look good on yellow background (but i've never seen yellow insect). Anyway - background is blurred and you may think it's not important but it is. Sometimes few millimeters movment makes a big difference.

Good luck !!!

I hope it's everything you need to know about macro shooting for now. Above is my way to do it. Every single photographer will have his own way - it's based on experience. I wish you good hunting and remember - practice and you'll be macro photography master. It's great fun, it's addictive, it's frustraiting, time consuming - but you'll like it. If you have any questions please ask.
And about training - find guy like this one below. They are slow so you'll have time to practice your skills.

My equipment:
Canon EOS 40D + Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 F2.8 Macro USM lens
Fuji FinePix 9500 + Raynox DCR-250 lens
home mage diffuser
and nothing else for macro photography

Marcin Klysewicz

09-05-2008, 12:05	#1 (permalink)
marcinklysewicz Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sturminster Newton Posts: 598	Macro photography tutorial Macro tutorial Remember that I’m not a specialist. I’m not a professional photographer. What is written here is my private way to do macro shots and it’s possible that there are other ways but I don’t know them or I don’t use them. And remember – my English is not perfect, so if you see some grammar mistakes please forgive me. If something is not clear enough – please do not hesitate to ask me. If what I’m writing is obvious for you then maybe you know some tricks that could be helpful for others (including me). Share your experience. Marco photography I was thinking about writing definition here but let’s just say I’m going to tell you how to do photos like this one. Equipment Camera Any digital camera with zoom 10x or better. More manual settings you could access -better it is. Any DSLR camera. Lenses For macro photography you need special lens. There is no way you could make good macro using “naked” digital camera or DSLR camera without macro lens (or good zoom lens). I know – I was trying with my Fuji FinePix 9500 for about 2 months. DSLR lenses for macro photography are sharpest on the market. For digital camera – Raynox DCR-250. For DSLR camera – any lens with that magic word MACRO on it. DSLR macro lenses – examples: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Canon EF 180 mm f/3.5L Macro USM Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Nikon AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF-ED Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG HSM Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 AF And some more. Also you could use Raynox DCR-250 on any macro lens for DSLR camera – DOF will be very shallow but you’ll have almost microscop. Other equipment Here it is – diffuser. You could buy one or make one by yourself. Below are photos of my own diffuser – I was using it with Fuji FinePix 9500 and after small adjustment I’m using it with Canon EOS 40D. Construction tips – empty box after some sweets with hole for flash and with two layers of tissue at the other end. Aluminium foil inside for greater light transmission. What for do you need it? Simple – with macro photography you need as much DOF as possible. Using F11 on digital camera or F16-22 on DSLR camera is normal. And then you don’t have enough light. Using “naked” flash gives very strong light and too many reflections. What we need is soft light from flash hidden behind diffuser. My diffuser - it's not about how it looks but how it works. You could type "home made diffuser" in google and you'll find some other ideas how to make this very important component for macro photography. Macro flashgun If you have enough money in your pocket and macro photography is taking 90% of your time when using camera then you could buy one of those: Canon MR-14EX Macrolite Canon MT-24 EX Macro Nikon R1 Close-Up Speedlight Nikon R1C1 Close-Up Speedlight or any other special flashgun for macro. Using professional flashgun is of course best solution but also expensive. So it's your choice - home made diffuser or ready to use professional flashgun for macro photography. Tripod/monopod – I’m not using it at all. Bugs and insects are too fast for it. Before you’ll prepare yourself they are gone. But tripod could be useful when you make photos of flowers, they are usually very patient and if there is no wind they stay still. People are using many different tricks for macro photography – water sprayers, paper clips (to keep some grass leaf still when making photo of some insect on it), dead flies (yes – you could feed spiders or other “deadly” insects to make some great photo), small bottle of honey (to feed butterflies and other hungry beasts out there). But I’m not going to write about those things. Be creative. Think what you may need before you go hunting. Camera settings For both cameras (digital and DSLR) you should use manual settings. Only then you know what is happening and you control it. White balance If you choose right one you’ll have natural colours. However I like to use cloudy setting even when it’s sunny day. Colours are a little bit darker and contrast is better. But you have to experiment. Try not to leave this option to AUTO – you are smarter then camera. ISO and Exposure time Higher ISO you have faster shutter speed (shorter exposure time) you could choose. For digital cameras I recommend to stay at ISO200 or lower if possible. For DSLR – well it depends form your camera quality. I was testing my Canon EOS 40D on ISO400 and there was no noise at all. Exposure time - from 0.0125 and shorter. When you have ISO100 and exposure time on 0.0125 and camera tells you that picture will be too dark – leave exposure time as it is and try changing ISO to 200 or even 400 (DSLR). If it’s still to dark go back to ISO100 or 200 and use flash with diffuser. Leave exposure time on 0.0125 but if your photo is too bright change it (make it shorter). You’ll have to experiment with those settings. Main point here is to keep balance between ISO (to keep it low so there will be no noise on your photo) and exposure time (to keep your object still=sharp, because you are trying to freeze that moment). F number (DOF setting) In macro photography we need as much details as we can get. So F number should be starting from 11 (if possible). Bigger the number is more details we’ll have in focus. The only problem is that with higher F number we need more light. Again – you’ll have to experiment. What I was doing for last 10 months was keeping F numer at 11 all the time and trying to find balance between ISO and Exposure time to get enough light. With my new camera I’ll go for F 16 or F 22 – I’ll experiment. I'm telling you people about details - but sometimes it's not only about details. You could try some art photos with really small DOF. This photo below is with F 2.8 - i think it still looks quite interesting. AF/MF Ok – it’s time to forget about auto focusing. There is no such a thing like AF in your camera . Now when you are hypnotised it’ll be easier to explain why. DOF in macro is very shallow. It’s like 2-5 millimetres. So switch your camera to manual focusing and moving your body find sharpness on your object. And when I’m writing about moving I mean really small moves. Important note – on digital camera with Raynox DCR-250 use maximum zoom, on DSLR camera keep your macro lens for 1:1 magnification (like max zoom). Of course if object is big (like huge ugly spider) we could change zooming to keep all object in frame. Technical advice Just one thing – it’s always better to make photo too dark then too bright. There is nothing you could do with overexposed photo. Details are lost. Underexposed photo is easy to correct in any software. This tutorial is not about software so I’ll leave it (maybe for another tutorial) but remember about this simple rule. How to approach those creatures There is no problem with flowers so I’m not going to write anything about them. The problem is to take a good photo of insect. We are huge for them so they are afraid of us. Sensitive to light and vibrations they will run away if you scare them. So move as slow as possible and try to keep your shadow far from them. You need to be patient. Also you need to be ready for sacrifice – lay down if you have to, crawl if you have to, don’t be afraid to sit on the ground if you have to. Taking macro photos is dirty work. It’s simple – if you want those great macro shots you have to be close to those insects, you have to be one of them. Ok – maybe I’m going too far with it . Just try to be there with them. If you see some interesting insect and he is running away from you do not hesitate to follow him. Butterflies make me sick sometimes – 20 minutes chase through some meadow and no single picture because this lovely creature decided to go over the hedge. Yes it’s frustrating – but hey, do you want some nice photos or not? So be ready for long hunting – in macro photography you need time. It’s great fun spent with nature. And it’s very helpful to know something about them. I have Pocket Nature publications about Insects and another one about Butterflies and Moths. I know where to go and where to look for them. My friend knows where they sleep, what they eat, when and where they are active. Very useful. But even without any knowledge you’ll find them everywhere around. And again – be creative. Train yourself on flowers (they don’t run), in your garden, go to Botanic Garden, take apple with you and give it to butterfly (I’m not joking). And last thing - there is no need to be affraid of them. In nature it's simple - if you don't attack you wan't be attacked (generally). Spiders don't bite without a reason. You could keep them in your hand if you want (I don't like it) and untill you do something strange there is no risk. Insects are not interested in you even when you are there. Only few of them will really enjoy your presence - mosquitos, ticks and other bloodthirsty creatures. But you already know that. Action Ok – so you are there, with your camera and you know what to do with settings. Take your time and make as many photos as you can – more then half of them will go to the bin, rest will be just fine, and 5-10 should be brilliant. It’s perfectly normal. Composition Taking macro of insects is like taking photo of your best friend. You don't want to cut his legs or hands . If it's portrait you'll have to, probably also this insect antennas. Use zoom to correct your composition. At the beginning of your journey to insects world - try to keep them in the center. When you'll be experienced with settings and other things you'll have time for composing your frame like an expert. Rules are the same like for any other photography - if your insect is looking right give him more space at the right so he is not looking on picture frame. If your insect is looking left - give him some free space to look at on the left. Below are some examples. Good composition Bad composition Background In macro photography background will be always blurred. It's because of small DOF. But you could still manipulate a little bit with background. It's blurred but it gives you some colour. So imagine that you have some nice insect sitting on the grass and there is some stick behind - brown stick. Green grass, insect and brown colour at the back - sounds interesting (example below). When I'm saing about background it's more about background colour. Insect on the grass and yellow flower behind also sounds good. So if you have a choice - green grass and green background or green grass and yellow background it's more interesting to choose that second one. Of course it depends - if your insect is yellow it won't look good on yellow background (but i've never seen yellow insect). Anyway - background is blurred and you may think it's not important but it is. Sometimes few millimeters movment makes a big difference. Good luck !!! I hope it's everything you need to know about macro shooting for now. Above is my way to do it. Every single photographer will have his own way - it's based on experience. I wish you good hunting and remember - practice and you'll be macro photography master. It's great fun, it's addictive, it's frustraiting, time consuming - but you'll like it. If you have any questions please ask. And about training - find guy like this one below. They are slow so you'll have time to practice your skills. My equipment: Canon EOS 40D + Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 F2.8 Macro USM lens Fuji FinePix 9500 + Raynox DCR-250 lens home mage diffuser and nothing else for macro photography Marcin Klysewicz __________________ my website - macrophotography and my music. new gallery - exotic butterflies. macro photography tutorial Last edited by marcinklysewicz : 10-05-2008 at 01:58.