​10 tips for macro photography beginners

How to select the lens

There are several lenses that are particularly suitable for macro photography. Of course, canvas prints using an external lens combined with a normal lens can also magnify the effect. A better option is to replace the ordinary lens with a direct camera with an external lens for better magnification. However, for beginners in macro photography, the most convenient and flexible method is: one step at a time, just buy a professional macro lens.

Nowadays, the most popular macro photography is 90-105mm lens, online canvas printing australia which can achieve 1:1 magnification. There are also shorter focal lengths, such as 50mm or 60mm, but at the same time the range is shortened and must be very close to the subject.

1:1 magnification means that by focusing your subject to the maximum, the mirror image it shows on the sensor is as large as it would be in real life. If you have a 36-by-24mm full-frame sensor, giant canvas prints then you want to take a 36mm insect that's just the right size for the image.

If you use aps-c or a tiny 4/3 system, though the sensors aren't as sensitive, the device can be more than doubled in size. In general, 1:1 macro lenses have several popular word of mouth products, such as sigma 105mm, Canon 100mm, nikon 105mm, sanyang 100mm, tenglong 90mm, SONY 90mm, and tuli 100mm. Priced between $400 and $1,000, they're both good and cost effective.

These lenses usually have lens stabilizers, which make shooting easier. Read the reviews and buy one you like. A 1:1 macro lens with a 100mm lens is generally faultless and produces good quality images.

Location and weather

The average macro photographer likes to photograph small insects and flying insects. Of course, flowers and plants are also popular, often producing stunning pictures. For macro photographers, choosing a location is very important. Places with lots of flowers and plants are my experience.

If you want to photograph insects and flying insects, it's best to go outside when the temperature is about 17 degrees Celsius, or warmer, because insects are more likely to be outdoors when the weather is warm. On the other hand, if you can find a habitat for a flying insect (which is hard for me to find anyway), shoot it when it's colder, because flying insects are more honest in the cold. Many macro photographers like to go out in the early summer morning, when the insects are still sleeping. Also, macro photos taken on cloudy days are softer than on sunny days.

When should I use the flash

If the subject is very small, such as a flying insect, the focal area will be really narrow, just a few millimeters. Therefore, you must set the aperture to at least F16 so that you can focus as much as possible. This kind of narrow focal area requires a very high shutter speed (because insects and insects' wings move), which makes a flash indispensable.

You can use whatever type of flash you want in macro photography, and for the most part, even the built-in pop-up flash on a cheap digital camera will do fine. My personal favorite is mako's mk-300, which is cheap and lightweight.

Strictly speaking, macro photography in many cases does not require flash. For example, when the light is good and F2.8 or F4 aperture can be done. If a 1:1 magnification is not required, a good depth of field can be achieved on a slightly larger focal plane (the depth of field is enhanced by being slightly further away from the subject). The added benefit of not having a flash is that you can use natural light to take more natural photos. But if you're photographing a fly at very close range, or focusing on a part of its body, the flash comes in handy.

Flash is used with diffuser

If you use a flash for macro photos, I strongly recommend using it with a diffuser. Have any white light transmittance handy and place it between the flash and the subject.

The stronger the light, the softer the shadows will be. This is why large soft light boxes are commonly used in portrait photography. This is why a diffuser is used in macro photography: it makes the flash light brighter, the light in the photo looks less sharp, and the color is better.

At the beginning, I would take out a round hole in a piece of white paper and insert the lens. But paper is thin and crumples easily. My second diffuser was the filter of the vacuum cleaner, and I did the same thing, cut a hole, put the lens in, and it was a great attempt. Now, I made a special collapsible diffuser those folds when you don't use it.

The shutter speed

In macro photography, you'll notice that a subtle shake of the hand while holding the camera can cause the photo to burn like crazy. In particular, trying to photograph a flying insect that flaps its wings on a leaf is hard. For starters, a fast shutter speed is essential. At first try 1/250 shutter speed, or even faster.

However, with a high shutter speed, the flash's light lasts only a fraction of a second, even at 1/100s. The reason for this is that the flash only stays at the focal point of the photo, so even if you make a quick flick of the camera, you may only be able to focus on the exposure point.

You can get a decent shot at 1/40s with a short-focus macro lens. The advantage of a low shutter speed is that you can avoid a pure black background unless you use the flash a lot. Photos taken at low speeds have more colorful backgrounds and look better than those taken at high speeds. In general, use a fast shutter speed at the beginning. With more practice, combine the flash and try a low shutter speed.

Use only

First, forget autofocus. Autofocus on most macro lenses, at 1:1 magnification, has no way to keep up with the wobble of your subject. It's best to get rid of autofocus when you first start working on macro photography and learn to focus manually.

Second, forget the tripod. Unless you shoot something completely still, like a gallery piece. Tripods are too impractical for macro photography. When you shoot insects and flowers outdoors, you may spend a lot of time standing on a tripod, but the point is that it doesn't take much time to set it up, just watching the flowers blowing in the wind burn in your photos. Set up a tripod for a minute and the insect will probably fly away in 10 seconds.

After many practices, I summarized the following focusing mode, and the photos I took were relatively ideal. First, hold the camera in both hands, preferably with your elbows on the ground or your legs to stabilize the whole body. Then twist the focusing ring to the best position. Finally, focus. Don't touch the focus ring. Find the right Angle and the right time to take the picture.

It's nice to be able to find one out of five photos that has been successful in focusing. Be prepared for macro photography to force you to drop a lot of junk.

How to shoot with narrow focal area

As mentioned above, the near focal length means that the focal plane is very narrow. As you slowly discover, the best macro photography often comes from the flexible use of a narrow focal plane. So, try to find flat subjects and place them in a narrow focal area. A flat flower, for example, or a butterfly shot from the side or a beetle with a gently rounded shell.

Another example of how to use a narrow focal plane is to highlight the head of a flying insect in a blurred background, which can also produce interesting and beautiful pictures.

How to find the shooting Angle

It's easy for beginners to make the mistake of taking photos directly from where they're standing for convenience, and of photographing flying insects or flowers at a 45-degree Angle. This can make your photos look as boring as any novice.

Try to find less common angles, such as side, forward, or backward. If you really don't want to get down on the floor, use your flip screen. If a flying insect is sitting on a plant or leaf, try to shoot the plant upside down with the sky in the background.

How much power is more appropriate

In many cases, like the macro novice, I always shoot at full magnification. I thought, "the bigger the insects are, the cooler they are." The reality, however, is that a little bit of backstepping often leads to better looking and more interesting pictures, and as big as the fly looks, it's wise to make it as big as you can with the surrounding scenery.

Keep away from sharp objects

Finally, never destroy your expensive macro lens with a sharp object like a knife or drill. Don't look at the tricks bloggers on youtube are demonstrating on video, and don't touch the camera lens with a lighter or toothpaste. Keep it away from the camera, and use knives, online picture collage maker cigarette lighters and toothpaste to smear the lens.