How To — Excelling In Macro Photography?

Macro by Akira Ikari

Macro photography can be real fun. Macro photography brings out the fineness and detail which is not usually seen by the human eye. The subject being larger than life definitely adds to the fun. Here are a few tips on how you can do better at macro photography.

• Camera settings

  The camera’s macro mode is designed to give you the best results for macro shots. It will automatically set the maximum aperture and other settings to get the best out of the shot.

• The lens

  This is If your camera accepts interchangeable lenses. There are special lenses for macro photography which give you the best result. If you pursue keen interest in macro photography you should consider going for a specialized lens for macro purpose.

• Light

  The direction of light can be used to bring the details in the texture. It is thus important that the light does not fall from the direction of the camera. In simple words avoid using flash. Try to use existing light and use a reflector to cast light sideways which will enhance the details of the texture.

• Shadows

  Being too close to the subject can result in you casting a shadow over the subject. Make sure you stay a safe distance.

• Avoid parallax error

  At macro distances camera’s tend to amplify the difference between what shows up in the viewfinder and what shows up on the actual picture. This difference is referred to as “parallax error“. This happens when you are shooting with a compact camera. An SLR (or DSLR) shows you the same picture as you’d see from the lens and thus there is no parallax error.

• DOF considerations

  When you shoot macro it is important to remember that the Depth of Field is greatly reduced. This can look beautiful since it drives the viewer’s attention to the focus area. However other areas are left out of focus. If you like you can use a high f-number which will give you a small aperture, greater depth of field and an overall sharper image.

How much of macro do you shoot?