5 Tips for Macro Photography
Macro photography is a whole new perspective on photography…sometimes literally! It is a world like our own but with some crazy rules. Below are 5 macro-specific tips I have picked up and use every time I go out.
Tip 1: Light the Way
It can be very difficult to light your scene when working at the macro level. This has to do with a bunch of math that basically works out to one simple rule: the closer you are to your subject, the longer your focal length is, proportionally. And the longer your respective focal length, the less light is available for your sensor to pick up. We see the same issue occur when using long-range lenses like in wildlife photography and in ultra-macro settings like microscopes. Finding enough available light can be tricky, and can cause problems such as high ISO and shakiness from lower shutter speeds (see Tip 2). Thankfully, there are some quick (and cheap) fixes.
First, I always recommend shooting with as wide of an aperture as you can. This means a smaller F stop. This allows a large hole in your lens for more light to enter. The problem with this, though, is that the lower F stop also reduces the depth of field, which is already tight at macro distances (see Tip 3). So that leads me to my second point about lighting: your phone.
Most of us have cell phones these days, and most of these phones have flashlights. While floodlights and speedlights are certainly useful, they can also be very expensive. A cheaper, and often more versatile trick is to simply use your phone light. It is also fun to play around with different angles to create interesting and dramatic shadows. Using color filters or colored reflectors (construction paper works!) can change the mood and make fun, abstract macro shots. You can also purchase miniature folding reflectors for cheaply online or at a photography store.
Tip 2: Shake Shake Shake
We’ve all done it. We get home and upload our photos, stoked to see what we got, only to find the first 8GB of the morning are blurry. Macro photographers know this all too well. The obvious solution is to increase your shutter speed. but as mentioned above, with lighting requirements being what they are, it might not be possible to increase your shutter speed.
My first suggestion is a tripod. Better yet, a tripod and a remote or cable shutter release attachment. Both of these devices help reduce camera shake and vibration on your end of the camera. Another thing to check is your Vibration Reduction/VR (as Nikon calls it, OS/Optical Stabilizer for Sigma, or IS/Image Stabilization for Canon users) and see if it is off, or if it is on for both your lens and your camera. When both are on, they can sometimes compete and cause more vibration and a fuzzy photo. Research your makes and models for more information on this.
If your VR is set, and you are tied down to a tripod, but your subject is moving too fast, there is still hope! For inanimate objects like plants and metals, you can use clips to secure them against the wind. I often use clothespins and pipe cleaners, although they make soft clips you can buy as well. Whatever you do, make sure your device is free standing and you do not need to hold it—I can all but guarantee that you will be too shaky yourself to hold the subject in place.
Lastly, just breathe. Something I see photographers do a lot is holding their breath while pressing the shutter release. This causes all kinds of camera shake. The best thing to do, in my experience, is just breathe calmly. Relax, and breathe normally. If your breath is in fact causing shake, release the shutter as you release your breath. Otherwise, don’t overthink it!
Tip 3: Focus, Concentrate
Another common issue in macro photography is focus and depth of field. The closer your focus distance (the longer your focal length is, proportionally), the shallower your depth of field. Combine this with often wide apertures to combat low light, and macro photographers have it rough. However, there are a few good things to remember when shooting.
First of all, work with a shallow depth of field. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Often times one of the most appealing parts of a macro photo is the soft, colorful background and short depth of field. You can also search for leading lines in the frame. In nature, especially, there is generally some sort of leading line or pattern that can give a beautiful depth to your photo, even when it is blurred by bokeh.
Another option is to focus stack multiple images. This is a post-shooting process where you digitally combine your images. While I am not one to do this often, it can create some wonderful pictures and a dynamic range. One necessary device for this is a tripod with a macro focus rail head. This allows for stable shooting with very small adjustments to the focus.
Lastly, you can zoom out. By moving a few inches back, you will increase your depth of field. You can always crop in post-processing to reveal more detail in your subject. Be aware that this will change the perspective and can change the overall dynamic of your photo.
Tip 4: Never Say “Bored”
At this point, you may be wondering if there is anything that can be going for macro photographers, rather than against. Thankfully I have a spot of good news: macro is never boring! Even in a completely empty room, you could still find and make a great macro photo just by playing with light and shadows. It is the ultimate “slow time” photography. As such, my quite-simple fourth tip is to always carry your macro lens with you. They are versatile enough to work as excellent portrait, nightscape, landscape, and even wildlife lenses, which makes the lens more justifiable, both in bag/storage space, as well as financially. And they will work for you during the darkest night when you need the wide aperture for starscapes, or in the brightest days when the boring light makes intriguing photography seem impossible. So every time you go out, bring along your macro lens. It will improve your photography in all realms of the art and will make it so you can always have a creative outlet.
Tip 5: In the Shadows
In tip #1, I mentioned how shadows can be an interesting part of a macro photo. This is indeed the case. By working with shadows and dramatic lighting, macro photographers can find themselves making great images in all lighting conditions.
The first tip with shadows is to create drama with them. If you join one of my workshops, you’ll likely hear me say, “when we say ‘drama’ in photography, we really mean contrast.” This is because a dramatic photo is almost always so because of the high contrast and the shadows. Using a shadow sidestepping across the frame, or coming at you for leading lines, is a phenomenal way to use intense light to create a dramatic image.
Using shadows to clean up messy backgrounds is another excellent way to manipulate a contrasty photo to work for you. We’ve all sen those classic photos with a singular subject (typically a flower) seemingly floating through space. The way to achieve this look naturally is to find a subject in bright light with a dark background. Then, by increasing your shutter speed and especially your F stop, you can properly expose the subject while removing all data from the background.
If it is soft or morning light, and there is not enough contrast to be had, bringing in your own light source can help. Using a flashlight or speedlight, help at different angles, can create dramatic photos and rich contrast.
