The termmacrois a bit misleading . While the name implies that you ’re rifle to take pic of very big thing , most people know that you ’re actually shooting big images of very lowly things . However , even that definition is a little misleading , because genuine macro photographs are not actually enlargements of material - world objects . A true macro instruction lens pullulate 1:1 . That is , it take actual - size of it images . While that may be the expert definition , these day , macro instruction cover any eccentric of shooting where you ’re up extremely faithful to a detail , or minor object .
Here are some tips to remember when taking macro photo ( Enter your good macro photographs into Macworld ’s macro photography competition ):
Pick a camera
Digital degree - and - shoots are dandy for macro shot , because most have macro modes and lenses capable of extreme close - up . Some item - and - shoots can get as confining as one or two centimeters from a subject . You ’ll also find that your iPhone does a very good task of inject up tight . If you ’re using an SLR , and are serious about macro shot , then you ’ll want to invest in a macro lens . These are lens specially engineered for macro shot . Typically , they ’re somewhat large , even if they have a short focal distance . A macro lens will be intelligibly designated as macro .
Depth of field will be extremely shallow
That is , the area that is in focus will not be very deep , which means that your point of focus will be critical . If you do n’t focalize specifically on the area that you want sharp , then it might very well cease up out of direction , due to shallow depth of flying field . This can be peculiarly tricky if you ’re render to shoot something that ’s displace , such as a flower on a windy day .
If you have the good controls , strain going to a smaller aperture to get deeper depth of plain . Note , though , that even at f8 or f11 , you ’ll still have very shallow depth of field .
If you have Photoshop CS5 , and you ’re shooting a still subject and have some time , you may shoot multiple shot , each focused to a different depth , and Photoshop can combine them into a undivided , last image with cryptical depth of area . Use the same PhotoMerge feature that you use for run up panoramic images .
Understand your camera’s macro feature
Some point - and - shoot involve you to be within a specific focal duration before they can concenter . Usually , this is in the middle of the photographic camera ’s zoom range . So , do n’t think that you may go into macro mode , and then zoom in very far to get even confining . betting odds are , you ’ll have to be zoom out a bit . ( The macro mode is usually point by a bloom image on tv camera . ) teach more about what acamera ’s macro modereally does .
Move rather than zoom
If you require a particular craw on your trope , it will be easy to move the entire photographic camera in and out than to test to make small , fine zoom adjustments , because even a midget amount of rapid climb will leave in a big alteration in your image . Also , if you ’re finding your tv camera ca n’t mesh focal point , try pulling back a small amount .
Don’t take just one
Because focussing can be difficult , take multiple shots of the same frame . This will give you a better chance of terminate up with a shot that ’s in focusing , with the astuteness of theatre you want . Some level - and - shoot have a “ best guess selector ” feature of speech , which mechanically shoots a burst of images , selects the sharp of the caboodle , and then cast away the rest .
Don’t block your light
One crafty matter about macro instruction is that , once your camera ’s in tight , you might disgorge a shadow on your subject . If you have alive View , you could in all probability get you and your camera into a status where you ’re not casting a vestige . However , you may have to stand farther back and zoom in to altogether do away with your own dark . you could attempt to combat shadows with flashbulb , but this can be tricky because , up close , the heartbeat can overexpose your scene and rinse out all contingent . If your camera has a flash bulb exposure recompense controller , you’re able to render to reduce the brightness of the flash bulb , or move the photographic camera farther back to repress the impact of the flash .
Make your own macro lens
If you ’re using an SLR with a somewhat short lens ( 50 mm , or even the kit lense that came with it ) seek turning the lens around and hold it against your camera organic structure . This often makes for a good , cheap macro lens .
Experiment
Finally , remember that macro shooting is just like any other type of shooting , in that you involve to think about shutter speeding , and whether it ’s tight enough for hand-held shooting or whether you need a tripod . In summation , remember of your flyspeck scene as a landscape , and work it just like you would a landscape shot . Move around , try different things , essay multiple report of dissimilar types , experiment , explore — form your shot !
Share your images
If you think you have some good macro instruction shots that you ’d like to share , enrol them into Macworld ’s macro picture taking picture contest for the chance to gain ground coolheaded pillage , such as the Pentax Option WG-1 GPS tv camera .
[ pic : Christopher Breen ]
