Photo by eggman

It’s summer. The flowers are in bloom, the light is fantastic, and it’s a great time of year to spend some time outside. So, the next time you head outdoors, bring your camera and shoot some macro photography. It’s the arguably the best time of year to do it.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need tons of expensive equipment to shoot close-ups. Yes, a macro lens, extension tubes and a ring flash will help, but you can still take breathtaking photos outdoors without them - even on a cheap digital camera. In fact, some of the consumer digicams are great options for macro shots, as their small sensors and compact lenses produce a nice depth of field and a very small minimum focal distance. Both these attributes are key to producing tack-sharp macro photos. Here are some other tips:

1. Be bold with composition: Don’t be afraid to be experiment with your composition. Try to use the bright, beautiful colors to your advantage while also trying to keep the background clean. You want your subject to shine in a macro photo. Cluttered backgrounds will only detract from your shot.

Photo by tengtan



2. Nail your focus: Your subject needs to be tack sharp. If you’re photographing an insect, focus on its eyes. If not, make sure everything is sharp. Double check and triple check focus before taking your photo - the smaller depth-of-field in macro photography gives you less room for error than in a typical photo. Missed focus will always ruin a macro shot.



Photo by Neloy

3. Watch your aperture:For a perfect macro photo, it’s crucial to use manual settings on your digital camera. Remember that depth of field narrows the closer you get to an object, so in many instances a larger aperture (smaller f/number) will only give you a sliver of focus in your frame, and it may not be enough. Smaller apertures (larger f/numbers) will increase your depth of field and bring more of the frame into focus. But be careful - too small of aperture and you might have a distracting amount of detail in your image. It’s all about balance. Experiment with your aperture settings as you take the shot.

Photo by jjjohn

4. Use a fast shutter speed (generally): Whether you’re taking a photo of a bee as it flies from one petal to another or the pistil of a petunia, always use a fast shutter speed. On a scale this small, even the lightest breeze could move your subject matter and blur your photograph. If it’s really windy, try to stabilize your subject matter. Remember that the image stabilization features in your digital camera do nothing to stop motion in the real world - they only control camera shake. Only a faster shutter can cut down on this kind of blur.

Photo by Hans van Meenen

5. Stabilize your camera: This doesn’t mean that in-camera or in-lens stabilization is useless. By all means, if you have it, turn it on. Even the slightest camera shake will ruin a macro photo. For added protection - or if you don’t have a camera or lens with stabilization technology - using a tripod, a bean bag, or a rock, stabilizing your camera is crucial. And if you have a cable release it will definitely come in handy.

Photo by DGM Dino

6. Find direct light and/or use a flash: Because you’re using faster shutter speeds to halt motion, you’ll need to find as much light as possible, especially if you’re shooting at smaller apertures. Direct light will help make up for the lack of light while also helping to make your colors pop. If you find that you need more light, use a flash. Lens-mounted ring flashes tend to work the best for shooting macro, but they are expensive and are usually only an option for photographers with digital SLRs - not consumer cameras. Generally, a consumer camera’s on-board flash is useless at close range, so you may have to make do with available light.

Photo by algo

7. Take your time and shoot lots of photos: You know the point when you’re shooting when you think you’re just not going to get the photo you want? Well, when you feel that way just stay a little longer. Let the butterfly fly into your frame rather than chasing it. And remember to shoot a ton of photos. Expect a success rate will be around 10 percent with macro photography. So, don’t get discouraged, just keep shooting.

Photo by Mr. Clean

8. Don’t just shoot flowers and insects: We know. There are a lot of examples on this page. Ironic isn’t it? It’s partially because these are the subjects that every budding macro photographer shoots. So break out of the box. The beauty of macro photography is that it shows us the world from a different, up-close perspective. Flowers and insects aren’t the only thing that looks stunning close up. Macro photography transforms the mundane into something spectacular, so, try and find other subjects to shoot.

Photo by maestropastelero

This is the first in a two-part series on macro photography. For the next part, on water droplet photography, check back Wednesday for part 2. To make sure you don’t miss it, sign up for our e-mail list at the top of the page or add our RSS feed.

Now get out there and take some stunning macro photos. If you have any you really like, post them to Cheapshooter’s Flickr group.

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