Essential Macro Photography tips

The quality of light is important when taking any photographs, however it is more so when taking macro photos. When taking a macro photo the distance between the end of the lens and the subject is very small, which means there will be a loss of light.

If the ambient light levels are very good the loss of light may be insignificant, however in poor light conditions you are going to have to modify the existing light or add some more via a flash gun. In order to modify ambient light you can use a reflector to bounce some light back on to the subject. You can buy specialist reflectors that are white, gold or silver, or you can simply use a piece of white card to bounce the light back on to the subject.

If a reflector isn't going to work you are going to need to add some artificial light using a flash gun. If your digital camera has a built in pop up flash don't bother using it as it is not man enough for macro photography. In order to sufficiently light the subject you are going to have to use an external flash gun.

If you use a standard flash gun in the camera's hot shoe the subject is not going to be correctly lit. Because the lens is so close to the subject there will be a shadow cast and this will appear in the final macro photo. To overcome this you need to position the flash off camera by putting it on a flash bracket or placing it somewhere near the subject. In order to use the flash off camera you are going to need some additional photography equipment, which only adds to the cost. Depending on the subject using the flash off camera is not always practical. For example, if you are taking macro photos of insects you are going to struggle using the flash off camera as the little critter would have scarpered by the time you get the flash in position.

An alternative to using a standard flash gun off camera is to use a ring flash. A ring flash is a circular shaped flash gun that is put on the end of the lens hence there will be no shadow. A ring flash produces an even light, which some consider "flat", however you can change the look of the image by altering the settings of the ring flash. A ring flash is a specialist piece of equipment and, compared to standard flash guns, expensive but if you are serious about your macro photography and like taking photographs of insects a ring flash is well worth buying.

We all know the rule of thirds is a good way of composing shots when taking a photograph and the same is true when taking a macro photo, although this is often a challenge. You need to remember that macro photos often contain a part of the subject, as opposed to the whole subject. When composing a macro photo you need to place the part of the subject you want to be in focus at the intersecting points of the grid. With some digital SLR cameras it is possible to super impose a composition grid in the view finder, which makes the process easier. If your digital camera doesn't have this grid you are going to have to do it by eye which is more difficult and takes some trial and error to get right.

When taking macro photos there are times when using the rule of thirds to compose the shot won't always produce the best image so you need to keep this in mind before pressing that shutter button. Macro photography provides the ideal opportunity to break the rule of thirds and still produce some stunning macro photos. The advice here is to use trial and error and experiment to see what works and what doesn't work. If a particular shot doesn't work it is important not to get too hung up on it and just move on. As long as you learn from your mistakes that is all that matters.

When taking macro photos the depth of field is greatly reduced. When using middle of the road apertures such as f8 - f11, which produce a good depth of field in normal circumstances, you will find the area of sharpness will be a few millimetres in macro photography.

When taking macro photos you need to use the smallest aperture you can get away with to maximise the depth of field. Using narrow apertures will mean slower shutter speeds which you need to deal with.

The reduced depth of field means you will have to use a narrow aperture to get an acceptable depth of field. Using a narrow aperture leads to longer shutter speeds which increases the chances of blurry photographs because of camera shake. In order to ensure you don't get plagued by camera shake you need to use a sturdy camera support, such as a tripod. A tripod takes time to set up, which is fine if you are taking photographs of static subjects, but what if the subject is a living and breathing creature, like an insect? When photographing insects the chances are the insect would have scuttled away long before you get the tripod set up.

In order to photograph insects you are going to need to use a flash to freeze the insect in its tracks. This means you will need an external flash gun or, better still, a ring flash. Even in bright daylight you will need to use a flash so you will have to learn how to balance ambient light and flash light in order to get the best images.

In a nutshell, in order to get sharp shots you need a tripod for stationary subjects and a flash gun for moving subjects.

The weather will have a significant impact on a macro photo, especially the wind. Whilst using a tripod or a ring flash will cure blurry images as a result of camera shake, they will not cure blurry images due to subject movement, i.e. being blown around in the wind.

Even the slightest breeze is going to make your macro photo a blurry mess so you need to keep this in mind when photographing subjects outside. Ideally, you should shield your subject with a wind breaker of some description. There are many things you can use to shield your subject, including a reflector or even your body. When looking for items to shield your subject you need to be creative, inventive and versatile.

Obviously, the weather will not have any effect when taking macro photos indoors. In a studio environment the only thing you need to get tack sharp shots is a sturdy tripod.

The semi manual modes of digital SLR cameras, i.e. aperture priority and shutter priority, are very useful and will be best in most circumstances. However, when taking macro photos and extreme close up photos the metering system can go a bit haywire.

By switching to full manual mode you get to choose the ISO, aperture and shutter speed you want to use as opposed to the camera picking one for you. Learning how to use your SLR camera in full manual mode will really help improve your macro shots no end.

Almost all modern day digital LSR camera lenses have auto focus and it is a feature many people have come to rely on. When you are taking a macro photograph, you are likely to find the auto focus will start to hunt and struggle to get locked on. In these situations you can't always predict what the auto focus point is going to lock on to, which is even worse since you don't know what part of the image is going to be in sharp focus and what isn't.

In order to make sure the parts of the image you want sharp remain sharp you need to take control, switch off auto focus and use manual focus. Manual focusing is far more accurate and if you zoom in, using the LCD screen on the rear of the camera, you can ensure you get the focus spot on. If your digital SLR camera has a live view feature this will also help with focusing.

Manual focus is more accurate than using auto focus but it is not as quick when chasing moving subjects, such as insects and mini beasts. In these circumstances you are either going to have to practice your manual focusing techniques and get super quick or revert back to auto focusing and dealing with missed shots when the auto focus doesn't lock on to the right spot.

Macro photography shows each and every detail therefore it is essential the subject is in tip top and mint condition. Any markings, damage or flaws in the subject will be highlighted and potentially ruin the final photograph.

When choosing a subject for macro photography you have to find the best one you can. Let's take flowers for example. If the flower is near the end of its life and the colours are starting to fade, or the petals are turning brown, don't use it. If the petals have signs of being devoured by insects, don't use it. If there is any bird poop on the flower, don't use it. If there are any imperfections with the flower you need to seek out an alternative flower to photograph.

When choosing any subject for macro photography you need to carry out the same process and carefully inspect each and every subject before you take time photographing it. Never settle for second best so if the subject is not pristine don't waste time photographing it.
By choosing subjects in the best condition you will find your macro photography images will greatly improve.

When taking macro and close up photographs you need to pay particular attention to the background. A cluttered and messy background is distracting and the viewer is likely to focus on the background as opposed to the subject.

Before taking the photograph you should look around the subject and make sure the background is clear, tidy and is not going to be distracting. Clean up the background by removing things, pulling up unwanted weeds, moving other plats out of the frame etc. etc. You need to remember not to damage the area though so don't go and destroy anything. If you can't tidy up the background without causing permanent damage move on and find another subject to photograph.

Backgrounds are a useful tool all macro photographers can use. You can use the traditional seamless muslin drops however if you are on a budget a cheaper alternative is paper or card, which you can buy for little money from a variety of different places. Backgrounds not only ensure the subject stands out but can also be used to reflect more light on to the subject making for a more pleasing image.

All digital cameras, even cheap compact cameras and point and shoot cameras have an automatic macro mode. When the camera is set to this mode it will change its focusing and focus on things that are much closer to the lens. Automatic macro modes typically have a minimum focusing distance of 5cm - 10cm, which in reality isn't that close.

If you want to take proper macro photographs you are going to need a digital camera that accepts a dedicated macro lens, such as a digital SLR camera or even a compact system camera. For the best macro shots you want full control over the exposure and settings, and this can only be achieved with a digital SLR camera.

There are many different digital SLR cameras available and all of them are suitable for true macro photography, providing you have a macro lens of course. Each manufacturer has an entry level digital SLR camera, a mid range digital SLR camera, a pro-sumer level digital SLR camera and a professional level digital SLR camera. The price of the camera will vary on the manufacturer and the level of camera you buy.

If you want to explore the world of macro photography you don't need to go and spend thousands of bucks on a top end digital SLR camera as an entry level camera will be more than adequate. The image quality of entry level digital SLR cameras obviously isn't as good as that of the top end models, but does it really matter? Do you rely on selling photographs to survive and hence need the best camera?

I took this image in a local woodland using a Canon EF100mm f2.8 macro lens. As I had to take the shot hand held I used the fastest possible shutter speed, which was 1/160 with my Marumi ring flash. The background is dark because of the high shutter speed, but then I actually think the really dark background works very well and gives the subjects more impact.

One thing that has to be said for the Canon EF100mm f2.8 macro lens is that it is very sharp and the quality is simply awesome.