A Sharp Photo tip - Macro Photography

I enjoy shooting people and photographing beautiful sweeping landscapes but there's something cool about getting up close.  There are things that we see everyday that fit in the palms of our hands that have intricate details that we miss because they are so small.  Macro photography allows us to take in those miniscule features and enjoy them.  There are many ways to get this done (the right way as well as the 'right now' way); lets talk about it.

With just what you have
Seriously, you can take the lens off of your camera (if you have a DSLR), turn it around, hold it in front of your camera and shoot.  Sounds crazy but it works.  Its very difficult and you need the hands of a surgeon (or at least you should have been expert level at Operation when you were a kid) to get a clear shot.  With practice and patience it can be fun to play with.  Of course, having your lens off invites the danger of getting dust on your sensor as well as potentially scratching your lens. 

For just a little more...
You can get a reversing ring for between $10 - $30.  Same concept as above but your lens is mounted onto your camera so it is easier to manage and your camera and lens are more protected.  Now when you do this, you lose the functionality of having your lens mounted the correct way (no autofocus, no control over aperture) and the back element of your lens is exposed.  So here is another solution.

Intermediate level
Enter the Macro extension tube which ranges from $15 (does not communicate with your camera) to $130 (plays well with your camera).  The way an extension tube works is it puts space between your camera and your lens enabling macro capability.  There is no glass so it doesn't distort the image at all.  The difference between the lower end tubes and the higher end is that the higher end tubes have electronics so your autofocus and aperture controls work so you are as close as you can be to having a legitimate macro lens.  Whereas the lower end extension tubes do not have electronics.  You have the stability but not the functionality.

The real deal
Actual macro lenses, there really isn't much to be said.  No fiddling, no working around, just the ability to get nice, close clear images.  The other thing to point out is that its just a lens.  So if you have a 100mm macro, you can shoot a portrait of a person or you can shoot a fly close up.  The exponential increase in image quality is matched by a big price tag.  These lenses can cost from a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand.  Of course, this is your best value all around but only you know if macro capability is that important for you.

A few tips for great macro image:

- Use a tripod, the more stable your camera, the sharper the image.
- Use live view, this way you can zoom in and verify the focus.
- Use a trigger release, this will minimize camera shake and if you use a wireless remote, it will nullify it all together.
- Use either off camera flash or continuous light.  Continuous light is best because you see what you'll get.

Happy hunting, its a small world!!!

Twitter

Instagram  

Facebook

A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.