Learning Center
Macro

Want to take your photography beyond the commonplace, explore new areas of creativity, and make pictures that really capture the beauty of the world from a fresh perspective—as well as the viewer’s imagination? It’s easier than you think-- just try your hand at macro photography. It’s not technically challenging, and you don’t even need any special equipment to start with—the standard short zoom lens that came with your SLR will give you a taste of what you can achieve by shooting some pictures as close to the subject as you can—typically about 1.3 feet.

However, once your appetite is whetted and you really want to experience the whole fascinating range of macro more conveniently, you’ll be a lot happier if you use a high-quality, long-range macro zoom lens, such as Tamron’s AF28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di Aspherical IF, or the AF18-200mm XR f/3.5-6.3 DI II LD Aspherical IF for digital SLRs. These impressive optics are not only great for normal shooting, but also focus close enough to let you shoot dramatic macro pictures at their maximum telephoto settings, as well as providing macro focusing capability over their entire zoom ranges.

But if you’re ready for the ultimate macro experience, along with truly spectacular imaging performance, nothing can quite match the dedicated, single-focal-length telephoto macro lenses used by pros and serious macro shooters. Lenses such as the Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di and SP AF180mm f/3.5 Di Macro lenses, with continuous focusing down to 1:1 (life-size) not only let you focus on a gnat’s eyeball or fill the frame with the delicate pattern of a butterfly’s wing, they’re also fantastic for shooting exquisitely sharp portraits and landscapes. Let’s take a closer look at your macro options so you can choose the equipment and techniques that work best for you.

Crack open a photographic textbook and look up “macro photography” and you’ll discover an official definition that may surprise you, “photography at life-size (1:1) or greater magnification.” That’s misleading, because what photographers commonly call macro photography—and scientific nitpickers refer to as photomacrography—actually takes place in the near-macro range between 1:5 and 1:1 magnifications. These ratios simply refer to the size of the image the lens forms on the film or digital image sensor compared to the size of the object in real life. So, if a matchbox measures 1-1/2 inches long, and its image on the film or sensor is also 1-1/2-inches long, that’s a ratio of 1:1, or life-size. If the matchbox image measures only 1/2-inch long, that’s a ratio of 1/2 to 1-1/2 or 1:3—one-third life-size. Of course, when you make an enlargement of an image shot at 1:3 or 1:1, the size of the subject on the print or screen is usually much larger than life-size, and therein lies its charm.

In practical terms, macro photography means extreme close-ups. A head-and-shoulders portrait, or even a frame-filling headshot is not usually called a macro photo because you can shoot either one with an ordinary lens lacking special macro capability. A close-up of a person’s eye, or a ladybug on a flower that fills the entire frame usually is considered a macro shot even if it’s taken at a magnification of less than 1:1. Typically, zoom lenses claiming macro capability can focus down to at least 1:5, and the aforementioned 28-300mm and 18-200mm Tamron zooms get down to an impressive 1:2.9 and 1:3.7 respectively—close enough for some really exciting images. The downside to macro shooting with long range zooms is that they reach maximum magnification only at their longest focal lengths. This means the widest aperture you can shoot at is a slowish f/6.3 or so—fine for taking handheld macro pictures in brilliant sunshine, but not so great when the light is weak or the subject is moving slightly, such as a flower in a light breeze.

Fortunately there are several effective workarounds for shooting macro pictures with such lenses at moderate or small apertures. You can set a higher ISO or use faster film, use your camera’s built-in flash or an auxiliary shoe-mount unit, or, if the subject is stationary, use a tripod and set a slower shutter speed. One nice thing about shooting with macro zooms at their maximum focal length is that the working distance (the distance from the front of the lens to the subject) is quite long, giving you room to add light at the sides, in between the lens and the subject. Depending on your setup this can be anything from a simple white cardboard reflector aimed to throw extra light on the subject, to a handheld or bracket-mounted flash unit fired via slave or wireless triggering system. Classic macro lenses in the 50-60mm range have a much shorter working distance, which means that you’re more likely to spook skittish subjects, and makes positioning auxiliary side lighting more problematic.

Adding extra light has another great advantage—it lets you stop the lens down to a smaller aperture for increased depth of field. This is very important because, all things being equal, the higher the magnification you shoot at, the shallower the depth of field will be. Shooting at 1:1 at f/8, the zone of sharpness extends only about 1/16 of an inch from front to back of the optimum focus point, meaning that when a fly’s eye is in focus, her wings will be blurry. Stopping down to f/16 extends the depth of field to a whopping 1/2-inch or so, making it possible to frame the fly so its whole body is within the sharpness zone, and get a critically sharp picture of the entire insect. With flat subjects, such as stamps, coins, and artwork, limited depth of field is not much of a problem, so set your lens to its optimum aperture, typically 3 stops down from its maximum aperture.

This brings us to the jewels among macro photography lenses—single focal length telephoto macro lenses specifically designed for macro shooting. Like all long-focal-length lenses used for macro photography, they provide a longer working distance, with all of the aforementioned advantages, but there are a lot more. Dedicated telephoto macro lenses are all optically optimized for shooting at close distances, and the best ones also give superior flatness of field—the ability of a lens to form an image precisely on the image plane. Thus single-focal-length macro lenses have a distinct edge, especially when shooting at wide apertures. By placing the image plane (which usually corresponds to the back of an SLR) parallel to the subject, it is often possible to shoot flat subjects handheld with the lens wide open (at maximum aperture) while retaining superb detail.

The previously cited 90mm f/2.8 and 180mm f/3.5 Tamron Macro lenses have a number of additional operational advantages: Both feature internal focusing (IF), so the barrel does not extend forward as you focus closer, which adversely affects its on-camera balance. Both focus continuously down to 1:1 without the necessity of adding cumbersome extension tubes or adapters. And both permit instant manual focus by pulling the focusing ring back to manual (M) position. Why is easy manual focusing so important with these auto-focus (AF) lenses? Because at macro distances, depth of field is very limited and SLR autofocus systems can’t always focus automatically on the precise area that gives the best visual results. Virtually all macro experts will tell you that a significant percentage of their best shots were made using manual focus, so quick and convenient manual focus ability is crucial.

As you might expect, pro-caliber telephoto macro lenses are not the least expensive lenses in any manufacturer’s optical line, and many macro shooters will scratch their heads at the prospect of paying slightly more for a 90mm f/2.8 macro than they would for a 28-300mm or 18-200mm macro zoom, and even more for a 180mm f/3.5 macro. True, these lenses aren’t as phenomenally versatile as long-range macro zooms, but they are outstanding telephoto lenses and superb macro lenses rolled into one. They can and do deliver outstanding portraits and scenic images as well as spectacular close-ups. Pros use these unique lenses in applications as diverse as fashion, forensic photography, medical imaging, and good old-fashioned street photography. No, they can’t do everything—no lens can. But when you talk to professional macro shooters and ask them which lenses they used to shoot their published pictures, macro telephoto lenses will be at the top of the list. That’s why nobody who’s really serious about macro photography should leave home without ‘em.

Farm Girl With Eggs: Model’s left eye (upper right) and lips are in perfect focus, but her right eye and nose are slightly soft due to limited depth of field at macro distances--even at f/16, Canon EOS 20D with Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens.

Tiled Old Glory: Full flag at left was shot from about 7 feet from subject. Detail at right was taken after moving in to 1:2 (half life-size) magnification. Canon EOS 20D with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens

Focal length matters! Photo at left, taken with Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens at f/11, has more compressed perspective and less depth of field than similar shot at right taken with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens at f/11. Which one do you like better?

Limited depth works! Engaging floral still life is tack sharp in the center, but limited depth of field gives it a pleasantly impressionistic effect. Canon EOS 20D with Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens at f/4.

Lighting matters #1: Life-size (1:1) close-up of old pocket watch movement at left was lit with one side light, emphasizing textural details. Warmer result (right) was lit with two household bulbs in reflectors, angled in from the sides. Both images were taken with a Canon EOS 20D and Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens at f/22.

Lighting matters #2: Pocket watch movement at left was lit with two incandescent bulbs placed at 45-degree angle to the subject. Shot at right was made with one bulb turned off (note shadow on right). Left-hand photo is warmer, with flatter lighting. Shot at right has cooler color balance, enhanced textures. Canon EOS 20D with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens at f/16.

Macro for portraits? Yes! This studio shot was taken with a Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro lens at f/4. Note how subject is nicely separated from Adorama Belle Drape #317 background, resulting in a pleasing combination of softness and sharpness, Camera: Canon EOS 20D.