Learning Center
Macro Tips

Macro Photography (Extreme Close-Up) Basics

MOVE IN ON TINY AREA OF SUBJECT with the new TAMRON SP AF60mm F/2.0 Di II 1:1 MACRO, the TAMRON SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di 1:1 MACRO or the SP 180 F/3.5 1:1 MACRO

Set your camera on the “A” mode for aperture value and chose an ISO of 400-800 (or even higher) for more depth of field.

1. Choose a medium telephoto macro lens (about 90-180mm for full frame cameras or 60-90mm for small sensor cameras). A comfortable working distance (distance between the front-end of the lens to the subject) gives you the necessary room for lighting and other gadgets that you may need for extreme close-up photography.
2. Get yourself a sturdy tripod to eliminate possible camera shake during long exposures which is common in close-up photography. High magnification also increases the effect of camera shake.
3. Carefully choose your camera position. Do not cast your own or the camera's shadow on the subjects. Look for the most pleasing lines and shadow pattern falling on the subject.
4. Switch to manual focus. Autofocus often does not work well in extreme close-ups that are half life- to full life-size shots. Focus on the middle area of the subject and stop down the lens aperture as much as the light allows (try to reach F/16 or F/22 if possible). This will give you the most depth-of-field possible (zone from front to back that is in sharp focus). If your camera is on a tripod, the long shutter speeds are fine, so long as the wind doesn’t blow, moving the subject.
5. Bracket your exposure in half-stop increments under and over exposed. Take at least two under steps and two over steps.

Two-stop over-exposed image of a rose (BELOW) gives you yet another lovely impression.

Garden Flowers

Let's start in our own garden.

CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY IS AS EASY AS....

1. Mounting a tele-macro lens on your D-SLR (single-lens reflex) camera;
2. Mounting your camera on a tripod for stability;
3. Loading a media card;
4. Framing a favorite subject in the viewfinder and pressing the shutter release button.

ONE STEP FURTHER

1. Set your camera on Aperture Preferred mode to make photograph sharp (by stopping down lens to a small aperture) or to blur the background (by opening aperture ring to a larger aperture).
2. Use a white or silver reflector board to bounce light onto subject and soften harsh shadows.
3. Use an electronic flash to eliminate shadows and brighten highlights.

1. Place a piece of colored paper behind a flower to let the flower stand out in the picture. Colored paper also eliminates a busy background of unattractive branches, etc. Support the paper with a couple of sticks securely planted in soil behind the flowers.
2. Place water drops on leaves with a spray bottle to give flowers the look of early morning dew.
3. Do not take any flower pictures aimlessly. Pick one flower and concentrate on photographing it.

Fruits And Vegetables

Good for your artistic taste.

CAPTURE ATTRACTIVE SHAPES AND BRIGHT COLORS OF NATURE

1. In close-up photography, try to concentrate on just one personality characteristic of the subject. Choose either colors or shapes of fruits and vegetables before you focus through your macro lens.
2. Transparent and bright natural colors photograph best when back lit.
3. Arrange your subject to create attractive graphical patterns or a sculptured look.
4. Try a series of over- and under-exposed images by manually changing your camera's setting using either the exposure compensation setting (-1, 10.5, + 0.5, +1) or, if necessary, changing the ISO (e.g. if you use ISO 200, take additional shots at 400 & 800).

Vegetable Kaleidoscope

Take a close look inside.

A CLOSE LOOK AT SECTIONED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARRANGED IN A DECORATIVE PATTERN CAN BE VERY ARTISTIC-LOOKING.

1. Slice vegetables and/or fruits to a thickness of approximately 1/16 in.* If too thick they will appear as dark silhouettes in your picture, and if too thin, colors won't be brilliant.
2. Arrange sliced items on a translucent acrylic table or cutting board.
3. Illuminate them from beneath the table.
4. Determine exposure as follows;
   • Direct your camera to an evenly illuminated area of the translucent table where no Objects are placed.
   • Set your exposure compensation to -2 1/3.
   • Read the shutter speed and the lens aperture.
   • Set your camera on manual exposure mode and set readings noted previously
   • Bracket your exposure one stop over and one stop under.
   *Use caution when cutting fruits and vegetables to avoid injury.

Pro-Tip

Heat-resistant colored gel filters for illumination are an inexpensive way to vary the color of your subject and background or balance light source to film. They can be cut to size and affixed to flash or hot lights. Special effect glass filters for use over camera lenses also give you beautiful photographic effects in your macro photography. Both are available at any photo dealer. Colorful vegetable kaleidoscope will be enhanced by gel filters.

Seashells

A visually fantastic subject.

THE VARIOUS SHAPES AND COLORS OF SEASHELLS MAKE THEM A FAVORITE SUBJECT OF CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY.

1. To dramatize the fancy shapes and details of shells, high contrast lighting works best.
2. Set a 500-watt photo-flood lamp on one side and put a 250-watt photo-flood on the other side of the subject.
3. Place a light-diffusing curtain such as tracing paper or heat-resistant white acetate in front of the 250-watt lamp.
4. Combine seashells with other objects to compose an intriguing photograph. Try flowers, as on the opposite page, or arrange with metallic ornaments like in a treasure chest.
5. Place color gel filters over the lamps for a completely different effect.

Pro-Tip

Intriguing images can be found in small areas with interesting shapes and colors. A group of shells is beautiful. For a completely different look, arrange shells with metallic ornaments.

Good Old Mechanical Watch

SHINY METALLIC OBJECTS ARE VISUALLY STUNNING THOUGH NOT EXPOSURE FRIENDLY WHEN PHOTOGRAPHED.

1. Highly reflective shiny objects must be illuminated evenly all around.
2. The best and easiest way to illuminate a shiny object is to shoot through a white paper cone. The cone should stand on a translucent table with the light source underneath. The cone will then bounce light evenly around the subject.
3. You may notice your camera's reflection in flat metallic parts which creates a dark spot in the middle of your picture. To eliminate the reflection use a black cone inside the white cone to surround the subject with even side light. The result is a heavy, hard metallic image with bright edges on the mechanical parts.

Coins And Medals

Don't take them at face value.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ARTISTIC DESIGNS AND GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS COINS AND MEDALS OFFER.

1. Just like watch mechanisms and jewelry, coins and medals are flat high metallic objects. The technique is therefore very similar.
2. Sharp highlighted illumination is the key to bring out the relief patterns. If the shiny surface of your subject appears hazy in your pictures, the subject may have not been evenly aligned with your lens. The subject may have picked up stray light or unwanted light may have reflected into your lens. By sliding the baffle cone lower or higher, you can cut off stray light.
3. Use the relief pattern of coin or medal you have created on film in your documents etc. The simplest and best way currently available is computer image processing.

Image Processing

1. Bring the image digitally into your computer. You will need an image processing application such as "Adobe Photoshop".
2. Mask, retouch and enhance image.
3. Save the image on disk or other storage media and have it printed at a service bureau in your neighborhood.

NOTE: Adobe Photoshop is a trademark of Adobe System Incorporated.

Do You Love Modern Art?

Desk top items make the best models for creative macro photography.

1. Try to look at the microscopic parts of everyday objects for aesthetic depths we normally miss. You'll be amazed to find an entirely different world of artistic interpretation.
2. Objects made of natural material such as wood, bamboo, stone, or gems may stimulate your artistic mind.
3. Look around for man-made articles like glassware, earth ware, carpentry tools and so on. When enlarged through a macro lens, you will see beautiful geometric forms and shades in them.
4. When illuminating shiny objects such as glass or earth ware light them from both sides with diffused light and shoot a central part. Place black or gray paper with a hole for the lens to look through in front of your camera so that the camera won't be reflected in your subject.

Stamps & Graphical Items

Thesauruses of fine art

STAMP COLLECTION IS AN ART IN ITSELF. MAKE A MUSEUM OF YOUR PASSION.

1. "Copy" Photography is the basic technique used for small printed items. Be sure to use a “flat field’ lens (like a macro) to insure corner to corner sharpness. Because the art is ‘flat”, great depth of field is not needed, so set your camera and lens for exposure at about F/8.
2. Three things to avoid when copying flat items are; (a) The light source reflecting back from the item creating hot spots and flare, and (b) uneven illumination. (c) aiming at an angle to the subject (your camera’s sensor must be parallel to the plane of the subject or the shape will be distorted and part may be out of focus, too).
3. Lighting: (a) Place lamps at 45 degree angles from subject. (b) Apply shine the lights through large diffusers, such as tracing paper for even illumination corner to corner.
4. Turn your philatelic passion into a photo exhibit of your favorite botanical, ornithological and other decorative stamps.

Tropical Fish In Aquarium

Make beautiful portraits of these lovely creatures.

THE KEY TO GREAT AQUARIUM PHOTOGRAPHY IS A TELE-MACRO LENS AND AN ILLUMINATION BOX.

1. Tele-macro lenses enable you to focus on a fish while providing a long working distance to the back of the aquarium.
2. A box like the one illustrated below lights up corners of the aquarium.
3. An electronic flash is suggested to capture the swift movements of fish.

A Professional Touch

Try something different, different views, different ideas.

VISUALIZATION , THE KEY TO CREATIVE IMAGES

1. For truly professional macro photographs, try to visualize an unusual aspect of your subject before releasing the shutter.
2. Visualization will come naturally with practice as you experiment with a variety of photographic techniques. Enjoy yourself examining the unique shapes and intersecting lines in the subject. Photograph the most interesting and unique.
3. One of the techniques to try as your first experiment is double exposure with colored gel filters. 3.1 Mount your camera on a sturdy tripod with a platform designed to let your camera slide horizontally. 3.2 Illuminate the background with a back-lit gel filter. Position the light source behind the gel to achieve the best silhouette effect possible. 3.3 Compose your image so that a large silhouette of the subject is in the foreground. Then, as you pull the camera away from the subject, you will have a small image of the subject in the center of your frame. 3.4 Set your camera to multiple (2) exposure mode and frame the large silhouette image. Release the shutter for the first shot. 3.5 Now pull the camera back to compose the smaller image. Shut off the light behind the gel and front illuminate your subject from the left and right sides.
4. Avoid casting any light on the gel background. Release the shutter for the second shot. The beautiful red petals of the cattleya are sure to attract the eye. But when captured in double exposure, they become a piece of fine art.