Macro Photography

Macro photography is essentially shooting very close up and detailed images of small items which produces a photograph showing the item to be larger than life size. For example the ant below appears to be very large when in fact it is very small in reality.



Macro photography used to be very complicated and difficult as a lot of additional equipment was required to produce a great photograph using an SLR film camera. However, the introduction of digital cameras has allowed macro photography to be very easy yet still very effective. This is due to the macro mode most digital cameras now possess. The macro mode adjusts the cameras settings to those that best suit close focusing. Unfortunately, on most digital cameras once this mode has been enabled the photographer is then unable to adjust the aperture and shutter speed. Both elements can alter the final image and so are very important to macro photography. Most professional photographers use specific macro lenses, usually 100mm macro lenses, on their DSLR which enable them to alter the aperture and shutter speed and avoid issues like optical distortion.

When shooting macro photography you need a steady camera and subject, usually achieved through using a very good tripod. For most images you want a large aperture to decrease the depth of field and blur the background and a very fast shutter speed to ensure the image is sharp, however, it is a very subjective issue and completely depends on the photographers preferences. Another tip is not to get too close to your object as you could cause camera shadows on the object and to use natural light as this makes it less likely that you will over exposing when using a flash. Also, ensure there are no distracting objects in the background that take attention away from the object. And finally, ensure manual focusing is used as this ensures the correct part of the object is in focus, especially if you are using a short depth of field.

I really enjoyed learning about macro photography as there are many more elements involved than I originally realised in order to take a great photograph. I love the way it can completely change a very small yet detailed object which may be considered unimportant in the wider world but is given the centre of attention in the photograph making it seem very powerful and important. I hope to try producing some of my own macro photographs.

Some of my favourites:

Photographer - Elin Torger

Photographer - Carlos Porto

Photographer - Martin Amm

Photographer - Robert Taylor

Photographer - Joanna Rzeznikowska

Bibliography: http://digital-photography-school.com/macro-photography-for-beiginners-part-2
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/130-stunning-examples-of-macro-photography--photo-1717