Intro to Macro Photography: Part 2 - Equipment

II. Equipment For Macro Photography–

Many thousands of dollars can be spent on gear for macro photography. However, with a few initial investments many great images can be made.

1.) Cameras:
Today’s market is flooded with an overwhelming selection of camera styles, makes and models. When searching for a camera, be sure to first define what you will be using the camera for and take the time to do the appropriate research that is needed to make an intelligent decision. Otherwise, one may be tempted to purchase a camera based on ‘bells and whistles’ that may prove to be unsuitable for a particular application.

There are two main types of camera body styles: Point-and-shoot and S.L.R. (Single-Lens-Reflex). Most pros use the S.L.R. style of camera because of the flexibility that it offers the user. However, if the price of an S.L.R. doesn’t fit within your budget then I would recommend purchasing a point-and-shoot which comes packaged with the following features: 1) A macro or close-up setting 2) a tripod socket 3) a timer (to alleviate camera shake on long exposures) 4) an option to shoot high-resolution images (preferably raw files for the more serious amateur) 5) The option to shoot in manual mode and 6) a variety of flash settings. Many fine macro images can be made with an off-the-shelf point-and-shoot camera if it is loaded with at least some of the these features.

The advantage of S.L.R. style cameras is that they allow the budding macro photographer to have more control over the types of images that they make. They are designed to give the photographer an opportunity to swap and stack lenses as needed to improve or alter magnification. This very important feature (which I’ll address in more detail later) is very desirable for the macro photographer. Other important features found on most S.L.R. cameras are 1) Depth of Field Preview: This allows you to view what the camera is actually “seeing.” 2) Through the Lens Metering (may only work with automatic lenses) 3) Cable Release Socket: Allows a cable release to be attached which helps to eliminate ‘camera shake’ during long exposures 4) Professional style tripod socket. 5) Metering mode options 6) Raw capture: essentially a digital negative format which is very flexible when outputting images. The following items are not critical for the macro photographer but can certainly enhance images if they are used in conjunction with the items above: 1) Mirror lock-up 2) Through-the-lens-flash (TTL) and 3) a motordrive.

2.) Lenses (for the S.L.R.):
There are a variety of different ways to get close to your subject matter. However, the best methods always start with selecting the appropriate lens for the job.. Since this workshop is based on macro photography, I am going to discuss the lenses that will give you the best shot at that unforgettable image.

Macro Lenses: These specialized lenses can often be one of the most expensive pieces of gear in your bag. Fortunately, a great majority of these indispensable tools offer incredible clarity and image quality. One of the best focal lengths for clarity is the 50mm macro lens (it also makes an excellent portrait lens). However, the shorter the focal-length, the shorter the working distance. Working Distance is defined as the amount of space that exists between the lens and your subject. This factor becomes very important when you are dealing with live specimens. If you don’t believe me, try walking up to a dragonfly in mid-day. Although field craft and knowledge of your subject-matter can greatly increase your odds of making a nice image –regardless of the working distance– some situations simply require a longer focal-length. 100mm and 200mm lenses offer a great amount of working distance and the quality will usually be there depending on the make and model.

Zoom Lenses: Zoom Lenses are incredibly popular amongst pros and amateurs alike because they typically present a great deal of flexibility when it comes to how a subject can be approached. A very popular range of zoom is 80-200mm. With this focal-length, most ‘macro-worthy’ subjects can be approached with relative ease. If used in conjunction with an extension tube (see below) and/or a teleconverter (see below) greater magnifications can be achieved. Another advantage of zoom lenses is that they ‘compress’ your subjects. For example, if you are photographing a group of wildflowers which are spaced apart, a zoom lens will create the illusion that the subject matter is closer together than it actually is.

Standard Fixed-Focal Length Lenses: Although fixed focal length lenses (50mm, 120mm, 200mm, etc) aren’t especially suited for macro photography, with the addition of supplementary diopters, teleconverters and extension tubes it becomes very possible to create some really nice images. This is especially true with longer lenses around 300mm.

3.) Extension Tubes:
Extension tubes are literally what they appear to be; tubes of differing lengths which extend the length of a lens. The extension tube moves the rear of the lens further away from the film plane or digital sensor. When this distance is increased, it allows a lens to focus more closely than when used in its normal range of focus.

4.) Teleconverters:
These handy devices –which are basically extension tubes with glass elements– can be a great way to increase the magnification capabilities of your lenses. They are available in two powers: 1.4x and 2x. By connecting a 2x teleconverter to a 300mm lens, for example, you will essentially upgrade your magnification to 600mm. This same multiplier (a term also used to describe teleconverters) can also allow you to increase a 1:1 ratio to 2:1 (or 2x life-size) when making a macro image. The downside of teleconverters is that they decrease the amount light coming into to the camera (because of the extra glass) which forces the photographer to either open up the aperture or slow down the shutter speed to compensate for this loss. There is also an increase in the amount of noise in the image. I have personally found that the issue with noise isn’t as noticeable with digital captures.

5.) Tripods:
A great tripod cannot be underestimated when it comes to making professional quality images. Although sharp images can be created by hand-holding a camera (especially when flash is used), a tripod becomes quite handy when photographing close-up subjects with available light. There are many, many models to choose from and choice is based on personal preference. However, for the macro photographer, a model that allows the legs to be extended to so that the camera can sit just inches above the ground is a very nice option. Most professional tripods do not include a tripod-head and, once again, a wide array of options are out there for the choosing.

6.) Cable Release:
This is an simple, yet invaluable, device that allows the photographer to activate the shutter without actually touching the camera. It basically consists of a long cord with a cable running through the inside. One end of the tool is screwed into the cable release socket and the other is held in-hand where a button is located. This serves to trip the shutter when it is pressed.

7.) Close-Up Diopters:
Diopters are glass elements which can be screwed onto the end of a standard focal length lens; essentially converting it into a macro lens. This option provides a photographer with a relatively inexpensive way to capture small subjects. However, the quality is often not that great and the resulting images often appear soft on the edges.

8.) Flash:
The use of a flash or flashes can really enhance a close-up image. Some subjects actually require the use of flash because of the lack of light that is often found at higher magnifications. There are many different ways to position the flash. When one off-camera flash is used the background will often appear black. Although in some schools of thought this approach has become undesirable I still believe that in many situations beautiful and striking images can be made. The black (or dark) background comes from light fall-off behind the main subject. For a more natural approach, dual off-camera or ring flashes can be used. This approach allows one flash to be focused in on the main subject and the other on the background which in-turn creates the impression of a more naturally lit scene.

Fill-flash is also a powerful effect to use on certain images. This technique employs a flash –not as a main source of light– but as an extra bit of illumination to fill in shadows and improve color definition.

9.) Using Reflectors:
Reflectors are white, silver or gold pieces of material which are used to bounce light into shadows or add warmth to an image. In macro photography –because of the small size of most subjects– something as simple as a piece of white card stock or the back of a hand can be used. If one is forced to make an image in mid-day harsh shadows can dominate your image. A reflector can really save the shot by opening up those blocked, dark areas with light

Jack-in-the-Pulpit-in-Sepia

The following post is a Reprint from my March/April 2006 "Our Wild State" column in the South Carolina Magazine. This is one of the first plants that I've included in my sepia series and I'm really pleased with the way the image turned out. I can't help but be reminded of a cobra's hood when I look at the angle of the plant's spathe.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) Profile

Rising up from the damp forest floor, a strange “alien-like” plant has begun to unfurl itself in forests all across S.C. This botanical wonder redefines the imagine that most people have in mind when the word flower is mentioned: its smell isn’t sweet but fetid like carrion; its blooms are so tiny that they can barely be seen by the naked eye; and it is pollinated by flies instead of butterflies and birds. However, despite the aforementioned anomalies this “objet de nature” is a glorious plant worth seeking out and studying at ground level.

The Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a member of the Arum family of plants. While this name may not be familiar, most gardeners might be more familiar with its better known cousin the calla lily. Found throughout the world, Arums typically feature a flamboyant hood-like structure called a spathe—in this case the “pulpit” —which surrounds a pale spike called a spadix—our “Jack.” As with most Arums, Jack-in-the-pulpits can be male or female depending on its growing conditions and produces beautiful red berries at the end of its annual cycle.

Like many plants found throughout our state, the Jack-in-the-pulpit (nicknamed the “Indian Turnip”) was used as a food source by the Native Americans. However, it can cause severe stomach problems if ingested without being cooked first and will leave a lingering burning sensation in the mouth and throat. This plant should be considered poisonous unless properly prepared and is best to be enjoyed as a feast for the eyes.

The ideal time to look for the bloom of this unique plant is between April and June. Search areas where the moisture content is high such as stream banks and wet hardwood forests. There are several color variations within this species so be on the lookout for plants which range from a pale green to green with purple streaks. Because of this spectrum of appearances and other minute differences some scientists believe that this species should be divided into three sub-species. By autumn, the spathe (or hood) will likely be absent making discovery and identification much more difficult.

Macro Art in Nature

Fellow South Carolinian, Michael Brown has a really nice macro photography blog called. "Macro Art in Nature." If you are looking for inspiration check it out! He has some really nice work featured on the site and posts new content often.

Intro to Macro Photography: Part One

If there is one facet of nature photography that I enjoy the most it would have to be macro photography. I'm often asked how do I get so close to my subject matter; particularly when they happen to be of the slithering kind. Folks tend to think that it is often a result of expensive equipment and this just isn't the case. Although it is true that any investment in photographic equipment can be pricey, good field-craft, including a knowledge of your subject matter, will greatly increase One's ability to venture into the "miniature kingdom" that sounds surrounds us wherever we may be. As a result, I have decided to post, in several installments, a very basic introduction to macro photography in hopes that others may have the courage to venture into this very exciting –though often overlooked– photographic pursuit: macro photography.

Part One: What is Macro Photography?
As humans, we tend to believe that we are the norm in terms of size, body type, etc. However, this just isn’t so. In the natural world we are, in fact, looming giants gazing out across a thriving world that largely goes unnoticed by most. In his book, “The Smaller Majority,” biologist, author and photographer Piotr Naskrecki writes:

“Most of animal life on Earth is small. Over 90 percent of known species are smaller than a human finger, smaller, in fact, than your fingernail. Our perspective on reality is severely handicapped by our gargantuan size, rare giants surrounded by the smaller majority. Our enormous size prevents us from appreciating, or even noticing, most of what shares this planet with us...”

For the nature photographer this is exciting news! For the nature photographer who wishes to pursue macro photography, it is even more exciting! One’s awareness of this amazing fact opens up a portal into a world of many incredible photographic opportunities which lie just outside our back doors. In fact, I truly believe that there is as much beauty, action and excitement within walking distance of any our homes as that which is found on the Serengeti () plains of Africa; we just need to learn how to embrace this new perspective. Over time, I feel certain that it might just change your way of looking at life as we know it.

The purpose of this overview is to arm the beginner with the knowledge to 1) define macro photography, 2) learn how to select the right tools for most macro photographic opportunities, 3) apply the basic compositional and technical approach to making an image and 4) select some of the best times and ways to approach a given subject.

Before you get started on this adventure you first need to understand the true definition of macro photography which is: The process of photographing a subject at life size (1:1) up to 25x. This means that if you were shooting a lady bug on film, for example, you could hold the living subject next to the subject captured on film and the sizes of both would be identical.

Part two will focus on a more in-depth look at some basic equipment that can be used to photograph small subject matter.

Swiss Picture Bank

I saw this in the May 2008 edition of Outdoor Photographer Magazine and thought that it was pretty interesting. Basically, the Swiss Picture Bank is a service that allows you to upload images through a web-portal for just cents per image –three cents per compressed images and 15 cents for uncompressed. The Bank will then "make multiple copies of every picture, encrypt them and secure them on redundant servers housed in data centers located throughout Switzerland." If you need to retrieve a lost image you can download it at any time. This is a certainly an innovative way to archive your images and you can tell you friends that you have a "Swiss Bank Account." The only downside to this concept is that I didn't think of it first.

How to Make-Your-Own Macro Light Tents and Do the Laundry at the Same Time

Okay. So I've become fairly obsessed with finding the cheapest, best way to make a portable light tent for macro photography. There are some pretty clever ideas out there but I still haven't found one that is able be compacted down very easily (for attaching to a backpack) and then quickly able to be reassembled in the field. Haven't not tried any of these out I'm only speculating though. However I did find these three: 1, 2, 3. My favorite, which made me laugh –and which I've posted above– is of a light tent made out of a laundry basket. Those of us who happen to be poor, cheap and nature photographers (or all of the above) will go to great lengths to make a nice image in the cheapest way possible! :)

Please send me other links. I know that there is a better solution out there!

What Matters Most

When I began my adventure into the world of nature photography my wife and I had only been married for a couple of years. Life was much simpler then and I could pretty much go out and make images whenever I wanted to. Today, I have two sons and it isn't always as easy to get out and shoot when the urge strikes me. Sometimes a couple of weeks may pass before I can have a "one-man expedition" into a wild place to shoot a few frames.

Fortunately, I can go out and make photos fairly regularly in the woods, field and pond area that surround our home. The downside is that (bear with me here) I am usually accompanied by my four-year old, my one-year on my back, a dog and a couple of cats. In other words, it isn't so easy to concentrate and get into that zone that I crave more than a tub of apple pie ice cream; which for me, says a lot. This past Sunday, we had a nice rain shower and a mist settled down over the wet woods. The light was perfect and I still hadn't had a chance to get out and photograph the wild Pinxter flowers (native azaleas) that are blooming profusely this year. As I looked through my viewfinder I found myself being asked every five minutes, "Daddy look at this!" "Daddy look what I found." Grrrrrr......and then I realized what a fool I was being – as I usually do. I walked down to the creek and there was my oldest son holding up a crayfish claw that he had found in the creek. Was I too dense and wrapped up in my own selfish world to realize that he was trying to gain my approval and impress me with his knowledge of the woods? Boy, I can be a real blockhead sometimes.

As parents, we often try to hold on so tightly to the things that define us as individuals that we miss the really important opportunities to make a difference. Will I not end up with as many images as I once did in a given year? Probably. Does this mean that there is some other guy or gal out there gaining more exposure in the marketplace than me? Sure. Will I ever, ever regret the time spent with my boys?

Absolutely. Positively. Never.