What is Macro Photography?

Macro photography is also called "close-up" photography. This genre of photography includes ratios that are the same size or larger than the subject really is.
Finding out your individual lens'macro ratio is fairly straightforward. Focus as close as you can on something and measure the measure the area you can see in the viewfinder. Next, calculate the number of times a slide frame (or negative - or digital sensor size) fits into that area. If the number is 10 then the macro ratio is 1:10.

Equipment

Fortunately, there are tons of different options available to photographers who want to try their hand at macro photography. Some are affordable enough for even the most tight budgets while others will deplete your bank account in two seconds. I'll go over all of your options in this article.

Lenses that have 'macro' capabilities

Not all of these lenses are "honest" macros, but many of today's lenses (particulary longer zooms) will allow you to zero in on smaller subjects. The math may not add up to "pure" macro photography; but the results are the same regardless. Supplementary Close Up Lenses. You can purchase a generic brand 70-300mm zoom lens that has a "macro" capability. This means that you can take pictures far away and then use your zoom (at the highest focal length -- i.e. 300mm) to focus on closeup subjects. When using these telephoto-macros, you'll want to pay attention to how far you should be away from the subject to keep the subject in focus. Some lenses will allow you to get inches from a subject while others require you to be at least one foot away to ensure maximum focus.

Filters

You can buy close-up filters for reasonable prices -- from about $20USD to $100USD, depending on the filter size. These "close up filters" work just like a regular filter (they screw on the top of your lens) and they respond like amagnifying glass. You can usuallyo purchase them in sets of three -- 1, 2 and 4. The great thing about closeup filters is that they don't interfere with camera functions such as auto focus and exposure. The one thing to note is that adding filters to any lens will decrease the amoutn of light reaching the film/digital sensor. There can also be a slight loss in image quality (which is the case with the majority of filters).

Extension Tubes

Extension tubes are just like the name implies -- they are tubes that go between the camera and the lens and they extend the lens' focal distance. You can find them in various lengths, including 12mm, 20mm, 25mm and 36mm. Like most accessories that come between the light and the lens and the sensor/film, they do lose light (usually between one to two stops). The advantage is that they are very affordable -- between $25 to $100USD.

Teleconverters

Using teleconverters is similar to extension tubes, only the amount of light loss is sometimes a little bit more.

Macro Photography Techniques in the Field -- Nature and Wildlife Photography

One of the biggest differences in shooting macros is the compression factor. Generally, the smaller the subject, the less depth of field your lens will provide. A 2.8 on a portrait subject at 50mm will be less shallow than a 2.8 on a 50mm macro. If you would normally shoot at 5.6 for a regular subject then you should shoot your macro subject at at least three stops smaller (f11). This becomes tricky when you don't have a lot of light.

Getting More Light on the Subject

There are several ways to increase the amount of light on a macro subject. The first is an off-camera flash. Shooting a flash directly from your camera will make your subject look horrid. An off camera flash... set at least a foot away from your subject will add that little bit of extra fill light needed and it will still look natural. Ring flashes are designed for macro photography; however, because they are mounted directly on the camera, try to find a ring light that will shoot from either the right or left side only. Again, even light on a macro is going to look phony and over-lit (and it will be obvious that you used a flash). If you set your ring flash to either shoot from the right or left only then it will cast normal shadows on your subject.

You can also use reflectors and many manufacturers make small reflectors suitable for this kind of photography.

To Tripod or Not to Tripod

Tripods are going to improve sharpness no matter what kind of equipment you're using. Unfortunately, with wildlife macros you don't always have the luxury of a subject that stays still. These tree frogs were (thankfully) very still and I could use a tripod to take pictures of them.

I was not so lucky with honey bees. They move within fractions of a second and it's next to impossible to focus properly since they move about on each individual flower. As with all wildlife photography, the most important part of the picture will be the subject's eyes. If they are in focus then everything else will be forgiven. With this in mind, it's VERY difficult to trust your camera's autofocus. Here are some rules of thumb for photographing subjects like wild bees(bees that are flying around in the wild, that is and not sitting in a petrie dish):

Try to take the bee pictures on a relatively sunny day. While you don't want harsh shadows that happen at high noon, try for mid-afternoon. You'll want to have the highest shutter speed possible so the more natural light you have the better. Since flashes won't synch with your shutter speed much past 1/400 you'll need to rely on reflectors and natural light.

Since bees move so quickly it's almost impossible to photograph them with a tripod (although if you're patient you can set your lens on a flower and wait for a bee to pop by). Because you're going to be hand-holding your lens, you'll want to make sure your shutter speed high enough. A rule of thumb is to set your shutter speed at least three times as fast as your lens length. If your lens length is 105mm then set your shutter speed to 1/400th of a second. If your lens length is 200mm, then you'll want to set your speed at 1/1000th of a second. The higher the better... without having too shallow of a depth of field.

You'll want your aperture at least at 5.6 or 8 to keep the eyes in focus.

Now, set your lens on manual focus. If you don't normally shoot manual focus, this is going to feel weird. Experiment and practice. You'll have better results if you track the moving subject, wait till it lands near or on the flower, turn your focus to ensure the eyes are perfectly sharp and "click".

Composition Techniques

Macro photograhy allows you to present a subject in a way that us mortal humans can't usually experience. That's why it's always a great idea to experiment with composition and try different perspectives on subjects.

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