These are observations and shooting techniques I've learned and deemed beneficial throughout the years. Some were already covered within the previous chapters of this Series but were deemed worth repeating. A few of these tips may fall under the heading of common sense, while others may make you stop and think… “Hmm..I never thought of that!”
All of these 25 Tips were attained through actual field experience.
Hopefully, everyone who reads my list will find at least one that makes them say… “Well, whatta’ ya know…That might just work!”
My Top Twenty Five
Macro Photography Tips
#1 A Leg Up…Times Three
When faced with a photographic subject which is waist-high or higher, fully extend and lock the bottom three leg sections of your tripod before getting into position. Once in position, the higher leg-locks can be used to fine tune the height of the camera. (…without picking up the tripod, or bending over three times down to ground-level.)
#2 Belly Work
Get a tripod which allows the legs to be spread out for low-level work. If your tripod has a center column which will contact the ground when you‘re “spread-eagle“, hacksaw off part of it to allow the tripod to go even lower. (Everybody should know that it’s foolish to raise that center column anyway…so why not cut off some of it so you can shoot lower to the ground?)
#3 The Weather Man Lied
Hope for the best, but always prepare for the worst.
A few gallon-sized Zip-Loc bags, a portable umbrella, a small tarp…even a trash bag can be tucked into the corner of one’s camera pack. Unless your expensive equipment is waterproof, some type of protection from the elements is prudent if your local weather man had been out in the sun too long, and things turn unexpectedly ugly.
#4 Squelchy Pants and Soggy Socks
The morning chill can produce heavy dew on the grasses of your favorite field. A pair of old rain pants will keep your legs dry…and waterproof boots will protect your feet, so they won’t feel “squishy” all day.
#5 Black Attack
An early morning chill immobilizes insects. Finding them where they rest can be difficult and time consuming. Before beginning your search on a sunny, cool morning, spread a piece of black felt out onto an open area of the field. When you return later, you will find that the heat-absorbing material attracted bugs like a magnet. Spiders, grasshoppers, butterflies, etc., will have hopped or landed onto the black surface.
Once there, they will sit motionlessly, gobbling heat to warm their chilled bodies. They will usually not abandon their toasty roosts, no matter how closely you poke your lens into their faces.
This is a foolproof method for getting those intimate bug portraits we all crave.
#6 Start from Scratch
It’s summertime, it’s HOT…and you’re getting bugged by bugs.
The gnats, mosquitoes, deer flies, and other pests are relentless as they line up for their proverbial pound of flesh. Should Calamine Lotion have to be an integral inclusion to our photography gear bags?
Deet repellents will work well on the skeeters and gnats…but some folks are hesitant to apply it to their skin. A liberal coating of Deet on the brim of your cap keeps the biting bugs away from your face…at least temporarily.
There are also natural repellents, which vary in their effectiveness. Believe it or not, one of the better ones is fresh mint. When you happen upon a patch growing wild, pick some and rub the leaves onto your skin. It’s amazing how effective this can be.
For added protection after a rubdown, I snip off two strands and tuck them behind my ears. (Sure, I look silly. …but if I’m out there alone, who cares?)
Wearing a pair of clear safety glasses, (..the kind skeet shooters and woodworkers wear), is an effective deterrent against those random, kamikaze, eyeball missions of odious gnats.
The best method I know to keep pesky gnats at bay though, is to light a cigar.
Take a few puffs now and then only to keep it lit. (…I’m not recommending smoking it.)
For whatever reason, gnats hate cigar smoke and they will completely vacate the premises of whoever is holding one
Deer flies, on the other hand, are merciless.
They prefer the cowardly, blind-sided method of attack…from behind…where they can’t be seen and swatted. I know of no effective repellent to dissuade these pain-inducing bloodsuckers. I've heard of guys taping glue traps (..the kind used to catch mice.) onto the back of their caps to snare attacking deer flies. I've never tried this system so I can’t comment on its level of effectiveness. (Mainly, because I envision spending most of my day trying to yank my cap free from low-lying tree limbs.)
My method for dealing with deer flies is more primitive. It involves cursing, ineffective swatting, a lot more cursing…,then cowering back to the car to try shooting someplace else.
#7 Uninvited Aliens
We’re all familiar with the concept of keeping our lenses clean and sensors spot-free. In extreme macro, any evidence of impurity on either will affect the photo.
We also should know to always turn the power off before removing the body cap or to change lenses. (When the camera is turned on, the sensor becomes partially magnetized. This can actually draw particulates into the open cavity.)
Even when turned off, lens changes should be performed quickly…with the open cavity facing down during the process.
Another strong argument for changing lenses quickly, especially when outdoors on a hot summer day, is to keep tiny bugs from getting inside the camera. This has happened to me on more than one occasion.
Just imagine, looking through the viewfinder and trying to focus, while some tiny, confused critter is running around on your focusing screen. Why they get in there is unknown. (I have a theory that the bug sees its own reflection in the reflex mirror and falls instantly in love.)
If one does get in there, for whatever reason,…get him out, FAST!
The last thing you want to have to contend with later on, is some fungal, rancid, life-form decomposing amid delicate electronics.
#8 Vivacious Bugs
When photographing insects, try to do something different. Avoid cliché.
Effective insect photography is dynamic and unique. Whenever possible, try to capture behavior or interactions between species. An emergent larva, a caterpillar infested with Braconid parasites, a garden spider wrapping its prey in a silken tomb,..etc. These are the types of macro photographs which excite the viewer…initiating an insatiable appetite to see more.
#9 Tax Your Brackets
Remember to bracket everything.
We all know the benefit of bracketing exposures…to get at least one frame that’s exposed “just right”. We should also be shooting additional frames after implementing minor adjustments to other camera settings or compositional elements.
We could make minor adjustments to the direction of a hand-held flash.
We could move the tripod and camera to change the angle of perspective.
We could adjust the point of critical focus slightly further into the scene.
We could change the white-balance setting.
All of these technical and compositional aspects will, in one way or another, affect the final outcome…particularly in extreme macro, where everything is amplified.
#10 Smell the Roses
More often than not, rushing through a critical shoot is the primary reason we end up dissatisfied with our end results. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment. We get careless and we end up wishing we had done this, set that, or whatever. Hurried carelessness can all but ruin a unique opportunity. That chance of a lifetime could be lost forever.
Good light and a photogenic subject are akin to fine wine, to be sipped and savored. When we greedily guzzle, we miss the magic. So when faced with a photographic scenario which might never be available again, take your time, think about what you’re doing, talk to yourself if you have to…and get it right.
#11 Just Pucker Up and Blow
Very few folks realize than it’s possible to get a bug to stop squirming around and pose for the camera by gently blowing on it. The bug seems to interpret this action as a threat to its being, and it locks into a static, defensive posture. (This is especially true with most species of caterpillars.)
After you've gotten them to pose for you, compose caterpillars and other linear-shaped bugs with the subject resting entirely within the plane of focus (…from east to west).
This will ensure that most of the bug will be in focus.
#12 Get Juiced
Always check the charge level of your camera’s battery before venturing afield. We never know what we’ll find, how often we will use our flash, or how many shots we’ll end up taking that day. It’s wise to start every outing with a fully charged battery.
An auxiliary battery pack can offer additional peace of mind. This too, should be fully charged.
It’s also a good idea to bring your battery charger on a field trip, along with a DC to AC power inverter. This will allow you to utilize your vehicle’s 12 volt outlet to re-charge your battery while driving if the need should arise.
#13 By Any Other Name, It’s Still a Rose
In flower photography, it can be a monumental task to come up with something which hasn't already been done to death. Look for (or fashion) story-telling scenarios to give your flower photos character.
Strive to be inventive and cognizant of cliché.
Your audience will thank you for it.
#14 Image Invaders
Always remember to critically examine the entire frame of macro compositions for distracting elements. An errant twig or blade of grass can easily go un-noticed when we are concentrating absorbedly on our subject. It’s only later, when we view the image enlarged on our computer screen that we notice the intruder.
A little “preventive gardening” at the scene helps to circumvent cropping and/or extensive, time consuming post-production.
#15 The Matrix
If your camera supports Matrix Metering, use it.
Some camera manufacturers refer to Matrix Mode as Evaluative, Honeycomb, Multi Zone, Segment Metering, or ESP “Electro Selective Pattern”.
Extensive field test have proven that Matrix Metering Mode produces the most consistent exposures in natural light.
#16 Shooting Information Display
When using a macro bellows, metering needs to be performed manually. When the lens is stopped down to the shooting aperture, the viewfinder will likely get too dark to see the displayed settings. By transferring the technical data in the viewfinder (Shooting Information Display) onto the screen on the back of the camera, it’s much easier to see what’s going on through the lens as you spin the shutter speed dial to establish the recommended shutter speed to match your aperture setting. Refer to your camera manual to see how to do this.
#17 Beware the Light
Always remember that when manually metering a scene while using the timer (…or any time your face is not pressed against the back of the camera), the eyepiece must be covered completely to keep stray light from entering and confusing your in-camera meter.
I usually do this by lightly covering the eyepiece with my thumb, while spinning the shutter speed dial to select an appropriate speed to match my selected aperture.
I can monitor what the lens is actually reading on the LCD screen on the top (or back) of the camera body during this process.
#18 How Sweet it Is
The narrow parameter of optimal performance and sharpness of a lens (“the sweet spot”) occurs within the middle apertures and somewhere in the center of its focusing range.
It’s the wiser macro photographer who never stops his or her lens all the way down…despite the loss in depth of field. Unless a lens is of superior quality, stopping all the way down (or focusing all the way to the closest setting) can degrade image quality. This is particularly true with zoom lenses.
#19 How Low Can You Go?
While many photographers opt to boost their ISO settings to get faster shutter speeds, I prefer to shoot at the lowest ISO possible. Modern pro and semi-pro digital bodies have the ability to graduate all the way down to ISO 50 or lower. I try to shoot all of my macros at ISO 100 or lower. The difference in background noise becomes so noticeable at higher ISO settings that I prefer to compromise those faster allowable shutter speeds.
Working with multi-second shutter speeds can be challenging, but the trade-off to better quality makes the extra effort worthwhile.
#20 Practicality Makes Perfect
According to Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Practice DOES make Perfect…as does common sense.
If something works…try to remember exactly what you did so you can repeat it.
If something doesn't work, don’t keep doing it. Try something else.
Empirical knowledge can be our greatest teacher, but only if we are practical enough to recall and effectively implement that which we've learned.
#21 Host with the Most
Always remember that there are members of the insect world which are considered “host specific”…meaning that their presence will be most prevalent on one particular plant or tree species.
When encountering a strange bug for the first time, be sure to include a few detailed shots of the tree or shrub. When soliciting assistance from the experts, more often than not, it’s the host plant which ultimately becomes the determining factor in confirming an accurate Arthropod identification. (Truly dedicated and experienced bug photographers learn to recognize specific plants, trees and shrubs for no other reason than to help them narrow down their search for targeted species of insects.)
#22 Turn Over a New Leaf
Just like us, most bugs really hate to get wet. After a heavy, soaking rain, search for photogenic insects and other tiny critters on the undersides of the leaves. As the sun warms things up, the bugs will gradually migrate back around to the sunny side.
Many exotic species of slug caterpillars actually prefer the undersides of the leaves 100% of the time. Taking the extra time to thoroughly examine a small section of foliage…both sides, is always more effective than rushing along...glancing as you go.
#23 Diffuse and Conquer
Flash and ambient light diffusers come in all shapes and sizes. Most of those commercially made are not practical for field use…particularly for the macro photographer.
Just about any neutral, translucent material can be used to diffuse harsh sunlight. but what works well for this macro photographer, is a two-foot square piece of thin polyethylene foam. (…the material typically used to ship framed photographs.)
This foam material is cheap, weighs nothing, and can be easily folded and tucked into a vest pocket. Field tests have established that one stop of light will be lost when one layer of the foam diffusion material is positioned at a right-angle to the sun. In practice, it’s best to stop down to the shooting aperture and meter the scene in bright sunlight…then compensate for the diffuser by selecting a shutter speed one full stop slower than the meter recommends. With a tripod-mounted camera or bellows system, it’s easy to utilize the timer or an exposure-delay setting to allow ample time to hold the diffusion material in place a few seconds before the scene is exposed.
(Read more about this technique in Part #5 of this series.)
If you require a cheap flash diffuser, the same material can be ballooned over the business end of your portable flash and held in place with a rubber band.
#24 When Size Matters
Are you one of those cerebral types…obsessed with certainty?
If so, here’s a tip that will save you from brain-stress when trying to mathematically calculate the life-size ratio possibilities of that extension tube or macro bellows system you just bought.
Mount whatever lens you intend to use on one end, mount your camera onto the other end, prop a ruler onto a solid surface, focus on the millimeter scale, and snap a picture.
You can then count the millimeter marks you see in the frame and divide that number into the mm length of your sensor to get the actual magnification ratio of that particular lens/camera/accessory combination.
#25 “That’s Good Enough!”
These three words should never be part of a photographer’s vernacular. When you view “good enough” on your computer screen, it never is. If you think you can do something better at the scene, try it again.
Too often, we have only have one opportunity to get things right.
Passion and prowess, working in unison, are an indomitable pair.
ADD YOUR OWN TIPS!!
If you'd like your words of wisdom to grace this page, just drop me a note.
You can use this Contact Link to send me your best macro photography tips. Once approved, your unique contribution to macro photography will be added to this page for all to see.
I can't wait to hear your suggestions!
© Bob Cammarata 2015
bobcammarata.blogspot.com
No portion of this material may be copied or used without permission
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