MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
Have you ever heard of macro photography, and when I looked for examples of it I was amazed at the beauty of macro photos and became interested in this wonderful art, but you do not know exactly what macro photography is and what equipment you will need to get such amazing photos.
You have a lot of options when it comes to macro gear, but you don't need to spend a lot on this gear to get great close-ups.
In this article, we'll talk about what exactly it means to shoot macro and what equipment you'll need at the lowest cost.
What is macro photography and what equipment will you need at the lowest cost!
The story of Macro photography
Macro photography is an interesting topic for any photographer, even though only a few take pictures up close.
People often ask about camera selection and which one to go for, quite often they want to know about the opportunity of taking macro shots. It’s hard to tell what exact camera you should get because each one of us has our own style of taking photos. However, I decided to make a short post about macro photography in light of this.
What is macro photography? It is when you take pictures of small objects up close. The smaller the object that appears on the frame, the better the macro. It is believed that a macro photograph is a snapshot with a scale of 1:1 (one to one). That is, for example, when an object has a size of 1 cm both on the frame, and in real life. Here, the “frame” refers to the size of the light-sensitive element (film matrix). Certain photographers do not agree with the definition of macro at the scale ratio of 1:1. They argue that macro photography starts with a slight zoom of 1:5 (one to five – a 1 cm frame fits 5 cm of the object) up to 20:1 (a 1 cm frame fits 0.05 cm [0.5 mm]) of the object ). There are many opinions and arguments on this subject, but I personally believe that macro photography is when the photograph reveals things that a human eye cannot capture.
It is generally assumed that Percy Smith, an English natural history filmmaker, was one of the first pioneers of macro photography. He was born in London, on 12th January 1880, and took the steps of photography early on. Smith was fascinated by the natural world around him and was one of the first photographers to take close-up photographs of plants and animal life.
Photography is not when you take 10 or 20 pictures after you had a swim, or shared a BBQ with your friends. Photography is when you are standing on your knees, meeting the sunrise on the floodplain of a river, and taking notice of changes in ambient light. After the sunrise, you move into the forest, and until dawn, you search for a shaded place to create another story. In macro Credit: Cwulmer photography there is no shortage of subjects and stories. Any scene or a detail can be interesting for an artist.
We should not seek to maximize the zoom level in macro photography. The most common mistake of amateurs is their desire to zoom in as much as possible. Experimenting in the genre of macro photography should feel like being a theater director, and preparing a stage. The zoom level of your photographs should depend on the story, not the capability of your camera.
What does Macro Photography mean?
Macro photography is the close-up of small subjects like insects, flowers, etc., and makes them look big in the photo by shooting them from a very close distance.
Canon 100mm f/2.8 1/30s ISO1600
I will first explain in parentheses and briefly the settings written below the image:
- Canon needs no explanation.
- 100mm means the focal length of the lens (the lens with which the photographer took this photo is a macro lens with a focal length of 100mm).
- f/2.8: is the aperture of the lens with which this photo was taken and is responsible for that blurry background.
- 1/30s: means the shutter speed the photographer used to take the photo. 0
- ISO1600: ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor to light The more you increase it, the brighter the image. But raising it too much causes small dots to appear in your image (Noise).
Let's go back to our topic of what does macro photography means. It was originally developed for scientific research.
You can take macro photos in the studio or in the outdoor environment as long as you zoom in on your subject sufficiently.
To master macro photography, your attention to detail must be very high, and you must have an infinite amount of patience. Because your subjects may try to fly or run away! Therefore, this art is considered one of the most difficult types of photography.
Nikon 150mm f/4 1/20s ISO200
Nevertheless, macro photography is a lot of fun and makes you get pictures with details that the naked eye can't even notice. So it is worth your time to learn it!
Themes for macro photography
Macro photography is not only used for photographing small objects such as frogs, butterflies, etc., it is also used in several types of photography such as photographing jewelry details:
Canon 100mm f/5 1/80s ISO250
- Macro photography is used to photograph newborns:
- For wedding photography details:
Canon 100mm f/2.8 1/100s ISO250
- Also for flower photography:
Canon 60mm f/5 ISO1600
- And a lot of other things you can capture in great macro photos.
Canon 100mm f/2.8 1/100s ISO100
Well, in short, the more serious definition of macro or macro photography is that the subject is photographed at 1:1 magnification (Magnification 1:1) – in other words, the subject is at its normal size in the image.
First, let's explain what 1:1 or 1:2 magnification means because you will encounter this type of number a lot in your journey to learn macro photography.
What does magnification mean in macro photography?
First, you must know what a sensor means to understand what I am going to say.
A sensor is A small device (pictured below) that captures light to create an image.
Sensor size is measured in millimeters. For example, the sensor size of the Nikon D7200 is 28mm because it is a small sensor called APS-C, while the Nikon d850 has a sensor size of 43mm because it is a large sensor called Full Frame.
Now back to our topic, you may see a 1:2 or 1:1 or 2:1 mark written on the lens and in its label but you may not know what it means, these numbers simply refer to the magnification ratios.
Magnification - or more accurately, the magnification ratio - is simply the relationship between the size of the subject on the imaging sensor and its size in reality. you did not understand what I mean?
It's okay, I'll give you an example. Suppose we depict a lizard that is 10 centimeters long. Imagine that the length of the lizard took only 2 centimeters from the size of the sensor.
The magnification ratio, then, is 2/10, and if we reduce, we will get a magnification ratio of 1/5, ie 1:5.
The lizard is five times larger in real life than dropping it on the sensor.
What happens if the subject size in real life has the same size on the camera sensor? For example, an insect is 10 mm long and measures 10 mm on the sensor as well, meaning the size of an insect in real life is the same on the sensor.
That is, if your camera sensor size is 22mm, the insect will occupy 10mm of the sensor size because it is 10mm long.
If the size of the insect is 22 mm it will occupy all the sizes of the sensor.
This is exactly what the 1:1 zoom ratio means. The size of the object in real life is the same as on the sensor.
The 1:1 ratio has important meaning for the macro enthusiast. Therefore, a "true" telephoto lens can produce a magnification ratio of 1:1, 2:1, or higher.
The ratio of 2:1 means that the insect in the sensor is twice its size in real life. And the ratio of 1:2 means that the insect in real life is twice as large as its size in the sensor.
What distinguishes the macro lens from other lenses
You may be wondering, what makes a telephoto (macro lens) special?
Why would I buy an expensive macro lens when I could use any 50mm f/1.8 lens and get it very close to the subject until I reach the zoom ratio of 1:1 here I am with a macro!
The problem is that when you bring it too close to a subject it loses focus, it can't focus on objects that are very close.
Take your finger and bring it very close to your eyes, can you see it clearly? Of course not, as well as normal lenses.
Now that you understand what numbers like 1:1 or 2:1, allow me to give you a more specific definition of a macro lens, a lens that can get very close to the subject to allow subject photography at 1:1 magnification.
Let me also take this opportunity to point out that many of the lenses use the term Macro on a variety of their lenses.
This is just a sales tactic, not every lens that says "Macro" is a professional macro lens.
You can easily find so-called macro lenses that can only produce 1:4 or 1:3 magnification ratios. That is, the subject will be 3 or 4 times larger in real life than the size you will capture in the sensor. This will not show the details of your topics very well.
One can, of course, achieve great results with these lenses, however, when shopping for a professional macro lens, the magnification specifications should be carefully considered.
Most "real" macro lenses will actually have "Macro 1:1" prominently displayed on the lens body.
Some niche options do more than that. Canon has a macro lens of 5:1, i.e. 5x magnification, which is crazy and pretty cool!
In short, if you want to specialize in macro photography I recommend getting a lens that can at least 1:2 zoom, and 1:1 perfect zoom, if you want as much flexibility as possible.
Very important note:
The aperture of the lens is also symbolized by the number 1 and two points, then the aperture number, such as 1:4. In order not to confuse things, search the specifications of the lens until you find Macro 1:2, for example, or 1:1, these are the numbers that indicate the percentage of macro magnification in this lens.
What is the best macro photography equipment?
Let me tell you first before I delve into the equipment you'll need for macro photography, that initially you won't need to spend thousands of dollars to get started with close-up photography.
Initially, I only recommend two types of equipment:
- A camera with an ordinary lens.
- Use alternatives to macro lenses.
Let's look at this equipment in more detail:
Camera
What kind of cameras is the best? I highly recommend using a camera that allows you to switch lenses (DSLR or Mirrorless); Because they tend to produce high-quality images.
And as you get more experienced, you can upgrade and exchange your lenses for better lenses without having to buy a new camera.
As long as the camera can change lenses, you don't have to be picky. Any DSLR or Mirrorless from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus, or Pentax will work just fine for macro photography (and there are plenty of other brands not on this list that will also work).
As for the lens, any lens you own will work fine for macro photography, but you must add an accessory that we will talk about in the next paragraphs.
Macro lens alternatives
Whether you have a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you have everything you need for macro photography at the lowest cost.
You can use the lenses you have, or you can add equipment that increases the capability of your lenses, or you can buy custom lenses designed specifically for macro photography.
They all work and can all produce excellent photos, so the choice depends on your budget, your level of experience, and the quality of the photos you need to produce.
- Put the lens on the camera upside down
If you own a 50mm lens, you have everything you need for macro photography.
Putting the lens on the camera upside down is exactly what it sounds like: you'll remove the lens from the camera and rotate it so that the front side of the lens, usually facing the subject, becomes pointing at the camera.
If you have a steady hand that doesn't tremble, you can simply hold the lens in your hands and shoot.
If you want more stability and don't plan to keep your hands clinging to the lens, you can purchase a specially made threaded adapter called a reversing ring, which attaches the inverted lens to the camera.
You'll find reflex rings anywhere camera accessories are sold, for less than a pizza.
Reverse lens technology works because of the way the 50mm lens works.
In standard photography, a 50mm lens focuses light from afar, making the image smaller for the sensor to capture.
When the lens is flipped, the opposite happens, and the image is enlarged to nearly normal size.
This technology works with prime lenses of any size, but many believe that 50mm delivers the best results.
If you have a 50mm prime lens, a steady hand, and some time and patience, you can get some great macro photos.
Don't have a 50mm lens? Or do you own it and don't intend to use the inversion technique? No problem, there are other solutions as follows:
- Close-Up Filters
Close-Up Filters are simple, straightforward accessories that do only one thing: They shorten the minimum focus distance of your lens so you can take sharp photos of very close-up subjects.
If you own a lens like an 18-55mm lens or a 50mm lens, you attach these filters to your regular lens, and they double the lens magnification up to 10x or more.
You can buy them in sets with different multiplication factors and they cost about $20 on Amazon.
However, zoom filters can cause color distortions and streaks and have other limitations.
They can only be used on objects that are very close to you, they generally produce softer and less detailed images, and often create unwanted color problems such as "noise" or chromatic aberration.
If you're serious about macro photography, the telephoto filters alone probably won't be enough to create the images you need.
But if you're primarily interested in casual close-ups of detail, they can be very interesting and often produce beautiful, eye-catching photos.
Another way to achieve the magnification you need when shooting macros is to use extension tubes. What does this mean?
- Extension Tubes
Extension tubes are placed between the camera and your regular lens and reduce the minimum focus distance, thus Increasing the magnification.
Most extension tubes come in sets of three tubes of different lengths.
These tubes can be used either singly or in combination as needed to get the magnification you want.
There are two main categories of extension tubes: those with electronic connections and those without.
Extension tubes with electronic connectors are remarkably expensive, but allow you to use the automatic features of the camera such as autofocus, exposure metering, aperture control, and more.
While extension tubes without electronic connectors are cheap tubes, with them you can't control anything - that doesn't mean they don't work well, on the contrary, you have to focus manually, and you have to shoot with the aperture wide open.
At just $10, this set of FotodioX Extension Tubes for Canon and Nikon cameras is great to get started.
They don't electronically attach your lens to the camera, but you can't argue with that price.
These, like all extension tubes, will work best with a telephoto lens such as a 50mm or 85mm lens.
As an upgrade, consider this set of Kenko Auto Extension Tubes ($129.90) for Canon and Nikon cameras.
12mm, 20mm, and 36mm each maintains the camera's electronic connection to the lens, so you can use its automatic features.
Will you need other equipment?
Now you are probably wondering: what about artificial lighting? How about a tripod? What about the focus rail? Aren't these things important for good macro photography?
Honestly, while artificial lighting, a powerful tripod, and a macro focus rail can certainly be useful for some types of macro photography, it's not necessarily a requirement for macro photography. (I rarely use these items).
So I recommend starting without these extensions. Then, if you decide you want more stability, you can get a tripod; If you decide that you want a fine focus, you can have a focus rail (we'll explain what it means in the next paragraphs); And if you decide that you want to adjust the lighting, you can have artificial lighting.
But it's not always necessary, and there are plenty of professionals who shoot macros by hand and only in natural light.
Now let's take a look at the most important macro photography equipment to get an idea of if you are really serious about this type of photography.
- Macro Lens
A macro lens is a type of camera lens designed specifically for focusing close-ups on a subject using 1:1 (life-size) magnification.
Macro lenses come in different focal lengths, from 35mm all the way up to 200mm. (You will find a 35mm lens, for example, a regular lens, and a 35mm macro lens).
There are 3 types of macro lenses:
- Short Macro Lens (35mm-60mm): These telephoto lenses are light and inexpensive, but they also require you to stay very close to your subject, which can cause your camera to cast shadows on the scene, block the passage of light, or worse, frighten Your subject to run away.
- Medium Macro Lens (90mm - 105mm): Medium range macro lenses have a longer working distance, and are light enough to be used without a tripod.
- Finally, Long Macro Lenses (150mm to 200mm): Macro lenses with a longer focal length produce the highest quality images at a longer distance, making them ideal for shy macro targets such as insects. However, it is also heavier and more expensive.
Most experts in macro photography recommend using a macro lens with a focal length of between 100mm and 150mm.
Common macro lenses to consider include:
But as I mentioned earlier, macro lenses are very expensive so, if you can't afford them, you can simply use the macro lens alternatives we talked about above.
- Strong Tripod
Sometimes you may encounter conditions that require Slow Shutter Speed, such as when shooting in low light.
A slow shutter speed means that the slightest movement causes the image to blur, so you'll need to hold the camera on a tripod to avoid damage.
if you want the short answer to the best macro tripod, it's the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB.
It collapses down to 24.75 inches and extends to a maximum height of 65 inches. Even better, the legs can be set apart quite dramatically, and the central shaft is reversed so that its minimum height is only 6.25 inches.
Absolutely perfect for macro photography.
When using the stand for macro photography, don't forget to set the camera's self-timer for two seconds, so you don't touch the camera while taking the picture to avoid any movement your hands will cause when you press the shutter button.
You can also use a remote shooting device or a smartphone app to remotely control the camera if they allow it.
- Focus rail
If you are photographing an insect that is too small to be in the center of the image but suddenly moves a few millimeters to the side, it will be difficult to move the camera, lens, and tripod a few millimeters to bring the insect into the center of the frame again and without losing focus on it.
To get more control, you need the focus rail shown in the image above (there are several rails and the picture is an example only).
The macro focus rail is a system that allows you to move the camera forward, backward, or even from the left to right.
There are several reasons why this rail is essential for capturing the best macro photography other than the one we mentioned.
You can adjust the focus you put on your subject in small amounts. This ensures sharp focus. This is really useful because the depth of field you get with close-up photography is very thin.
Focus rail mechanisms also give you precise focus which is very useful in a technique called Focus Stacking.
In this technique, you photograph the front of your subject and take the first photo, then refocus a little further away and take another photo.
This process is repeated until the entire subject is photographed, and when you combine it in an editing program to give you one clear picture of the subject from its head to its wings if it is a mosquito.
Well, the rail has gauges that allow you to move the camera around as much or as little as you want in a controlled manner.
For the price, a reputable focus rail starts around $45 for a model from Neewer.
While popular professional models, such as the Oben MFR4-5, are more expensive.
They all do the same thing: the difference is in how well they are built and how smoothly they make modifications.
lighting equipment for macro photography
All macro photographers agree that natural lighting is the best lighting for close-up photography.
But if you're shooting in a place where sunlight can't reach, like a studio, you'll need artificial lighting.
In this article: The Best Lighting for Macro Photography at the Lowest Cost, you will find all the information about the lighting you will need for shooting macro photography at an affordable price, as well as how to use natural lighting to achieve the best results.
What is macro photography and what equipment will you need - Conclusion
Don't consider macro photography a difficult challenge that you can only master by purchasing expensive macro photography equipment.
The most important piece of macro equipment you need is commitment, creativity, and a willingness to learn.
You need to deal with your subjects and enjoy watching them. You must be friendly and patient.
So before buying equipment, see if you are designed for this type of photography and ready to tell stories of the little things.
Comments
Post a Comment
We are waiting for your comments and inquiries