peterkinowski This tutorial is offered to give a few macro tips based on what I've learnt in the past 18 months both in the field and from other macro shooters. First, a disclaimer. For me, macro shooting has always been about manual controls, namely manual focus and exposure settings and always with a flash. This is my preferred technique but may not agree with other perceived ideas, particularly with the use of the flash. There are many different ways to take a photo, but for macro shots, these are my techniques and should be viewed accordingly.
For all the Pinnaclers who have never taken a macro shot before, here's a basic overview:
1. Basic macro
Most lenses have a macro setting. This basically lets you close focus to a subject and gives a magnification in the range of about 0.3x. It can be argued that true macro starts at 1x mag, which means for a cropped frame sensor camera, a subject 22mm wide will fill your viewfinder. At 2x mag, a subject 11mm wide will fill the viewfinder etc. etc.
Just about any lens can be adapted to take macro shots. What is needed is to extend the lens further out from the camera body. This can be done with extension tubes, bellows etc. Close up filters also work but at a slight degradation to image quality.
I started taking macro shots basically the only way I knew how, by using a 50mm lens attached to a bellows outfit. Nearly all of my earlier shots were taken using a Canon camera fitted with a 55mm Nikon manual focus macro lens mounted on a bellows. Flash was fired into a cardboard diffuser as shown here:
The reason for the Nikon lens was that I always believed that they were the best macro lenses made, and still do (until I bought my MP-E65mm) and because they had an aperture ring. That 55mm lens cost me $50 and is one of the best optically ever made and gave me great results. My Montgomery Burns shot was taken with this set-up:
However, a cheaper alternative is to fit extension tubes (available on ebay for about $20) between your lens and camera body. Even 40mm of extension fitted to a humble 18-55mm zoom will give magnification up to and beyond 1x mag. The only disadvantage with these rings is that you lose your automatic features including autofocus and metering which aren't really required for macro work anyway. The more expensive tubes which maintain the automatic features are available but for the price of these a dedicated macro lens would be a better option.
For anyone wishing to try this method, set the lens aperture to say F11, shutter speed to 1/125sec and ISO to 200, and check the EV reading. If it's a couple of stops down don't worry because the flash will compensate for this. Focus is manual and obtained by moving the camera and lens backwards and forwards. This focus method is what I've used to take every one of my macro shots, irrespective of the lens and set-up. A flash is also essential. Generally, the on-board flash fired into a gary fong diffuser will get the light in front of the camera lens depending on subject-to-lens distance, otherwise an off-camera flash fitted to a flash bracket aimed just in front of the lens or fired into a cardboard diffuser is a good alternative. I can't stress enough the importance of using a flash for macro work, not just to fill in the shadows but also to enable faster shutter speeds to freeze any motion. Most flashes have E-TTL metering which will provide the right level of light so exact camera settings is not that important.
Remember, with manual extension tubes you are viewing the subject with the lens stopped down (to F11) so the subject will appear darker. For daylight shots this is not a problem and also what you see is what you get, DOF wise.
A tip to set the aperture on lenses without an aperture ring is to set the aperture with the lens on the camera then hold in the DOF button as you remove the lens. This locks the lens at that aperture and can then be fitted to the extension tubes. Normal lens position is resumed when the lens is re-fitted to the camera.
One of my favourite "macro" lenses is my 70-200F4L Canon lens fitted to 40mm of extension tubes. I pre-set the lens to F8 and with the tubes can obtain a mag of nearly 0.8x. This is great for larger insects like butterflies and dragonflies as the working distance is quite large. Focus is obtained by moving backwards and forwards and by turning the zoom ring. I usually use this set-up with a mono-pod. Again, flash is essential. I've modified my MT-24EX twin flash units to fit the end of the lens as in this pic but the combo works just as well with a hot-shoe mounted flash.
Another commonly use method to increase magnification of a lens is simply to reverse it. Reversing adaptor rings are readily available and excellent results are obtained. Reversing a lens places the leading elements further away from the camera body and hence the increase in magnification. Again, the humble 18-55mm zoom reversed on a camera will give excellent magnification especially at the 18mm end. As before, the aperture needs to be pre-set for greater DOF and exposures and focusing is again all manual. And don't forget the flash! Anyone owning a 50mm lens and wishing to dabble into macro should try the extension rings or reversing methods.
2. Dedicated macro lenses
Of course, the above set-ups are merely a compromise for a good dedicated macro lens. Most of the major lens manufacturers make a macro lens which lets you focus from infinity to 1x mag. The one I own is Canon's new 100mmF2.8L macro lens and this is great for flower shots as well as larger insects like butterflies and dragonflies etc. Whenever I use this lens I always set focus and exposure to manual and use the pop-up flash fired through a gary fong diffuser. Typically, 1/200sec, F8, ISO200 will give a metered value of about 1-2 stops down. This is what I want because the flash takes care of the rest. My flash setting is usually set -1/3 to -2/3. The reason I diffuse all my flashes is because most insects have highly reflective surfaces and the diffused flash helps to keep these reflections down. I also find that a balance between flash and ambient light gives the best result. Just my opinion though. This is typical of a macro shot with balance fill-flash:
3. Beyond 1x mag: Macro Extreme
This is where the fun really starts and where you can get the most enjoyment out of macro shooting, especially with insects. It's not only the end result here but the thrill of the chase, just like hunting. Stalking an insect and finally getting it in your gun-sights to take a perfectly exposed shot is a lot of fun, and believe me, very addictive. Some of the best macro shots I've seen on Flickr are of insects at 2-3-4x mag. perfectly exposed and focused.
My main choice of weapon is of course Canon's MP-E65mm macro lens, arguably the best macro lens on the planet. This lens is strictly manual as it has no focus ring and magnification marks are marked on the barrel ranging from 1x to 5x. At 5x mag the lens extends to about 230mm so it's quite a monster. Coupled with this is my MT-24EX twin flash unit which fits to the end of the lens and extends with the lens as it moves. This is my set-up which I used a few months ago. Since then I've modified my flash diffusion layers:
Flash heads are usually set to the 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions and the flash set to -2/3 EV. Using all my previous macro gear in manual mode and employing stop-down metering was all good practice for the day I finally got my MP-E.
When I'm using this lens and flash, like all other macro shots I take, I have my camera set to manual mode, F13 aperture, 1/250sec shutter and 100 ISO. At these settings there is virtually no ambient light reaching the sensor so the flash is going to be my primary light source. I think I'll state here that I never use a tripod to take insect shots and that all my shots are hand-held. There are lots of ways to support the camera which I'll reveal later.
Anyone not wishing to fork out money for an MP-E might consider the "poor man's MP-E". This is merely a macro lens mounted on dedicated automatic extension tubes, such as a set of Kenko's. I've seen a lot of great macro shots taken with a Canon 60mm macro attached to these tubes and which can achieve magnifications almost up to 3x.
But back to the flash. One of the tricks to getting sharp, hand-held macro shots of active insects is to get the light source (flash) as close as possible to the subject. Flash duration increases with distance. The shorter the distance between the flash and the subject the shorter the flash duration and as this is the primary light source, the less movement recorded. The intensity of the flash doesn't change but the duration does. My current set-up has the flash diffusers almost touching and just above the opening to the lens so that they are almost touching the subject.
Because the flash is the primary light source the shot can often appear with a black background. This is really a personal preference and occurs because there is nothing behind the subject close enough to receive any of the flash lighting. If an illuminated background is required, it needs to be placed close behind the subject. This comes down to camera angle. These 2 similar bee shots were taken a) with the bee on the edge of the plant and isolated from the background, and b) with the bee on the edge of the plant but with the camera angled so that the background was included.
It's just a personal preference which is the better shot. Some macro shooters hold a piece of coloured paper behind the insect just to include some colour, or twist up the leaf of a plant or flower so that it's included in the shot.
Of course the bane of all macro shooters at high mag is the lack of DOF. There are 2 (not tricks) but gospel procedures that I adhere to for maximizing DOF for macro shots and I have to give credit to John Kimbler (aka dalantech) who mentored me for a while as I got better at macro shooting. The first of these is point of focus and the second, camera angle.
a) POF. Even at F13, DOF extends not only beyond the focus point but also in front. When I focus on the front of an insect's eyes, if I take the shot there, the DOF that exists in front of the eyes is lost, somewhere between the eyes and the camera. To gain all the DOF available I need to move the focus point "in a bit", so that the forward DOF will still include the eyes. I know this sounds a bit "iffy" but it does take some practice to know just how far in you can go.
b) Camera angle. Think of your lens as a sheet of cardboard and you want to cover and touch as many points on your subject as you can. Remember that your plane of focus is perpendicular to the lens so the more points on the insect that are perpendicular to the lens the more that will be in focus.
The picture of the feeding honey bee shows that I was able to get perpendicular to the main points of interest, namely the eyes, face and tongue. I positioned myself so that the line running from the eyes, down the face, and down the tongue were all at right angles to my camera. Any movement to either side and I would have lost focus on one of these.
Of course there is one more method to increase the DOF and something that is widely used and that is focus stacking. I've always thought of this as cheating but it is becoming an increasingly accepted method. I've got 2 programmes I use namely, Zerene Stacker and Combine ZP, both of which are available download free. When you stack macros you move the focus point through the image and then combine the results. This is relatively easy with non-moving subjects like flowers etc and a focus rail comes in handy here. For insects in the field I'm not so sure as they tend to move between shots but apparently Zerene Stacker can compensate for any minor movements. I'm yet to try this, especially hand-held.
For depth in your flower macros though, give it a go. I've recently bought a Velbon 4-way slider and it's a beauty. Very solid and accurate. I'm also experimenting with a combination of focus stacking and HDR, using different EV values with different focus points. It's all good fun experimenting with different macro techniques.
As I stated above, I never use a tripod. There are many ways to support the camera and lens, especially when shooting insects and these can apply to all macro set-ups, not just the MP-E65mm.
I got the idea of the left-hand-brace technique again from John K. This involves holding the subject in your left hand, be it a flower or insect perched on a stem or twig, and supporting the camera and lens on the same hand. With the MP-E I can then focus by moving the lens back and forwards on my hand. The main advantage of this set-up is that the differential movement between the camera and subject is eliminated as both move as one. Often when I spot a jumping spider on a leaf, if I was to crouch down and stick my camera in its face it will disappear under the leaf, being a very shy creature. To counteract this, I snip off the leaf with the spider still on it, hold it in my left hand and view the subject through the camera also resting on my left hand. Of course now, the spider and I commence to play a game of hide and seek as it moves to the under-side of the leaf every time I turn it over. But eventually I'll wear it down as it realises I'm not a threat and gives me the shot that I'm after, a head-on close-up.
The left hand brace technique is also ideal for composition, as you can twist and rotate the subject to get the right camera angle. For nearly all non-flying insects like spiders, ants, bugs etc, I almost always use this technique. Even for damselflies and dragonflies I'll grip the twig that they're perched on to also support the lens and camera.
A lot of insects also move at ground level. Lying on your stomach and supporting the camera and lens on your elbows is also a good way to take macro shots.
Another good technique is to use a "hillbilly monopod" . This is just a stick or branch stuck in the ground while you grasp the other end which can also support your camera and lens.
Finally, the flash support for the MT-24EX unit has a flat bottom which enables me to slide the end of the flash/lens along a solid surface. Most insects sit on something which will also support your lens. This is a good way of getting precise focus.
When shooting insects you do get to know their behavioural habits, especially the winged variety. Most of the winged type I shoot including flies, hoverflies, butterflies and damsels tend to fly in patterns, often returning to a favourite perch or flower. Often it's just a matter of staking out a favourite flower and waiting for the insect to return to get the shot.
The best time to photograph insects however is when they're distracted, e.g, feeding, preening, mating, etc. Shots I've taken of hoverflies and spiders with prey are easy because the insect is more intent on feeding than escaping the nosey photographer.
Nearly all insects preen themselves at one time or another, usually to clean their eyes and tongues from pollen etc as well as regurgitate food as flies do in the form of a bubble.
This is the easiest time to move in close and nab them as they are pre-occupied. Mating insects are also very approachable.
Butterflies are very approachable early in the day as they warm up their wings. Damselflies are approachable at the end of the day as they settle in for the night.
But if you can't get to the insects, make them come to you. We have bird feeder bowls which get bombarded by insects when the birds have finished, namely bees, wasps, flies, ants, etc. I often place a flower laced with raw sugar and water near the bowls and just wait for an insect to arrive. I've got the flower set up in a place that I can support the camera and move around to get the camera angle and picture that I want. Similarly, if wasps are in the area, a small piece of cooked meat will attract them anytime. One tip, bees and wasps won't bite unless you attack them. I've had both land on me but never been stung. Don't swat at them, that's a sign of aggression. Just gently brush them away, if you've got the nerve of course (LOL).
Finally, I always shoot in RAW as it gives a bit more flexibility in post as well as not losing data during compression and saving to JPEGs as it does when shooting in high quality JPEG directly.
Have fun shooting in macro. Be patient and be prepared to wear out your camera's delete button. If you get 1 keeper in 20 you're doing OK.
Cheers,
Peter
As a footnote, check out dalantech's web site, particularly his macro tutorials.
here's the link:
dalantech.deviantart.com/gallery/#Tutorials
also Mark Plonsky's gallery:
www.pbase.com/mplonsky/insects
and Brian Valentine's (Lord V) flower dewdrop refraction techniques.
www.wonderfulphotos.com/articles/macro/dewdrops/
and pay close attention to his flash set-up and the diffusion he's using.
Dialed-in! If you have a powershot, or other non-DSLR: I have been shooting for a couple years now with a Canon G9 Powershot (the little engine that COULD). I have had some very satisfying results with this camera, and have seen many other fantastic macro shots at 1:1 or better from flickr users using powershot cameras. My camera goes only to f8, and therefore I don't have quite the capability to expand my depth of field that maybe I could with a DSLR, but this little piece is about working with what you have.
There is a great site in addition to the one Peter mentioned to get away from "auto settings" on your camera... it truly is worth learning how to set up your camera without the "Auto" button... This is the site www.stopshootingauto.com.
There are also adapters you can get that will accommodate additional lenses. These are only "fixed" macro lenses, not lenses that connect electronically to your camera. Basically magnifying lenses attached by adapter. Use your full optical zoom when using these lenses, it increases the shooting distance by a few mm's, which is less likely to scare away a fly, or bump your lens into something that would scratch it!
If you want a quick, dirt cheap way to diffuse the light when shooting macro, I have made a diffuser using a piece of white paper. Here's how:
(1) trace the end of your lens
(2) cut out the circle
(3) fit your lens through the hole you've cut out.
You will find that you'll have to play with the positioning of the paper, and maybe bend it in places to even out the lighting, but that's what the "delete" button is for!
I've found that on shorter focal length you must use some sort of diffusing device, or the flash will be uneven, and/ or cast a dark shadow on your subject. This is one of the best examples of using that paper diffuser:
The one below was also taken close to sundown, and as you can see, even through two layers of paper, the flash was still a tad bit strong against the fly's reflective surface:
I, too, only shoot handheld. Using anything to brace the camera, and using techniques Peter has mentioned... there is one other that I use, and that is tying a long string to a screw that fits the tripod mount, and stepping on the string when it's on the ground... this (when practiced) is very useful for that extra steadiness. I usually hold my camera like a Policeman holds a handgun. Support with the left, and shoulder slightly back... what ever seems steady enough for you. That is using the LCD screen, and (not the viewfinder).
Another tip I picked up on getting the best position for the best use of what DOF you have is:
~ Set the focus (holding the shutter/ release button down halfway)
~ Then pan the camera around the subject until you find that perfect angle.
I do this a lot of the time while taking photos because sometimes you "accidently" find an unexpected angle to use!
So, with the mountain of knowledge that Peter has given us, and this little tit-bit, I encourage all to dive into macro no matter the type of camera you use.
Send me a note for questions, or constructive feedback...
Jonathan
P.S. I have bought additional adapters, and macro lenses for my powershot at this website www.lensmateonline.com/
If not there, search in one of the search engines for macro lenses with your camera.
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