Tips for Macro Photography

Recently I gave a presentation on macro photography for several of my coworkers.  I have been trying to figure out how to easily get it into blog format, but it’s rather difficult converting a Powerpoint presentation into a blog.  The following are some tips I placed at the end of the presentation on macro photography.

Tip #1 - Keep in mind the orientation of the subject

The following are two pictures I took recently.  Note that the first isn’t very interesting.  You can easily make out that it’s a hoverfly but other than that the shot brings no emotion.  The second picture is quite a bit better - not only due to the reflection of the bug but also because the bug is facing forward.  In general always try to find a pose that is interesting - don’t just take the bug unless you are trying for an identification shot.

Tip #2 - Look for things out of the ordinary

The most interesting macro shots are often things most others would never have thought of - or at least taking a picture of.  Therefore it always helps to look at things with a different perspective - you may find something interesting that you would normally not have shot.

Tip #3 - Backgrounds can be changed

Very often the natural environment of an insect isn’t so interesting.  Therefore, sometimes it pays off to move the insect (or spider) from one location to another that provides a more interesting backdrop.

Tip #4 - Know your subjects

If you know the behavior of your subjects, you can often use that knowledge to get a more interesting shot.  Here is a simple example.  As most people know, pill bugs roll up into a ball when disturbed (hence the name).  Using this behavior, the second shot is much more interesting than the first.

Tip #5 - Stick around for awhile

Rather than broadly scan an area for interesting shots, stay put in the same area.  You will be surprised what you find when you stay still for a bit and become more keen about your surroundings.  In this case, a small worm started floating down on a thin strand as I was waiting.

Tip #6 - Rethink the mundane

Often an everyday object photographed the right way makes it much more interesting.  This is a shot of the texture of a leaf.

Tip #7 - Search rather than scan

Macro photography is not about walking around a lot.  Instead, search deeply in one spot.  Start digging a bit and really looking around a small area.  Not long ago when searching in the bark of a rotting log, I found this snail embedded in it.

Tip #8 - Start experimenting

Some of the most fantastic macro shots are created through experimentation.  These shots require a lot of patience, but when you get something technically right the rewards are great.  The shot below is a drop falling from ice that took me quite a few attempts to get right.  I still need to work on the lighting, but I was very pleased with the results so far.

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Tags: advice, hints, macro, photography, tips