Macro photography - is it really that difficult? How to shoot a flower in macro

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:40

Macro photography is a type of photography that seems quite easy to do. But, as in other ways of photography, it has its own subtleties and nuances. To become a professional, as in any business, you need a great skill. Therefore, in this article, you will learn the basics of macro photography.

Dismantling equipment

You don't need expensive professional equipment to take amazing pictures. What is written on various sites is often not entirely true. Even a beginner with the simplest "reflex camera" can take a close-up of a flower. But there is one thing that everyone who decides to do macro photography should definitely have - a tripod. You may not have lighting or other equipment, but a tripod is a must. It helps reduce hand-shake to the camera for sharper, more detailed shots.

If we talk about lenses, then in good hands for macro, the simplest "whale" lenses will do. Most often it is 18-55mm f4.5–5.6, they are suitable for macro tasksquite well. Here is a macro shot of a flower, taken with a Canon whale lens.

Practice

So, as you understand, in this article we will focus on standard lenses that come with SLRs, and how to take good macro photos. Naturally, it is recommended to take pictures in manual modes or modes with aperture priority. In order for the photo to come out as sharp and clear as possible, it is necessary to supply less light to the matrix so that the photo of flowers in the macro is elaborate and detailed, that is, it is necessary to cover the aperture in values from 4.5 to 11 depending on the shooting conditions.

But do not forget that due to the closed aperture, less light began to enter the matrix, so you need to increase its supply artificially. There are two ways to do this: increasing the shutter speed or raising the ISO. The first method is the most preferable, since noise appears with increasing photosensitivity. Do not forget that if the subject of your shooting is a stationary object, then you can use a shutter speed of about 1/50, and if it is a moving flower or an insect, then the shutter speed is already set from 1/500 and above. That, in principle, is the whole theory that you need to know, it remains only to stock up on time and patience.

Conclusion

So, macro photography is a great way to create stunning and mesmerizing shots showing the diversity of our nature. It develops in you a sense of the frame, because it mustbe focused on a flower, butterfly or snowflake. The frame should not overload with unnecessary details, it should be concise and simple. Experiment and practice, and macro will become your favorite style.