Macro photography can be fun for everyone. There is something so interesting in getting up close and personal to your subject with your camera.
Macro photography is defined as a 1:1 magnification, so if your subject size is one inch, it projects at life-size at one inch on the camera sensor, so the subject would take up almost all of the image size. A 1:2 magnification is also great for close-ups, even though technically it isn’t considered macro photography.
The working distance is the distance between your lens and the subject. Nikon has a 200 mm f/4 and Canon has a 180 mm f/3.5. These macro lenses have a long working distance. I use a Nikon 105 mm lens which requires me to get a little closer to my subject than those two lenses but does a great job.
What can you do if you don’t have a macro lens? There are a couple of options. One is to use a telephoto lens and try to fill the frame with your subject. I often use my 70-300 mm lens when out on a photo walk and while it isn’t a macro lens, it will let me zoom in fairly close to a subject with a long working distance. This doesn’t make it a true macro but I’m okay with that. What matters to me is, can I fill the frame with my subject and take the photo I want. It also enables me to stay further away from my subject which is a good thing when I’m photographing wildlife that I don’t necessarily want to get too close too and also, often times, it’s just not possible to get that close without the subject moving away. The other advantage to using my telephoto when out is that I only need to carry the one lens and don’t have to stop to switch lenses, such as a prime or zoom lens and a macro lens.
Another option is to use extension tubes with your lens. I have three Kenko DG extension tubes (12, 20 and 36 mm, they are stackable so can add 1, 2 or all 3 of them at once). My favorite lens to put them on is a 50 mm but since I no longer have my 50 mm, I used my 30 mm lens for a sample shot. I put on a 20 mm extension tube, getting this shot of the coin. My tubes are the older technology (DG version) and require manual focus but the newer tubes are AF-S, allowing for auto focus. I have not tried those so have no opinion on how they work but I can say that I am happy with my cheap Kenko DG manual focus extension tubes. I’ll be happy to get another 50 mm lens soon to combine with the extension tubes. Another bonus of using these is that they are very lightweight, so its easy to carry around with you.
I enjoy both a macro lens and a telephoto lens but when I want an extreme close-up, I will go with the macro lens or a prime (fixed) lens with extension tubes.
Using a tripod or monopod allows you to stop down the aperture, around f/16 and f/32, which makes it easier to achieve the focus you desire. Because you will lose a lot of light at these apertures, hand holding the camera is probably not going to be possible, hence the need for a stabilizer. I often don’t want to carry a stabilizer around with me so compromise and shoot at around f/6.3 to f/9.
Sometimes you are able to lean or balance against something to help steady your hand and focus. If you are shooting in manual then come in close and slightly pull closer and away from your subject to achieve the best focus. Don’t do this too often because your eye will try to adjust and focus, possibly giving you an inaccurate estimate of focus. I will move in and out with the lens no more than two or three times, otherwise I will stop and start the process over. Some choices might be balancing the camera on a fence or railing, maybe leaning up against a tree or building while holding as steady as you can. Look at your surroundings and see if there is something you can utilize to help steady the camera and your hand.
No matter which camera or lens you use, keeping a steady hand or using a stabilizer, while utilizing the light as best you can and getting in nice and close with your framing, can yield some wonderful shots. Look at what’s in the background and how that will affect your subject in the foreground. Change your angle to see how the light and background affects your image. I moved this coin around the railing a few times and chose an angle that provided fairly even lighting around it.
The detail and texture you can capture with a macro lens is magical. Give it a try!
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