CyrillHarnischmacher

TheCompleteGuidetoMacroandClose-Up

Photography

TheCompleteGuidetoMacroandClose-UpPhotographyCyrilHarnischmacher

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ForUrte,Tabea,andJona

Foreword

In Japan, cherry blossom festivals are a centuries-long tradition thatmarksthebeginningofspring.Theflowerofthecherrytreehasbecomeasymbolbothforpristinebeautyandforthetransienceoftime.

Theseconceptsareofcentralimportancetomacrophotography.Withtheendofthecoldseasoncomesthereturnoflifeandmovementtothenatural world: insects take to the skies, and the first plants begin tobloom.

Thequestforthatperfectmomentwhenthesubject,yourperspective,and the light come together in perfect harmony is what photographerslive for. A camera and a lens are tools to document these fleetingmoments for ourselves and for others. Andwithmacro photography inparticular, the technical details are of great concern.But even so, theyaresimplyameanstotheendofbeingabletocaptureandexpressyourideas in your pictures. Nevertheless, they are tools that we can’t dowithout,andthemoretechnicalknow-howyoupossess,theeasieritwillbe to translate into imageswhatmoves you about noteworthy passingsubjectsinthenaturalworld.

Precisely this mixture of mastery and intuition is what makesphotography so exciting. The craft combines the appeal of clearingtechnical hurdles, the challengeofwaiting for theperfect light, and thewill tonever toacceptacompromisethatresults inan imageinferior toyourownexpectations.

Despite all of the technical knowledge about the craft that I need inordertoreachmyphotographicgoals,thereisonethingIneverwanttodo without: allowing myself to be carried across a blossom-strewnmeadow through a sea of subjects while shooting on instinct–notsearchingfortheperfectmoment,butallowingthemomenttoabsorbmecompletely.

CyrillHarnischmacher

2016

TableofContents

TheFascinationofMacroPhotography

01TheBasicsTheBasicsinTheoreticalTermsTheBasicsinNumbersTheDeepestDepths

02EquipmentCamerasforMacroPhotographyStandardLensesMacroLensesClose-UpLensesTeleconvertersandExtensionTubesReversingRingsandCouplingRingsBellowsAlteringDepthofFieldLightingforClose-UpandMacroPhotographyColorsofLightandColorReproductionShutterReleaseAccessoriesRemoteControlviaSmartphoneorTabletRemoteControlwithTriggertrapOpticalFiltersTripodsandMountsTransportationandSafetyAdditionalMacroAccessories

03ShootingTechniquesStrategiesforDealingwithBlurHoldingaCameraProperly

04MacroPhotographyintheStudio

StudioLightLightingComparedBuildingaSmallMacroStudioBringingNatureIndoorsTheGlowingSnailShellTabletopPhotographySmoke,Steam,andFog

05MacroPhotographyinNatureBackyardsandBalconiesIntotheWild

StefanDittmannFungalPhotographyPhotographyintheFungalKingdom

06SpecialShootingTechniquesMultipleExposuresFocusStackingLightPaintingIntervalShooting,Time-Lapse,andStop-MotionHigh-SpeedPhotographyHigh-SpeedStudioPhotographywithoutLightBarriersHighDynamicRange—HDRMacroPanoramasCreativeExperimentsInfraredMacroPhotography

JanMetzlerFocusStackingAdvancedFocusStacking

HansChristianSteegHigh-SpeedPhotographyCaughtinFlight

07SearchingforSubjectsDiscovering,Searchingfor,andCollectingSubjectsVariationsonaThemeAbstractSubjects

08ADayattheZooZoosBotanicalGardensButterflyGardensAquariaandTerraria

09ImageEditingPost-processingPhotosBlack&WhiteConversion

10WorkingwithLightExposureMeteringLightingontheGoAComparisonofPortableLightingOptions

11CompositionImageDesignCreativeCameraAnglesSettingtheScenewithLightFocusasaDesignToolAccentsofColorLimitingColors

BerndSchloemerMiniatureStreetArtTheCologniesProject

12DoItYourselfUsingaMacroLensasaMicroscopeGuideRailsforMacroPanoramasBeanbagCameraStandsSystemFlashReflectors

Acknowledgments

TheFascinationofMacroPhotography

MostofyouwillknowthesciencefictionnovelJourneytotheCenteroftheEarthbyJulesVerne.IcherisheditwhenIwasachildanddreamedofundertakingsimilaradventuresofmyown to come face to facewithstrange animals and to discover objects that people didn’t even knowexisted. Instead of climbing into the crater of the island volcanoSnæfellsjökullastheheroesinthebookdid,however,Ieventuallypickedupacameraandamacrolenstoexplorehiddenworldsinmorefamiliarenvirons.Macroandclose-upphotographyenableus todiscover thingsthatescapeournormalpowersofperception.Wecanseeparallelstothelargerworldweinhabitinthesmallerandtiniestdetailsaroundus.

AnillustrationofacolossalmushroomforestforJulesVerne’snovelJourneytotheCenteroftheEarthbytheFrenchartistÉdouardRiouImage:Publicdomain

Shapes,Substances,andStructuresThediscoveriesmadewhileresearchingtheworldoftheminisculehavehad—and continue to have—an influence on our lives that is hard tooverstate. Many of the structures around us simply would not existwithoutbeingabletoseewhatmicroscopesandmacrophotographycanmake visible. The natural world is the inspiration for a vast number ofhumanarchitecturalandengineeringfeats.

Onebranchofsciencethatconcernsitselfprincipallywithapplyingthetechnical lessonsofnaturetomanmadeinventionsisbionics.Scientistsengineermaterials,forexample,thatmimicthecharacteristicsofnaturalsubstances.Aspider’ssilkhasa tensilestrength that farsurpasses themost modern high-tech materials. Snail shells and bee honeycombsrevealhowtooptimizespaceinaroomwhileusingaminimalnumberofbuildingmaterials.

The intricate structures of a leaf reveal an astoundingly simple andelegantsystem fordeliveringnutrientsacross thewholeof itsarea; thesurfaceofashark’sskinshowsushowtobuildshiphullstominimizethewater’sresistance.

There are also elements in our everyday lives that containbiotechnology—thingswemaynotevenbeconsciouslyawareof.Velcro,for example, the lotus effect, or self-cleaning surfaces; the roofs ofmodern industrial buildings, aircraft wings, even data networks; or, ofcourse,theopticalelementsofacameralens—allthesethingshavetheirprototypesinnature.

AtinymushroomgrovePhoto:StefanDittmann

Nature’s shapes are as diverse as they are elegant,which forme is ahugereasonwhyItookupthisjourneyinthemicrocosmstobeginwith.Timeand timeagain thesameprinciplesofdesignwillcome into focusunder a macro lens in wildly different settings—symmetries, spiralformations,infinitelyrepeatingpatterns,forexample.

Eventhoughnatureneveroperatesasadesignerexclusivelytomakesomething look a certain way without also fulfilling various purposefulfunctions,itscreationsneverthelessamounttoabreathtakingbeautythatoffersaboundlesssourceofinspirationformeasagraphicartist.

Mapleseedf/26,1/200s,ISO100,60mm,studioflashsystem

Thewingsofahouseflyf/22,1/200s,ISO100,90mmmacrolensbellows,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Thearmofasquidf/9.5,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Fernfrondf/5.6,1/90s,ISO200,90mm,naturallight

Abeeandasmalltortoiseshellf/4.8,1/500s,ISO400,150mm

01

TheBasicsDiverse factors attract photographers to macro photography. They range from simplywantingtocreateattractiveimagestohavingascientificinterestincreatingart.

What remains the same no matter what your motivation, however, are the opticalfundamentals. These basics, once mastered, are the key to success. The goal ofknowingtheseprinciplesisnottocreatetechnicallyperfect images,buttodiscovertheboundariesandlimitsofthecraftsothatyoucanusethempurposefullywhencomposingyourownpictures.

Curiositywas themain reason I tookan interest inmacrophotography. Iwanted todiscover the world that surrounds us, but remains hidden to the naked eye. To put itdifferently, Iwantedaglimpse intoaworld thatexists inparallel to theworldweknow.And, of course, accompanying this wish is the desire to portray my discoveries in amannerasaestheticallypleasingaspossible.

TheBasicsinTheoreticalTerms

To move beyond needing to rely on dumb luck to achieve noteworthyimages, it isnecessary tobecomefamiliarwithseveralbasicprinciples.Gaining this knowledge will inform your ability to compose and designimages. Let’s start by looking at a few of the terms that will come uprepeatedlywhendiscussingmacrophotography.

MagnificationMagnificationdescribes the relationship of theactual sizeof a physicalobject to the size of its reproduction on the exposure medium. Amagnificationfactorof1:1isachievedwhenanobjectisreproducedatitsactualsizeonacamera’s filmor imagesensor. Inotherwords,1cm innature corresponds exactly to 1cm on the exposure medium,independent of the sensor size.With amagnification factor of 2:1, theobject appears twice as large as its actual size, meaning a length of0.5cm would be captured as 1cm. I would also add here thatmagnification is dependent on the lens’s focal length and the focusingdistance.

Themagnificationfactordoesnotdependonthesensorformat

SensorFormatSmallersensorformats,suchasthe1/2.5”sensorsthatareoftenfoundindigitalcompactcameras,producealargerdepthoffieldthanthelargersensors found in digital single-lens reflex cameras or 35mm filmcameras.

This phenomenon results from the fact that different sensor formatswillproducevaryingfactorsofmagnificationwhenyoudepictanobjectatthefullsensorsize.Thedepthoffieldvariesbasedonthemagnificationfactor.Depictingabeetlethatis36mmlongfullframeonasensorthatis18mmwidewouldrequireamagnificationfactorof1:2.Withanf-stopoff/8,thissituationwouldresultinadepthoffieldof2.4mm.Depictingthesamebeetle full frameon a full-format sensor (36mm)would require amagnification factorof1:1andwould featureashallowerdepthof field.Again, with an f-stop of f/8, the depth of field shrinks to 0.96mm. Thismeansthatadigitalsingle-lensreflexcamerawitha largesensor isnotalways the optimal tool for the job; in some cases, a small compactcameramightbetherightchoice.

CircleofConfusionIfanobject isportrayedsharply,allof thepointson thesubject that lieexactlyonthefocalplanewillalsoappearaspointsonthesensor.Alloftheotherpointsonthesubjectwillnotberenderedasperfectpoints,butrather as soft disks, the so-called circle of confusion. Our powers ofvision,however,perceivethesediskseffectivelyaspointsuptoacertainthresholdwithout registeringanyblur. If thecircle-of-confusiondiameterlimitgoesbeyondthisthresholdofourperception,westarttonoticeblur.Themaximum circle-of-confusion diameter is dependent on the sensorformat.

Theshapeofthebokehdependsonthenumberofaperturebladesandthestructureoftheiris.Thisimagerevealstheeffectofasix-bladedaperture.

BokehTheshapeofthecircleofconfusionhasnoinfluenceonthedepthoffieldofan image,but itdoesaffect theoverall lookand feelofapicture. Itsshape is determined by the shape of the aperture opening and thenumberofaperturebladesusedtodilateandconstricttheopeningarea.Constructionswithsixoreightbladesarecommon.Sometimesthecircleofconfusionisround,whichcanbeideal,asisthecasewithmanywithmirror telephoto lenses. Preferences about this particular visualcharacteristic, which is called bokeh, are highly subjective. A camera’sbokeh influences how a photo looks in areas that transition fromsharpness to blur.Manypeople also consider bokehameasuring stickforthereproductionqualityofalens.

Thewidertheapertureopening,theshallowertheperceptibledepthoffieldasdeterminedbythesizeofthecircleofconfusion

OptimalApertureandDiffractionBlurMacrophotographersareoftenforcedtostopdowntheaperturetohigh

f-stops because depth of field can become compressed down tomillimeters or less with increasing degrees of magnification. Up to acertain point, thismethodmakes a lot of sense, butmoving beyond arange referred to as the optimal aperture, however, reduces imagesharpnessduetotheincreasingquantityoflightdiffractedattheapertureblades.

This softening effect is called diffraction blur. It also occurs at low f-stops,buttheeffectisnotnoticeable,becauseasignificantpercentageofthelightisabletopassstraightthroughthelargerapertureopening.

As a baseline, you can treat an aperture of f/22 as the optimal limitwhenshootingwithamagnificationfactorof1:1.Inpractice,however, itwould be unusual to use this aperture setting because it wouldnecessitatesuchaslowshutter speed.Thingsstart to lookdifferentaswemove intomore extrememacro perspectives. At amagnification of2:1,f/16istheoptimallimit;at5:1,it’salreadydowntof/5.6.Needingtoworkwithsuchstrictaperturelimitsisproblematic,especiallywithmacrophotography.Fortunately,thereareafewtricksandmethodsthathelptocircumnavigate this issue, including focus stacking, which involvescompositingaphotooutofindividualpictureswithdifferentfocussettingstocreateanimagethatisinfocusthroughouttheimagearea.

DepthofFieldinMacroPhotographyAperture influencesmuchmore thanshutterspeed; incombinationwiththe magnification factor, aperture determines howmuch of an image’ssubjectwillappearwithin thedepthof fieldorhowmuchof thesubjectwillappearacceptablysharptothehumaneye(circleofconfusion).

Composingan imagewitha largedepthof fieldnecessitatestheuseofasmallapertureopening(ahighf-stop);conversely,ashallowdepthoffield requires the use of a wide aperture opening (a low f-stop). Bothsharpnessandblurarepowerfuleffectsforcomposingimages,andmanyDSLRsaccordinglyofferadepth-of-fieldpreviewfunctionthatallowsyoutoinspectyoureffectivedepthoffieldatvariousaperturesettings.

Inmostcases,a lens’s focal lengthalso influences thedepthof fieldbecause magnification is partly a function of focal length. Wide-anglelensesgenerallyofferalargerdepthoffieldthantelephotolenses.

However,alteringthefocallengthaffectsdepthoffieldonlywhentheshooting distance is kept constant. If the aperture and magnification

factorremainconstant,which isoftenthecasewithmacrophotographybecausemagnificationisofsuchimportance,thenthefocallengthwon’tinfluencethedepthoffield.

Ifyouwanttoshootthesamesubjectwithadifferentfocallength,butwant it depicted at the same size, you’ll have to alter your shootingstandpoint.Doingsocompletelycancelsouttheinfluenceoffocallengthinthemacrorange.

In contrast, a constant shooting distance with different focal lengthswillfeaturedifferentdepthsoffieldaswellasadifferentimageareaandlevel of magnification. In other words, a different image area will berepresented,andthesubjectwillappearlargerorsmalleronthesensordependingonthefocallength.

50mmmacrolens,magnificationfactorof1:3,f/5.6

105mmmacrolens,magnificationfactorof1:3,f/5.6

150mmmacrolens,magnificationfactorof1:3,f/5.6Thedepthoffieldinallthreeimagesisthesame,becausetheinfluenceofthefocallengthonthedepthoffieldisoffsetbyvaryingshootingdistanceswiththemagnificationfactorheldconstantinthemacrorange.Thebackgroundislessvisibleforthelongerfocallengths,however,becausetheangleofviewdemandsatighterperspective.

Aperture,ShutterSpeed,andISOSuccessive f-stops are related to one another by a factor ofapproximately1.41.Startingwithf/2.8,thenextstepisf/4,thenf/5.6,f/8,andsoon.Reducing theaperturebya full stopequates tohalving thequantity of light that can enter the camera during the samewindow oftime. In otherwords, if you reduce the aperture by one full stop, you’llneedaslowershutterspeed(twiceasslow)toallowenoughlighttopassthroughthesmallerapertureareatoobtainthesameexposure.

Things get more complicated with macro photography, because thefartheryoujourneyintotheworldofthetiny,thegreaterthelossoflightyouwillencounter.Thiseffectisreadilyobservedifyousetyourcamerain aperture-priority mode and attempt to focus on an object with aconstant aperture at varying shooting distances. The automaticallydetermined shutter speed will vary, becoming longer the closer youapproach to your object. The very tight depths of field involved withmacrophotographyalwaysrequirestoppingdowntosomedegree,whichmeans that the loss of light necessitates longer shutter speeds tocompensate. And this, in turn, means that it is impossible to captureimagesfreefromcamerashakewhileshootingfreehand.

To bring the shutter speeds back into the manageable range, you’llneed to alter the lighting conditions tomake things brighter. Reflectorsareonekeytoolforthistask,butothersourcesoflightsuchasflashunitsandLEDlampsalsohavetheirplace.

Yet another option is increasing the light sensitivity by boosting theISOvalue.Thedrawbackofthismethodisthatincreasedlightsensitivitycomeswithadecreaseinimagequality.HighISOsettingsleadtoimageswith a grainy appearance showing more visible image noise. ManycontemporaryDSLRs,however,especiallythosewithfull-formatsensors,allow photographers to shoot with ISO speeds that were simplyunfathomableevenafewyearsago.Moderncameras,dependingonthemodel,canproducenearlynoiselessimagesatISO800orISO1600.Inadditiontoincreasedimageresolution,theadvancesinimagequalityathigh ISO settings are one of the most important recent advances incameratechnologywithrespecttomacrophotography.

Anotheroption,ofcourse,istoworkwithatripodorwithacameraorlens that features image stabilizers and to shoot with slower shutterspeeds. Both of these options require a stationary subject, however;otherwiseyouruntheriskofunwantedmotionblurruiningyourshots.

f/5.6,1/250sat300mm

f/9.5,1/90sat300mm

f/19,1/15sat300mmStoppingdowntheaperturedramaticallyincreasesthedepthoffield,butitalsoslowsdowntheshutterspeedsignificantly

TheBasicsinNumbers

The theoretical principles of macro photography naturally affect thepracticalsideofactuallytakingpictures.Theseconceptscomeintoplayassoonasyouconsiderwhichcameratopurchaseandremainrelevantaslongasyou’recomposingpicturesthoughtfully.

Butdon’tworry:there’snevergoingtobeatimewhenyou’recalledontophotographasubjectwithaspecificmagnificationfactor.Withdepthoffield, however, knowing some technical specifications can haveinterestingbenefits.

For the most part, photographers use their instincts to shoot whilepayingattention to thecompositionof thephoto, the lightingconditions,andtheflightzoneofthesubjectathand.Butthatisexactlythereasonwhyit’snecessarytobecomefamiliarwithsomeofthefundamentalrulesofmacrophotography.Youwantthemtobecomesecondnaturesoyoucanfocusyourattentiononmakingtherightdecisionsintheheatofthemoment.

This advice doesn’t mean that beginners shouldn’t spontaneouslyshootpicturesbasedonagutfeeling.Photographyshouldalwaysbefun,and accidentally successful images often provide a good lesson infiguringoutwhycertainthingsworkwell.Afterward,youcaninspecttheEXIF data to figure out what settings the camera used to create aninterestinglook,andthenyoucanreplicatethesesettingsinthefuture.

You’ll find various formulas and tables on the following pages. Theinformationpresentedherehasvaluefromastandpointofthetheoriesofphotography,but italsowillhelp informyouofpracticalskills.Thedatareveal that all of the various factors are interconnected and representindividualfacetsofamuchlargerwhole.

OnlineCalculatorsandApps

Ifyou’reaverse tousingacalculator tocomputeoneof the figuresyoumayneedinyourpractice,you’llfindplentyofstrongalternativesontheInternetandintheappstore.Thelinksbelowareexamplesofappsandwebsitesthatperformthesecalculations.http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dof-calculator.htmhttp://dofsimulator.net/en/https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/depth-of-field-calculator/id356339910?mt=8

CalculatingtheMagnificationFactorThemagnificationfactorofanimagecanbecalculatedwiththefollowingformula:

Magnificationfactor(β)=Imagesize:Objectsize

Imagesizedescribesthesizeoftheobjectasitisdepictedontheimagesensor or film, and object size refers to the actual dimensions of thesubjectbeingphotographed.Consideranexampleinwhichabeetlethatis 12.5cm long is photographed full frame with a camera that has asensor25mmwide.Themagnification factor is2:1 (25 :12.5=2).Youcanusethisinformationtodrawconclusionsabouttheexpecteddepthoffieldortheoptimalaperturetobeused(seetable).

DeterminingtheOverallOutputofMultipleFlashesIfyouwanted tousemultiple flashsources toextend thedepthof field,forexample,youcancalculatetheoverallflashoutputofalloftheunits.

Example:Insteadofusingasingle,smallflashwithaguidenumberof12

and ISO 100 and a 35mm focal length, youwant to use four identicalflashunitssimultaneously,or, in thecaseofa longexposure, fire themfourtimesfromthesamedirection.

Theoverall output accordingly equals 24. That seems like a significantincrease in the flash output, but it’s a gain of only two stops when itcomes to the exposure—approximately moving from f/8 to f/16. Theimprovement to the depth of field is in turn dependent on themagnification.

Stoppingdownbeyondtheoptimalaperturewillresultinalossofsharpnessresultingfromdiffractionblurcausedbylightreflectingofftheapertureblades

TheRelationshipofAperture,ShutterSpeed,ISO,andLightingPhotographers enjoy a great deal of creative freedom to alter theappearanceof imagesbymodulating shutter speed, aperture, and ISOspeed.Thereare times, though,when it’sdesirableornecessary to fixoneormoreofthesesettingsataspecificpoint.Youmayneedtokeeptheshutterspeedasfastaspossible, forexample, toavoidmotionblurwhilealsostoppingtheaperturedowntoincreasethedepthoffield.Thetablebelowrevealshowthesekeyvariablesofaperture,shutterspeed,

andISOinteract,orinotherwords,whatcompromisesyoumightneedtomakeinordertomaketheexposureworkforaspecificshot.

Example:Assumethatyou’reworkinginasituationwhereyourshootingdistance and the focal length of your lens necessitate that you use ashutter speedof1/500s inorder to captureaquicklymovingobject infocusandthatyouneedtouseanapertureoff/11tohaveyourdesireddepthof field. If the internalexposuremeter leads thecamera toselectISO100andf/4ata fixedshutterspeedof1/500s, thenyou’llneedtoincreasetheISObytheequivalentofthreeexposurevalues(EVs)toISO800 so that you can keep the exposure constant and stop down theaperture three EVs to f/11. Undertaking this shift will likely incur anincrease in image noise. If you’re not willing to accept the diminishedimagequalityasaconsequence,thenyou’llneedtoalterthelightingofthescene,perhapswiththeuseofflash.

DepthofFieldforVariousShootingDistances,FocalLengths,andFactorsofMagnificationIn themacro range, it’s possible to achieve the same depth of field at

various focal lengths and with a constant aperture if you adjust yourshootingdistancesotheimageframeremainsunchanged.Ifyouchangeyour focal lengthwithoutadjustingyourshootingdistance,you’llendupwithanalteredimageframe,magnificationfactor,anddepthoffield.

Asthemagnificationfactor increases,thedepthoffieldshrinksdowntovaluesassmallasfractionsofamillimeter.Whenthesesituationsarise,you’llneedtousespecial techniquessuchasfocusstackingtoachievethorough sharpness across your image. You’ll find instructions for thismethodlateroninthisbook.

TheDeepestDepths

Just how far can you go into the world of macro photography? Whatresultswillyoubeabletoachievewithdifferentpiecesofequipment?

Withamacro lensandaDSLRyouwill beable to takehigh-qualityphotos at a magnification factor of 1:1 without needing any additionalequipment. You can actually focus macro lenses on infinity, and theyserve perfectly well for taking pictures of more conventional subjectssuchaslandscapes.Creatinghigh-qualityimageswithmacrolensesatamagnification greater than 1:1 requires the use of specialty equipmentwithaDSLR.

Most compact and bridge cameras come equipped with a macrofunction,buttheeffectivenessoftheirmacromodeishighlyvariablefrommodel tomodel,so it’spossibleonly togiveavaguepointof referencefor what they can accomplish. In general, you’ll be working with amagnification factor between 1:3 and 1:2. Depending on the camera,however,therearealsowaystoachieveamagnificationof1:1—moreonthatlater.

As you’ll be able to tell readily from the example photos here, thedepthoffielddiminishesmarkedlyasthemagnificationfactorincreases.Yet another challenge when using various lengths of lenses incombinationwithamacrobellows is lighting.With thissetup, your lensends up being so close to your subject that ensuring a satisfactorylightingsituationcanbeproblematic.

Standardzoomlenswithamacrosettingat70mm.Attainablemagnificationlevelsvaryonalens-by-lensbasisdependingonminimumfocusormacrofunctionality.

Standardzoomlenswithmacrosettingat70mmwitha+2diopterclose-uplens.Close-uplensesareacost-effectivewaytojourneysomewhatfartherintothemacroworld.

50mmlenswith12mmextensiontube.Thebackgroundisstillsharpherewiththeapertureatf/16.Manycompactcamerasarenotcapableofclosermacropicturesthanthissamplephoto.

Standardzoomlenswithmacrosettingat70mmwitha+10diopterclose-uplens.Thisimagewasstillshotatf/16,butthedepthoffielddecreasesdramaticallyasthemagnificationlevelincreases.

Themagnificationlevelhereis1:1,achievedinthiscasebyusingatruemacrolenswithafocallengthof105mm

Usinga2xconverterwitha50mmmacrolensproducesafocallengthof100mmwithamagnificationof2:1

A90mmmacrolenswithabellowsthathasamaximumextensionof150mmbringsusintoamagnificationfactorof2.7:1

Herewehavetheresultofreversemountinga25mmlenswithabellowsatitsmaximumextension.Themagnificationlevelis5:1,whichistheupperlimitformostnormalmacrophotographers—higherlevelsofmagnificationrequirespecialmicroscopiclenses.

Lizardonagardenwallf/7,1/160s,ISO400,60mm

02

EquipmentWhat’stheoverallbestcameraonthemarketfortakingmacrophotographs?Whataboutthebestavailablemacro lens?There isn’taclearanswer to thesequestions,becausethe demands for shootingmacro subjects are as diverse as the subjects themselves.Personalpreferencesalso factor inhere,so if youask twophotographers,you’ll likelygettwodifferentanswers.

Ihavea few favorite lenses.Oneof them is theAFNikkor28–105mm1:3.5–4.5D,whichIusedtoshootthelizardonthesepages.Thislenshasbeenaroundforawhile,but it offers a magnification of 1:2 from 50mm to 105mm and good sharpnessperformance.

For close-up and macro shots in the studio, I prefer the 60mmMicro Nikkor fromNikon.Itoffersexcellentresultsforavarietyofvariables:shootingdistance,sharpness,magnification,andbokeh.It’satruestandout.

WhenI’moutinthefield,IusuallyoptforaSigma180mmtelephotomacro.Usedintandemwitha fitting teleconverter, this lens letsmephotographsubjects thatareevenfartheraway.

Onthewhole,mygearbagtendstoberelativelyempty.Ipreferhavingtheabilitytomoveunburdenedwhile I’mworkingand tomaximizemyattentiononwhat I’m takingpicturesof.Fortunately,Idon’tlivewiththefearofmissingaparticularsubjectbecauseIdon’thavetherightlensonhandatthetime.

CamerasforMacroPhotography

Aside from resolution, cost, and minimum focal distance, there are avarietyofpersonalpreferencesthatinfluencewhichcameratopurchase.In other words, the camera and the photographer need to be a goodmatch. Even ergonomics influence the quality of your images in a notinsubstantial way. If control buttons and dials are too small and poorlyarranged,or ifamanualmode isonlyaccessiblebynavigating throughlayersofsubmenus,thenyou’relikelytogetfrustratedwhileshootingandhavelesssuccessincomposinganddesigningyourimages.Youshoulddefinitely spendsome timeholdinga cameramodel in yourhandsandtesting it out at a retail store, friend’s house, or trade show beforepurchasingit.

If you already own a camera, then you have a valuable point ofreference for how deeply you’re able to dive into themacroworld andwhatelseyoumightneedtogettoyourdesireddepths.

SmartphonesandTabletPCswithIntegratedCamerasEven as the resolution of cameras built into cell phones improveswitheachmodel,thesecamerasarestillnotpracticalformacrophotography.Thesamegoesforthevarioustabletsonthemarket.Nevertheless,youcanfindspecialmacroattachmentsthatwillimproveyourabilitytoshootin the close-up range with these devices. The power of these tools islimited. They might, for example, be suitable for a snapshot of thedecorationonyouricecreamsundae.

Pros:Alwaysonhand

Cons:Manylimitationsforuseinthemacrorange

Summary:Smartphones and tablets are not designed for macro use, but don’tdiscount their utility completely because their technical capabilities arerapidlyadvancing.

CompactCamerasDigital compact cameras can be found in any price class: from simpleentry-leveldevicesup toprestigious lifestylecameraswith retrostyling.Afteryougetupto12megapixels,youdon’tneedtoworrymuchaboutimage quality as long as the lighting conditions are sufficient. If you’reshooting in dim light, though, all bets are off becausemany compactshavefairlypoornoiseperformanceevenatISO400.

Mostcommoncompactcamerasonthemarketfeatureamacromode,and they usually clearly indicate the minimum focusing distance. Theindication thatyoucanshoot in “macroup to1cm”soundsseductiveatfirst, but that limit is almost always available only when shooting withwide-angle focal lengths. Ingeneral, themaximummagnificationyou’relikely to obtain is 1:2. Setting up lighting can be tricky when usingcompactcameras formacro imagingatsuchacloseshootingdistance,becauseyou’llbeblockingyourownlight.

Mostcompactcamerascomeequippedwithamonitorthatisbetween2.5 and 3.5 inches (6.3cm and 8.9cm)—distances that refer to thediagonal lengthof thescreen.If thedisplaypivotsandturns,thenyou’llbeabletoshootsubjectsfromgroundlevel—fromaworm’s-eyeview.

The monitor is your only option for inspecting and controlling yourphoto,whichmeansthatyourabilitytocomposeyourphotoislimitedtosomedegreebythelightingconditions.Youhavelesscontroloveryourpicture inverybrightconditions.Oneway toaddress thisconcern is tobuildasimpleshadescreenoutofcardboardtomakethemonitormorevisible.

Theprocessoffocusingmanuallywiththesecamerasisoftenaweakpointbecauseitinvolvestheuseofarockerswitch.Fine-tuningthefocusvia this type of control is difficult and means your ability to set thesharpnessaccuratelyislimited.

Compactcamerasrangeinqualityfromaffordablebeginnermodels...

...uptohighlyrespectedpremiumcompactswithfixedprimelensesPhoto:Fujifilm

Compactcamerasarewellsuitedforclose-upphotography,buttruemacrophotographyisbeyondtheirpracticalscope

Pros:Compactandeasytohandle

Cons:WorkinginmacromodeisinconvenientNotconducivetoenhancingperformancewithadd-ons

Summary:Without question, compact cameras are fantastic for many uses; butbecause of various limitations, they are better suited to close-upphotographythanmacrowork.Forpicturesoflargeflowers,mushrooms,andthelike,theyrangefromgoodtoverygooddependingonthemodel.

BridgeCamerasThesecamerasactuallyserveasahappy,all-in-onesolution formacrophotography.TheirmethodofoperationisverysimilartoDSLRs,whichisone reason they are becoming more popular. Their reputation is alsoowed to their extensive features, which often include a foldableviewfinder,anexpansivezoomrange,imagestabilizers,andagreatdealmore at a price that, in many cases, wouldn’t even purchase a singlemacrolens.

Withoutusinganyaccessoryequipment, youcan typicallyachieveamagnification factor between 1:4 and 1:2 with cameras in this class.When equippedwith image stabilization and an impressive zoom lens,thesecamerasarewell suited forphotographing insectscomparable tothesizeofabutterfly.Ifyouwanttoextendyourmacrocapabilitieswiththese cameras, you’ll need to use close-up lenses, also known asdiopters, since these cameras typically don’t feature interchangeablelenses.Byusingclose-upfilters,youcangenerallyachievemagnificationlevelsof1:1andsometimesevenhigher.Usingareversesettingwithacouplingring,thefixedwide-angleornormallensofabridgecameracanrealizemagnificationlevelsof2:1andbeyond.

Ifyoudecidetopurchaseoneofthesecameras,youshouldpaycloseattentiontotheminimumfocusdistanceaswellashoweasyitistousethemanual focus. Ingeneral,a focusing ring isbotheasier touseandmore precise than a rocker switch. Also check for the ability to attachflashunits.A simple shoemountwill do the trick;with this, youwill beabletoinstallanadapterenablingtheuseofremoteflashunits.

Bridgecamerastypicallyofferarespectablemacromode.Userswhowanttouptheirmagnificationwillneedtolooktoclose-upfilters

Agardenspider,displayedhereatthemaximummagnificationofaFujifilmFinePixHS10bridgecamerainsupermacromode

Antonadandelion.Usinga+1diopterclose-uplensbringsyouabitclosertothemacrorange.

Pros:LargezoomrangeArticulateddisplayscreenUsuallyfeatureintegratedimagestabilizers

Cons:DigitalviewfinderOperationspecifictomacrofunctionsissometimesungainlyShutterlag

Summary:Because of their large zoom range and their image stabilizationtechnology,bridgecamerasare ideal for takingpicturesof large insectssuchasdragonfliesandbutterflies.

MirrorlessSystemCamerasAlthough the flexibility affordedbyDSLRshasnot fully been replicatedformirrorlesssystemcameras,thisstatusofthingsislargelyowingtothefactthatthisclassofcamerahasbeenonthemarketforarelativelyshortperiodoftime,andthediversityofthird-partylensesandaccessorieshasyettothrive.

The primary advantages of these cameras with regard to macrophotography are their modest weight and their relatively compactdimensions. Photographers using these cameras will be able to usepropermacro lenses, and theywon’t have toworryabout amirror thathastoswingoutofthewayforthesensortocaptureanimage(amotionthatcausesvibrationsthatcancompromiseimagequality).

Photographers who are fond of electronic support will find plenty oftools at their fingertips:QR code andWi-Fi functionality, superimposedguidelines to assist with image composition, electronic viewfindermagnification for macro exposures, rich video functionality, integratedimagestabilization,andmuchmore.

The imagequalityattainablewith thesecamerasand their integratedMicroFourThirdsorAPS-Csensorsrangesfromverygoodtoexcellent.Youwon’t replicatewhata full-formatcameracanachieve,but theyare

onparwithhalf-frameDSLRs.

Thebestofbothworlds.Mirrorlesssystemcamerasbringtogetheranumberoftheadvantagesofvariouscamerasystems.Photo:Olympus

Thankstoabilitytoswapoutlenses,mirrorlesssystemcamerascanreachwellintothemacrorangePhoto:Olympus

Pros:InterchangeablelensesLighterinweightthanDSLRsArticulateddisplayscreensOftenincludeimagestabilization

Novibrationscausedbyaswingingmirror

Cons:DigitalviewfinderRelatively limited selection of accessories from third-partymanufacturers

Summary:Situated between bridge cameras and DSLRs, system cameras scorehighmarksinmanyareasandshouldbetreatedasaseriousoptionformacrophotographers.

DSLRswithHalf-FrameSensorsNoother camera systemoffers asmanydiversepossibilities formacrophotography asDSLRs. Anyonewho has rigorous demands for imagequality,operation,add-ons,andlevelsofmagnificationcannotignorethiscameraclass.Thereisaseeminglyendlessrangeofsolutionsavailableforpracticallyanyphotographicsituationevenforthespecificpurposeofmacro photography—starting with macro lenses all the way tosophisticatedflashcontroloptions.Thepriceofthisflexibilityistheneedto acquire and carry every piece of additional accessory equipment—whetherlenses,angleviewfinder,orbellows.

Half-frame sensors are somewhat smaller than the traditional 35mmformat, offering what at first appears to be a 1.5x or 1.6x focal lengthextension.Inreality,thiseffectiscalledacropfactor.Thesmallersensorcaptures a tighter angle of view, which seems to produce a telephotoeffect. For example, a 150mm lens used with a DX or APS-C formatsensorwillhavethesametelephotoeffectasa225mmlensona35mmor full-framedigital camera.Crop factorsdon’t influence theachievablelevelofmagnificationatall.

TheresolutionofmodernDSLRsleavesnothingtobedesired,givingphotographers ample opportunity to enlarge image details at excellentlevelsofquality.Thesecameras featurenoiseperformanceathigh ISOvalues that isgoodenough toproduceacceptable resultseven inpoorlightingconditions.

Onedownside to this typeof camera is their susceptibility to havingdustsettleon thesensorasa resultof theiropen internalconstruction.

Swappingoutalensinspringwhenpollenlevelsarehighcanleadtoanunfortunateblemishonthedelicateimagesensor.

FujifilmFinePixS5ProwithSigma180mm1:3.5DAPOmacro.Thecropfactorwiththissetupmakesitseemasthoughthefocallengthextendsbyafactorof1.5from180mmto270mm.

Bee.Thankstothecropfactor,evenmediumtelephotolensesarepowerfulenoughtokeepyoubeyondtheflightzoneofshyanimals.

Pros:Manyoptionsforexpansionsandadd-onsSimple,intuitiveoperationHighresolutionOpticalviewfinder

Cons:Sensorisnotprotectedagainstdust

Summary:Ifyouareseriousaboutbecomingamacrophotographer,thenyoucan’tdowithoutaDSLR.

DSLRswithFull-FrameSensorsMany of the characteristics and descriptions about half-frame DSLRsapplytofull-frameDSLRsaswell.Onebigdifference isnoisebehavior,however; the larger pixels on the sensor enable dramatically improvednoiseperformance.Thehighresolutionsofferedbythesecamerasmeanenlargingdetails iseasy.Anotheradvantage is that lensescanbeusedattheiractualfocal length—somethingmanyphotographersareusedtofrom the days of film. Awide-angle lenswill stay a wide-angle lens; a100mmfocallengthwillremaina100mmfocallength.

Many full-framecamerasallowyou toshootusinga reduced format,shouldyouwantto,whichmeansyoucanreplicatethecropfactorof1.5or1.6;you’lljustneedtoacceptalossofresolutiontodoso.Youcouldeffectively achieve the same result by altering your image areaaccordingly,but theplussideofdiminishing thesensor format is that itwillbeeasiertouselensesdesignedforsmallerformats.

Thehighstandardsfortheresolvingpowerofthelensnecessitatedbythepowerful sensor is not really a concern, becausemacro lensesarebuilt to high optical standards. The larger image sensor significantlyimproves thenoiseperformanceathigh ISOvalues.Rather thanusingartificial lighting tobrightenupadarkscene,youcan insteadboost thesensitivity up to ISO 1600 or 3200. This benefit is hugely useful whenshootinginsomeplaceswhereflashisnotpermitted,suchaszoos.Evensensitivities of ISO6400and up are at your disposal, but visible noisestartstobecomemoreofanissue.

NikonD800withAFMicro-Nikkor60mm1:2.8D.Whenusingfull-framecameraswithveryhighresolution,youshoulduselensesthathavethehighestpossibleimagingperformance.

EvenatISO6400youwillbeabletoachieveexcellentimageswithminimalnoise.D800,detailenlargement.

Pros:VeryhighresolutionImagequalityathighISOvaluesLensesoperateat thesameeffective focal lengthason35mmfilmcameras

Cons:NotverycheapCanbeheavyandlarge

Summary:Ifyouwanttogettheabsolutemostoutofyourcameraandyouwanttotakeyourmacrophotographytothenext level,youshould look intothefull-framecamerascurrentlyavailablefromtheleadingmanufacturers.

Waterdropsonarosepetalf/13,1/125s,ISO100,50mm,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Anemoneonablackbackgroundf/13,1/125s,ISO100,50mm,studioflashunit

StandardLenses

ZoomLensesMostpeoplewhopurchasetheirfirstDSLRalsoacquireazoomlens.Ingeneral,theselensesofferarangeoffocallengthsfromamoderatewideangletoarelativelyshorttelephotoangleofview,andtheyoftenfeatureamacrofunction.

The termmacro in this context is somewhat inaccurate; it would bebetter to say that these lenses feature a favorable minimum focusingdistance.With commonmagnification levels up to 1:3, or even 1:2 forsomemodels, it is possible to capture a variety of subjects full frame,suchasbutterflies,flowerblossoms,mushrooms,andthelike.Becausemost zoom lenses aren’t particularly fast and their macro functionalityoften necessitates that the focus is in the telephoto position, you’llfrequently encounter situations where it won’t be possible to shootfreehand.

Extensiontubesandclose-uplensesbothoffermethodsforenhancingmacrocapabilities,butnotethattheimagequalityyou’reabletoattainishighly dependent on themain lensaswell as theoptical quality of theclose-upfilterinuse.

There aren’t any true macro zooms. The one exception is the AFMicro-Nikkor70–180mm1:4.5–5.6DED,whichoffersamagnificationofup to 1:1.32. But you’ll find this lens only on the secondhandmarket,whereitoftenisstillquiteexpensive.

Fixed-Focal-LengthLenseswithoutMacroFunctionalityThe story with fixed-focal-length, or prime, lenses is similar; your maxattainablemagnification is around 1:3. The advantage of prime lenses,

however,istheytendtobemuchfasterthanzoomlenses,whichmeansthey’llpairbetterwithteleconverterandextensiontubes.

If you’re not startingwith a prime lens to beginwith as you start onyour macro quest, it probably makes the most sense for your nextpurchase to be a true macro lens. If you’re on a budget, you mightconsider looking for an old 90mm or 100mmmacro lens on the usedmarket. You sometimes can find models with a magnification factor of1:2,whichalsoofferutilityasmodestportraitlenses.

DetailimageofadriedleafMagnification1:2,f/22,1/125s,ISO100,AFNikkor28–105mm1:3.5–4.5Dat90mm,studioflashunitwithsoftbox

Zoomlensesofferlimitedfunctionalityformacrophotography.Inmostcases,themagnificationlevelendsupbeingapproximately1:3.

MacroLenses

People coming to macro photography for the first time often have todecidewhatfocallengthtopurchasefortheirfirstmacrolens.Ideally,thelenswouldbewellsuitedforshootingaplethoraofsubjectsfromplantsand insects in the wild to any possible studio subject. Unfortunately, amacro lens that is ideal for every possible subject doesn’t really exist.Macrolenseshaveafixedfocallength,whichmeansthatdifferentlensesneedtobeusedfordifferentapplications.

Aqualitymacrolensisalifetimeinvestment.Itwillallowyoutocapturephotos focused from infinitydown toamagnificationof1:1withoutanyadditionalequipment.Whichfocal lengthyoudecidetopursuedependswhollyonyourprimaryneedsandintentions.

Nearly allmacro lenses offer amaximumaperture of f/2.8, enablingphotographers to shoot freehandeven in difficult lighting.But you’ll getthebestimagequalityifyoustopdowntheapertureafewstops,whichisalso important for macro work to ensure that your depth of field issufficientlylarge.

Forlenseswithinternalfocusing,thelengthofthelensremainsthesameforallfocussettings

MacroLenses:Under50mmMacrolenseswithfocallengthsinthisrangetendtobedesignedforusewithsmallersensorssuchastheAPS-CorDXsensorsorthoseadheringto theMicroFourThirdsstandard.Whenusedwith thesesensors, theyeffectively replicate the classic macro lens with a 50mm normal focallength. They are rarely intended to be used with full-frame cameras,although thereare somewide-angle lensesdesigned for full-frameusethat offer a magnification of up to 1:2. These products allow you toincludesomeofthesurroundingelementsofyoursubjectinyourimages.

Forlenseswithexternalfocusing,thelengthofthelensvariesdependingonthefocussetting

MacroLenses:From50mmto60mmFocallengthsinthe50mmto60mmrangeareidealforreprographyusesbecause they provide essentially distortion-free results. They also aregreat for macro uses, though, when you’re working with a decentshooting distance, as is often the case when photographing plants ordetailsoflargerstructuresinthestudio.

MacroLenses:From90mmto105mmLenseswithfocallengthsrangingfrom90mmto105mmareusefulforavariety of shooting situations. Because they allow a larger shootingdistance, it’seasier tocater the lighting tosuityoursubject.As longasthe aperture isn’t radically stopped down, these lenses also allow forfreehand shooting. Some manufacturers have even started includingimagestabilizationformodelsinthisrange.

MacroLenses:150mmandupTelephoto macro lenses in the 150mm to 200mm range are ideal forphotographing insectssuchasdragonfliesandbutterflies.Theshooting

distanceof around30cm from the front lens is largeenough that you’llstay safely out of the flight zone formost insects, assuming you’re notunduly loud or aggressive in your pursuit of your subject. If you needmoredistance,youcanalwaysuseateleconverter,aswell.

Themostcommonfocallengthsformacrolensesare50mm,100mm,150mm,and180mm

MacroLenses:300mmandupLensesinthiscategoryhavefunctionallydisappearedfromthemarket.Ifyousearchusedequipmentlistings,you’llbeabletofindexamplessuchas the Sigma 4/300mm and the Sigma 5.6/400mm. Both achieve amagnification of approximately 1:3. For this reason, their macroapplicationsareminimal.Theyaremorelikelytohelpserveyoureffortsphotographingbutterflies,birds,anddragonflies.

TheSigma4/300telephotomacrolensworkswellforphotographingbutterfliesanddragonflies

CanonExtremeMacroLensesCanon offers an alternative to bellows attachments in the form of theCanonMP-E65mm1:2.81–5xmacrolens.Thisultra–macrolensworksexclusivelywithCanoncamerasandoffersmagnificationpowersrangingfrom1:1to5:1.Accordingly, itofferstheopportunitytodiveverydeeplyintothemacroworldwiththehighestlevelofreproductionquality.

TheCanonMP-E65mmoffersamagnificationfactorupto5:1

Close-UpLenses

Close-UpLensesClose-uplensesarebyfarthemostaffordableentrytickettotheworldofmacrophotography.Theycanbescreweddirectlyintothefilterthreadsattheendofalens.Byshorteningthefocallengthofthelens,theyreducethe minimum focusing distance for the lens, allowing for largerreproductionsofsubjectsontheimagesensororfilmsurface.

Theimagequalityattainedwhenusingtheselensesisdependentbothon the optical quality of the main lens itself and the attachments. Toobtain the highest imaging performance possible, you should stop thelensdownatleastthreeaperturestops.

Thebestresultsareobtainedwhenpairingachromaticclose-uplenseswith high-quality prime lenses.More basic lensesmay save you somemoney at the register, but they’ll also result in clear distortions andblurringaroundthe imageborders.For thesereasons, these lensesarenotidealforreprographicpurposes.

The strength of a close-up lens is measured in diopters, and itsmagnification potential is always dependent on the lens to which it isattached.Thepropertiesof thecamera lensare thebasis towhich thevalueoftheclose-uplensisadded.Astrengthof+1diopterisamodestincrease,while+10isaverysignificantincrease.

Close-up lenseshave theaddedadvantage that theydon’taffect thespeed of the lens or the brightness of the viewfinder image. They arelight, simple to work with, and have a place in every gear bag. Forstarters, I recommend purchasing a close-up lens with a power of +2diopters.NextIwouldgoforonewithastrengthof+4diopters.Close-uplenses—and their optical effects—can be combined or usedsimultaneously, so this combination offers plenty of versatility—but youwillhavetodowithalossinimagequality.

These typesofadd-on lensesareespeciallypractical if yourcamera

hasafixedlens.Onekeyprerequisite,ofcourse,isthatyourlensneedstohave filter threads,a trait that isallbutuniversal forbridgecameras.Compactcamerasoftenfeatureanoptionaladaptertubeforthisspecificpurpose.

Close-uplensesareaviableoptionwhenyouwanttostepintotheworldofmacrophotographywithoutagreatdealofeffortorcostupfront

Aclose-uplenswithapowerof+2dioptersallowsyoutogetsignificantlyclosertoyoursubjectthanthebasicmacrosettingonabridgecamerawouldMinoltaDimage,f/9,1/640s,ISO100,50mm

ZörkMacroscopeTheZörkMacroscope is a top-class aspherical, two-lens close-up lenswithapowerof+12diopters.Itsopticalqualityisvastlysuperiortomosttraditionalclose-up filters,but itstillworks incombinationwith themaincameralens,whosequalitystill factorsintotheequation.Whencoupledwithan80mmlens,theZörkMacroscopecanproduceamagnificationof1:1—at a shooting distance of around 6cm to 9cm. That distance willencroach on the flight zone ofmany animals, but it is large enough toadjustthelightingspecificallybasedontheneedsofyoursubjects.Inthewide-angle range, however, vignetting effects can crop up from time totime.Aswithotherclose-upfilters,theZörkMacroscopeattachesdirectlyto the lens filter threads. Itsbestapplication iswithzoom lenses,but italsocanbepairedwellwithtruemacrolensestoproducemagnificationlevels far beyond 1:1. Attaching this tool to a bridge camera that hasimagestabilizationmakes forapowerfulandcompactall-aroundmacrosolutionforshootingonthego.

TheZörkMacroscopeisanaspherical,two-lensclose-uplensthatisinaclassofitsown

TheMacroscopeallowsphotographerstoreachthe1:1magnificationlevelwithexcellentimagequalityevenondigitalcompactandbridgecameras

TeleconvertersandExtensionTubes

Buyinganew lens isn’talwaysanoption,and it’sanexpense thatmaynot make sense if you suspect you will use it only infrequently. Forphotographersinthisposition,teleconvertersandextensiontubesofferapracticalsolution.Theycanenhancetheshootingapplicationsforalenssothatitcaneffectivelybeusedasamacrolens.

TeleconvertersTeleconverters are composed of an optical system that alters the focallengthofalensbyaspecificfactor.Formacrophotographyapplications,this means that if you keep the shooting distance constant, then thereproduced imageof thesubjecton the imagesensorwillbe increasedby the factor of the converter. In other words, the shooting distance isaltered accordingly when the magnification level is kept constant. Forexample,asystemcomprisinga50mmmacro lenswithamagnificationof1:1pairedwitha2xconverterwouldeffectivelyoperateasa100mmmacro lensat 2:1.Shootingat amagnificationof1:1woulddouble theshooting distance. Teleconverters are accordingly cost-effectivealternativestosignificantlymoreexpensivetelephotomacros.

Onedownsideof converters is that theyaffect thespeedof the lensthey’re paired with, so it’s best not to use them with particularly slowlenses.You’llhavetoacceptalossoflightontheorderoftwostopswitha2xconverterandaroundonestopwitha1.5xconverter.Theviewfinderimagewillalsobedarkerbythesamefactor.

Some converters are engineered to pair with specific lenses, andthese systems tend to produce excellent image quality. Unlike withextensiontubes,converterswillallowyoutostillfocusthelensatinfinity.

Teleconverters,whichincreasethefocallengthofthelensbyaspecificfactor,canbefoundwithconversionfactorsof1.4x,1.5x,or2x

Somemanufacturersdesignteleconverterstopairwithspecificlenses.Doingsoallowsengineerstodesigntheconvertersinawaytoworkperfectlywiththeindividuallensandtomaximizetheattainableimagequalityofthesystem.

ExtensionTubesExtensiontubesarehollowdeviceswithoutanyopticalelementsthatareinstalledbetweenthecameraandthelens.Theirpurposeistoincreasetheextensionof the lens—tomove the front lens fartheraway from theimagesensor.

Gettingintothemacrorangewithextensiontubesispossibleonlybycombining different lenses, which can be ungainly to achieve whileworking. Extending a 50mm normal lens by 50mm produces amagnification of 1:1. The attainable image quality will be highlydependentonthelens.Usinganextensiontubeintandemwithamacrolensorawide-angle lenscanproducegreat resultswithmagnificationsbeyond1:1—but thedistancebetween the lensand the subjectwill bequitesmall.

For thepicturesof thepeacock featherbelow, thesubject’sdistancefromthefrontlenswhenusinga13mmextensiontubewasabout50mm.

But with the 31mm extension, the shooting distance dropped to only10mm.Atsuchasmalldistance,it’sarealchallengetomanagelightingwell.

If you do opt for going the extension tube route, look for modelscapableofautomaticallyrelayinginformationfromthecameratothelens.

Extensiontubesincreasealens’sextension.Theyareavailableinfixedsizesof13mm,21mm,and31mm.

A24mmlensbyitselfdoesn’thaveaminimumfocusingdistanceconducivetomacroimaging

It’spossibletogetmuchclosertothefeatherwhenusingthislensincombinationwitha2xteleconverter

Usinga13mmextensiontubeincombinationwiththe24mmwide-anglelensalmostproducesamagnificationof1:1

Andwhenpairedwitha31mmextensiontube,thelensisabletosupersedethe1:1thresholdsignificantly

ReversingRingsandCouplingRings

ReversingRingsA reversing ring allows you to attach a lens to your camera bodybackward—ina reversedposition.A reversed35mm lens is capableofproducing amagnification factor of around 1:1, and a 20mm lens, canshootupwardof3:1.

Ononesideofareversingring,you’llfindthebayonetmountrequiredtoattach to thecamerabody,andon theotherside,you’ll find threadsthat can be screwed onto the front of the lens where filters wouldnormallybeattached.Reversinga lensmeansyou’llhavetodowithouttheelectroniccommunicationbetweenthecameraandlensthatcontrolsapertureandothersettingsautomatically.Thislossoffunctionalitymakesthingssomewhatmoredifficult:eventhoughyou’llbeabletofocuswithanopenaperture,you’llhavetostoptheaperturedownmanuallywhenyou’rereadytocaptureyourimage.Doingsodarkensthedisplayimageaccordingly. An additional challenge stems from the sensitivity of thefocus point, which shifts with the slightest movement of the camera.Usingaverystabletripodincombinationwithafocusingrailisawaytoovercomethisparticularobstacle.

When installinga lens in reverse, itdoesn’thave tomakeuseof thecameramanufacturer’sproprietarybayonetmount,whichmeansyoucanuse any lens youwish for the purpose. The only requirement is that itmusthavefittingthreadstoattachtothereversingmount.Butthereareeventhreadadaptersonthemarket,shouldyouwanttousealensthatdoesn’tfitonitsownforwhateverreason.

Detailofarazorblade.Reversed24mmwide-anglelensatf/22.Thedepthoffieldisreducedtoafewscantmillimeters.

Reversingringsmakeitpossibletoaffixlensesbackwardtothecamerabody

Couplingringsenablethepairingoftwocameralenses.Theforemostlenseffectivelyfunctionsas

ahigh-endclose-uplens.

Managinglightforyourexposurescanbeabitfinickywhenshootingwitha reverse-mounted lens. The shooting distance will be dramaticallyreduced, sodependingon the focal lengthyou’reusing, youmayhaveonly a few centimeters between the end of your lens and the subject,whichmakes it difficult to set up lamps to illuminate your subject in adesirableway. Further complicating thematter is the fact that reverse-mounted lenses are particularly sensitive to stray light, and there likelywon’tberoomforalenshoodofanykind.

CanonEOSphotographershaveaninterestingsolutionintheformoftheNovoflexreverseadapter.Thisdelightfultoolcomprisesacableandasecond attachment ring that enables the communication of variousinformation from the lens to the reversed lens.Whenusing thisdevice,you’llstillbeabletofocuswithanopenapertureandabrightviewfinderimage, because the aperturewill automatically adjustwhen the shutterbuttonispressed.

TheNovoflexreverseadapterforCanoncamerasandlensesrelaysalloftherelevantexposuredetailsfromthecameratothelens—evenifthelensisreverseinstalled

Photo:Novoflex

CouplingRingsCoupling ringsallowa secondcamera lens to functionessentially asahigh-endclose-up lensattached to theprimary lens.The ringhasmalethreadsoneither side so the lenses canbeattached front to front. It’sidealtouseawide-anglelensastheadd-on,butregularlenseswithwideopeningswillalsowork.Iftheattachmentlensistoosmall,thenyouwilllosesomeof the imageareaor your imageswill suffer fromsignificantvignetting.

Whenexposingyourimage,settheapertureforthereversedlenssoitiswideopen.Otherthanthat,youcanshootnormally,becausethemainlensisaffixedtothecameraasitnormallywouldbe.

Youcanalsousecouplingringstoreverseasecondlenswithcompactand bridge cameras as long as they possess threads of the rightdiameter.

The foremost reversed lens mounts via threads as opposed to aspecializedbayonetmount,whichmeansyoucanuseany inexpensivelens from a secondhand shop or Internet auction to do the job. Thismethod offers a very affordable entry point for very powerful macrocapabilities.

FujifilmFinePixHS10bridgecamerawiththe1:1.7,50mmMinoltaMFlensinstalledinreverse...

...andtheresultofthissetup:adetailfromaone-centcoin

Bellows

In simple terms, a bellows is a variable extension tube. A bellowsincreasestheextensionofalens—notindefinedsteps,butinagradualmanner as controlled by a rack-and-pinion adjustment system. Asidefrom the special lens heads designed specifically for use with bellowsunits,macrolenseswithafocallengthrangeof60mmto100mmarealsovery functional, because theywill give you enough roombetween yourlensandyoursubject tomanage the lighteffectively.Thebellowsunit Iuse is an old 90mmSigmaAPOMacro that is capable of producing amagnification of only 1:2. I like it, however, because it’s relativelycompactandleavesagoodbitofdistanceinfrontofmysubject.

Onepotentialdrawbackofusingbellowsextensions—inparticularwithDSLRs—isthedustthattendstosettleintheirfolds.It’simportanttousea dust-removing tool every time before you attach the device to yourcamerabody.

Somebellowsmodelsrelaytheexposuredata,includingtheautomaticaperture,whichmeansyoucanfocusyourimagewithanopenapertureandabrightviewfinderimage.Onthecameraside,it’sarealadvantageifthecameracanmetertheexposurewithmanuallenses.It’snotstrictlynecessary, however, because you’ll need to use additional lighting inmost cases with a bellows lens on account of the extreme levels ofmagnification produced and the subsequent need to stop the aperturedownsignificantlytoextendthedepthoffieldasmuchaspossible.

It’s possible to use normal and wide-angle lenses in reversepositioning, which means, depending on the extension offered by thebellowsandthelensinuse,youcanproducemagnificationlevelsupwardof6:1.

Slide-copyingadaptersareoneinterestingtoolforusewithbellowsastheycanbeusedassmallphotography tables.Pairedwith thebellowsunit, they create a very stable setup thatminimizes the risk of camera

shake.Ring lights and twin-flash units or LED lamps are highly useful with

bellowsdevices,becausetheydon’ttakeupmuchspaceandoffergoodlightingforthelikelytightconditionsinfrontofyourlens.

Bellowsextensionsenablemagnificationlevelswellbeyondthe1:1threshold.Thisillustrationshowsanoldermodelwithasmallshootingstandthatalsodoublesasaslidecopier.

Detailofastampshotwitha90mmmacrolensandaringflashonabellows

Aflysnacksonsugar.Areversed50mmnormallensonabellowsandasmallflash(GN22)used

manuallywithasoftbox.

Ringflashunitsareespeciallypracticalandeffectivewhenshootingwithabellowsattachment

Thenewestgenerationofbellowsunitsofferstilt-shiftswivelingaswellasadaptersforawidevarietyofcamerasandlensesPhoto:Novoflex

AlteringDepthofField

Withconventionalcameras,thefocalplaneisalwaysparalleltotheplaneof the film or image sensor. The depth of field extends forward andbackwardfromthatplane.Toincreasethedepthoffield,it’snecessarytostopdowntheaperture.

Pivoting the lens can shift the focal plane, causing areas thatpreviouslywerebeyondthedepthoffieldtonowbepositionedwithinit.Thismethodofalteringtheorientationofthedepthoffield,referredtoastheScheimpflugprinciple,allows forverybriefexposure timesbecausethelensdoesn’tneedtobestoppeddowntoincreasethedepthoffield.Tiltingthe lensdoesn’textendthedepthof field; it isstilldefinedbytheaperture setting. But the shifted lens realigns the focal plane, allowingmorecriticalelementsofyourphototoappearinfocus.Thiseffectmakesitseemtoviewersthatthedepthoffieldislarger.Photographerscanusethis method to compose their images purposefully; you might, forexample,redirectthefocalplanesotheentirelengthofapenlyingonadiagonal appears sharp or so that only certain elements appear sharp.Adjusting your position or the focal length of the lens to increase thedepthoffieldunavoidablyleadstoasmallermagnificationfactor,whichisnotaviableoption.Whenusingaspecialbellowslenswithanadditionalshiftfunction,youcanalsocorrectcertainperspectivedistortions,similartoremovingconvergingverticallinesinarchitecturalphotos.

Withanapertureoff/4.5andanormalorientation,thedepthoffieldappearsverytight

Tippingthelensverticallynoticeablyextendsthedepthoffieldwithoutneedingtoaltertheaperture

Pivotingthelenslaterallyshiftsthealignmentofthedepthoffield

TheZörkMultiFocusSystemoffersahighdegreeofflexibilitywithfocusingandgenerallyenablesphotographerstoshootfreehand

Thefocalplaneliesparalleltothelensandthefilm/sensorplane.Thisorientationmakesthedepthoffieldextendfromfronttoback.Alargerdepthoffieldcanbeachievedbystoppingdowntheaperture.

Turningthelensalsocausesashiftintheorientationofthefocalplane,andinthisillustration,theshiftmeansthatallofthekeyelementsofthesubjectnowfallwithinthedepthoffield.Thesizeofthedepthoffieldremainsunchanged,butitsorientationwithrespecttothecameraandsubjectisaltered.Stoppingdownwillstillincreasethedepthoffield.

Viewcamerasallowforthefilmorsensorplanetobeshifted,andsomemodernbellowsattachmentsenablethisfunctionalityforcurrentDSLRs,too

LightingforClose-UpandMacroPhotography

Lightmakesthepicture.Thatsayingmightbeabitsimplistic,butitgetstotheheartofthequestion:whatsortof lightingsourceshouldyouuseforyourmacrophotographs?

Flashunitscanbefoundinanynumberofshapesandsizes.Theyofferthemostuniversalsolutionformacrophotographylightingsituations.

For themost part, all of the sources of light discussed here can bedividedintotwocategories:flashandcontinuouslighting.

Thebigadvantageofcontinuouslightingisthatyoucanwatchthroughyour viewfinder in real time to evaluate the result of every minoradjustment to the lighting setup. This particular benefit may appeal tobeginningphotographers inparticular,because itmakes theprocessofmanaginglightmuchlessabstractthanitiswhenusingflashlighting.

The advantages of flash units, however, are their compact size,impressive power output, and battery-powered operation. They’re alsoverypopularandwidespread.Thenumberofphotographerhouseholdswithoutatleastonesystemflashunitisprobablytremendouslylow.

Yet another key plus for flash units is their exceptionally fast flashduration, which, depending on themodel, can be as brief as 1/12,000second. This feature allows photographers to freeze movements likefallingdropletsorflyinginsectsinplace.Toachievethesameeffectwithcontinuouslightingwouldrequireavastamountoflight.Ifyou’recuriouswhythatis,flipaheadtothechapteronhighspeedphotography.

SystemFlashUnitsThepoweroutputsofferedbysystemflashunitsarewhollysufficientformacro photography uses. They are compact and offer much moreflexibility of use compared to larger studio units, andbecause theyarenotreliantonapoweroutlet,youcanalsotakethemoutintothewildforon-siteshootingadventures.

ModernsystemflashunitsaredesignedtocommunicateseamlesslywiththecameraandwitheachotherPhotos:Canon

Workingwithflashunitstendstobeabitabstract,becauseyouwon’tbeabletojudgehoweffectivelytheyaresetupuntilyouseetheresultsinyourfirstexposure.Butwithpracticeyouwillquicklyfigureouthowtobetterapproachevencomplicatedlightingsituationswithflash.

The flash2softboxsystem furthermakessystem flashunitspractical.This system allows you to adapt any light-shaping device designed forprofessionalflashunitsforusewithyourcamera.Systemflashunitsaretraditionallymountedtoashoemountonthecamerabody,buttheycanalso be removed and positioned remotely. In this case, flash control iscommunicatedviaacable,orwirelesslyviainfraredorradiosignals.

RingandTwinFlashesThe ring and twin flash units on themarket range from simplemodelswithafixedoutputtoTTL-regulatedmodelstohigh-endoptionsfeaturingmultiple flash tubes that can be individually regulated via wirelesscommunication fromacentral,masterdevicesuchas theNikonMacro

FlashKitR1C1/R1.

TheNikonMacroFlashKitR1C1isawirelessflashsystemcomprisingonecentralcontrolunitandtwosmallflashheadswithaguidenumberof10.Thecentralcontrolunitalsoallowsyoutoincorporateadditionalflashunitstoextendthecreativepossibilitiesofyourlighting.Photo:Nikon

Basicringflashestendtoproducesomewhatflatresultsbecausetheyemituniformlightfromthefrontofthelens;theydon’taccentuatespecificpartsof the image through intriguing lightandshadowplay.Oneoptionfor trying to improve this result is touse tape tocoveruphalfofa ringflash with a piece of grey translucent material. Units that allow you tomodulate individual areas of a ring flash tend to produce significantlybetterimages.

Twin flashes have two—sometimes more—flash heads that can becontrolled separately; they’re functionally comparable to a mini photostudio. One option with a three-unit model, for example, is to set one

flashup toserveasbackground lighting,one toserveas thekey light,andonetoprovideaccentlighting—theclassicsetupforstudiolighting.

RingFlashAdaptersforSystemFlashesThislightingsolutionfeaturesadevicecomprisingreflectorsanddiffuserstotransformthelightproducedfromasystemflashintoaringflash.TheadvantageofthismethodisthatalloftheTTLfunctionalitiesoftheflashwill stillwork.Thedisadvantage is thatyou’ll lose two to threestopsoflighting—but that loss shouldn’t be an insurmountable obstacle if yoursystemflashisofadequatestrength.

Ringflashesproducecircularreflectionsonshinysurfaces—whichcanbecreativelyusedtocreateappealingresults

StudioFlashUnitsStudioflashsystemsaremorepowerfulanddiversethansystemflashesandthe like.Theytypicallyoffer100wattsormoreandareavailable inevery price class imaginable. Macro photography doesn’t require a

tremendous amount of light—an entire room doesn’t need to beilluminated—so a small entry-level studio flash device would be morethanenough.All themainbrandsofferanoverwhelmingvarietyof light-shaping tools that can handle any of your needs. The size of thesedevices, however, tends to be on the large size for use with macrophotography.

IncandescentBulbsTraditional light bulbs unfortunately convert a significant amount of theenergytheydrawintoheat,whichiswhytheyaredisappearingfromthemarket. The light spectrumemitted from these bulbs is very even, andthetemperatureof thelighttheyproducetendstorangebetween2,000Kelvinand2,700Kelvin,whichamountstoayellow-orangelight.Theselightsarenot ideal formacrophotographybecauseof thewarmth theyproduce.

Daylightlampscanbeusedinanynormalbulbsocket,makingthemapracticalchoiceforphotographerswhoarejustgettingstartedcollectinglightingdevicesforastudio

Low-EnergyLightBulbsThesuccessorstotheincandescentbulbofferthesameluminositybutatasignificantlyreducedconsumptionofenergy.Thesebulbsarenotidealfor photographic purposes, however, because the light they produce isentirelylackinginsomeareasofthelightspectrum.

HalogenLampsHalogen bulbs produce light between 3,000 Kelvin and 3,200 Kelvin,which is somewhat whiter than traditional incandescent bulbs. They’remuchmorecompactthancommonlightbulbs,butconversionfiltersaregenerally required when using them for photographic lighting—heatgenerationisalsoaproblemwiththem.

DaylightLampsDaylightlampsareeffectivelyconstructedinthesamewayaslow-energybulbs, but they put out a spectrum of light thatmimics natural lighting.This quality makes them ideal candidates for supplementing shotsinvolvingnaturaldaylightwithadditionallight.

LEDarealightPhoto:Dörr

The availability of light-shaping devices for daylight lamps leavessomethingtobedesired,butit’srelativelyeasytoimprovisesolutionsbybuildingadiffuseroutof translucent film, forexample,becausedaylightlampsproduceaveryminimalamountofheat.

LEDLightsLEDlightsaresmallandbrightanduseminimalamountsofelectricity—ideal characteristics for macro photography in the studio. You’ll find awidearrayofinexpensiveLEDbulbsinhardwareandelectronicsstores,but even though they may be tempting, they aren’t very suitable formacro photography applications because they don’t offer a continuousspectrumoflight.Usingthemmeansmanycolorswon’treproducewell.

LEDringlightPhoto:Dörr

TheLED lights that are specially designed for usewith photographyaresignificantlymoreexpensive,buttheyemitthefullspectrumoflight.They’re available as surface, ring, and spot lights, and they are verypracticalforilluminatingsmallsubjects.Asyoursubjectsstarttoincreasein size, however, asmay be the casewith some tabletop photographyapplications,LED lamps tend to reach their limit.Aswithallcontinuouslightingoptions, LEDsaren’t ideal for freezingmovement; flashoptionssimplycan’tbeoutdonefor thispurpose.LEDsareespeciallyuseful forbrighteninguppoorly lit subjectareas.Justaswith ring flashunits, themore flexibility for modulating the way LED bulbs emit their light, thebetter you will be able to design the light and shadow play to appearattractive.

FluorescentLightsCommon fluorescent lightsarenot ideal forphotography.First, the lightthey emit is not composed of a continuous spectrum of light. Second,

whenusedduringdaylight,themixedlightingsituationresultsinagreencast that is difficult to correct. More appropriate are fluorescent tubesoptimizedforphotography.Theyareusuallyofferedassurfacelights,andthey’resimilartothefluorescenttubesusedinlightboxesandinviewingboothsusedtoproofprintedcolorsagainstoriginals.

Specialsurfacelightswithphoto-optimizedfluorescenttubesareidealforcolor-criticalsituationsPhoto:Just-Normlicht

Whenusingthesetypesoflightsforphotography,it’snecessarytousemodels that include an electronic ballast to prevent flickering that canappear distracting at some shutter speeds. These types of lamps areintendedforusewhencolorreproductionisoftheutmostimportance.

LightboxesforTransmittedLightingLightboxesarewidely used in thegraphic arts industry. Theygenerallyemitacoloroflightcomparabletonaturaldaylight—around5,000Kelvin.Ifyouuselightboxesfortransmittedlight,besurethatthefilllightingthatyouwill likely need fromabove is the same kind of light to avoid colordistortionsresultingfrommixedlight.

Lightboxeswithstandardizedlightsourcesaredesignedforshootingwithtransmittedlighting,buttheycanalsofunctionassurfacelights

LightGuidesLight guides are transparent glass fibers that you can use to directpointed lightata subject. Inprinciple, youcanuse lightguideswithallsources of light, but the most well-known use for these tools is formicroscopywithacoollightsource.Theglassfibersaregenerallyflexiblegoosenecksthatoftenfeatureafocusinglensontheoutletend.

ColorsofLightandColorReproduction

“Whyisitnecessaryforlightingtofulfillcertainrequirements?Whycan’tIuse any old light for my photographs? All types of light make thingsbrighter,right?”Thesequestionsandonessimilartothemoftencomeupinconversationsaboutlightingmacrophotographs.

Directingwhitedaylightthroughaprismproducesthespectrumofcolors

Toanswer thesequestions,weneed tobackupa little andgooversomefundamentalconceptsfirst.

TheSpectrumofLightThe spectrum of visible light is a small fraction of the much largerspectrum of electromagnetic radiation, which includes everything fromgammarays,X-rays,andUVandinfraredradiation;evenradarandradiowaves. The span of this spectrum that is relevant to photography (inotherwords, thespanofenergy thatan imagesensorcancaptureandprocessintoaphotograph)roughlycorrespondstowhatthehumaneyeiscapableofperceiving.Asensor isactuallycapableofdetectingsomeinfrared andUV light, but upstream filters in the camera remove thesetypes of radiation because they can have undesirable effects on thereproductionofcolorsinthevisiblespectrum.

Thespectrumofvisiblelightisafractionofallelectromagneticradiation

ColortemperaturesareindicatedinKelvin

ColorTemperatureColor temperature, measured in Kelvin, is a critical concept forphotography.Different color temperaturescorrespond todifferent colorsoflightonthespectrum.Forexample,thelightfromthesuninthemiddleof the day is usually between 5,500 Kelvin and 5,800 Kelvin, a colortemperature we perceive as white. In contrast, an incandescent bulbproduces a yellowish light of around 2,800 Kelvin, and a cloudy skyproduces a bluish lightwith a temperature of about 7,500Kelvin. Lightemittedfromaflashunitistypicallyaround5,500Kelvinandaccordinglyexhibitsasimilarqualitytonormal,whitedaylight.

A camera’swhite balance can be programmed to correspond to the

temperatureof the lighting for individual exposures.Youcanadjust thewhite balance by choosing a predefined setting from a list such as“incandescent light,”“overcastsky,”andsoon,oryoucanmanuallysetthewhitebalancebyrunningaquicktestusinganeutralgreycard.

MixedLightPhotographs featuring multiple sources that emit light of varyingtemperatures may display color casts of varying prominence. Theappearanceofthissituationwillbefamiliartoyoufrompicturesofhouseswith interior incandescent lighting shot during the blue hour. If thecamera’swhite balance is based on the natural light, then the house’sinteriorlightwillappearyellow.Ifthewhitebalanceisalternativelybasedon the light bulbs, then the indoor lighting will appear normal but thetwilightoutdoorswilllookveryblueincontrast.It’snotpossibletocorrectmixed lighting situationswith an individualwhite balance setting or theuse of conversion filters. Unfortunately, you’ll need to employ acompromiseforthewhitebalanceormakeuseoftheeffectcreatively.

ColorReproductionDaylight—as emitted from the sun—provides a continuous spectrumoflight.Thisqualitymeans thatsunlight representscolorscorrectly.Whensourcesof light lack certainareasof the spectrum,as is the casewithcommonlow-energybulbsandLEDs,thenasubject’scolorswillnotbereproduced faithfully in a photograph. In other words, light sourcesoffering an incomplete spectrum of light will reflect an accordinglyincompletespectrumofcolor,whichmakesafaithfulcolorreproductionofallcolorsimpossible.

ThelightspectrumofdaylightColortemperature:ca.5,500Kelvin,Raindex:100Allcolorsarepresentandmoreorlessevenlydistributed

ThelightspectrumofanincandescentlightbulbColortemperature:ca.2,800Kelvin,Raindex:100Allcolorsarepresent,buttheredandyellowcomponentsaremuchmoreprevalent

ThelightspectrumofLEDs

Colortemperature:ca.3,800Kelvin,Raindex:90Thecolorcomponentsareunevenlydistributed

Thelightspectrumoflow-energylightbulbsColortemperature:ca.4,500Kelvin,Raindex:80Somecolorcomponentsarealmostentirelymissing,anditisnotpossibletoachievefaithfulcolorrendering

Colorcardsexposedindaylight.Customwhitebalancebasedonastandardizedgreycard.Allofthecolors—eventheonesverysimilartooneanother—areclearlydistinguishable.

Colorcardsexposedinthelightfromalow-energylightbulb.Customwhitebalancebasedonastandardizedgreycard.Someoftheredtonesarebarelydistinguishable,andturquoise,violet,anddarkgreenareslightlyoff.Theothercolorsreproducenearlyidenticallytothoseexposedinnaturaldaylight.

Theabilityofasourceoflighttocorrectlyreflectacolorismeasuredwiththe color rendering index Ra. Light sources intended for photographyshouldhaveavalueofatleast95Ra.Lightswithanindexof90Raand

loweraregenerallynotsuitableandshoulddefinitelynotbeusedwhenaccuratecolorreproductioniscritical.

UsingAdditionalLightsAs you can tell, not all light is equal. When you need to use asupplementalsourceoflightforshootingamacrophotograph,trytousesomethingthat isasclose incolor temperature to themain lightsourceaspossible.Ifyou’reconsideringpurchasingacontinuouslightingdevice,paycarefulattentiontothemaximumcolorrenderingindexscoreofyouroptions,especiallywithfluorescentandLEDlights.

Systemflashunitsaredesignedtomimicdaylight.Thisillustrationdisplayshardlyanycolorcasts.Whitebalancesetat5,600Kelvin.

LEDlights.ThelightemittedfromnormalwhiteLEDshasaverycoldappearance,producingadefinitebluecast.Whitebalancesetat5,600Kelvin.

Warmlightfromalow-energybulb.Herethelightisveryyellowandmoresuitableforcreatingacozyambianceasopposedtophotographicuses.Whitebalancesetat5,600Kelvin.

Atroughly2,800Kelvin,this60-wattincandescentbulbproducesthewarmestcolortemperatureofthelot.Itslightisnearlyorange.Whitebalancesetat5,600Kelvin.

Photographydaylightratedat5,000Kelvin.Thedifferenceof600Kelvinrevealsaslightcolorcast.Whitebalancesetat5,600Kelvin.

Mixedlightingcanbeusedcreatively,asisthecaseherewhereagoldenaccentlightisfeatured.ThewhitebalanceherewassettoDaylight,andaflashlightproducinglightaround2,700Kelvinwasusedforaspotlighttreatment.

Thisbeetlewasrunningacrossamoss-coveredtreetrunk,whichiswhythebackgroundisobscuredinblureventhoughanapertureoff/8wasusedf/8,1/60s,ISO200,150mm,systemflashwithsoftboxmountedontothecamera

Craneflyonacushionofmossf/9.5,1/60s,ISO400,105mm,separatedsystemflashwithasoftbox

ShutterReleaseAccessories

Aside from the classic optical and mechanical accessories that havetraditionally been available to photographers, electronic devices aregaining more and more usefulness. It is even possible to adjust andcontrolyourcameraviaasmartphone.Thepotentialfornewinventionsisstill enormous, but there are already enough tools on the market tofacilitate images that previously would have required exorbitantlyexpensiveequipment.

Right-AngleMirrorAright-anglemirrorofferswelcomeflexibilityforshootingsituationswhenyour subject is difficult to access or, for example, if you don’t want todisturb thesurroundingsofaplant.Thisdevice ismadeoutofametaltubewithtwoopeningscontainingamirrorata45°anglethatreflectstheincidentlight.Thetoolmakesiteasiertophotographobjectsthatmaybeaccessibleonlyfromaboveorfromtheside,butitalsohelpswhenthereisn’tenoughroomforthephotographerandthecameratomaneuverasnecessarytogettheshot; for instance, ifyoursubject ispositionedinahollowtreehole.Right-anglemirrorsareattachedtotheendofthelensviathefilterthreadsandanadapter.Accordingly,itmakessensetousealenswhosefrontelementdoesn’tturnwhenfocusing.

Aright-anglemirrorisahelpfultoolforphotographingsubjectsthatmayotherwisebedifficulttoapproach

AngleViewfindersAngleviewfindershavegoneoutoffashionabit,inpartbecausenewercameramodelsfrequentlycomeequippedwithdisplayscreensthatcanbeflipped,turned,andfoldedandthatcandisplayaliveimage.Inother

words,moderncamerashaveall thefunctionalityofanangleviewfinderbuilt in.Nonetheless, therearestill situationswhenanangleviewfindercan be of real use. These tools are attached to the viewfinderwindowandreflect theviewfinder imageat90°soyoucancomposeandshootyourimagesfromunusualperspectives.Themostversatilemodelsalsoinclude a 2x magnification, depict a true-sided image, and are fullyrotatablefor360°.

LCDGlareShieldBecausebrightlightmakesitdifficulttomakeoutdetailonthecamera’s

monitor, a foldable glare shieldmade out of plastic or black cardboardcanprovetobeausefulaccessory.Anynumberofversionsareavailableonthemarketforspecificcameramodels,butifyou’reinapinchwithouta shield, a little bit of improvisation can go a longway.Using the lenshood,forexample,toshadethescreenisoftenhighlyeffective.

Alenshoodwillserveasanimprovisationalshadeforyourcameradisplayinapinch

WiredRemoteShutterReleasePhotographers needa remote trigger of somekind to beable to avoidany unwanted vibrations, like the blur caused by camera shake thatresultsfromphysicallypressingtheshutterreleasebuttononthecamera.Photographystoresoffersimplesolutionsforthispurposethatarequiteaffordable.Youshouldlookformodelsthatnotonlyallowyoutoreleasethe camera’s shutter but also enable you to create long-exposurepictures. More-advanced solutions feature integrated timers for time-lapseordelayedshooting.Thewiredremotereleasemodelsthatusedtobe very common are largely incompatiblewithmodern cameramodels

becausemanufacturershavedoneawaywiththerequisitethreadsonthecamera’sshutterbutton.

WirelessRemoteShutterReleaseInfrared triggers communicate the shutter release signal wirelessly, butthey require a visual direct line with the camera. And in some brightlightingsituations,theysometimesmalfunction.

Radioremoteshutterreleasetriggersallowyoutocontrolyourcamerafromsubstantialdistances

Radio-controlled remote-release models allow photographers to bemuch farther removed from the camera, which is especially practicalwhenphotographinganimals.Youcan,forexample,setupyourcameranear a feeding site, focus your shot in advance, and then release theshutter from a safe distance. Combo radio release solutions that can

triggereitherthecameraoraflashunitareespeciallypractical.

RemoteShutterReleasewithDisplaySomeremotecontroldevicesrelaytheliveimagefromthecamera.Thisfunctionality allows you to control the camera’s settings while beingphysicallyseparatedfromit.Thisoptionisparticularlyusefulwhenyou’rephotographingasubject that youshouldn’t disturb, suchasa reflectivesurface.

Manyradioshuttertriggersarealsocapableoftransmittingthecamera’sliveimagesubstantialdistances,includingintoneighboringrooms

RemoteControlviaSmartphoneorTablet

DSLRDashboardtransmitsavarietyofcamerafunctionsalongwiththecamera’sliveviewdisplaytoanAndroidsmartphoneortablet.Evaluatingyourimageinthiswayissignificantlybetterthanusingthecamera’sbuilt-indisplay.

More andmore cameramanufacturers, as well as third-party softwaredevelopers, are creating applications that enable photographers tocontrol their cameras with a smartphone or tablet. The range offunctionality supported on these applications varies significantly. At themodest end of the spectrum, these programsmay simply allow you torelease theshutter remotely.At theadvancedend,youeffectivelyhave

completecontrolofyourcamera,includingaccesstotheliveimageandplayback of captured images on your device. Some apps additionallyoffertime-lapseshooting;self-timers; long-exposureshooting;automaticshutter release triggered by noise, vibration, or movement; and muchmore.Thesedevicesalsovary inhowtheycommunicatewithcameras,either relying on a wired connection or a wireless one using infrared,Bluetooth,orWi-Fitechnology.

The days when you would need to set up an additional notebookcomputertoestablishanetworkforthecameraandthesmartphonearenotentirelybehindus.Themarketofappsisgrowingsteadily,andnewupdates continue to expand what exactly each can offer, so theinformationhereisinnowayacomprehensivelist.Treattheappslistedon thenextpageasastartingpoint foryourownresearch,andasyoulearnaboutthedifferentprogramsoutthere,payspecialattentiontotheircompatibility with your own smartphone or device. The costs youmayincur to run these programs range from a few dollars for a necessarycable to two-digit amounts for a dongle, and up to several hundreddollarsforspecializedequipment.

CamRanger|ThisappenablesthewirelessshutterreleaseofNikonandCanoncameraswiththerequiredhardware.ForiOSandAndroid;free.

DSLR.Bot | Infrared shutter release for many DSLR cameras withinfraredsensors.Aseparateinfraredtransmitterisrequired.OnlyforiOS;notfree.

DSLRCameraControliR| InfraredshutterreleasefornearlyallDSLRcameraswith infraredsensors;separate iRed transmitter required.OnlyforiOS;free.

DSLRController|WiredorWi-FiremotecontrolfunctionalityforCanonEOScameras.Specialcablesandadditionalhardwarearerequired.Liveimagetransmission.OnlyforAndroid;notfree.

DSLRDashboard |Wired orWi-Fi remote control. Special cables arerequired. DSLR Dashboard supports Nikon’s WU-1a and WU-1badapters. Live image transmission. Only for Android; free, but thehandbookisavailableonlyasafor-purchasee-book.

IguanaLapse Pro | Wireless control of DSLRs with special hardwarerequired.OnlyforiOS;notfree.

Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility | Remote shutter release and datatransmission for many contemporary Nikon Cameras via Wi-Fi andNikon’sWU-1aandWU-1badapters.ForiOSandAndroid;free.

WeyeFeye | Wireless control of DSLR cameras with the requiredhardware.Transmissionofliveview.ForiOSandAndroid;free.

DSLRRemote|Ifyou’reinterestedinado-it-yourselfoptionforbuildingsomehardwaretoenableremotecontroloptionsforyourcamera,checkoutDSLRRemotefromDirkMeuser.Youcanuseinfrared,Bluetooth,ora traditional cable to trigger DSLRs, but special hardware is required.Instructions for assembling them and a list of compatible smartphonescan be found on the developer’s website:http://bitshift.bplaced.net/en/dslr-remote.htm.OnlyforAndroid;free.

Remotely controlling your camera via a smartphone opens a variety ofcreative possibilities. One of the most exciting apps for macroapplicationsspecifically isTriggertrap,which I’ll discuss indetailon thenextpages.

Ashutter-releasecableandtherightdonglemakeforasimpleandreliablewaytocontrolyourcameraremotely

It’srelativelyeasytobuildaBluetoothremotetriggeryourselfusingaheadsetandasimple

remote-releasecable.SeetheDSLRRemotesectionfortheURLthatprovidesinstructions.Photo:DirkMeuser

TheNikonWU-1aandWU-1badaptersmakeitpossibletocontrolmanycameraswirelesslyviatherightapponyoursmartphoneortabletPhoto:Nikon

RemoteControlwithTriggertrap

OneappthatisdefinitelyworthpurchasingifyouhaveamobiledeviceisTriggertrap,which includes features for highspeed photography aswellas time-lapse and stop-motion exposures. Provided you have asmartphone,tabletPC,iPad,oriPodtouchtobeginwith,you’llbeabletopull together a complete remote control system for a DSLR with thepurchase of a simple remote trigger device. The complete systemcomprisesahardwaredonglethatconnectstothemobiledeviceononeendandthecameraontheotherviaaspecialadapterdesignedforyourcameraandthefreeTriggertrapapplication.

TheconnectionbetweenthecameraandthemobiledevicerunningTriggertrapisoutfittedwithacamera-specificremotetriggercableandahardwaredongle.Youcanfindmoreinformationonthewebatwww.triggertrap.com.

Thedongleandtheremotecontrolcablewillsetyoubackaround$40,and theappcanbedownloaded for free fromwhicheverappstoreyouuse. You can also test out the range of options before purchasing thedongle and cable by using the app with the built-in camera of yoursmartphone.ThismethodworkedverywellformeusinganiPodtouch4.

TherangeoffunctionsfortheAndroidappissomewhatmoremodestthan the iOS version. The design of the app is also different. Theinterface of the Android version is more technical and oriented forphotographers, but the iOS version is more stylistic and streamlined,whichgoeswellwith its straightforwardoperation.The following triggermodesareavailable:

Cable Release | Various exposure options ranging from manuallyreleasing the shutter to being able to keep the camera’s shutter openuntilthetriggerisreleased.

Time-LapseModes | Here you can define the intervals between yourexposures.

TimeWarp | This mode allows you to define a specific number ofexposuresforaperiodoftime,thefrequencyofwhichcanbeincreasedordecreased.

DistanceLapse |Thismodesyncswithasmartphone’sGPSsystem; itcapturesanimageeverytimethatadefineddistancehasbeentraveled.

StarTrail|Createmultipleexposureswithfixeddurations.

Motion Sensor | Take pictures triggered by motion; ideal forphotographinganimals,suchasinsectsduringthestartorlandingoftheirflight.

SoundSensor|Exposuretriggeredbyanynoisethatislouderthantheminimumvolumethreshold.

Vibration Sensor | This mode triggers an exposure when thesmartphonedetectsanyshaking.

Peekaboo|Thismodeusesfacialrecognitiontotriggeranexposure.

LEHDR|CreateHDRtime-lapsesequenceswithcustomizableshootingdurationsandlightvalues.

Wi-Fi Master/Slave | Send a wireless shutter-release signal from amastermobiledevicetoaslavemobiledevice.

Thenoise-triggeredshutterreleaseisparticularlyappealingtome,butitis practical only in relatively quiet areas and should be activated rightbeforeyouwant tocollectyourdesired image.Otherwise,you’llendupwithabunchofimagesofyourselfasyousetupyourshot.

TheWi-FiMaster/Slavemodealsocanworkwithmultipledevices,sothatonecentralsmartphonecantriggermultiplecamerassimultaneously.Facialrecognitiontriggeringisn’tentirelyusefulformacropurposes,butitisfuntoplaywith.

Withtherightmounts,youcanaffixtheslavemobiledevicetoaflashbracketnexttothecameraorevenattachittothecamera’sshoemount.Version2.0ofthemobileappalsoallowsuserstocontroluptotwoflashunitswithaseparateadapter.

Triggertrap’ssoundsensormodecancaptureinterestingpicturesofburstingballoonsorobjects

fallingtotheground—butonlyinrelativelyquietcircumstances

OpticalFilters

Eveninthedigitaleraofphotography,filtershavenotbecomeobsolete.Sure, some types are less valuable because their effects can beintroduceddigitallyinanimage-editingprogram,butsomefiltersstillareworthusing.

UVFiltersThese filters absorb UV light, allowing for more brilliant images withclearercolors.They’realsooftenusedasameasureofprotectionforthelens.

SkylightFiltersThese filters have a slight red tint and help to achieve natural-lookingcolors foroutdoor images.They reducebluecastsandcanserveasagoodshieldforyourlens.

Withoutusingapolarizerfilter,thesky’sreflectionisclearlyvisibleinthesurfaceofthewater

PolarizerFiltersThis type of filter can be rotated to increase or decrease its effect oftempering reflections off of water, glass, or plastic surfaces. Polarizerfiltersalsomaketheblueoftheskyappearmoreintense,causingcloudstotakeonsomethingofaplasticappearance.Somecamerasrequiretheuseofacostliercircularpolarizingfilter,ratherthantheinexpensivelinearpolarizers,toensurethattheautofocusandexposuremeteringsystemsworkproperly.

Thepolarizerfiltereliminatesthereflectionsonthewater’ssurface,allowingviewerstoseetheunderwaterpartsoftheplantsmuchmoreclearly

Warm-ToneFilterExhibiting a light orange coloring, these filters are ideal for portraiturebecausetheycauseskintonestoappearmorenatural.

GreyFiltersShooting flowing water, such as a waterfall, with a slow shutter speedcreates a fluid, dreamlike appearance.Neutral grey filters allow you toachieve this effect even in bright conditions without suffering a loss incolor quality. They’re also useful in bright conditionswhen youwant touseawideaperturetocreateashallowdepthoffield.

GraduatedFiltersGraduated filters darken specific areas of an image as opposed to the

entire image area. Theirmain use is when shooting with a very brightsky; they allow landscape photographers to expose the scene in theforegroundoftheirimagesproperlywithouthavingtooverexposethesky.Colored graduated filtersmight allow you tomake a normal landscapeimageappearas though itwereshotduringsunset.Tobaccograduatedfilters are particularly popular—they seem to always be used inphotographsofgolfcoursesinparticular.

Tobaccograduatedfilterscreateareddish-browngradient

EffectFiltersBlur, rainbow, color effect, prism, or star filters add specific effects tophotographs. You can also achieve creative results by making filtersyourself.Forinstance,smearsomeVaselineonaUVfilter,orscuffupaCD jewel case with sandpaper, or use colorful pieces of glass to alteryoursubject’sappearance.

Prismfiltersmultiplyindividualsectionsofanimage

ConversionFiltersConversionfilterswereusedinthedaysoffilmphotographyinsituationswhen your lighting and your film weren’t well matched—youmight, forexample,havehaddaylightfilminyourcameraandhavebeenshootinginneonorincandescentlighting.Becausedigitaltechnologymakesitsoeasy to recalibrate the white balance for every exposure, usingconversionlensesinfrontofyourlensisnolongerrequired.Butyoucanuse these filters to alter the light emitted from an artificial light source.Youcan filterhalogen light, forexample,so itwon’t createacolorcastwhendaylightisalsoilluminatingyoursubject.

The red, green, and yellow filters that are used in black-and-whitephotography create images with more pronounced contrast by filteringoutspecificcomponentsoftheambientlight.

InfraredFilters

Digital technology hasmade infrared photographymuch easier. Thesefilters block out visible light, leaving only near infrared wavelengths toreach the image sensor.Green, sunlit leaves appear nearlywhite, andblueskieslookdark.Infraredshootingtypicallyrequiresveryslowshutterspeedsandnotallcamerasaresuitedforcreatingtheseimages.

Infraredfiltersallowonlynearinfraredlighttoreachthesensor

TripodsandMounts

There is an overwhelming number of camera stands on the market.Tryingtofindtheperfecttripodforallshootingsituationsisafool’serrandbecauseyou’llendupwithsomethingthatisn’tstableenoughforworkinthe studio or portable enough to carry when shooting on location.Accordingly,you’llwanttohavetwocamerastandsatyourdisposal.

TripodsforOutdoorsWhatmakesatripodidealforoutdooruse?Forme,it’sveryimportantforatripodtobelightenoughtocarryeasilyandveryeasytosetup.Thesequalitiesmean that I’llbemore likely tobring itwithmeonoutingsanduse it regularly. If a tripod is too heavy or too ungainly to assemble—perhapsbothhandsareneededtosecureanyclaspswhilesettingitup—it’smorelikelytobeleftinaclosetathome.Youalsowantyourtripodtohave legs thatcanbeangled ina fullhorizontalpositionand tohaveacenter column that can be either partially or fully removed so you caneasilyshootatgroundlevel.Furthermore,yourtripodshouldbenolongerthanyourequipmentbagwhenfullycollapsed.Thatwayyoucanuseafewbeltstosecureittoyourpackwhenyoudon’tneedit,enablingyoutoholdyourcamerawithbothhands.

Forshootingneartheground,you’llwantatripodwhoselegscanbeangledhorizontally.Ifyouwanttouseanevenlowerperspective,youmightconsiderusingabeanbagasanalternativecamerastand.

Tripodsintendedformacroapplicationsshouldhaveaseparateboomenablingphotographerstoshootsmallsubjectsfromabove

Atripodshouldbesimpleandcompactifitisprimarilyintendedforuseoutdoors

TripodsforStudiosWeightisn’takeyvariablefortripodsintendedforuseinthestudio.Whatisimportantistheflexibilitywithwhichyoucanpositionyourcamerawithrespecttoyoursubject.Youwanttobeabletoshootfrominfrontof,nextto,behind,andoveryoursubject.Thestabilityofthemaincameraboomiscritical.A tripodshouldbeconstructedso thatevenwhen thearm isfullyextendedandsupportingacameraofmoderateweight,theleveragewon’tcausethestandtoadjustorfall.

Combiningamonopodwithasmalltabletripodisaneffectivewaytoaddagreatdealmorestabilitywithoutaddingmuchmoreweighttoyourgear

TableTripodsAsmalltabletripodisapracticalpurchasebothforoutdoorshootingandstudiowork. These stands allow you to get very close to your subject,which is particularly beneficial when shooting with short focal lengths.Because these devices have fairly short legs, you’ll want to be carefulthatheavycamerasdon’tcausethemtofallover.Somemodelsfeatureacentercolumnthatcanberemovedsoyoucan insertamonopod.Thisalternativeconstructionwon’tstandsecurelyby itself,but itendows themonopodwithagreatdealmorestability—agoodcompromisewhenyoudon’thavealotofroominyourgearbag.

Smalltabletoptripodsareidealforgettingclosetoyoursubjectformacrophotographs,buttheyarepronetotippingover

Pan/TiltHeadsPan/tilt heads are common in video applications. They are not ascompact as ball heads, but they offer a bit more precise control forphotographers. Some high-end models feature geared rotation

adjustments,whichenableveryfinemovementsusinggearmechanismsfor all axes. Because these devices are very heavy, they are mostlypracticalifyou’llbeprimarilyworkinginastudio.

Gearedpan/tiltheadsenablehighlyprecisefine-tuning,butthey’reusuallytooheavytoserveasportablecamerastands

BallHeadsBallheadtripodmountscomeinavarietyofsizesanddesigns.Thekeyadvantageof this typeof tripodhead is theeaseandspeedwithwhichyou can reposition your camera as needed. Before purchasing a ballhead, you should test it outwith your camera and lens combination toensurethatthestandheadwillholditsplaceandnotloseitspositioningundertheweight.Smallerballheadssometimeshavetroubleadequatelysupporting theweight of a camera and its lens. If the ball head you’retesting loses its position, try moving up to a larger model. Some ballheads on the market feature horizontal adjustment in the form of apanoramic plate.An integrated quick-releaseplate is a nice feature forball-head mounts, but it’s best if it can be retrofitted. That way if youdecidetoswitchtoadifferentball-headmountorpanoramicmountinthefuture, you’ll be able to continue using the retrofitted quick-releasesystem.

Astakedrivenintothesoftforestearthsupportsasystemflashunitequippedwithaflash2softboxadapter

FocusingRailsIfyou’reshootingwithatripod,focusingrailscanbeextremelyhelpfultogetyourfocusingjustright.Insteadofadjustingyourlenstopositionthefocalplanewhereyouwantitonyoursubject,youcanusefocusingrailstophysicallyshifttheentirecamerawithahighdegreeofprecision.Ifyouusetwofocusingrailssetupatrightanglestooneanother,you’llcreateacrossrailthatallowsyoutoshiftyourcamerafromsidetosideaswellasfromfronttoback.

Height-adjustablestakesdesignedforphotographicpurposescanbefoundintwosizesfromwww.fotonovum.dePhoto:MarkusGläßel

PanoramicTripodPlatesThebestwaytopanyourcamerahorizontallyiswithapanoramicplate.Thedeviceshouldfeatureabubblelevel,afocusingscale,andtheabilitytolockthesettingsinplace.Therearetwowaystousepanoramicheads:ontopoforbelowtheballhead.Positioningtheplateontopoftheballhead makes sense when you want to pan the camera in a fixedhorizontalmotion.Theball headallows you to turn the camerawithoutneedingtoadjustthetripod.Thesecondmethod—belowtheballhead—requires that the tripod be aligned horizontally, but the camera can bepivotedwithadownwardperspective,forexample.

Photographystakesareidealforpositioningflashunitsandotheraccessorieswhenworkinginthefield

Focusingrailsmakeiteasiertoadjustthepositioningofthefocalplaneprecisely,especiallywhenshootingwithalargemagnification

SpikesandRodsSome manufacturers offer long metal rods that have a mount withtraditional tripod threadsononeendandaspikeon theotherend thatcan be driven into soft ground. Even though cameras can be used onthese stands in a pinch, they are much more suited to support flashheadsandreflectors.

FlexibleStandsCamerastandssuchastheNovoflexMinipodortheGorillapodfromJobyareparticularlyusefulwhenshootingatgroundlevel.Youcanmanipulatethelegsofthesedevicesindividually—atraitthatmakesitmucheasiertoposition your camera on unlevel ground. The Gorillapod can also beoutfittedwithspikestoensureastablepositioningonsand,dirt,orsnow.

ClampswithTripodThreadsClamps equipped with standard tripod threads make it possible topositionflashheadsandotherpiecesofequipmentinhighlycustomandcreativeways.Whenpairedwithaball-headmount,you’llhaveanevengreater flexibility for setting up your shots. These tools won’t supportlarge, heavy cameras, but they can easily hold up a compact cameranext toabird’snest, forexample.With theaidofa remote trigger,youcanthencaptureashotofabirdinitsnestwithoutdisturbingit.

Specialclapsoutfittedwithtripodthreadsandtiltheadsallowphotographerstopositionflashunitsinpracticallyanypositionimaginable

Ballheadsmakeitveryeasytopositionyourcameraquicklyforthesubjectathand.Whenpairedwithapanoramicplateforhorizontalpanningtheymakeforacompactandpowerfulsolution.

TheGorillapodisaflexibletripodthatcanalsobeoutfittedwithspikedfeetPhoto:Joby

TransportationandSafety

SafetyThe main security issue to consider is your personal safety, whichinvolvesprotectingyourselfagainstaccidentsandillnesses.Ifyouplantospend time hiking through forests and fields for your photography, youshould take precautions against ticks at aminimum, and you probablyshouldconsultyourdoctor, too.Heorshecanmake recommendationsaboutimmunizationsandprovideadviceaboutassemblingafirst-aidkit.Always keep medicine for treating insect bites on hand because evenstealthy,well-meaninginteractionswithbeesandwaspscangowrong.

If you’re headed to an exotic destination, you should also educateyourself about poisonous animals and plants that you may encounter.Taking pictures in the wild may mean you’ll be visiting the homes ofpoisonous snakes and insects. Reading up on their behavior andcharacteristicscan’thurt.

What preventative measures to take will naturally depend on thelocation of your adventure. Consulting others who have been there isalways a good idea. Inform yourself about any widespread illnessesenoughinadvanceofyourtripsothatyoucangetanyvaccinesyoumayneedorwant.TheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionisagoodresourceforgettingstarted.

Evenpartsoftheworldwhereyoumightnotexpecttocomeacrossdangerousspecieshavetheirowncastofpoisonouscreatures,suchasthisEuropeanadderPhoto:RudolfKrahm

EquipmentThe security of your equipment is also a key concern. Theft andnegligencearebothworthconsideringandplanningfor.

Photographerswho shoot with expensiveDSLRs and lenses shouldtakeout insuranceon theirgearbecausegeneral travel insurancemaynotcover it incertaincases. Inorder to reactquickly to theft, takeandprintpicturesofyour importantpiecesofequipmentathome,andwritetheserialnumbersonthebackoftheprintouts.

Ifyouwanttoprotectyourgearfrompickpocketswhilebeingoutandabout,considerbuyingaspecialcamerasecuritybelt,whichcomeslinedwithasteelcablethatcan’tbeeasilycutwitharobber’sknife.

If you use a backpack for your gear, always double-check that youhavefullyclosedthezipperbeforeputtingyourbagbackontoyourback.

FileSecurityPhotographerswhoareshootingforanyextendedamountoftimeshouldmake plans for backing up their image files. The photography marketoffers any number of devices to solve this problem, from portableexternal hard drives to battery-powered CD burners. Laptops are alsopracticaltoolsforthispurpose.Whatevertechnologyyouuse,duplicationisthenameofthegame.Don’tmakethemistakeoftransferringyourfilestoastoragedeviceand thendeleting the files fromyourmemorycard.Doingsoonlyperpetuatestheproblem.

Backing data up to the cloud is one option, but it may becomeimpracticalifyou’reworkingwithlargeamountsofdata.Whenyoufactorin roaming charges that you’ll likely encounter if traveling abroad, thecloudcanendupbeingacostlyendeavor.

AnotheroptionfortravelerswhoarenottoofaroffthebeatenpathisjumpingintoaphotoshopordrugstoretohavefilesduplicatedontoCDsorDVDs.Youcanthenmailonecopyofthefilestoyourhomeaddressand store another somewhere in your luggage separate from yourcamera and memory cards. Some cameras even have the option ofwriting image files to multiple storage devices—an SD card and acompact flash card, for example. If this option is available to you, thenyoumaynotneedtopursueothermeansoffileredundancy.

Writingfilestomultiplememorycardssimultaneouslyisoneoptionforfilesecurity,butthisfunctionisonlyavailablewithmoreexpensivecameras

Evenrelativelymodestcollectionsofgearcanbeverycostly,makingcamerainsuranceaworthwhileinvestment

AdditionalMacroAccessories

Sometimes you need an extra hand to hold your camera and flash, topositionareflector,andtofocusyourshot.Thetoolsbelowwillhelpwiththosesituations,buttheirgeneralusefulnessishardtooverstate.

Reflectors |Large,flatobjectsmadeoutofwhitecardboardorcoveredwithsilverorgoldfoil.Theybrightenupdarkareasofanimage.

Toy Blocks | Objects of varying size that are handy for propping upelementsinyoursubject.

CleaningBlower |Although these toolsaredesigned for keepingyourimage sensor free from deposits of dust, they’re also well suited fortidyingupyoursubject.

FlashTiltHeads | Devices installed between the flashmount and theflash itself. They allow for angling your flash forward so you canilluminateyoursubjectfromabovewhenshootingatcloserange.

FlashRails |Flashmounts thatmake it possible topositionyour flashawayfromyourcamera,therebymakingiteasiertomanageshadowsinyourphotos.

Helping“ThirdHand”Tool|Asmallstandwithmultipleclampscapableofholdingupsmallobjects.Somesuchtoolsfeatureamagnifyingglassaswell.

TranslucentColorSheets | Colorful sheets of foil or film that can bepositionedinfrontofaflashforinterestingeffectsofcolor.

NeutralGreyCards | Cardswith a grey surface designed to reflect astandardized value of light: 18 percent. They help in obtain the properwhitebalanceforagivenshot.

HotGlueGun |Hotgluedriesquicklyandcaneasilyberemovedfromsmoothsurfaces.Averypracticaltoolforquickfixes.

Cardboard | Different colors have different uses: white is good forreflecting light or brightening images, black for darkening, and variouscolorsproducecolorfuleffects(asbackdrops,etc.).

ClampsandClips |Versatile tools forsecuringequipmentandholdingupbackgroundelementsanddecoration.Theycomeinavarietyofsizes,andsomeevenfeaturetripodthreadsforholdingflashunits.

Adhesive Tape | An absolute must-have for securing everythingimaginableformacrophotographers.Tapethatcanbeeasilyremovedisalsousefulformarkingoffspecificlocationsonyourshootingtable.

ModelingClay|Veryusefulforfixingpartsofyoursubjectinplacewhenshootinginthestudio.

Magnets|Magnetsofferaneffectiveandinvisiblewaytosecureobjectsinplace.Neodymiummagnetsareparticularly strongandwork througheven thickmaterials.Magnetsareparticularly usefulwhen you’ve linedthetopofyourshootingtablewithamagneticmaterial.

SpongeRubber | A substance especially good for supporting delicateobjects.Itcanbecarefullycutandsculptedwithasharpknife.

Nylon Twine | If you need to hang objects or decorations from the

ceiling,athinnylontwine,suchasfishingline,isyourbestbetbecauseitwon’tbeconspicuousinyourimages.

Brushes | A fine watercolor brush is an effective device for removingdustfromyoursubject.

Tweezers|Forpositioningorremovingtinyelementsfromyourtabletoppictures.

BookshelfBrackets |Althoughthey’re intendedtosecurebookshelvesto thewall, thesebracketsmakeexcellentstandsforreflectors,mirrors,andthelike.

Slave Flash Units | These auxiliary flash units can be wirelesslytriggered to fire by the pulse of light from themain flash. They can be

used to create interesting effects or simply to brighten areas of yourimage, such as the backdrop. Slave flash trigger adapters make itpossibletoretrofityourregularflashheadstoworkasslaveflashunits.

Mirrors | Small mirrors let you direct light to shine exactly where youwantitto.Youcancutmirrorswithglasscutters,butyoucanalsosimplyuse broken mirror pieces. Sponge rubber is a good material forsupporting mirrors, as is modeling clay. Smooth off rough edges ofmirrorsusingsandpaper.

Pushpins|Greatlittledevicesforpinningpartsofyoursubjectinplace.

ViewfinderMagnifiers |Placingamagnifyingglassover theviewfinderwindow enlarges the viewfinder image, making it easier to focusprecisely.

Flashlights | The ideal tool for light-painting techniques and forilluminating targeted areas in your pictures. When using them for filllighting,usemodels thathave thesamekindof lightbulbasyourmainlightsourcestoavoidcolorcasts.

Q-tips|Q-tipsaregreatforcleaningtough-to-reachpartsofyoursubject,but they also come in handy when cleaning your camera body.Whencleaning your image sensor, however, you’ll want to use specializedequipmentdesignedforthatpurpose.

Atomizer|Asprayeroratomizerisusefulwhenyouwanttoplacewaterdroplets on specific parts of your subject or if youwant to emulate thelookandfeelofdeworrain.Smallperfumebottlesthatyoucanfindinadrugstoredothejobnicely.

Ladybugonmossf/11,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,flashwithsoftbox

03

ShootingTechniquesThisladybugdroppedinunannouncedwhileIwasworkinginthestudioshootingsomeplants.Ialreadyhadmytripodandlightssetup,soIplacedthebugonapieceofmossandtookaseriesofpictures.Afterawhileitspreaditswingsanddisappeared.

Coincidences like this one are more of an exception than a rule. In most cases,capturingaphotorequirescarefulplanningoratleastafairamountofpreparations.

Forethoughtisrequirednotonlywhenselectingyoursubject,butalsowhenchoosingyour exposure techniques. Some of the decisions are somewhat technical, but manycomedown to intuition.Aswithsomany things in life,photography is lessaboutwhatyoudothanabouthowyoudoit.Figuringouttherightsettingstoapproachthetaskathand—andhavingthepatiencetoallowthesubjecttocometoyou—areoftenthekeystosuccess.

StrategiesforDealingwithBlur

Macro photographs feature depths of field that are especially shallow,whichmeansthatfocusingpreciselyandminimizingcamerashakeareofparamountconcern.Evenwhenexercisingextremecaution,blurcanstillruin your images—sometimes it arises due to technical limitations, butoften it is because certain errors made their way into your exposuretechniques.When this is the case, go over your process for exposingyour imagesandmoretimesthannot,you’ll findawayto improveyourprocessinawaythatyoupreviouslyhadn’tconsidered.

CameraShakeThecauseofimagesruinedbycamerashakeisashutterspeedsettingthatistooslow.Inthiscase,thesolutionisverystraightforward:chooseafastershutterspeed.Agoodgeneralruleforselectingashutterspeedisthattheinverseoftheshutterspeedshouldnotbeshorterthanthefocallengthof the lens.Whenshootingwitha50mm lens, for example, youhaveagoodchanceofgettingsharppicturesifyouuseashutterspeedof 1/60 s or faster. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, you also have toconsiderany focal lengthextension factor. In thesecases, it’sgenerallywisetochoosethenextfastestshutterspeed;sowiththe50mmlensjustdiscussed,you’dwantashutterspeedof1/90sor1/125s.

Thisphototurnedoutblurrydespiteusingatripod.Withashutterspeedof1.3s,thevibrationscausedbypressingtheshutterreleasearesignificantenoughtobeproblematic.

Usingtheself-timergivesthecameraenoughtimetostabilizefromthevibrationscausedbypressingtheshutterbuttonbeforetheexposureoccurs.Bothimages:f/9,1.3s,ISO100180mm

EnlargingtheApertureOptingforalargeapertureopeningleadstoanincreasedshutterspeed.Ashutterspeedof1/60satf/10,forexample,hasanequalexposuretoashutter speed of 1/125 s at f/6.3 and 1/250 s at f/4.5.You pay for thisincreaseinshutterspeedwithareduceddepthoffield,whichisn’talwaysanacceptabletrade-off.

Moderncamerashavedramaticallybetterimagenoiseperformancethantheirpredecessors—evenathighISOvalues.Thisimprovementmeansyoucanincreaseshutterspeedswhenusingasmallapertureopeningandstillbeabletoshootfreehand.NikonD800,f/13,1/2,000s,ISO6400,180mm

TripodsA tripodcanhelp if you’re trying toavoidaltering theaperture.Usingatripodlimitshowspontaneousyoucanbe,sodon’tusethelargestmodelon the market. Instead bring a compact one with you and use it onlywhencircumstancesdemandit.

A tripod isnotacure-allantidote forcamerashake issues,however:how you trigger the shutter release also comes into play. Even photosshot when using a tripodmay end upwith blur.One cause of camerashakewithDSLR cameras is the resulting vibrations that occur as themirrorswingsuptoallowlighttoreachtheimagesensor.Somecamerashave a mirror lockup option that eliminates this problem, but in mostcases you’ll want to employ a remote shutter release system to getaround the problem when working with a tripod. An infrared trigger isideal,butwiredsystemsalsodo the job. If nosuchoption isavailable,

usethecamera’sself-timer.When shooting with a magnification greater than 1:1, you probably

don’twanttorelyonfocusingusingthelensanymore.Instead,you’llbeable tomakesubtleradjustments ifyoumountyourcamera to focusingrails.

HighISOValuesUpping the sensitivity setting is another way to get shorter shutterspeeds.Evenjustafewyearsago,thistipwouldn’thavebeenadvisable,because higher ISO values led to increased image noise. Today,however, many DLSRs are capable of producing clear images at ISO1600andhigher.Bridgecamerasandcompactcamerashavealsomadeprogresswithrespecttonoiseperformance,offeringgoodimagequalityat ISO 400. Much beyond that limit, however, and reproduction in thedetailstendstosuffer.

Remoteshutterreleaseoptionspreventcamerashakefromoccurringasaresultofphysicallytouchingthecamerabody

Thankstoimagestabilizers,it’sstillpossibletoachievesharpimageswhileshootinghandheldat1/20sFujiHS10,f/4,1/20s,ISO100,14.6mm

Atanexposuretimeof1/6s,however,we’vereachedthelimitsofthestabilizationtechnologyandvisibleblurresultingfromcamerashakeiscreepingintotheimageFujiHS10,f/4,1/6s,ISO100,17.5mm

ImageStabilizersCamera manufacturers offer two different types of technology tocompensateforcamerashake.Thegoalofbothmethodsistocounteractthemovementscausedbycamerashaketoproducesharpimagesevenwithslowershutterspeeds.Thefirstmethodisastabilizationsystembuiltinto the lens itself,whichcauseselementsof the lenssystem tomove.Thesecondmethod isbuilt into thecameraandcauses thepositionofthesensortoadjust.That’sitforthetheoryofthesemethods.Inpractice,image stabilizers are a tremendous help when it comes to shootingfreehandinpoorlightingconditions.

The general effectiveness of these systems depends largely on theconditions you’re shooting in. Even though image stabilizers allow forrelatively sharp images with longer exposure times, they won’t stop

movingobjectsfromcreatingmotionblurinyourpictures.Some people claim that when shooting from a tripod with image

stabilizersactivatedtheultrasonicmotorswillintroduceslighttouchesofblur.Buttherearespecialimagestabilizermodesthatcanbeactivatedtopreventthiswhenusingatripod.

MirrorLockupManyDSLRcamerasmodelsallowphotographerstolockthemirrorupinadvance of actually exposing an image. This feature enables you toeliminatethepossibilitythatthemirror’sswingingmotioncouldcausethecamera toshakeand introduceunwantedblur intoyourpictures.Whenusingthisfeature,itgoeswithoutsayingthatyoushouldalsobeusingaremote trigger system. And this method is viable only when you’reshootingperfectlystationarysubjects,becauseassoonasyou lock themirrorup,yourviewfinderwillgoblackandyouwon’tbeabletoreacttoanychangesinyoursubject.Ifyou’retakingpicturesofplantsonawindydayoranimalsontheprowl,thisoptionwon’tbepractical.

AlteringtheLightSometimesasmallreflectorcancreateabigimpact.Usingasmallpieceof white cardboard or a foldable reflector is often an effortless way tobrightenupasubject.YoucansimilarlyuseanLEDlamporaflashlight,althoughinthiscase,youneedtoconsideranymixedlightingsituationsthatwouldleadtounwantedcolorcasts.

Creatingfillflashwiththecamera’sbuilt-inflashisanotherwaytogetsharperimages.Buttheincreasedsharpnesshereisnotowedtoafastershutterspeedbuttotheultra-briefpulsedurationoftheflashitself.

Ahummingbirdhawk-mothonablossom.Toattempttocaptureitswingssharply,IbumpedupthesensitivitytoISO1600,whichallowedmetoshootat1/1,500s.Buteventhatshutterspeedwastooslowandyieldedvisiblemotionblurinmyphoto.

MotionBlurIfasubjectmovesduringtheexposurewindow,theimagesensorwon’tcapture it sharply. The longer the exposure window, the moreconspicuous thismovementwill appear in the final image. You have afewoptionsatyourdisposalifyouwanttoincreaseyourshutterspeed:

AlterthelightingbyusingareflectorIncreasethelightingbyusingfillflash,forexampleOpenuptheapertureUseahigherISOvalue

Amakeshiftwindscreenisyetanotherviableoptionforcounteringmotionblurifyou’retryingtogetgrassorsimilarsubjectstostandstill.Nosuchluck if you’re photographing a moving animal. If it’s impossible toeradicate motion blur entirely from your images, you might considerdeliberately featuring itasaconsciousdesignelement inyourphoto. In

many cases, thoughtfully included elements of blur can give picturesmorelifethanthesamesubjectcapturedperfectlystill.

Anexposurewindowlasting1/60swastoolongforthisheavilyloadedbumblebee.IshouldhaveopeneduptheaperturesoIcouldhaveusedafastershutterspeed.f/13,1/60s,ISO400,150mm

At1/180syoucanstillmakeoutindividualbubblesofairinthequicklymovingwater.Someareasofthewater’ssurface,however,alreadyexhibitsignificantblur.f/9.5,1/180s,ISO200,150mm,tripod

Theflowofthestreamismuchmorevisiblewiththeshutterspeedsloweddownto1/45sf/16,1/45s,ISO200,150mm,tripod

UsingMotionBlurCreativelyImages that artfully feature both motion blur and sharpnesssimultaneouslyareoftenespeciallyappealing,asthisseriesofclose-upphotos of an iced-over stream shows. Just howmuch blur factors intosuchanimageisdependentontheshutterspeed.Toensurethatsomeareas appear sufficiently sharp, it’s often necessary to use a tripod to

stave off any unwanted camera shake from causing blur to appearthroughouttheimagearea.Anotherfactorforthedegreeofblurintheseimagesisthespeedoftheobjectinmotion,whichforourexamplehereis therateatwhich thestreamis flowing.Theshootingdistance isalsorelevant, however, because the relative speed of your subject willincrease the closer you are to it. For this stream, which was movingrelatively briskly, even a quick shutter speed of 1/180 s ended upwithsomeblurryareasonthewater’ssurfacewhileotherareasweresharplyinfocus.Slowingtheshutterspeeddownto1/45smakesthemotionblureven more conspicuous, and at 1/10 s, the surface of the water isreducedtoasoft,milkycurrent.

Subjectswithaslowervelocitywillrequireslowershutterspeeds.Lazywavesmovingarounda stoneon thebeach, for example,may requireshutter speeds up to several seconds to achieve your desired effect.Another dynamic way to incorporate both motion and stillness in yourimages is touseapulseof light froma flash to freezeobjects inplaceduringalongerexposurewindowasyoumightdowhenphotographingaleaf falling to the ground from a tree branch. This technique can becarried out in twoways, depending on your desired intentions: syncingtheflashwiththeshutter’sfirstcurtainorwiththerearcurtain.

At1/30s,themotionofthewaterisevenmoreblurry,appearingverymilkyinsomeareaswhilestillexhibitingsomestaticdetailinareaswherethewaterismovingabitslowerf/22,1/30s,ISO200,150mm,tripod

Slowingtheshutterspeedto1/10seffacesnearlyallofthedetailfromthewater’ssurface.Thesoft,milk-likestreamcontrastsdramaticallywiththesharpicestructuresonthebankofthecreek.f/22,1/10s,ISO200,150mm,tripod

FirstCurtainSyncWiththistechnique,theflashfiresatthestartoftheexposurewindow.Ifwethinkabouttheexampleofafalling leaf, thismethodwouldproducean imagewithasharp representationof the leafat thebeginningof itsdownwardfallandablurredtrailofitsformextendingtowardthegroundbelowalongitspathoftravel.

RearCurtainSyncSyncingtheflashwiththerearshuttercurtainmeanstheflashwillfireattheendof theexposurewindow, immediatelybefore theshuttercloses.The result here will be a blurred streak of motion leading down to animageoftheleafclosertothegroundfrozensharplyinplacebythebriefpulseoflight.

Cabbagebutterflyf/8,1/180s,ISO200,150mm

FocusingProblemsWhenUsingaTripod—EquipmentErrorAlthough it’s quite uncommon, one causeof focusingerror is rooted inthe technology of your lens. The technical terms used to describe thisissueareback focusingand front focusing.These termsdescribewhathappenswhena lenserrantly focuses in frontoforbehindthetargetedpointasdeterminedbytheautofocussystemorbymanuallyfocusing.Itis relatively easy to testwhether one of your lenses has this particularissuebyshootingaseriesofphotosofaruleronatable.

Tocarryout this test,shootanumberofphotos focusingondifferenthashmarksontherule—forexample,at10cm,20cm,30cm,and40cm.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatyou’llwanttousethesturdiesttripodyouhaveas well as a remote shutter release system when taking these shots.Aftercollectingyourimages,examinetheresultsonamonitor.Ifthefocalplaneisexactlywhereitshouldbeforallofyourshots,theneverythingisinorder.Ifnot,runthetestagaintoeliminateanychanceoferrorinyourprocessandtoconfirmyourresults.

If your second test confirms that there is a back or front focusingproblem,youmaybeabletomakethenecessarymicroadjustmentswithyourcamera’s internalprogramming,dependingonyourcameramodel.If you don’t have this option available, contact your lens and cameramanufacturertoseeiftheautofocuscanbereadjusted.Fortunately,thistypeoferrorisveryrare.

Photographaruler—ideallyonewithhashmarksdowntothe0.5mmlevel—usingatripodtotestthefocusingprecisionofyourequipment.Thefocusofyourresultingtestimagesshouldbeexactlywhereyouintendedittobewhenlookingthroughthecamera’sviewfinder.

FocusingProblemsWhenUsingaTripod—UserErrorAnotherpotentialcauseoffocusingerrorwhenworkingwithatripodisanunsound process orworkflow, or in otherwords, an element of humanerror.

Whenlookingthroughtheviewfinderofthecamerawhenit’smountedonatripod,manyphotographersinstinctivelypresstheirforeheadagainstthecamera.Othersfirmlygraspthecameratoofferaddedstabilitywhen

adjusting the focus manually. Both of these behaviors can cause thepositionofthecameratoshiftslightly.Assoonasyouremoveyoureyefrom theviewfinder, thecameramayspringback to itsoriginalpositionbefore you actually expose your image. In some cases, even this tinyshiftisenoughtothrowthefocusoffslightly.

Somecameramodels,suchastheNikonD800,allowuserstofine-tunetheautofocus

HoldingaCameraProperly

Using the proper technique while taking pictures can save you criticaltenthsofa second.Themethodsdescribedheremayseemsomewhatbanal, but my personal experience has shown that the right posture,breathingtechnique,andsooncanbethatlittlesomethingextratohelpachievequalityimagesfreefromcamerashake.

Useyourhandasapropbeneaththecenterofgravityforyourcameraandlens—especiallywhenshootingwithslowshutterspeeds

HoldingtheCamera

Thewayyouholdyourcameramakesabigdifferenceinwhetheryouwillbe able to take sharp pictures, especially at slower shutter speeds.Always position your second hand—the one that is not positioned topress the shutter release button—underneath the lens to support theweightofthecameraasopposedtoonthecamerabodyitself.

AutofocusorManualFocusIn most cases photographers rely on the precision of the autofocussystem to position the focal plane in exactly the right spot. The fartheryou move in toward your subject, however, the more difficulty theautofocussystemwillhaveinaccomplishingthisfeat.Therearemultiplereasonsforthis,startingwiththefactthatthefocusrangeoftenbecomesso miniscule that even tiny camera movements force the camera toreadjustthefocus.Furthermore,macrosubjectssuchasinsectslookingforfoodonaflowerblossomorbusybeesandbutterflies,tendtomovethemselves.Whentheydo,theautofocusneedstoreadjust,oftensettlingon elements farther away such as a flower’s petals. And with somecamerasettings (focuspriority), youwon’t evenbeable to captureanyimageuntiltheautofocussystemgivesyouthegreenlight.Gustsofwindare another source of movement that can shift delicate elements of asubject mere millimeters beyond the depth of field. All of thesechallengesgenerallymean thatmanual focusing is theway togowhenshootinginthemacrorange.

Leaningyourelbowsagainstawalleffectivelycreatesasturdytripodwithyourrigidtorso

Thefirststepinfocusingmanuallyistoadjustthefocusapproximatelyat first and then to become more precise in your adjustments as youplace your eye up to the viewfinder. If the focus is positioned on yourdesiredtarget,fireaway.It’sactuallymucheasiertoreactquicklytoyoursubject’smovementsusing this technique than it is to relyon themostmodernofautofocussystems.

BreathingTechniquesBreathing naturally causes the body to move, but your brain naturallyfiltersthisdetailawayfromyoureverydayconsciousness.Ifyoumindfullytakeadeepbreathinandout,however,you’llseehowmuchyourbodymoves—actionthatcanleadtoblurinyourimagesifyou’renotcareful.

Movements related to breathing can be thought about in awavelikemotion. The peaks and valleys of this wave are when you transitionbetween inhalation and exhalation, and those times are the stillestmoments of the breathing cycle. Shooting your images during these

criticaltimesmaximizesyourchancesofholdingyourcameraassteadyaspossible.

TheNaturalTripodWheneverpossible,leanyourelbowsupagainstsomethingstablewhileshooting.Yourarmsandtorsowilleffectivelyformanorganictripodthatwillallowyoutouseslowershutterspeeds.

Inhalingandexhalingnaturallycausesthebodytomove.Attheupperandlowertransitionpointsofthiscycle,thismovementisatitsmostminimal.

ImprovisationOnsomedays,you’reovercomebyadesire toheadout into theforestunencumbered and to simply walk around without having to carry abunchofgear,soyouleaveyourtripodathome.Withoutfail, thesearethe days when you’ll come across something that can’t be sharplyphotographedwithoutastand.SureyoucanbumpuptheISOvalueandopen the aperture to get a faster shutter speed, but sometimes those

measuresaren’t enough. In thesemoments, oneoption is to rummagearound in the underbrush for a branch with a fork in it. If you carry apocketknife, you can quickly trim the branch down to the necessarylength, and in no time you’ll have an improvised tool that can lend asurprisingamountofstabilitytoyourshot.

Theforkofatreebranchcanbeusedasamakeshiftmonopod.Usingthismethodisagreatoptionifyou’veleftyourtripodathome.

HoldingYourPositionPropershootingtechniquegoesalongwayinmakingyourphotographymore stable and in allowing you to shoot handheld for longer shutterspeeds.

Good technique starts with holding your camera in place for longerthan you may initially think necessary. Beginner photographers inparticularhaveatendencytoassumethatassoonastheshutterbuttonispressed,there’snoharminmovingthecamera.Thatlogicwouldholdtrue ifshutter lagweren’tanaturalpartofworkingwithdigitalcameras.

Movingyour camera tooquicklyaftera shot cansometimesmean thatyou’re actually moving it before the exposure window is completelyfinished.Forcingyourselftoholdyourcamerastillforanextramomentortwoisasimplebuteffectivewaytoincreaseyouryieldofphotosthatarefreefromtheruinouseffectsofcamerashake.

It’sdifficulttoholdacamerasteadilywhileleaningforward.

StayingCalmApproachinganytaskwithameasureofcalmgenerallyhelpstoimproveyour chances of success. Taking pictures under stress or pressures oftimeisagoodwaytocompromisethequalityofyourmacrophotographs.Hurriedmovementsandinternalagitationwillleadonlytoimagesmarred

by unwanted blur and frustration over missing out on desirableopportunities.Takeaseatinapeacefulmeadowforacoupleofminutesbefore starting yourwork, lookaround,and relax forabit.Thenyou’relikelytohaveasteadierhandwhenyoupickupyourcameraandgettowork.

SeatCushionsA stable stance leads to stable exposures. Unfortunately, macrophotographyoftenrequiresthatwegetclosertooursubjectsbyquicklydropping down to the ground in a crouch that better resembles abalancing act than a stable base for taking a picture. The reason forresorting toanunstable squatusually stems fromadesire to keepourclothesfromgettingdirty.Onesolutiontothisproblemistoweartherightclothes for the job; another is to bring a seat cushion or some othersimilarmaterial thatyoucansitorkneelon.Properlysittingorkneelingonthismaterialwillgiveyouamuchsturdierstance.

FindingSupportSupport your camera on stable objects whenever possible. Walls,branches,orevenyourownkneesoftenmakeforapracticalbrace.Layasofttowelorclothoverwhateveryouendupusingifyou’reconcernedaboutgettingscratchesonthebottomofyourcamera.

BeanbagsBeanbags are a truly versatile tool for macro photographers. A smallleather sack filledwithbeans isa fantasticway toprotect your camerabody from rough surfaces aswell as to hold your camera in a desiredposition.TheDo ItYourself chapterat theendof thisbookhas simpleinstructionsformakingabeanbagofyourown.

ExploitingDepthofFieldInsomeinstances,yourentiresubjectwon’tappearinfocuseventhoughyou’ve stopped down the aperture to increase the depth of fieldsignificantly.Onepotentialcauseof thisproblemispositioningthefocal

planeontheclosestdetailofyoursubject.Doingsomeansthatthebackhalfofthedepthoffieldisusedeffectivelytoincludesubjectdetailsjustpast the focal plane. But the front half of the depth of field will bepositionedinfrontofyoursubject.Ifyouaccordinglypushthefocalplaneback toamorecentralelementofyoursubject,you’llbeable toexploitthefullrangeofthedepthoffieldeffectively.

Ifit’spossibletoliftyourleg,placeyourfootonsomethingsturdy,andthenbraceyourselfagainstyourknee;you’llendupwithamuchmorestableshot

Asmallleatherbagfilledwithdriedbeansissurprisinglyeffectiveandusefulforholdingyourcamerainplace.Suchatoolisalsoveryeasytoputtogetheronyourown.

Inthisstance,thephotographer’sentirebodyweightissupportedbytwosmallpointsofcontactwiththeground—notastablestance

ApproachingFlightZonesBadposturemayincreasethelikelihoodofunwantedblurinyourphotos,butsowillhecticmovements.Alwaysapproachyoursubjectslowlyandfluidlywhentryingto takephotographsofsmallanimalssuchas lizardsandinsects.Animalsoftenwon’tperceiveyouasathreat—uptoapoint,ofcourse—ifyouarecarefulwithyourmovements.Inadvertentlycastingashadowontheseanimalscanalsocausethemtobolt.Ifyoumoveinslowmotion, you’ll be amazed at how closely you can approach someanimals.Usingthelongestpossiblefocallengthisalsoakeytosuccess.

Inthisalternativeposition,thecamera’sshootingheightisthesame,butnowthephotographer’sstanceismuchmoresecure.Heisabletousehislegstosupporthiselbowsbecauseheissittingdown,resultinginaverysteadyposture.

Dandelionf/11,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashwithsoftbox

04

MacroPhotographyintheStudioShootingundercontrolledandreproduciblecircumstancesispossibleonlyinthestudio.WhenI’mworkingindoors,myobjectiveandstylearecompletelydifferentfromwhattheyarewhenI’mshootingoutdoors.Withtheabilitytocontrolmysurroundingscompletely,Iaimtohighlighttheshapeofanobjectandtouselighttoteaseoutitsbeauty.Inaword,design is everything. Forme, this goal is best achieved by entirelymanualmethods,whichallowmetocustomizelighting,shutterspeed,andaperturetoachievemytargetedresults.

Takingpicturesinthestudioissomewhatabstractandtakessomepractice.Inmanycases,thewayanobject looksontheshootingtablewilldifferdramaticallyfromhowitappears inaphotograph.Evena littlepractice, though,goesa longway inbuildingupexpertiseabouthowtogettheresultsyouwant.Thelessonsyoulearnbyworkinginthestudiowillprovevaluable forshootingoutdooraswell. Ifyouneed touse fill flash, forexample,studioexperiencewillhelpyouquicklydeterminetheproperamountofflashtoemploy.

StudioLight

Thequalityofdaylightandtheprevailingweatherconditionsdonothaveinfluenceontheworkyoudointhestudio.Youareentirelyinchargeofthe lighting conditions as the photographer, which means the entireprocess forapproachingyourphotographs issomewhatdifferent.Whenshooting out of doors, you can blame a photo that falls flat oncircumstances out of your hands—not so when working in the studio,because the quality of the lighting is entirely based on your setup. Intheory,thereisnounachievablelightingconditioninthestudio.

Close-upandmacrophotographyhaverelativelymodestlightingdemands,whichmakesystemflashunitsapracticalandaffordablelightingsolution

ReproducibleLightingThe big advantage of studio lighting is that you can re-create exactlightingsituationsforsubsequentuse.Itbehoovesyoutomastercertainstandardsetupsthatyouwillusetimeandtimeagain.Ifyouhavetheseparticularconfigurationsdown,you’llbeabletoexpendmuchmoreeffortand thought on your specific subjects rather than on the basics ofcreating desirable lighting. Adding in a few reflectors or auxiliary flashunits to thesebasicdesignsallowsyou todevelopevenmorecomplexlightingsituations.

In the examples that follow, I have used system flash lightingexclusively rather thanproperstudio lighting.Mygoalwas tomake theconfigurations approachable for people new tomacro photography, butallofthesesetupswouldworkwithcontinuousstudiolightingaswell.

PureWhiteBackgroundOneeffectivemethodfor isolatinganobjectagainstawhitebackgroundistolightupthebackgroundsoit iseffectivelyoverexposed.Toemploythis method, you’ll want to light the background separately from yourmainsubject.Usingtwoflashheadssetupwithsmallsoftboxesisagoodwaytogetaneven lighting.Fill flashfor thesubject isoftenrequiredtoprevent it from appearing as a silhouette void of detail—this setup iseffectively a classic backlit situation. When using this method, set upwhite cardboard pieces on either side of the subject so they are justbeyond the imagearea topreventstray light. If you’reusing flashunitswithoutsoftboxes,youcanbouncetheflashofftheseshields,usingthemas reflectors to better effect an even lighting across the entirebackground.

Acompletelywhitebackdroprequiresalightingsetupspeciallydesignedforthepurpose.Filllightingisoftenrequiredtorescuethemainsubjectfromfallingintodarkness.

Apurewhitebackdroprequiresaseparatesourceoflightf/13,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Apureblackbackdroprequiresthatstraylightbeshieldedandthatthesubjectbesufficientlyfarawayf/13,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,studioflashunitwithsoftbox

Alighttentisyetanotheroptionforcreatingawhitebackground.Ifusingthismethod,you’llstillwanttouseseparatelightingforthebackground.Thefartherbackinthelighttentthatyoupositionyoursubject,themoreit will be illuminated from the side by the reflective walls, which, inextremecases,willleadtoanimagewithweakcontrast.Positioningyoursubject closer will ensure that the reflected light has a less significantinfluenceonthesubject.

PureBlackBackgroundWhentryingtocreateapureblackbackground,youhavetotakecaretoensure that no light reaches the background. Set up a couple blackpieces of cardboard as light shields, and make sure that the distancebetweenyoursubjectandthebackgroundisaslargeaspossible.Setupyourflashheadssothattheystrikeyoursubjectataveryflatangle.Youwantyourbackdropmaterialtobeparticularlyabsorbentforlight.Velvetis an ideal choice—or any other specialized materials designedspecificallyforthispurposefromphotographyshops.

Usingthebacklightshieldsasreflectorsisaneffectivewaytoproduceanevenlightingonthebackdropwithindirectlighting

Blackcardboardusedasshadespreventslightfromtheflashfromreachingthebackdrop.The

graphicontheleftshowsthesetup;theimageontherightshowstheresult.

BlackBackgroundwithBacklightingThislightingsituationisverysimilartothatforapureblackbackground,exceptthemainsubjectislitfrombehindinthiscase.You’llstillwanttousetwopiecesofblackcardboardoneithersideoftheimagetopreventlightfromreachingthebackdrop.Athirdflashwithareducedoutputmaybe necessary for brightening your subject if it gets a little dark. Thistechnique is particularly effective for plants, which exhibit delicatestructuresaroundtheiredgessuchasthorns,bristles,andthelike.Whenilluminatedfrombehind,thesesubjectsradiate,givingthesubjectawarmaura. Flowers with thin petals and other semitransparent elements arealsoveryattractivewhenstyledinthisway.

Whentryingtoachieveablackbackgroundwithbacklighting,shadespreventflashlightfromstrikingthelensdirectly

TransmittedLightTranslucent objects often reveal unfamiliar detail when illuminatedwithtransmitted light.Glassmarblesare ideal candidates for this treatment,but so are orange slices, colorful lollipops, gummy bears, and muchmore.When placed on a glass pane or a slide viewer and illuminatedfrom behind, these objects take on brilliant colors. Many subjects willrequiresomeadditionallightingfromthefronttoretaindetailintheareasthatare lesstranslucent.Yourresultswillbebest ifyoucanachieveaneven lighting on the subject’s back side, which isn’t an issue if you’reusing a slide viewer. But if you’re using a flash head for light, use asoftbox or a diffuser and position the flash as far away as possible orbounce its lightoffareflector.Usingconsistent temperaturesof light forboth sides of your subject will prevent unattractive casts of color fromoccurring in your images. When shooting a subject with reflectivesurfaces, the front light plays a key role in the size and shape of theresultingreflectionsinyourimage.

Transmittedlightbringsdetailsandtexturesintoviewthatotherwisearenotreadilyvisible

ReproductionsAlthough reproduction photographymay seem pretty straightforward atfirstglance,thistypeofworkrequiresexcellentlighting,staging,andlensquality.Acameraangle that isevenslightlyoffkiltercan lead tovisibledistortions inyour images—usingahigh-end,stablecamerastand isallbutnecessary.Your lenswill alsoneed tosupportnearlydistortion-freeimagereproduction.Unfortunately,zoomlensesgenerallyaren’tuptothetask, because they exhibit pillow or barrel distortion at nearly all focallengths. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, you’ll accordingly want toconsider using a fixed-length lens—for example, a 50mm macro ornormalmodel.Digitalcompactandbridgecamerasaregenerallynotwellsuitedforphotographywhenexactreproductioniscalledfor.

Striveforauniformlightingfreefromshadowsbysettinguptwolampsorflashunitsatanequaldistancefromthesubjectandangledat45°.Ifyour subject doesn’t lay perfectly flat, lay a glass plate over it to avoidunwanted reflections. For your exposure, choose a small aperture toattain a large depth of field, and release the shutter using a remotetriggersystemorthecamera’sself-timer.

Asymmetricalsetupisessentialforcreatingtheuniformlightingthatisneededforreproductionphotography

MixingLightOnecreativewaytomakeuseofthedifferentcolortemperaturesofflashunits and other forms of artificial light is to simulate thewarm eveninglight of the setting sun. Flashlights are ideal for this purpose becausetheirlightcanbefocusedinasmallarea.Tousethismethod,you’llneedadarkenedroomtolimittheinfluenceofambientlightandastabletripodforyourcamera.Selectanarrowapertureandashutterspeedofafewseconds. Take a few test shots to determine howmuch exposure timeyou need to achieve your desired lighting effect. For the image on thenext page, two seconds at f/22was already long enough to bathe thecoffeebeansinanicewarmglowofgoldenlight.Tocreatethispicture,thecameraflashunitservedtoestablishthebaselinelighting.Bouncingtheflashoffawhitereflectororusingasoftboxinthissituationishelpful,because these light-shaping tools soften the shadows and prevent thebaselinelightfromcompetingwiththeaccentlightingfromtheflashlight.Youcan further refineyour lightingbyaltering the flashunit’soutputoradjustingtheshutterspeed.Alternatively,youcanmanuallyfiretheflashunitoneormoretimesduringtheexposurewindow.

Mixedlightingcomprisingnaturaldaylight(creatingneutralcolors)andtheincandescentlightfromaconventionalflashlight(creatinganorangeaccent)

ColorfulLightColorfullightinginthestudiocanbeputtocreativeuses.Oneparticularlyengaginglookistoincorporateacombinationofmultiplecolorsofharshlydirectedsidelightingfromdifferentangles.Withthissetup,theshadowstakeonthecolorofthelightoppositethem.Thetransparentcolorfulfilmsthatyouneedtoeffectthislookcanbepurchasedatphotographystores,but you can also find them at retail locations that provide presentationequipment.Youcanusethevarietyofcolorsavailableonthemarket tocreateyetothersbyoverlappingtheminfrontofyour lightsourceorbysettingthemsidebyside.

Colorfullightingopensthedoortoawiderangeofcreativeeffects.Hereyoucanseetheinterestingresultsofusingmultiplesourcesofdirectedsidelighting.

Inadditiontocoloringyourlighting,thesetranslucentsheetscanalsobe used to filter your lens.Depending on how intense the color of thefilteris,yourresultingimageswillappearsubtlycolorizedtoheavilydyed.Youcanevencreatevariousgradient filtersbyholdingthesecolor filmspartiallyoverthefrontofyourlens.Thefilterswillbeoutsideofthefocus

range for the lens, so the image will reveal gradual gradients of colorratherthandistinctorabruptseparatingtransitionsofcolor.

Thisarrangementofgerberaswasphotographedinastudiodespitecluestothecontraryf/13,1/125s,ISO100,50mm,studioflashunit,twoflashheadswithsoftboxes

Ablackbackgroundcausesthecolorsofevenrelativelynondescriptobjectstoshine.Sidelightinghasatendencytogivesubjectsaplasticappearance.f/9.5,1/125s,ISO200,60mm,studioflashunitwithsoftbox

LightingCompared

Macrophotographershavesimilaroptions for shaping light available tothem as professional product photographers, but in most cases thedevicesaremuchsmaller.Systemflashunitsareparticularlypracticalformacro studio photography for this reason. But LED bulbs and daylightlampsalsohaveaplaceinamacrophotographer’slightingarsenal.

The images in the following series were all shot with a distance of40cmseparatingthelightsourceandthesubject.Thelightwassetupat90° to thesubjectand topreventexcessivelydarkshadows, Iplacedawhitereflectorat15cmontheoppositesideofthesubject.Notethatthering flash wasmounted on the camera for that image, of course. Thepieceof thecircuitboardhelping to illustrate this lightingcomparison isapproximately4cmby6cm.

Think of these example photos as a starting point for what you caneffect in terms of different types of light. In reality, you can experimentwith multiple sources of light, different lighting angles or distances,alternate light-shaping tools, and so on to create an endless variety ofadditionallightingconditions.

Daylightlamp:Soft,butdirectionalshadows.Thepurpletonesintheflowerblossomarerendereddifferentlyfromthephotousinglightfromaflashunit.

LEDflashlight:Aspotlighteffectwithverydarkshadows;thecolorreproductionleavessomethingtobedesired.

Systemflashunit,direct:distinctshadowsandsomeoverexposureintheimagehighlights

Systemflashunit,indirect(bouncedoffawhitereflector):softshadowsandvividcolor

Systemflashunitwith30cmx30cmsoftbox:significantlysoftershadowsthanthosecreatedby

directflashlighting

Systemflashwithlighttent:completelyfreeofshadows,butthelightisveryflatandthecolorslacksharpness

Ringflash:noshadows,butthelightreflectsoffsomeoftheshinypartsofthecircuitboard

Studioflashunitwith70cmx100cmsoftbox:optimalcolorreproduction,verysoftshadows

BuildingaSmallMacroStudio

Fortunately, macro photography concerns itself with the world of theminiscule, so the demands for equipment and studio space are moremodestthanwhatwouldberequiredtoassembleastudioforportraitureor product photography. Nevertheless, even macro photographersrequireafairamountofspacetosetupshop.

Atranslucentplasticcontainercaneasilybeusedtoimproviseasmalllighttent.Asimplesheetofwhitepaperwillservewellasaninfinitycovehere.

StartSmallIfyou’re justgettingstartedwithmacrophotography, there’snoneedtogooverboardwithacquiringnewequipment:anorganizedtable,awhitesheetofpapertoserveasaninfinitycove,andasystemflashunitareallyou need. This minimalist configuration gives you enough flexibility tocreate a wide variety of images. Only when you’re ready to startexperimenting with lighting, backgrounds, and capturing subjectmovements will you run up against the limitations of this modestequipmentsetup.

SpaceConsiderationsDecidinghowmuchroomyou’llneedforyourclose-upandmacrostudioisnotentirelystraightforward.Thefirstthingtoconsideristhesizeoftheobjects that youwish to photograph.For a full bouquet of flowers, youmay need a shooting table that’s 90cm by 90cm, but if an individualflowerpetal is in linewithyour interests, thensomethingsmallerwilldothejob.Ingeneral,Iwouldrecommendashootingtableofatleast50cmby 50cm even if your subjects will ultimately end up being only a fewcentimetersormillimeterslarge.

Inaddition to thesizeofyoursubject,youalsohave toconsider theother elements thatwill be positioned on your shooting table, includingany lighting instruments.Yourshooting tableshouldbewideenough toaccommodatelampsandflashunits.

TheRightSpaceA roomwithwalls paintedwhite is ideal for setting up amacro studio.Whitewallsmakeitpossibletobounceflashoffofthemtocreateindirectlightingwhennecessary. If thewallsorceiling inyourmacrostudioarepainted a different color or are exposed wood, then using them asreflectors will create casts of color in your images. It’s also a hugeadvantage to be able to completely darken your macro studio room ifnecessary.Thisoptionmakesitpossibletoshootwithveryslowshutterspeeds, suchas those required for light-paintingphotographers, at anytimeofday.

Infinitycoveshelpcreateaseamlesstransitionfromthegroundtothebackground.Youcanbuildthemyourselfwithabitofcraftyambition.Therodsvisibleinthisillustrationservetoalterthecurvatureofthecoveandtoholdthematerialsinplace.

Itdoesn’ttakemuchroomtoconstructasmallphotostudioformacrophotography.Thedrawersinthesecabinetssupportingareprostandsetupservetohouseeveryimaginabletoolthatamacrophotographerwouldneed:reflectors,clamps,mirrors,flashlights,andsoon.Asystemflashfilteredthroughasoftboxproduceseven,softlight.Imageslitwithtransmittedlightcanberealizedwithalightbox.

OrganizationIstheKeytoSuccessThesmalleryourstudiois,themorecriticalitisthateveryobjectandtool

has its proper home. A well-organized studio will allow you workefficiently; the frustration that ariseswhen searching for anelusive toolamidaclutteredstudiowillnothelpyourphotography.

Macrophotographyrequires the frequentuseofavarietyof tools forholding things in place. Macro photographers often need to locatesupports,reflectors,flashaccessories,filterfoils,decorativematerial,andmuchmore.Oneof theshooting tables that Ihavesetup inmymacrostudiofeaturesareprographystandontopof twometalcabinetswithanumberofdrawers.Thestoragebelow theshooting table letsmestowawayallofthevariousequipmentwhilestillkeepingthemcloseathandforeasyaccess.

Ifyouwanttheflexibilityofoccasionallyphotographinglargersubjects,acollapsiblelighttentisthewaytogo.Youcanfitanentireflowerbouquetinonewithnotrouble—evenifyourintentionistocaptureindividualblossoms.

BringingNatureIndoors

Photographingplantsandanimals indoors isnotnecessarilyanyeasierthanworking outside.On one hand, you have greater control over thecircumstancesandeasyaccesstomorelightingifyouneedit,butontheotherhand, it canbechallenging to create images thatappearnatural.Photosshotinastudiooftenhaveafakeorstagedfeeltothem.Ifyourintention is to create an image that looks as though it were shot in astudio, this challenge isn’t a problem, but if your intention is to createsomethingthatlooksasauthenticaspossible,thenyou’llneedtospenda lot of effort creating natural lighting and surroundings. For starters,images should be illuminated with only one key light source to mimicnatural lightingsituations,wherethesun is theonlysourceof light.Youcan employ other light sources for fill lighting, if necessary, but theyshouldn’tevercompetewiththemainlightsource.

Weevil.Photographedinastudiowithawhitebackground.Theimagefeelsneutralandclinical.

SimulatingVariousKindsofDaylightThequality of natural light varieswidely based on the timeof day andotherconditions.Filtersandlight-shapingtoolscanbeemployedtomimicthesedifferentqualitiesofnaturallight.Hereareafewexamples:

HighNoonFlashpositionedfromabovetofunctionasapoint lightwithoutanyshapingtools.

LateAfternoonBeautydishsetat45°—amoderateyellowfilteroftheflashmayalsohelp.

TheGolden,EveningHourFlashmodifiedbyanorangefilter,abeautydish,andahoneycombfilter at an angle of 85°.Analternative option is usinga traditional

incandescentbulbwiththewhitebalancesetfornaturaldaylight.

Snailonabedofmoss.Thisphotowasalsoshotinastudio,despiteitsnaturalappearance.Thesettingwasstagedtomirrortheanimal’snaturalhabitat.

Achievingdesiredlightingiseasierinthestudiowhenphotographicimmobilesubjects,suchasthiscollectionoflichenfromatreetrunkf/22,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Twilight,ortheBlueHourFlash filtered through blue foil and reflected off a white wall.Adjustinghowmuchoftheflashiscoveredwiththetransparentbluefilter will alter the appearance of the light. If you don’t have anymaterial to function as a filter handy, set the white balance totungstenlight.

OvercastSkyFlash equipped with a large softbox, or bounced off of a whiteceiling.

AFoggyDayLight tent with the flash positioned based on where you want theposition of the sun to appear. To give the results an even morerealistic appearance, use an image-editing program to desaturate

thecolorssomewhat.

DecorativeMaterialandBackgroundsBackdropsanddecorationsareacriticalcomponent tocreatingnatural-looking macro photographs in the studio. Having a stockpile of propsmakesthejoballtheeasier:varietiesofmoss,bark,wood,stones,sand,and the like should be easily accessible to stage a realistic scene. Aspray bottle filled with water can also go a long way in simulatingraindropsandrevivingmosstolookfreshandhealthy.

Theskyinthebackgroundisactuallyaphotographicprintoftheskymadeonmattepaperandaffixedtoapieceofstablecardboard.Topreventbetrayingshadowsfromappearingonthebackground,illuminatethebackgroundwithaseparatesourceoflight.

Other materials, such as twigs, grasses, and rocks, are key forbuilding textured compositions. For example, you might build abackground out of a large piece of wood, a few leaves, or a piece ofcolored cardboard that goes with your subject. If you position theseobjectsabitfartherawayfromyoursubject,they’llappearblurred,whichcanelevatetheauthenticityoftheirappearance.

Onecommonmistakewhenstagingnaturalmacroscenesistofailtobuild a dense enough background or ground layer. Nothing ruins animage’sauthenticity faster thanavisiblepartof theshooting table.Thesame goes for cords, pins, or adhesive tapes used to hold the scenetogether.Usecaretokeeptheseelementswellhidden.

AnimalsintheStudioPhotographing live insects or small animals is never easy. Beetles,caterpillars,andevensnailsarerelativelycooperative,butotheranimals

areachallengebecauseoftheirpropensitytomove.Inmanycases,it’ssimply easer to work outdoors in nature. Never resort to using coldspraysorothertoolsforimmobilizinganimals.

Theuseof flash lightingwhenphotographing insects isalwayshotlydebated.Asisoftenthecase,whatmattersishowyougoaboutdoingit.Inmyopinion,it’sbesttopositionyourflashasfarawayfromyourlivingsubject as possible, and when possible to use a softbox or indirectlighting via a reflector for aesthetic reasons. Softer shadows tend toproduceanimagethatfeelsmorerelaxedthanharsh,directlighting.

IphotographedtheladybugontheoppositepageatISO200,f/11,and1/125swhileusingasystemflashunithookeduptoasoftbox.Thelightsourcewasaboutameterawayfromthesubject,producinganintensityof lightsimilartowhatyouwouldfindonanaveragedayoutsidewithacloudy sky. Accordingly, this amount of light won’t cause any harm toyoursubjects.

Alargeanddiversestoreofbackgroundelementsanddecorationsisessentialforcreatingrealisticnaturalscenesinthestudio

Ladybugonmossf/11,1/125s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashwithsoftbox

PlantsintheStudioPhotographing plants and mushrooms in the studio is no problem.Workinginastudiomeansyouhaveallofthecreativecontrolyoucouldwish for.Topreventplants fromwilting for longer shoots, includesomedirtwhenyoudiguptherootssoyoucankeepthemadequatelymoist.Aspraybottlecomesinhandyforthispurpose,too.

ConservationRareplantsandanimals thatareprotectedbyordinancesshouldneverbepicked,dugup,orremovedfromtheirnativeenvironsforthepurposeofphotographing them in thestudio. If you’renot sureabouta specificspecies, err on the side of caution and photograph the subject in itsnaturalsetting.

TheGlowingSnailShell

Macrophotographerswalkaboutwitheyespeeledforasubjectthatwillyieldanexceptionalimage.Icameupwithaglowinggoldensnailshelllitfromwithin,restingonabedofmoss.

TheSetupLightingmysubjectinthewaythatIwanteddidnotrequireallthatmucheffort. I rested a sturdy piece of cardboard horizontally atop pieces oflumber.ThisstructureservedasscaffoldingunderwhichIcouldpositionan LED flashlight. I used a sharp knife to cut a hole in the cardboardequal in size to the snail shell and linedup the light directly below it. Ialso arranged the bed of moss to ensure that the shell would beadequately bright. Finally, I arranged the moss and the shell on thecardboardformyshot.

Theshot’ssetupisverysimple:anLEDflashlightshinesdirectlythroughaholeinapieceofcardboard

TheShotThefirsttaskwastofigureouttheidealshutterspeedfortheshell.TheLEDlightisbright,buttheshellitselfabsorbsalotoflight,andIhadthecamerastoppeddown to f/16,whichslowed theshutterspeeddown toseveralseconds.Thesimplestmethod is toput thecamera inaperturepriorityand touse the internalexposuremeter toproduce thebaselinestartingpointfortheshutterspeed.

ThenIswitchedthecameratomanualexposuremodewhileretainingtheshutterspeedsettingandtookafewtestshotswithvariousaperturesettings. The goal was to find the right exposure settings to slightlyunderexposetheshell.

To capturemy actual final image, I set up a studio flash unit with asoftbox to produce some soft fill lighting from above. I started with arelatively weak output (around 1/16 of the max power) and graduallyincreasedthebrightnessuntilIattainedmydesiredexposure.

Themossandthesnailshellwerepositionedonthecardboard,andatripodwasusedbecauseoftheslowshutterspeedthatwasrequired

Enchantedsnailshell.Isprayedthemosswithwaterfromaspraybottleshortlybeforetakingthepicturetomakeitlookfreshandhealthy.f/16,2.5,ISO100,60mm,studioflashunit,oneflashheadwithsoftbox,LEDflashlight

TabletopPhotography

The subjects for tabletop photography are also of the small and tinyvariety,includingelectroniccomponents,jewelry,watches,andalsodetailshotsoflargerobjects.Therequirementsfordocumentingtheseobjectsareasdiverseastheobjectsthemselves.Theideathat lightmakesthepicture is an even truer statement with respect to tabletop photos,becausetheobjectiveoftheseimagesisusuallynotsimplytodocumentsmall objects, but to compose them in away that is interesting for theviewer.Theshapeandcontoursofthesubjectalsoplaysalargerole.

Thelightfromaringflasheffectivelyeliminatesshadows,revealingdetailineventhemostintricateofsubjects.Theevenlightmakestinysignsofwearandtearvisibleresultinginaclinical

appearance.

Theimportanceofthelightingrequiresthatphotographerspayagooddealofattentiontoplanningthesetupofashoot. Itoftenhelpstodrawupsketchesoftheconstructionillustratingwhatyouwanttoachievewithyour image.Thenextstep, then, is to takea few testshots,whichyoucan use to analyze any potential problems with your lighting, such asunwanted reflections or surface details that don’t appear properlyilluminatedinyoursubject.Withtheinformationinyouranalysis,youcanthenmake small, targetedadjustmentsbyaddingadditional sourcesoflightorsmallmirrorsorreflectorstogetclosertoyouridealresult.Asmallstudio lighting unitwith amodeling light is a big help, butwith a bit ofexperience twoor threemanuallycontrolledsystemflashunits thatcanbeoutfittedwithvariouslight-shapingtoolswillalsodothejobnicely.

Notallproductphotosneedtobeshotonaneutralsurface.Here,asemiglossplasticmatprovidesinterestingreflections.Thisimagemakesthesalientfeatureofthisswitch—thethreedifferentswitchpositions—veryeasytoobserve.

Yourbestbet fora lens issomethingwitha focal lengthof50mmor60mm, which approximates the way in which the human eye naturally

perceives objects. Formore complex lighting setups, youmaywant toreach for a 105mm lens to allow you to shoot farther away from yoursubject.

GettingReflectionsUnderControlTabletop photographs often are composed of a variety of differentsurfaces that sometimes compete with or detract from one another.Working with shiny objects poses some specific challenges when itcomes to managing reflections. Completely eliminating these may notalways be the best option, however, because considered reflectionsappearinginthesurfacesofsomeofyoursubjectsmayactuallyimproveyour imageoraccentuatecertainshapes.Youmightchoosetoattachacrossofcardboardstripsontothefrontofasoftboxtocreateareflectionin a glass or bottle ofwine that looks like awindow, for example. Thecardboardcross-dividesthelightoftheflashintofourevenareasandtheresulting reflection gives the viewer the impression that the photo wasshotinaroomwithwindows.

Thecurvedglassofthepocketwatch’sfacereflectsboththecameraandtheroom’swhiteceilinginthisphoto

Blackcardboardreducesthereflectionsdramatically.Bothimages:f/7,1/200s,ISO100,60mm,reprostand,daylight

Viewerssensethattheguitarhasaglossysurfacebecausereflectionsareintegratedintothisphoto

Shootingthroughaholeinapieceofblackcardboardisaneffectivewaytoremovereflectionsfromyourphotos

Modelcaronrustedsheetmetal.Theweatheredsurfacecontrastmarkedlywiththesilvertoycar.Italsospursanemotionalresponsetothetintoysofyesteryear.

Plastic sheets serve well as reflective surface materials, but theyscratch relatively easily.Glass sheetswith pieces of colored cardboardtuckedunderthemareanotheroption.

Interestingsurfacematerialscanbefoundanywhere:stationeryshops,hardwarestores,oraglazier’sworkshop,forexample

Sidelightingaccentuatesthetexturesinsurfacematerials

If your goal is to eliminate reflections, one tried-and-true method ispointingyourlensthroughaholeinablackpieceofcardboard.Yourfaceand hands will be hidden and won’t show up as reflections in yoursubjects. Similarly, wearing a black sweater will make your torsodisappear. Those of you who are up for it can attempt to use a shinyChristmas ornament to try to find and root out any lingering, peskyreflectionsmarringyourimages.

SurfaceMaterialsandBackgroundsThe importance of staging an engaging surfacematerial beneath yourtabletop subjects and a background behind them can’t be overstated.Overtimeyoucanbuildupacollectionofdifferentmaterialstoconstructtheseelements:slabsofstone,variousmetalsurfaces,texturedpapers,grained synthetic leather, wood veneers, sand, gravel, fabrics, coloredcardboard, unusual stationary orwrapping paper, lacqueredwood fromoldfurnitureshowingweathering,metalsurfaceswithpatina—yousimplycannoteverhaveenoughof thesematerials. If thebackgroundforyourimagewillappearsomewhatblurryinyourshot,youcanalsouseprintsofotherphotographsofmaterialsorcloudstructuresonmattepaper.Justbe sure that the direction of the lighting in your background imagemesheswellwiththelightinginyourcurrentphoto.

Detailofanelectricguitar.Focallengthsof50mmor60mmareidealforworkinginthestudio.Herethelightfromastudiolampequippedwithasoftboxevenilluminatestheguitarwhilecreatingadesirableandconsistenthighlightonitsstrings.f/13,1/160s,ISO100,60mm,studioflashunit

HighlightingTexturesHowthesurfacetexturesof thematerialbelowandbehindyoursubjectrender inyourphotographs is critical to theoverall lookand feelof theimage.Youcanuselightingtrickstomodifyhowthesetexturesinfluenceyour photos. Side lighting is extremely effective for highlighting thesetextures;soft lightoften fails tobringoutdetails in thesurfacesofyourimage.

Asoftboxplacedatthesameheightofthesubjectwillproduceasoftsidelightthatbringsouttheshapeandsurfacetexturesofthesubjectwithoutcreatingashadowthatisproblematicallydark

Colorfultransparentfilmscoupledwithmultiplesourcesoflightallowyoutocreateinterestinggradientsofcolorwhenshootingmonochromesubjects

Smoke,Steam,andFog

When I’m shooting tabletop images, I frequently findmyselfwanting touse smoke, steam, or fog. These substances differ from one another:smoke comprises solid particulate matter that is the residue ofcombustion,whilesteamandfogarecomposedoffinedropletsofwater.Thesesubstanceslookbestwhenshotagainstadarkbackground.

Smallfogmachinesarerelativelyinexpensive,buttheyarenotthemostpracticaloptionformacrophotography

Bothcontinuouslightingandflashareusefulwhenphotographingwiththeseelements,buttheyproduceverydifferentresults.Lightfromaflashfreezesthemotionofgas-likeelementsinplace,soitisusefulwhenyouwant todepict thebewitchingeddiesandswirlsof thesmoke that risesfrom a candle that has just been blown out, for example. Continuouslightingallowsyoutoemphasizethefluid-likesoftnessofsmokeorfogbyslowingdowntheshutterspeed.

Therearea few tried-and-true tricks forcreatingsmokeandvapor inatabletopstudio:

Thegasproducedfromdryiceisheavierthanair,soitsinksdownwardratherthanrisingup

DryIceDry iceproducesavelvety,dense fog that isheavier thanair,so itsinkstotheground.

FogMachinesThesedevicescreate intensefogfromaspecial fluid.Theytendtoputouta largevolumeof fog, though,making themless than idealforthegenerallytightquartersofatabletopstudio.

IncenseandTobaccoSmokeSmokefromanincensestickortobaccorisesveryquickly,creatingattractiveloopsandswirls,makingitmostidealfortargetedusesinyourphotos.

HotPotatoPlacing a piping-hot potato behind a subject and breaking it openjust before taking your picture is an effective way to incorporatesteam intoashot.Toget themaximumeffect,you’llwant tousearelatively large potato that’s been cooked thoroughly—and you’llwanttoworkquickly.

Chinesesoup.Ahotpotatostrategicallyplacedbehindthebowlwasthesourceofsteamforthisphoto.Thebrothofthesoupwasthickenedwithgelatintopreventtheingredientsfromsinkingoutofsight.f/6.3,1/200s,ISO200,60mm,studioflashunit

Smokefromanincensesticklooksgreatwhenlitwithharshsidelight.Therisingheatcausesthesmoketoeddyandswirlinmesmerizingandever-changingshapes.

Four-spottedskimmerf/9.5,1/90s,ISO160,300mm,modestfillflash

05

MacroPhotographyinNaturePhotographingdragonfliesisnotaneasytask.Assoonasyoucatchsightofthem,theyflitaboutwithbreathtakingspeed inawhirlofmotion.Thatwasmyexperienceon thedayIcapturedthisimagewhileshootingatapondinabotanicalgarden.Ialreadyhadafewsuccessfulpicturesofdragonfliesundermybeltfortheday,andIhadjustpackedupmyequipmentwhenInoticedthisfour-spottedskimmerrestingonarathertallplant.BythetimeIreassembledmytripod,gotmycameraout,andattachedmy300mmtelephotomacrolens,thedragonflywas,ofcourse,longgone.

Fortunately,four-spottedskimmershaveatendencytoreturntotheirfavoredvantagepointswhere theycan lookover their territory. I notedwhere it had restedbeforeandfocused in advance on that precise location on the plant’s stem. A while later, thespecimen returnedasexpected. Imadeaquick,minoradjustment to the focus,and Iwasinbusiness.

Ialsodecidedtotrytousemysystemflashheadforfilllightingforafewsubsequentimages.AsIsetitonmycameraandprogrammeditinmanualmodetofireat1/8ofitsoutput, I also compensated the exposure down 1/2 EV. The small reflection in thedragonfly’seyeistheonlywaytotellthatflashlightingwasusedatall.

BackyardsandBalconies

Takingpicturesinyourownyardisrelaxing.Calmnessandtranquilityareeasy to come by, and those are qualities of real value when trying tocapture certain macro subjects. For example, you can set up yourcamera on a tripod and leave it focused on the same place for a fewhours.Youmightpickoutaspecificblossom,andstandatthereadywithyourremoteshutterrelease,readytocapturewhateverphotogenicguesthappens tostumble intoyour image.Youcanalsocarryoutstress-freeexperiments with light barriers or small flash units, because you won’thavetocarryyourequipmentveryfar.Andifrainstartstofall,it’seasytobringallofyourequipmentintosafety.

IfoundthistinyantposingonadaisybychanceasIwaswalkingthroughmyyard.Fortunately,Iwascarryingmycameraatthetime.f/8,1/125s,ISO100,50mm

Yards,gardens,andbalconiesoffera richvarietyof subjectmaterialforyourmacrophotographypractice,too.Youcankeeptrackofspecificplants throughout the year to be able to photograph them under idealcircumstances when the time comes. You can undertake long-termprojects such as taking a series of time-lapse photos of an openingblossomorthevariousstagesofgrowthofaplant.

Arosechaferinawindowplanter.Thisbeetlevisitedawindowplanteronourbalconyintheevening.Becausethedaywasalreadygrowingdark,IsettheISOto6400inordertoachieveshutterspeedsthatmeantIcouldshoothandheld.NikonD800,f/8,1/250s,ISO6,400,180mm

ChaosYieldsOpportunityLettingapartofyouryard runwild isaneffectiveway tobringaboutawealth of subjects for your macro photography. Floral diversity is yourobjectivehererather thanneatlyorganizedplants.Buteven ifyouwanttokeepthingsrelativelyorganized,choosingtherightmixofplantsisallittakes to attract a variety of insects and animals to your yard. A fewexamplesfollow.

ButterfliesSome examples of plants that butterflies like to feed on includemeadowfoam, nettles, wild carrot, boneset, summer lilac, meadowknapweed,orblueweed.

Ifthelightinginyouryardisinsufficient,youcaneasilysetupasystemflashunitorasmallsoftboxtobrightenupyoursubjects

Bees

Globethistles,deadnettles,poppies,clover,lupin,hollyhocks,foxgloves,delphiniums, sunflowers, and wild roses offer bees pollen and nectarthroughout the year. And an herb garden with chives, garlic, lavender,sage, and thymewill pleasemany insects, alongwith the cook in yourlife.Don’tharvestallofyourchivesandgarlic,though;allowsomeoftheplantstoblossom.

GeneralInsectsBuildingan insectnestingbox,oran insecthotelas it’softencalled, iseasy todoonyourown.Bundledbambooshoots, rolledstrawmats,orpieces of wood with holes in themmake for good basematerials, butevenwoodwool(excelsior)orclaypots filledwithbundledtwigswilldothe job.One particularly popularmethod is to construct water featuresmadeofshallowvesselswithafewstoneslyinginthem.

Insectsarecriticaltothepollinationprocessforallsortsofplants.Ifyourewardtheselittlecritterswithamessyandovergrownpartofyouryard,you’llberewardedwithafundoffascinatingsubjects.f/8,1/60s,ISO400,105mm

StonesandMossA collection of stones overgrown with moss is a subject that you cancomebacktooverandoveragainasamacrophotographertodiscovernewthings.Drystonewalls,orwallsbuiltofnaturalstonewithoutusingmortar,havemanyinvitingnooksandcranniesforinsectsandlizardstoexplore. These walls also serve as fascinating backdrops for macroimages, because their geometric patterns offer a nice contrast to theorganicshapesofleavesandblossoms.

TheConcreteJungleEvenifyouliveinthecityanddon’thaveayardofyourown,youcanstilluse window planters, a handful of flower seeds, and a dollop ofimagination to build amacro photographer’s paradise on a balcony orwindowsill. All four seasons will offer different subjects for your macroshootingpleasure.

Trumpetmossonanoldstone.Evenwhenlefttoitsowndevices,natureneverceasestoyieldnewsubjects.

f/9.5,1/125s,ISO200,90mm

Whatyouseedinspringiswhatyoucanphotographinsummer.Detailofapoppyblossom.f/5,1/500s,ISO320,105mm

Whilebugsonanappletreemaybebadnewsforthefarmer,theyareawelcomediscoverytomacrophotographers.Bothimages:f/11,1/125s,ISO400,50mm,systemflash,smallattachmentsoftbox

IntotheWild

Spendingadaywithacamerainasummermeadowbustlingwithlifeisparadise on earth for macro photographers. Even small areas of landcontain an unimaginable diversity and plethora of subjects to discover.Aboveground,brilliantflowersandflyinginsectsarethemainattraction.

Constantly on the search for food, bees and butterflies aren’t theeasiestofsubjectstopindowninamacrophotograph.Patienceisyourallyhere.Pickingaplant to focusonandwaiting forguests toarrive isgenerallyamoreeffectivestrategythantryingtoscrambleafterairbornetargets. You can use your time waiting to tidy up the area around theblossomofyourchoosingby,forexample,repositioningafewdistractingbladesofgrass.

Ifyouscratchbelowthesurfaceoftheearth,however,you’lldiscoverlayersof lifeandanabundanceofsubterranean residents.Nowyou’vearrivedat the realmofbeetles, locusts,spiders,caterpillars,snails,andthelike.Rustlethedirtgingerlywhenlookingforsuchcreaturesbecausemanyoftheminstinctivelyshyawayfromvibrations.

Smalltortoiseshell.Thetransitionareasaroundtheedgesofforestsarenotusedforagricultureorotherhumanendeavors,whichmakesthembelovedareasforbutterflies.f/4.5,1/180s,ISO200,210mm

Meadows aren’t the only mother lode for macro photographers.Forests and fields yield a wealth of opportunities, as well. In general,photographerswillfindthemostsuccesswhenexploringareasthataren’ttoodisturbedbyhumandevelopment.Inotherwords,ifanareahaslittleornopracticaluse foragriculturalorcommercialactivities,you’remorelikelytocomeacrossagreaterdensityofinterestingsubjects.Investigatebordersandtransitionareasliketheedgesofafieldortheouterareasofaforest,butalsothebanksofastream,steepinclines,andtheareasattheedgesofglades.

It goes without saying that you should always heed natureconservation regulations that may affect the areas of your exploration.Stay on trailswhenwandering off them is prohibited.Even though thislimits your photographic freedom, youwill still find plenty of interestingsubjectsalongtheedgesofthetrail.Usingatelephotolensgivesyouabitmoreflexibilitytoexploreregionsremovedfromthebeatenpath.

Manycreaturesrelyoncamouflageasameansofdefense.Itoftentakesasecondlooktodiscoversubjectslikethese.f/9,1/60s,ISO400,105mm

Toadinaforestpond.ThetoadmigrationgetsunderwayaroundthebeginningofApril.It’sanopportunitythatshouldnotbemissedformacrophotographers.

SpringSpringmarks thebeginningof thehigh season formacrophotography.Thefirstbudsemergefromthefrozenearthatlonglast,andthenaturalworldawakensfromitswinterslumber.Thescenery’sdominantcolor isstillbrown,butgreenincreasinglyemergesandsplashesofcolordotthelandscape.Shootsandblossomsfromgrowingplantsmakefortop-notchmacrosubjects,theearliestofwhichareoftencrocusesandsnowdrops.They offer amoving contrast of lifewith the lingering patches of snowthatmaysurroundthem.Somewhatlater,tulipsemerge,andtowardtheendofspring, thefruit treesbloom,providinganunbelievablevarietyofsubjectsineverypastelcolorimaginable.

Insectsaccompanythearrivalofthefirstflowers.Beesonthehuntfornourishment from crocuses, checkered lilies, and squill blossoms areearlyharbingersofspring.

Toad migration is one special vernal event of interest tophotographers.Around thebeginningofApril, female toadsheadout to

return to the location where they themselves hatched. The massmigration is a survival strategy that one can observe in many speciesacross the globe. The more animals that undertake the dangerousjourney at the same time, the more that will successfully reach theirdestination.Simultaneousmigrationgivesanimalspeciesabetterchanceatpreservingtheirexistenceinthefuture.

Spring’sawakeningbringsthefirstblossoms:snowdrops,crocuses,tulips,andmuchmoreLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

SummerButterfliesanddragonfliesaretwodarlingsofmacrophotography,butthesummermonthsofferupavarietyofothersubjects,too.DragonfliesaremosteasilyfoundbetweenMayandAugustnearpondsandothercalmstreams and creeks.Many species of dragonflies tend to pick a perchand then return to it frequently to survey their territory.Observing theirpatternsofmovementforawhilecangiveyouagoodideaofwhereyoushould set up your camera to increase the likelihood of getting yourdesiredphoto.

A little background knowledge about the habits of butterflies goes alongwayintheefforttophotographthem.Smalltortoiseshellscanoftenbefoundonstingingnettles,forexample,andorange-tipbutterfliestendtobeattractedtocuckooflowers.Ifyouwakeupearly,keepinmindthatthe time just after sunrise in the earlymorning is a good time towork,because many insects are less active during that time and easier tocaptureinaphoto.Sunlightthroughoutthesummerisoftenquiteharsh,soit’swisetocarryareflectorwithyouatalltimesduringthisseasonsoyou’ll be prepared to lighten up problematically dark shadows in yourimages.

Summeroffersaplethoraofsubjectsnomatterwhereyouare:aprivateyard,aforest,ameadow,oravacationdestination

AutumnThe fall months offer up some of their most appealing subjectsimmediatelyafterarainshowerorinthemorningbeforethedewhasn’tyetdisappeared for theday.Plantsandspiderwebswillbeornamentedwith droplets of water. Using a detached flash unit is a good way toilluminatethesesubjects,becausethelocalizedlightcreatesanattractive

highlightonthesurfaceofthedropletsandaccentuatestheirshape.Onsuchdampdays,youmaywanttobringawaterproofpad,suchas

acampingmat,withyoutoprotectyourkneesandclothesfromgettingdirtyorsoakedwhenyouneedtokneeldownforashot.Ifrainordewdonot occur naturally, you can always simulate their appearance using asmallspraybottletostrategicallymoistenthesubjectathand.

Awaterproofpadcanprotectyourclothingfromgettingdirtyorwet

Toward the end of autumn, natural changes to available sunlightmakethingstricky.Thedayswillbegettingshorterwithwinterjustaroundthecorner. For photographers with day jobs, this seasonal changemeanspursuingphotographicactivitiesafterworkmaybeimpractical,sotakingpicturesonweekendsorwithartificiallightingmaybeyouronlyoptions.

Fallalsohasadistinctcolorschememadeupofdarkgreenwithred,orange, and gold tones. During this time of year, many plants revealsigns of weathering and age that make for interesting structuralphotographs.Anotherdelightofautumn is the lowsun in theafternoonsky, which creates ample opportunity for unusual and fun lightingcircumstances. Fall also marks the arrival of the heralded mushroomseason. It’s worth budgeting some time for this occurrence, becausemushroomsoftendisappearjustasquicklyastheyarrive.Andyou’llhavetowaitanotheryearifyoumisstheopportunitywhenitknocks.

Whenphotographingautumnleaveswithbacklighting,experimentwithyourcamera’swhitebalancesetting.It’softenagoodtrickformakingtherichcolorsofyourimageevenmoreintense.

Iceandsnowareinterestingmacrosubjectsduringthewintermonths,especiallywhenyoucontrastthemwiththefirstblossomsofplantsthateventuallyreturntobloom

WinterWearing a heavy coat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat doesn’tmake takingmacropicturesanyeasier.Butdonningthesewinterclothestoheadoutinto the cold means you will be rewarded with a wonderland ofopportunity. Ice and snow offer an inexhaustible variety of subjects:frozen streams, bizarre ice structures, icicles, freezing fog forming onplants,andindividualsnowflakes.Frostpatternsappearingonwindows—onceamuchbelovedsubjectformacroenthusiasts—arebecominglesscommon nowadays because double-paned glass and otherimprovements in window quality prevent them from forming. But it’spossibletore-createthisfrostbyrestingapieceofglasshorizontallyonacoupleofblocksinyouryardforthenight.Iftheconditionsareright,therisingdampnessfromtheearthwillcondenseandfreezeinanattractivefrostpattern,whichyoucanphotographinthemorning.Sidelightinganda dark background are effective for increasing the contrast of thesephotos.

Commabutterflywithhalf-openwings.Evenatf/13thetipsofthewingsareslightlyoutoffocus.f/13,1/1250s,ISO1600,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Dragonflieslovetoperchonexposedvantagepoints.f/11,1/2,000s,ISO2000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Rareanimalsaren’ttheonlysubjectsthatmakeforfascinatingmacrophotographsasthisamodestleafsoakedwithraindemonstrates.Thesoftboxattachedtothesystemflashcreatesanattractivehighlightinthedrops,givingthemavividappearance.f/11,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,systemflash,smallattachmentsoftbox

Antontheforestground.Downontheforestfloorthelightingisusuallysodarkthatit’simpossibletoworkwithoutsomeextraflashlighting.f/8,1/60s,ISO400,150mm,systemflash,smallattachmentsoftbox

BeautifulbonnetmushroomsPentax*istDS,f/8,1/10s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

TipsfromthePros

StefanDittmannFungalPhotography

HardlyadaygoesbywhenStefanDittmannisnotoutintheforesthuntingformushrooms.HisparticularpassionisthespecieshefindsinhishomeofLowerFranconia,inGermany.Hegoestogreatlengthstodepicthissubjectsintheirnaturalenvirons,andhisresultsareoften on display in exhibitions. He mainly relies on the natural light of the forest, withoccasionalaccessorylightingorreflectorswhenneeded.

Microscopy is another of his passions,which hehaspursued formore than15 years.Small crystals in particular are a subject of great interest to him. You can find imagegalleries and additional information about photographing mushrooms on his website atwww.dittmann4.de.

PhotographyintheFungalKingdom

Macro photographers transport viewers into miniature worlds. One ofthese tiny landscapes is the fungal kingdom. Mushrooms are a goodsubjectforbeginningmacrophotographersbecausetheyaremotionlessforthemostpart,andtheirstabilitymeansthatyoucanstillshootwithoutproblemsinagentlewind.Theirimmobilityalsomeansthatslowshutterspeeds are not a problem as long as your camera stays steady. Andbecause mushrooms are not miniscule in size, you don’t necessarilyhave to use a macro lens, because you can often shoot full-formatimagesusinganormallens.

Clusteredbonnetmushrooms

PentaxK10D,f/5.6,1/2s,ISO100,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

The first objective when composing an image of a mushroom is tosettle on the best perspective. If you have stumbled across a worthysubject, take it in from every angle and identify the most attractiveperspective and angle of view. You should be considering variouscircumstances, includingthepositionof thesun,whereyourfocalplaneshould lie, the background elements, and the ground beneath yoursubject. In general, the lower your camera’s position, the better.Whenpossible,it’salwaysadvisabletoincludethegillsontheundersideofthecap,orlamellaeasmushroomexpertscallthem,inyourphotos.Agrandspecimen standing atop a tree stump is a golden opportunity for amushroomphotographerontheprowl.

SpinypuffballmushroomsPentax*istDS,f/4,1/20s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

Apieceofaluminumfoilorlight-coloredcardboardisaneffectivetoolforilluminatingtheundersideofthecap—andsuchmaterialsdon’tweigh

muchsothey’reeasytocarry.Positionthereflectoronthegroundandtothe sideof themushroom to brightenup thegills tomake sure they’reclearinyourpictures.

In cases when your targeted mushroom is growing directly on theforestfloor,youwilllikelyneedtokneeldown,soapicnicclothisusefulfor preventing your clothes fromgetting dirty. It’s also advantageous touse a tripod that allows for very low camera positions or a simplebeanbagtosupportyourcamera.Angleviewfindersandlive-viewmodesare additionally helpful formonitoring your picture’s frame and focus. Igenerally use my camera’s two-second self-timer, but remote shutterreleasesystemsarejustaseffective.

Normallightingconditionsintheforestgenerallyofferenoughambientlight, obviating the need for artificial light. Pictures of mushrooms shotwithflashlookanythingbutnaturalandshadowingisoftenaproblem.Iftheambient light really isn’t cutting it, however, try usinga flashlight tobrighten things up. Try to use a neutral-white LED bulb rather than atraditional incandescentone,becausetheneutral light is favorable.Anddefinitely set your white balance appropriately before taking yourpictures, or at least shoot RAW files so you can adjust the colortemperatureafterthefactduringpostprocessing.

Whenshootingwithasturdystand—atripodorabeanbag—optforthelowest possible ISO setting to minimize image noise. Selecting theoptimalaperturegenerallyrequiresacompromiseofsorts.Ononehand,it’s useful to choosea small aperture opening to elongate thedepth offieldsothatyoursubjectwillbeadequatelysharpfromatleastthefrontedgeof themushroomcap to itsstalk.On theotherhand,keeping theaperturewideisdesirableforcausingthebackgroundtosoftenandblurabitforapleasanteffect.Onewaytoarriveattheoptimalsolutionistoshootabracketingsequencewithdifferentaperturesettings.Mushroomsaren’tgoingtorunawayonyou;beingabletousethisoptionisaclearadvantage to other disciplines of macro photography. After you returnhome,youcan inspect theresultsonyourcomputermonitorandselectthephotowiththebestdepth-of-fieldcharacteristics.

Anexampleshootingsetupintheforest

Some of photography’s basic principles hold true with mushroomphotography, too, including the golden ratio and working with variousdepths in your images. When looking for potential subjects, take theirsurroundingsintoconsideration.Abeetleorpineconeinjusttherightspotcan make a masterpiece out of what would otherwise have been astraightforwardpictureofamushroom.

SulfurtuftmushroomsPentax*istDS,f/5.6,1/125s,ISO400,50mmPhotobyStefanDittman

Itgoeswithoutsayingthatphotographersshouldrespecttheirnaturalenvirons,butyou’ll inevitablycomeacrossotherswhohavedamagedaspecimen by carelessly positioning a tripod on the forest floor or whohaverippedoutaprotectedplantspeciesthathappenedtobeintheway.Pleasebediligentwhenworkingamidthenaturalworld.

Anyonewhotakespicturesofmushroomsisboundtotakeuptheartof identifying species sooner or later. That includes identifying ediblesorts,whichmeanssomephotographytreksmayresult inatastysnackor two inyourbackpack.Treatyourselfonly to thespeciesthatyouarecompletely confident about. If you are not entirely sure about amushroom,takeittoanexpertforverificationorsimplydon’triskeatingit.

GalerinamarginataPentax*istDS,f/8,1/3s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

VerdigrisagaricPentax*istDS,f/5.6,1/20s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

ToadstoolPentax*istDS,f/4,1/20s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

Fool’smushroomPentaxK10D,f/8,1/8s,ISO100,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

BeautifulbonnetmushroomsPentax*istDS,f/8,1/10s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

YellowstagshornmushroomPentaxK10D,f/5.6,1/20s,ISO200,90mmPhotobyStefanDittman

Gearsonrustedironf/27,1/125s,ISO100,50mm,twosystemflashunits

06

SpecialShootingTechniquesMacrophotographycaninvolveagreatdealmorethantakingpicturesofsmallobjects.The fullpalatesof lightingandshooting techniquesavailable togeneralphotographersarealsoavailableinthemacroworld;theyarejustappliedtosmallerdimensions.

Abitofpreparationwasrequiredtocreatethisimageofvariousgears.Thefirststepwasfabricatingthesurfacematerial.Istartedwithasheetofironandusedaspongetocoatitinvinegarforafewdays.Overtimetheuniformrusttexturedeveloped.

Afterarrangingtherustedsheetwiththevariousgearsonareprostand,Isetuptwosystemflashheadsontheleftsideofthetableauatthesameheightofthesubject.Thisintense side light is responsible for the long shadows. Next I positioned a few smallmirrorspointedindifferentdirectionsontherightsideofthegears,sothelightfromtheflashwould bounce off in an unpredictable array and create several highlights on thesurfacesofthegearsandreflectionsontherustediron.

Theflashstrobesdidn’thaveamodeling light,so it tooka fewtestshotsandmadeadjustmentstorefinethelightingforthescene.

MultipleExposures

Inorder touse this technique,yourcameraneeds tohaveadedicatedmultipleexposuremode.I’veusedaFujiS5Proformyillustrationshere,and it is able to compile up to 10 individual exposures into one finalcomposite image. Comparable models from other manufacturers offersimilarfunctionality.

Thismultipleexposureofflowerblossomsfeaturesinterestingnestedpatterns

Theprocessforcreatingsuchimagesisrelativelystraightforward.Firstselectthemultipleexposuremodeinyourcamera’srelevantmenu.Thismenu point is also where you often define how many exposures youwould like to use. After you expose your first image, the camera will

remain in a standby mode until you press the shutter release buttonagain, which will record the second exposure. You have time betweenshots,inotherwords,toreadjustthefocusorfindanewsubject.Mostofthe time,however,youwillhaveplannedout the individualcomponentsofyourmultiple-exposureimageaheadoftime.

After the finalexposure is recorded,yougenerallyhave topressOKbefore the camera completes the process. Most camera models willremain in multiple exposure mode for only one series of shots, afterwhich theyautomatically revert tosingle-exposuremode. Ifyouwant tocreateanothermultiple-exposure image,youneed to reactivate itagainfromtherelevantmenupoint.

Thepossibilitiesarelimitless

Youcanmimicthisprocessbycreatingamontageofseveralphotosinan image editing program, of course. Even though you would havesignificantlymorecontroloverthecomponentimages,theunforeseeablechanceand luck that is inherently involved inactuallyexposingmultipleimages is part of the charm of this technique. Furthermore, it’s very

difficult to imitate thenatural transparencyand softness that arise fromtrue multiple-exposure images by using software. When creating amultiple-exposurephoto,you’renotcombiningmultiple images; instead,theshutterisopeningmultipletimesandallowingmorelighttoreachanalreadyexistingimage.

SubjectinSubjectOne variation using the multiple-exposure technique is to switch thesubject between capturing the subsequent frames. This method worksbest when you combine one exposure of a repeating texture such asleaves or blossoms with another exposure that has a sharp contrast,suchasabacklitshotofaplantorsomeotherdarkobject in frontofalightbackground.Bycombiningtheimages,youeffectivelyfilluptheonesubjectwiththetextureoftheother.

MultipleFocalPlanesPhotographers shooting with a tripod can mimic the process of focusstacking directly in their camera by creating multiple exposures usingcomponent frameswithmultiple focalplanes.Keep inmindthatmovingthefocalplaneforwardorbackwardinanimagecausestheangleofviewto change minimally. Because of this phenomenon, it is best to avoidusing individual frameswithmodestly shifted focalplanes,because thesharp areas in the component images won’t overlap congruently andyou’llendupwithsomedoublededges.Youarebetteroffworkingwithan open aperture and creating component images with significantlydivergentfocalplanes.Theresultingimagewillshowvaryingdegreesofblurbetweentheplanesoffocus.

BlurEffectwithoutFiltersYou can also use the multiple-exposure mode to create an interestingblureffectbyexposingablurryimageontopofasharpone.Thesubjectintheframeremainsidentical,butthefirstimageshouldbeinfocusandthesecondoneshouldnotbeinfocus.

Theintensityof thesofteningeffectdependsinpartonthedegreeofblurinthecomponentexposures,butalsoonthenumberofcomponent

exposures used for themultiple exposure. Experimentation is the bestwaytofine-tunethismethod.

Thefirstexposureforthisimagewasfocusedontheflowerintheforeground;thesecondexposure,ontheflowerinthebackground

ManualMultipleExposuresIfyourcameradoesn’thaveanintegratedmultipleexposuremode,thenthisworkaroundisforyou.Stopdowntheapertureasfarasyoucan,andselectaveryslowshutterspeed.Releasetheshutterwhenyou’reready,andimmediatelyswingapieceofblackcardboardtoblockthelens.Thecamera will still be exposing the frame, but essentially no light will bereachingthesensor.Torecordthe“second”exposure,pullthecardboardfrom the lens and then immediately return it to block the lens for theremainderoftheexposurewindow.

This method of creating a multiple-exposure image is experimental,becauseitisimpossibletoregulatethedurationoftimeinwhichthelightiseffectivelyreachingthesensor.

Acascadeofmushroomsandwatercombinedinthesameimage

Largeandsmallworldsbroughttogetherasone:thetextureoftheflowerpetalsblendswiththesilhouetteofthetree

Doubleexposurecreatedwithonesharpexposureandoneout-of-focusexposure.Overlayingthesetwoversionsofthesamesubjectcreatesanattractiveblureffectwithouthavingtouseafilter.

FocusStacking

An inadequately small depth of field is a recurrent problem for macrophotographers,andthefurtheryoudiveintothemacrorealm,themoreofanissueitbecomes.Thesolutionofstoppingdowntheaperturequicklyreachesitspracticallimits,leavingonlyspecialtechniques,suchasusingshiftlenses,tobringanadequatefocalrangeintoyourmacroimages.

Focus stacking is one powerful solution. This method involvesblendingmultiple component imageswith varying focal planes intoonefinal image. In principle, you can manually carry out the entire focusstackingprocesswithtwocomponentimagesinPhotoshoporanyothercomparable image-editing program that uses layers by allowing layermaskstotransitionintooneanother.Todothis,setthemasksupsothatonlythepartsoftheexposurethatwereinfocusarevisible.Itispossibletoworkmanually if youhaveonly twoor threecomponent images,butanymorethanthat,andyouwillrunintotrouble.Anincreasingnumberofcomponent images not only increases the time involved to carry theprocessout,butitalsomakesitmuchmoredifficulttogetdifferentpartsof the image to line up congruently, because the camera positionchangesminimallywitheachshot.

Butlet’sgetstartedatthebeginning.

Focusstackingcombinesmultiplecomponentimagesthateachhaveaslightlyshiftedfocalplane

PreparingtheSubjectThe amount of thought and time you put into preparing your subjectbeforeyoueventakeyourfirstpictureiswhatmakesorbreaksthefinalresult of the focus stacking process. A high-quality composite resultnaturallydependsontheseriesofcomponentimagesthatareasperfectaspossible.

Atamagnificationlevelof1:1withanaperturestoppeddowntof/32,thedepthoffieldencompassesonlythefirstfewmillimeters.Everythingelseisblurry.

Dirt and dust on the subject can completely ruin the entire effort.Unfortunately,problematicparticlesofdebrisonatinysubjectoftenaren’tvisible to the naked eye. When you’re getting started with a project,always takea few test imagesup front tocloselyevaluatehowoptimalyoursubjectappears.Ifyouskipthisstep,youruntheriskofstackingnotonly layers of sharpness, but also dust, which leads to a retouchingprocessthatisnotjustifiedbytheendresult.

Ablower designed to clean the sensor anda paintbrushare usuallytheonly toolsyouneed to tidyupyoursubject toavoid this fate.Whenphotographinglivingobjectssuchasinsectsorpartsofplants,takeextracarenottoharmyoursubjectwhileyoucleanitup.

As longas they’renotwater soluble likesalt crystals,mostmineralsandgeologicspecimenscanbecleanedwithlukewarmwaterandafine,soft brush. But even with crystals, you may be working with delicatestructuresthatcan’twithstandanydirectcontact,soexercisecaution.

Thefacetsofthegeodearen’ttheonlythingondisplayhere—dustparticlesarealsoproblematicallyconspicuous.Athoroughcleaningofyoursubjectisacriticalearlystep.

PreppingtheCameraandLightingThenexttaskistosetupyourcameraandtopreparethelighting.Thereare multiple ways to create multiple component images with a slightlyshifted focal plane position. Simply adjusting the focuswith the lens isoften a viable optionwhen photographing simple subjects at amodestlevel of magnification. But affixing the camera to a focusing rail offersphotographers much greater precision in controlling the focal planepositionforeachimage.

When photographing rigid objects (a geode, for instance), mountingyourcameraandthesubject’sholdingdevicetoacommonplatformisaneffectivewaytopreventthemfromrunningintooneanother.Fornonrigidobjects like plants, however, it is better to mount the camera and thesubjectindependently,becauseanytimeyoutouchtheconfiguration,yourun the risk of causing elements of the subject to move. Along theselines,usingaremoteshutterreleasesystemfurtherminimizestheriskofanyunwantedmovementfromtheprocess.

Thelightingneedsforafocus-stackingshootarehighlydependenton

thenatureofthesubjectathand,butinmostcasesyou’llwanttouseaflash. Further lighting control can be exercised using light tents andsoftboxes to minimize harsh shadows; small pieces of strategicallyplaced black andwhite cardboard to absorb or reflect light as needed;andsmallmirrorstodirectreflectionsintargetedways.Inotherwords,allofthemethodsandtechniquesusedintabletopphotographyareatyourdisposal.

Mountingyourentireshootingconfigurationonastablepieceofwoodisaneffectivewaytopreventyourcamerafromcollidingwithyoursubject.Inthissetup,thecameraisattachedtoaballheadmountequippedwithafocusingrail.Smallpiecesofblackandwhitecardboardservetoabsorbandreflectlight,respectively.

ShootingThenumberof component imagesyouwill need tocreateacompositeimage that is sharp from front to back depends on the depth of yoursubject, the level ofmagnification, and the aperture you’re using.As ageneral ruleof thumb,20 to30exposureswillproduceagood result ifyou’renotshootingwithawide-openaperture.F-stopsbetweenf/8andf/22areagoodstartingframeofreference.

Stackingimagesshotatamagnificationof1:1willyieldresultsrangingfromgoodtogreat inquality.Precisionbecomesmorecritical thelargerthemagnification factor becomes.When shooting imagesmagnified tomultipletimestheoriginalsubjectsize,you’llneedprecisecontroldowntotenthsofamillimeter.

Subjectswithelementsthataretoosimilarsometimescauserenderingmishapsthathavetobemanuallyretouchedlater.

As much as we all love modern technology, keep in mind that asuccessful image depends mostly on effective lighting, a thoughtfulcamera perspective, and a fitting background. If these fundamentalelementsaren’tinaccord,technologywon’thelpyouproduceastunningimage. So take asmuch time as you need to configure your shootingsetup and to design the lighting. Another practice worth following is toavoidframingyoursubjecttootightly;workwithagood10-percentbufferwhen creating your component images, and then crop to your desiredformatafteryou’vestackedtheimages.

Stacking

There are various applications available for actually stacking yourcomponent images.Theyvary inwhat theydoandhow theywork,butfortunately theyallofferdemoversionsorareavailableas freeware,sospendsometimetestingthedifferentoptionsoutwithyourownimagesbeforesettlingonyourfavorite.

Photomerge | The simplest option is to use the Photomerge featureintegratedintoPhotoshopandPhotoshopElements.Theendresultsareperfectlyadequateforpersonaluse,buttheydorequireabitmorepost-processing.www.adobe.com/de

Helicon Focus | Although not free, Helicon Focus is a professional-gradesolutionthatproducesexcellentresults.Thedeveloperoffersa30-day,fullyfunctionalfreetrialonitswebsite,soyoucantestitoutbeforecommitting.Amongother functions,HeliconFocusoffers16-bit supportandcanprocessRAWfiles.www.heliconsoft.com

ZereneStacker |Thisprogramalso requirespurchaseandcan runonMacOSX,Windows,andLinuxplatforms.Itsdeveloperalsooffersa30-daydemoversion.www.zerenesystems.com

CombineZ|Afreewaresolution,CombineZrunsonlyonWindowsVistaandWindowsXP.www.hadleyweb.pwb.blueyonder.co.uk

MacroFusion | MacroFusion is an open-source program that runs onLinux.www.macrofusion.sf.net

Enfuse|Anotheropen-sourceoption,EnfuseiscompatiblewithMacOSX,Windows,andLinux.www.enblend.sourceforge.net

All of these programs come with minimum requirements for yourcomputer’sprocessingpowerifyouwanttoobtainresultswithanysortofpromptness. These requirements stem from the need to process largeamountsofdata.With40ormorehigh-resolutionimages,thebytesaddupquickly.

GreenhuntsmanspiderPhoto:H.Ch.Steeg

Regulatedbyamicrocontroller,thissteppermotor–basedsystemiscapableofproducingautomaticexposuresequencesandpermitsphotographerstogowellbeyondthe1:1barrierPhoto:H.Ch.Steeg

HeliconFocusisaprofessionalstackingapplicationthatofferssignificantlymorecontrolvariablesthanPhotoshop’sPhotomergefeature

Smallamethystpiece,approximately32mmx21mm22imagesstackedinHeliconFocusStudioflashunitwitha50mmx70mmsoftbox

Rockcrystalandpyrite29imagesstackedinHeliconFocusStudioflashunitwitha70cmbeautydishandhoneycombfilter

Step1:StartthestackingprocessinPhotoshopbynavigatingtoFile>Automate>Photomerge

Step2:Deselectallofthecheckboxes,andclicktheBrowsebutton

Step3:Thewindowthatpopsupletsyouselecttheimagesthatyouwanttostack.Youcanalsoselectanentirefolder

Step4:YourselectedfileswillnowappearinthePhotomergewindow.Reselecttheimagesthatyouwanttoprocessagain,andconfirmyourselectionbyclickingtheOKbutton.

Step5:Thecomponentimageswillnowbealignedwithoneanotherandwillappearaslayersinthelayerspalette.NowselectEdit>Auto-BlendLayers.

Step6:MakesureStackedImagesisselectedinthenextwindow.Andnowallofthelayersselectedinthelayerspalettewillbeblendedtogetherusinglayermasks.

FocusStackinginPhotoshopThe Photomerge feature available in Photoshop (starting with versionCS4) and Photoshop Elements is a good starting place for anyoneinterested in learning how to use focus stacking for the first time. Thisapplication is not as powerful as Helicon Focus or other specializedstackingapplicationsandtheresultsoftenrequiresomemanualediting,but it isrelativelysimpletoexecute;seethestep-by-stepinstructionstofollow.

The sharp regions of your component images should ideally overlapas much as possible, because Photomerge automatically aligns—ormore often superimposes—them automatically during the initialprocessingstep.Butrenderingerrorsareimpossibletoavoidcompletely,especiallywithregularpatternswithhighcontrast,suchasthegears,orwithglarefromreflectivesurfaces.Youcanusuallyedittheseerrorsoutwithabitofretouchingafteryoucompletethephotosyouwantstacked.

If you discover that you’re excited bywhat you can accomplishwith

Photomerge, you will likely want to graduate to a full-blown focus-stackingapplicationrelativelyquickly.

Lastbutnotleast,retouchingisoftennecessarytocorrectrenderingerrors.

16componentimagesweresufficienttocompileaphotothatwassharpfromtheforegroundtojustbeyondthefarthestgear

LightPainting

Paintingwithlightisadiversetechniquethatcanbeputtointerestingusewithmacro photographs. For light, you’ll need a flashlightwith either atraditionalincandescentbulboranLEDbulb.You’llalsoneedtowinnowtheconeof lightemittedfromthesedevices intoanevenmorefocusedareatoworkwithyourtinysubjects.Optionsforfocusingthelightincludevariouslightguidesdesignedspecificallyforthispurposeaswellasjury-riggingasimilarlightfunneloutofahollowaluminumrod(anarrowblackstrawwillalsodothejob).

Abrightersourceoflightisnotnecessarilythebetterchoicewhenyouwishtousethismethod.Brightnessisbettercontrolledbyelongatingtheexposurewindowand“painting”overspecificareasmorethoroughly.Thelonger the exposure window, the more time you’ll have to paint yourmasterpiece.Adarkroomisanecessaryprerequisite for this techniquebecauseitdemandstheuseofslowshutterspeeds.

Simulatingtheappearanceofhavingusedmultiplesourcesof light isnoproblem,even ifyouhaveonlyoneflashlightatyourdisposal.You’lljust need to turn the flashlight off and on accordingly to create yourdesiredlightingeffect.Usingtransluscent,coloredsheetsasfiltersfortheflashlightprovidesevenmorecreativeopportunities:youcanhaveafullpaletteofcolorsatyourdisposal.

Youcanevenpaintminiaturesubjects,suchasthisdriedrose,withlightbyusingasufficientlyfocusedbeamoflight.You’llneedadarkroom,anarrowaperture,andaslowshutterspeed.f/25,15s,ISO100,60mm

Lightpaintingalsoreadilyyieldsabstractsubjects.AsingleLEDlampdangledfromastringoverthelensforthisimage.f/22,20s,ISO100,24mm

Analuminumstraw,abitoffoamrubber,andsomeadhesivetapeareallittakestosignificantlyfocusthebeamoflightfromaflashlight

Driedginkgoleaves.YoucancreateinterestinglightingeffectsevenwithonlyonesmallLEDlightonhand.Theentiresceneherewasfurtherbrightenedwithasystemflashandasoftbox.f/22,10s,ISO100,70mm

IntervalShooting,Time-Lapse,andStopMotion

Documenting how specific natural elements change over time is afascinatingexercise.Theresultingimagescanbepresentedasaseriesofstillsorproducedintoasmallmotionpicture.

IntervalShootingShooting consistent images of the same subject at regular intervals oftimeyieldsphotosthat individually freezespecificmoments inplacebutthatcollectivelyrevealthecontinuousdevelopmentofnature.Theperiodforsuchanexercisecanberelativelyshort(tocapturetheblossomingofa flower, forexample)or relatively long (to reveal thechangingautumncolors or the growth of a plant). Thismethod concisely and concretelydisplaysnaturalchangestoviewersthatoccurtooslowlytobeobservedinperson.

Some cameras feature integrated interval-shooting modes, whichmakesthisprocessmucheasier.Therearealsoremoteshutterreleasesystemsthatofferthisfunction.Youcanalsocreatetheindividualimagesmanually. If you are relying on the camera to capture the imagesindependently,youwillneedto leaveit turnedonforthedurationof theproject,somakesureit’shookeduptoapowersource.

In some cases, you may not want to leave your camera set up onlocationduringtheintervalsbetweenexposures.Settingupanoldtripodwithaquick-releaseplateinyourdesiredshootinglocationisoneoptionforgettingaround thisproblem.Leave the tripod,but takeyourcamerabetweenshots.

Even though a compact or bridge camera often produces decentresults for standard close-up pictures, DSLRs are practicallyindispensable when working in the macro range, especially over long

periodsof time.Youneedtobeabletocontrol thefocusrangeandthefocal length precisely to obtain good results. But above all else, don’tchangeyour shootingsettings if youendup turningyour cameraoff inbetweenshots.Infact,it’sadvisabletouseabitoftapetofixyourzoomandfocusringsinplacetoavoidinadvertentshifts.

Manycamerasfeatureintegratedintervalshootingmodes,whereyoucanprogramthestartingtime,thenumberofexposurestocollect,andtheoveralldurationoftheshoot.

Time-LapseRecordingsTheimagesobtainedthroughintervalshootingtechniquescanbeeditedinto a time-lapse video using the appropriate software.A frame rate ofaround 24 images per second is required to produce a smooth, evenplayback. For a film lasting one minute, that requirement means youwouldneed60x24component images,oratotalof1,440pictures.Bythesame logic, ifyouwere to takeonepictureof thesameplanteverydayforayear,you’dendupwith365picturesthatcouldproduceafilmlastingaround15seconds.

Stop-motionapplicationssuchasiStopMotionenableyoutoproducecompletefilmsoutofindividualstillimagesandtoexportthemincommonvideoformats.Youmightdocumenttheself-propelledjourneyofpensandotherwritingutensilsacrossyourdesk,forexample.

StopMotionStop-motionisyetanothertechniqueforanimatingaseriesof individualstillimages.Inthismethod,thesubjectisalteredinasmallwaybetweeneach exposure. Youmight advance a figure by amillimeter or two, forexample. After the component images are edited together in ananimationapplicationsuchas iStopMotion,youendupwithashort filmsequence,inwhichthefigureappearstomovebyitselfacrossthescene.A bit of practice is needed to get a feel for how many intermediateexposuresyouneed toget yourdesiredplaybackappearance, sostartwith brief clips and relatively simple subjects. It’s critical to keep yourcamerapositionidenticalfromoneshottothenextandtousethesamelighting. You also will want to use a remote shutter release to keepcamerashakeatbay.Evenrelativelymodestcamerasontoday’smarketfar surpass the technical specifications needed to produce HD qualityvideoplayback,whichmeansthatproducingstop-motionfilmsisagreatopportunity to dust off an old 3-or 4-megapixel camera hiding in thecloset. iStopMotion (www.boinx.com) is a popular stop-motion program

forMacOSX; andAnimatorDV (www.animatordv.com) is anoption forWindows.

Passingmaneuver:smallstop-motionanimationsarerelativelyeasytoproduce.Simplymoveyoursubjectsslightlyforeachnewexposure.ModelcarsandLegofiguresarefunsubjectsforgettingstartedwiththistechnique.

FlipbooksThe simplest way of joining individual images into an animation is tocreateaflipbook.Severalprovidersnowofferprogramsfordoingthis.

ApplicationsTheusesfortime-lapseandstop-motionvideosarevastandvaried.Youmightusethemtoanimatea logocomposedof individual flowerpetals.Youmightalsowanttopostdo-it-yourselfprojectinstructionsorprogressvideos to your personal website or to YouTube. There’s a wholesubculture of amateur videographers who create scenes using Legofiguresascharacters.Youcanhavefunexploringthismediumbecausemany of the applications needed to produce video clips are relativelyinexpensiveoravailableasfreeware.

High-SpeedPhotography

Nature features not only countless subjects that are too small for thehumaneyetoperceivewell,butalsosubjectsthatmovesoquicklythatwecannottaketheminwithouttheassistanceoftechnology.Flyingandjumpinginsectsareprimeexamples.

EquipmentHighspeed photography requires the use of one or more flash unitsbecause the quick movements that this type of photography aims tocapturearefrozennotbytheshutter’sspeed,butbytheultrafastpulseoflightfromtheflash.Dependingontheoutputsettings,aflash’sdurationmaybe1/12,000sorshorter,whichismorethansufficientformosthigh-speedexposures.System flashunitsare ideal for thisbecauseof theircompact size, but it’s important that their output is capable of beingcontrolledmanually.

Whenphotographingobjects that arenot particularly fast, suchasabeethathaslandedonaflowerorabugthatisjustabouttotakeoff,it’sgenerallypossibletoreleasetheshutterbyhandwithagooddegreeofsuccess. For quicker subjects—insects in flight, for example—aphotoelectric triggering sensor, or light barrier, is for all intents andpurposesarequirement.

Photographinginsectsinflightwithoutusingspecialequipmentrequiresabitofluck.Themomentsofaninsect’sfinalapproachtolandonaflowerorleafaregoodopportunitiesforsuccess.f/9.5,1/60s,ISO200,105mm,systemflashwithsmallattachmentsoftbox

InsectsinFlightMounting your camera, flash, and light barrier to a single structureenables you to prepare for capturing images of flying insects bypredetermining your image frame and the focus. Although building thisconfigurationisthefirststeptowardcreatinghigh-speedimagesofflyingcritters, you’ll also have to rely on luck when shooting, because thecomposition of your photographs is largely out of your hands. To havegreater control over how flying insects appear in your images requiressignificantly more preparation. Tighter image frames require higherstandardsforprecisionandreactiontime.

Remoteflashesmakeitpossibletofreezeevenquickmovementsinplacef/8,1/125s,ISO200,90mm

DropsandOtherFallingObjectsCapturing themesmerizingand fleeting formationsof liquids that occurwhen drops or other objects fall into them is one of themost commonsubjectsforhigh-speedphotography.Withabitof luckandpracticeyoucan photograph simple setups of this kind without using a light barrier(see the following pages). But more complex setups, such as dropsfalling on drops, require not only a light barrier, but also a system thatallows you to control the size of a drop aswell as the exact time andheightof itsrelease. Ifyourobjective is tocapturemorestraightforwardsubjects,however,suchasapieceoffruitdroppingintoaglassofwater,thensmall lightbarriers,suchastheJokie2 fromEltima,areall it takes.(www.eltima-electronic.de)

Asimplelightbarriersystemmountedtoafittingframemakesitpossibletocapturefascinatingimagesofflyinginsects

Toincreaseyouryieldofsuccessfulimages,mounttheframesupportingyourlightbarriertoatripodandpositiontheentirecontraptioninaflowergarden

TheJokie2fromEltimaisacompact,entry-levellightbarriersystemthatproducesexcellentresultsPhoto:Eltima

Whenaninsecttripsthelightbarrier,thecameraandflashfireautomatically.Iftheinsectismovingtooquickly,however,itcaneasilyescapethedepthoffield,sonoteveryshotisawinner.

High-SpeedStudioPhotographywithoutLightBarriers

Light barriers are not the only way to freeze fleeting motions in placephotographically. But pursuing alternate methods requires a greaterrelianceonluck,andit iseffectivelyimpossibletoreplicateyourresults.Inthefollowingparagraphs,Iexplainthestepsofthismethodusingtheexampleofanicecubedroppingintoaglassofwater.

PreparationsHighspeed photo shoots require lots of preparation—there’s no wayaround it. This particular project requires the collection of a variety ofitems to have on hand before starting to photograph anything: an icecube made from acrylic glass, a water glass, a pitcher of water forrefilling,abucketandcloth,papertowelsforcleaningupwaterspots,areplacementglassintheeventthatthefirstonetookatumbleandbroke,andarulerwithaholdingdevice tostandardize theheightatwhich theicecubewasdropped.

Forphotographicequipment,youwillneedtwosystemflashunitswithsoftboxes(around30cmx30cm),piecesofblackcardboardforshieldingthelightfromtheflashes,ashootingtable,and,ofcourse,acameraanda tripod. Using a pane of glass with the necessary mounts is alsoadvisabletoprotectyourcamerafromhavingwatersplashedonit.

Theshootingconfigurationforphotographinganicecubefallingintoaglassofwater.Themostimportantthingistousesystemflashheads,whichhavetheextremelybriefpulsedurationsnecessaryforfreezingmovementsinplace.

TheSetupThe setup for this shot is effectively identical to the configuration forproducingaclassicblackbackground.Useablack,absorptivefabricforthe backdrop that is sufficiently far away from the subject so it won’treceivelightfromtheflash.Usetwopiecesofblackcardboardtofurthershieldthelightfromtheflashes.Theflashunitsthemselvesshouldbesetatthesameheightastheglassofwateranddirectedtowardthesubjectat about a 35° angle. Take a few dry test shots to fine-tune the idealangleforthelighting.Shootingshouldbedoneinmanualmode.

Withanapertureof f/9.5, theentire glasswas in focus from front toback. You will want to use the max flash sync speed, which for myexamplewas1/125s.Whenyougetallofthereflectionsof lightoff theglass to lookhowyouwant them toby tweaking theangleof the flashheads,youarereadytogetstartedwiththeactualphotography.

Abitearly.Theicecubedidn’thavetimetostrikethesurfaceofthewater.IalteredtheheightfromwhichIdroppeditforthenextattempt.

Bull’seye!Theicecubelandedintheglassandcreatedanattractivewavethatstayedwithinthedepthoffieldf/9.5,1/125s,ISO200,60mm,twosystemflashunitswithsmallsoftboxes

AndLaunch!Nowyoucanpourwaterintotheglassandgetstartedwiththefirstdrop.The ruler positioned near the glass serves as a reference for the dropheightofyouricecubeorotherobject.

Because we’re not using a light barrier, the trick, of course, is torelease theshuttermanuallyusinga remote triggersystemrightas theobject landsintheglass.Aprematureexposurecanbecorrectedeitherbyloweringthedropheightforyournextattemptordelayingthemomentatwhichyoureleasetheshutter.Afterafewattemptsyou’llgetthehangof it. If themovingelements inyour imagesarestillshowingsomeblur,youcanreducethepoweroutputfortheflashunitstomakethedurationoftheirpulseevenshorter.Doingsowillalsorequirethatyouwidentheaperture a bit or increase the ISO speed to compensate for thediminishedlighting.

Eachexposure that is timedcorrectlywill lookdifferent,owing to the

highly variable and unpredictable spray pattern of the water. In mostcases,anidealsplashisonethatsprayslaterallyandremainswithinthedepthoffieldsothedropletsstaysharp.Evenphotographerswhousealightbarrierarepowerlesstoinfluencethewaythewaterappearsatthecriticalmoment.

HighDynamicRange—HDR

High-qualitydigitalcamerasaregenerallycapableofcapturingadynamicrangeofaround8 to10exposurevalues,which isusuallysufficient fornormalpicturesshotwithrelativelysoftlight.Butitisarecurrentproblemthat a subject’s dynamic range surpasses what a camera is able tocapture in a single exposure. When shooting in direct sunlight, forexample, imageswillcontainbothdarkshadowsandverybrightareas,andphotographersoftenhave to livewithcompromises.Brightartificiallightingcanalsoproducethesameproblematicsituations.

Onepossibleway of dealingwith this problem is combiningmultipleexposures—each exhibiting a different dynamic range—into a single,composite image. If you’re photographing a moving subject, then youwon’tbeabletocreateaseriesofimagesshotatdifferentshutterspeedstocreateanHDRimage.ButyoucanstartwithoneRAWfiletodevelopafewidenticalimageswithshiftedexposures.

TheexamplepictureusedtoillustratethisprocessfeaturesaChineselanternflower(Physalis),whichlacksthegiftofmobility,soIaccordinglydecided to shoot a series of images with slightly different exposuresettings. One reason for this decision is that Photoshop is capable ofcompositingHDRpicturesfromRAWfiles.

The problem with thePhysalis in our example stems from trying tocreateanattractivereflectionoflightonthenearlyblacksurfacematerial.The intensity of light required to achieve this pattern of light grosslyoverexposestheedgesofthesubjectnearesttothelightsource(anLEDflashlight).Exposing thebrightestareasof the lanternblossomproperlycausestheshadowstolosealltheirdetail.Settlingforacompromiseandbasing theexposureonamidtone results inbothclippedshadowsandblown-outhighlights.Neitheroneof theseoptionswasacceptable, so Idecided to capture four images at different exposure levels and thencombinedthemintoasingleHDRphoto.

ThelightfromtheLEDflashlightisintenselydirectedatthesubject,butit’ssobrightthatthehighlightsgetblownoutresultinginalossofimagedetail

ComponentImagesA sturdy tripod and a remote trigger system minimize the risk ofinadvertentlyshiftingyourcamerabetweeneachexposure.Andablackpiece of cardboard positioned behind your subject will create an even,dark background for each shot. Ideally your camera will feature anexposurebracketingmode,soyou’llonlyneedtotouchyourcameraonetime.Havingtotouchyourcamerabetweeneachexposuredramaticallyincreasesthelikelihoodofalteringthelens’sperspective.

f/14,1/60s,ISO400,105mm

f/14,1/40s,ISO400,105mm

f/14,1/15s,ISO400,105mm

f/14,1/6s,ISO400,105mm

CompilingWhen it’s time to merge your component images into one, openPhotoshopandnavigatetoFile>Automate>MergetoHDRPro.Thenselect thecomponent imagesoranentirefolderthatyouwishtouseinthefirstwindowthatopens.

After confirming your selection, a new window will open offering avarietyofcontrolsandoptions.Atthispoint,youstillhavetheopportunityto select or deselect individual component images in the film strip to

influencethefinalappearanceofyourcomposite.SelectRemoveGhosts ifyoushotyourcomponent imagesmanually.

AndunderthePresetsmenu,selectPhotorealistictocreatearesultthatlooksnaturalandevenlyblendedthroughout.Alloftheotherslidersandsettingstendtoproducestylizedorsurrealresults.Afterconfirmingyoursettings,PhotoshoprenderstheHDRimageandopensitasanewfile.At thispoint in theprocess, I typically retoucha few renderingartifactsresulting fromdustor scratchesand the like.Thecomposite imagewillfeatureanevenlymappeddistributionoftonesovertheentiretonalrange—but no further.Aside from influencing theHDRprocess through yourselectionofthecomponentimagesorviatheslidersalreadymentioned,Photoshop does not offer options for further specifying what areas ofwhichcomponentimagestoemphasize.

YoucanselectthecomponentimagesafterclickingMergetoHDRPro

Photoshop’sintegratedHDRfunctionoffersavarietyofsliderstoinfluencetheappearanceoftheresult,buttheyarelargelygearedtoproducestylizedeffects.Thedefaultsettingsofferagoodstartingpointthatcanbeeditedlaterifyou’relookingonlytoextendtherangeoftonalvaluesandnothingelse.TheRemoveGhostsfeatureisusefulifyouhaveanyslightvariationinthecomponentimages.

IblendedthedarkestexposureovertheHDRimageusingalayermaskinanefforttofurtherdarkenthefrontedgeofthelanternflower

For my image of the lantern flower, I wanted the foreground to benearlyasdarkasitappearedinoneofthedarkercomponentimages,butIwanted theareasaround thePhysalis toexhibit the rangeofcontrastfromallofthecomponentimages.Ialsowantedsomelighttoilluminatethesurfacebelowtheblossom’sstem.

As away of fine-tuning the appearance ofmyHDR image, I addedseveralofthecomponentimagesaslayerstotherenderedpicture.Usinglayermasks,itwasthensimpletocreategradientstoaccentuatecertainpartsofspecificcomponentimagestoachievetheexactlookIwanted.

ThePhysalisfeaturesadequatedetailthroughoutwhileneitherthehighlightsnorshadowsareclipped

MacroPanoramas

Panoramicphotosare typicallyused tocapture thesweepingbeautyoflandscapesandarchitecturalsubjects,buttherearealsoinstanceswhenitmakes sense to combine a few individualmacro images to create ahigh-resolution, larger-than-usual composite image. You might, forexample,wanttocreateazoomableimageofplantsthatallowsviewerstoexplore the tiniestofdetails,oryoumayneed toprepa large-formatimageforprinting(severalsquaremeters).Evenifit’spossibletocaptureasubjectinasingleframe,amultishotapproachmaybethebestoptionforsubjectsthatareparticularlybroadortall.

One-dimensionofmovementusingafocusingrailPhoto:Novoflex

Theprocessforcreatingapanoramicimageissimilartothatoffocusstacking, but in this case, rather than shifting the camera’s focal planeforward and backward to capture component images, the camera’sperspectiveisshiftedhorizontallyorverticallyorrotatedaroundacenterpoint.

Single-PlanePanoramasPanoramas of relatively simple subjects can be created bymounting acameratoafocusingrailandthenshiftingithorizontally.Similarly,simpleverticalshiftscanbecreatedusingtheheightsettingofa tripod.Thesemethodsarepracticalwhenworkingonlocationoutinthewild.

Wheninthestudio,however,you’rebetteroffattachingyourcameratoareprostandthatallowsyoutoshift thecameraforwardandbackward(y-axis) as well as up and down (z-axis). Also using an additionalfocusing railallowsyou tomove thecamera leftand right (x-axis).Thissetupmakes itpossible foryou tomanipulateyourcameraprecisely toany point in space within the full range of your equipment. Adjust thepositionofthecameraalongthez-axistoensurethatitisatthedesireddistance fromthesubject,andmove italong thex-axis tocover the fullbreadthofyoursubject.Thecamerashouldstayattheoriginalongthey-axis,unlessyouplantocreatemultipleseriesofexposures.

Beforeyou’rereadytostartcapturingimages,positionyourcameraatthe startingposition, so the viewfinder image reflectswhat youwant toseeforyourfirstimage.Thenslidethecamerathroughtheentirerangeofmovement(alongthex-axis)while inspectingtoseeif thefocusisatthe right spot throughout and to ensure that the camera’s end point isexactlywhereyouwantit.

Threedimensionsofmovementusingareprostandincombinationwithafocusingrail

LightingandExposureMeteringEvenand consistent lighting throughout theentire processof capturingyourcomponentimagesisessentialforadecent-lookingfinalpanorama.Ifyou’reusingasystemflashunit,positionitfarenoughawayfromyoursubject so that the pulse of light has enough room to diffuse. You canalternately use a softbox or a similar device for softening the light

accordingly.

Thesetupforshootingapanoramicphotoofafeather:areprostandwithfocusingrailandasystemflashunitwithabeautydishattachment

Natural lighting introduces some uncontrollable variables into theprocess,buttrytoworkatatimewhenthelightingisfairlyconstant,suchaswhenthesunishiddenbehindasolidlayerofclouds.

An easy way to manage the exposure settings when creatingpanoramas is to first shoot an overview image of your entire subjectusing the aperture-priority mode (A). Once you obtain a satisfactoryexposure,switch intomanualmodewhileretainingthe identicalsettingssothattheywillremainfixedforeachindividualimageyoutake.Ifyoutrytoshoot theentireseries inaperturepriority, themeteringprocessmaycausethecameratochooseadifferentshutterspeedifadarkerelementofthesubjectweretoentertheframe,forexample.

ShootingTakethe firstpictureand thenslide thecameraalong the focusingrails

parallel to thesubject.Repeat theprocesswhile trying toget30-to40-percentoverlapfromoneshottothenext.

StitchingJPEGorTIFF image filescanbeprocesseddirectly,butRAW fileswillneedtobedevelopedbeforetheycanbestitchedtogether.Thebestwaytodevelopa fewRAWfiles tocombine intoapanorama is tostartwiththe lightest image of the series and then use thePrevious conversionoptionfromthegeneralsettingsmenuinAdobeCameraRawtodevelopthesubsequentphotos.Goaheadandsaveallthedevelopedfilesinthesamefoldertomakethingseasierinthenextsteps.

Afteryouhavethesourcefilesprepped,openPhotoshopandnavigatetoFile>Automate>Photomergetobringuptherelevantwindow.Fromhere,selecttheCollageandBlendimagestogetheroptions,andchoosethe images you’d like to use. After a few moments you will have thepanoramapreparedasaPSDfilewithlayersandlayermasks,readyforanyfinalcorrectionsoreditsyouthinkarenecessary.

InthePhotomergewindow,selectCollageandBlendimagestogether

RotationRather than shifting the camera along the x-axis, another option isrotatingthecameraaroundacenterpointupto360°tocreateaseriesofimagesforapanorama.Therearetwomainchallengeswiththismethod:findingtheidealcenterpoint for therotationandfindingasubjectworthdocumentinginthismanner.

Ashasbeendiscussed,thedepthoffieldwhenphotographingmacrosubjects is oftenminiscule. This fact makes it difficult to find locationswhere relevant subject elements remain within the depth of field whilerotatingacameraby180°ormore.Accordingly,rotationalpanoramasaremostpracticalwhenyou’renotphotographingwithalargemagnification

factor—perhapswhencreatinganoverviewshotofameadow,flowerbed,orgroupofmushrooms.

Abitofcraftinessisallittakestomountasimplebubblelevelfromahardwarestoretoahotshoemount

DeterminingthePivotPointIt takesasmallexperiment todetermine theproperpivotpoint foryourcamera-lenscombination(whichistechnicallythecenteroftheentrancepupilasopposedtothenodalpointasitisoftenandconfusinglycalled).Firstmount your camera to a focusing rail and a panorama plate, andalignithorizontallyusingabubblelevel.

Next,positiontwoverticalsticksinfrontofyourcamerasothattheonein front completely hides the one behind it when you look through thecamera’s viewfinder. Rotating the camera to the right or left generallycausestherearsticktobecomevisible.

Nowusethefocusingrailtoslidethecamerabackasfarasittakessothatrearstickremainscompletelycongruentfromtheperspectiveofthecameraasitisrotatedtotheleftandright.Themorepreciseyouareinthisstepofpreparations, thebetteryour resultswillbewhenyoustitch

the component images together later. Beginners and photographersworking with simple subjects can get away with using a panoramaadaptermountwithanintegratedbubblelevel.

Theexactpivotpointcanbedeterminedbyshiftingthecamera’spositionusingthefocusingrail

ShootingTheactualimagescanbeshotrelativelyquickly.Yourcomponentimagesshould feature approximately 30-percent overlap with the precedingexposure, as was the case with single-plane panoramas featuring alateral shift in perspective. Again, the more precise you are in eachindividualstep,thebetterthefinalresultswillbe.

Out-of-the-boxsolutionslikethePanamaticcameraindexerandlevelaren’taspreciseasthefull-blownmethodusingfocusingrails,buttheyproducedecentresultsforyourfirstforaysintopanoramicmacros

StitchingOnceagainPhotoshop’sPhotomerge feature is the device for stitchingthe individual images into a panorama. This time, select theAuto andBlendimagestogetheroptionswhenselectingyourphotos,andtheresultwillbeapanoramic image thatappearssignificantlycompressed in themiddle,resultingfromthecylindricalprojectionoftheindividualimages.

TheLenscorrectionfilterlargelytakescareoftheinevitabledistortionsthatoccurwhenstitching

togetherarotationalpanorama

Thefinalpanorama:flowerpotsonthebalcony.Panoramamadefromeightcomponentimages,eachshotatf/14,1/15s,ISO100,60mm,daylight,imagesize:14,080x2,460pixels

Youhaveacoupleoptions fordealingwith thisdistortioneasily.Thefirst is the Lens correction feature in Photoshop. Another method issimply to crop the evidence of the distortion from the image withoutcorrectingitatall.

Manufacturers will sometimes provide basic panorama stitchingprogramswith the purchase of compact or bridge cameras, and thesebare-bonesprograms tend todoaverygood job.Somemanufacturershave even started integrating panorama functionality directly into thecamera’ssoftware,sousersneedonlyselecttherelevantmodewithnofurthereffortneeded.

Theartofcompositingimagesiscomplex—andwellbeyondthescopeof thisbook. Ifyou’re interested in learningmore, Iheartily recommendPhotographic Multishot Techniques by Juergen and Rainer Gulbins,publishedbyRockyNook.

Preciselylevelingyourcamerawillnoticeablyimprovethequalityofyourfinalimage—whethershootingwithapanoramaplateandafocusingrailorasimplerotatingplate

Featheronlimestonewithdendrites.Panoramamadefromfivecomponentimages,eachshotatf/22,1/200s,ISO100,60mm,systemflashwithabeautydishattachment,imagesize:9,015x1,816pixels

Rosesandivyinacitypark.Panoramamadefromeightcomponentimages,eachshotwithaFujiHS10atf/4,1/250s,ISO100,7.6mm,daylight,imagesize:10,4000x2,350pixels

CreativeExperiments

Macro photography offers no shortage of opportunities to explorenontraditional exposure techniques to create interesting effects or todefamiliarizeeverydayobjects.Potentialsubjectsforcreativetreatmentsare everywhere you look, but intense colors and striking shapes areparticularlyrewarding.

ZoomingThiseffectwillbefamiliartomanyreaders.Itfirstgainedpopularityintheseventies with the advent of relatively affordable zoom lenses. Thetechnique is carried out bymounting your camera to a tripodand thenaltering the focal length setting during the exposure window. Slowershutterspeedsarerequiredtoexecuteanevenadjustmentandtoobtainworthwhile results. A good starting point is 1/8 s, but you may findyourself using even slower shutter speeds, especially if you alsoincorporateothercameramovementssuchaspanningwhilezooming.

Thezoomeffectiscreatedbyadjustingthefocallengthduringtheexposurewindow

RotatingInprinciple, thismethod iscomparable tozoomingduring theexposurewindow,butinsteadofalteringthefocallength,thephotographerrotatesthecameraaroundthelens’sopticalaxis.Theresultingimagewillfeaturecircularpatternsofcolor thatat timestakeonatunnel-likeappearance.Rotating the camera around the optical axis by hand is no precisescience,sothecenterpointoftheresultingcirclesisoftennotpositionedin the center of the imagearea. If you’re looking for a bitmore controlover the critical movement, consider using a tripod and a lens with atripodcollarthatfacilitatesrotationalmovements.

Rotatingthecameraarounditsopticalaxisduringtheexposurewindowresultsinswirlsofcolor

PanningBrief or prolonged movements of the camera in horizontal, vertical, ordiagonaldirectionsduringtheexposurewindowresultsinvisualtexturesthat resemble the effect of a modern artist’s brushstrokes. You canmodulatehowsoftordefinedthestreaksofcolorinyourimagesappearby deciding whether to establish a sharp focus of your subject beforestarting the exposure. Changing the speed of your movement, usingslower shutter speeds,orwaiting to start thepanningmotionuntil aftertheshutterhasbeen released,areothermethods to influence the lookand feelofyour resulting image.Practice is thebestway to refineyourpanning technique and get a feel for the types of subjects that yieldinteresting resultswhen photographedwith panning. In sunnyweather,youmayneedtostoptheaperturedowncompletelyorattachagreyfilterto the lens in order to use this method and its requisite slow shutterspeeds. An overexposure of around 1.0 EV is generally favorable forproducingheightedcolorintensity.

Mirroringsubjectscreatesinterestingandoftenbizarreformations.WhenIlookatthispieceofmossreflectedoveraverticalaxis,Iseeashamanwearingabirdcostume.f/13,1/125s,ISO200,105mm,studioflashunit

MirroringSymmetrycanbefoundallacrossthenaturalworld,fromhumanfacestoplantstructurestoanimalbodies,tonameafew.Thisnaturallyoccurringphenomenon may explain why it is so fascinating to mirror or reflectsubjects to create new and unusual formations. Macro pictures thatfeature truncated images are particularly strong candidates for thistreatmentbecauseit’smorelikelythatviewerswon’timmediatelyidentifythemethodused tocreate theeffectorbeable tosolve themagician’strick. You can create astounding objects, animals, plants, ghosts, andmythical creatures simply by duplicating an image,mirroring it over itsverticalaxis,andthensettingthetwoversionssidebyside.

ShallowFocusThegeneralpracticewhenshootingmacrophotosistostoptheaperture

downasmuchaspossibletomaximizethedepthoffield.Workingwithawide-open aperture, however, is not without its own charms. Subtledetailsand texturesdisappearalmostcompletelyand the imagecomesalivebasedonhowshapesandcolorsareorganized.Imagecompositionbecomes a much more important factor when using this method incomparison to conventional macro techniques. The most attractiveresultsareusuallyobtainedbypositioningthefocalplaneatthesubject’sclosestedge.Asimplebackgroundthat isadequatelyfarawayfromthesubjectroundsoutthegenerallookandfeelofthesetypesofpictures.

OverexposingDeliberatelyoverexposingsubjectsbyafewstopsisyetanothercreativemacrotechnique—especiallywhenshootingcolorfulflowers.Whenusedwithawide-openaperture, thistechniqueproducesdelightful transitionsbetween colors, enveloping the subject in a warm light and giving thephotographqualitiesmorereminiscentofawatercolorpainting.

Thefront-mostedgeofthemushroomcapisinfocushere,buteverythingelseisswimminginblur,creatingasoft,fairytale-likequalityf/4.5,1/50s,ISO2000,zoomlensat78mm,daylight

Thisphotoofagerberablossommakesuseofaverytightrangeoffocusanddeliberateoverexposuref/3.3,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,daylight

You’llget thebest resultswith this technique if youuseaDSLRwithahigh-quality lens that hasa largemaximumaperture.Havinga cameracapable of capturing a wide range of tonal values is also important inordertoavoidclippinginthehighlights.

Intense colors in yourmain subject and a bright background furthercomplement the look produced by this technique. In ideal cases, yourimageswillfeatureanalmostcreamytransitionbetweenthesubjectandtheoverexposed, intenselybrightareasof the image.This technique isoftenusedinfoodphotography,wherephotographersliketooverexposebackdropswithadditionallightingwiththegoalofgivingviewersenoughroom to let their imaginations run wild. You can further improve thecomposition of your image by strategically placing objects in areasbeyondthedepthoffieldsothattheyappearasnothingmorethanvagueswathsofcolor.Takea look inanymoderncookbook,andyouwill findcreative ideas for how to style and shoot a variety of objects from thenaturalworld.

InfraredMacroPhotography

Infrared (IR) photography has become significantly easier in the digitaleraofphotography.Intheory,theonlytoolsrequiredtoshootIRmacrosisanareafiltertoremovethespectrumofvisiblelightandatripod.TheIRradiationcapableofbeingusedforphotographyisalsocallednearIRradiation, and its wavelength is directly next to the red area of visiblelight,startingataround780nanometers.Thehumaneyeisnotcapableofperceivingthislight.

Infraredmacrophotographygenerallyrequirestheuseofasturdytripod,becauseshutterspeedsoftenhavetoslowdowntoafewsecondswhenusingcamerasthatarenotspeciallymodifiedforthistypeofwork.Inadditiontonaturalsunlight,youcanalsouseinfraredlampsforlighting.

CameraandFiltersIn theory, all digital cameras are capable of sensing IR light, butmanymanufacturersincludeanIRcutfilterdirectlyinfrontoftheimagesensorto prevent IR radiation from causing color distortions to the range ofvisible light.So thepicture isnotas rosyas it initiallysounds. It’s fairlyeasy to determine whether your camera is capable of capturing IRradiation by carrying out this little experiment: take a picture with arelativelyslowshutterspeedofastandardremotecontrol.Ifthediodeonthe remote control shows up as a bright point in your image, you cansafelyassumethatyourcameraisequippedtoshootIRimages.

Ifyourcameraseemsuptothetask,you’llneedafilter,suchasanIRfilter No. 87, to filter out light with wavelengths shorter than 740nanometers (effectively removing visible light). Attaching an IR filterrequires filter threads on your lens, of course, or the relevant adaptermount.Thatmayberequiredifusingacompactorbridgecamera.

TheresulthereshowsflowersilluminatedwitharangeoflightthatnormallyisnotperceptibletothehumaneyeFujiS3Pro,infraredfilter740nm,f/8,25s,ISO400,50mm

Plantsofallkindsmake fantasticsubjectswhenshooting IR images,because the color green is particularly effective at reflecting IR light,meaning itappearsnearlywhite in theexposedphoto. Ifplantsaresetagainstablue,cloudlesssky,allthebetter,becausesuchabackgroundwill appear nearly black in the final image, and this dramatic colorcontrast emphasizes the detail in the botanical structures. Shooting IRimagesoften requiresexposurewindows lasting several seconds, soatripod and a remote shutter release system are indispensable foravoidingtroublesomevibrations.

Ifyou’rehesitanttospendalotofmoneyonanexpensiveIRfilter,youcan hold an unexposed, developed (e.g., black) section of slide film infrontofyourlens.Thismethodwillworkforgettingstarted,buttheresultswillbesignificantlyworsethanusingaproperIRfilter.

Thisgreenfrogsittingonalilypadlosthiscamouflagewhenphotographedwithinfraredlight

NikonD70s,infraredfilter740nm,f/8,1.3s,ISO200,105mm

Infraredrose

FujiS3Pro,infraredfilter740nm,f/4,30s,ISO200,105mm

InfraredMacroStudioPhotographyOne of the usual requirements for IR photography is an abundance ofsunlight—themore, the better. Even the slightest ofmovements duringan exposure can cause a macro image to blur significantly, however,whichposesaproblem forphotographersof theminiscule.Fortunately,IRlampsarereadilyavailableonthemarket,makingitpossibletoshootin the studio environment where the wind won’t blow. When workingindoorswith these lamps,useblackcardboard to shieldyourbackdropfromreceivingtoomuchlight.

Aninfraredfilterblocksamajorityoflightfromthevisiblespectrum(A)andallowsonlyelectromagneticradiationinthenearinfraredrangeandhigher(B)

CameraConversionExposing with shutter speeds fast enough to enable you to shoothandheldisapossibility,butitwillrequirethattheIRcutfilterberemovedfrom your camera’s sensor. Some specialized camera equipmentcompaniesoffer thisservice.More information isavailableatsitessuchaswww.lifepixel.com.

Theunusualperspectiveofthisphotomakesthestemsoftheseliliesseemlikefuturisticstructures.Theairplanecoincidentallypassingthroughthebackgroundistheicingonthecake.NikonE5400,convertedforinfraredcapture,f/3.1,1/200s,ISO50,5.8mm

Infraredpeacockbutterfly.ShootinginfraredimageshandheldrequiresacamerawhoseIRcutfilterhasbeenremoved.NikonE540,convertedforinfraredcapture,f/5.2,1/100s,ISO50,24mm

PellucidhoverflyCanonEOS50D,28componentimages,f/6.3,5s,ISO200,CanonMP-E65mm1:2.81–5xMacroPhotobyJanMetzler

TipsfromthePros

JanMetzlerFocusStacking

Photographer Jan Metzler (born 1969) has intensively honed his craft as a macrophotographer formanyyearsandhasaccordingly comeupagainst the limitsof depthoffieldmorethanafewtimes.Usingthetechniqueoffocusstacking,however,hehasjumpedwellbeyondtheboundariesofconventionalmacroimagingtorevealthesmallestofnature’streasuresinstunningdetailtoviewersacrosstheworld.

Jan’s technique requires theuseofasophisticated lightingsystem,specialmagnifyinglenses, reverse mount adapters, and an X-Y table capable of precisely controllingpositioningdowntofractionsofamillimeter.

AdditionalphotosfromJanMetzleraswellasavarietyof informationonthesubjectoffocusstackingcanbefoundatwww.focus-stacking.de.

FruitflyonalighttableCanonEOS50D,27componentimages,f/5,1/8s,ISO200,MP-E65mmPhotobyJanMetzler

PellucidhoverflyinalighttentCanonEOS50D,99componentimages,f/5,1/8s,ISO200,MP-E65mmPhotobyJanMetzler

Onthecuspofblossomingnearthewindowsill.Theattractivegreeninthebackgroundissimplythenaturalappearanceoftheyard.CanonEOS50D,9componentimages,f/3.5,1/5s,ISO200,100mmPhotobyJanMetzler

AnaphidsnackingonadaisyCanonEOS50D,28componentimages,f/6.3,1/160s,ISO100,MP-E65mmPhotobyJanMetzler

AdvancedFocusStacking

Hobbyistswhoarealreadywellversedinthemethodsoffocusstackingmay wish to engage with an advanced process for reaching levels ofmagnificationwellbeyond1:1.Whenshootingcomponent imagesup tothe 1:1 magnification threshold, conventional macro focusing rails aresufficiently precise to adjust the position of the focal plane by thenecessary 1mm or 2mm increments required to manage the narrowdepth of field. More powerful magnification levels, however, shrink thedepthoffieldevenmore,necessitatingtheneedforadevicecapableofallowing you to precisely and comfortably adjust the distance betweenthecameraandthesubjectbyincrementslessthan1mm.

ProfessionalfocusstackingrequirestheuseofaprecisionX-Ytable

ThemanufacturingindustryusesdevicescalledX-Ytables thatmakeitpossibletoadjustthepositioningofobjectswithexceptionalaccuracy.You can use these devices with extreme precision to capture thecomponent images necessary for powerful focus stacking applications.Thisadvancedtechniquediffersfromthetraditionalapproach:ratherthanmovingthecamerainrelationtothesubject,youaremovingthesubjectwhilethecameraremainsstationary.

Nothaving tomove thecamera isaplusbecauseyoucanset it upandleaveitundisturbedthroughouttheentireprocess.Movingtheheavycombination of a DSLR and its lens on amacro focusing rail typicallyresultsinpotentiallyproblematicreverberations—especiallyathighlevelsofmagnification.Thesevibrationsarereadilyvisibleinthecamera’sliveview, and they require that you wait for three or four seconds beforetakingeachpicturefor themovement tosubside.UsingaprecisionX-Ytable eliminates this issue because it enables you tomove the subjectwhilethecamerasystemremainsstill.

Eachhashmarkequatestoashiftofexactly0.05mm

I mount my X-Y table to a heavy base plate to keep the shootingsurfacestableandminimizetheriskofthingsshiftingasaresultofsmallbumpsormomentsofcarelessness.Theentiresetupisfairlyheavy,butthatmeans it is also relatively immune to inadvertent shifts caused bymanipulating the tuning dial, which has to be turned frequently whileshooting.

AdditionalEquipmentMagnification levelsgreater than1:1canbeattainedbyusingstandardmacrolensesincombinationwithoneormoreextensiontubesaswellaswithbellowslenses.Otheroptionsincludemountingavarietyoflensesinreverse (using the proper mount) or using lens attachment optionscapableofbeingaffixedtothefrontofacameralens.

Tweezersofvarioussizesandshapesareusefultoolswhenitcomesto positioning your subject with delicate accuracy. Brushes or a smallblowerdesigned tocleandebrisoffofan imagesensorarealsouseful

toolsforremovingloosedustandotherdirtparticlesthattendtobefoundondeadinsects.

Tweezers,brushes,andblowersarehandyformakingtinyadjustmentstoyoursubject’spositionandforgettingridoftroublesomedustparticles

Evenwithmore thanadequate lighting, it’s important touseastabletripodandaremoteshutterreleasesystem(whetherwiredorwireless)toproduceimagesfreefromblur.Availyourselfofthemirrorlockupfeaturethatyourcameralikelyhasifyouplantousetheviewfinderratherthanthe live view to monitor your shooting. Doing so will prevent small,troublesomevibrationsthatoccurwhenthemirrorswingsoutofwayforthesensortoreceivelight.

ExecutionIusedaladybug(Coccinellidae)thatIfoundlifelessonmybalconyasasample subject to illustrate my method on these pages. I opted for amagnification factor of 3:1—comfortably attainable using an extrememacro lens—to depict the subject with sufficient size while also beingabletoincludesomeareaaroundit.Isetthecamera’sexposuresettings

tof/5,1/10s,andISO200.Atthisaperturesetting,thedepthoffieldwasvery narrow, meaning that each image for the stack needed to beseparatedbyapproximately0.1mm. Inotherwords, thesubjectneededtobemoved0.1mmclosertothecameraforeachsubsequentshot.

Lightingisprovidedbyspecialdaylightlampsandalighttent

Settinginsectsonorganicsurfacessuchasanindividualleaftendstomake the subjects appear more dynamic, as opposed to a clinicalspecimen on a white surface. After positioning the subject on the X-Ytable and programming my desired camera settings, I adjusted thecamera to find the position for the first exposure in the stack. A setupfeaturing a ball head atop a tripod with a macro focusing rail makesachievingthiscriticalpositioningmucheasier.

Nowyoucanfine-tunethelighting.Thechitinousexoskeletonofmanyinsects causes bright reflections that can look unattractive in the finalimage,soexperimentwithdifferentpositionsforthelightingtofigureoutwhatworksbest.Iusedaringlightforthisshotandeventuallyfoundthebestangletoavoidtoomuchglareontheinsect’sface.Reflectionscanbe pesky and difficult—sometimes impossible—to eliminate, but relying

on the liveviewonyourcamera’smonitor isaneffectiveway togaugewhatworksbest.

Once you’re satisfied with your lighting, it’s time to start collectingimagesforthestack.Asalreadymentioned,startwithexposinganimageattheclosestpointofyoursubjectwhileusingaremoteshutterreleasesystem...click.

Keepacloseeyeonthesharpnessandthelightingbyregularlyinspectingyourcamera’sdisplay

Don’t change anything on your camera for any of the subsequentimagesintheseries.Alloftheimagesinyourstackshouldbeshotwiththeidenticalexposuresettings.Beforetakingthenextphoto,turntheX-Ytable’sfrontdialcounterclockwisetoshiftthetablesurface0.1mmtowardthecamera.Eachgraduatedmarkonthisprofessional-gradecrossslideamounts to0.05mm,soashiftof0.1mmisequal tooneshortandonelong hashmark on the dial’s scale. Aftermaking the barely noticeableadjustment, shoot the second frame for the stack . . .click. I repeatedthesestepsuntilIreachedthemiddleofthesubject.Thebug’sbackhalfisnotimportant—norisitevenvisible—forthefrontalperspectiveIused.

Turn the dial counterclockwise again for what amounts to a 0.1mm

shift,andtakethenextpicture...click.Atotalof43imageswasshotformy example; this stack of photos covered the foremost detail of theladybug’sfacetoitsmidsection(whenviewedfromthefront).Thisseriesofimagesaccordinglyprovidedacompletedepthoffieldwithalengthof4.3mm.

Consider how using alternate exposure settings would alter therequirements for collecting the component images of a stack: shootingwithamagnificationof1:1atf/8meansthatthedepthoffieldforasingleimage is approximately 1mm (with a full-frame sensor)! At the same f-stop(f/8),butnowatamagnificationof3:1,you’dhaveabout0.24mmtoworkwithasyourdepthoffield.Thef-stopIused(f/5)offeredmeadepthoffieldapprox.0.15mminlength,butbecausethefocusoftheindividualcomponent images needed to overlap somewhat, I went with shifts of0.1mmbetweeneachshotsothestackingsoftwarehadenoughdatatoproduceaseamlesslysharpfinalimagefromfronttoback.

Bumpsandvibrationsshouldbeavoidedatallcostswhileshootingyourseriesofimages

The above-mentioned depth-of-field measurements for specific

shooting settings are basedon using a full-frame sensor, and they areapproximate values. If you’re using a sensor of a different size or adifferent f-stopor levelofmagnification,experimenta little to figureoutthelengthofyourdepthoffieldandhowmuchthesubjectneedstoshiftbetween each image. The next step in the process is to allow a focusstackingprogramtocompilealloftheimageswiththeirminisculedepthsof focus into a composite or stacked image exhibiting continuoussharpnessfromfronttoback.

TipsandTricksforFocusStackingShootingdozensofcomponent images forastack ispracticalonlywithstationary or inanimate objects. It’s extremely difficult to use the focusstacking method with living insects, for example, because they areconstantlyactive in someway.Theymightmovea legorpartsof theirmouth,ortheymightsimplyloweranantennabyamillimeterortwoforabrief second. In many cases you won’t be able to detect thesemovementswith the naked eye; youmay even be convinced that theyare remaining perfectly still. But that’s not the case! These micromovementswillbecomevisibleinyourcomponentimagesandtheyhavethepotentialtoruinanentirestack.

ThisishowthefinalimagelooksaftersomeretouchingworkwithaneditingprogramPhotobyJanMetzler

Spiders resting on a stone wall or some other motionless objectrepresent a rare exception. But even spiders that appear to becompletely still ona leafor inawebwill respond to theslightest bit ofmoving air. Even if a weatherman would call the conditions calm andwindless,thatspiderwilldetectmovementsandrespondinwayscapableofrenderinganentirestackofphotosuseless.

Here’smytip:Whenphotographinglivinginsectsthataresittingstillorspidersinthewild,chooseanaperturethatoffersalongerdepthoffieldsoyouhavethechancetocreateacalmdeckcomprisingmaybe4or5componentimages.Sure,collecting12or20exposureswouldoffermoredetailed resolution in the end, but that won’t matter if motion blurcompromisesthequalityofthestackedimage.

Thisisthefirstimageofthestack—focusedontheforemostelementofthesubjectPhotobyJanMetzler

AreMoreImagesBetter?This question can’t be answered generally, because it depends on anumber of variables such as the magnification factor, the f-stop, thesubject’sdimensions,andthesubject’ssurfacequalities(e.g.,whetherithas finehairs or is shinyand smooth).Subjectswithhairs andobjectswith delicate textures require finer adjustments ormore closely spacedcomponentimageswithawideaperture.

Using a larger magnification (e.g., 3:1 instead of 1:1) means morecomponent images are required (assuming the f-stop is constant),because the depth of field increasingly flattens out at higher levels ofmagnification.Forsimilarreasons,widerapertures(i.e.,smaller f-stops)necessitate a larger number of component images than narrowerapertures. And last but not least, the required number of componentimagesishighlydependentonthedepthofyoursubjectorthedepthoftheareayouwishtoremainsharp.

Andthisisthelastimageofthestack—focusedonthesubject’smiddlePhotobyJanMetzler

It’s important for the depths of field of the component images tooverlap somewhat; otherwise the stacking software will have problemsrendering the images. Without sufficient overlap between subsequentimages,unsightlygapsandblurrystreakswillshowupinthefinalresult.Whenshootingaseries fora focusstack, it’salso important touse thelens’soptimalaperture,wherethebenefitsofstoppingdowntoachievealarger depth of field are balanced against the drawbacks of increaseddiffractionbluratsmallerapertures.

EditingIsEssentialIn comparison to “standard” photography, focus stacking requires asignificantlygreaterpost-processingeffort.Asmallspeckon thesensormayresultinasingleblemishinanindividualframe,butwhenadozenormorephotosarestacked,thespeckcreatesaproblematicstreakrunningthroughtheentirestackandseriouslycompromisesthefinal image.Forexample, creating a stacked picture of a dead insect found on yourwindowsillwilllikelynecessitateagreatdealofretouchingwiththeclone

stamptoolintheimageeditingprogramofyourchoicetotidyupdepositsofdustandotherblemishesonthebodyandvariousfacetsofthecritter.Various formsof fungaldecay thatarebarelyperceptible to thehumaneyebutthatareveryconspicuousundermagnificationmayalsoneedtobe cleaned up. In fact, potential subjects that may have been restinglifelessonthewindowsillfortoolongaresimplybeyondthepointofuseforthesetypesofimages.

After this retouching process is complete, stacked images can befurther refined through various standard editing practices, such asremoving noise, sharpening, tone mapping, color correction, whitebalanceadjustment,filtereffects,andsoon.

Variedcarpetbeetle,withamatchheadforscaleCanonEOS50D,21componentimages,f/6.3,1/60s,ISO100,MP-E65mmPhotobyJanMetzler

VariedcarpetbeetleCanonEOS50D,21componentimages,f/6.3,1/60s,ISO100,MP-E65mmPhotobyJanMetzler

HoverflyNikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

TipsfromthePros

HansChristianSteegHigh-SpeedPhotography

From an early age, nature photography fascinated Hans Christian Steeg—macrophotography in particular. He’s a physicist who works in electronics development for acompany that supplies the auto industry with equipment. His work backgroundcomplementshis interest in thespecializedbranchesofmacrophotography including, forexample,high-speedphotography.

Arangeofequipmentforhigh-speedshootingisnotreadilyavailableonthephotographymarket,whichmeansheengineersandbuildshisown tools for the job—suchasspeciallight barriers and custom brackets and mounts designed to support these structures—largelyonhisown.

In 2014dpunkt publishedhis book,Highspeed,which explores the art andpractice ofhigh-speedimaging.

CaughtinFlight:AQ&AwithHansChristianSteegAboutHigh-SpeedPhotography

How far can you go into the realm of macro photography whenworkingwithlightbarriers?The answer to this question depends directly on the ability of the lightbarriertodetectobjectsaswellashowpreciselythesystemcandetectobjects.A reflective light beamdetector is sensitive enough to react toobjectsaround1mminsize.Becauseofthedivergenceofthelightbeam,however,thislevelofsensitivityisnotuniformacrosstheentiredetectionarea,andthedetectionperformancealsodependsonthediameterofthereflector, which typically falls in the 20mm to 40mm range. A through-beamsensor,which issuperioratconcentrating itsdetectionbeam,willgenerallyofferbetterresults.

Laser lightbarriersarealsosuitable forworkingwith tinysubjects inthemacrorangebecausetheirnarrow,paralleldetectionbeamspreciselylocateandrespondtominisculesubjects.

Aportablesystemforphotographingflyinginsects.Afastexternalcentralleafshuttersystemreplacestheslowerinternalfocal-planeshutter,whichdramaticallyimprovesthereactiontimetowithintwomillisecondsofwhenthelightbarrieristripped.Aspecialelectronicsystemcontrolsthisexternalshutteraswellasthelightbarrier.AComponon-S4/80oranApo-Rodagon4/80servewellasalens.LightingisprovidedbytwoMetz40MZ-3iunitsthatoperateat1/64to1/256oftheirmaxoutputdependingonthesubject.Thesystemaccordinglyallowsforshutterspeedsofaround1/20,000sto1/50,000s.

What circumstances are best for maximizing the chance ofcapturinganinsectinflight?Yourchancesarebestwhereverthedensityofflyingbugsisgreatest.Asummer meadow with blooming varieties of the celery family, forexample,will attract interesting insects.Onmost days, your barrierwilltripinhalf-minuteintervalsifyoupositionyoursystemoveranattractiveblossom.

Whatopportunitiesexistforcomposingyourphotographs?Aside fromtakingcareof thebasics,suchassharpnessandexposure,your control over composition is effectively limited to the background

design for your scene. When shooting with a stationary light barriersystem,forinstance,youcanstyleandpositionvariousnaturalelementsorpiecesofcardboardbehindyourkeydetectionarea.Incontrast,you’rebasically stuck with whatever is naturally present for your backgroundwith portable light barrier systems that youwould useon location.Andyouhaveutterlynocontroloverhowphotogenicyoursubjectwillappearwithin the frame—it’s up to chance whether you find your resultssatisfyingornot.

Whatpercentageofyourphotosaresuccessful?The rateof success,oryield,ofhigh-speedphotography isdeterminedbyyoursystem’slatency.Alightbarrieritself isgenerallyfastenoughtodetect any intruding object, but cameras are significantly less quick toreact.Shutter lagsareoften longenough toallow thesubjectplentyoftime to scurry away before the flash finally discharges. A quick centralleaf shutter will generally increase your rate of success. The yield isimpossible to estimate for portable light barriers—success with thesedevicesreliesonchanceasmuchastheprowessofthephotographer.

HoverflyNikonD80,Componon-S4/80

PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

Is there a long learning curve when getting started with lightbarriers?OrwillIstartproducingattractivepicturesrightaway?Youwill get results immediately simply by positioning your light barriersetupinanareaofferingaplethoraofsubjects.Whethertheresultswillbegood,however, isnotwithin thephotographer’ssphereof influence.You can only do your best to operate your system correctly. Practicingwithyourequipmentextensivelybeforeheadingoutintothefieldishighlyrecommendedtowardoffusererrorandanypreventablecomplicationslateron.

WildbeeonIndianbalsamNikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

Howfastdoinsectsfly?That’s a tough question to answer, because insect speed is difficult tomeasure.Abeeweigheddownwithpollencanbarely travel faster than0.5 m/s. In unencumbered, straight flight they can reach 8 m/s.Dragonfliesandskipperbutterfliescantravelatspeedsuptotwoorthree

timesasfastasthatandareamongthefastestoftheinsectworld.

What’sthebestwaytoapproachsubjects?Ifyouwanttophotographaninsectthatisn’tbuzzingaroundablossomandismoreor less isolatedby itself in flight, thenyou’llneedtostalk itwith a portable light barrier system.Themore you try thismethod, themore discoveries you’ll make. Some beetles and shield bugs, forexample, are sluggish to react to stimulusandare difficult to coax intoflight.Exercisepatience,though,orthey’lltaketotheairassoonasyoutakeyoureyesoff them. Incontrast,otherbugs, likegrasshoppers,arerather jumpy, as their name implies.Settingup shopnear theexit of awasp’snestisagoodwaytoensurethatoneofitsresidentswilltripyourlightbarrierregularly,butforobviousreasons,don’tdisturbthewaspstoomuch.

Aside from the extreme examples, the patterns of behavior in theinsectworldarediverseandvaried.For themostpart,bugsareerraticand unpredictable with their movements, which means that luck willalwaysplayaprincipalroleincapturingtheimagesyouseek.

CarpenterbeecollectingpollenNikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

SpottedlonghornNikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

BeeflyNikonD7000,Apo-Rodagon4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

Spottedlonghorn(withcompany)NikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

CommonwaspsNikonD4S,Photar5.6/120,scanfromslidePhotobyHansChristianSteeg

Redassassinbug(Slovenia)NikonD80,Componon-S4/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

MidflightcollisionNikonD7000,Photar5.6/80PhotobyHansChristianSteeg

Graffitidetailf/8,1/250s,ISO200,50mm

07

SearchingforSubjectsPeople tend to always associate the same subjects with macro photography: objectsfromthebotanical,etymological,andperhapstechnologicalkingdoms.Peoplealsotendtounderstandthepurposeofmacroimagingtoberelatively limitedinscope:revealingfamiliar objects from the natural world in larger-than-life pictures. But there is anamazinglycomplexworldofabstractbeautyhiddenintheordinaryworldaroundus.

I shot the image on the left—along with many others like it—in a park in myhometown,whereagalleryofgraffitiart isalwaysondisplay.Large,verticalsheetsofconcreteprovideacanvasforrevolvingartiststodisplaytheirwork.Theinstallationsarefascinating to take in from a normal perspective, but zeroing in on individual detailsrevealsanincrediblewealthofshapesandcolorsthatresultfromrepeatedlypaintingorsprayingoverpreviousmurals.Accordingly,thesephotographsdon’trevealtheworkofanindividualartist;theydocumentunintentionallycollaborativecreationsthathavebeenin development for weeks, months, and even years. The closer you get to thesepaintings photographically, themore opportunities you discover for images of singularbeauty comprising overlapping textures, blending colors, and random shapes. Thesemacroimagesrepresentafrozenmomentofaconstantlychangingcanvas.

Discovering,Searchingfor,andCollectingSubjects

Subjectsformacrophotographycanbefoundanywhere.Someyouwilldiscover simply bywalking aroundwith openeyes; others you have tosearch for in specific circumstances, and some are dependent on thetime of year or the time of day. Materials are critical to macrophotography—perhapsmoresothananyotherphotographicdiscipline.

DiscoveringSubjectsIfyourgoal is toexplore theminicosmosaroundyouand todocumentyourdiscoveries, thenall it takestofindanabundanceofsubjects is tokeepyoureyespeeled.You’llquicklydevelopasenseofwheretolook,which stones to overturn, and which fences to climb in the quest forinterestingsubjects.Thepromiseofarewardinglocationisoftenevidentinthelargercharacteristicsofthescene.Aflower-strewnmeadowbathedinsunlightoffersarangeofnotonlyfloralsubjectsbutalsoalltheinsectlifeinherenttoit.Areaswherethepassageoftimeisclearlyevidentaresimilarlyrichwithpossibilities.Ifdecayispresentonalargescale,thenyoucancountonsignsofwastingawaytobepresentinsmallways,too.Abandoned train stations, junkyards, and industrial wastelands areteeming with subjects representing all stages of ruin. In a best-casescenario, the natural world will have started to return to these areas,offeringcontrastsofrusty industrialmetalswithbuddingplants,suchasdandelionspushingup throughcracks inasphalt,mushroomssproutingonrottingbalconies,andsoon.Eventhosewhoarenotonthehuntforspecific subjects will have no shortage of subjects to choose from—natureprovides.

Autumnismushroomseason.Fungilovemoistureandwarmth,soadayortwoafterarainstorm

isanidealtimetosearchforthem.f/5.6,1/250s,ISO640,180mm

Rustisubiquitous.Locationsbetrayingtelltalesignsofwearandtearonalargescalewillalso

offerupcompellingsubjectswell-suitedforclose-upandmacrophotographs.f/4.1,1/100s,ISO100,12.2mm

SearchingforSubjectsThingsgeta littlemorecomplicatedwhenyouhavespecific inclinationsforwhatyouwant tophotograph.This fact isdoubly truewhenspecificspeciesofplantsandanimalsarewhatyouhaveinmind.Findingthesesubjectsrequiresabitofbackgroundknowledgeforthefloraandfaunainquestiontoensurethatyouwillpositionyourselftobeintherightplaceattherighttimewithyourcamera.Consultingreferencematerial isagoodstartingpointtofindoutwhencertainspeciesblossom,migrate,ormate.Thisresearchwillminimizeyourrelianceonchancetobringyoutoyoursubject,anditalsohelpsyouplanforwhatequipmenttobring.Advancelearning,inotherwords,mayhelpyoudecidetoleaveanadditionallensorpieceof lightingequipmentat home, freeingupsomespace in yourgearbag.

CollectingSubjectsYet another interesting exercise for cultivating subjects for studies inmacro photography is collecting materials from sites that can later bestyled and staged in a studio at home. This method comes with thebenefit of being able to work in a highly controlled environment withsufficient lighting to create reproducible lighting and high-quality resultswithout having to worry about external influences. I recommend takingthetimetocleanyourcollectedmaterialson-siteasmuchaspossible,sothat once you returnhome, you can focus yourenergyandexcitementrightawayoncapturingshots.

Thelookandfeelofthisphotoisestablishedlargelythroughsidelighting.IbroughtthestoneshomewithmeaftervisitingLakeConstance.

Collecting various materials suitable for use as backgrounds ordecorationisalsoaworthwhileendeavor.Havingastoreofstones,driedgrasses, weathered wood, and other interestingly shaped objectsimprovesyourabilitytocomposeandarrangestudioimagesdramatically.

CreatingSubjectsIfyoucan’tfindwhatyou’relookingfor,creatingsubjectsonyourownisalwaysapossibility.Youmight,forexample,growacultureofmoldonabowlofyogurtoryoumightcreateicecubesinvariousshapes.Youryardisalsoarichplacetogrowsubjectstofuelyourmacroambitions.Abagof wildflower seeds will yield a trove of floral subjects in addition toinvitingcuriousinsectsintoyourdomain.Evenplantersonthebalconyorhanging from a window are more than enough to grow a garden ofsubjects.Plantsarefascinatingandrewardingspecimensthroughoutallthestagesoftheirgrowth.

Moldonapieceofcheese

GiftingSubjectsSpontaneously gifting someoneabouquet of flowers is not only a kindgesture, it’s also a welcome opportunity to take some pictures.Assemblingthebest imagesfromtheshoot intoacollageandhaving itprintedinalargeformatisalovelywaytoremembertheoccasionaswellastohavesomethingtocherishlongaftertheflowershavewilted.

Icecubescanbemadeinavarietyofinterestingandunusualshapes

DocumentingSubjectsMacro photography can also play a role in documenting memorableexperiences like an unforgettable summer vacation. You might, forexample, endeavor to create a “digital herbarium” cataloging all of theplantsinthelocationofyourdestination.Thistypeofprojectmayofferamore rewardingmemento thanusual snapshotsof beachesand touristsites.TheInternetoffersawealthofinformationaboutthefloraandfaunaofspecificregionsintheworld,asdonatureconservancyorganizations

andbookshops.Usingtheseresourcestoprepareforyourtripmayproveto be a gratifying way to gain an entirely different perspective of yourdestination.

Cresssproutswithinafewdaysandgrowsveryquickly—hereintheshapeofalabyrinth

Flowerseedsarefascinatingintheirownright.Ofcourse,withabitofpatience,theyalsogrowintoattractivephotographicsubjects.

Flowerbouquetsarealltoohappytositforalengthymacrophotoshoot.Usingawideapertureproducedattractivebokeh.Theimageswereshotwitha50mmmacroanda20mmwide-anglelens.

VariationsonaTheme

Eventually a day will come when you think to yourself, “I’ve alreadyphotographedeverythingthereistophotograph.It’stimeformetohangupmycameraandtrysomethingelse.”Formostofus,thisfeelingcomesupnowandagainthroughoutourlives.There’snovalueintryingtoavoidfeeling this way; the trick is to engage with this lack of motivationcreatively.

Onewaytogenerateideasthatoftenleadtounexpectedimagesistosettleonaspecificthemeandtoshootaseriesofimagesthatconnecttoit.Forexample,youmaydecide toshootaseriesdocumenting the lifecycleofanativebutterfly from the larvalstage toanemergedbutterfly,including depictions of favored plants for feeding and its habitat.Alternatively,youcansettleonasinglesubject,suchasfeathers.Atfirst,birdfeathersprobablycometomind.Butasyoustartengagingwiththetheme, more and more possibilities arise until you have a nearlyinexhaustible fund of ideas. Feathers can be found in a variety ofcontexts ranging from the utilitarian (bedding and quill pens) to thespiritual (Native American ceremonies) to the fashionable (boas andhats). You can photograph the same subject under variouscircumstances:stagedinastudio;asaclinical,documentaryphotograph;asanabstractimage;andmuchmore.

Foundstilllifef/13,1/125s,ISO100,50mm,systemflashwithsoftbox

The theme doesn’t need to be a concrete object, either. Abstractconcepts such as “blue” or “soft” work well too, giving you an endlessrangeofpossibilities.Temporalsubjectssuchasthemutabilityofnaturealsomakeforrichphotographicseries.Forinstance,youmaydocumentthe full life cycle of a flower from the seed up through blossoming,pollination,thegrowthoffruit,endingwiththewitheredplant.

Yet another exercise is to document a meadow from a variety ofperspectives, firststartingwithanoverviewshotand thenzeroing inonanindividualplant,specificdetailsaboutthatplant,andfinallyallthewayintotheextrememacroperspective.Asystematicplan,inotherwords,isan effective way to counter photographer’s block. Accepting somecreativeconstraintsisaproductivewaytoforceyourselftogeneratenewideas that you likely wouldn’t otherwise have considered. And theseideascaninturnbeusedwitharangeofsubjects.

Abstractdetailofparrotfeathersf/8,1/60s,ISO160,105mm,studioflashwithsoftbox

Detailofafeatherdusterf/16,1/125s,ISO100,160mm,studioflashwithsoftbox

AbstractSubjects

Abstract photographs at the macro level are particularly fun becauseviewers often aren’t able to identify what the subject actually is at firstglance. These images effectively become mini visual puzzles, forcingviewerstolookatfamiliarobjectsfromanunfamiliarvantage.

When shooting relatively flat subjectswithmagnification levels up to1:2, it’s relatively easy to position the camera parallel to the subject,producing sharpness across the subject’s entire body. A repro stand islikely needed if you’re aiming to move even further into the macroperspective. Taking abstractmacro levels atmagnification greater than2:1generallyrequiresabellowslenswithafocusingrailandtherequisitestands.

Keysofa1960stypewriterf/22,1/125s,ISO100,60mm,studioflashwithsoftbox

Faithful color reproduction is usually not a pressing concern withabstract photography, so lighting plays something of a secondary role.RingflashunitsandLEDringlampsofferevenlighting,buttheyalsotendtoflattenoutsubjects.Incontrast,sidelightingisapowerfulchoiceifyouwanttoaccentuatesurfacetexturesinyoursubjects.Asimpledesklampwill do the job as will a system flash. Furthermore, you can createinteresting lightingeffectswithhandheld flashlightswithadjustable lightbeamsandsmallLEDlamps.

Use of continuous lighting can cause shutter speeds to slow downsignificantly,makingtheriskofcamerashakeamorepressingconcern,especially at high levels of magnification. Activating the mirror lockupmode, or at least using a remote trigger system, are effectiveways ofcircumventingthisproblem.

Rustedmetalsurfacef/8,0.6s,ISO100,60mmmacrolenswith31mmextensiontube,mirrorlockup,desklampforlighting

Subjects that lend themselves to abstract macro treatments can befound anywhere: around the house, in your office, in nature, inside apiece of electronics, or even on the surface of everyday objects. Amagnifying glass is a helpful tool for scouting potential subjects, eventhoughyou’lldiscovermanysubjectsjustbylookingaroundcasually.Thepowerofmagnificationunlocksthefascinatingbeautyanddetailsaroundus,andthecloseryoucanviewordinarysubjects,themorediscoveriesyou’ll make.What may seem to the naked eye like a uniform, sealedsurfacewillappearmorelikeacraggylandscapeoranabstractpaintingwhenviewedupclose.

If you have children in your family, show them a few of yoursuccessfullydefamiliarizing images,andencouragethemtoguesswhatthey’relookingat.

Detailofasponge.Interestingsubjectscanbefoundanywhere,includingthekitchen.f/18,1/200s,ISO100,60mm,studioflashwithbeautydishandhoneycombfilter

Hobbyworkshopsofferplentyofsubjects,too:60-gritsandpaper

Graffitidetailf/8,1/250s,ISO200,50mm,daylight

Detailofceramicglazef/9.5,1/15s,ISO200,50mm,tripod,daylight

Lizardatthezoo.Havingtonegotiatecomplicatedmixedlightingisoftenunavoidablewhentakingpicturesinaterrarium.Forthisimage,Ihadtodealwithwarminglampsandvariousotherformsofartificialsourcesoflight.Inthesecases,findingacompromiseistheonlythingtodo.f/4,1/90s,ISO400,105mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

08

ADayattheZooEven though you can find stunningmacro subjects in the orbits of your everyday life,sometimes the urge to take pictures of exotic plants and animals is overpowering. Inthese instances, a trip to a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, butterfly garden, or aninsectarium isapracticalway togainquickaccess to rareorchids,poisonousspiders,exoticlizards,andiridescentfish.

These locations are not always public places, so they come with some rules thatphotographersshouldheed,especiallyregardingtheuseofphotographsshotonprivategrounds.Inmostcases,personaluseofimagesisunrestricted,butorganizationsofteninsist on being identified and credited when such photos are used in commercialpublications,suchasbooksandnewspapers.

Institutionsoftenpostphotographyguidelineson theirwebsites,but ifyoucan’t findtheanswerstoyourquestionsthere,don’thesitatetoreachouttosomeoneduringyourvisittoaskafewamicablequestions.Inmyexperience,strikingupsuchaconversationtendstoopendoors.Youmightlearnsomeinterestinginformationthatotherwisewouldhave remainedunknown, suchaswhen rareplantsblossomorwhenspecificanimalstend tobeactive.Thesedetailswillbewelcome tomostphotographers,and theycanplayapivotalroleindiscoveringuncommonsubjects.

Zoos

There may be no other location on earth that offers up such aconcentration of fascinating subjects for photography as a zoo, whereyoucanfindpolarbearsandpenguinsalongsidetigersandaplethoraoftinysubjectstoboot.Theabundanceofsubjectmattergenerallymakesitimpossibletoshooteverythinginasingleday.Thereareafewthingstokeep inmind inorder toproduce thebestpossible resultswhen takingpicturesinazoo.

Not being able to freely walk around your subject in search of theoptimal camera perspective is a major constraint. In all but the rarestcases,zooexhibitsofferonlyasmallareaforvisitorstocranetheirnecksfor better views,whichmakes it difficult to capture the inhabitantswiththeir best face forward. Working with a telephoto lens and a wideapertureofferssome relief, in that youcan reducedistractingelementsbehind subjects, such as the bars of a cage behind a bird, into anunrecognizableblurthatdoesn’tdetractfromthequalityoftheimage.

Eventhoughanimalsareunabletofleeastheywouldbeabletointhewild,patienceisstillavirtuewhenworkinginzoos.Ifaspecimenwon’tcomeoutfrombehinda leafforaclearshot,don’tsweat it:moveontoyournextsubjectandreturnlaterintheday.Withabitofluck,thecritterwillhaveovercome itsshynessandbe ready for itsmoment in frontofthelens.

Abusyweekenddayatthezooisnotanidealtimeforaphotographertrudgingaroundwithanunwieldyassortmentofgear togoabouthisorherbusiness.Instead,youmighttrytoarriveshortlyafterthegatesopenin themorning on aweekdaywhen crowdswill be smaller. Zoos oftenpostschedulesforspecialeventsthathappenonthegroundsaswellasinterestingevents that happen throughout everyday.These schedulingdetailscanbehelpfulwhenplanningoutthesequenceofyourwork.Forexample,ifyounotethatthesealionsarebeingfedataparticulartime—

and likely todrawacrowdat that time—youmightplan tomakeuseofthe relative calm in the aquarium to concentrate on the subjects youintendtophotographthere.Ontheotherhand,theseadvertisedspecialeventsarealsooftenoccasionsthatofferupunusualsubjectsthatmayattract your attention as a photographer—the blossoming of an exoticplantortheoffspringofarareanimalspecies.

Therelativelysnugviewingareasatzooexhibitsmakeitdifficulttocomposephotographsofanimalswithattractivebackgrounds.Onerecourseforthischallengeisusingatelephotolensandawideraperturetoreducethebackgroundtoapleasantblur.FujiS3Pro,f/4,1/200s,ISO400,300mm

Positioningthecameraupclosetothecageorglassofananimal’senclosureeliminatestheappearanceofthegratingorreflectionsfrompicturesf/4,1/200s,ISO2000,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Lenseswithlongfocallengthsortelephotoconversionlensesareessentialforcapturingportraitsofsmallbirdsf/5,1/800s,ISO1250,180mm,2xteleconverterLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

BotanicalGardens

Botanicalgardensareamongmyfavoritelocationstotakephotographs.Theyoffernotonlyawealthofsubjectsfromtheplantandanimalrealms,butalsothepeaceandquiettoengagewiththesespecimensthoughtfully—especiallyonweekdays.Springandsummerarepredictablythemaintimewhenthesegardenseruptinaseaofblossomsforvisitorstoenjoy.And that’s true not just for visitors of the human kind: butterflies,dragonflies, and other little critters know that this occasion is worthtreasuring, too. Accordingly, a visit to a botanical garden is also afantasticopportunitytophotographinsects.

Thisprofusionofsubjectmattermakeslivingwithafewrestrictionsasaphotographeranacceptabletrade-off.Settingupatripodinthemiddleofaflowerbedisunderstandablyfrownedupon,sobringalongalensinthe telemacro range to be able to still get appreciably close to yoursubjects.Focallengthsrangingfrom150mmto300mmareidealbothfortakingpicturesofshyinsectsaswellasfordocumentingdetailsinplantspositionedatthebackofaflowerbed.

Botanical gardens offer up a ton of information about the subjectslikely to catch your eye, at least those of the plant kingdom. Andconversations with gardeners or other visitors are also likely to yieldinterestingandusefuldetails.

Paintedladybutterfly.Flowersandblossomsarethemainattractionatbotanicalgardens—forphotographersandbutterfliesalike.NikonD800,f/8,1/1,000s,ISO1000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

OutdoorHabitatsBotanicalgardensareusuallyarrangedintovarioushabitatsandclimatezonesthatfeaturerepresentativeplantsfromtheseregions.Onasingleafternoon youmay pay a visit to an alpine garden; shady creeks withgently curved ferns; a local farmer’s garden; small ponds with frogs,newts,anddragonflies;bambooforests;bedsoftulips;andmuchmore.The wetland regions that resemble small landscapes are particularlyphotogenic, but even the habitats that at firstmay seem less stunningoffer no shortage of subject material ranging frommoss and lichen tointeresting stones to details of plants. With the right macro treatment,even small and otherwise nondescript blossoms can take on anotherworldly beauty that has nothing to hide, even in comparison toglamorousandoft-covetedorchids.

Vernalcherryblossomsbatheeverythinginaseaofsoftpink.Herethelight-blueskyinthebackgroundcreatesathoroughlypastelcompositioncontrastedbythesolitarybee.f/5.6,1/1,500s,ISO400,300mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Detailofablossom.Gentlebacklightinghighlightstheplant’sdelicatefuzzandthedistantbackgroundelementsofferanearlyevengreensurfaceforabackdrop.f/9.5,1/750s,ISO800,150mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Animalssometimesstealtheshowevenifplantsaretherealstarsofabotanicalgarden

Meadowhawkdragonflyilluminatedwitheveningbacklightingf/6.3,1/2500s,ISO2000,180mm

Sandlizardf/4,1/250s,ISO400,150mmLocationforbothimages:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

GreenhousesIn addition to their outdoor exhibits, many botanical gardens featuregreenhousescontainingvarioustropicalandsubtropicalplantsaswellasnotablespecies fromdesertclimates.Telephoto lensespull theirweightin these settings by making it possible to reach far away subjects.Fortunately, shooting at longer focal lengths froma tripod ismore of apossibilitywheninsideagreenhouse,becausewindislesslikelytorustlea subject during an exposure. Bridge cameras with image stabilizationandagoodzoomrangealsodoquitewellinthesecircumstances.

Thetropicalconditionsinsomegreenhousescanquicklycausealenstofogup.Amicrofiberclothisonewayofmanagingcondensation...

Taking pictures in a greenhouse with their often tropical conditionscomeswith its challenges.Assoonasyoustep inside thewarmth, theair’shumidityimmediatelycausesyourlensanddisplaytofogup.Thereare a fewways of circumventing this problem. Some greenhouseswillfeatureawarm-airblower specificallydesigned fordryingcondensationformed on cameras and eyeglasses. Alternatively, you can use amicrofiber cloth to wipe your equipment downmanually. If this is yourplan,Isuggestusingaskylightfilteroranothertypeofprotectivefilteronyour lens to minimize the risk of scratching your expensive front lenselement.

Ifyoudon’thaveanyrecourseforthecondensation,you’llsimplyhavetowait for your equipment to acclimate to the conditions. The processmay take up to 15 or 20 minutes, but you can use the time to scoutpotentialsubjectsandplanyourfirstimages.

TheColdMonths

Nature offers plenty of exciting macro subjects, even when thethermometer drops during fall and winter: bizarre, arresting seedcapsules;frost-bedeckedspiderwebs;iced-overponds,andmuchmore.Dewdropsoften lingeronoutdoorsubjectsduring theearlymorningsofthe cooler months. Early risers have a great opportunity to discoverunconventional subjects by examining how these drops of moisturedecorate the natural world. Interesting highlights can be created in thedewdropstounderscoretheirsphericalshapebyusingadetachedflashwithasoftboxattachment.

...orblowdryersspecificallyintendedtodryeyeglassesandcameralensesareanotheroption.Location:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Workingwithoutflashingreenhousesisoftenimpossible,especiallyduringthedarkermonths.Asoftboxhelpstokeeplightfromtheflashheadsufficientlysoft.

f/8,1/125s,ISO160,50mm,systemflashwithsoftboxattachmentLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Lichenonquartz.It’snotalwayseasytofindastandpointforphotographinglichenthatbringsalloftheelementsoftheimageontoasingleplane.f/6.7,1/180s,ISO400,105mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Mossandlichenaretypicallyeasiertofindduringwintermonths,andtheyoftencreateadesirablecontrastofcolorwiththeotherwisebrownorgrey ground. You may need to use a detached system flash head toproducelightingconditionsenablingadepthoffieldsufficientforbringingthesesubjects,whicharen’talwaysneatlypositionedonadefinedplane,intofocus.Asoftboxrendersattractive,diffuselight.

Botanicalgardensoffermanyphotogenicsubjectsevenduringthedoldrumsoffallandwinter.Iuseasmallsoftboxwithasystemflashtocreatereflectionsinthewaterdropsandtoaccentuatetheirdimensionality.f/11,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashwithsoftboxattachmentLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Picturewithinapicture:Thedropletsreflectthegreenhouse’sceiling.EvenwithahighISOvalueandanopenaperture,theshutterspeedwasstilllimitedto1/125s.f/4,1/125s,ISO1600,105mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Reflectedhighlightscausethesedewdropsonaspider’swebtolooklikeapearlnecklacef/10,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashwithsoftboxattachmentLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Ishotthisimageoutintheopenonawindyday.AhighISOsettingallowedmetocaptureasharpimagedespitethewind.f/8,1/2,000s,ISO2500,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Meadowhawkdragonfly.Dragonfliesliketositatopaperchsotheycankeepaneyeontheirhuntinggrounds.f/11,1/1,000s,ISO1000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Abeeinsearchoffoodf/8,1/60s,ISO160,150mm,fillflashwithasoftboxLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Thecolorfulpetalsofabougainvilleaf/5.6,1/90s,ISO200,50mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

ButterflyGardens

Butterflyexhibitsareaparadise formacrophotographers regardlessoftheseason.Theyaffordthechancetointeractwithexoticbutterfliesfromaround the world without much effort at all. These gardens typicallyrequire that you stay onmarked paths, whichmakes lenseswith focallengths of 105mm and longer practical for getting close enough tosubjectswithoutencroachingontheirflightzone.Wildbutterfliestypicallyaremore likely to fleewhenapproached than thespecimensyoucomeacrossinsuchgardens.

Owlbutterflies.Feedingbutterfliesusuallyremainverystill,buttheyaren’tthemostcompellingsubjectsforaphoto.f/5.6,1/500s,ISO1600,150mm

Location:IsleofMainau,Germany

The lightingconditions inbutterflygardensaregenerallycomparableto those found in greenhouses, which means you may have troubleshootinghandheld. I recommendstartingwithan ISOof800andgoingupfromthere,asnecessary.MostmodernDSLRscanhandlesensitivitylevelsinthatrangewithoutaproblem;bridgecameras,incontrast,maystart torunintotroubleatthatpoint,resultingina lossof imagequality.Butterfliestendtoberatherdocilecreatures,especiallywhenrestingonasurface,soevencompactandbridgecameraswithimagestabilizersanda strong zoom lenswill bemore than adequate for capturing excellentimagesintheseenvirons.

Monopodsequippedwithaballheadmountaremorepracticalforuseinbutterflyexhibitsthantripods.Theymakeiteasiertofollowbutterfliesfromplant toplantwithouthavingtosetupa tripodagain foreachnewlocation.Thefeedingsitestypically locatedthroughoutbutterflygardensrepresentidealopportunitiesforcreatingup-close-and-personalportraitsofthesemagnificentcreatures.YoucangenerallyworkwithnormalISOsettings,themirrorlockupmodeactivated,andaremotetriggersystemifyouwish.Feedingbutterfliesare typically so focusedon their food thatthey tend not tomove aroundmuch, giving you the chance to captureexcellentportraitsordetailshotsofcolorfulwings. Iusually treat1/30sasthemaximumshutterspeed,though,becausespeedsanyfasterthanthatcomewithattendantrisksofruinousmotionblur.

Paperkitebutterfly.Youcanusetheopportunitytocreateafewinterestingportraitsbyalteringtheperspectiveofyourshotandeliminatingthefoodfromtheimage.f/8,1/60s,ISO400,105mmLocation:IsleofMainau,Germany

ShootingPerspectiveInmostcasesyouwillbe trying tophotographabutterflywith itswingscompletely closed or completely open—in part owing to the way thatthese animals prefer to hold their bodies. If your subject’s wings areentirely closed, you can shoot with a relatively wide aperture and stillkeepmostofthekeyareassharpwhileallowingthebackgroundtomeltintoablur.Openwingstypicallydemandthatyoustopdownabittokeepthemsufficiently in focus.More times thannotwhenabutterfly’swingsare open, you’ll want to position your camera above it, pointing down.This configurationmakes thebackground (which in this situationwouldactuallybe thesurfaceonwhich thecritter is resting)amore importantfeatureoftheimage.Photographerswoulddowelltoconsiderthiswhenplanningthecompositionoftheirimages.

Swallowtail.Usingawideaperturecausedthebackgroundtosoftenintoblurryswathsofcolor—butwiththeaddedexpensethetipsofthewingsalsolostsomeoftheirsharpness.f/5.6,1/400s,ISO3200,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

CommonMormon.Backgrounddetailsaremuchmoreprominentinbutterflypicturesshotfromabove;thesmallersensorofthebridgecamerausedtotakethispicturewasalsoafactorhere.f/3.5,1/60s,ISO100,50mmLocation:IsleofMainau,Germany

Paperkitebutterfly.ShootinghandheldrequirestheuseofhighISOvalues.f/7.1,1/400s,ISO4000,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

ToFlashorNottoFlash?A flash is a practicalway to dealwith the less-than-ideal lighting you’llcome across in most butterfly exhibits. When using artificial lighting,however, make sure that you avoid situations where the foreground isadequatelylit,butthebackgroundfadestonearortotaldarknessduetobeing far enough away to not receive enough light. Harsh, distractingshadows and unwanted reflections off shiny leaves are other perils offlashphotographythatyou’llneedtoconsider.

Passionbutterfly.Withabitofpatience,butterfliescanbeaveryrewardingsubject.f/3.3,1/180s,ISO1600,180mmLocation:IsleofMainau,Germany

Ifyoudecidetogotherouteofusingaflashdespitethesechallenges,consider using a softbox and positioning your flash away from yourcamera.Anddefinitely inquire inadvancewhether flashphotography ispermittedat allwithin thegardens. I findpictures taken innaturemoreattractive, because the background tends to fit in with the compositionmoreorganically.

AquariaandTerraria

Zooaquariaandterrariaareexhibitsofspecialsignificancetomacroandclose-up photographers: the creatures housed in these areas aregenerallyofarelativelysmallsize,makingthemappealingsubjects.

Usingatelephotolensatsomewhatofaremovemakesiteasiertoavoidreflectionsanddistortionswhentakingoverviewimagesofsmallaquariumtanksf/6.3,1/125s,ISO6400,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Photographing animals living in small tanks requires adequatepreparation,though,becausetherearesignificanttechnicalchallengestoproducingbrilliant images.But let’sstartwiththegoodnews.Thetypesof subjects in aquaria and terraria of interest to macro photographers

generallyliveintankswithamuchsmallerdepththanthelargerresidentsof the sea. Smaller depthsmean you can use shorter focal lengths togoodeffect.Don’t leave your telephoto lens at home, though, becauselongerfocallengthsalsohavetheiradvantages.

Whatmakes telephoto lensespractical bringsus to oneof themainchallengesofphotographinganimalslivingintanks.Theglasswallsthatcontain theseanimalsarevery thick, inpart towithstand thesignificantpressure from the water on one side, and in part to withstand anypotential impacts fromviewerswhomaybumpanobject against them.The thickness of the glass directly leads to losses in image quality,becausethelightnotonlyhastotravelthroughwaterfromthesubjecttothe lens,butalsogetsdistortedsomewhatby theglass.Thesurfaceoftheglassalsotendstogetdirty—ontheinsideoftheglass,dirtandgrimenaturally build up, and on the spectator side, fingerprints and surfacescratchesareeverywhere.These imperfectionswillbe readilyvisible inyourimagesifyoutrytoshootatanangle.Accordingly,yourbestbetistoworkwiththeshortestdistancepossibleforthelighttohavetotravel.In concrete terms, this means shooting directly through the glass andwaitinguntilyoursubjectmovestoassumeafortuitouspositioninordertooptimizeyourimagequality.

Notriptoanaquariumiscompletewithoutaphotoofaclownfishf/4.5,1/200s,ISO6400,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

It’sbettertocaptureoverviewimagesofsmalltanksusingatelephotolensfromsomedistanceratherthanawide-anglelensfromcloserange,becausethelightemittedfromallareasofthetankwillpassthroughtheglasspaneinnearlyastraightpathwiththetelephotolens.

MinimizingReflectionsReflectionsareyetanotherof thechallengesphotographers facewhentryingtophotographobjectsontheothersideofthickglass,whichoftenis the case in zoos. There are a fewways to circumvent this problem,including using the beloved polarizer filter. This method is not fullyadequate on its own, however, because polarizers have their mostsignificanteffectwhenshootingatananglewithrespecttotheglass,andas just discussed, doing so means you’ll end up contending withdistortionsonaccountoftheglass’sthickness.

Aquaticplantsarerelativelyeasytophotograph.ThepoorlightingconditionsinaquariatypicallyrequirethatphotographersuseahighISOsettingtobeabletoshoothandheld.f/3.5,1/25s,ISO400,50mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Anotheroption—onethatgenerallyoffersbetterresults—istoreachforthat telephoto lensand to setupyour shotata slightly larger shootingdistance. Wearing dark clothes will minimize the likelihood that yourvisage will show up on the glass. Alternatively, you can equip yourcamera with a lens hood and position your camera directly on theaquariumglass.Withthelenssoclosetotheglass,allofthescratchesandblemishesonthesurfaceoftheglasswillbeoutsideofthedepthoffield,minimizingtheireffectonthepictureathand.

LightingConditionsThelightingfoundinaquariumandterrariumexhibitsatzoosisoftennotconducivetoeasyphotography.Ingeneral,thetanksthemselvesfeaturelighting that doesn’t mesh well with the lighting in the visitor areas.Terrariums often feature heating lamps because reptiles love to warmthemselves.Allof thesediversesourcesof light result inacomplicated

mixed lighting situation over which photographers have no influence.ShootingRAWimagesisyouronerecoursetobalanceouttheresultingcolorcastsafterwardwhileeditingyourimages.

OnewaytominimizetheappearanceofreflectionswhenphotographingsubjectsbehindglasswallsistousearubberlenshoodandpositionyourcameradirectlyupagainsttheglassLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Flashphotographyisofteneitherdiscouragedorprohibitedoutrighttoprevent undue stresson theanimals.But using flash is inadvisable forotherreasonstoo:itintroducesyetanothertypeoflightingtothescene,further complicating the mixed lighting situation. It also inevitablyproduces uncontrollable reflections on the tank’s glass walls. TheseconstraintseffectivelyforcephotographerstobumpuptheISOsettinginorder to work with fast shutter speeds and a stopped down lens.PhotographersusingcontemporaryDSLRsandothercameraswithgreatimagenoiseperformancearedefinitely at anadvantagehere.You cancertainlyusetheslowershutterspeedsmadeavailablebyusingatripodand/or image stabilizers for some subjects, but aquarium residents inparticular aren’t likely to stay still long enough for this method to bepractical.

Reptilesandinsectsareanotherstory,though.YoucanoftenshootatISO100whileusingatripodandlongexposurewindowsbecausethesecreaturesoftenstandstillasastoneforlongstretchesoftime.Thethickglasswallsarestillanissuetocontendwith,andtheenclosuresforsomepoisonousanimalsalsosometimesfeatureatypeofnettingtosoundanalarm in thecaseofanemergency.Theseconstraintsmake finding theidealshootingpositioncomplicated.

Rainbowtrout.Shootingatasharpanglewithrespecttoaquariumglassheightensthevisibilityofsurfacescratches.Andtherefractionoftheglassproducescolorfringingatthebrightedgesinthescene.Bridgecamera,f/3.6,1/20s,ISO800,24mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

ContrastsPhotographers in aquaria and terraria also have to contendwith broadrangesofbrightnessintheimagestheywanttocapture.Ananimalsitting

near a lamp, for example, or the jellyfish passing by a point source oflight pictured on the next page are two situations that can result inoverexposedareas.Youwillalsoencounterhigh-contrastsituationswhentaking over-under images in aquaria where a part of your subject isabovewaterwhile theotherpart isbelow.Thecontrastofbrightness inthetwoimageareasisoftensobrightthatthere’snowayaroundhavingto brighten or darken the respective areas while editing your imagesafterward.

Jellyfishareparticularlyphotogenicwhenilluminatedbyapointsourceoflightsotheycontrastsharplywithadarkbackgroundf/7.1,1/80s,ISO6400,24mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

ReptileinhabitantsofterrariaaregenerallyamenabletobeingphotographedwithslowershutterspeedsandatripodLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Anover-underimagefromanaquarium.Theunderwaterregionofthephotoneededtobesignificantlybrightened.Thelefthalfrevealstheoriginalimage,andtherighthalfshowstheresultofbrighteninguptheunderwaterarea.Location:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Terrariaofferthechancetoapproachrattlesnakesandotherdeadlycreatureswithoutassuminganyrisk.Sometanksforthesedangerousanimalsfeatureembeddedalarmwiresforthesafetyofhumanvisitors.Adoptingacamerapositionextremelyclosetotheglassisawaytoensurethatthesewiresfallwelloutsideofthedepthoffieldforyourimages.f/8,1/60s,ISO3200,105mm,tripod

Yellowpoisondartfrog.Atelephotomacrolensistherightchoiceforgettingclosertosmallanimalshidingnearthebackoftheirenclosures.f/7.1,1/250s,ISO4000,180mmLocationforbothimages:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Twolionfish.Atripodisaneffectivetoolforrealizingimagesofslowlyswimmingsubjects.You’lllikelystillneedtouseahighISOsettingtopreventmotionblur.f/6.3,1/60s,ISO6400,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Who’swatchingwhom?Adequatelysupportingyourselfagainstarailingorsomethingsimilaroftengivesyouenoughstabilitytocapturesuccessfuldetailimagesevenwhenshootinghandheld.f/6.3,1/100s,ISO6400,180mmLocation:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Sawflylarvaonmossf/13,1/60s,ISO200,50mm,systemflashwithsoftbox

09

ImageEditingInwhatcircumstancesisitappropriatetoalteranimage?Howmuchdigitalalterationisfairgame?ThesequestionsaredebatedadinfinituminInternetforums,andtheopinionsonthematterareusuallydiametricallyopposed.

A fewyearsago, Iwas ridingmybicycle throughHogeVeluweNationalPark in theNetherlandswhen a rain shower caughtme off guard. Fortunately, I was able to findsomeshelterunderthecanopyofasmalloakgrovewhereIwaitedfortheraintocease.As I waswaiting, I discovered a small grub, which I later learnedwas the larva of asawfly. Ishota few imageswithdifferentexposuresettingsand thencontinuedonmyjourneyaftertherainstopped.Itwasn’tuntil Ireturnedhomeandinspectedmyphotosonmy computermonitor that I discovered the best of the pictures I had taken of thecaterpillarwasalsoimperfectinthatIhadinadvertentlytruncatedthesubjectattherightimageborder.Facedwiththissituation,Idecidedtousetherightpartofthebedofmossfromanotherphototorescuetheimage.

Myintentionofeditingmyphotointhismannerwasnottomisrepresentrealityinanyway.Thereactuallywasmosstotherightof thelarva,soI tendtothinkofthistypeofeditasentirelyjustifiable.

Youhave todecide foryourselfwhereyour threshold is for justifiable imageediting.Photographycompetitionsusuallyspelloutclearguidelinesforwhat ispermissibleandwhatisnot,soifyouintendtosubmityourworktothesecontests,it’simportanttoplaybytherules.

PostprocessingPhotos

Thephotographyouintendtotakeandtheimagethatcomesoutofthecameraarenotalwaysoneand thesame; imageeditingoffersways tobring the latter closer to the former. The extent of the postprocessingneededdependsentirelyonthequalityofthebaselineimage.Ingeneral,youshouldalwaysstrivetousephotographicmethodstoobtainthebestimage possible. But some circumstances render perfection impossible,soPhotoshopandothercomparableimage-editingprogramsbelonginaphotographer’sbagoftricksjustasmuchasacameraoralensdoes.

AdjustmentlayerswithlayermasksallowphotographerstopartiallyadjusttheLevelsofanimage.Editstotheimageapplyinareaswherethemaskiswhitebutdon’tapplywherethemaskisblack.Theeffectoftheeditsgraduallytapersbetweenthesetwoextremes.

Afulltutorialofthecapabilitiesandprocessesofdigitalimageediting

isbeyondthescopeofthisbook,andIhavenointentionofprovidingtheworld with yet another discussion about using Lightroom for RAWconversion.Whatyou’llfindnextareafewstep-by-stepguidesforimage-editingpracticesthatIuseinmydailywork.

AdjustingLevelsTakingpicturesinaforestcomeswithaspecificsetofchallenges.Oneofthemconcernsthebehavioroflight:imagesshotbeneaththetreesoftenhavebrighterupper regionsanddarker lowerregions. Inmostcases,areflectorusedduringtheexposurecanreflectenoughlightonthelowerareas to easily fill the shadows. But there are always times when youwon’thaveareflectoronhand,whichleavespostprocessingasaviableoptionforcorrectingthisundesirabledistributionoflight.

The example photo used to illustrate this process has a furthercomplication: themushroomcapcastsashadowover theundersideofthe cap,meaningeither thegillswill appear toodark, or the topof themushroom cap will appear too bright depending how you decide toexposethescene.

TheeasiestwaytocorrectthisproblemistomakeapartialadjustmenttotheimageLevels.Todothis,openPhotoshopandnavigatetoLayer>NewAdjustment Layer > Levels. This adjustment layer appears abovethebackground layerand isautomaticallyprovidedwitha layermask—thelayermasksimplyhastobeactivated.NowselecttheGradienttoolandset the foreground toblack,andapplyagradientwithblackat thebottomandwhiteatthetop.Thecorrectivemeasureyouapplynowwillonlyaffecttheunmaskedareasoftheimage,orinotherwords,thebrightareasofthelayermask.

ThefirststepiscreatinganewadjustmentlayerbyselectingLevels

Thenapplyagradientfromblacktowhiteforthelayermaskoftheadjustmentlayer.AtthispointyoucanfinallymakeyouradjustmentstotheLevels.

Theupperthirdoftheoriginalimageistoobright,requiringthatthehistogramlevelsbetweakedaccordingly.Todothis,Ishiftedthemiddletonestotheright,ortowardthehighlights.

Thephotoappearsmuchmorebalancedaftereditingtheimage

The gradient ensures that there is a seamless transition between thecorrectedandtheuncorrectedpartsoftheimage.

Youcanalsoopttousethebrushortheairbrushtoolstopaintonthelayermaskmanually,givingyouevenmorecontroloverhowandwherethecorrectivemeasuresareapplied.Inadditiontothispartialadjustmentof the Levels, other adjustment layer options includeCurves, SelectiveColorCorrection,Black&WhiteConversion,ChannelMixer,andothers.

AddNoiseAphotographer’sgoalwhencapturinganimageisgenerallytominimizetheappearanceofimagenoiseasmuchaspossible.Buttherearecaseswhenaddingnoiseisdesirable,suchaswhenyouneedtoapplyanewbackgroundtoasubjectorextendtheexistingbackgroundofasubject.Itcanbedifficult tomakethe textureof thenewareasof thebackgroundseamlessly match the rest of the image, particularly when solid colorsandgradientsareinplay.It’salsodifficulttomatchthemicrotexturesoftheimagewhensofteningindividualelementsoroverlayingclonedareaswiththestamptool.ThischallengecanbeovercomewiththeAddNoisefeatureinPhotoshop.

Theimageof theflyonthe leafwasshotatarelativelyhighISO,soimagenoiseisreadilyvisibleintheoriginalimage.Inordertoextendthebackgroundorganically,it’snecessarytoreplicatetheappearanceoftheimagenoiseintheareasbeingaddedtotheframe.

Ioptedtousethenarrowstripnearthetopoftheimageborderasthebasisforextendingthebackground,becausetherewasn’tmuchroomtoworkwith thestamp tool.Thismethodmeant that the shadesof greenwouldexhibitseamlesstransitions.

Next I copied, pasted, resized, and softened the target area (asdescribedingreaterdetailintheimagecaptions),andthenfinallyappliedtheAddNoisefilter.AdjustingtheAmountvalueallowsyoutomimicthenoise appearance in the original image, so the final result features ahomogenoustransitionarea.Youcanfurthermodulatetheappearanceofthe noise by selecting the Uniform or Gaussian options. TheMonochromatic feature is useful when excessive color noise becomesdistracting,suchasinthegreytonesofashadowonawhiteground.The

laststepwastouncoverthetipoftheleafthatwascoveredbytheaddedimagearea.Todothis,IusedalayermaskandtheBrushtoolwithasoftedge.

Theupperedgeofthisleafservingasarestingplaceforaflyisunattractivelyclosetotheupperborderoftheimage

Thefirststepisaddingabitofspacefortheextendedbackground.Thecolorofthisaddedbackgroundareaisirrelevantatthispoint.

Icopiedanarrowstripnearthetopoftheimagetoserveasthebasisformynewbackgroundarea.Ithenpasteditasanewlayer.

Nowthenewareacanbedeliberatelystretchedtocovertheaddedimagearea,aswellastooverlapwithasmallportionoftheoriginalimage

Thisprocesscreatesastriatedtexture(1)thatcanbesmoothedoutbyapplying“GaussianBlur”(2).Thissoftening,however,wipesoutallofthetexturefromtheimageareainquestion,whichiswheretheAddNoisefunctioncomesintoplay(3).ByusinganAmountof7andselectingtheUniformoption,Photoshopgeneratesnoisecomparabletowhatwaspresentintheoriginalpicture.Softeningtheedgeofthenewbackgroundarearesultsinaseamlesstransitionwiththeoriginalimage.

Black&WhiteConversion

There generally aren’t many situations when a black-and-white macroimageisneeded,butyoumayoccasionallywanttosupplyanimageforanewspaperorcreateaflieratacopyshop.Photoshopoffersmanywaysofconvertingcolorimagestoblackandwhite.

ConvertingtoGreyscale|Image>Mode>GreyscaleThesimplestwaytocreateablack-and-whiteimageistoconvertthepicturetogreyscale.TheresultisagoodbasisforadjustingtheLevels.

Desaturation | Image > Adjustments > Desaturate or Image >Adjustments>Hue/SaturationTheresultingimagewillberelativelydark,butitcanbeadequatelybrightenedbyadjustingtheLevels.

LAB|Image>Mode>LabColorTocreateagreyscaleimage,opentheChannelspaletteafterswitchingtheimagemodetoLABandremovethea andb channels.Or use the clipboard to copy the Lightness channelintoanewfile.

Channel Mixer | Image > Adjustment > Channel Mixer With theMonochromeoptionselected,youcanmodulateeachof thethreeRGBchannelsindividuallytocontroltheextenttowhicheachchannelisusedin the conversion process. Adjusting the sliders influences the entireimage.

Black &White | Image > Adjustments > Black &White This methodoffers users the most creative control over the conversion process.Photoshopofferssixcolorsliderstoinfluencethewaythatdifferentcolorareasareconverted.Youcanamplifyordiminishspecificcolorstoboostcontrast,forexample.

With theexceptionof themethods thatexplicitlyconvert the image intogreyscaleorLAB,thesetechniqueswillleaveimagesconvertedtoblackandwhite inRGBmode.Toprepan image forprint, you’ll still need toconvertittogreyscale.

TheimageshouldbeinRGBmode

Simplyconvertingtheimagetogreyscalegenerallydoesnotproducethebestresultsimmediately.Adjustingthetonallevelsisoftenrequiredtoenhancetheconvertedimage.

UsingtheDesaturateorHue/Saturationtoolsoftenproduceablack-and-whiteimageonthedarkerside.Post-conversioneditingisalsorecommendedifyougothisroute.

Incontrast,convertingtheimagebyisolatingtheLightnesschannelafterconvertingtheimagetoLABmodeoffersmoresubtletreatmentofthetonalvaluesbutanoverallimagethatistoolight

TheChannelMixeroffersusersagooddegreeofcontrolovertheconversionresults,butextremesettingstendtoproducegrainyimages

AndtheImage>Adjustments>Black&Whitemethodoffersphotographersthemostinfluenceovertheconversionresults,includingtheabilitytomodulatespecificareasofcolortoincreasecontrast

Quaileggsinaceramicbowlf/8,1/200s,ISO100,60mm,studioflashunitwithsoftbox

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WorkingwithLightLightisthekeytophotography—andmacrophotographyisnoexception.Here’sasmallexperiment you can conduct if you’d like a concrete demonstration of how differentlightingsituationscanalter theappearanceofascene.Takeasimplesubject,suchasthe quail eggs used here, which are about 3cm in length, and take a series ofphotographsafterdarkusingnothingbutadesk lamp inanotherwiseunlit room.Shiftthepositionofthelampforeachexposure.You’llquicklyseehowshadowschangeandhowreflectionsformandthendisappeardependingonhowcloseorfarthelightsourceisfromthesubject.Youcanalsoexploretheeffectofusingareflector,suchasasimplesheetofcopypaper,orusingindirectflashbyreflectingthelightoffawhitewall.

ExposureMetering

Nowadays we typically rely on values produced by internal meteringsystems and never think twice about them. In most cases, automaticmeteringsystemsproduceoutstandingresults,thankslargelytotheever-improving technology that camera manufacturers are able to produce.Butphotographerswillalwayscomeupagainstsituationsthatsupersedewhatautomaticmeteringsystemsarecapableofmanaging.Whenthisisthecase,youneedtobereadytointervenetogettheresultsyouwant.

In general terms, a camera’s integrated metering system simplymeasures the quantity of light reflected off of the subject and offersappropriatecombinationsofshutterspeedandaperturegiventhecurrentISO setting. An average reflectance of 18 percent is the baseline forthesecalculations.Theprocessbecomesmoresophisticatedonlyinthatsome exposure metering techniques weigh the values metered byspecificfieldsdifferently.Accordingly,obtainingaproperexposureforanimage depends on three variables: how reflective the subject is, theexposuremeteringmethod,andtheintentionsofthephotographer.

MultiorMatrixMeteringThismeteringmethod calculates one average light value for an imagebasedondatacollectedbymetering fieldsdistributedacross theentireimagearea.Thesesystemsgenerallyweighdata fromkeypartsof theimage more heavily, and they also take the shooting distance intoaccount. This method usually produces nicely balanced exposures forrelativelyuncomplicatedsubjects.

Multiormatrixmeteringmethodscollectandweighlightdatafromacrosstheimageareawhencalculatinganexposurevalue.Thesesystemsalsofactorintheshootingdistanceandthesubject’scolorationintothemeteringequation.

Center-WeightedMeteringAs the name implies, center-weighted metering methods prioritize themetering data collected from the center of the image area over thatcollectedfromthesurroundingregions.Thismethodismostusefulwhenyourmainsubjectislocatedinthecenterofyourimage.

Center-weightedmeteringplacesanemphasisonthelightdatacollectedfromthemiddleoftheimageareaoverthedatafromthesurroundingimageregions

SpotMeteringSpotmeteringbases theexposureonanevenmore specific sourceoflight data: a single selectedmetering field. Imagine that youwanted totakeapictureofa fullmoon in thenightsky(themoon isnotexactlyamacrosubject,butitillustratesthevalueofspotmeteringclearly).Ifyouwere to usematrix or center-weightedmetering, the surface of Earth’ssatellitewouldbedramaticallyoverexposedinyourimage,becausebothmeteringmethodswould takeportionsof thesurroundingnightsky intoaccountwhencalculatingalightvalue.Alternatively,usingspotmeteringto base the exposure on themoon itself would produce an image thatwould more delicately reveal the details of light and shadow in themoon’ssurface.

Spotmeteringusesthegreyvalueforaspecificmeteringfieldcorrespondingtothemostimportantimageelementtocalculatetheexposurevalue

Thestandardmeteringmethodisinsufficienthere,producinganimagethatistoodarkduetotheintensebacklighting.Thedirectsunlightshiningthroughthebranchesisthecriticalfactor.f/4,1/2,500s,ISO100,28mm,multimetering

Spotmeteringbasedontheleavesimprovedthesituationandwhencombinedwithaslightshifttothecamera’spositiontohidethesunbehindtheleavesweendupwithaproperlyexposedresultf/4,1/1,250s,ISO100,28mm,spotmetering

ExposureCompensation

Automaticmetering systems are not equipped to handle some specificlightingsituations,suchassubjectsthatfeatureparticularlybrightordarkareas as well as low-key or high-key scenes. Exposure compensationoffersawaytoadjust theexposuremanually tohandle thesesituationsmore effectively. Most cameras enable photographers to adjust theexposure in increments of 1/3EV. Some cameras display the effectiveexposurecompensationindecimalform,sothedisplaymayread+or–0.3, 0.7, or 1.0, whereby 0.3 actually represents a compensation of0.333...and0.7correspondsto0.666....Compensatingtheexposureby+1.0EVistheoreticallytantamounttoincreasingtheexposurebyonestopbyopeningtheapertureonestop(e.g.,switchingfromf/8tof/5.6)orincreasingtheshutterspeed(e.g.,from1/500to1/250s).

Ifapertureprioritymode(A/Av)isactivatedtomaintainafixedaperturesetting, thecamerawilleffectanexposurecompensationadjustmentbyincreasing or decreasing the shutter speed. Consider the followingexample and the noteworthy potential implications: You’re shooting aquicklymovingsubjectatISO100,withanapertureoff/8andashutterspeed of 1/1,000 s. Increasing the exposure compensation two stops(+2.0EV)willforcethecameratoexposewithashutterspeedof1/250s,whichmayposemotionblurproblems.

Increasing the sensitivity to allow for the desired aperture and theappropriate shutter speed would be a more effective approach in thissituation.Stickingwithf/8and1/1,000swouldrequireanISOsettingof400ratherthan100tomaintainthesameeffectiveexposure.Areferencetableformakingadjustmentsofthiskindcanbefoundin“TheBasicsinNumbers”sectioninchapter1.

As an alternative to using a camera’s exposure composition setting,youcanalwaysswitchyourcamera’sexposuremodetomanualandthenincreaseordecreasetheapertureandshutterspeedsettingsasdesired.This method produces the same effective result, although it may beslightlylessefficientinpractice.

There is no way to measure how much exposure compensation isneededforagivenimage(iftherewere,therewouldbenoneedforthisfeatureinthefirstplace),sotrialanderroriscalledforinfiguringouthowto handle certain situations. If you’re not confident about howmuch tocompensate, you can always shoot a series of images at differentsettings. With time, you’ll develop a good feel for the types ofadjustmentsthatarenecessaryforspecificlightingsituations.

Theexposurecompensationfeatureallowsyoutofine-tunetheexposuresettingin1/3EVsteps.Theeffectivecompensationamountisusuallyindicatedonthecamera’sdisplay.

RAWImagesasanAlternativeSavingRAWfiles foryour images isoneway togetaroundneeding tofine-tune theexposuresettingswhileshooting.Beaware,however, thatretroactivelyadjustingtheexposuresettingsofaRAWfiletendstoresultinalossofimagequalitytosomeextent.ComparedtoJPEGs,however,this loss is quite manageable. Adjustments of +/– 1 to 2 EV are noproblem. When in doubt while shooting, err on the side of slightlyunderexposing your images because it’s much easier to brightenshadowsthanitistoreconstructblown-outhighlights.

Externallightingexposuremetersareahugehelpinthestudio,especiallywithrelativelycomplexlightingsetups

Exposuremeteringsystemshavetroubleinterpretingsceneswithlargebrightareas,suchasthisinsectrestingonablockoficeinspring,becausetheyareprogrammedtoassumethattheimageexhibitsareflectanceof18percent.Exposurecompensationisaneffectivewaytoaddressthismisreading.f/9,1/60s,ISO400,150mm,exposurecompensationof+2EV

IntheStudioSmall flash exposure meters are a useful tool for photographers whooftenshootwithmultiplesourcesoflightandflashinthestudio.Buttheytendnottobepracticalbeyondtheclose-uprange.Youlikelywon’thaveenough room between your subject and your camera to use thesedevices properly when shooting macro images with a magnification

greaterthan1:1.Atthisrange,usingtrialanderrortoproducetestshotsisyouronlyrecourseforgettingclosertoyourdesiredexposure.

Using continuous studio lighting equipment typically obviates thisproblem,allowingyoutorelyonthecamera’s internalmeteringsystem.Unfortunately,manyextensiontubesandbellowslensesdon’tsupportacamera’smeteringfunctionality,sohereagain,you’relefteitherusinganexternalmeterorrelyingontrialanderror.

Bookrecommendation:AnyoneinterestedinfurtherreadingaboutlightshouldcheckoutRobertoValenzuela’sbook,PicturePerfectLighting,alsofromRockyNook

LightingontheGo

Lightingcanbesomethingofachallengewhenshootingoutdoors.Youwillfrequentlycomeacrosssituationsinwhichthelightisinsufficientforthetaskathand,doesnotsupportthelookyouwant,ormaybetoosoftorcomingfromthewrongdirection.

Small,foldablereflectorshaveaplaceinanyequipmentbag.Thebrightertheambientlight,themorepowerfulthesetoolsbecome.

ReflectorsandDiffusorsA reflector is the simplestway to direct light to a targeted part of yourimage. The photographymarket offers foldable reflectors in a range of

sizes, and one with a diameter of 25cm is a good choice for macropurposes.Mostmodelshaveasilversurfaceononesideandgoldontheother,butyoucanalsofindsomewithwhiteononesideandgreyontheother. The latter type doubles as a grey card when setting the whitebalance.

Reflectorsarealsorelativelyeasytomakeonyourownoutofrescueblanketsfromfirstaidkits,theinnerfoilpackagingofacoffeecontainer,or a piece of aluminum foil. If using a rescue blanket or a piece ofaluminum foil, crumple it up first and then unfold it to increase itsscatteringeffect.Inapinch,youcanalsouseawhitepieceofcopypaperorevenawhiteT-shirt.

Mirrorshavepracticalutilityintheirabilitytofunctionasasecond(orthird)sourceoflight.Theycanbeusedtoreflectsharp,focusedlightingattargetedareasofthesubject.Youcanfindplasticmirrorlikeoptionsonthe market, so you won’t have to worry about glass breaking in yourequipmentbag.

Diffusors have the opposite effect of reflectors: they filter light andmakeitsofter.Thesetoolsarealsoavailable inphotographyshops,butthey, too, can be crafted on your ownwith relative ease—byusing thewhitenylonofakite, forexample.Translucent films found instationerystoresalsodothejob.Forsmallersubjects,youcanevengetawaywithusingaCDjewelcasethat’sbeenroughedupwithsomesandpaper.

Asmalllighttent,whichyoucaneasilybuildoutofasheetofwhitenylonfromakiteandacouplefiberglassstakes,filterslight,renderingasofterillumination

LEDLampsTherangeofLEDlampsthatarepracticalforbringingwithyouonphotoexcursions is broad and varied: flashlights, area lights, ring lights, andeven sharply focused gooseneck lights. They won’t allow you to useshutterspeedsasfastasyoumightbeabletowithflashunits,buttheydoallow you to preview your lighting before taking any pictures,whichcanbearealadvantage,especiallyfornewerphotographerswhomightstillbegettingafeelforlightingtechniques.Iffaithfulcolorreproductionisof concern to you, look for LEDs that are specifically designed forphotographic use. They generally have a light temperature ofapproximately 5,000 K, and will prevent color casts from appearing inyourimages.

LED lights tend to produce rather harsh light. Because they often

featuremultiplesmallbulbs,theytendtoleadtoanunwieldynumberofreflections on the subject. Using a diffusor or an indirect angle isaccordingly required insomesituations,which,unfortunately, leads toadecrease in effective light output. Small LEDs marketed as keychainscomeinhandyforcertaineffectlightingtreatments.

SmallLEDlightsmakeitpossibletoeasilycreateinterestinglightingeffectsthatwouldbemoredifficulttosimulatewithflashlighting

InternalFlashAnother option for creating some fill light—one that doesn’t requireadditional equipment—is to rely on your camera’s built-in flash. Manycameras offer the ability for photographers to manually control theintegrated flash’soutput.WhenusingaTTLautomatic flashmode,youcan generally tweak the flash output for your purposes by using therelevantbuttonanddial.Theresultsproducedbythismethodsometimeshaveanartificialfeelsinceitcreatesharshshadowsduetothefactthatthelightisalwayscomingfromthedirectionoftheviewer.Inotherwords,you’llwanttousetheintegratedflashinfrequently.Furthercomplicationsarise when the tight shooting distance means that the camera’s lens

actually shadows some of the light from the flash from reaching thesubject.

Amacrolenscansometimesblockdirectlightfromacamera’sbuilt-inflashfromreachingthesubject

SystemFlashUnitswithSoftboxAttachmentsorReflectorsDirect flash lighting casts harsh shadows and tends to make subjectslook busy. Softboxes are a great way to soften a flash’s output toeliminate this problem. Because macro subjects are small, a smallsoftbox attached to a system flash head works nicely. Somethingapproximately18cmby28cminsizeworksverywelltobathesubjectsinanevenlight.Ibuilttheattachmentonthispagemyselfusingsomeblackfoam and a piece of material from a diffusor, which I purchased in aphotographyshop.Youcan,ofcourse,purchasefinishedoptionsifyou’dprefer,butchapter12hasinstructionsforcraftingasimplereflector.

Aself-madesoftboxattachmentforasystemflashhead

SystemFlashUnitswithProfessionalLightShapingToolsDivorcingyourflashfromyourcameragivesyousomeextraflexibilityasamacrophotographer.Youcanpositionyour lightingtosuityourneedsforeachindividualshot.Withthismethod,asoftboxofaround30cmby30cm is plenty large for most macro subjects while still retaining thebenefit of being easily transportable. Softboxes of this size can beequippedwithahandleso theycanbeheld in frontof,over,ornext toyoursubject.Astakeequippedwith tripod threads isanotheroption forsupportingprofessionallight-shapingtools.Shotsnearthesurfaceofthegroundaremucheasierwith this typeof device, because it’s relativelysimpletotofixanadapter,flash,andsoftboxinsoftsoil.

Withthistypeofsetup,flashesaregenerallycontrolledviainfraredorradio control. Inmost instances, you’llwant to adjust the flash settingsmanually,becauseyou’llneedtocompensateforthelossoflightofoneortwostopsthatresultsfromusingasoftboxtofiltertheoutput.

Thecombinationofasystemflashunitanda30x30cmsoftboxproducesveryevenlightforphotographingsmallobjectswithoutanyharshshadows

Snailshellinambientdaylight

Snailshellwithsoftbacklightingfromthesoftbox

OntheGowiththeNikonWirelessClose-UpSpeedliteSystemR1C1The ideal lighting situation for many macro photographers is asophisticated system that mounts directly onto the camera. NikonapproximatesthisidealcloselywiththeR1C1wirelessclose-upspeedlitesystem that is compatible with Nikon Creative Lighting Systemfunctionality.Thekitcomprises two flashheadswithaguidenumberof10 that mount to a ring. The ring attaches to the filter threads of thecamera lens. Themounting ring canworkwith lenses featuring threaddiametersupto70mm.Itcanalsosupportmorethantwoflashesifyou’reinterestedinincreasedpower.

TheflashunitsareNikonSB-R200s,andthecontrollingunitisanSU-800. This setup further allows you toworkwith one ormore additionalflashunits,suchasanSB-800and/oranSB-900programmedindifferentgroups.Thislevelofcontrolcomesclosetowhatyoucanachieveinthestudio,givingyoutonsofflexibilitytocomposeandrealizeawiderange

of images.Youcancreaterichlyatmospheric imagesbymodulatingthedirectionoftheflashesonthemountingringorbyseparatingoneofthemforeffect lighting.Forexample,youmightpositiononeofthespeedlitesin the grass behind your subject while the second one illuminates themainsubject.

LightingproducedbytheNikonR1C1wirelessclose-upspeedlitesystemcomprisingSB-R200flasheswithanSU-800controllingunitformanagingmultipleunits

Usedinthestandardtwinflasharrangement,thismacrolightingkitproducesnearlyshadow-freeimages

The SB-R200 slave flashes can alternatively be set up apart from the camera, allowing for arangeofcreativelightingoptions,suchasusingsidelight,forexample

Locations:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Forthisshot,IpositionedbothoftheSB-R200flashesfromtheNikonR1C1kitonthemountingringandpointedthemdirectlyattheflower—onefromtheleftandonefromtheright.Theresultissomewhatflat.

ImovedthetwoSB-R200sheresoonewaspositionedontheupperrightpartofthemountingringandtheotherwasonthelowerleft.Idirectedoneoftheheadstoflashthesubjectandtheothertoflashthebackground.

Formyfinalshot,IleftoneSB-R200attachedtothetopmountingringanddirecteditdownwardtowardthesubject.Iremovedtheotherflashfromtheringandpositioneditneartheground,pointingupattheflower.Theresulthereismuchmorethree-dimensional.

AComparisonofPortableLightingOptions

SilverReflector

Thegillsandthestemsofthesemushroomsaredark,butthey’restillvisible.Onlyamodestbitofextralightisneeded.

Areflectorbrightenstheundersideofthesubjectwhileleavingthebackgroundevenlylit.Thegoldcolorofthereflectivesurfaceproducesawarmercoloroflightthanasilverorwhitereflectorwouldhave.Reflectorsareofminimaluseoncloudydaysandneartheforestfloorbecausethereissignificantlylesslighttoreflect.Smallreflectorscanbeeasilybuiltathomeusingaluminumfoiloranyotherreflectivematerial.

LEDLightPainting

Usingalightpaintingtechniquewithaflashlightisaneffectivewaytobrightentargetedareaswithinanimage

LEDflashlightscanbeusedtobrightenupspecificimageareas,suchasthemushroomsinthisscene.DependingontheLEDsused,theresultscanskewtowardlookingartificial,butphotographerscanmodulatethequalityoflightbyusingvariousfilmsandfiltersinfrontoftheflashlight.Lightpaintingtechniquesalwayscomewiththeriskofproblematicshadows,sokeepaneyeonthemwhileyou’reworking.Thesmallermushroomsontheleftlookgoodhere,buttheshadowaffectingthelargergroupontherightisdistracting.Lightpaintingrequirestheuseofatripod,becauseittakesalittlewhiletoadequatelypaintyourtargetedimageareas.AnLEDpanellightwouldhaveallowedforashorterexposurewindow,butitwouldhavebeenimpossibletotargetthelightaspreciselyaswithaflashlight.

InternalFlash

Inthisscene,intensebacklightingcausesthedenserpartsofthesemushroomstoappearnearlyblack,whilethethintranslucentareasarebrightwithtransmittedlight

Usingtheinternalflash(inthiscase,manuallysetto1/20ofitsoutput)toproducefilllightingpreventsdarksubjectareasfromrecedingintoobscurity.Eventhoughtheflashsucceedsatbrighteningthesedarkareas,itcreatesasomewhatunnaturalfeeltothescenebecausepointsourcesoflightproducesuchharshshadowsandlightingqualitiesthatdon’torganicallymeshwiththeambientconditionsofthescene.Abuilt-inflashdoeshaveahugeadvantage,though:it’simpossibletoforgetitathome,anditdoesn’trequireanyextragearinyourbag.

SystemFlashwithSoftbox

Evendismalcloudydayscanproducebacklightingsituationsthatcausepartsofasubjecttoappeartoodark

Systemflashesmodifiedwithsoftboxesareespeciallyusefulforcreatingsoft,evenfilllighting.Forthispicture,Iusedaremotetriggertofireaflashheadsetto1/8ofitsoutput.Theflashwasmodifiedusinga30cmx30cmsoftbox,whichwaspositionedabout1meterfromthesubject.Havingthefreedomtopositionyourlightsourceindependentfromyourcamerafreesyouuptoexperimentwithawiderangeoflightingoptions.

Withsubjectsasinaccessibleasthisbitofmossgrowinginacrevice,artificiallightisoftentheonlywaytocaptureasatisfyingresult.Hereasoftboxwithanedgelengthof30cmallowedforanimagewithnearlynoshadows.f/11,1/160s,ISO200,105mm,separatedsystemflashwithsoftboxattachment

Aspider,justafewmillimetersinlength,balancesartfullyonthetipsofneighboringplants.Thelargelightingareaofasoftboxattachedtoasystemflashalsosucceededinbrighteningupthebackgroundregionsofthisscene.f/8,1/60s,ISO200,105mm,systemflashwithsoftboxattachment

Hoverflyinalavenderfieldf/6.7,1/180s,ISO400,50mm

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CompositionSubjects don’t always need to fill up the entire image area. In many cases, theirsurroundingsareacriticalcomponentofthescene.

Thisimageofasmallhoverflyinthemiddleofalavenderfieldworksforavarietyofreasons.Thecolorcontrastbetweenthevariouspurpletonesofthelavenderblossomsandtheblack-and-yellowpatternoftheinsectisstriking,forstarters.Anotherkeyeffectarises from the horizontal orientation of the bug’s body within a scene otherwisedominatedbydiagonals.Whatmakesthisparticular imagesosuccessful inmyeyesisthat itsuggeststheincrediblebountyofnaturebydepictingatiny insectamidaseaofsustenance.It’sasymbolforthelandofmilkandhoney.

Image composition depends not only on the formal aspects of dominant lines andcolors,butalsoontheoverallmessageofthephotograph.Asaphotographer,youcancomposewithmanytypesofthematiccontrasts,suchas“bigandsmall”or“singularandplural.”

ImageDesign

Why is it that photographsnever exactlymatch thewaywesee realitywithoureyes?Afterviewinganimage,weoftenaskourselves,“Weretheshadowsreallythatdark?Wheredidtherichambianceofthescenego?”

Our subconscious is responsible for the discrepancy between ournaturalperceptionandthecapabilitiesofacamera,lens,andsensor.Thebrain is hardwired with an image-editing software that makes currentcomputereditingapplicationsseemquaint.Ournatural sensorysystemautomaticallyfiltersoutirrelevantdetailsandstoresinformationaboutthemoodof the scene, thequalityof light, andevendetails suchas smelland wind and so on. Dark shadows are brightened; contrasts aremodulated;colorsareintensified.Putanotherway,ourmemorystoresanidealizedversionofreality.

Acameraisnotcapableofmimickingthisprocess.Instead,itcapturestheappearanceofhowthingsactuallyarewithinthelimitsofitstechnicalspecifications. It is thephotographer’s job todepict reality inaway thatspeakstotheemotionalsideofoursubconscious.Wehaveanumberoftools andmethods at our disposal for achieving this goal, startingwithselectingtheformatandorientationof the image.Theyalso includethestylingofcritical imagedetails, the inclusionorexclusionofbackgroundelements,andeverythinguptothechoosingorinfluencingthelightingofascene.

ChoosingtheRightFormatDecidingontheformatforamacroimagelargelydependsonthesubjectathand.Thegoalofmostmacrophotographersistodepicttheirsubjectaslargeaspossible,whichmeansevaluatingalternativeformatsmaybeanafterthought.Irecommendalwaysconsideringanalternateformatassoonasyouidentifyyour initial instincts. It’softennotuntilyoutakethe

timetoviewyoursubjectfromallsidesbeforeyourealizetheopportunityofshootingaportrait-orientedimageinsteadofalandscapeone.Youcanalwaysrejectyouralternativeconsiderationlater.

Thelandscapeformatapproximatesournaturalperception.Italsoiswellsuitedforbeingdisplayedonmonitors,televisions,andprojectors.

LandscapeFormatLandscape orientation is in many ways the default, because of howcamerasareconstructed.Theentireergonomicsofacameraarebasedon shooting in landscape format, largely because this format moreclosely resembles humans’ natural, broad field of vision. Holding acamera fora landscape-orientedshot isgenerally less likely to result incamerashake,too.Forallintentsandpurposes,landscapeorientationisthedefaultoption:itemphasizesthebreadthofthesubjectandproducesa calm and steady feel. For these same reasons, however, it also cancome across as somewhat boring, so it is particularly important toconsiderperspective,dominantlines,andotherdesignpossibilitieswhenshootinginlandscape.

PortraitFormatPortrait orientations generally bring more tension into a picture; inessence, they are upward moving and dynamic, making them aparticularly suitable format for plants. Adopting a low, upward-lookingperspective can underscore the effects of a portrait format. Theconverging verticals phenomenon that is such a big issue witharchitecturalphotographycomesintoplayhere,butitislessofaconcernwithphotographsofnature.

Presentation media are generally designed for a landscape format,whichmeans,unfortunately,thatportrait-orientedimagesusuallyappearsmalleronmonitorsandsuch.

Portraitformatsaccentuatetheupwardgrowthofplants

SquareFormatIn the timesincemostmedium-format filmcamerashavebeenput intoretirement,thesquareformathasfallenbythewayside.Digitalcamerasare not set up to capture square image areas, which makes it moredifficult to composewith this format inmindwhile shooting. In general,you’ll need to settle on croppingduringpost-processing to produce thedesiredformat.

Squareimagesdon’tofferviewersimmediatecluesabouthowtoreadthecontentofanimage,whichisbothachallengeandanopportunityforphotographers to organize the subject matter of an image thoughtfullyandpurposefullywithinthesquareframe.Squareimagesofferaneutral,documentaryperspective,andtheyworkwellforinsectportraitsbecausetheorientationinfluencestheviewer’sattentiontofocusintenselyonthemainsubject.

Extremehorizontalformatswithaspectratiosof2:1orgreaterareeffectiveinsituationswhereyouneedorwanttoleavedistractingelementsaboveorbelowyoursubjectoutofthepicture

Redsoldierbeetle.Asquareformatworksverywellforsober,documentaryimages—especiallyforportraitsofanimals.FocusstackingPhoto:JanMetzler

Extremeportraitformatshavethecharmofbeinghighlyunusual,buttheyaren’tusedinmacrosettingsallthatoften.Theyhavethedisadvantageofbeingdifficulttodisplaydigitally.

ExtremeFormatsAdopting extreme landscape or portrait formats often produces highlyengaging results, but they require the right subjects to be successful—and finding them is not always easy. Outside image regions often arereduced to nondescript areas of color when working with a wide-openaperture.Theseformatsareespeciallyuseful,however,whenyouneedtoeliminatedistractingelementsthatdetractfromthecompositionofyourimage. For more information about a unique method for shooting inextremeformats,seethesectiononmacropanoramasinchapter6.

Imagedivisionaccordingtothegoldenratio:aistobasthesumofaandbistoa

Imagedivisionaccordingtotheruleofthirds,showingarelationshipof1/3to2/3

Usingasquareasavisualmemoryaidcanbeusefulforfindingalinethatisclosetothegoldenratiowiththeaspectratiosofmostmoderndigitalcameras

Thevisualcenterofanimageisslightlyabovethetrue,mathematicalcenterline

ImageCompositionThemoretimeyouspendstudyingthetheoryofimagedesign,themoreyou’ll discover that you probably already follow a number of therecommendedguidelines.Ononehand,thisautomaticbehaviorisgood,because itmeansyou’ve learnedand internalizedkeyconcepts;on theother hand, it may indicate that you are stuck in a predictable designframework and that you tend to produce images similar to each other,even if theyareattractivelycomposed. Imagedesignguidelinesshouldnever be taken as hard-and-fast rules—going against the grain issometimesthebestwaytocaptureoutstandingphotographs.

TheGoldenRatioComposingimagesaccordingtothegoldenratiomeansbringingcertain

dimensionsofanimage—inourcase,dimensionspertainingtothewidthandheightofanimage—intoaharmoniousrelationshipcharacterizedbythefollowing:theratioofthelengthof“a”withrespecttothelengthof“b”isequal totheratioof thetotal lengthof“a”plus“b”withrespect tothelengthof“a.”Agoldenrectangleisoneinwhichtheratioofthelongandshortsidelengthsexemplifythegoldenratio.

The theory behind the golden ratio comes from theworld of nature,where itmanifests itself inavarietyofways, including the leavesof ivyanddogrose.Italsoshowsupintheproportionsofthehumanbody.Itisno wonder that we tend to find objects and images exemplifying thegoldenratioharmonicandaestheticallypleasing.

TheRuleofThirdsAnother framework for composing images, which is slightly easier toimagine and implement in practice than the golden ratio, is the rule ofthirds. For this method, the image area is divided into three evenlyspaced rows and three such columns. The result is a grid comprisingnine equally sized rectangles that each individually feature the sameaspectratioastheentireimagearea.Justaswiththegoldenratio,theselinesandtheir intersectionsofferaframeworkalongwhichtoorientkeyimagedetails.Theguidelines for the ruleof thirdsareslightly closer totheouter edgesof the imagearea,which invitesmore tension into thescene.

TheGuidanceofaSquareOnespecialqualityofagoldenrectangleisthatanothergoldenrectangleautomaticallyformsifyoulopoffasquarewhosedimensionsareequaltotheshorterdimensionoftheoriginalrectangle.Whilelookingthroughtheviewfinder,youcanusethisinformationtoimagineasquareformedwiththeleftorrightedgeoftheimageareaandanequallengthofthetopandbottomedges.Themissingverticalfourthsideofthesquarewoulddividetheimagearearoughlyatthegoldenratio.

Averticaldivisionapproximatingthegoldenratio.It’snotdifficulttotellthattherightportionofthisimagecloselyresemblesasquare.Thebeehereisroughlyinthecenteroftheimagevertically,becauseitwouldhavebeenpushedtooclosetotheimageborderotherwise.

Thisphoto’scompositionreliesheavilyontheruleofthirds.Themushroomcapispositionedexactlyononeoftheintersectionpointsandtheslopingmossalsopassesthroughtwosuchpoints.Themushroom’sstalkalignswiththeleftverticallineandtheclumpofmossinthebackgroundofftotherightendsattherightverticalline.

Foraspectratiosdifferent fromthegoldenrectangle,suchasthe2:3ratiothatmanypopulardigitalcamerasexhibit,themissingverticaledgeofthesquaremorecloselyapproximatestheruleofthirdsratherthanthegoldenratio.

TheVisualCenterForopticalreasons,thevisualcenterofanimageisnotthesameastheabsolutecenterpointof the imageheight: it isslightlyabovethis linetoavoid the viewer from perceiving that the subject is sliding downward.There is no exact rule to follow here—you’ll want to evaluate eachsubjectonacase-by-casebasis.Thisprincipleofopticalcompensationfor the vertical center also comes upwhen creating photomounts andframes.

Thesharpnessandthelightingworkwellhere,butthedominantlinesmaketheimagefeelasthoughit’stippingovertotheright

Theedgesoftheleafopeninafunnel-likeshapetowardthesubject.Themainelementoftheimage,thefly,ispositionedslightlyabovethemiddleline.

DominantLinesTheprominentcontoursinanimageinfluencewhatviewerspayattentionto,buttheyalsoaffecttheoverallcharacterofaphotograph.Theireffectisalwaysbasedinpartonthe imageformat inwhichtheyarefeatured.For example, horizontal lines within a landscape-oriented image offerstability and breadth, but when positioned in the upper two-thirds of aportrait-oriented image, horizontal lines tend to interrupt the overallupwardmotionofthepicture.Iftheyarefeaturedinthelowestthirdofaportrait image, theyoffer abasison topofwhich theupwardmotion isfounded.

Diagonal linesoftensupport theperspectiveused foran image,buttheyalsofunctiontothrowanimageoutofopticalbalanceandgiveitthefeeling of tipping to one side. Prominent diagonals bring energy andmovement in a specific direction to an image. The effects of diagonallines can be felt even when visible lines are actually present. Oursubconscious instinctively draws imaginary diagonal lines between

certain depicted objects, such as elements that appear offset orstaggered,orevencoloraccentsinopposedcornersofaframe.

Parallellinesbringstabilityandordertoanimage.Themoreparallellines, the more structured the image will feel—all the way up to anextremecaseofstabilitycreatedbymultiplesetsofparallellinesformingaregulargrid.

Bowedorcurved linesoffersoftnessand fluidityofmovement toapicture,buttheycanalsocreatetensionandenergydependingonwheretheyarefeaturedandhowtheyareusedinrelationtotheotherprimarycontours of an image. In all instances, however, curved lines bringmovementintoplay.

Themaincontoursofthisimagecomplementtheimageformatandunderscorethemovementofthepicture:thebeetleisn’tsittingstillonthestalk;it’smovingupward

IntentionalDisruptionsOnecompositional technique forattractingviewerattention toaspecificpart of an image is to disrupt prevailing patterns with nonconformingelements, such as prominent lines that run against the prevailingmovement, but also any sort of object that stands out because of itsshapeorcolor.Oneexamplethatmanyreaderswillbefamiliarwithisacartonofeggswithonebrowneggsurroundedbywhiteones.Thesameeffectcanbecreatedbyusingonebrokeneggoroneeggwithafeatherontopofit(aligned,ofcourse,atadiagonaltotheprevailinglinesofthecarton),andanynumberofothersimilartechniques.

Oureyesautomaticallyfollowtheprominentlinesinanimage.Theviewers’attentionstaysfocusedonthesmallblossomthatsticksoutanddisruptsthegentlycurveddiagonal.

ChoosingaSuitablePerspectiveA human’s eyes are located at roughly 160cm to 170cm above the

ground,dependingonone’sheight.Thisfactnaturallyinfluenceshowwesee thingsandhowwephotograph them. Inmost cases, small objectsare shot from above, large objects from below, and everything else isroughly shot from eye level. You can exploit these expectations as aphotographertoproducecreativeresults.

Anunconventionalcameraperspectivecanturnanotherwisecommonobjectintoanengagingsubject

AlteringStandpointChoosinganunexpectedperspectivecanelevateunexceptionalobjectsinto fascinating curiosities.And the power of an unusual perspective isnotlimitedtoeverydayitems—italsoholdstrueformacrosubjects.Withtherightperspective,smallobjectscanturnintomassivebuildings,andacomplete landscapecanbe fashionedoutofmoss,astone,anda fewleaves.Shiftingthecamera’spositionisallthatittakestoachievetheseeffects.

Imagesofinsectsshotateyelevelareengrossingbecausetheyseemto be from the perspective of a another member of the species and

accordingly have a very authentic appearance. Images of plants andmushroomsshotfromaworm’s-eyeviewhaveacharmoftheirown.Theultralow camera position combined with a wide-angle lens produceunconventionalbutattention-grabbingpictures.

Articulatedorfoldingcameramonitorsmakeitmucheasiertocaptureimagesatgroundlevel.Ifyourcamera’sdisplayisfixed,youcanalwaysresorttousinganangleviewfinder.Yetanotherveryconvenientoptionisthe remote control systems that feature live-view displays, such as thesmartphone apps discussed earlier in this book. If the physicalcircumstances are too tight to realize a worm’s-eye-view perspective,thenacompactcamerawithagoodminimumfocusingdistancesettoawide-anglefocallengthmaybeaneffectiveworkaround.

Insectsshotfromabovelookthesameaswhentheyareviewedfromanormalperspective

Whenshotatthesamelevelofthesubject,theperspectivefeelsasthoughitbelongstooneofthesubject’scounterpartsandasthoughitbelongstothesameworldasthesubject

Subjectsshotfromaworm’s-eyeviewappearproperlyimposing.Whencapturingimagesfromthisperspectiveithelpstremendouslytouseanangleviewfinderifyourcameradoesn’tfeatureanarticulateddisplayscreen.

Some subjects allow you to remove them from their natural locationand reposition them in an area that is easier to photograph from yourdesiredperspective.Aftertheshotyoucanreturntheitemtoitsoriginalposition.Alternatively,youmightbeabletodigupabitofearthinfrontofyour subject to make it possible to shoot from a lower position. Takespecial care not to hurt or damage your subject when using theseoptions.

Almost all subjects will be backlit to some degree when shot frombelow,soyou’ll likelywanttouseasmalladditionalreflectortobrightenuptheundersideofyoursubject.

Asmallpatchofgrassandsomemossamounttoafulllandscapewhenshotfromtherightperspective

CreatingContrastsContrasts establish tension in photographs, and they allow

photographers to give added optical or emotional emphasis to specificsubjects.Therearemanydifferentwaystocreatecontrastsbetweenthemainsubjectand itsbackground,and theycanbecombined for variedandevenmoredramaticeffect.

Contrasts of color and brightness are the two most conspicuousmethods for drawing a distinction between two areas of an image.Sharpness contrast, or situations when the main subject is depictedsharplybutthebackgroundismoreorlessblurry,comesintoplaymostoftenwhen there is a significant distance between the subject and thebackground elements. An open aperture will allow the background toeffectivelymeltintoaseeminglyflatsurface.

Contrastsofshapealsohavethepowertobringlifeandtensiontoanimage. This type of contrast forms when objects exhibiting differentformal qualities—such as angular and round or stretched andcompressedobjects—arenear tooneanother. Imagescanalso relyonemotional contrasts that form when juxtaposing elements are, forexample,hardandsoft,rigidandfluid,orfreshanddried.

Someimagesrelyoncontraststoestablishandcommunicatethekeyfeatures of their content. For example, when stationary objects thatappearsharpinanimagecontrastwithblurryobjectsthatareobviouslyinmotion,thecontrastconveysthespeedinvolved.

Theoptionsavailablefordesigningmacroimageswhileworkinginthestudioaremany,butwhenonlocationinnature,theprimaryoptionsforimproving a simple snapshot into a composed photograph are thecamera’spositionandaperture.Analteredcamerapositioncancreateanentirelydifferentimage,eveniftheshootingsettingsarekeptconstant.Alarger distance between the subject and the backgroundwillmake thebackground appear softer and blurrier even if the aperture remainsconstant; or a small shift of the camera’s perspective may cause ablossomingmeadow to take up most of the background rather than adismalstonewall.

Thisbutterflystandsoutdramaticallyfromthebackgroundbecauseoftheintensecontrastsofcolorandsharpness

Deliberatelyemphasizingcontrastsherewouldhavebeenamistakebecausethemaindetailofinterestinthisimageishowwellthemothblendsinwithitssurroundings

Mushroominacitypark.Thelight-coloredmushroomstandsoutfromthedarkerbackground.Thedifferentlevelsofsharpnessintheimagealsocreateasenseofspatialdepth.

Eventhoughthecolorsofthesubjectanditsbackgroundarerelativelysimilar,adramaticcontrastarisesonaccountofdifferenttexturesandshapesoftheplantsLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Asought-aftercompositionoftenrequirespatience.Ihadtowaithereforawhileforthisfishtoswimintoposition.Location:Wilhelma,Stuttgart,Germany

Redandgreenarecomplementarycolors,sothecolorcontrasthereisoptimalforseparatingthesubjectfromitsbackground.Andthewide-openaperturecreatesapleasingeffectofgraduated

sharpnessfortheblossoms.f/5.6,1/350s,ISO400,150mm

Fromthisperspective,thehummingbirdhawk-mothisbarelyvisible.Toomanyotherobjectsarelocatedonthefocalplane,andthewholesceneismuchtoobusy—nottomentionthatthecolorofthemothisverysimilartotheground.f/8,1/1,000s,ISO800,150mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Anentirelydifferentresultdespiteusingthesamefocallength,aperture,andshutterspeed.Thechangeinperspectiveyieldsamuchmoreeffectivephoto.Themoth’sentirebodyandtheblossomarelocatedwithinthedepthoffield,whilethebackgroundissufficientlyfarawaytobereducedtoblur.f/8,1/1,000s,ISO800,150mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

CreativeCameraAngles

Sometimes all it takes is a small step to the side to create an entirelydifferent picture of the same subject. These images of a clematis vinefrommybalconydemonstratethis.Allthreepicturesweretakenwithinafewminutesofoneanotheronafalleveningwiththesunlowinthesky—thelightwaseffectivelythesameforeachshot.Thefirstpicture(below)revealsthevineinawarmeveninglight.Here,theplantstandsoutinanappealingwayagainstashadowybackground.

Thesecondphoto(oppositepage,top)resultedfromshootingontheothersideoftheplantandusingalowerperspective.Fromthisangle,theeveningskybecamethebackdrop.Inbacklitsituationslikethisone, it’snecessary to overexpose significantly to retain enough detail in theleavessothevinedoesn’tbecomeablacksilhouette.Theskyeffectivelyturns white as a side effect of this adjustment, but the sharp contrastcontinuestoallowthevinetostandoutagainstitsbackground.

Returning to eye level offered yet another entirely different image(oppositepage,bottom).Fromthisangle,thedarkfacadeofaneighbor’shouse functionsas thebackdrop. Imovedmyshootingpositionabit totheleft,whichmadethehousetakeuptheentirebackgroundandcausedthe clematis tendril to be fully bathed in light. The pronouncedbacklighting resulting from this configuration turned the delicate hairssurroundingthebudandthestemintoaglowingaura.

Aclematisvinewiththeeveningsunpositionedbehindthephotographer.Thewarmglowfromthelow-lyingsunnicelyhighlightsthevineagainstashadedbackground.

Shootingfrombelowthevinewiththeeveningskyasthebackdropcreatesabacklitsituationthatinfusestheleavesandhighlightstheirsubtletextures

Fromthisperspective,thedarkfacadeofaneighboringhousemovedintothebackground,andthesubjectbecamesharplybacklit,causingthesubject’scolorstoglowandthefinehairlikestructuresonthebudandstemtoturnintoaluminoushalo

SettingtheScenewithLight

Shootingonlocationinnaturemeansyouwillencounterawiderangeofqualitiesoflight.Inmostcases,afewtoolsandtrickswillenableyoutoshapeandalterambientlighttoyourdesiredends,whetherit’sboostingcontrast or softening shadows. Mastering these techniques makes itpossibletoinfluencetheshapeandcolorintensityofyoursubjecttofulfillyourspecificintentionsforanimage.

HarshLightDirect light emitted from a point source produces brilliant colors, but italsoresultsindark,harshshadowsandintensecontraststhatcanmakean image seem overly busy. The following solutions are effective atmanagingcircumstanceswiththistypeoflight:

UsingflashtobrightentheshadowsPlacingareflectorPositioningadiffuserbetweenthelightsourceandthesubject

Smalltortoiseshellbutterfly.Anovercastskyproducessoftlightandnearlyshadow-freeimages.f/5.6,1/180s,ISO400,90mm

SoftLightOvercast skies offer soft light that results in images featuring minimalshadows and pastel-like colors. If the lighting is too diffuse for yourpurposes, then you can use flash or another point source of light toachievemorecontrast.

GlancingLightDuring thehoursearly in themorningor late in theevening justbeforethe blue hour, the low-lying sun produces warm, atmospheric light.Glancinglightmaynotstrikeyoursubjectintherightplace,however,andthere are a few options for managing this situation. The most directsolution—albeitonethatisnotoftenpossible—istomoveyoursubjecttoalocationwherethistypeoflightbetterservesyourpurposes.Alternativeoptionsinclude:

AlteringyourstandpointWaitinguntilthelightisintherightplaceDeflectingthelightwithamirror

Cabbagebutterfly.Directsunlightcreatesharshshadowsthatoftencompromiseanimage’scomposition.f/11,1/1,500s,ISO1000,180mm

Sidelightproducedfromtheeveningsunlowintheskycreatesarichlyatmosphericlookf/3.5,1/500s,ISO800,150mm

BacklightBacklightsituationscanbevaried,andhowyouultimatelyhandle themwilldependonthesubjectyou’rephotographing.Whenshootingdelicate,translucent objects, such as flower petals, you can exploit backlight torevealstructuresanddetailsintheflowerthatmightotherwisebehiddento viewers. Opaque objects, however, often require some form ofbrightening to prevent them fromappearing as dark silhouettes in yourimage.

Asunsetofferslightthatcanbeusedattractivelyasbacklight—inpartbecause the sunlight is much less intense in the late evening, whichmeansbloomingislessofaconcern.Backlightofferedbythesettingsunhas an enchanting quality, especiallywhen it turns the delicate hairlike

structuresonplantsintoaglowingaura.Optionsformanagingbacklightinclude:

Backlightcanemphasizehiddendetailsinsubjectsfeaturingtranslucentmaterial

Backlitobjectsmostlycomposedofopaquematerialoftenrequirebrightening;otherwisethey’llappearassilhouettes

UsingareflectortobrightentheforegroundUsingfillflashAlteringyourstandpoint

SideLightLighting directed from the side of a subject tends to emphasize itsphysical shape. Minor adjustments to your shooting position or to theorientation of the subject itself can result in dramatic changes to itsappearance.

In situations when side light is too harsh, you can brighten up thesubject’s opposite side easily with a reflector. Use silver or whitereflectors for a clear, neutral light, or use gold reflectors for a warmerappearance. The reflectors striped with silver and gold that are oftenusedintherealmofportraitphotographyarealsoveryusefulformacropurposes.

Sidelightemphasizesthethree-dimensionalshapeofasubject

LightfromBelowWhen light illuminates a subject from below, it is often referred to astheater lighting. This situation doesn’t come up all that frequently innature,butcreatingthiseffectwithaflashcanproducedelightfulresultsin the right circumstances. Subjects take on a surreal and dramaticappearance in this light.Asanalternative toa flash,a largemirrorcanalsobeused to reflectambient lightingupward.Theater lightinghas itsstrongest effect when the image areas surrounding the subject aresufficientlydark.

Thequalityofnaturallightcanbeinfluencedandaltered,butusingflashlightingisnotalwaysthebestsolution,ascanbeseenfromthisimage

Sometimesalittlepatienceisallittakestomanagedifficultlightingsituations.Thelighthereimprovedsignificantlyoncethesunemergedfrombehindaraincloud.

Backlightfromabovecausedthecolorsofthistuliptostandoutintensely.Thesunlightalsocreatedanicehighlightontheoutsideedgesoftheflower’sstemthatsetsthesubjectapartfromthebackground.Lightinglikethiscanoftenbefoundinthelateafternoon,justbeforethesunsinksintoasourceofglancinglight.ThisimagewasshotinthemiddleofAprilaround7p.m.

IopenedtheapertureallthewayandincreasedtheISOsettingto1600soIcouldphotographtheseflowersduringtheevening.Iisolatedthesubjectfromanotherwiseuniformgrey-brownbackgroundbypositioningaflashlightabout1meterbehindtheflowers.

f/3.2,1/1,000s,ISO1600,150mm

Usingatelephotolensreducedthebackgroundtoarelativelysmallarea,andawideaperture

producedthedesiredeffectofblur.Ialignedmyshotsothatadaffodilfarinthebackgroundresultedintheattractiveaurasurroundingthesubject.f/4,1/1,500s,ISO400,300mm

FocusasaDesignTool

Alongwith lighting,depthof field isoneof thekey limitations formacrophotographers. Depending on the magnification, it can drop down tomillimeters or even tenths of a millimeter. One mistake that beginningmacro photographers often make is paying too much attention to thepositioning of the subject itself and not enough attention to itsbackgroundwithregardtohowitfiguresintotheoverallcomposition.Notattendingtothebackgroundthoughtfullymayresultinimageswherethesubjectdoesn’tpopoutsufficientlyorwheretoomanydistractingdetailsclutter the image area. Pay attention to all of the elementswithin yourimage, and pay special attention to the extent to which each of theseelementsislocatedwithinthedepthoffield.

PositioningtheFocalPlaneWhen working with a wide-open aperture, the focal plane effectivelyrepresents the entire functional depth of field. When photographinginsectsandothersmallanimals,it’simportanttopositionthefocalplaneonthesubject’seyes.Anyphotowithasubject’seyesoutoffocuswillbeinterpretedasamistake.

Beetleonatreetrunk.Thefocalplaneispositionedexactlyonthesubject’seye,witheventheclosestpartsoftheshellalreadyblurred.Thesurfaceofthewoodclearlyshowstheverynarrowdepthoffield.f/8,1/60s,ISO400,150mm

Caterpillaronanettleleaf.Herethefocalplaneispositionedpreciselyonthesubject’sback.Theblurinsomeareas,suchasthespinespointedupward,isbarelynoticeable.f/9.5,1/60s,ISO400,105mm

Spiderwithprey.Thesubjectstandsoutdramaticallyfromthebackground,thankstotherightshootingpositionandtheuseofawide-openaperturewithaDSLR.f/5.6,1/250s,ISO640,180mm

Swallowtailbutterfly.Sometimesyouhavetolivewithcompromises.Forthisshot,f/8wasn’tsufficienttocapturetheentiretyofthebutterflyinfocus,anditwouldhavebeenpreferabletohavethebackgroundbeevenmoreblurry.f/8,1/250s,ISO400,150mm

Caterpillarsbythewayside.Compactdigitalcamerascomeinhandywhenyouneedaslargeadepthoffieldaspossiblebecausetheyhavesuchsmallimagesensors.PanasonicFX3,f/4.1,1/100s,ISO100,12.2mmPhoto:Karl-HeinzFrey

Whenworkingwith abstract subjects, thequestionofwhere to positionthe focal plane is less straightforward. In these cases, determinewhatpartoftheimageshouldcarrytheaddedsignificanceofappearingsharp.Onceyou’vesettledonthat,youmaywanttousetheruleofthirdsorthegolden ratio to finish composingyour image. In somecases, itmaybevaluable to sacrifice some depth of field for the purpose of realizing aspecificintention.

LayersofDepthComposinganimagetofeaturelayerswithvaryingdegreesofsharpnessprofoundly increases itsspatialdepth.Objectsalignedalongadiagonalandsequencesofrepeatingidenticalornearlyidenticalelementstendtounderscorethiseffect.

Theincreasinglevelofblurasyoumovefartherintothepicturecreatesaprofoundsenseof

spatialdepthf/7.1,1/100s,ISO2000,180mm

BokehThepropertiesofalensdeterminetheaestheticsofanimage’sblur,oritsbokeh.The lookand feelof the transitionareasbetweenwhatappearssharp andwhat does not technically is determined by the number andorientationoftheaperturebladesalongwiththeselectedf-stop.Inmorecompositionalterms,thepositioningofspecificelementswithintheimagearea plays an important role in the appearance of blur. Other factorsincludingthesourceandintensityofthelightingalsocomeintoplay.Forexample,youcaninfluencethequalityofanimage’sblurbylightingthebackgroundinacertainwayorusingasdiffuselightaspossibletoaltertheatmosphereofthescene.

Bedofmossatf/9.Thefocusispositionedinthetopthirdoftheimageononeoftheoverhangingbitsofthemoss.Theblurryforegroundestablishesspatialdepth.

Bedofmossatf/14.Thefocusispositionedinthelowerthirdoftheimagesomewherebetweenthepiecesofmoss.Thisversionfeelslesscohesivecompositionally,eventhoughmoreofthesubjectfallswithinthedepthoffield.

Therearemanycreativeopportunitieswhenworkingwithawideapertureandtheextremelytightdepthoffielditproduces.Heretheimagecomprisesdifferentregionsofincreasingblur.Theforemostblossomsaremoreorlesssharp,theonesimmediatelybehindthemarealreadyabitblurry,andtheonesnearthebackarecompletelyoutoffocus.f/4,1/30s,ISO200,150mm

Diveevendeeperintothemacrorealm,andthedepthoffieldforanopenapertureshrinkstomeremillimeters.Blurcanbeusedcreativelyinthesesettings,too.Thisimagereliesonalimitedpaletteofcolorsandblurtoproduceasubtlyexpressiveatmosphere.Thelookandfeelofblurisknownasbokeh.f/5.6,1/1,250s,ISO160,150mm

Thisimageresemblesapasteldrawing,thankstoanearlymonochromecolorpaletteandtheabundanceofblurresultingfromthebackgroundbeingsofarawayfromthesubjectf/7,1/200s,ISO2000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Theleafstandsoutasasharpaccentofcoloragainstthegreybackground.Becauseallofthecriticalimageelementsarelocatedonthefocalplane,theimagegivesthesenseofhavingalargerdepthoffield.f/9,1/500s,ISO1000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

AccentsofColor

Colorcontrastscanbeusedtostressspecificelementswithinanimage.Tousethismethod,alignyourshotsothatthesubjectappearsinfrontofa background color, offering asmuch contrast as possible. You’ll oftenhavetoalteryourshootingpositiontobringadesirablebackgroundcolorintotherightplace.Animalsthatarepronetofleeingfromphotographersinsearchofanoptimalangleofviewmaynotbethebestsubjectsforthistechnique,butplantswon’tputupanyresistancetoaprotractedsearchfortheidealperspective.

Theorangeofthismosquitoformsapronouncedcontrastofcolorwiththegreenoftheleafitisrestingon

f/9.5,1/60s,ISO200,105mm,systemflashunitwithsoftbox

Aminoradjustmenttoyourshootingperspectiveisoftenallittakestocomposeanimagewithavastlyimprovedbackgroundthatoffersabeneficialcontrastofcolor.Caseinpoint:Asimpleturnofthecamerareplacedaratherdrearysidewalk(left)withabedofyellowflowers(right)forthebackdropofthisimage.

Redongreen.Colorcontrastcausestheseintenseflowerstostandoutsharplyagainstaflatbackgroundobscuredinblur.Thecompositiondependedontheuseofawideapertureandthesubstantialdistancebetweenthesubjectanditsbackground.f/2.8,1/60s,ISO400,150mm

LimitingColors

Moreisnotalwaysbetterwhenitcomestocolors.Deliberatelylimitingorreducing the range of colors in an image often produces enchantingresults. Note that this compositional technique is different fromdesaturating the colors of an image—here I’m suggesting you limit anentireimagetoonedominatingcolor,thesaturationofwhichcanremainhigh.Aswithblack-and-whitephotography, this technique increases theattention on the shapes and forms of an image, making thoughtfulcomposition and careful attention to prominent lines of the utmostimportance.Anopenapertureisoftenausefultoolwhenemployingthistechnique for producing soft tones of color that flow into one another.Imageswitha limitedpaletteareparticularlyeffectiveat conveyingandintensifyingmoods.

Chinesebitterorange.Awideaperturemeltedthebackgroundintoaflatsurfacewithsubtlenuancesofcolor.f/7,1/1,000s,ISO1000,180mmLocation:BotanicalGardensofTübingen,Germany

Gears.Fluorescentlampsfilteredthroughtransparentbluematerialprovidedlightforthisimage,andthebackgroundwasmadeupofcoloredcardboard.Continuouslightingishelpfulwhenworkingwithcoloredlightbecauseyoucaninspecttheappearanceinrealtimethroughthecamera’sviewfinder.f/8,1/200s,ISO100,50mm

Theautumnalfeelingofthisimagearisesnotonlyfromthesubjectbutalsofromthecolorpalettef/6.7,1/60s,ISO200,150mm

Rustymetalchains.Twostudioflashunitswithsoftboxesprovidedthenecessaryintensityoflighttobeabletoachievealargedepthoffieldandanevenillumination.f/22,1/200s,ISO100,60mm

Notallclose-upandmacroimagesneedtobeinfocus.Motionblurisakeyfeatureofthisimageanditsintentions.Sustainedlightingisessentialforthesetypesofpictures,becausethepulsefromaflashwouldfreezethemovementsinplace.f/13,1/20s,ISO200,50mm

Compass.Twosystemflashunitsfilteredwithcoloredplasticsheetsprovidedthelightingforthisimagewhilecoloredconstructionpaperservedasthebackdrop.Whenusedeffectively,coloredlightcandramaticallyimprovetheintrigueofasubject.f/2.8,1/60s,ISO200,50mm

AsugarmineonapretzelNikonD5000,f/29,1/4s,ISO800,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

TipsfromthePros

BerndSchloemerMiniatureStreetArt

Bernd Schloemer first started taking pictures ofminiature worldsmany years ago at therequestofa friend,whocommissionedhim tophotograph installationsof figurinesbeforetheirsale.Thefirstshootinvolvedfigurinespositionedinaboxofhollowed-outbreadrolls.Afteronesuchshoot,afewfigurineswereleftover,andBernddecidedtohavealittlefunbyarranging them into a sceneon the topof a desk,wherehe improvisedamini photostudiousingadesk lamp for lighting.Andsoaprojectwasborn, first featuring images inandaroundCologne,Germany,which iswhere theCologniesprojectgot itsname. Ithassinceexpandedworldwide.Afavorforafriendblossomedintoafull-fledgedpassion.Asidefromhavingfunwithhisphotography,Berndhopesthathisphotographicideasspurviewersto smile, and to think about his creations. In addition to his book and several calendarsdevotedtohisart,youcanfindmanyotherpicturesonhiswebsiteatwww.colognies.deandonFacebook.

TheCologniesProject

ClassificationandThemesThephotosof theCologniesprojectdefycategorizationtosomeextent.“Stagedminiature street art” is perhaps themost accurate description.Themaingoal is tocreatepictures featuring figurines,whichareabout20mmtall,inurbanenvironmentssothattheyconveyacertainmessage.The content and purpose of these pictures ranges from comic scenesthat aim to make viewers chuckle to more serious themes that causeviewerstoreflect.Theparticularallureofthisworkisusingthemagnifiedperspectiveofamacrolenstomakeviewersconsciousofcommonplaceobjects such as a cigarette butt or an aluminumcan.A nearly endlesspotential forcreativityexists instagingsmallhuman figurinessharply inthe foreground with objects (and sometimes real people) in thebackgroundcastinblur.

ThemakingofTheBeerDrinkerontheRhineCanonEOS5DMarkII,f/4.5,1/80s,ISO1000,50mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

SetupandGearThe figurines in my photos are commercially available, usually forprofessionalandhobbyistmodelingneeds.Theycanbebuiltandpaintedforany imaginable situationand theycome ina varietyof sizes,whichfurther opens up creative possibilities for staging them in context withdifferentbackgroundsandfoundobjects.

For each shoot, I capture two perspectives: a close-up shot and anoverviewshot.Forthemacroimage,whichismoreimportanttome,Iuseamacrolenswithanintermediatefocallength(60mm)andshootfromavariety of perspectives. I use a 24mmwide-angle lens to establish theoverviewperspective.Usingarelativelyshortfocallengthwiththemacrolens has the added benefit that passersby tend to realize that you areshooting very close to your set, and they keep a respectful distance.Using a longer focal length would inevitably mean that more figurineswould suffer tragic fates as a result of inattentive pedestrians. Other

techniques common to the macro world, such as HDR and imagestackingarenotoutof thequestionformywork.Ghosting issuesareaconcern,however,becausemanyofmyshots featurepeoplemoving inthebackground;Itendnottousethesemethodswhenthat’sthecase.

TheBeerDrinkerontheRhineNikonD800,f/20,2.5s,ISO100,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

TheMacroShotIusuallypositionmycameraatgroundleveltocapturethemacroimage—inpartbecause theangleof view is interestingbutalsobecause thefigurinesaresosmall.Forsomeshots,everymillimeterlowerthatIcangetthecameracounts.Lyingonthegroundandusingtheviewfinderorthe live viewmodeon thecamera isanythingbut comfortable in thesesituations, and after a rainfall it’s especially unpleasant. Rolling out apicnicblanket inahighlytraffickedpedestrianarea isalsonotpractical,and is sure to garner somepitying stares frompassersby. Forme, thebestsolutionistouseatabletdevicewithanapplicationthatenablesme

to remotelycontrol thecamerawhile inspecting the liveview.A tablet’sscreenissomuchlargerthantheviewfinderordisplayonacamera,soit’seasiertoevaluatesharpnessanddepthoffieldcomparedtousingthedepth-of-field preview function on the camera itself. I can quickly andeasily figureoutwhatsortsofadjustments tomake to thescene togetmydesiredresult.

SkatersintheSubwayNikonD800,f/2.8,1/30s,ISO12800,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

TheOverviewShotThepurposeoftheoverviewimagesistoshowviewerstherelationshipof size between the subjects and their real-world surroundings.Dependingonhowandwheremymakeshift set is constructed, I try tousestandardphotographictechniques,suchasHDR,aswellascommoncompositional guidelines, such as the golden ratio, to realize theestablishing shot. Circumstances sometimes dictate that using suchphotographicmethodsareimpracticalorimpossible,however.It’salwaysa challenge for me to find places that allow for an interesting macro

image, but also offer the potential for creating an engaging overviewphoto.

OverviewofSkatersintheSubwayNikonD800,f/2.8,1/13s,ISO12800,20mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

As a rule, I shoot all pictures in theRAW format so I can later useimage-editingsoftwaretomakemodestadjustmentstoexposureandthelikewithoutlosingimagequality.Idon’tgenerallyeditanythingmorethantweaking the exposure minimally or possibly removing a fleck of dustfromthesubject.

Most photographersworkwith a certain standard of quality inmind,andmostareneverentirelysatisfiedwith their results—I’mnodifferent.Asidefromproducingtechnicallysoundimages,Ialsomakeitapointofpridetocomeupwithphotographicideasthatcharmviewersandsparkpositiveassociationswithmyimages.Itypicallygeneratemybestideaswhen engaged in routine everyday activities as opposed to when I’mintensely thinkingaboutwhatmightmakean interestingpicture.Once Isettleonageneral concept, I setabout findingor crafting the figurinesnecessaryforthescene.Thenit’samatteroffindingasuitablelocation.

LightingisakeyvariablethatofteninfluenceswhereandatwhattimeofdayIshoot,becausegenerallyIrelyonambient lightformywork.Withanyluck,thesestepswillproducetheresultIintended.

SmallExhibitionistataCathedralNikonD5000,f/7.1,1/5s,ISO200,20mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

As is the case with life, however, spontaneity often offers betterrewardsthanthemostdeliberateandcarefulofplanning.Iusuallycarryahandful of figurines in my equipment bag to position and photographwhenIhappenuponapotentialscene.Itneverfailsthatsomeofthesepicturesendupbeingmyfavorites,whilethecarefullyplannedonesendupasrejects.

ExperiencesTime and again interesting interactions and situations arise while I’mshooting because passersby fail to notice the tiny subjects that I workwith at first glance. Comments such as, “Hey, look, now they’re even

takingpicturesoftrashonthestreet!”comeupfrequently.Ialsohavethechancetowitnessherd instincts inaction—especially

when I’mworkingat landmarksandmonuments.These locationsoftenfeature interesting surface materials such as old stone slabs that Ifrequentlytrytouse.Noonepaysmeorthelandmarkanymindwhilemymini scene is staged, as long asmy camera stays out of view.But assoon as I pullmy camera out, people tend to stop andwonderwhat’sgoing on. The onlookers, many of whom are probably not local, willeventuallyreachfortheircameraorphoneandstartsnappingpicturesoftheir own, assuming: “Well, if someoneelse is using that equipment totake pictures of this landmark, there must be something to it, and Ishould,too.”

ThatWaytotheEmpireStateBuildingNikonD5000,f/16,1/640s,ISO400,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

WalletThievesNikonD5000,f/4.8,1/25s,ISO100,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

SheLovesMeNot.OnabridgeovertheRhine.NikonD5000,f/22,1s,ISO100,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

GolfAssistantNikonD5000,f/22,1/250s,ISO200,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

LoversonaSaucerNikonD800,f/29,1/30s,ISO200,60mmPhotobyBerndSchloemer

Weevilf/9.5,1/60s,ISO200,105mm

12

DoItYourselfDesigning and building custom photo equipment has long been a popular trend. Theadvantagesofundertakingdo-it-yourselfprojectsareobvious.Withalittle(orsometimesadecent)amountoftimeandsomecraftiness,youcanbuildarangeofusefultoolsformacro photography, from simple devices including small light-shaping tools such asreflectorcardsforasystemflash,tomorecomplexprojectssuchasthelinearguideformacropanoramasdiscussedonthefollowingpages.Inmanycases,homemaderesultscanholdtheirownwiththeirprofessionalcounterparts,andsometimescustomsolutionsare the onlyway to complete a certain task if the right tools or devices aren’t readilyavailableforsale.

Anyone who has spent time shooting macro photos has experience with needingimprovisedsolutionstohandleparticularlightingorsupportissues.Mostphotographerswill agree that coming up with makeshift solutions to do the job is a satisfying andrewardingactivity.

Inthisspirit,Iwishyouallthebestinyourowndo-it-yourselfendeavors.

UsingaMacroLensasaMicroscope

Macro lenses are very fast fixed-focal length devices that serveexceptionallywellasthebasisforamakeshifthomemademicroscope.Intheory,thelensitselfneedsonlytobepairedwithanocular,oreyepiece.Dependingonthepoweroftheeyepieceusedandthefocallengthofthelens, you can reach levels of magnification well beyond what you canusuallyattainwhenthesamelensisattachedtoacamera(oftengreaterthan1:1).

Macrolensescanalsobefashionedintoreflected-lightmicroscopeswiththerighteyepieceadapters.Apieceofwoodmakesupthebaseofthemicroscopestandpicturedhere.Thelegofapieceoffurniture,whichhasadiameterof25mm,isscrewedintoit,andaNovoflexUniversalClamp(maxjawopening26mm)isattachedtothat.TheSigmalensusedherehasafocallengthof150mm.Pairedwitha25mmeyepiece,itoffersa6-foldmagnificationandwitha10mm

eyepiece,a15-foldmagnification.

You can calculate the exact level ofmagnification by dividing the focallength of the lens by the focal length of the eyepiece. For example: atelephotolenswithafocallengthof300mmpairedwitha25mmeyepiecewould produce a 12-fold magnification (300/25 = 12). Using the samelens with a 10mm eyepiece would get you a 30-fold magnification. Ifyou’re using a zoom lens, you can calculate your range of attainablemagnification levels by using themaximumandminimum focal lengthsfortheformula.

Thefollowingequipmentisneededtooutfitamacrolenstofunctionasamicroscope:amodified lenscover,aT2adapter ring thatattaches toan eyepiecemount, and the eyepiece itself. You probably have a lenscover somewhereat home, and theother two items canbepurchasedfrom specialized retailers who sell telescopes and parts, such ashttp://agenaastro.com.

The lenscapservesas theconnectingdevicebetween the lensandtheeyepiece,whichmeansthatithastobepreparedwithanopeningtofittheT2threadsattachedtotheeyepiecemount.Useametalbittodrillaholeinthelenscaptoroughlyfittherightsize.ThenusearoundmetalfiletocontinueincreasingthediameteroftheholesothattheT2threadsjustfitintotheopening.Next,withtheeyepieceadaptersnuglyinplace,usesomesupergluetosecuretheeyepiecemounttothelenscap.

Attach the lenscap—nowwith theeyepiecemount—to the lens,andinsert theeyepiece itself.Set the lens’s focus to infinity, andadjust theeyepiecesothatyoursubjectcomesintosharpfocus.Onceyou’vefoundthisposition,usetheclampingscrewsontheeyepiecemounttosecuretheeyepiece inplace. Inmost instances, that isall it takes.However, ifyoucan’tproduceasharpimage,you’llneedtomodifyyoureyepiecesoyou can slide it closer to the lens.Use a hacksaw to trim off a couplemillimetersoftheeyepiece’ssleeve,andtryagain.

The resulting microscope has a so-called direct-vision prism, whichmeans that the image produced will be laterally reversed and upsidedown.Thiswillbeconfusingatfirst,butyouwilladjusttoitfairlyquickly.

Microscopes fashioned out of lenseswith focal lengths up to 50mmcan generally be held pretty well by hand, which means they can betaken out on excursions to inspect wild plants and insects in greaterdetail. Handheld microscopes also come in handy when cleaning theimagesensorofaDSLR.

Theindividualcomponentsoftheadapter:aneyepiecedesignedforatelescope,aT2adapterattachedtotheeyepiecemount,andamodifiedlenscap

Theassembledadaptersimplyattachestothelens’sbayonetmounttoconvertamacrolensintoacompactmicroscopewithanastoundinglypowerfulmagnification

GuideRailsforMacroPanoramas

Standard focusing rails available for purchase from photographyequipmentretailersgenerallyhaveaslidingdistanceofaround110mmto140mm,butmanymacropanoramasrequiremorelengththanthat.Oneoption is to resort to pivoting, but this method results in a loss ofsharpness because elements in the image end up being differentdistancesfromthecamera.

Amoreeffectivesolutionistocraftanelongatedguiderailofadequatelengthonyourown.Amanualtilecuttermakesagreatbasisforthisdo-it-yourself project.Any hardware storewill carry one, or youmay evenhaveonecollectingdustinyourbasement.You’llfindmodelsranginginlength anywhere from40cm to 60cm, but all of themhave somebasictraits in common: a carriage made of aluminum that travels perfectlystraightontwometalrods.Theseelementsareexactlywhatweneed.

Theconversionisrelativelysimpleandrequiresonlyacoupleoftools.Ingeneralsteps,theprocessinvolvesfirstremovingthetilecutter’smainlever,whichisusedtoscoreandbreakthetiles,andthenmodifyingthecarriage in order to be able to attach a focusing rail and a ball headmount to it. Aside from the tile cutter, you’ll need a quarter-inch screwwith a length of 20mmand awasherwith a diameter of 25mm. Inmyexample, a focusing rail is used, but you can also dispense with thisdeviceandattachtheballmountheaddirectlytothecarriageontherails,whichwillgiveyourcameraaslightlylowerperspective.

Thefoundationofthisprojectisasimpletilecutter,readilyavailableinanyhardwarestore.TheoneIadaptedhadbeenstoredunusedinmybasementsinceourlastrenovationproject.

Thefirststepistoremovetheleverfromthedevice,becauseithasnouseforourpurposes.Simplydetachthearmafterremovingthescrew.

Thecarriagerunsontwometalrods.Forsmoothermovement,youcanpolishtherailswithsteelwool(00or000).

Oneofthetwolateralsupportsneedstoberemovedsothatthecarriagecanbeslidofftherailsentirely

Next,theflangeswithholesinthemthatusedtosupporttheleverconstructionneedtobesawedoffusingahacksaw.Thisstepisbestdonewiththecarriagesecuredinavise.

Thesawmarksshouldthenbefiled,sanded,anddeburredtoproduceasmoothsurface.Youcanalsopolishtheinsideoftheboresonwhichthecarriageslides.

Nowthecarriagecanbefastenedtoafocusingrailusingaquarter-inchscrewandtheappropriatewasher

Aballheadmountfromaphotographyshopcompletestheconversionofatilecuttertoahomemadelinearguideandmakesitpossibletotiltthecameraasneeded.Youcanalsodecidetodowithoutthefocusingrailandmounttheballheaddirectlytothecarriage.

This setup allows you to move your camera laterally for a greaterdistance than would be possible using a standardmacro focusing rail.Shiftingthecamera360mm,forexample,atamagnificationof1:1,wouldallowforapanoramathatwas16timesaswideasanAPSCsensor.Fora camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels, in other words, thepanoramawould be 48,000 pixelswide. Because the carriage of a tilecutterhasasmalldegreeofplayontherails, it’swisetostopdowntheapertureasmuchaspossibletokeepthedepthoffieldrelativelylarge.

Viewonlineauctionwebsitesifyou’relookingforareadymadeoptionthat offers even more accuracy and precision. Searching for the term“linearguide”will turnupanumberofoptions includingprecision linearguiderails,trapezoidalspindles,andball-bearingslidesthataretypicallyused for CNC applications. These devices will render any remainingconcernsaboutprecisionmoot,andprovide the levelofcontrolneededforextrememacroshotsandfocusstackingprojects.

Trytofindwherethesedetailsarelocatedwithinthemacropanoramabelow

Atilecutterconvertedintoalinearguiderail,offeringapproximately36mmofmovement.Thebroadbaseplatealsomakesthedevicerelativelysecure.

Moss-coveredbranch.Thefullimageis19,160x3,093pixels,orapproximately60megapixels.Thelightforthescenewasproducedbytwo400Wsstudioflashunits,oneatfullpowerandtheotherathalf—eachequippedwithasoftbox.AndaFujiS5Prowitharesolutionof12megapixelsrecordedtheshots.ThecomponentimageswereblendedintoapanoramausingPhotoshop’sPhotomergefunction.Macropanoramacomprising13componentimages,eachatf/29,1/200s,ISO100,60mm

BeanbagCameraStands

Shooting at ground level is sometimes difficult when using a tripodbecause they don’t always allow for ultralow shooting perspectives.Beanbag camera stands insert themselves nicely into these situations.Theydampenvibrationsverywell,andtheyprotecttheundersideofthecameraandlensfrompotentialdamages.

Toassembleabeanbagthat is20cmby16cm,youneedtwoleatherscraps thatare22cmby18cm,astrong16cmzipper,andpotentiallyaneedleforasewingmachinecapableofsewingwith leather,dependingonthetoughnessofthematerial.First,sewthezipperalongtheshorterdimension of the pieces of leather. The seam should be 1cm from theedge,and thezippershouldbesewn into the inside (or theunfinished)sideoftheleatherpieces.Nowpositionthetwopiecesofleathersothatthefinishedsidesareagainstoneanother,andsewtheotherthreesidesoftherectangleclosed,again1cmfromtheedges.Nowyouhaveasack.Next, turn the sack inside out and fill it upwith dried beans, lentils, orStyrofoam beads. I recommend treating the leatherwith a conditioningcreamorspraytomakeitmoreresistanttomoisture.

Tripodsareoftentootallforcapturingup-closeimagesofsubjectsatgroundlevel,suchasthissmallmushroompoppingthroughautumnleaves.Beanbagscomeinhandyforjustsuchsituations.f/9.5,1/60s,ISO200,50mm

Abeanbagcanbefilledwithanynormaldriedbean.Ifweightneedstobekepttoaminimum,youcanalsousesmallStyrofoambeads.

SystemFlashReflectors

Makingareflectorforasystemflashunit isaquickproject.Startwitharectangularpieceof cardstock trimmed to thedimensionsshown in theillustration below. Then use the dull side of a knife to score along thedotted lines tomakefoldingeasier.Useawiderubberbandtoaffix thereflectortoyourflash,and—finished!Withthereflectorattached,thelightfrom the flash strikes a larger surface, resulting in softer light that canbetterbetargetedatyoursubjectbyanglingtheflashhead.Useagold,silver,orcoloredpieceofcardstockifyouwishtocreatelightofaspecificcolor.

Thecardboardreflectorpivotswiththeflashhead,enablingsoftlightfromabove(evenwithshortfocallengthsandtinyshootingdistances)

ThemeasurementsprovidedherearebasedonNikon’sSB-25andSB-26Speedlites.Otherflashheadsmayrequireslightmodifications.

Youcanfindadditionalprojectswithstep-by-stepinstructionsinmybookLowBudgetShooting:DoItYourselfSolutionstoProfessionalPhotoGearavailableasane-bookfromRockyNook:www.rockynook.com

Acknowledgments

Thanksonceagaintoalloftheguestauthorsfortheircontributions,andto everyone else who made this book possible. First and foremost,thankstomyfamilywhopatientlyputupwithmeandwhoalso,fromtimeto time, served as subjects and models for example photos. I’m alsograteful to the Botanical Gardens of Tübingen and to theWilhelma inStuttgart,whereanumberofthephotosinthisbookweretaken.

dpunkt.verlagBased inHeidelberg,Germany,dpunkt.verlagpublishes tradebooks forcreative photographers and professional image editors. Its catalogfeatures a wealth of resources about technology, techniques, andcomposition so ambitious photographers can hone their craft and takebetter pictures. In addition to the technical side of photography, theirbooks also offer lessons on how to find subjects, where to look forinspiration,andhowtoseetheworldwithaphotographer’seye.

www.dpunkt.de

StefanDittmannAs an autodidact, Stefan Dittmann has been fascinated with macrophotography and microscopy since childhood. Aside from variousinstallations around his home in Lower Franconia, you can view hisphotography invarious Internet forumsandonhisownwebsite.Stefanprioritizes the authenticity of his images and resorts to digital imageeditingasrarelyaspossible.

www.dittmann4.de

JanMetzlerJan Metzler is full-time master craftsman and an ambitious amateurphotographer who, in addition to his macro work, concentrates onpanoramic photography, including the use of specialized equipment tocreatesphericalpanoramas.

www.focus-stacking.de

HansChristianSteegFrom an early age, nature photography has fascinated Hans ChristianSteeg—macro photography in particular. Hans Christian is a physicistwhoworks in electronics development for a company that supplies theauto industry with equipment. His work background complements hisinterest in specialized branches of macro photography, including, forexample,high-speedphotography,whichhediscussesinthisbook.

www.natur-foto-technik.de

BerndSchloemerFormanyyears, street photographyhasbeenaprimary fascination forBerndSchloemer.HisCologniesproject representshis interpretationofthis genre. He aims to make viewers both smile at and reflect on hiswork. Aside from his work as a photographer, he works as a SAPconsultant.

www.colognies.de

BotanicalGardensoftheUniversityofTübingenInformation about the Botanical Gardens of Tübingen, including itscurrentprogramofevents,hoursofoperation,andmorecanbefoundat:www.uni-tuebingen.de/einrichtungen/zentrale-einrichtungen/botanischer-

garten.html

WilhelmaAside from information useful for planning a visit—includingWilhelma’shistory,hours,andprogramming—youcanalsoreadaboutconservationefforts, individual animal and plant species, and much more at thegarden’swebsite:

www.wilhelma.de

On my personal websites, you’ll find information about additionalpublicationsandtheflash2softboxadapterthatIdeveloped.

www.lowbudgetshooting.de|www.flash2softbox.de

http://www.rockynook.com/information/newsletter

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