Exploring The World Beneath
Thinking Small
For all of our (justified) griping about the pandemic, it did at least cause many to rework or expand our definition of โfunโ. Having just come off the photo tour of a lifetime in Lisbon, my wife and I were already planning our next international trip. Once it became clear that even a cross-country trip was looking dubious, we looked closer to home for inspiration. The two genres most amenable to social distancing are landscape and macro, and I had just connected with some excellent Instagram macro accounts so why not try it? Now all I needed to figure out was โฆ everything.
Off to the Races
First the basics: macro photography refers to the close-up capture of small subjects. Strictly speaking, a macro photo captures the subject at a 1:1 magnification (aka โlife sizeโ), meaning a 2x3mm bug would be projected to a 2x3mm region on the camera sensor. In practice, many macro photos are taken at lower magnification to allow ultra-detailed capture of objects larger than a camera sensor (e.g. grasshoppers or flowers). To capture minute details in snowflakes or tiny bugs, some lenses allow a much higher magnification like 3:1 or even 5:1. While most point-and-shoot cameras and phones have a โmacroโ mode that allows close-up shots, high quality macro photography generally requires a DSLR/Mirrorless camera with a dedicated macro lens.
Starter Kit
Given I already had a camera, less than $500cdn was spent getting started. The diffuser was purchased later but proved to be essential for providing the soft light necessary to not overpower the details. All of this kit is entry level but still very capable.
| Equipment | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Panasonic G85 | |
| Lens | Minolta 100mm f/4 Macro | Fully manual, 1980โs vintage lens for Minolta cameras |
| Lens Adapter | Fotodiox MD-M4/3 | Adapts Minolta MC/MD lenses to Micro 4/3 camera bodies. No electronic components |
| Flash | Neewer NW570 | |
| Diffuser | Neewer 6โ x 5โ/15 cm x 12.5 cm Translucent Softbox |
Initial Harvest
For the first year, I took mostly environmental macro photos. Forests, sanctuaries and city gardens were the most common destinations. A few of my favourite shots follow โ
These thumbnail-sized flowers sparkle up close. Tiny wildflowers are often overlooked and/or trampled during hikes but they can be just as detailed and fascinating as the more popular, larger flowers. A diffuser was essential for this shot.
Sweat bees are the most cooperative insects, in my experience. Unlike most, they will pause what theyโre doing to gaze right back at you. I was hesitant to photograph bees at first, but generally they are too busy pollinating to be bothered with you. Just give them space. Also, the shutter speed generally needs to be at least 1/250 to freeze the action for hand-held insect shots.
Snails are an exception to the generalization above, and that is fortunate because the biggest challenge is getting enough of them in focus. I usually have to stop down to f/16 or even f/24 to get an acceptable amount in focus and still usually need to prioritize between the shell and the body. Sometimes, using a long telephoto lens is a better alternative (that was probably sacrilege. Sorry).
The gypsy moth invasion of 2020 devastated forests throughout southern Ontario but these unwelcome critters left behind some fascinating looking cocoons. Some give off strong sci-fi vibes.
Sometimes, the most interesting finds are unexpected. While searching for frosted leaves on a cold January morning, I came across this vine with a piece of ice caught in it. The positioning made the ice look like a rare jewel, facilitating my first foray into the more abstract side of macro.
Key Lessons (so far)
Most of your Photos will be Junk
If nailing focus for most photography is a game of inches then nailing focus for macro is a game of milimetres. Every minute move you make -voluntary and involuntary- will take you in and out of focus. You will eventually learn to steady your hand, lower your heart rate and align pressing the shutter to your breathing patterns. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to tell if you have completely nailed focus by looking at an LCD screen so even when you think youโve got the shot be ready to take 5 more. Most of your shots will be disappointing or pure junk (90% at first, maybe 50% as you gain experience) but if you get a handful of winners then you had a good day!
Learn to Shoot Manually
You will see many advertisements for automated (TTL) speed-lights, advanced lenses with speedy auto-focus and other time-savers. Most of these short-cuts wonโt work most of the time. For single shot, hand-held macro photography, be prepared to shoot in full manual mode with manual focus. The process is long, frustrating and pretty much the only way to consistently take usable photos.
Use a Flash โ with a Diffuser
Speaking of speed-lights, a flash is nearly essential for environmental macro photography. Extra light is needed when stopping down past f/8 and slow shutter speeds are simply not an option with macro. Your major options are either cranking the ISO up very high or adding a flash. A flash not only solves this issue but makes subject separation easier and truly compensates for imperfect lighting situations (think mushrooms in a forest). That said, using a flash directly can create an unpleasant specular reflection that cannot be easily edited away. Adding a diffuser provides a gentle glow that illuminates the subject without sacrificing details.
Depth of Field Matters โ just not how you think
New photographers are typically inundated with discussion about how high quality and artistic photos require you to open the aperture as much as possible. For portraits, a narrow depth of field (e.g. f/2.8) leads to blurry backgrounds, subject isolation and generally very pleasing images. However, with macro photography it is more practical to start with an f/8 to f/11 aperture and gradually stop down (increase depth of field) to capture as much of the subject as possible. For highly magnified shots, even f/32 will be inadequate and you may have to use a technique like photo stacking to get the entire subject in focus.
Consider a Longer Focal Length
Working distance is an important consideration when selecting a lens โ the shorter the working distance, the closer you will have to get to the object to achieve your desired magnification. While this may not matter too much with inanimate objects, you risk scaring away insects or incurring their wrath if you get too close (I can attest that a bumble bee can deliver a pretty good headshot, even without stinging). A longer focal length means a greater working distance, meaning you can minimize the chance of negative interactions with your subject. In practice, 100mm or greater is preferred for shooting insects.