Macro-Scope: beyond the "tiny flower" mode

It may seem a cliché, but nothing's ordinary: everything is extraordinary. Even the most mundane object is enthralling thanks to macro photography. A long time ago, in the days of film close-up photgraphy was very difficult to achieve. Today every compact or subcompact digicam owner has a macro mode. These days close-up photography is hotter than ever.

The 5 keys for better macro photos

Don't think that macro photography is only about small objects. It is about close distance. The five elements of a good macro-photo:

	Framing	Light
	Point of View	Sharpness
	Background

1. Framing. There is nothing boring, not a single thing if you shoot it at the closest possible distance.  The real key is to train your brain to see textures, patterns and to take your image out of context with creative framing.

Pattern	Texture	Scale	Abstraction
You can achieve great abstract compositions if you learn how to frame your photos with a non-figurative mind.

2. Light. This is true to any photographic style: the quality of light is the very foundation of your photo. It may be harsh, soft, warm, cool, natural or artificial. Try to find the best possible light for your subject, and decide what kind suits it best.

Lowel Ego Lamp	Tungsten lamp	Natural Light	Natural Light plus Lowel Ego
Different qualities of light will change your subject and your photos dramatically.

Of course you can use your in-camera flash or, if you are gonna shoot with a dSLR you may need a special ring flash. More on ring flash later. The point is: Good Light!

3. Point of view. Everytime you photograph anything, think about point of view. It is one way to vastly improve your photos. What if you shoot from the back, the top, or the bottom? Alexander Rodchenko built a whole style and reputation thanks to original points of view.

	From the Top	Eye-level	From the bottom
The point of view is a great key to more creative images

It doesn't matter if you are composing a still life or if you are shooting a macro photo in your backyard or in the forest, always remember: How can I achieve an original point of view?

4. Sharpness. It's really easy to loose sharpness at such close distances. In this case your P&S won't be enough, you'll really need to go manual. The perfect setting for macro shooting is the Av (Aperture priority) mode, that will allow you to choose the desired aperture and will select, automatically, the shutter speed.

Aperture
Depth of field

This is applicable to any kind of photography, but with close-up photography you can understand depth of field easier. With a wide aperture (f2.8) there is more light entering the sensor and the sharp focus is limited to a very small fraction of the image. With smaller apertures (bigger f/ numbers) you will have a sharp focus in a wider range. In the case of our pseudo-rally PT Cruiser, at f2.8 only the stickers on the door are sharply focused. When you choose a smaller aperture like f/8 or f/11 you can see a dramatic change, at f/11 the whole car is sharp. It all depends in what you want to achieve. Sometimes you'll want a shallow depth of field to emphasize a little detail, or you may want the complete scene to be cristal clear.

	Narrow depth of field	Wide depth of field
Choose the depth of field through aperture values to fit your needs

When you stop down your aperture, you'll need to be really steady, since any movement will be amplified and the shutter speed will be slower. A tripod will be mandatory if you want a wide depth of field. Having Image Stabilization will help you to get a sharper image. We will discuss more on equipment later. Remember: stop down using Av mode, check your IS and use a tripod whenever possible.

5. Background. It's easy to forget the background. If you use a wide aperture you'll loose all the detail in the background, it's not good or bad, it depends on the kind of photo. Sometimes the background lets you establish a context.

	Cluttered background	Context background	Clean background
	An uncluttered background will accentuate your subject; yet the background may give a sense of scale or context to the scene.

If you want to blur the background completely, use the widest aperture your lens can achieve. Remember to check the background and evaluate the interaction between foreground and background.


Manual focus. The average P&S digicam won't be enough for a really good macro. What if you are photographing an insect and you decide that the eyes are the most important part, or maybe a tiny wing? With auto focus you will be gambling. What's the camera going to focus? More advanced compacts have a manual focus: use it. If you use a macro lens for your dSLR you'll have greater control. The Canon 40D is a superb camera for macro photography because of the Live View feature and the 10x amplification for ultra precise focusing.

The right equipment

Let's check what should be in your bag:

All these equipment is available in our >>PhotoAficionado Store.

Location, location, location

The great thing about macro photography is that you'll find good subjects everywhere: check in your back yard, your drawers, even the floor is good! Check our galleries to have a good idea of the possibilities.

Conclusion

As you could read, close-up photography may be the foundation for any photographic style. Take your camera and start improving you close-up photos today.

Macro Photo Galleries

>> Gallery 1

>> Ring Flash Gallery

>> Lowel Ego Gallery