Top 10 Macro Photography Tips and Tricks

[motleypixel]

1.    Invest in a “true” 1:1 macro lens if at all possible.  The closest alternatives would be the use of extension tubes (adding space between your lens and the camera) or reversing a 50mm prime lens.  The later two options are able to get you to a 1:1 life-size magnification; however, at varying costs such as very close focusing distances and/or degraded image quality.  Extension tubes are a cheap way to decide if macro is a style you may end up enjoying.  Even if the "macro bug" bites you hard and you find yourself buying a dedicated macro prime lens, you extension tubes are still very useful.

Some popular choices for 1:1 macro lenses:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
The newer Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5X Macro
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM
Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED VR Micro
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO Macro
Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG HSM APO Macro
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.9 Di Macro
Tamro SP 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro
Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AF Pro Macro

2.    Macro photography is all about getting up close and when your camera and lens meets the subject at a magnification focus of 1:1 the depth of field will be your first hurdle to overcome.  My first experience was shooting a typical house fly on some flowers and the lighting wasn’t optimal (low light).  My instinct and camera told me I needed light so I opened up the aperture to its max (2. and thought the image on the LCD looked great, once on the computer and larger screen I quickly found that most of the fly was OOF and only a sliver of the fly was in-focus.  The DOF when shooting macro is very shallow and to sum this up quickly you will often have to shoot between f/8 and f/16 where the median f/11 will be use most often.  


3.    Flash is a heavily used tool!  When you couple the fact that you are stopping down to f/8 to f/16 and certain lighting situations, you will soon realize that flash can be useful tool to use.  In fact, many “good” macro photographers incorporate flash in their macro photography.  Understanding flash and how it syncs with your shutter speeds can also help you “freeze” you subjects to get sharper/in-focus images.  The key to using flash in macro photography is getting your flash as close to your subjects as possible and diffusing the light from the flash as best as possible.  There’s tons of talk on the web, here and other places, about good techniques to use flash for macro photography.  


4. When using manual focus, a good technique involves 'rocking' the camera back and forth: set a desired magnification factor, e.g., 1:3, 1:2, 1:1 etc. on the lens scale and then 'rock' the camera into the composition until your subject's focal point goes through sharp focus and just beyond.  Then 'rock' the camera back until the desired focal point is in sharp focus and release the shutter.  In this manner, the already thin DOF can be 'laid over' the subject from near to far, producing an acceptably sharp single frame image.


****Moderators and Users, please either modify this post (mods) or reply with input and lets try to work together to come up with a good top 10 list.

Thanks!

[DigitalScape]

Another option is to use an extension tube with your existing lens (or with ones noted above).  The extension tube reduces the minimum focal distance (allowing you to get closer to the subject) and not lose any light (as would if you used a 1.4X or 2X extender).  An extension tube is cheaper than a dedicated macro lens, and maybe a good way to see if you enjoy working with this type of photography.  And extension tubes can be stacked.

[motleypixel]

Thanks John,  I'll incorporate the use of ext. tubes with std. lenses as well in the #1 of the OP above.  If you can think of any others (plenty right...DOF discussions, use of flash, etc.) then please chime in.

Now on a side note, use ext. tubes doesn't cause any light loss?

[DigitalScape]

I probably should not say there is no light loss when using the extension tubes.  There is a little light loss (and the more extension tubes used, the greater the loss), but the loss is not as large as a full f-stop when using the 1.4X extender, or 2 f-stop loss when using the 2X extender.  The other disadvantage of the extender (with full frame bodies) is a slight corner vignetting.  Extension tubes have no optics inside them.

One other option is the use of close-up lenses such as the Canon 500D Close-Up Lens.  I do not have any experience using this (or the 250D).

[KenJ8246]

I've read that there is a one stop light loss for every 1/2 FL of extension.  Seems like that's right.

[DigitalScape]

That does sound like a good ballpark estimate, since the Canon 1.4X extender has a 1 f-stop light loss (and it has optical elements within it)

[motleypixel]

Okay we've got 3 so far...would like to come up with 10...any other input?

[DigitalScape]

A tripod can be a very useful tool if you are shooting where the subject can be staged (or at least not mobile), or you can sit a wait for the subject to get into the right position (like setting for a shot of a bee on a flower - set on the flower and wait for the bee to make an appearance).  However, if the subject is moving around, then a tripod may be more of a hindrance.   You need to find what works with you for the circumstance you are shooting.

[DigitalScape]

When using flash, diffusion is key to getting the light without the harsh shadows.  For the most part, on board camera flash is not going to cut it.

[DigitalScape]

Practice, practice, practice (and patience, patience, patience).
 
When shooting macro images, shoot the same image with several different setting (if the situation allows) - bracket the exposure, the aperture (i.e. the DOF), the flash power, change the camera angle.  There are many things that you can adjust.

There is also focus stacking -- taking several images and adjusting the focus point, and then combining the images into one (this requires specialized software - i.e. CombinesZP, or Photoshop CS4 or later).

[DigitalScape]

I put together a short introduction tutorial on macro photography (I used this material when presenting the topic to photography clubs) - the PowerPoint Slideshow can be viewed/downloaded at: http://www.digitalscapephotography.com/Downloads/Macro%20Tutorial.pps