The Craft of Close-Up Photography

There are some basic challenges involved when taking close-up and macro pictures, no matter what type of equipment you use. The magnification factor not only enlarges the subject, but also reflects any camera motion. Depth of focus is often reduced to millimeters. Longer lens extensions, and the smaller apertures often used to increase depth of field, mean higher ISOs and/or longer shutter speeds. Animate subjects, like butterflies, tend to move and don’t take direction very well. Even more stationary ones, like flowers, bend with the breeze.

There are several tried-and-true techniques that increase our ability to get quality close-ups, some more obvious than others. Steady and Smooth First rule, make the camera as steady as possible. My first choice is a tripod, followed by a beanbag or some form of natural rest. This image shows one of Gary Todoroff’s macro images in the making. The 90-250mm f/2.8 zoom is not a lightweight lens. He has added a 1.4 teleconverter, effectively creating a 700mm (35mm equivalent) lens.

A cable release is a great accessory any time we use a tripod and a slow shutter speed. This is a gadget that trips the shutter remotely. It reduces the minor camera shake that occurs when we push directly on the camera button. The general rule of thumb for defining “slow” is any speed less than the focal length of the lens, adjusted for the sensor’s magnification factor. So “slow” with a 105mm lens on a camera with a 1.5 factor would be about 1/150th of a second. If you don’t have a release, the self-timer with a 20- to 30-second delay can accomplish the same result. You can almost totally eliminate shake in still-air conditions, by locking the camera’s mirror in the up position before making the exposure.

Choose the Focus Point and Watch the Background

The image is the resulting photograph taken by Gary using the setup seen in the previous picture. Notice how the leaves immediately near the blossoms are in focus, while the ones in the background are blurred by the lens bokeh into a dark pattern. The focus effect is due to the choice of lens and teleconverter, the distance from the subject, the point of focus, and the depth of field. Sounds complicated, but it becomes easy with a bit of practice and use of the viewfinder. Backgrounds often make or break a close-up photo. Some photographers go to great lengths to adjust the scene, from rearranging nature to constructing complex lighting. In most cases, a bit of selective focus, and adjusting the relative light levels, will do the trick with a minimum of fuss. After all, the subject is usually pretty-well confined to a small area. Light levels, both on the subject and in the background, can be adjusted with light modifiers like reflectors and shades, as well as flash.

On serious wildflower outings, I carry a dark cloth, a small reflector, a stand with clamps, and a pair of flash units. Sometimes the right camera angle will provide a suitable background. Adding light to the subjectwhich does not fall on the backgroundwill make the background appear darker. The reverse will brighten the relative appearance of the background. Consider how the backgrounds along with the depth of field in next two images, contribute to the composition. The photographers each had different situations to contend with in order to get their pictures. We can’t always control all the aspects of an image. Many “still” subjects can be moved by wind, especially small and flexible ones like plants. That may require adjusting the shutter speed at the cost of depth of field or the ISO setting. (Bracing the object, out of the camera’s view, can help.) Animate objects move, and so make using a tripod impossible.

The black widow photograph by Terrence Karney was alive and in the open. The advantage was that the spider was interacting with its web. Choosing the location and adjusting the way light entered the scene could be controlled. This picture required patience and care on the part of the photographer not to get too close, or create any movement that would startle the creature. The shutter speed was only 1/10th of second, requiring the wait for the creature be still. The light-colored background contrasts well with the spider’s black body. The extremely shallow depth of field blurs the web. Geoff Cronje’s close up of a saurian in makes use of a low camera angle to take advantage of a natural rim-lighting effect from the sun.

He used a 105mm lens with an exposure of 1/200th of a second at f/5.6 with ISO 200. The result has enough depth of field to keep the animal sharp against a dark, out-offocus background. Choosing the right camera angle and exposure results in color contrast and rim lighting, which separate this saurian visually from its surroundings.

Learning to “Look Close”

Close-up and macro photography help develop technical skills by making us work at the limits of our equipment, and require attention to detail. For example, using my underwater housing requires that I choose any macro options before entering the water. The last picture in this article was taken on a night dive, with a flash mounted off the camera. I stayed close to the reef and used a dive light to locate subjects. The image below shows a fish fry about the size of a pencil eraser. It was hiding in a small crevasse in the coral and was startled by my light. I waited until he felt safe enough to peek out just a bit, so that the flash would illuminate him, rather than cast a shadow over his home.

Looking for subjects in a defined space, like a yard, a meadow, the side of a hill, or even in a single room, improves our ability see picture possibilities. Consider an afternoon self assignment, either indoors or out, with a single lens that lets you work in macro range. Good pictures may be a lot closer than you realize.