What is a macro lens and what kind of photographs is it useful for?

Good day, dear readers! I’m in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. Often, when photographing various objects or objects of wildlife, there is a need to get as close as possible to the model or photograph an object of wildlife in an enlarged form, while maintaining the sharpness and depth of the picture; for these purposes, there are special macro lenses, which will be discussed in this article.

So, let's delve a little deeper into the theory and find out what a macro lens is and what its advantage is over other optics.

In previous articles we have already looked at and have an idea of ​​wide-angle and long-focus optics.

A macro lens is a special optical device designed for detailed photography.

It comes in two types:

• Long focus;
• Short throw;

A long-focus lens is a makrik whose focal length exceeds the diagonal of the frame; it usually ranges from 100-180 mm. This lens gives a 1:1 image at a distance of 31-46 cm from the subject. The direct application of this optics is photographing from afar.

A short-focus lens is a macro lens whose focus is less than the frame diagonal (usually within 50-60 mm). The shortest focusing distance is 17-19 mm, from the optical center of the lens to the model.

For photographing butterflies, beetles, birds and other living creatures, only long-focus macro optics are suitable. Why? Yes, because not a single living creature will wait for an object that is strange to its understanding to approach it and will simply instinctively run away from the frame.

In turn, a short-focus pancake will cope with photographing static objects with the “Hurray”.

Focal length and purpose:

• 40-60 mm – subject photography;
• 100-105 mm – photography of insects, birds, flora/fauna;
• 150-200 mm – shooting from afar, photo hunting;

The main advantage of macro pancakes over regular ones is the high detail of the object when shooting from minimum focal lengths, as well as the absence of chromatic aberrations.

Description

Visually, the attachment lens is a thin lens in a frame with a standard threaded lens mount, the same as for light filters.
The shape of the lenses is usually convex-concave, with the convex side away from the lens - this shape is preferable for short-focus wide-angle lenses, but there are flat-convex and macro lenses with an outer concave side - with this shape, spherical aberration is minimal, which is especially good for telephoto lenses. Attachment lenses are produced both by lens manufacturers, for example, Canon, Nikon, Sony, KMZ, LZOS, LOMO, and by third-party companies IPZ, Marumi, and many others.

Macro lens

used in photography for taking close-up photographs of small objects without the use of a specialized macro lens
(see Macro photography)
. Macro lenses work like a magnifying glass or reading glasses, bringing the image closer to the main lens.

The main advantage of this solution is the low price compared to a specialized macro lens, as well as the ability to take macro photography with a device with non-replaceable optics. However, the result is somewhat worse; the loss of sharpness at the edges of the image is especially noticeable.

Shoot through a straw

Photographers achieve interesting effects by partially covering the camera lens with some object. We suggest you take a regular cocktail straw or any other long hollow object and try to shoot through it. It works best with a large diameter translucent straw.

Sometimes you end up with colorful abstractions like this.

Sometimes - interesting portraits, or rather, their details.

Which macro camera to choose from models with fixed optics

Do-It-Yourself Retlight
For amateur macro enthusiasts, it’s especially worth highlighting superzooms, which have great optical zoom capabilities and cost much less than cameras with interchangeable lenses - it’s not such a shame to damage them on hikes and trips. Let's look for a camera for macro photography among the popular camera models with a small matrix, a fixed lens and a strong optical zoom available on the Ukrainian market.

#1
Canon PowerShot SX410 IS from 3,788 UAH
Pseudo-mirror camera with 40x optical zoom and 80x ZoomPlus, wide-angle 24 mm lens, f/3.5–f/6.3 aperture, optical image stabilizer, 20.5 MP matrix, intelligent automatic mode Smart Auto and eco mode , saving battery charge when traveling. Lightweight and nice looking superzoom.

#2
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS from 3,599 UAH
A camera with a 12.1 MP sensor, 35x optical zoom, f/2.7–f/5.8 aperture, a rotating display, effective intelligent image stabilization depending on the shooting mode, and a separate focusing mode for macro photography.

#3
Nikon Coolpix L840 from 4,699 hryvnia
Camera with 38x zoom capability, focal length 22.5-855 mm, aperture f/3.0–f/6.5, optical image stabilizer, 16 MP matrix, rotating LCD display. Bonus: ISO up to 6400, which is double that of previous cameras. Reviews praise macro, including video shooting.

#4
Canon PowerShot SX530 HS from 5,650 hryvnia
The model is characterized by a 24 mm wide-angle lens, 50x optical zoom, f/3.4–f/6.5 aperture, 16 MP matrix. Camera with built-in flash, wireless Wi-Fi and NFC, rotating display. This is a compact for all occasions, including macro cases.

#5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 from 6,999 UAH
The next camera with a macro mode has a lens with a focal length of 20-1200 mm in 35 mm film equivalent. A smaller minimum focal length than other superzooms in this case plays into the hands of those who shoot static macro. The zoom here is 60x, the aperture is f/2.8–f/5.9, there is an image stabilizer, the matrix resolution is 16.1 MP. There is both a built-in flash and a hot shoe for an external one.

#6
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS from 13,543 hryvnia
Superzoom 65x, focal length range 21-1365 mm, aperture f/3.4–f/6.5, 16.1 MP matrix and good quality rotating display allow you to implement macro photography mode in the camera with both distant objects and and photographing almost right next to the bug/flower/whatever you like.

#7 Nikon Coolpix L320 from 3406 hryvnia

Another superzoom from Nikon with 24x optical zoom, minimum shooting distance of 1 cm, f/3.1–f/5.9 aperture, 16 MP matrix, dual image stabilizer and Wi-Fi support. It has proven itself well in amateur macro photography.

#8
Sony DSC-HX60 from 8,299 hryvnia
Compact from Sony with a 20.4 MP sensor and light sensitivity up to 12,800 ISO, 30x zoom, f/3.5–f/6.3 aperture, image stabilizer, macro mode. Not an expert in macro, but suitable for country experiments.

Compared to more expensive optics, superzooms are inferior in many ways, including often lacking subject sharpness in macro photographs. But they have great advantages in the form of lower cost and multiple approximations. If you have a small budget and are a beginner makrushka, start with a pseudo-DSLR camera or a compact with a macro mode.

We hope that the guide will help you in the difficult choice of which camera to buy for macro photography.

Your Price.UA

ISO

DIY chromakey

With Flash: In macro photography, the use of flash is very tied to ISO. The flash cannot by default provide enough light when shooting macro (since you are using a narrow aperture). Shooting with flash at full power is also a bad idea. It is better to use the flash at 1/4 power so that it recharges faster between shots. This is where ISO comes in handy. Set your flash to 1/4 power, and set your ISO to get a good exposure of the leaf, then return the flash to Auto (TTL). Now you know it will fire at 1/4 power for shots like this. The ISO value will typically be between 100 and 800 for macro photography with flash.

No flash: You need to work with a fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur and a narrow aperture to get enough depth of field. If you don't have a flash, your only option for capturing bright enough photos is to increase your ISO. For macro photography, it's quite common to use an ISO in the range of 800 to 3200. I recommend using Auto ISO. Set the minimum shutter speed to 1/400 second, and the minimum ISO value to 100 in Auto ISO mode (it is not possible to set the minimum shutter speed and ISO when auto-adjusting them on all cameras). This will keep your shutter speed fast enough for sharp photos while keeping your ISO at a reasonable value without wasting your mental energy on calculations.

How to expand the capabilities of your smartphone camera using improvised means

You can take interesting pictures with your smartphone camera using built-in filters, various photo editors, and simple improvised means. Scissors, a cardboard cup, rubber bands, cocktail straws... Everything goes into use. So, on the one hand, folk art, and on the other, the owner of a good camera is the Huawei P8 lite, a review of which was already on the site. By the way, if you are drinking coffee now, don’t throw away the cup—it will come in handy. Also, prepare some water for your smartphone lens. For what? Now you'll find out.

Framing and focusing

Large format cameras, scale and rangefinder cameras

• Frosted glass placed in the plane of a photographic film or photographic plate is practically the only way to correctly determine the boundaries of the frame, assess the depth of field of the imaged space, and correctly focus.
• Attachment lenses or extension rings may be accompanied by a table or nomogram that allows you to correctly focus the lens.

Single Lens Reflex Cameras

Nice things with your own hands

"MS Volna-9 Macro" 2.8/50 - Soviet lens for macro photography

A single-lens reflex camera is most convenient for macro photography - a direct, parallax-free image of the subject created on the focusing screen is observed in the viewfinder - accurate focusing is possible (especially in manual mode), correct assessment of the depth of field of the imaged space, and correct framing.

Digital cameras

Digital cameras allow you to control the process of macro photography on the display or in the electronic viewfinder of a pseudo-mirror digital camera.

Setting up the camera for macro photography

Unlike portrait photography, where photographers often try to blur the background, macro photography is very difficult to achieve the desired depth of field.

If you imagine what parameters depth of field depends on, then you can already imagine this problem. The closer the camera is to the subject, the more the background is blurred. On the one hand, this is good, since it is possible to separate a semantic object from an insignificant environment. However, in macro photography, especially with cameras with a large physical sensor size, the depth of field is very often millimeters, and even tiny insects turn out mostly out of focus!

The situation is even worse if you like to take macro photographs of shy insects - it is simply impossible to get close to a butterfly or a bumblebee - your macro photography subject will easily flap its wings and very quickly rush out of the frame and then catch up with it all day long!

It would seem that there is a way out - use a long-focus lens or the maximum zoom ratio, while closing the lens aperture as much as possible to increase the depth of field. BUT! A closed aperture forces you to lengthen the shutter speed and raise the ISO. Both have a negative impact on the final result - either a blurred image due to movement (especially with a long lens), or a high level of noise.

Even when taking macro photographs of flowers and other plants with a long shutter speed from a tripod, a slight breeze leads to blurring of the microphotograph.

You only need to focus in manual mode, since often the autofocus simply has nothing to “catch onto” - the tiny eyes and thin legs of insects are too small for it. Autofocus will take a long time to focus, producing a buzzing noise that may scare off your macro model. When taking macro photography from a very close distance, it is much more convenient and faster not to control the focus at all - it is enough to set the focus approximately, and “catch” the exact focus by moving the camera away or moving closer to the subject. Don't forget to freeze in this position and release the shutter smoothly.

When taking macro photographs of insects, always turn on the burst mode - they are sometimes so fast that only the “machine-gun rate of fire” of your camera can catch a dragonfly in flight.

So, the main secret of macro photography: manual focusing, fast shutter speed and closed aperture. And the lack of light can be compensated with a flash.

Making a macro lens for a mobile phone

The words macro and nano have recently become one of the most frequently used words in the field of technology. Various companies praise their nano and macro technological devices that allow them to work miracles. What if you create something like this yourself? In this material we will look at how to create a macro lens for a mobile phone.

Before we get started, let's watch a video of a homemade project that can certainly be useful for many:

Let's look at the materials we need: - A disk drive from an old computer; — A regular ballpoint pen with a threaded tip; — Cling film; — Plastic epoxy; — And also the mobile phone itself (preferably with a higher resolution rear camera).

Let's get started. First of all, we take our old disk drive to remove the lens and mirror from it, which the disk drive uses to read information from disks. It should be noted here that not every lens may be suitable, since some may distort the patterns at the edges. By disassembling the drive, you can easily remove the lens and mirror, which are mounted on holders.

Next, take our handle and saw off the threaded unit. This way we get a small screw with its own nut.

The next thing we need to do is glue the lens from the disk drive to the screw-in part of the ballpoint pen. You can use regular super glue for this, but you need to be extremely careful and take your time so as not to damage the lens. To make the process easier, you can have a glue remover with you.

The lens blank is ready. You can start creating the body. The case should fit perfectly on the phone, so it needs to be assembled on the phone body. To do this, we wrap our mobile phone in cling film so as not to damage it. It is necessary to use cling film, since others are thicker and can cause inaccuracy.

Next, we take plastic epoxy and sculpt the body of our nozzle. The mirror must be positioned strictly at an angle of 45 degrees above the LED backlight of the mobile phone.

The lens that we attached to our nut needs to be placed above the phone camera lens. As stated above, it is very important that the body of the attachment exactly matches the surface of the phone.

It’s up to you to decide what shape the body of the nozzle will be, since your own imagination and taste are important here.

Well, the attachment that turns your phone camera into a microscope is ready. All that remains is to screw the lens into the nut and adjust it slightly so that the photos do not turn out too blurry. When using the nozzle, it must be secured to the body. To do this, you can use ordinary stationery rubber bands, or you can even design your own case. Here again, your own desire is important.

Source

Great and versatile external flashes

It's no secret that many novice photographers find shooting with an on-camera flash, and even more so with an off-camera flash, inconvenient. Instead, some use the built-in flash for family photos or photographing objects, with all the ensuing consequences of such lighting. Others go so far as to start constructing lighting installations from halogen spotlights purchased at a hardware store. Unfortunately, each of these options has significant drawbacks. The built-in flash is the simplest solution, but at the same time it gives the most unnatural pictures, because it deprives objects of volume and makes them flat. This is very bad for portrait photography, and for most other genres. Floodlights and other constant light sources can generate significant amounts of heat and quickly become uncomfortable and dangerous. They're also not bright enough to support fast shutter speed photography, and they don't look professional at all! In this tutorial you'll see how I use some simple external flashes equipped with a hot shoe, wireless triggers and a kitchen table to create beautiful lighting for product photography.

Telephoto lens from binoculars

The easiest way to photograph distant objects with a smartphone is to attach the eyepiece of a binocular, monocle or telescope to the camera lens. For the experiment, we took 8x21 binoculars. It took a bit of fiddling to line up one of its rear lenses with the lens of the Huawei P8 lite camera (again, our makeshift “tripod” helped a lot with this, allowing one person to hold the whole thing), but the result was worth it: we were able to take photos with a significant zoom. In the resulting photographs, you can make out the details of the object, and if you get the hang of it, a good result will be guaranteed.

A photo taken without binoculars.

The same story, but filmed using our “telescope”.

Let's get started with macro photography

Related materials:

• 04/22/2014 21:39 — John Tsang is a photographer, representative of Asia in our regular column, and his macro selection of insects at gunpoint.”>Macro world photographer John Tsang
• 04/17/2014 20:24 — Agata Eggi is a fairly experienced macro photographer who became interested in shooting in this direction in 2010.”>Macroculture from photographer Agata Eggi
• 04/14/2014 20:46 — Dean Morley is an English photographer who is interested in macro photography.”>A selection of macro photographs from Dean Morley
• 02/27/2014 21:47 — Shannon Chan is a female photographer from Japan who is interested in macro photography.”>A selection of macros from photographer Shannon Chan
• 02/26/2014 21:14 — Bellat Chitchi is a photographer with oriental roots who is fond of macro-style photography.”>A lot of macro from Bellat Chitchi

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• 10/11/2011 13:33 — Macro photography is usually done from a very close distance. This is an exciting, albeit very difficult matter. Try getting closer to a nimble lizard or...">How to avoid most problems when taking macro photography with a digital point-and-shoot camera?

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Results

We have compiled this list of life hacks for those who are already tired of the “Auto” mode, because smartphone owners almost always use it. And, despite the fact that the Huawei P8 lite itself takes good photographs, which we talked about in a separate review of the gadget’s camera. However, we had fun doing these experiments in the company of a good gadget. After all, a creative approach is always good. Try it and you might come up with some other ways to decorate the frame using scrap materials. We wish you successful and enjoyable filming!

Text author: Alexandra Mitroshina

Source

The best camera for macro photography

You should also pay attention to the lens. Ideally there should be a lens with a wide focal length

A good macro camera should come with such a lens. To minimize distortion, you need to place the lens at the maximum distance from the subject.

A digital camera with good macro photography must have a good program for turning on the macro mode. Basically, macro mode is triggered by a dial selector.

Despite the many advantages of a digital camera, it is better to take macro photography with a SLR film camera, even better if it is not electronic, but mechanical. Only a mirror viewfinder can perfectly assess the focus of the lens and position the frame. Also, a film camera at short shutter speeds can eliminate distortion resulting from hand shake. In addition, when shooting with such a camera, it is possible to use special rings that are installed between the lens and the camera lock.

Related materials:

• 16/05/2012 14:09 — Pentax SMC FA 645 120 mm f/4 Macro is a long-focus macro lens with a fixed focal length for medium format SLR cameras of the systems...”>Pentax SMC FA 645 120 mm f/ 4 Macro lens
• 16/05/2012 14:09 — Sigma APO Macro 180mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the fastest 180 mm macro lens on the market today - all others have a maximum aperture only...">Sigma APO Macro 180 mm f/ 2.8 EX lens DG OS HSM
• 05/15/2012 11:56 — PENTAX presents a high-class lens, made in the tradition of the “star” series and designed for digital SLR cameras.”>Pentax SMC FA Macro 200mm f/4 ED (IF) lens
• 05/15/2012 11:55 — Pentax SMC D FA Macro 50mm f/2.8 is an excellent macro lens from Pentax, which is known for the highest quality of its fixed-focal optics.”>PENTAX SMC D FA Macro 50mm f/2.8 lens
• 05/12/2012 18:32 - When used with DSLR cameras, the AT-X M35 PRO DX lens provides the same field of view as 52mm. Short focusing distance ...">Lens Tokina AT-X M35 PRO DX AF 35 mm f/2.8 Nikon

New articles:

• 12/14/2011 11:59 — A little about lighting. It’s good to shoot “live” in nature both in sunlight and in light clouds. But overall it should be very light...”>Technical means of macro photography. Part 2.
• 12/14/2011 11:57 — Today I want to share with macro lovers the technical means for this type of shooting. I sometimes receive letters in which amateur photographers write that...">Technical means of macro photography. Part 1.
• 13/12/2011 12:26 — Macro lens SMC Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited This fast lens of the legendary PENTAX Limited series provides the opportunity to shoot about...">Macro lenses from PENTAX
• 12/13/2011 12:24 — I’ll start with a little background. In one of the Macroclub forum threads, a question was asked about how best to remove droplets - but not hanging on grass leaves...">Fantastic droplets.
• 12/12/2011 12:22 — By deciding to study the subject in detail, you will essentially discover a new world for yourself. The camera, “amplifying” it, will help to capture the new world in its entirety...”>Macro photography “at hand”.

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Microscope made using a drop of water

This is perhaps the simplest life hack in terms of the required materials: you need water and... All. There is no need to be afraid, nothing will happen to the camera, especially since the Huawei P8 lite doesn’t care about this experiment - the smartphone’s lens is completely under the transparent plastic that covers the back panel of the case.

To get the microscope effect, you need to carefully place a drop of water on the smartphone lens. This is most conveniently done with the opposite end of a ballpoint pen refill. The “microscope” will stick to the lens thanks to the surface tension of water. Once you’ve made a drop, turn your smartphone over and shoot, waiting until it slides a little and creates the desired effect.

This is what the text looks like during normal shooting.

And like this - from the same distance, but with a drop of water on the lens.

How to choose a camera for macro photography

#1 Camera

Theoretically, the larger the matrix size, the better: many guides advise taking a full-frame camera for macro. But don’t discount crops: it’s not surprising that sometimes the result of a macro shot with a camera with a small sensor can surpass a full frame. Some photographers buy a compact in addition to professional equipment for shooting in certain modes, including macro.

However, no matter what you choose - DSLR or mirrorless, full-frame or not, you can’t go wrong, since what camera to buy for macro photography is not the main thing here!

№2 Lens

The main thing in macro photography is the lens, because, in fact, the degree of approximation of the object depends on it.

Between lenses with fixed and variable focal lengths, it is worth giving preference to the first - due to the design features, the prime lens is faster.

• For amateur macro photography, it would seem that lenses with the shortest possible focusing distance are best suited, but there is a “but” here: with a lens that can be used to shoot close to the object, it is convenient to photograph only static images. The living creature will fly away, run away, or otherwise prevent you from taking a photo if you bring the camera close to its nose. Plus, lenses with longer focusing distances offer more photography options.
• A wide-angle macro lens (with short focus) is optimal for close-up shooting of stationary details and subject photography. For anything movable, that is, macro photography of wildlife, a long-focus lens is better. But, if you really want both, it won’t be a mistake to purchase a macro zoom lens.

No. 3 Display

If your choice is leaning towards a DSLR camera, it is desirable that it supports Live View mode - using the screen as a viewfinder.

It’s great if the camera has a rotating display - this will help avoid awkward positions when taking macro photography.

№4 Accessories

Macro photography requires a flash and a tripod, especially if you're shooting indoors.

For amateur macro photography, a built-in flash will be sufficient; a good option is a ring flash located around the circumference of the lens. Thanks to this design, there will be no shadow from the lens or other parts of the camera in the photo. Many compacts have this ring built-in, but can also be purchased and installed separately on the lens.

To practice macro photography professionally in a studio, in addition to a camera with a flash, you will need a subject table, light, reflectors, and diffusers, but that’s a different story.

Macro lens from a magnifying glass

Having decided to conduct another shooting experiment, now from a very short distance, we made a macro lens for Huawei P8 lite from a regular magnifying glass, which can be found in any office supply store, and two rubber bands for fixing it (optional - you can lean the magnifying glass against the camera, just holding it her by the hand). The greater the magnification magnification, the more pronounced the effect will be. The technique is suitable for creating interesting artistic photographs with small details, background blur, etc.

This is how the magnifying glass is attached to the smartphone.

But she helps to take such shots.

Macrolide antibiotics classification

Modern macrolides are similar in structure to their parent, erythromycin, the differences appear only in the nature of the side chains and the number of carbon atoms (14, 15 and 16). The side chains determine activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The basis of the chemical structure of macrolides is the macrocyclic lactone ring.

Macrolides are classified according to the method of preparation and the chemical structural basis.

Method of obtaining

In the first case, they are divided into synthetic, natural and prodrugs (erythromycin esters, oleandomycin salts, etc.). Prodrugs have a modified structure compared to the drug, but in the body, under the influence of enzymes, they are converted into the same active drug, which has a characteristic pharmacological effect.

Prodrugs have improved taste and high bioavailability. They are resistant to changes in acidity.

Chemical structural basis

Classification involves dividing macrolides into 3 groups:

*ex. - Natural. **sex. - Semi-synthetic.

It is worth noting that azithromycin is an azalide because its ring contains a nitrogen atom.

Features of the structure of each macro. affect activity indicators, drug interactions with other drugs, pharmacokinetic properties, tolerability, etc. The mechanisms of influence on microbiocenosis of the presented pharmacological agents are identical.

Inexpensive and effective. How to upgrade your camera with your own hands

We recently published a two-part comprehensive guide to photography accessories. The first episode dealt with non-electronic gadgets, and the second part was exclusively dedicated to electronic devices. Some of the accessories cannot be created from improvised means, but there are also those that, with some diligence, are quite possible to make yourself. We have collected just such cheap, but no less effective solutions in our truly life hacking collection. It even includes solutions that professionals will not disdain. All “photo hacks” are inexpensive, elegant in implementation, and highly useful.

Basic tips for photographing insects using the stacking technique

Experiment with Backgrounds As you become more experienced with stacking techniques, you can try using colored gels or cardboard to really bring your photos to life with interesting lighting and backgrounds.

Use a dedicated stacking program A dedicated stacking program like Helicon Focus will allow you to stack your source files, so when it comes to post-processing you have a lot of options. Experiment with combining files, work with JPEGs before moving directly to the sources.

In order to stitch images, the Helicon Focus Pro program is used.

Keep Insects Cool After death, insects' bodies decompose extremely quickly, so it's best to photograph them while they're alive - but you need to keep them from moving. For filming, it is best to lower their body temperature so that they begin to fall asleep and their movements slow down. How long to keep insects in the refrigerator (or freezer) depends on their size and weight. Place them in a plastic container and check every 1-5 minutes to see how much their movements have slowed down.

Macro Photography Equipment Used

Sony Alpha 7R II Since stacking requires a lot of cropping, a camera with more megapixels will give you a great opportunity to do this and still produce large, printable files. The full-frame Alpha 7R II can produce very clear and detailed images with the right lens.

Macro lens When using a lens, it is almost impossible to make subtle shifts in focus. A macro rail will give you the ability to move your camera very short distances, giving you the ability to take smooth focus shots that are good for stacking.

Flashes Flashes allow you to use small apertures and low ISO settings. A low ISO will give you less noise and more room to adjust colors and exposure in post-processing. Also, you need the same lighting in all photos in order to combine them later, which is not always possible with natural light.

Helicon Focus Pro Although you can stitch photos together in another program, I highly recommend you use this one because it allows you to create a source file from the final stack, giving you more editing options.

The author of the article is Mikael Buck, a London-based editorial and commercial photographer. He worked for over ten years as a photojournalist for publications such as TImes, Mail on Sunday and The Metro. Currently works on a commission basis for British national publications, high-profile companies and major brands.

Shooting through sunglasses

Surely this feature is known to many of our readers. Through several glasses of sunglasses superimposed on each other, some people manage to photograph even a solar eclipse, and one pair of glasses attached to the lens colors the photo in an interesting color. Beautiful clouds are especially impressive on a sunny day: the sun filter makes the cloudy sky more contrasty and dramatic. The result, of course, depends on the color of the glass and the type of filter in it.

The effect could be like this...

Or like this.

Tripod for macro photography

Joby Flexible Macro Tripod

When taking macro photography with flash, a tripod is generally not needed. Sometimes it even interferes with the pursuit of the plot :o)

However, when photographing plants or insects from an ambush, using a tripod and manual focusing, you are guaranteed to get sharp shots.

Ambush shooting is not very difficult, the key here is patience. Focus in advance and wait for your macro photo model to appear in the right place. Using continuous shooting, you can take a macro photo of an insect in flight relatively easily. At the same time, a tripod will save you from accidentally moving the camera, as a result of which you will get sharpness not where you wanted.

Beginning photographers often buy small (tabletop) tripods and, unfortunately, quickly become disappointed in them. They are of little use for ordinary photography, but if you take such a mini-tripod for macro photography of low-lying objects, it will help you out a lot. By using the camera's LCD display (especially if it's rotating) in conjunction with the LiveView function, which makes a DSLR camera look like a point-and-shoot camera with a large matrix, you don't have to flatten yourself on the ground to take a macro portrait from the model's eye level: o ) However, not all small tripods are so useless for regular photography - click on the photo just above this paragraph and see for yourself!

Related materials:

• 08/27/2014 21:27 — Jack Trump is a photographer from England and his macro selection of insects at gunpoint.”>A selection of macro photographs by Jack Trump
• 05/08/2014 21:34 — Atsje Bosma, a girl photographer from the Netherlands, presents us with her macro selection.”>Wonderful macro selection of Atsje Bosma
• 07/31/2014 21:22 — Siny Jan - a photographer from Asia and his wonderful macro selection.”>Small macro collection from Siny Jan
• 07/21/2014 21:19 — Mariluz Picado is an aspiring Spanish macro photographer.”>Macro background of the aspiring photographer Mariluz Picado
• 07/03/2014 20:52 — John Dale - photographer from England and his macro work.”>Macro work by photographer John Dale

New articles:

• 22/11/2011 11:23 — Comparative test of macro lenses AF-S Nikkor 105/2.8G IF-ED VR, Sigma AF 105/2.8 EX DG and Tokina AF 100/2.8 AT-X Pro D. »>Comparative test of 3 macro lenses Nikkor, Sigma and Tokina
• 22/11/2011 11:12 — What is macro photography? In general terms, it is photography at such close distances that the graphic object projected onto the photo sensor...">A Beginner's Guide to Macro Photography
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Making a homemade snoot

External on-camera flashes have a fairly large angle of light propagation. Sometimes this is necessary, but today I want to limit the spread of light, so I made a snoot out of black paper. The snoot is a tube and is used to create a narrow beam of light. This simple snoot can then be folded and reused.

Most hot shoe flashes don't have a modeling light function, so you won't be able to see where the light will fall. Therefore, you will need to take several test shots and clarify the position of the flashes. One trick I use is to stand in the subject's shoes, if possible, and see where the flashes are aimed before taking the shot.

Flowers are not my specialty. In fact, while preparing for the lesson, I took pictures of flowers around the house. After the first few frames for this tutorial, all I could say was, "Yes, it's a flower."

No studio No problem

Any available space, such as a piece of plywood on a sawhorse, can be used successfully. Here I use my kitchen to photograph flowers. I installed two posts and a crossbar to secure the background. If you don't have extra stands, you can mount the backdrop directly to the wall, but this may limit the use of backlighting. You can use any background. You can purchase background paper from an art store, or use a fabric of your choice. For a more dramatic photo, I would recommend using a black fabric. If you want to use glitter fabric, please do so. But I recommend using a non-shine fabric to avoid reflections where it is not needed.

Note translator: the best fabric for the background is natural (not synthetic) black velvet.

Polarizing filter

A polarizing filter allows only direct light rays to pass through, blocking reflected ones with a specific polarization. Rotating the filter achieves the desired effect and eliminates glare. As a result, the grass becomes greener, the sky bluer, the water clearer, and the clouds acquire a mesmerizing volume. It is impossible to make a polarizing filter at home; you can only borrow it from other devices. Without delving into physics, a polarizing filter is installed on any liquid crystal display. From there it can be removed, although the process is quite labor-intensive. Typically, a polarizing filter is glued to the outside of the display glass. Without such a filter, the display will simply glow with white pixels. To remove the filter, a display from an old non-working gadget, for example, a long-broken smartphone or a defunct camera, is suitable. After removing the filter, you should carefully remove any remaining adhesive from it. You can cut a circle from the resulting piece and attach it, for example, to a mount from any other filter.

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