Macro Photography - Getting Up Close & Personal

by Jaime Warren (Mar 17, 2008)

There are so many ways through photography to capture even the smallest of details. Have you ever looked at a photo that has captured, with amazing detail, the color and beauty of a flower? This type of photography is called macro photography. The definition of macro photography is "a style of photography in which the image projected on the film plane is close to the same size of the subject." Translation: macro photography is up-close photography!

Macro photography is used by photographers to capture up-close details of a subject. There are different lenses that allow you to get these amazing detailed images. Macro lenses (also called micro lenses) are those lenses that allow for a 1:1 ratio when shooting. There are zooms on the market that have a macro "switch" or can shoot in a macro setting. A few standard macro lenses include:

50-60mm - used for product and small-object photography
90-105mm - the standard for flowers, insects and small objects
150-200mm - typically used for small animals and insects

Macro photography can be both challenging and rewarding. It requires knowledge of depth of field and the ability to focus your eye on the most crucial part of your subject. As with all photography, the most important thing to remember is just to enjoy it. Have fun and experiment with shooting different subjects.

For all of my photos I used my 28mm - 1:2.9 lens. For my first photo I decided to experiment a little with my daughter. While she thought the whole experience was hilarious, I found it challenging. Getting the light just right for catch lights in this photo was difficult since I was blocking out a chunk of light with my camera. I ended up tilting her chin up and getting her face in just the right spot so that the sunlight hit her eyes without washing her out.

The second photo was of some beautiful hydrangeas. Isolating the flowers which were in massive groups was nearly impossible without putting my hands on them. In the end I decided to focus on one flower out of the group and let the rest of the group kind of "stand in the shadows" if you will. I ended up loving how it turned out!

My third photo was of a wreath that we had hanging on our front door While it seems like a rather boring subject, the pop of red from the berries ended up giving the photo the perfect amount of contrast. Experimenting with keeping the subject the focal point but still allowing for color in an otherwise boring color scheme turned out to be challenging but fun.

While I'm certainly no expert I hope you enjoyed my article on macro photography. I challenge you to go out and experiment with it yourself. You will find that it is a fun and challenging way to capture all the detail life has to offer.

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