Macro Photography Tips for Beginners

If you have a compact digital camera (or point-and-shoot as they are usually called) then these macro photography tips for beginners will help you get some great shots.

In fact, your point-and-shoot has some very sophisticated features including macro mode. Technically, the images your camera makes in macro mode should be called 'close-ups' as true macro photography means the image you make is life size or bigger which won't be the case with a compact camera. However, you can still get some high quality shots and discover new realms of creativity.

When your camera is set to macro mode you will find that you can focus much closer to your subject. The distance will vary depending on make and model so you need to read the manual for the precise distance.

In macro mode the camera will automatically select a wide aperture which will throw the background out of focus leaving the foreground sharp as in the photography below of a poppy. Even so, sometimes you can adjust the aperture - bigger numbers give smaller apertures and vice versa. So if you want just a tiny bit in focus, use a big aperture (therefore a smaller number). This is known as depth-of-field - the smaller the depth-of-field, the more you lose the background. This will give you the most pleasing shots.

Once you have take a shot, check on the LCD to see if it is focussed as you want it. Once you have the focus right, keep taking shots from different angles, higher and lower, and move around your subject if possible. The perfect shot is usually arrived at after many attempts so keep going.

Macro Nature Photography

With macro nature photography such as flowers, the slightest movement from you will cause blur on your final image and there is also a danger of internal camera camera vibration, more so with a digital SLR. If you have a tripod this will make a big difference. You can buy small, light-weight table-top tripds at low cost and they are great for macro nature photography as you can slip one in your pocket.

Another way to minimize movement is to use the self timer, with or without a tripod.

Insect Macro Photography

With a shallow depth-of-field, very little of your image will be in sharp focus so it is important to make sure the camera is focussed on the most important part of the picture. In the image below, I focussed on the fly, and the shallow depth-of-field threw everything else out of focus. In insect macro photography it is preferable to focus precisely on the insect's eye. If your camera allows it, focus manually as you will get sharper results.

Art Macro Photography

Art macro photography is appealing to many for the simple reason that it is comparatively easy to make interesting abstract images when you are that close to your subject.

Compare the image above with the other poppy image at the top of the page. They are both shots of the same flower but by choosing a different composition for the one above, I have made a more abstract shot with a 'painterly' feel it. If you would like to read more about abstract photography click the link.

Macro Photography Lighting

For macro nature photography, your images will be best when there is plenty of light without strong shadows. This is particularly true when photographing flowers as the delicacy of the petals can be lost when there are hard shadows. So try to pick a day which is bright but a bit overcast or hazy or else just be patient and wait for clouds to come overhead.

You can use the built-in flash if you need to but you might like to diffuse it with some thin tissue-type paper taped over the flash to act as a diffuser. Another idea is to use a reflector instead of the flash to increase the amount of light on your subject. You can pick these up quite cheaply at any good photography shop.

What's the Best Camera for Macro Shots?

If you are looking to buy a new entry-level SLR camera you may have come across the big debate concerning the Nikon D5000 versus Canon 500D. Both are excellent cameras and similarly priced but the Nikon is the better choice if you are interested in taking macro shots. In part this is because of the 18-55mm VR lens which comes with the camera and which takes excellent macro shots even though the Canon has a few more megapixels.

The main reason though is because when you are taking macro pictures you often find your subject is awkwardly placed. A flower or an insect may be very near the ground, for example. The Nikon D5000 has a monitor which is hinged and allows you to vary the angle (see left).

So instead of scrambling about on the ground in an attempt to see the image, as you would with the Canon 500D, you can hold the Nikon close to the ground with the monitor tilted out and view your subject from a semi-upright position. This is a huge advantage and exends the macro possibilities enormously.

Learn More!

In Understanding Close-up Photography, Bryan Peterson turns his attention to a topic that is an ongoing favorite with photographers. But where most macro photography books focus on capuring subjects in nature, Peterson promises to go beyond, teaching you to photograph a range of subjects from animals and plants from the garden, beach, or mountains to objects found in the kitchen, supermarket, even the junkyard.

In addition to information on equipment, exposure, light, and composition, his book will feature elements of technique that go beyond the norm, teaching you to shoot not just what is generally considered close-up, but to go even closer to the point of abstraction. He will also show you how to produce the intimacy of a close-up within a larger shot - how to capture the look in your subject's eyes without compromising the clarity of the surrounding scene. And as always, Peterson offers his signature touch with his personal terminology: in what he likes to call "Pop Junk" he shows how combining creativity with the right digital technology can turn close-up photos of the most ordinary objects into surprising pieces of art. Averages 4.5 stars out of 31 customer reviews.

Acclaimed nature photographer Tony Sweet helps us to see a familiar subject through new eyes in this astonishing collection of flower photography. Ranging from the elegiac to the experimental, these pictures offer a kaleidoscopic survey of innovative photographic techniques--including multiple exposures and "slide sandwiching"--along with instructions for creating similar effects in your own photography. Perfectly balancing grace and spontaneity, Fine Art Flower Photography ensures that none of us will look at (or photograph) flowers the same way again. Averages 4 stars out of 23 customer reviews.

With a close-up camera lens, shutterbugs can capture a landscape in a water droplet, a dragon�s face in a dragonfly, an alien planet in a backyard fungus, or a futuristic civilization in a computer circuit board. The magic field of macro photography comes alive through digital cameras and Photoshop programs, as simple instructions combine with jargon-busting tips to demonstrate each essential technique. More than 200 full-color photos and 750 illustrations showcase the possibilities for making spectacular images with ordinary equipment. Besides ideas for making framed photos, special sections show how to create greeting cards, stationery, and other practical items and gifts. Averages 4 stars out of 12 customer reviews.

Contains a detailed review of equipment suitable for close-up photography. Outlines the specialized techniques needed for various natural subjects. Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of close-up photographs, which clearly demonstrate the techniques described. Close-Up and Macro: A Photographer's Guide is a comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to taking stunning close-up photographs in the natural world. In this authoritative new book, Robert Thompson shares his considerable expertise in both photography and naturalism to impart readers with everything they need to know about taking impeccable macro photographs. From a thorough survey of the equipment required for both film and digital users to detailed explanations of the techniques required for photographing all the most popular close-up subjects, including flowers, fungi, insects, patterns and abstracts in nature, this sumptuously illustrated and highly practical book is the definitive guide to macro photography.