it can be hard to manually focus a DSLR (and even a mirrorless camera with punch-in and peaking). Your camera might have a setting that prevents it from taking a photo unless it's obtained focus; use it. If you put the camera into manual mode, you can then put a focus point over what you want in focus, and then move yourself backwards/forwards until the shutter trips. This is sometimes easier than trying to hold the position while convincing the AF to do what you want or nailing the manual focus. It also helps avoid some shutter-squeeze shake, since you're moving your whole body steadily backwards instead of clutching your hand onto the camera quickly. I believe this technique is called "trap focus".
The comments section is a great source of knowledge. I also tried a lot of helpful things by reading comments! This is why I`m encouraging people to offer their piece of advice. A beginner might want to hear opinions from the more experienced macro photographers. Thank you for the tips! I'll read them again next time I'm out with my 60mm macro lens!
Nice little video. Well done. 🙂 My tips would be: - take many many many pictures to make sure you have some keepers - try to get a nice background - focus in most cases on the eye - use a flash with a flash diffuser - do not chase butterflies - go shoot early in the morning when insects are not active - some insects can be approached if you move very slowly (ex: damsellfly) - for the dragonfly, use a telephoto lens with macro capabilities 😂 - the sky as a background is a good alternative to green - add "extension tubes" for even more magnification - do not walk on a wasp nest like i did 2 weeks ago😆
Thank you, Chris! Great tips (all of them)! My macro lens was rarely used. Now, reading these tips, I'm glad that I didn't sold it. Will use it more often! 😀
high speed sync flash will definitely helps at 1:1 ratio as a rule of thumb is better to move back and front instead of twisting focusing ring extension tubes with macro lens (especially on crop cameras) may open the whole different world, but focusing is much harder direct harsh sunlight on bugs (specially with shiny surfaces) may look odd generally you don't need the most expensive newest macro lens, even vintage macro lenses are good since macro usually are taken at around f/8 or even less, and with manual focus my all time recommendation is Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, can be found used at pretty affordable price and longer focal length will give you more distance from your subject, so bugs won't be scared off as easy as with let's say some 30mm macro lenses (with which you're usually need almost touch your subject to gain 1:1 macro) there's also AstrHori 85mm f/2.8 tilt-shift macro which allows you to shift your depth of field thus allowing to make full sharp macro pics at wider apertures, but I never tried this lens and idk how good or bad it is
Great advice, John! Moving back and forth, while having the lens on manual focus, at the 1:1 ratio, is the best way for obtaining multiple shots quickly - from which we choose the one where the subject is in focus. This really is a pro tip, fundamental for macro photography! I never used extension tubes, thank you for the heads-up! The third tip, about lenses, points out how accessible macro photography is (thanks to vintage lenses)! Will also search for the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens - I heard a lot of good opinions about it. Other photographers, reading the comments, will also find your tips useful! Thank you!
One of the first things I ever did with a digital camera was shove the lens basically into a flower (this was a Canon A620 which was a compact camera) and realize how amazing things that are small really are.
What are your tips for beginners when it comes to Macro Photography?
it can be hard to manually focus a DSLR (and even a mirrorless camera with punch-in and peaking). Your camera might have a setting that prevents it from taking a photo unless it's obtained focus; use it. If you put the camera into manual mode, you can then put a focus point over what you want in focus, and then move yourself backwards/forwards until the shutter trips. This is sometimes easier than trying to hold the position while convincing the AF to do what you want or nailing the manual focus. It also helps avoid some shutter-squeeze shake, since you're moving your whole body steadily backwards instead of clutching your hand onto the camera quickly. I believe this technique is called "trap focus".
The comments section is a great source of knowledge. I also tried a lot of helpful things by reading comments! This is why I`m encouraging people to offer their piece of advice. A beginner might want to hear opinions from the more experienced macro photographers. Thank you for the tips! I'll read them again next time I'm out with my 60mm macro lens!
Nice little video. Well done. 🙂
My tips would be:
- take many many many pictures to make sure you have some keepers
- try to get a nice background
- focus in most cases on the eye
- use a flash with a flash diffuser
- do not chase butterflies
- go shoot early in the morning when insects are not active
- some insects can be approached if you move very slowly (ex: damsellfly)
- for the dragonfly, use a telephoto lens with macro capabilities 😂
- the sky as a background is a good alternative to green
- add "extension tubes" for even more magnification
- do not walk on a wasp nest like i did 2 weeks ago😆
Thank you, Chris! Great tips (all of them)! My macro lens was rarely used. Now, reading these tips, I'm glad that I didn't sold it. Will use it more often! 😀
high speed sync flash will definitely helps
at 1:1 ratio as a rule of thumb is better to move back and front instead of twisting focusing ring
extension tubes with macro lens (especially on crop cameras) may open the whole different world, but focusing is much harder
direct harsh sunlight on bugs (specially with shiny surfaces) may look odd
generally you don't need the most expensive newest macro lens, even vintage macro lenses are good since macro usually are taken at around f/8 or even less, and with manual focus
my all time recommendation is Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, can be found used at pretty affordable price and longer focal length will give you more distance from your subject, so bugs won't be scared off as easy as with let's say some 30mm macro lenses (with which you're usually need almost touch your subject to gain 1:1 macro)
there's also AstrHori 85mm f/2.8 tilt-shift macro which allows you to shift your depth of field thus allowing to make full sharp macro pics at wider apertures, but I never tried this lens and idk how good or bad it is
Great advice, John!
Moving back and forth, while having the lens on manual focus, at the 1:1 ratio, is the best way for obtaining multiple shots quickly - from which we choose the one where the subject is in focus. This really is a pro tip, fundamental for macro photography!
I never used extension tubes, thank you for the heads-up!
The third tip, about lenses, points out how accessible macro photography is (thanks to vintage lenses)! Will also search for the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens - I heard a lot of good opinions about it.
Other photographers, reading the comments, will also find your tips useful! Thank you!
Absolutely, focus all the way in for
Highest magnification and then never touch it again.
You focus with your body or a rail in Macro.
One of the first things I ever did with a digital camera was shove the lens basically into a flower (this was a Canon A620 which was a compact camera) and realize how amazing things that are small really are.
I did the exact thing (with a Canon A460)! This was a long time ago, in my first year of high school. I had a great time with that little camera.
My tip : learn to focus stack.
This, I believe, is essential for Macro Photography. Since I never tried it, this was a good reminder! Thank you!