Macro photography is a type of photography that catches. It is not in vain that he has all the ingredients to do it: it is surprising, magical and at the same time beautiful. Even the bugs that we hate so much end up being impressive models of this type of photography where we can count the eyes of spiders, the nerves of a leaf or see through the wings of a fly. The macro photography is the photograph of the wonderful, the incredible and magical nature. That's why it seduces us so much, because it makes us for a moment in Alicia wandering through Wonderland. Now, like everything else, it requires little effort. Let's see some of the key points that will help you when it comes to getting an impressive macro photo.
THE PROTAGONIST
The kings of the macro photography are, without a doubt, the small animals and the flowers or the leaves that nature gives us but they are not, by any means, the only protagonists of the macro photography. A screw, a few drops of oil, a rope, in short, many everyday objects are candidates to be a good protagonists for your images. The most important thing is that, unless you seek abstraction, whatever you seek to photograph is recognizable to the one who observes the image. If not, it becomes an abstract image that, you may also like, but it is something elseTHE BOTTOM
The macro photography background is key, being able to highlight and highlight your protagonist or make him lose his interest. Therefore it is very important that you locate your subject first, and then a good background for it.- Look for backgrounds with contrasting colors (that make your protagonist stand out).
- Look around, sometimes simply by changing the point of view you can get a completely different background and suitable for your purposes.
- Keep your own funds always at hand in case you don't find any that suits you. That simply amounts to carrying colored cloth or cardboards that you can place behind your center of interest.
STAGE
It is everything that surrounds your main subject. Not only the background, but the place where you place the protagonist. You may enter the autumn leaves in search of a red ant, or wait patiently for a ladybug to fly from a green stalk. Everything is part of the scenario that will be part of your frame and everything must have its reason for being. Do not leave anything to chance. In macro photography, the details are very important and you throw them a little harder to solve than in other types of images.- Search photogenic scenarios
- Vivid and saturated colors usually give better results (although it always depends on the results you want to obtain)
- The flowers, the dew (which you can create yourself with a vaporizer), the reflections, the raindrops, rocks, etc.
- Interesting textures that enhance the protagonist and complete the image.
- Select the place beforehand : for example, flowers and low vegetation are ideal for finding insects. If you know where to look, the session will be much more profitable and enjoyable.
THE BOKEH
Macro photography stands out mainly for its expandability, but also for its reduced depth of field . The bokeh , is one of the effects that can lead to the use of reduced depth of field, and an element to exploit in an artistic way to shape your images.SATURATION AND CONTRAST
Nature is full of color, whether in spring or autumn, in summer or even in winter. To imagine it lacking beautiful saturated tones is complicated, especially when we base our compositions on form and color, where color is a motive in itself, even sometimes a center of interest in itself. Mastering the natural contrast of the scene, finding the best framing and the best combination of shades is an essential part of the macro photography.ISO
Always as low as possible. In macro photography the sharpness is basic, and the more you raise the ISO , the more loss of quality you have in the image. Therefore, we recommend not to abuse it, it is preferable to adjust other parameters of the exposure triangle such as speed and leave the ISO to lower values (100-200).SUNRISES AND SUNSETS
First and last hours of the day have countless advantages. Mainly the light, we already know how magical the light is at that time, warm, soft and lateral.- Enhance textures.
- It allows us to play with backlights to enhance silhouettes, light profiles, etc. and achieve different and more interesting compositions.
- When it is cold, the insects are calmer and inactive , so it is better to avoid the central hours of the day if you want to photograph them.
THE COMPOSITION
When working with very little depth of field, the background will always be somewhat out of focus in the images (if you have focused your protagonist well), so in this type of photography, your protagonist naturally stands out thanks to the focus. The result is usually minimalist compositions where the composition becomes especially important. Where to place what, it becomes something key. The rule of thirds, that of the horizon or other rules of composition such as negative space , will be very useful in this regard. Do not settle for the first image, try different angles and distances , sometimes the closer the better, but sometimes the environment can complement the subject and give us unique scenes.THE APPROACH IS EVERYTHING
If in another type of images the focus is important, here it is key, because the error is much more evident.- Focus on manual, many times the camera "gets lost" trying to focus on something so small.
- Focus your eyes well in case you are photographing something that has them
- Learn to improve the focus on processing. Obviously, miracles to Lourdes , but the focus tools of the editing programs, can help you perfect the image.
- The stability is essential: a good tripod, remote shutter, a camera with an option to raise the mirror to prevent vibration.
DEW
Water drops are a classic that always works and that gives a lot of play even as protagonists in themselves. Therefore, if you do not find dew, do not hesitate to make your own scenarios by taking a sprayer. You can even use raindrops to get a good background Bokeh .THE ACTION
Don't forget that you don't just have to portray static objects or beings. A ladybug flying, a bee heading to a flower or a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis, there are millions of scenarios that not only show the beauty of nature at a 1: 1 scale, but also the way in which it unfolds.- Remember that animals often have repetitive behaviors. Learning to recognize these patterns will allow you to get ahead of the action, place yourself in the place, at the moment, and with the right focus, long before your protagonist appears again. Then there will be no more to wait and click at the right time.
- If yours is this type of "action" images, it is a good idea to try the continuous shooting mode of your camera, to see if it is useful for you
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
The macro photography does not start and ends in the nearest field. You can take nature home and set up your own stage with flowers from the florist if you want to practice. At home there is no wind or funds that we cannot change, so it is a great opportunity to continue practicing if we cannot or want to go for a walk in nature. Likewise, visiting other specialized places such as zoos or reptile centers, amphibians, etc., will allow you to photograph species that, otherwise, you could not access easily.