Thinking Macro

Now you can

In the past taking photographs at close-range, such as when photographing insects, flowers or other small objects, was a relatively restricted field, accessible only to the photographer possessing highly specialised and very expensive equipment. Today the modern digital camera has in reality put close-range techniques within the capabilities of most photographers. Digital cameras with their short focal length lenses, allow relatively nearby focusing while most also have a dedicated macro-mode, permitting close-up photographs to be taken with ease. Although few of the popular consumer cameras really allow photography in the true macro range of life size or larger, they are quite suitable for photographing most of the large to medium sized insects and plants.

Many cameras are also very easily and inexpensively adaptable, with the addition of a few accessories, to allow much closer, even life size photos to be taken, (how to add supplementary lenses to your camera will be discussed in a later article). This has opened many new worlds and created many opportunities for gripping and unusual photographs for the amateur photographer while botanists, entomologists, paleontologists and other specialists who on a regular basis need to document specimens in the field can now do so with greater ease.

The basic problems faced when venturing into the field of close-range photography, would at first glance, be mainly that of having suitable equipment, primarily that will be that the camera’s optical system has the ability to be able to function at very close range and is able to record a suitably detailed image of the subject.

Subjects for close-range work, however, can vary in size from small to minute, they can be moving or static, dead or alive, indoors or outdoors. All of these factors present the photographer with a whole new set of problems that is not normally encountered in everyday photography. Focusing on a 4 mm long, rapidly moving hover fly, for example, is beyond the bounds of even the best auto-focus lens. It is here where the skill, experience and patience of the photographer comes to the fore.

A question of mind-set

One of the first lessons the aspiring close-range photographer needs to learn involves a total change of mind-set, a different way of seeing and experiencing things. We are all used to perceiving the world about us from normal eye level, we see everything in relation to our own size and in terms of our own sense of perspective. When we start taking photographs at close-range, however, subjects inevitably appear different and what was previously no more that an insect sitting on a plant now becomes our prime point of focus. Suddenly we have entered a miniature wonder world where what was previously an insignificant bug now becomes a living creature with large menacing mandibles. In this sense it is not only the relative size of the subject that has changed but with it so has the conditions surrounding it. It is affected differently by the prevailing light, shadows which may have appeared insignificant or even non existent from a normal viewing distance now gain importance, a shadow only a few millimeters in size could be sufficient to cover the entire head of our subject and render it too dark. In the same way highlights take on a new meaning as do other factors such as perspective and composition. The mind-set change I mentioned involves learning to see in miniature, to think in miniature, to be able to adapt your photographic knowledge and techniques to a miniature world with miniature inhabitants.

How does one get to do this?

Train your brain

Simply by practice, which will serve to train your eye (and brain). Regularly practice studying things close-up and from different angles of view. Even when you don't have your camera with you get down and look closely at leaves, flowers, under leaves and at anything that may lurk there. It won't be long before you find that you are beginning to do this without any conscious effort, you will also soon find that you are beginning to see details that you have never noticed before as well as photo opportunities that you never imagined existed.

Taking mediocre photographs is easy, especially with today's cameras – getting something unique calls for effort and dedication.

Photographs and text copyright: Lambert Smith.

© COPYRIGHT Lambert Smith, 2010