Macro shooting methods and skills of SLR

Macro photography is a relatively large category in photography activities. It can be said that most people engaged in photography have been exposed to macro photography to some extent. The following are the methods and techniques of SLR macro shooting that I have compiled for you. Welcome to read!

The longer we are photographers, the more we will find ourselves interested in the tiny details of things around us (these tiny details are often not recognized by most people), and then we will have a strong desire to shoot these tiny details truly and clearly. The shooting of tiny details is macro photography or microphotography.

Macro photography can make some seemingly ordinary flowers, still life and insects so delicate, crystal clear and lifelike. It is no exaggeration to use the word "details tell the truth" Just right!

First, psychological preparation.

We must hold the idea of great hardship. Macro photography can be said to be a kind of "skinning" photography activity, a kind of "sharpening the mind" photography activity, and a kind of "great sadness and great joy" photography activity. The reason why you say "peeling meat" is because you have to fight the heat in flowers and plants and the cold in snowstorms; The reason why you say "hone your mind" is because you want to listen to thunder in a quiet place and see wonderful things invisibly; The reason why you say "great sorrow and great joy" is because you have to bear more regrets and enjoy more surprises. Please take your time!

Second, the equipment preparation

Macro photography is by no means the same as other photography. You should prepare relevant equipment so that you can shoot easily.

1. Familiar with macro function: Nowadays, cameras, especially digital cameras, generally have macro shooting function, so you must know its operation method and shooting range. It's important to know the shooting range. If the object is not within the specified range, it will not be able to focus accurately. If your camera doesn't have macro function, you need to prepare one or several close-ups that can be enlarged to achieve macro effect.

2. Release of base and cable: When macro shooting, the magnification of the lens is very large, and slight vibration will affect the clarity of the image, so a tripod is needed. Sometimes using a tripod can't guarantee absolute stability, so use a cable to release it and minimize the vibration.

3. Cardboards of various colors: In order to make the main body stand out in macro shooting, different cardboard can be used instead of messy background. You can prepare more colors for later use.

4. Fine wire and watering can: When shooting flowers, we can make them pose beautifully or take a bath in advance. Let the photographed flowers be more colorful.

5. Other spare items: flash lamp, fill light board, knife and some medicines. Pay special attention to two points: first, there are many mosquitoes in the wild, so pay attention to protect yourself; The second is to make the best use of natural light.

Third, cognitive preparation.

Macro photography is to capture a certain detail or feature of something, which can be color, shape, expression and behavior. With cognition, we can accurately grasp the object to be photographed. To fully understand, the only thing to do is to carefully observe the internal relations of things in the theme. Please don't rush to press the shutter!

Fourth, be patient.

Shooting insects in the wild is the first choice for many macro photographers. However, it is difficult to photograph or photograph insects easily, and patience is needed at this time. Don't expect to catch and photograph insects once or several times or a dozen times. Waiting for a rabbit is a common method, and patience is the most important.

V. Use of light

Painters paint with pigments and photographers paint with light! It doesn't matter who said it, but it makes sense.

1. Guang Shun. Also called frontal light, it refers to the light with the same projection direction and shooting direction. In this light, the subject receives light evenly, the scenery has no shadow, and the color is saturated, which can show rich color effects. However, the scenery lacks contrast between light and shade, losing its sense of hierarchy and three-dimensionality, and it is best not to use it.

2. Backlight. Also known as backlight, also known as contour light, the light is opposite to the shooting direction, which can outline the brightness contour of the subject. The scenery under the backlight has distinct layers, prominent lines and vivid pictures, and the photos taken have a strong sense of three-dimensional and space, which is most suitable for expressing the dark scenery under the dark background and is an ideal light. You can use it to capture the silhouette, and the effect is good. I like it!

3. Side lights. Refers to the light whose projection direction forms an angle of more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with the shooting direction. The objects in the sidelight have good contrast between light and shade, strong stereoscopic impression, good color reproduction and rich shadow lines. Among them, the side light of 45 degrees is the best, because it conforms to people's visual habits and is the most commonly used light.

4. dome light. This means that the light comes from above the subject. Under the top light, the horizontal illumination of the scene is greater than the vertical illumination, and there is no intermediate level, which makes the scene and characters look lifeless and is an unsatisfactory light. But for the elderly and other special people, dark circles, prominent cheekbones and wrinkles cut by knives are very expressive.

5. Bottom light. It means that the light comes from below the subject, and natural light refers to the sunlight that just rises or will fall in the morning and evening. The scenery taken under the background light is very lively, and this kind of light has a low color temperature and a warm red tone, which has a special color effect and is an ideal light.

6. Scattered light. Also known as false negative light, the illumination is average, the light is soft, the light ratio is small, the color difference is small, and there is no obvious projection on the subject. This kind of light is very suitable for girls and naive children who express a quiet and beautiful life.

One of the special reminders: use natural light as much as possible, and fill the light as a last resort! When using flash as fill light, we should pay special attention to controlling the output intensity of flash. If the output light is too big, it will lead to no theme level and no vitality!

Special reminder 2: be sure to pay attention to the accuracy of exposure, and it is best to use spot metering (it is best if you can prepare standard gray boards for standby). If the camera itself has no spot measurement function, you can change the exposure combination and take more photos until you are satisfied. POCO's good friend BBOBBO told me: the painter paints with addition and adds color constantly; Photographers use subtraction to show only what they need!

Sixth, the shooting direction

1. Frontal shooting: Frontal shooting is beneficial to show the positive features of objects and can fully show the horizontal lines on the screen. This kind of frontal shooting is easy to appear solemn and quiet, and it is easy to show the symmetrical structure of the object. When taking portraits, you can still see the complete facial features and expressions of the characters, which is very intimate. However, improper use of such composition will make the work appear dull, lacking three-dimensional sense and sense of space.

2. Back shooting: Back shooting means that the camera is directly behind the subject. Shooting in this direction is often used to blend the subject with the background. Things in the background are the objects that the subject pays attention to. Backshot does not pay attention to the expression of the theme, but pays great attention to the expression of the heart with the gesture of the theme, mainly the expression of body language.

3. Frontal shooting: refers to shooting from the right or left. This direction is suitable for expressing the prominent features of the subject and helps to highlight the front outline and lines of the theme.

4. Oblique shot: refers to the left front, right front and left rear, right rear. The characteristic of shooting in this direction is to make the horizontal line of the subject become diagonal on the picture, which makes the object have obvious changes in perspective, and at the same time can expand the capacity of the picture and make the picture vivid.

Seven, shooting angle

1. Flat shooting angle: that is, the camera and the subject shoot on the same horizontal line, and the subject is not easy to deform. Shooting people's activity scenes makes people feel equal and kind. When shooting natural scenery, it is very important to deal with the horizon. Generally speaking, we should avoid the situation that the horizon divides the picture equally, because by doing so, the distant view and the close view will be compressed in the middle line, and the picture will appear unremarkable.

2. Upward shooting angle: The camera shoots upward below the subject, which is conducive to highlighting the tall momentum of the subject and fully unfolding the upward-growing scenery such as trees on the screen. Using backhand near the ground can be used to exaggerate the movements of moving objects, such as flying and jumping. Try not to pat people with chubby backs.

3. prone shooting angle: the camera shoots down higher than the subject, just like looking up at the distance. At present, the scene from near to far can be completely spread out from bottom to top on the screen, which is beneficial to display the level, quantity and position of the scene on the ground plane and can give people a broad and far-reaching feeling.

Eight, highlight the theme

1. Use shallow depth of field: Under the premise of sufficient illumination, open the aperture of the lens as large as possible to blur the background of the subject, and the out-of-focus imaging is the best. We can choose "aperture priority" mode or manual mode. I use Canon Budweiser, and often choose the maximum aperture F2.8 for shooting. The imaging quality of consumer camera lens is almost the same as that of non-professional 135 macro head. When you are completely close to the subject, you can appropriately narrow one or two apertures to ensure the imaging level and clear image quality. Note: the aperture of shooting scenery film should be as small as possible!

2. Use telephoto segment: Try to use the longest focal length of the lens, such as EF70 to 200mmF2.8LU, and use 200mm focal segment. One of the biggest benefits of this is that the long focal length can compress the distance of the scene and blur the background to highlight the main body.

3. Use the closest distance: The closer the camera lens is to the subject, the narrower the clear range of the subject (the shallower the depth of field) and the more prominent it becomes. There is a prerequisite that the camera lens should be able to focus manually or automatically when it is closest to the theme, otherwise it will not be clear no matter how it is focused.

4. Use big contrast: bright themes should be set off with a dark background, and dark objects should be set off with a bright background. Therefore, when shooting flowers, insects or other objects, it is necessary to "contrast light (color subject) with deep background" and "shallow background supports deep (color subject)". This is a eight-character decision, remember!

5. Use a far background: If you can't effectively blur the background by using the above four tricks at the same time, then you should consider whether the distance between the subject and the background is too close. Therefore, if the shooting scene allows, you can move the background to make the subject farther away from the background, so that you can blur the background to highlight the subject to the greatest extent.

Nine, the opportunity to shoot insects

1. Clear up after the rain: POCO's friend Pistachio told me that the peak of insect activity is to clear up after the rain in midsummer, and at this time, due to the rain on the wings, the activity frequency of small insects is obviously slowed down, and the lighting conditions are ideal, which is indeed the best time to shoot.

2. The sun rises. Kuaiyimen, a friend of POCO, told me that when the sun rises, after a long night, insects start to get warmer and usually come out to move. This is an ideal time to photograph insects. Dew not only slows down their activities, but also oblique sunlight is said to be a brilliant light. But at this time, the light is weak, and it is difficult for civil digital cameras to have the best performance.

3. preset trap: POCO friend Zhidong told me that insects have certain activities. You can use the method of "waiting for the rabbit", focus in advance and measure the foil (such as a flower), and fire as soon as the prey enters.

X. Insect shooting skills

High definition is the key to the success of macro insect photography, mainly focusing. Most friends think that the autofocus of the camera is almost unreliable in macro photography. So learn to use manual focusing skillfully. Only in this way can you have more chances to shoot insects well! When focusing, the focus should generally be on the eyes of insects. If there is an opportunity, you must make full use of it and take as many photos as possible.

Extended reading:

Shooting skills of SLR night scene

First, grasp the prime time

In fact, I really like shooting night scenes when the night comes. At this time, the lights are on, the sunset glow has just faded, and the color of the sky is not black, but with a touch of rosy clouds. At this time, the nightlife of the city has begun, and the crowds are surging and very lively.

The advantage of shooting at this time is that the color of the picture is layered and gorgeous, but the night view of the city is also very appropriate and beautiful.

At this time, the sky looks completely dark to the naked eye, but because of the long exposure of the camera, you can still see some clouds and the afterglow of the sunset.

Second, tripod, pay-off, low ISO.

Needless to say, shooting night scenes usually requires good location and long exposure, so these two points are the most basic. With the support of these two things, there is no need to use high ISO. After all, the quality of low ISO is better.

Third, use RAW

A few days ago, I saw a question on the Zhihu, to the effect that what is the biggest advantage of RAW compared with direct shooting? If I have to answer, it is three words: white balance.

The adjustment of RAW white balance is basically lossless, which is more obvious at night. When you look at the night scene pictures, you will actually find one thing in common: the main color of the night scene is very obvious and occupies a large proportion in the picture.

There are many reasons, mainly two: first, the light at night is not strong enough to support everything in the world to show their own color differences. Second, because of the use of long-term exposure, relatively fixed colors will be continuously strengthened. For example, the color of the sky, on the other hand, because the surging crowd is moving and stays in the picture for a short time, the influence on the color is weaker than that of the sky.

Knowing this, you will find how necessary it is to shoot night scenes in RAW mode. It is no exaggeration to say that it can turn a picture into n pictures. You can try it yourself.

Fourth, choose a good seat

I'd like to introduce some classic seats that I often use here:

1. Overpass

Why choose the overpass? I believe some people have guessed that the overpass can make good use of the traffic flow, and the light created by the traffic flow is exactly what we need. The light of traffic can form a natural extension line, and the other is to enhance the color of the picture, such as yellow light and red light.

2. Seaside

If you live near the Yangtze River and your home is near the West Lake, congratulations, you shoot the night scene a little higher than others. I won't say this. In short, I use the reflection of water to create a dreamy night scene. The advantages of water surface are: first, it can create symmetrical beauty. Secondly, it can improve the overall brightness and color richness of the picture.

3. sidewalks

Some people say that the sidewalk takes a night view? Well, it's really good.

On the sidewalk (not too many people), put a tripod on it and measure light at night, so that people can walk around the camera. The final effect is that "people flow" and night scenes complement each other. However, it's a bit difficult, especially if you have a thick skin.

Fifth, creative play.

This is too much. Let me introduce a few:

1. Light painting

Everyone knows this, so I won't say it. The effect is easy, brilliant and difficult!

2. Zoom photography

Everyone should play this more, and choosing the right seat is the key.

3. Focus photography

It is difficult to focus on the night scene. First, the shutter time should not be too long. Second, you can focus quickly. Third, the fuselage should be stable. In fact, there are requirements for the fuselage and the photographer. If the fuselage is good and the focusing system is powerful, the photographer's basic skills should be solid.

Six, large aperture, small aperture

A large aperture can have a fantastic Jiao Wai, while a small aperture can obtain a longer exposure time and a star-like spot. Select the aperture as needed.

Large aperture

Of course, you can also make a heart-shaped aperture, a diamond aperture and so on.

Heart hole

I won't go into details about some basic things. Let's write this first, and then update it when there is something new.

Pay attention to 6 points when shooting:

1. Keep the atmosphere at night. At night, the light value is relatively low and the contrast of the scene is relatively large. If the sky is too bright or the light is too bright, it will turn night into day and weaken the atmosphere at night. Therefore, the exposure should be properly controlled. When shooting, we should consciously make the exposure slightly insufficient, generally reduce the normal exposure time by 1/3 or 1/2, or shoot when the street lamp is on.

2. Keep the real effect of lighting. The light source of night photography mainly comes from light, and it should show the lighting effect of light when used. For example, when lighting is near bright and far dark, this feature should be retained when using flash lamp to assist lighting. The brightness of the flash can be controlled by the aperture, and the original light can be felt at a slow speed, and the direction of the flash should be consistent with the original irradiation direction of the light.

3. When shooting street scenes at night, in order to render the traffic scene, you can use the method of long exposure to make the lights of vehicles sensitive on CCD for many times. At this point, the lights will draw a bright line on the screen. The number and direction of white lines on the screen can be controlled by the lens cover according to the requirements of composition. If the moving direction of the vehicle meets the requirements, the lens cover can be opened for exposure; If it does not meet the requirements, you can cover the lens cover, which is not sensitive. When shooting, fix the camera on the tripod, cover the lens cover, and then open the T door or the B door (the B door needs to be locked) and take off the lens cover for exposure.

4. Night photography can use one exposure or multiple exposures. One exposure is to fix the camera with a tripod, to control the opening and closing of the shutter with a long exposure and a cable release. Multiple exposures refer to more than two exposures in an electronic file. This method is often used when shooting outdoor lights at night. When it is not completely dark, make the first exposure, which is less than the normal exposure. After the light is on, make a second exposure. If necessary, multiple exposures can also be made. Be careful not to move the tripod during multiple exposures to avoid overlapping images.

5. When there is light on the picture, you can add a cross filter or a starlight mirror to get a radiant effect, or you can add a rainbow mirror or a constellation mirror to get a colorful effect.

6. The asphalt road or smooth ground in rainy days can show the reflection of buildings and lights. If the buildings near the seaside, rivers and lakes are photographed in the picture, the light on the shore or around can increase the brightness and outline the scenery due to the reflection of water.

18 skills of shooting fresh portraits with SLR

I have been in contact with SLR for more than two years, so I don't have much time to shoot scenery and humanities. But I think portrait shooting is the easiest subject to improve the shooting level and my favorite subject. I don't have many professional models to guide the action mode of posing, but I have accumulated some grassroots shooting methods according to my own experience, that is, how to arrange the position of the shooting model in the picture, that is, to arrange and design some actions for the shooting model, but as for those actions, posing is not the only standard. Let's share the communication methods of 18 like beginners and the methods of guiding models to pose in literature and art. Let's "take a long pose" together!

1, staring

The simplest, most common and most direct thing is to stand in front of the camera. Well, it's picky, and expression and angle are also important. Of course, ps is also important. I won't say any more.

Step 2 look back

I really like to let my sister go forward and then go back to various snapshots. Looking back and smiling is also very classic and practical. A seemingly unreasonable retrospect is actually quite emotional.

3. You can talk later

Shooting the back, in fact, the back can really be the best finishing touch for a group of photos. Personally, I prefer to use the scene and the back to blend in the same picture.

4. Whistling in the sky

Of course, this kind of "calling for heaven and grabbing land" is not suitable for every girl, and it varies from person to person. For a lively girl, it is practical to make her cry, watch the sky and laugh happily. The sense of the picture came out.

Step 5 bow your head and say nothing

Having said that, of course, the next step is to bow your head. The so-called gentleness of bowing is the most important thing. Yes, bowing your head gives people a very gentle and quiet feeling.

6. Capture puzzles in an instant

A dynamic snapshot is that you let your sister run, jump, circle, roll and fly, and then you have been in continuous shooting, and there is always one you like, which I think is quite critical and the most natural way to show your true feelings. This series of shots can be used together as a picture.

7, buttress

For the wall, or as long as you can rely on the building surface, it can be used as a reference for shooting a close-up of your sister's face. It is also good to refrain from so-called thoughtlessness, a way to exhaust human suffering.

8, against the wall

With your back against the wall, of course, you can't pose vulgar, but inevitably, the wall you rely on is different from the environment, and you all rely on an object to "pose".

9, the use of fingers

The killing skill "eating hands" is probably just dragging your chin or gently wiping your mouth and touching your mouth. But the use of this hand movement must be reasonable, otherwise the position of the hand is very embarrassing, and it must be just right, so don't gild the lily.

10, close your eyes.

It's vulgar to close your eyes, as everyone knows, but it doesn't mean that girls blink when you take pictures. It's a mistake. Instead, let her close her eyes and shoot and meditate quietly. When you close your eyes and open your eyes in a picture with multiple exposures, it will be more creative!

1 1, look around.

Most commonly used, look left, right, up and down, as long as there is a direction in which the eyes continue, let the model look.

12, look at the camera sideways.

Of course, looking at the camera in a variety of non-direct-looking postures is slightly different from looking back and smiling. It can also be counted as static action, but looking at the camera sideways often can't make the model's movements stiff. This posture pays attention to the coordination in disharmony, which makes the girl's body and head form a strong contrast. Remember, the direction of her body and the direction of her head tilt must be different.

13, Liao Fa

When you are photographing a girl with long hair, it is really a classic way to Doby her and comb her hair. She has nothing in her hand, and her hair is certainly a good prop. Some actions are subconscious, so they are particularly practical. In my spare time, I will ask the model to comb her hair. My left hand is on the left, my right hand is behind, and my right hand is behind. Hold on, wait, there are many ways to hair.

14, grab something

Pretending to touch, scratch and point is vulgar, but it can be seen at a glance. Affectionate and attentive.

15, backlight control

Strictly speaking, backlighting is just a shooting method, not a posing technique. But all the appeals in the backlight are really killer. Generally, everyone likes to watch backlighting. What a warm picture. One trick is that backlighting is inconvenient. Block the sun with your other hand and focus, then click. Also, it depends on the light ratio. Take the nearest Dalian as an example. 5:30-6:30 backlight is the best, and it is best not to fill the light.

16, highest point and lowest point

It is true that standing high can take good photos, and climbing low can also take good photos. If you choose a high point or a low point in your limited shooting environment, no matter what angle the girl puts, it is a surprise!

17, half covering face

Still hiding half her face behind her guitar from us, this old saying still makes sense. When a girl shows half her face, it is also the best picture. At this time, the movements are covering your face, scratching your face and scratching your face. As long as it is natural, it is beautiful.

18, summary, it is very important to find details!

Each group of photos should have details, and the beauty of the details should also be discovered. This is the highlight of a group of pictures. Grasping every local picture is also a good way to enhance your observation ability. I also slowly improve my photography level on the basis of the summary I made after each shooting. I also hope that everyone can exchange and learn photography together. I hope these shooting guidance methods can be given to some beginners who don't know how to be a model. That's all I can think of for the time being. I'll add it anytime in the future.