How to take macro photos

Lead: John, an IT trainer from Bristol, recently bought Nikon D3 100 sets and a very good macro lens. John is eager to know the potential of cameras and lenses. He has read a lot about aperture setting and focusing mode, but he still doesn't know how to set the exposure mode and whether to use manual focusing or autofocus to ensure the image is clear. We need to find out his problem first.

It is not easy to shoot macro.

Suggestions from Advanced Coach

John is puzzled by the aperture setting, especially that a small f value (such as f/2.8) represents a large aperture, while a large f value (such as f/22) represents a small aperture. Nikon D3 100 will graphically display a relatively large picture on the LCD screen, helping to show it under different aperture values.

When it comes to autofocus, John relies on the camera's central autofocus mode. Although he knows that the eccentric subject needs to lock the focus first and then re-compose, he is not sure how to operate it. It never occurred to me that I could use other focal points of the camera.

Finally, we told John to use the manual focusing mode or the full-time manual function of autofocus in order to take close-up images, but he still didn't know how to ensure the focus on the subject he wanted to shoot.

Don't use the maximum aperture, narrow the aperture slightly to ensure the depth of field.

Use a smaller aperture

The key of macro photography is depth of field. Accurately speaking, how much of the subject is in focus. It is easy to impulsively use the maximum aperture of the lens to blur the background as much as possible, but when we are close to shooting with butterflies, the depth of field under the large aperture is only a few millimeters. If you want to make the subject more in focus, you need to set a smaller aperture, that is, a larger f/ value.

With this in mind, I encourage John to use f/4 and f/5.6 instead of the maximum aperture f/2.8 of the lens. I suggest that he can try to use a smaller aperture, such as f/8, but this will also cause the shutter speed to drop to115 seconds or even lower, making it difficult to shoot by hand. He tried to use a tripod, but the butterfly's rest and foraging were unpredictable. When you get everything ready, it may visit nearby flowers.

Focus on the butterfly's head

Control focus

Many people are used to focusing on the center. When shooting, first place the subject in the center of the picture, half press the shutter, then focus, and then readjust the composition. This is true in most cases, but when shooting very close with a large aperture, the depth of field will be very shallow. A slight deviation of an angle is enough to change the distance between the lens and the local details, thus causing defocus. Similarly, if the subject is moving, this method will not work.

Focus mode selection When selecting the focus point, you can choose the autofocus point closest to the shooting details. In this method, the only thing you need to do is to put this point on the details of the subject, half press the shutter to focus, and then shoot. But even so, there are still problems at high magnification. When the macro lens is too close to the limit, the focusing system of the lens will find the focus in the whole focal length, and the phenomenon that repeated focusing cannot be locked appears. When John encounters this situation, I suggest switching to manual focus, focusing with the manual focus ring of the lens, or moving the camera back and forth to get the clearest image. This method needs practice. It needs to be moved back and forth by a millimeter or two. If there is a slight deviation, you can only get blurred photos.

Processing picture background

A little flash will add luster to your photo. Obviously, flash can be very useful in low light, but flash can also create different effects in good light. One option is to use ambient light exposure and flash to increase the texture of colors and textures. Another option is to deliberately underexpose and then use a flash as an auxiliary light source. In the latter case, it will bring a brighter effect. By arranging off-plane flashlights or reflectors, you will exaggerate the texture of butterfly wings. Off-camera flash can also be used as the background light of the subject, which will create a charming background light. Or you can try to use a circular flash, and take pictures with a soft or even fuzzy flash.

Successful diagnosis and treatment!

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