Macro photography shooting skills

Lead: Macro photography is mostly aimed at small objects such as flowers and insects, and the shooting distance is very close. Next, I will bring you practical shooting skills of macro photography. Let's have a look!

Practical shooting skills of macro photography The subjects of macro photography are mostly small objects such as flowers and insects. And the shooting distance is very close, generally only 20 or 30mm, and the photographed object is particularly large, and every detail is clearly discernible, which is the significance of macro photography. Let's take a look at how professional photographers use macro lenses to explore the microscopic world that is difficult for the human eye to set foot in.

Photographic equipment suggestion

Macro photography, 100mm macro lens, commonly known as "Budweiser", is a very suitable lens.

EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is a relatively new macro lens of Canon. Compared with the old Bai Wei, the new Bai Wei has added shock-proof function, improved optical structure and better imaging quality. At the same time, the macro close-up ratio of this lens is as high as 1: 1, that is, the ratio of the imaging size of the object to the object itself is 1: 1, which can meet the shooting requirements of most still life macro photography.

If you want a richer focal length, EF 24-105 mm f/4.0L ISUM is also a good choice. This lens is a kit mirror of Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The most commonly used focal length is 24-105 mm. After reducing the aperture by one level, the image quality is excellent enough to meet most shooting needs. The 105mm end of this lens also has the close-up capability of 1:5, which can be used for a certain macro shooting, and the price is more affordable than Budweiser. Generally speaking, this lens is also a good choice if the application scope is wider and the budget is more economical.

Recommended lens (taking Canon as an example)

EF 100mm f/2.8L is USM.

EF 24- 105mm f/4.0L is USM.

Selection of accessories

Sharp tools can do a good job. The choice of accessories can make the shooting smoother and get better shooting results. It is recommended to use a tripod as much as possible to ensure the best shooting effect. Because of the need for light distribution when shooting, a flash or other light-filling equipment is essential, and a soft mask to soften the light is also essential.

▲ Backlight will make petals appear translucent and glow, giving people a special aesthetic feeling.

EF 100mm f/2.8L is USM, f/2.8,11000 seconds,+1ev, ISO 100. Photograph: Lin Jiaxing.

Photography Skills 0 1: Flower Shooting

When shooting flowers, it is best to choose backlighting or side backlighting. Backlight will make the petals appear translucent and glow, presenting a special aesthetic feeling, and can also create gorgeous spots in the background, making the picture more dreamy.

When taking pictures of flowers, a single flower will be easier to show than a cluster. Stamens, like eyes, are the focus of everyone's attention. Focusing on stamens can make the center of gravity of the whole photo effectively concentrated and layered. If you shoot the back or side of the flower, you can also focus on the veins of petals and leaves, so that the lines of petals and leaves become the focus of the picture. In the morning and after the rain, the flowers are stained with small drops of water, which can make the flowers look crystal clear; Find a good angle, all colors can be reflected in the water droplets.

Photography tip 02: Photographing insects and small animals

In order to avoid disturbing and fast-moving insects or small animals, high-speed shutter is the first point. There are three ways to increase the shutter speed:

Use a large aperture: with sufficient light transmission, the shutter speed will naturally increase relatively.

Increase sensitivity: Canon EOS 5D Mark III has good anti-noise ability, which can ensure fine imaging under ISO 800. If necessary, you can get a higher speed shutter by increasing the sensitivity.

Use flash: some insects are long in size, so to capture a shape with a sense of depth, a small aperture must be used, but it will reduce the transmittance and shutter speed; Fast-moving animals won't give you the chance to turn on auxiliary lights. Flash is the only choice.

Sunlight is the most commonly used way to photograph insects. Through direct sunlight, the lines, textures and colors on the insect surface can be displayed, which is suitable for insects with rich colors and beautiful lines, such as ladybugs or beetles. If you want to highlight the crystal clear wings of insects, backlighting is the best choice, which can make the edges of insect bodies more transparent.

Eyes are the aura of life, the clearer you shoot, the better. Especially tiny creatures such as butterflies and ants, we should pay more attention to the expression of eyes.

▲ When shooting tiny insects, pay special attention to the performance of the eyes.

EF 100mm f/2.8L is USM, f/5.6, 1/250 seconds, ISO 100.

Photography Skills 03: Focusing Skills of Macro Lens

Because of the lens structure, the autofocus speed of macro lens is slow; In addition, the macro lens has a shallow depth of field, the camera shakes slightly, or the subject moves slightly, which will make the main body of the picture out of focus. The focus must be accurate to the millimeter level, which is the safest for human eyes to confirm. From all levels, macro photography is more suitable for manual focusing.

Real-time framing is helpful for accurate manual focusing. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has instant view function, which is very useful in macro photography. You can use the LCD screen to view the scene in real time, and at the same time, zoom in 10 times to view the focus, so as to carry out accurate manual focusing. When the focus is completely clear, press the shutter again to get a completely accurate focused photo.

Manual focusing has some basic operating skills: just like using a microscope in the laboratory, when focusing manually, the thumb and middle finger of the left hand hold the focus ring and rotate the focus rhythmically from left to right, so that the focus swings regularly before and after the target distance, and the fluctuation amplitude gradually decreases. When the focus is accurate, press the shutter, and gently rotate the focus ring to take several consecutive shots to ensure the focus is clear as far as possible.

After mastering this method skillfully, you can focus quickly and improve the speed and accuracy of manual focusing. But then again, if conditions permit, using instant view focusing is still the most reliable shooting method; The combination of the two methods can be used freely in various shooting environments.

Photo Tip 04: Make good use of tripod to avoid vibration.

Macro photography is prone to vibration. A tripod is necessary to get a clear picture. For macro photography, whether the tripod can be easily lowered to the ground height is an important indicator; Because many times the main body is close to the ground, a tripod with a low center of gravity can also effectively reduce shaking.

Tripod should be used with cable release to ensure the best stability. If there is no cable release, you can also shoot with a delayed shutter to reduce the jitter of your fingers when pressing the shutter. In addition, the IS technology of Canon camera also has a remarkable shockproof effect. For Budweiser, turning on this function can increase 2? Three-level safety gate. Even in hand-held photography, under the condition of low-speed shutter, there will be no blur, and the shock-proof effect is quite remarkable for hand-held photography.

Shock-proof technology is not everything. You should choose to shoot with a tripod first, and then use the shockproof function when there is no tripod or you have to shoot by hand. Remember to turn off the shockproof function of the lens to avoid blurring the picture due to active detection of shockproof function.

The above points are all about camera vibration. In actual shooting, the shaking of the subject is also one of the reasons for the image blur. For example, when you shoot flowers outdoors, the wind will cause the flowers to shake, so you should prepare windproof brackets or baffles to reduce the influence of the wind.

Photography tip 05: Suitable fill light

When taking macro photography, the camera lens is very close to the object, which may block some light, so auxiliary light is essential. If there is no reflector, white cloth, white paper and even styrofoam can be used as reflective materials. Pay attention to the direction of light irradiation, make the best use of natural light, and ensure that the light shines evenly on the subject.

Macro photography often uses a special flash: ring flash. It is an auxiliary lighting tool specially designed for macro photography. Ring flash is usually used for macro shooting, which can produce the effect of shadowless lamp, illuminate the object evenly, and there is no obvious unilateral shadow light environment.

Using the ring flash can not only eliminate shadows, but also improve the shutter speed and make the picture clearer. At the same time, releasing the aperture pressure can appropriately narrow the aperture, expand the depth of field and show more picture information.

▲ Canon original SpeedLite MR- 14EX ring flash.