Techniques for photographing large insects

With the help of macro lens, a brand-new biological world can be presented in a novel and creative way, especially suitable for photographing tiny creatures such as insects. This article will give you some tips for shooting large insects.

Some skills of photographing large insects

1, equipment recommendation

Macro lens: This equipment is essential for shooting. Nikon, Canon and many factories have good macro lenses. Canon's MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5x special macro lens is a good choice, which allows you to shoot at a super high magnification of 5 times.

Ring flash: This flash allows you to get a macro image with no shadow and full color. Many ring flashlights have left and right tubes. You can also try to use only one flash tube on the flash, or adjust the proportion of light to create a more stereoscopic effect.

2. Try shooting with a large aperture.

The closer you get to the subject, the shallower the depth of field will become, so even if you use the smallest aperture when taking macro photography, the depth of field you get may still be calculated in millimeters. But that doesn't mean you can only use a small aperture. Sometimes, shooting with a large aperture to reduce the depth of field can make more attractive images.

3. Use manual focusing.

Focusing is the key link of macro photography. Even a little jitter will greatly reduce the clarity of the picture, both for the camera and the subject. Don't rely on autofocus, it will make objects at close range unable to focus. Therefore, the manual focus mode is used to track the subject until a clear and sharp picture is obtained.

4. Use a ring flash.

Using flash allows you to shoot at higher shutter speed, lower ISO sensitivity and smaller aperture. Ring flash is an ideal choice for macro shooting, because it can give you a shadowless effect. At the same time, using a reflector or adding a light source on the back of the subject can also create an interesting three-dimensional effect.

5. Use your imagination

Don't just focus on capturing the "full-body photo" of the subject. Get as close to them as possible and make the picture full of details, so that you can clearly and accurately present their detailed features, such as the flapping wings of butterflies, and you can also get shocking, vivid and abstract image effects. Similarly, you can also try to increase the focal length and present more pictures about the living environment of the subject. For example, taking pictures of cobwebs is very classic.

Tips:

Seize the opportunity: most insects, especially dragonflies and butterflies, only stop and pose somewhere when the weather is a little cold. In midsummer, this means that you can only go out to shoot at dawn and dusk, and there are not many opportunities in the rest of the time.

Ensure clarity: If possible, aim the front end of the lens in the direction parallel to the insect body you are shooting, so as to ensure the maximum picture clarity.

Stabilize the camera: when shooting in the mild light at dusk or dawn, you should choose to use a lower shutter speed, so as to ensure the best image effect with the lowest sensitivity. At the same time, a stable tripod and remote control cable release are also essential.