How can an ordinary leaf be creative?

It may sound difficult to shoot leaves, but reasonable shooting is a very creative subject. How to use macro photography to emphasize the beauty of simple leaves, and improve your creativity and macro photography skills of leaves through the skills we introduced.

First, collect all kinds of leaves to increase creativity.

Shooting all kinds of leaves will help you better understand your unique macro photography style. Every macro photographer has a preference for color, angle and detail. The more subjects, the easier it is to find the subjects that interest you most. Collect leaves of different colors, shapes and sizes. Don't be afraid to use old or dull leaves. The most inconspicuous leaves may give you a lot of inspiration!

Second, take photos of leaves outdoors and accumulate experience.

Besides collecting leaves, you can also take photos of leaves outdoors. The more experience you gain, this is a simple way to become a more flexible and imaginative photographer.

Taking pictures in a fixed position is also very suitable for inspiration. You may find that the position of a leaf is taken from an unusual angle, which may bring creative photos and new ideas. Visit the park and look for unusual colorful leaves.

Third, use dry leaves to emphasize leaf texture.

Fresh leaves can symbolize hope and life, while old and dry leaves symbolize the opposite. You can use them to take unique macro photos.

If you don't want to use old leaves outdoors, you can dry them at home, let them dry or put them in the embossing machine to speed up the process. It may take weeks or days to get the desired results.

Fourth, the soft background uses a large aperture.

There is no right or wrong in leaf photography. You can try different camera settings and find your favorite style. But if you want a soft macro appearance, you need a large aperture, which is the so-called small F number, such as

F/ 1.4, the smaller the number, the more blurred the background looks.

Generally speaking, if you want to take clear photos of leaves with a large aperture, a fast shutter speed will be very helpful. If you want to take abstract macro photos, you need to do the opposite. The slower the shutter speed, the more abstract the effect. If you use a slow shutter, even a slight hand movement will blur the image, so it is best to use a tripod.

5. Use manual focusing to avoid shooting out of focus.

Auto focus is a practical tool, which can save you a lot of time. However, when you try to shoot small details, it may make people feel helpless. Macro blade photography uses manual focusing as much as possible. It takes a while to get used to it, but you will soon have an intuition about it. In this way, you will be able to effectively avoid unfocused shots.

6. Take photos in natural light to increase the depth of macro photos.

Natural light is almost every photographer's trustworthy partner. You can use it to create rough, soft and mysterious photos of leaves for anything you like. You can take macro photos of leaves with natural light in many ways, put the leaves in the sun to enhance the color and highlight the texture, and cover the leaves with different shadows to create depth. The lighting technology you use depends on your style and theme. Try as many technologies as possible to get the best results.

7. Keep the background simple and highlight the details of the leaves.

Background is an important part of photography, but they don't always have to look good. In macro photography, the background is usually invisible

It is rare to see a vibrant background in leaf photography. However, if you want to shoot from an angle that shows the background, please make sure to choose a simple color. The simpler the background, the more natural the leaf photo looks. A white background will make your macro photos feel minimalist. A black background will make your image look colorful; If you combine a dark background with atmospheric light, you will get beautiful macro photos.

Eight, shoot a fantastic macro effect through plastic wrap or colored paper.

Many lenses and lens filters can help you take wonderful macro photos. However, if you just want to try macro photography, these may be expensive and impractical. You can use DIY filter instead. All you need to do is cover the lens with plastic wrap or shoot with tracing paper. Plastic wrap will make your photos look abstract and hazy. In order to get a more dreamy effect, please add a layer of plastic wrap in front of the camera. Colored paper will have an ethereal effect, depending on the amount of light you use. You can also put the leaves directly on colored paper or ask someone to hold them for you, so as to ensure that you can shoot under bright light.

Nine, use water droplets, flashlights or pigments to create eye-catching shots.

If you have individual leaves, you can cover them with water drops, glitter or paint. It is still possible to increase the depth of field and create a lens with a shallow depth of field, thus raising it to a new height.

Shallow depth of field will produce more blur, which will help to separate your main theme from the background. It eliminates interference and creates a beautiful composition. You can use f/ 1.8 or something.

Such a large aperture can obtain a shallow depth of field. The more blurred the background, the more shots you can create. Be sure to shoot from an angle that can produce depth. If you shoot directly above the leaves, you will not be able to capture the correct lens. If you shoot from a low angle and focus on a drop of water, you will create many interesting shots.

Ten, focus on the details of leaves, increase the interest of the lens.

Taking photos of leaves from different angles can focus on the stems of leaves, or make a super close-up of raindrops at the tip of leaves, and the leaves themselves don't have to be visible all the time. If you want to get more creativity, you don't have to follow the traditional photography rules, and the final photo can look as abstract as you like!

Macro photos make your lens more creative and aesthetic.

It is difficult to choose the focus in leaf photography. By paying attention to patterns and symmetry, you can make your lens more creative. Most leaves have some symmetry. If you make it your focus, your photos will look beautiful. You can also get close and shoot tiny patterns, which will highlight the beauty of the leaves and make your photos look more attractive.