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Jan A. Allinder

Photographing the Little Things in Life
A Closer Look at Macro Photography

Article and Photographs © 2001 Jan A. Allinder, All Rights Reserved.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a flash of color. Upon closer inspection you see a beautiful Monarch butterfly fluttering from one flower to the next. You smile.

One of the many reasons we create gardens for wildlife is for moments like this. Our trees, shrubs and flowers provide food and shelter for all sorts of creatures and throughout the year produce a pleasing palette of colors for us. Now wouldn't it be nice to be able to capture some of this on film to show off to friends as well as enjoy again?

Nikon D1 Digital Camera, 200mm f/4 macro. On camera flash set on -1/3, off camera flash set on -2/3. Ambient light - bright overcast.

One of the best ways to photograph flowers and the smaller visitors to your backyard is with a macro or close-up lens. A macro lens allows you to focus closer and obtain in many cases a 1:1 image size. With a 1:1 image size, an image that measures 1 inch will take up 1 inch on your film. This is considered life-size.

Things to keep in mind when photographing the Little Things in Life:

1. Light. In order to take any good photograph, the key factor is light... good light. The best light for photography is either the early morning or late afternoon, when the light is nice and warm. The exception to this would be a bright, overcast day when the light is diffused.
2. Light Direction. As a general rule, it is best to have the sun at your back.
3. Support. A good, sturdy tripod is a must. However, in some situations, you can rest your camera on a bean bag to help hold it steady.

4. Using setup shown above, 200mm macro lens set at f/11 with 2 flashes.

   Camera. I prefer a SLR (single lens reflex) camera that will allow me to change lenses and see exactly what I'm shooting through the lens. However, these basic principals listed here hold true for point and shoot cameras as well.
5. Lens. Macro lenses come in three basic focal lengths 60mm, 105mm and 200mm (this will vary with lens manufacturers). I prefer the 200mm focal length as it gives me more room to work and allows me to isolate the subject. This extra room is a necessity when photographing subjects like butterflies and snakes that normally do not allow you to approach very closely.
6. Lens "Add-ons". By using extension tubes, which go between your camera lens and camera body, you can decrease the minimum focus distance. This allows you to move in closer to your subject, thus making it larger in the frame. You can also purchase filters/closeup attachments that will convert a 1:2 lens to a true 1:1 macro lens. These filters magnify the image ever so slightly, but can make all the difference in the world.
7. Fill Flash. Not all cameras allow you to select fill flash. Whenever the flash is used in many cameras, it becomes the main source of light. For most macro work, this is not always the best choice. I prefer to use natural or ambient light and use one or two flashes to make my subject stand out as well as reduce or fill-in shadows. I want my subject to look as natural as possible.
8. Reflector. If you can't use fill flash, another good choice is to use something that will allow you to reflect the ambient light back onto the subject to "perk" it up a bit.

   Before using the Gold Reflector (Photoflex Gold/White LiteDisc)	With Gold Reflector - Notice the warmer colors and the detail.

   Something as simple as aluminum foil wrapped around a stiff piece of cardboard measuring 8" x 8" (or whatever size you find works best for you). Simply have someone hold the reflector or prop it up at an angle so that it catches the light and reflects it back onto the subject in such a way that it brings life to the subject by warming it up or filling in the shadows.
9. Diffusing Light. In some situations, light filtering through trees can cause "spotty" lighting conditions, which can cause hot spots on your subject. A good solution is to use a white umbrella. By placing a white umbrella between the subject and the light, you diffuse the light and create better lighting on your subject.
10. Film. For the vast majority of landscape work and florals, I find Fuji Film's Velvia to be an excellent choice. The reds and greens are brilliant. If this is too saturated for you, try Fuji's Provia 100F or any of their print films. I also use Lexar Media's Digital Film with my digital camera and adjust the levels in PhotoShop.
11. Focusing Plane. If you are photographing multiple subjects (i.e. two flowers), try to line them up in such a way that they are on the same plane... level. If you can set your aperture/f-stop, set it around f/11 or f/16 to ensure that both of your subjects are in sharp focus.
12. Notes. Whenever you try something new, be sure to take notes. Write down your camera settings and whether or not you used a flash or reflector. Be sure to write down the frame number!

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Other Reading/Resources

Closeups in Nature by John Shaw. Excellent book for anyone interested in learning more about macro photography.

Close-Up Lenses - Kodak's guide to close focusing lenses.

Kodak's detailed guide to Close-up Photography with 35mm Cameras.

Macro Photography - Article about how to take close-up pictures from Photo.net