Anyone who has visited my flickr gallery would know that I am an avid fan of Macro Photography (specially insects). Some people find my passion for shooting insects difficult to digest. What is so tempting about photographing insects that I can spend hours together behind a small creature to get that best shot? Well, it’s the beautiful patterns, or I should say the designs that the insects are gifted – and we are not. These minute details are which I keep trying to capture as I can not admire those with my naked eyes.
Coming to macro photography, it is not as easy as it seems. First you have to work with not-so-cooperative insects and second you need a powerful lens to capture them. Also, either you need some sort of support to steady the camera (a tripod or a monopod or something where you can rest your camera) or you got to have very very steady hands. I don’t have a tripod yet, so I try to utilize my hands as much as possible.
Here are some tips for macro photography –
- Know limitations of your camera – each camera a minimum distance beyond which it can’t focus. For example in normal macro mode, my Canon S3 IS can focus at 1 cm but not less than that. In Super macro mode, it can focus at 0 cm too, nice.
- Have enough light – for macro photography, you need to zoom a lot to get closer to the subject and hence need much more light than shooting at wide angle.
- Get a tripod (I need to get it too) – As you are working at far end of telephoto range, a small shake can give you a completely blurred image.
- Get a good macro lens – Normal point and shoot cameras are generally not equipped with good enough lens for macro photography. You need a lens which can enlarge the image and still retain the sharpness. I use Raynox DCR-250 lens on top of my Canon S3 IS. This lens enlarges the image 8 times and is very good at retaining the sharpness of the subject.
- Keep away from Bumble bees 🙂
Below are some of my favorite macro shots that I have taken over last 3 years.
And finally this video. It’s much more fun when you can capture such wonderful macro videos. I wish I had a tripod.
You wouldn’t appreciate these lovely creatures unless you bend down on your knees and get to their level to see their world.
WOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOOW! omg these are sooo amazing! I love them! i especially love the praying mantis, gosh its beautiful. Macro Photography— thats weird, i would think it would be called micro photography, but ya know words can be weird sometimes, anyways this macro photography is soooo awesome.
Hm. I mean chance, of course. It’s late.
It’s awesome to see things from that close, and that sharp. You don’t often get that change, right?
Great pictures, I would love to get into macro photography. Unfortunately, the only macro shots I’ve taken have been with a telephoto zoom lens or by using the reverse lens technique. I’ll just have to add a macro lens to my want list.
wow – you’re macro shots are absolutely stunning!
I can definitely see why you love taking bugs 😀
Love them! I love taking pics of food, fruit, veggies, trees and flowers. Sometimes birds too. Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Wow! I love these photo’s. I have a canon digital SLR that’s got a macro feature but I am so camera dumb I don’t know what I am doing! Your photo’s make me want to invest some money into a class however!
thats realy awsome
I love macro photography too! I and I love your photographs! I wish I had a powerful enough lense to capture images of such great quality, but this is about as close as I can get. http://smexxy-beanie-queen.deviantart.com/art/Its-a-scary-ickkle-buuggg-132196377
Nice article, I’m definitely going to keep your tips in mind for the future!
Hi there,
These are absolutely stunning photos. I get down on my knees with my children to see the creatures on the ground and you have done an excellent job bringing their presence to many minds.
David
http://www.TheWonderTechnique.com
Hello! What do say about this?
Thanks for sharing! I’m not nearly as good as you but ever since I got a digital camera with a macro setting I have had a lot of fun with it. Sometimes I don’t even see all the detail until I look at the photo on the computer and then I say Wow! – just like I did when I looked at your photos! I have a mono-pod I like for toting around in the woods and fields. North Coast Muse @ http://sally1029.wordpress.com
Great shots!
FYI, I think that flower is a zinnia. Lovely shots!!! I love insects! Especially their faces.
Oh – and by the way, that flower is breathtaking!
I’m just now discovering Macro photographs with my own camera.
Usually, I’m just using my Canon on Date Days with my husband, so I rarely need to get any close-ups {I don’t need to see his pores, lol}, but every now and then, I’ll try it anyway and come out with some new perspective of something, and it’s beautiful.
Thanks so much for the tips – I’ll have to try them out. 🙂
great photos man!
http://www.urbanoptimist.wordpress.com
Very nice site; I enjoy your photos. I’ve done some macro photography in the past but this inspires me a bit to do some more – wish I had brought my 50mm macro lense on this trip (just departing for China this weekend) – with limited room, I find that I can only comfortably take two or three lenses on a “rough” trip. This often limits me to a wide angle, mid range, and a zoom lense… I’d love to find a lightweight macro lense that is small and can fit in the corner of my camera bag…
This is incredible work, I know I’ve done it years ago with an original Nikon F (I purchased in 1963) and bellows, which I still have. Mine was industrial shooting, not nature, and what you’ve done is short of impossible. And you’re doing this without a tripod? Makes it more incredible. You’ve got a talent. Keep working at it.
Great shots, Hard to get the perfect shot. I did a website for photographer and i was able to view some of the work he did. I was shocked at how difficult some of the shots he took were when he explained further. You see a great photo and think wow, but you never understand the effort behind it to get that wow factor. Ian from Chameleon Web Services.
These are great shots! Point and Shoots do take great photos, especially at the macro level.
Those are beautiful photos. I’m interested in macro photography, but I don’t have a lens yet. Any recommendations for good Canon lenses? 🙂
I am into DSLR lenses yet. What I am using is a point and shoot camera with full manual controls. The macro lens I have is Raynox DCR-250 which enlarges the image 8 times.
nice shots!
i’m actually thinking of pursuing a photography hobby.
i guess i’ll be visiting your site quite often to get some tips and inspiration.
wow, these are great! i used to have a macro lens and this makes me want to go out and get one…
These are beautiful! I’m a painter and often scour the web for macro photos of flowers to paint.