Six Tips to Help Improve Your Macro Photography Game
Photography is one of the most lucrative and creative professions you can be in – and that means that saying your competition is going to be fierce would be an understatement. The competition is rough, so you’ll need to take your game to the next level.
Most photographers stay away from macro photography, as mastering this particular type of photography is notoriously difficult. Not only does it require a lot of practice, but it also requires a lot of expensive equipment.
However, if you do manage to master macro photography, it’s safe to say that you have a thriving and lucrative career ahead of you. To honor that, we’ll talk a bit about macro photography, what makes it different from traditional photography, as well as give you our top six tips on how to improve your nature macro photography game.
Why is Macro Photography Different?
Macro photography is, just as the name implies, photography that utilizes a macro lens to capture the subject in great detail. Macro photography is used exclusively for the little things and capturing the finest details on them, which is why macro photography is so popular with people who enjoy nature.
Now, macro photography isn’t for hobbyists only, as it’s used worldwide to film advertisements, create stunningly detailed photographs, and put a great emphasis on small objects.
True macro photography, not the macro option on your phone, will require a special kind of lens that can be pretty expensive. However, investing in a macro lens will let you unravel and explore a whole new world of photography. It will allow you to hone your skills and improve your craft, and produce some stunning photographs.
Now, macro photography is a thing in itself, and you’ll need to take a whole new approach to macro photography. Of course, don’t forget everything you know and start anew, but be prepared for challenges that you didn’t even know existed if you take up macro photography.
To keep it all slick, clean, and simple, here are six top tips that will help you take your macro photography game to the next level.
Get the Right Equipment
Getting the right equipment is imperative in macro photography. You’ll want to invest in a good DSLR that’s capable of taking macro photographs, a tube lens or specialized macro lens, and perhaps most importantly, a tripod or a stand of some sort.
When taking macro photographs, especially in nature, keeping everything as still and as clear as possible is your top priority – so get good, adjustable equipment to help you out.
Take Your Time Practicing
Macro photography is pretty different from traditional photography, and you will need to develop an entirely new set of skills to make stunning photographs. While being dynamic and capturing as much as possible is essential in traditional photography, macro photography is all about finesse and taking a few high-end photos.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you should spend all of your time trying to take one good photo. You should still explore as many angles and options as possible – just take more time with a single shot than you usually would. It takes a lot of practice and time to hit the “sweet spot”, so give yourself as much time as you need.
Macro photography is all about making the littlest things seem as large as possible, which is why it’s so popular in nature photography. Frogs, insects, and even flowers all make perfect subjects for macro photography, and if you’re out in nature, there might be a lot of other tiny things you hadn’t noticed that would make great subjects.
Even if you spot an interesting rock or tiny fungi growing – it can make a perfect subject. The more elaborate the subject is, the better the photo.
Try Using Manual Focus
When it comes to macro photography, using automatic focus isn’t the best idea. Automatic focus is usually built into DSLRs for conventional photography, so it’s less than ideal when you’re trying to focus on something tiny with a very long tube lens.
Instead, opt for manual. Switch the autofocus function off and get to twisting on the lens. Every good macro lens will have a manual focus option, so you should be set. If you’re not using a macro lens, it’s still best to use manual focus to get the most out of your photography without extensive photo editing.
Try Working in Live View
Working in live view is something that most photographers never actually use. If they use it, they use it in highly dynamic environments, so using it for something as focused as macro photography might sound counter-intuitive.
However, the live view can give you a top-shelf perspective on what’s going on and will allow you to have insight into your “stage” at all times.
Don’t Go Overboard With Post-Production
Editing is good. Almost all photos will need some editing and post-production, but you should never go overboard when it comes to macro photography. Keeping your editing to a minimum with some slight saturation and color correction is always a good idea.
If you go overboard with photo editing, your impressive shot will look doctored, and if it’s doctored, it loses a lot of its unique properties and fine details that you might not even notice at first glance.
In Conclusion
Macro photography is one of the most complex fields of photography, which is why it’s also one of the most funs if you’re looking to take some macro pics and are willing to put in the effort – kudos.
Just keep all the tips in mind before you actually go out to your local woods and take some stunning photos. Remembering these six things will put you in a far better position than just going on instinct and experience.
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