“Macro” ADVICE and TIPS for Macro Photographers

Here is my macro advice to you photographers that love to get up close to their subjects.

MY MACRO TIP #1

I’m actually going to ask you to learn COMPOSITION! Really, it is about composition and where you’re placing what your eyes want to go to first in the macro photograph.

We don’t have the landscape where it’s a foreground, middle ground and background but think of it in a way that we do! And I’ll tell you for the newbies, use the “Rule of Thirds”, because it works!

The “Rule of Thirds” makes us look differently than our eyes normally do, so we always look at subjects in the middle, right? When you first look, pay attention, you’re looking in the middle. Get it off of the middle, so we’re excited to see something different!

And there’s got to be a reason, let’s just take it a step further! Do the “rule of thirds” and stack your photographs, how’s that one? Composition is everything, so learn the composition the basic compositional rule of thirds, leading lines and all that fun stuff and you will definitely get your macro photography rocking!

MY MACRO TIP #2

What happens with us photographers is that – we love EQUIPMENT! Want to see all my equipment? I mean I got equipment all over, I have my studio set-up, here’s my equipment down in here.

I LOVE EQUIPMENT!  I think most of us, photographers like our toys. I think what happens is we spend too much money on equipment and sure enough, we’re like “Why isn’t my work working out the way I want it to? It said it would, it said it would work out if I bought this piece!”, well, unfortunately, no it’s not about that.

What I suggest you do is rent! “Borrowed Lens” up here is a great place. I actually use Borrowed Lens all the time when I want to try something new.

If you do not have Borrowed Lens (say if you’re not in the United States), then visit your local camera stores, they may have something for you to be able to rent or use for a day and you just pay.

My number one tip is to do that instead of wasting so much money. I’m sorry, but I think truly you should put money more into coaching than buying your equipment so let’s just jump right into the next one.

MACRO TIP #3

If you’re not going to college, you really need to get some coaching. I did explain more of that in this last video right here, but the coach can really move you quicker than you doing it on your own!

You need a second pair of eyes. I went to college, you don’t have to go to college. You can have a coach like me or somebody else to really help you get your photography to where you want it to be.

I’ve been doing macro photography for years and I have learned so much since I’ve been really focusing on macro photography which really was the beginning of my photography career, so I want to give you my advice.

DON’T GIVE UP, I say that very slow. Please please please don’t give up. A lot of people are like “I don’t have the patience for this”, but you will have the patience because as you learn what macro is all about, getting up close to your subject and having not very much depth of field, you will learn by shooting.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. Ask questions. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Ask questions and then try a different subject. Focus on a subject that’s kind of flat at first and then really focus on bugs outdoors and you know, the wind may be a factor.

Get those challenges. Once you accomplish what you like when it comes to learning macro photography, then go to the next step. Don’t give up. Go to the next step. What can I do now?

Well, I think I want to go ahead and photograph bugs now because bugs are hard unless you’re getting it in the morning. If you’re shooting in the morning, that’s the ticket.

Shoot in the morning, they’re very docile. Dragonflies are super easy too. They come back, they’ll go out and come back, so dragonflies will give you that tip but the most important tip
is…

Please don’t give up.

A lot do because of the time to learn how to focus on the macro work. Don’t binge on tutorials. If you’re taking a course or tutorial on macro photography, finish that course and ask the person who has given you this course questions because you need to dive in with someone to help you understand the whole concept of macro photography.

Do a course or a lesson, complete it and make sure you understand it, and then ask questions if you’re on Youtube. “Ask questions down below”, that’s what we’re here for, to help you.

 MACRO TIP #4

My last tip is for you macro photographers that have been doing it for a while and just sharing it on social media and not really like doing anything with it, it’s time to share your work with the world.  Why not?  Ok sometimes we photograph just for our sanity but YOU DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE 🙂

You can also make a little extra money to get equipment because that’s always fun, or you want to just share it out to the world and be in shows, or be in magazines or whatever, DO IT!

My big tip to you macro photographers is that social media is cool so don’t get me wrong, but you got to get an EMAIL LIST. The email list is where people will actually want your information and it’s awesome because you want to help people with your photography.

You want to inspire them with your photography so you’ve got to start an email list and with “Mailchimp” you can have it for free I believe for the first 1000.

You can also get a website for free at WordPress.com, That’s where I started out. A lot of professional photographers started off with free websites like WordPress.com. There’s nothing wrong with that.

You do need an email list because when social media went down on google+, a lot of photographers were freaking out because that’s where they were connecting. Well, that’s where they made their mistake. That is one of my most important tips for you photographers that are already rocking the macro.

If you have any questions feel free to ask below :0)   Feel free to share the post with other Macro Lovers 📸💖🙌

Cheers,

Janice