Macro Photography made easy.

Details of Queen from a Canadian Coin - Macro photography gets you close.
There are many ways that you can capture a close up of any object.  Typically the methods vary in cost from pennies to thousands of dollars.  Many compact cameras come with a macro mode that allows you to get within centimeters of your subject.  Cell phone cameras, with the addition of a snap-on magnifier accessory can also provide a great deal of magnification.  Most people don't need much more magnification than this.  The challenge with these devices is that lighting and shooting distance are severely limited.

Any macro shooting situation can be addressed by examining five parameters; magnification, illumination, depth of field, image quality, and shooting distance.  Low magnifications can be achieved with most cell phones and compact cameras without any accessories.  Inexpensive accessories allow more magnification.  If you happen to have a DSLR or CSC (compact systems camera - mirrorless that can change lenses) there are considerably more options.

The advantage of the DSLR and CSC cameras is that the lens can be removed.  This allows the camera to be attached to a bellows or extension tube.  These cameras usually often have a hotshoe which allows the use of macro flash units; these get rid of shadows, allow lower ISO settings, and facilitate better depth of field with small aperture use.  The real advantage though is that macro lenses can be used.  I love these because you can get a great deal of magnification while being some distance away from whatever it is you are photographing.

Subject - lens distance is less of an issue for the inanimate, but for living creatures there is enormous value for being as far away as possible.  I have photographed a great many insects over the years and I know the value of distance; there is an inverse relationship between distance and success.  I find that a 105 mm macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction ratios being used on an APS-C sensor camera equipped with a dedicated macro flash is the best overall setup.  You can get even closer if you place an automatic extension tube between the lens and camera body - I use a 36 mm one that really boosts magnification.

I have written a book on macro photography; you can find it here.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen

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