Macro Tips and Stories.

Hey guys, This post is all on macro! Why I love it and some of the tips I am learning for you guys to try out as well!

To start off, I did take most of these on my Macro lens, but two or more of them were taken on a standard kit lens and cropped slightly in, so you don't need anything special to start taking great macro photos. Many cameras have a macro setting as well, that can help to focus closer in and have settings better suited for macro. 

My favorite thing about macro is all the new things you start to notice, and the tiny details you can bring to life for your viewers. This spider web was almost invisible, but when I started looking I noticed the zigzag down the center of the web and the beautiful green spider moving across the web. 

That brings me to my first tip which is: 

1. Look for interesting designs, textures, and colors etc. to capture in you photos. The zig zag in the web above, the the almost skeleton like leaf below both have a very unique design that makes a great subject. 

Tip # 2 is experiment with aperture (or f-stop). Blurry backgrounds (a low f-stop) make the subject pop like in the one below and are used a lot in macro, but aren't always the best for every photo. 

Customize your aperture for each photo. In the photo above I wanted the whole subject in focus and the background slightly blurry but still very interesting, while in the one below I wanted the head to pop, but not the distracting grass background or necessarily the rest of the mantis. 

I am still not great at this, and often when reviewing my photos I see that I should have done it differently, but the more you practice the better you will get!

As you can tell I love insect photography. ^_^

This little bug landed on me while I was sitting under a tree. I brushed him off my arm, and almost didn't notice the amazing colors and interest he carried. 

3. Look and photograph at different angles. You've probably heard this before, but it's really what makes macro interesting. Get down on the ground and look around at things, or look up through the tree's. I have found many subjects by getting down on my knees and looking around at things I would have totally missed If you just walked or stood nearby. 

You can also tell the difference between the photo above and below, and how the originality of the angle really changed how well the photo came out.

I was taking the trash out one morning when I noticed the sun glinting off tiny spider webs dotting our yard. They were super hard to get, but made a great photo. 

4. My fourth tip is make sure what you want in focus is in focus completely. This makes a much better photo and allows you to crop in, without diminishing the quality of the photo. Lighting, color, and arrangement, can be changed some with editing but your focus cannot. (most of these photos are cropped and edited very lightly.) 

I challenge you no matter how good or bad you think you are at photography to get closer to objects and explore the world of miniature.  

I hope you enjoyed this post!

- Meg