Transformation - Macro photography (LO1, LO2)
1/60s, f/2.8, ISO 100 zoom lens 24-70mm f/2.8S, close up filter
Macro photography refers to taking pictures of small things at a close range. Traditionally, macro photography is defined as any photo in which the subject has at least a 1:1 ratio with the photo negative (or sensor). This means that the image of the subject on the negative (or sensor) is exactly the same size as the real life subject. Therefore, 1:1 is often referred to as “life size”.
Working distance refers to the distance between the end of your lens and your subject. As focal length increases, so does the working distance. Using a macro lens results in a very “shallow depth of field”.
Equipment needed:
Tripod - One of the biggest challenges in macro photography is obtaining really sharp images. Any movement of either the camera or subject will result in less than “tack sharp” images. Therefore, a good tripod is essential for macro photography.
Macro Lens - This is the best optical choice for macro photography. The lens is corrected to focus to 1:1, meaning that the image you’re photographing is the same size on your film/sensor as it is in real life.
Advantages: They often have finely tuned optics, making them very sharp lenses. They are often fast lenses, so you can have quick shutter speeds without loss of sharpness.
Drawbacks: It’s a prime lens, so quite expensive.
Diopters - A close-up lens (or diopter) enables the camera to focus closer than it normally can. This means that the image will appear larger in the frame because you can get closer to it. It will allow you to magnify the image. A diopter is, in fact, a magnifying glass.
Extension Tubes - Adding extension between the lens and camera body will let any lens focus closer.
Magnification = Total extension / Focal length
Total extension is the sum of how much your focusing barrel has moved the lens out from its infinity focus position, and any extension tubes you add. The longer the focal length of a lens, the larger the amount of extension needed to reach the macro regime. A 300 mm lens would need 300 mm of total extension (~1 foot) to go to 1:1. Extension tubes come in different lengths and may be stacked to achieve longer extension.
Teleconverters - These multiply the focal length of a lens without affecting the closest focus distance.
The tripod is the most important tool in macro photography. Macro photography demands more precision than many other forms. The equipment can slow you down, force you to be more patient, and you’ll take better pictures.
My work
I don'‘t own a macro lens and instead I have been exploring the macro photography using close up filters. These are my images. Click to enlarge.
All the above images I took with my camera Nikon Z6, zoom lens 24-70mm f/2.8S.
Conclusion
It was my first experience using close up filters and I was amazed by the final effect they have. You will definitely have much sharper images with a proper macro lens. Some parts of the photographs are not super sharp but it doesn’t really bother me considering I was using a low budget close up filters.
Source: school course materials; internet
