Blog
Getting close and personal
So this Macro game, what’s it all about? Well here is a definition I found:
“Extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size (though macrophotography technically refers to the art of making very large photographs). By some definitions, a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor is life size or greater. However in other uses it refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life size.”
As I’ve mentioned before there is a dedicated range of lenses that are designed to do this job, which is essentially to allow a much closer focusing distance and hence produce a much larger and detailed image of a small object. As with most things photographic, these lenses do not come cheap and while they can do the work of a “normal” lens as well it is quite an investment, particularly if you are not certain that Macro photography is going to be something that you will do a lot of. There is an alternative (and cheaper) way into this area of photography; extension tubes. These are basically spacers that fit between the camera body and the “normal” lens, the effect of which is to reduce the minimum focusing distance of the lens beyond its normal. The optical quality remains the same as the extension tube has no glass. The catch? Well, depth of field is very much reduced meaning you have to be really accurate with the focus point. Another potential problem is that generally more light is needed. Those 2 factors pretty much make a tripod essential, even on bright days. At these close distances any vibration is magnified and will attack the image sharpness. The upside is that a set of tubes (of varying sizes) can be had for about £30 and are a good way of testing the Macro water. This is what I’ve done and my first results can be seen in the new gallery “Small World”. I’ve gone for a popular subject to start – flowers. With spring on the way (hopefully) colourful blooms and insects will provide a wealth of opportunities to capture some spectacular Macro images. However, if you stop and think, Nature is not the only subject for Macro photography; there are subjects all around that are waiting to be explored more closely. Your imagination is the only limit.
“Extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size (though macrophotography technically refers to the art of making very large photographs). By some definitions, a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor is life size or greater. However in other uses it refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life size.”
As I’ve mentioned before there is a dedicated range of lenses that are designed to do this job, which is essentially to allow a much closer focusing distance and hence produce a much larger and detailed image of a small object. As with most things photographic, these lenses do not come cheap and while they can do the work of a “normal” lens as well it is quite an investment, particularly if you are not certain that Macro photography is going to be something that you will do a lot of. There is an alternative (and cheaper) way into this area of photography; extension tubes. These are basically spacers that fit between the camera body and the “normal” lens, the effect of which is to reduce the minimum focusing distance of the lens beyond its normal. The optical quality remains the same as the extension tube has no glass. The catch? Well, depth of field is very much reduced meaning you have to be really accurate with the focus point. Another potential problem is that generally more light is needed. Those 2 factors pretty much make a tripod essential, even on bright days. At these close distances any vibration is magnified and will attack the image sharpness. The upside is that a set of tubes (of varying sizes) can be had for about £30 and are a good way of testing the Macro water. This is what I’ve done and my first results can be seen in the new gallery “Small World”. I’ve gone for a popular subject to start – flowers. With spring on the way (hopefully) colourful blooms and insects will provide a wealth of opportunities to capture some spectacular Macro images. However, if you stop and think, Nature is not the only subject for Macro photography; there are subjects all around that are waiting to be explored more closely. Your imagination is the only limit.
15/04/2013