MACRO or CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY. SMALL is Spectacular Splendid Accessible Inspirational Awesome

Transcription

1 MACRO or CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY. SMALL is Spectacular Splendid Accessible Inspirational Awesome

2 DEFINITION OF MACRO Technically, macro photography means shooting at a magnification ratio of at least 1:1. True' macro lenses able to produce a magnification ratio of 1:1, or higher. PSSA criterion: Subject being photographed is four (4) times the size of the film frame or digital sensor, i.e. 1/4 life size. Size of the subject in the finished photograph is greater than life size. photography producing photographs of small items larger than life size.

3 MAGNIFICATION EXAMPLES 1 to 2 1 to 1½ (1:1.5) 1 to 1 Two mantids ± 150 mm across. With 22 mm camera sensor, magnification ratio = 22/150 i.e., 1 to 6.8. Dragonfly ± 60 mm wide. With 22 mm camera sensor, magnification ratio = 22/60 i.e., 1 to 2.7. Erez Marom (DP Review, Nov 2011)

4 GENUINE MACRO image SHARP fine detail in image NB!! CLOSE-UP image SOFT detail in image (assuming same f value)

5 EQUIPMENT NEEDS 1. Genuine Macro lens ideally BUT non-macro lenses also offer great prospects Greater value of more costly Image Stabilized lenses (e.g., Canon s IS 100 L f2.8 macro lens = ~R 9K vs. ~R 6K for equivalent non-is 100 L f2.8) is arguable. Lens reversal achieves greater magnification Extension tubes or front-end magnifiers (seemingly reduce imagine quality?) 2. Good lighting ambient light can be used, but various auxiliary light sources almost invariably valuable; viz: Ring flash or twin flash unit LED ring light (used unit for sale see me) Even simple torch (secured to lens or camera leaving both hands free)

6 3. Tripod or stabilizer (seldom practical for active, mobile, living subjects) 4. Steady hand ( coffee-shakes detrimental) 5. Sharp observing eye, knowledge of subject s general habitat and behaviour patterns (many subjects only active at night) 6. Persistent PATIENCE and 7. Persistent PRACTICE help the need to 8. Get CLOSE to your subject (up-close and personal)

7 RULES OF PHYSICS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY IMMUTABLE! Why and How so?? Shallow depth of field (DOF) is the invariable challenge in macro and close-up photography. MUCH expert advice (various internet postings and/or sites) on the subject recommend using the smallest aperture possible (f16 and higher, up to f32 or f64) to offset this constraint. But PLEASE be warned of an inherent danger in this recommendation. I know from extensive personal experience how this advice compromised my earlier endeavours in this genre. Macro and close-up photography is just that up close and personal and accordingly demands high image quality to ensure capture of fine detail necessary for acceptable imagery. Trade-offs between DOF and Quality are RULED BY DIFFRACTION. As an aside, this issue is less relevant in Landscape photography (widely using f16). With distant subject matter, image resolution (capture of fine-detail) is less critical.

8 THE RULE OF DIFFRACTION LARGE APERTURE (lower f-number), most light passing through lens diaphragm ( hole ) is unaffected by diffractive bending: with only small proportion of light encountering blade edges image quality better. SMALL APERTURE (higher f-number), greater proportion of the light will come into contact with lens diaphragm blades and become diffracted image quality lower DIFFRACTION creates soft glow around each focused circle on sensor. This glow (around the bright inner circle) widens as ratio of diffracted to unhindered light rises. When glowing areas of two circles overlap, resolution begins to fail. Diffraction and aperture diameter are inversely related, but image detail is only lost when circles combine.

9 CONSEQUENCES OF DIFFRACTION

10 Fruit fly eye (diameter << 1 mm) f2.8 f4.0 f5.6 f8 f11 f16. Eye perimeter blurring result of shallow DOF Optimum aperture between f5.6 and f8; f7.1 good compromise. Overall blurring result of diffraction at small aperture Very flat objects seem sharpest at f5.6.

11 Magnification, sharpness, and DOF trade-offs: (Canon s flagship MP-E 65 mm 1-5X Macro lens) Greatest detail at highest mag (5X) killed by shallow DOF. MP-E 65 mm 1-5X Macro MP-E 65 mm 1-5X Macro Proportional rescaling indicates optimal compromise at 4X mag

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14 Additional influences Sensor size High resolution sensors capture more fine detail, revealing diffraction effects sooner than Low resolution sensors Cropped sensors (APCS) accordingly better than fullframe sensors for macro and close-up photography. (and, in addition) Cropped sensors provide more magnification (e.g., 1.4 or 1.6 X stronger) than Full-frame sensors, directly helpful for macro photography.

15 A HEARTFELT PLEE Don t be dissuaded by the seemingly insurmountable array of CHALLENGES outlined above. They are provided to fore-warn and fore-arm you as you (hopefully) pursue this genre of photography. It has endless prospects and opportunities elaborated later.

16 PRACTICAL POINTERS MY SUGGESTIONS for live animal 1.Arrange appropriate camera pre-sets ISO 100 Aperture - f8 to f11 Set AF (to get initial sharpness, using back-button focus. BUT then switch to MF). Select rapid fire Set flash sync speed to maximum (1/200 or 1/250) 2.Find a subject, and get as close as possible before it departs (lens on cropped sensor camera helps, especially when subject is potentially dangerous (wasps, bees, etc.) 3.Use AF with back-button focus to set general focal distance on subject in field of view 4.SWITCH TO MF for further image refinement. (Reliance on AF results in various problems). Rock or sway gently to get sharpest focus, and shoot (single or rapid fire ; flash recharge rate can limit rapid fire) NATURE subjects

17 5. Persist with the subject to improve results (try different, better angles, less background clutter, etc.) 6. Keep as perpendicular to subject as possible (especially for butterflies and caterpillars) to keep uniform focal plane 7. Ensure sharpest focus on correct focal point (generally the animal s eye). Often very difficult to ensure if rest of subject also needs to be sharp (and ignore frustratingly common critical remarks by judges made in this respect generally reflecting their ignorance) 8. Practice makes perfect. Perfection can never be absolute, but try, try, and try again. Keep assessing your own images persistently; learn from your own experiences. 9. Post-processing is not addressed here.

18 The attractions of SMALL I was drawn to photography by a primal interest and love of archetypical Wildlife birds and mammals, achieving moderate successes therein: Agfa-Getaway 1993 Top Ten award (Chobe sunset elephant herd) Nature s Best award (Ostrich portrait) Hugh Glennie Memorial Best large herbivore medallion award (Zebras fighting in Etosha), and, contextually more relevant Fujichrome/Getaway 2009 Winning Insects & Reptiles award (chameleon) [the only award with substantial financial value a luxury Kololo Lodge getaway. RAS best image on show As pursuit of this Wildlife interest was increasingly constrained, my recognition grew of the real Full-blown wilderness in my own backyard, even surpassing its Big Park equivalents on several counts Immediate accessibility Much greater and wider diversity of organisms Much greater variety of nature s behaviours and interactions, than publically accessible in Big Parks.

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34 THANKS FOR LISTENING I hope you can begin or continue a fascinating journey into this wonderful and very rewarding genre of photography. Please contact me if I can assist individually, or collectively. AND MY DEEP THANKS TO MCC for all it & its members have done for, and meant to me!

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