Photography Breadth Assignment #3

Magic Mystery Macro Photography

Focus: Repetition, rhythm, balance, Proportion, figure/ground, unity,

Goal: Use a zoom lens to take extreme close ups of 10 different subjects.

What is Macro Photography?

the term macro used to refer to the capture of an insect or whatever, that resulted in an image on the 35mm film frame (24x36mm) that ranged from 1:10 to 1:1 the size of the original subject. For its part, the term macro referred to a film image that was larger than 1:1 life size; macro photography could easily give you a 35mm film image of an ant that was itself larger than the original ant.

Normal photography works in using a camera to record a sharp image by adjusting the lens-to-sensor distance to attain precise focus: for distant subjects at infinity, like landscapes, the lens is positioned at a minimum lens-to-sensor distance; to capture sharp images of closer subjects, like people, the lens-to-sensor is increased. In macro photography, a sharp image of a tiny object requires the lens to be positioned much closer still, with the lens moved even further out than for normal photography.

How to Take a Macro Photograph

Engage macro mode on a digicam and the system adjusts the lens elements to re-arrange them into an array that best suits close focusing. Unfortunately, by engaging macro mode with the vast majority of cameras you lose control of both the lens aperture (f-stop) and shutter speed.

Why is this so important?

The best macro photography — regardless of camera — requires that you use the smallest lens aperture to gain optimum image sharpness and depth of field. Using a small lens aperture means you need more light, so you need to extend the exposure time to make a correctly exposed photograph.

So you can’t reduce the lens aperture to a smaller, more favorable setting; nor can you slow the shutter speed to permit the use of a smaller lens aperture.

With DSLR cameras the macro operation is somewhat different. Select macro and you activate a different chain of events: with any lens fixed to the camera, engaging macro mode on the camera commands the lens aperture to close to its minimum, so extending the depth of field and allowing you to move closer to the subject.

Some things to Think About:

Composition Repeating or repetition of elements

The Rule of Thirds Birds Eye vs. Worms Eye

Color & Texture Image Interpretation

Websites with Additional Hints:

- Look through the pro tips on how to take great Macro photos from National Geographic.

- Learn how to create Macro bubbly photos from JFotography.

- Learn how to create Refracting Dew Drops from Brian Valentine.