Light and Lovely Macro


Photographic Field Guides




The Photography Blog

Practical Philosophies
Careers and Ideas
Good Gear
Inspiring Journeys


June 2015

50mm
1/400th @ f/2.8
ISO 400
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

20


Light and Lovely Macro
Few people take full advantage of extension tubes, but they are affordable, light and easy to use. Turn your telephoto zoom into a macro lens within seconds and explore the world of all things small.



The Photography Blog




I don't own a macro lens, I have to confess. I already have to slink through airport check-in counters in the hope they wont weigh my camera bag, so adding another lens to my kit is not an ideal option. But every now and then I find something really small and really fascinating that I want to shoot up close. There's nothing like the intricate curves and colours of native flora to add some contrast to a set of landscape images in the Red Centre. The solution costs about $100 and weighs less than a spare battery, it's called an extension tube.

Extension tubes are usually simple bits of technology, a hollow barrel that sits between the camera and your lens which effectively changes the focal plane once inserted. The smart versions retain data communication between the lens and body or enable the autofocus to function. This is a quick fix for low cost macro, so luxuries such as autofocus are neither assumed nor critical.

Once you slip that tube between the lens and camera you are essentially rendering the lens ineffective for normal duties, no longer able to focus on infinity and transforming the focal range to something measured in centimetres instead of metres.

My favourite combination is a 70-200mm zoom with a 25mm extension tube, starting with a quality piece of glass to ensure I finish with a quality macro shot. Canon, Nikon, Sony and others all make superb versions of this lens, sharp and fast at f/2.8 and equipped with image stabilisation to help steady the shot in low light. Adding a 25mm extension tube to a 200mm lens brings my macro range down to about 1:2, while at 70mm I have 1:1.

Zooming between this range lets me adjust between those two levels of close-up. Focusing is achieved by simply locking in the manual focus, selecting infinity and pushing the lens closer to the subject.




The lens wont focus on anything outside a very narrow band of distance, so you'll quickly notice when you're coming into range. Canon's extension tube used with their 70-200mm, for example, does support autofocus operation but you still have to get within that band before letting the camera pull focus for you. This is one time when autofocus is not always ideal, and there is a better way to get the shot right.

Switch to continuous mode and crank up the shutter. I like to dial up a little extra ISO to enable more generous shutter speeds without sacrificing my depth of field, and provided you're not shooting in semi-candle light the high ISO settings of most DSLR cameras will barely impact your image quality. I routinely shoot in daylight at ISO 1600 to harness both speed and depth simultaneously.

With the camera locked to manual focus, high shutter action and my preferred depth of field, I get ready to shoot. I start by framing up the shot and positioning the lens to suit my focus. I pull back just a smidge, hold down the shutter and let the continuous frames fly. As the camera grabs a sequence of frames I gently push forward through the subject, slow enough to avoid blur at my high shutter speed. What I end up with are lots of frames that are just out of focus, and a few key frames that have precisely what I want.

If your taste is for very shallow depth of field then this technique will give you the exact frame you're looking for. If you've opted for a wider depth of field then you'll have a few extra frames from which to pick a favourite.




I've used this technique to shoot green ants, red spiders, yellow ochre and all manner of botanical blooms. If you start with a quality lens then you will finish with quality macro shots. I have also coupled the 25mm tube with a 50mm standard lens, but the combination plants you too close to the subject itself and the lens itself begins to crowd out the light. Telephoto lenses with the longer extension tubes not only give you intensely close macro, but let you shoot from a safe distance.

My very first exhibition was of dry leaves set in the Australian Outback, and to this day I can't walk past a nice patch of leaf litter without contemplating potential compositions. This isn't always a matter of macro shooting, just getting very close to the little things discovered on my journey. I have even found that my 24mm prime lens will get extremely close to flowers and offers a unique wide-angle perspective at the same time. Having the extension tube on hand at all times allows me to take it one step further, to go from close-up to macro.

Stopping to focus on a few bits of bark and leaves beneath a towering eucalyptus gum gives you another perspective to appreciate. Little things matter as much as the grand landscapes. The inherently narrow depth of field offered by getting close-up to the subject gives you a lot of opportunities for creative composition, and enhances your appreciation for the fine detail of the natural world. Unlike a classic landscape image you don't have to wait for the perfect light either.

Anything that slows down your pace while shooting is a good thing. This is the photographic equivalent of stopping to smell the flowers, only I suggest taking a few photos as well.



Please Share Your Thoughts



JUST THE FACTS



This story first appeared in Digital Photography Magazine Australia.

facebook.com

SOFTER THE BETTER
Avoid direct light for macro shots in the wild, the world of things minute turns harsh and drastic when bombarded with brilliant sunshine. Soft light of early mornings or semi-shade is kinder and richer in this realm.

TUBES FOR SALE
Get yourself a kit of extension tubes, ranging from 5mm to 25mm. The longer the lens the longer the extension.
This feature was last updated on Sunday 19th May 2013

Copyright: All images and words on this web site are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
Article published and written by
#1165


Related Links
  Australia  Photographic Field Guides  Macro  Extension Tube  Close-up  Flowers  Insects

Fabulous field guides for my favourite destinations. Full of rich detail to help you make the most of your photographic opportunity on location.

Layers of Colour with ICM

Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) is a doorway to opening your creativity. Here I present a hands on guide to getting started, with an emphasis on using ICM to blend colours and textures.



Panning for Gold in Kathmandu

Panning is a simple way to kill an afternoon and make yourself exhausted. The concept is pretty simple: you use a slow shutter speed like 1/30 of a second to separate a moving object from a chaotic background. Hundreds of your shots will be useless. A rare few will be perfection. Those are the ones you show your friends.



Butterflies in Bhutan

I'm going to miss Bhutan when I head home, but this time for the most tiny of reasons. The butterflies. Having a few days to step into their miniature world of scaly wings and hairy heads has been an absolute joy.



Stars Over Uluru

I've written a few articles on the basics of star trails, but the finer details on making your trails look as lovely as possible are often where photographers struggle the most. This article explores the finer points from my annual visit to Uluru to chase the stars.



See What I See

Introducing my new series of streaming videos you can enjoy at home, and see what I see after taking a walk in the park with camera in hand. See what I see as I walk through the images on my desktop and extract precious moments from the RAW files.



Below the Treetops

Two hours drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast is Lamington National Park and a patch of highland rainforest surrounded by valleys of eucalyptus woodlands. Much of this region is regrowth that has re-established after being cleared by graziers in the early 1900s. Today these forests are home to numerous species of birds, and the cattle have been replaced by tourists. Birders and photographers come here especially to see the Regent Bowerbird, and enjoy a number of other hard to find species.





Ewen's Photography Book



"ReIMAGINE" is now available to order online.
It's a very big and very generous book that will help you to reconnect with your creative side.


ReIMAGINE







Stay Inspired
Join Ewen's newsletter for short updates on new articles and photographic inspiration.

Thanks, you are now subscribed. Please check your inbox for a welcome email.




Computer says NO.
Please check the email address.