Little World by David Maynard |
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I recall countless summer days in my childhood spent finding and catching creepy crawlies of all kinds. There were hours of observing spiders creating and patrolling their masterfully constructed traps, ants building villages, reptiles stalking and taking their dinner. I was mesmerized by the intricacy and drama of this amazing miniature world that exists right under our noses, yet is hardly noticed by most people. |
This fascination has never left me. In fact it has grown over the years. So I suppose it was inevitable that my photography would include a great deal of nature macro work. The ability to capture this level of detail has allowed me to explore the world of these tiny creatures with more clarity and depth than simple observation could have ever allowed. One of the more daunting challenges in close up photography is the struggle for an acceptable Depth Of Field (the distance between the nearest and the most distant portion of the image which is in focus/sharp). At these magnifications the DOF can become very shallow causing very little to be in focus. When I first started I was shooting with mostly ambient light, and I used a standard lens with stacked “Close up lenses” (Diopters). Diopter lenses can be stacked in front of your lens to increase magnification. But the more you stack the more image quality/sharpness you will lose, especially around the edges. Also as you add magnification the DOF becomes more and more shallow. Shooting with ambient light limits you to a wider aperture (lower f-stop), and therefore an even more shallow DOF. |
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Adding flash helps get a higher f-stop but because using Diopters typically requires a very short working distance (Distance from lens to subject) it can be difficult to get the light to the subject evenly and effectively. Switching to a quality Prime Macro lens was a turning point for me. While a quality Macro lens is more expensive than the Diopter option, the advantages are certainly worth the expense. Quality loss from stacking is reduced when using 1 Diopter on a 90mm macro lens, or eliminated going to a 180mm Macro 1:1 without a Diopter. |
Just as importantly, this allows a greater working distance between your lens and subject, enabling you to take effective control of your lighting, and reduces the chances of scaring your subject away. An even greater working distance can be obtained by using a 2X Tele-Converter. My lens of choice is the Tamron SP 180mm f/3.5 Di LD 1:1 Macro. I often use the Tamron SP 2x Tele-Converter with this lens. Having the working distance I needed led me to my next major turning point, Lighting. For the very small subjects such as bugs, I often use a pro quality 9” ring flash converted for battery operation. For shiny or specular subjects such as frogs and snakes I use 1 or 2 heavily diffused flash heads on a portable power pack. |
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There are of course several viable choices available for lighting your macro shots. When choosing the one that is right for you, you will want to consider the power range and adjustability, weight of the gear, and color temperature shifts throughout the power range. Generally, 200ws to 400ws is more than enough power for macro work, but look for the greatest output adjustability you can get. Some lower quality flash systems have large color temperature shifts between the low and high power settings. If you are using digital this is problematic. So look for a system that has a minimal variance. |
