![]() ![]() Insects can be challenging subjects to photograph at times though as they are often small and well camouflaged, but there are a number of simple techniques you can follow to help improve the quality of your work.Ĭomplete guide to Macro Photography – How to create great macro photosīest Macro lenses for Mirrorless and DSLRįollow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.I've collected a bunch of macro tricks from my own experiences. Then I combined them with some tricks from other very talented and famous macro photographers that I have learned from. In addition to the simple pleasure of creating great images of these intricate and often very beautiful creatures, photography can help highlight the environmental challenges insects face and can raise awareness of how important they are to human well-being. I have been fascinated by insects ever since I was a young boy and, in recent years, have spent many hours photographing them. You can also take photos of insects on your smartphone, read our guide to find out how.Īndrew McCarthy is a photographer and professional ecologist whose awards include a BWPA ‘Hidden Britain’ category win in 2018. Alternatively make stabilisers from knitting needles, gaffer tape and clothes pegs. Stabilisers Wimberley Plamps are invaluable, but you will need a separate ground spike or small second tripod to attach them to.I use a ball head but many macro photographers swear by the fine adjustments offered by a geared head. Tripod and geared head A good tripod with a specialist macro arm and a good quality head are essential.Macro lens A macro lens with a long focal length of around 150mm or a close-focus telephoto zoom such as the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM or Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150 f/2.8 will allow you to stay further back and minimise disturbance.Process images with specialist software such as Helicon Focus and Zerene stacker both are intuitive to use. Stacking allows wider apertures, which can result in cleaner backgrounds. Some cameras have automated stacking functions that make this type of work easy from a tripod alternatively, shoot overlapping shots by incrementally rotating the lens barrel by hand. If the wind is light try focus stacking if your subject remains still. Alternatively, get creative and shoot with a shallow depth of field through vegetation to create out-of-focus effects.įocus stacking can increase the sharpness of your images. Wind can cause subject movement, in which case increase ISO, use a wider aperture, or stabilise vegetation by using clamps on a small second tripod or ground spike. Aim for reasonably small apertures – f/8 is a good starting point on a full-frame camera – but not so small that diffraction softening becomes a problem. Keep shutter speeds high (around 1/250 sec) to ensure pin-sharp shots. What camera settings are needed for insect photography? A tripod enables precise adjustments focus manually, use depth-of-field preview or use live view for critical focus. As a general rule, align your sensor with the plane of your subject to get as much of it in focus as possible. If you need to move vegetation out of the way do it carefully and reposition plants afterwards so the insect remains hidden. Shoot from a low viewpoint and frame your subject against a clean background wherever possible. ![]() Aim for clean and simple composition for insect photography Simple composition can be highly effective for insect photography. ![]()
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