Guide to Macro Photography

IT IS SAID THAT BEAUTY ALWAYS LIES IN THE DETAILS. THE MONSOON IS ONE OF THE BEST TIMES TO USE YOUR MACRO LENSES. SO WHY DON’T WE USE MACRO LENSES TO CAPTURE THESE DETAILS? MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY IS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING GENRES OF PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT IT’S NOT ALWAYS THE EASIEST EITHER. LET’S EXPLORE WHAT AND HOW CAN WE CAPTURE MACRO SHOTS? MACRO LENSES GIVES US THE FREEDOM TO CAPTURE DETAILS OF ANY OBJECT OR LIVING THING. IF YOU TRY SHOOTING WITH MACRO LENSES, YOU WILL OBSERVE THESE AMAZING DETAILS. WHETHER YOU ARE AT HOME OR SHOOTING OUTDOOR, THESE LENSES GIVES US GREAT RESULTS. WHILE SHOOTING YOU HAVE TO BE VERY PATIENT AND STEADY.

- KASTURI PAWAR

What to shoot?

One of the best subjects to shoot when it comes to macro are insects. Take a walk in the garden and focus on the sounds of insects. Try and capture them and if needed don’t hesitate to lay on the ground to take that perfect shot. Make sure you will take a deep breath before clicking any shot. Adjust your frame according to your subject and compose your subject perfectly without cluttering in the image.

You can shoot different insects, small plants, flowers, butterflies, reptiles, animals etc. When you are shooting outdoors be careful of not stepping onto your subjects. You don’t want to accidentally harm what you are about to shoot.

How to shoot?

If you are clicking spiders or flies then make sure your focus is on their eyes. Focussed eyes with nice and clean background will create great depth in the image. Once you get used to macro photography, experiment with different angles, framing and various ideas. For instance if you are shooting something indoors, conditions like a glass of soda then it is always advisable to cut the slice of lemon and drop it in the glass of soda. The lime will create bubbles making the shot dramatic and creative. You can experiment using ice cubes as well. Experiment with several objects with different colourful backgrounds for more creative shots.