MASTER THE ART OF MACRO

Learn how to shoot incredible close-up photographs of insects in the field with your expert guide, macro maestro Tony North

- Tony North

Macro photography is both a great joy and a huge challenge. Macro can give great fulfilment, because we are revealing the fascinating and often beautiful hidden world around us. However, achieving good-quality macro images can be difficult. I've been doing it since 2017 and am currently writing a book on the subject, and I often still struggle.

But first, what do we mean by 'macro'? Although the term technically refers to 1:1 magnification, most macro photographers take many of their shots at a lower magnification. So in this article, when I use the term 'macro' it also includes 'closeup'.

There are lots of potential subjects in macro, such as flowers, fungi, snowflakes, minerals, droplets of oil in water, and household objects. For many, however, the most exciting and fulfilling subjects are living insects (and other invertebrates) in the field. Here, we can capture not only the creature on a perch, but also possibly bokeh effects such as circles of light in the background.

Over the following pages, I will address what I believe are the five main challenges of shooting insects in the field: fieldcraft, depth of field and focus, focus stacking, exposure and composition. Trying to get all these components right at the same time can feel overwhelming when you are first starting out in macro photography – like juggling five balls.

My first piece of advice for the budding macro photographer is to be patient and persistent. Think of other complex skills you have mastered, such as learning how to drive, or play an instrument.

It took a great deal of practice to succeed, but you managed to do exactly that. So you can do the same with macro.

PART 1 FIELDCRAFT

PRO SHOT Black Darter Understanding insect behaviour is essential for images such as this one of a female Black Darter dragonfly.