74 HIGH TIMES I OCTOBER 2019
WHAT UP, BUD?
Finished bud shots are a staple of any canna-
bis photographer. Everyone loves to see what
they’re going to smoke! These shots tend to
be close-up photos. This is where your macro
lens shines. Think about what your bud will be
sitting on. Think about the color and texture.
Be creative! Start with the same traditional
lighting techniques you use for fresh flower.
Play around with light placement to get the
best possible shots. Many dispensaries need
simple bud shots on white backgrounds, and
it’s a fun way to pick up some extra work on
the side.
MACRO VS. MICRO
Traditional macro photography starts at a
1:1 ratio, or 1x. That means that the subject is
the same size it would be on a 35-mm slide.
I recommend a focus slider, as it will make
life a whole lot easier. A tripod is required to
get blur-free shots, and I even recommend
a remote phone app or timer to make sure
you don’t shake the camera while hitting the
shutter. Even the slightest vibration can cause
your shot to blur.
Mount your camera to the focus slider. If
you don’t have a slider, skip the morning cof-
fee as you’ll need a steady hand. Place your
lights on each side of the subject, making
sure the lens doesn’t block the light. Stopping
down the aperture to f/16 to f/32 will bring
more of the subject in focus, but at some
point it will also reduce image quality. The
main challenge with macro photography is
the extremely shallow depth of field. The only
way to get everything in focus is to take mul-
tiple images at different focus points. Start by
focusing on the nearest point and work your
way back. The more shots you take, the better
chance you’ll be able to stitch together a use-
able final image.
Select the set of images in Adobe Bridge
and select Tools>Photoshop>Load files into
Photoshop layers. Now select all the images
in Photoshop and use Edit/Auto-Align layers.Once it’s finished, select all the layers again
and hit Edit/Auto-Blend layers. Use the stock
blend settings and be prepared to be amazed!POST-PRODUCTION
I prefer Adobe Photoshop for post-produc-
tion, but Adobe Lightroom also works well.
If you shot your images in RAW mode, you
can adjust the white balance, shadow detail,
highlights, saturation and sharpening. After
you adjust the photo to perfection, you can
save it as a standard JPEG image. Select 90
to 100 percent quality for the least amount of
compression and best quality. You can always
resize the photos later.
Photography connects culture, ideas and
people. It freezes a moment in time that will
never exist again. History has shown that
even a simple photo can change people’s
lives. I’d like to think this article might inspire
you to pick up a camera and give it a shot
(pun intended). If a photo is worth a thousand
words, what’s a bud shot worth? mTahoe Mint