At times, I’ll also use a more special-
ized lens, the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8
1-5x Macro Photo. This lens magnifies
an image from life size to five times
life size (5x).
In addition to lenses, I highly recom-
mend extension tubes, which allow you
to focus on subjects closer than the lens
can without this accessory (more on this
below). I use the Canon Extension Tube
EF 25 II with all of the lenses listed
above. And for even greater magnifica-
tion than the lenses are capable of by
themselves, you can add a teleconverter
such as the Canon Extender EF 1.4x III
that I use. Most camera systems today
have teleconverters available.Top Tips For Macro Photography
In no specific order, here are some of
my best tips for making macro photos.- Extension tubes are an inexpensive
way to enter the world of macro pho-
tography as they allow you to move in
closer to the subject with any lens. The
closer a camera can come to the subject,
the greater the magnification. So, when I
use an extension tube with my non-macro
lenses like the 24-105mm or 100-400, it
allows me to come in closer, thus magnify-
ing the subject even more. I also use these
extension tubes with my macro lenses and
the 90mm Tilt-Shift lens. You can stack
two or more together, giving you even
greater close focusing.- If you decide to do a lot of macro
work, I highly recommend that you invest
in a true macro lens. Macro lenses have
a flatter focus field than typical lenses,
meaning they’ll be sharper edge-to-
edge, which is especially important for
close-up objects. They also allow you
to get 1x magnification without using
extenders or extension tubes, where most
other lenses don’t let you come in that
close to the subject. I use the 180mm
Macro lens in about 80 percent of my
macro work. This is because it gives me
more working distance from the subject
and also a much narrower view, thus
showing less of the background. - Use a tripod whenever possible.
A tripod really helps you to work the
composition versus handholding. You
Above: Skeletonized Chinese
lantern seed pods placed together
to make an interesting design. Taken
outdoors on an overcast day using
Kodak VS100 film with the Canon
EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM at ƒ/22 for
greatest depth of field.
Opposite: Scarlet macaw shoulder
and wing feathers arranged in a
pattern. When the macaw molts its
feathers, you can purchase them
and do layouts like this. Canon EOS
5D Mark II, Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L
Macro USM. Exposure: 0.5 sec., ƒ/22,
ISO 320.
36 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com