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Technique MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
Your subject’s background
will either make or break
your shot. You should aim
to avoid messy, distracting
backdrops, but in a
tightknit garden, it can be
tricky to place any distance
between your subject and
its surroundings. Gardens
tend be a busy, chaotic mix
of lawn, flowerbeds, garden
furniture and other
distractions. One effective
way to exclude or disguise
these things is to opt for a
2 W hat ’s your background?
large aperture. An f/number in the region
of f/2.8 or f/4 will generate a shallow depth
of field and diffuse background clutter. It
will also provide a faster shutter speed,
which is useful when shooting handheld.
However, working with a narrow zone of
focus means your focusing has to be
precise. Be prepared to take a sequence of