The Canon Magazine 39
macro lenses
Smaller subject shooting skills
For normal shooting scenarios,
such as scenic shots or portraits,
simply employ the same
techniques as you would with
prime lenses if you want to use
the widest apertures of a 100mm
macro lens, eg at f/2.8.
It’s at close distances that a
macro lens really comes into its
own, but the depth of field can be
just a few millimetres. For these
smaller subjects when shooting
so close, set a narrower aperture
around f/16, and switch to manual
focus, then carefully focus on the
part of the subject you want to be
sharp. If the subject is static, put
your Canon camera on a tripod to
be even more precise with your
focusing. If you find it difficult to
focus through the viewfinder, try
using Live View mode and zoom in
to check the focus.
Watch the shadows
Getting life-size images with shorter
focal-length lenses such as a 50mm
macro means that the front of the lens
can be just a few centimetres from the
subject. This can inadvertently throw
shadows (of you, your camera, or the
lens) on the subject. Especially if you’re
taking pictures outside on a bright,
sunny day. Watch out for this when
framing your shots, and if necessary
be ready to alter your position ever so
slightly. Alternatively, use a reflector to
bounce a small amount of light back
into the shadows, use a little fill flash, or
compose wider so your shadow isn’t
causing a problem, then crop your
images in Photoshop later!Mundane made interesting
Even a dead teasel seed head can
appear attractive – it offers great
textures to shoot when captured
with a macro lens up close, and
some flash to backlight the head,
and a little reflector to bounce
light back into the front. By
shooting at f/16 for the best
optical quality on a Sigma 105mm
macro lens its avoided diffraction
causing edge sharpness issues.When you’re taking photos up close, it’s easy for your shadow (or your camera’s shadow) to cause
problems. Learn to position yourself, or consider using a reflector or fill flash to banish the shadows
shadoW in shot no shadoW
By introducing a reflector on the
underside of these mushroom
has fill the shadows in nicely