This document contains a student's portfolio and notes on macro photography. It includes the student's thoughts on various portrait, landscape, and macro photos they have taken. It also summarizes techniques for macro photography shared by photographer Heather Angel, such as using different lenses, extension tubes, and flash. The student outlines plans for an exhibition titled "Spectrum of Small Life" showcasing their macro photos and discusses the equipment needed for macro photography, including a camera, tripod, SD card, and macro lens.
2. PORTRAIT
I don’t like this photo because the
lighting is very bad on one side, if I
were to do it again I would make
sure there is better lighting
I like these two photos because it
is a little different than the normal
portrait photos.
I like these photos because the
subject isn’t too lit up but at the
same the time she isn’t to dark
and the bright surroundings make
her stand out
3. LANDSCAPE
I don’t like these photos because they are just
normal and look a bit boring, if I were to do them
again I would look further and try and find
somewhere a bit different.
I like this photo
because the
foreground is very
prominent and the
distance is all faded
making this
landscape a little
different
This photo I like
because rather than
it just be being a field
of distorted/faded it
is open but there is a
lot going on making it
a bit different and
more interesting.
4. MACRO
I love this photo because the green leaves
really makes the pink in the foreground stick
out to the viewer and really makes the berries
more prominent.
I like this photo because there is
nothing to distract the viewer from
the big purple beauty of the flower.
This photo I really do like because there is
a lot of green but there isn’t to much green
that it becomes overwhelming but the
yellow on the green really makes a good
contrast of colour.
I like this photo because the purple really
sticks out to the view but the mass of purple
really makes the photo nicer because of all the
different shades of purple rather than just one.
This photo I think is just amazing
because of the bee. To have the black
and the yellow contrast with the green
on top of the purple really makes a
good photo in my opinion.
5. ABSTRACT
I like this photo because you cant tell
what it is, even when I look back at it
I get confused on what it is which
makes a good photo.
I like this photo because you cant tell what it
is, even when I look back at it I get confused
on what it is which makes a good photo. This
almost looks like a canyon or a crater
because I am so close to it.
This photo I like because the bottom
right almost looks distorted and
looks photo shopped when it isn’t
which I think looks very good
This photo makes everything look a bit weird
because when you look through the lock you
cant see much but the rest of the image
doesn’t reveal much either so it makes the
view puzzled
This photo I like because half way down the
wooden pole isn’t distorted but the top and
the bottom is.
6. MY CHOSEN AREA
I have chosen to do macro to study
and to do al l my research on.
I have done research onl ine and have
found a photographer to study and
look into and to look at her di f ferent
macro photos.
The photographer I have chosen to
look at is cal led Heather Angel
I have found these photos she has
found, the one at the bot tom is of a
tarantula about to bi te the camera
t h a t ’ s w h y t h e f a n g s a r e s o
prominent . The one at the top is of a
ver y close f lower that had just been
pol l inated and I think she has real ly
grasped the di f ferent colours in the
f lower and real ly exposed something
ever ybody takes for granted
7. HEATHER ANGEL
Heather Hazel Angel MSc is a
British nature photographer, author
and television presenter. She is
also the owner/ manager of a
photographic agency which sel ls
her pictures for use in print and on-l
ine.
Born: 1941
Education: University of Bristol
8. MACRO TECHNIQUES
1. Choose the Best Lens Opt ion
Gatekeeper but ter f ly macro image
Gatekeeper but ter f ly. Nikon D200, Nikon 200mm macro lens. 1/160sec @
f/8, ISO 100.
The focal length of Macro lenses ranges f rom 50mm to 200mm. Al though
many zoom lenses boast a macro set t ing, these are usual ly less than hal f
l i fe-size magni f icat ion – t rue macro, however, begins wi th 1:1 and nothing
less.
A 50-60mm lens is sui table for general macro work but i f you want greater
subject -to- lens distance a 100mm lens wi l l give you this at a pr ice.
For creatures l ike but ter f l ies and dragonf l ies, lens-to-subject distance
becomes even more impor tant so focal length needs to be greater.
The 150-200mm range is the most expensive, but you wi l l appreciate the
ext ra power when stalking f l ighty subjects l ike this Gatekeeper but ter f ly.
9. MACRO TECHNIQUES
2. Make a Standard Zoom Focus Closer by Adding Tubes
Oedemera Nobi lis. Nikon D200, Nikon 18-200mm lens with
20mm extension tube. 1/125sec @ f/11, ISO 400.
Extension tubes fit between the rear mount of the lens and
the camera body to make the lens focus closer and therefore
produce a much bigger image of a smal l subject.
This image of a thick- legged flower beetle was shot with an
18-200mm zoom lens and a 20mm extension tube added. This
is a much cheaper alternative than buying a macro lens but
tubes are more fiddly to use in the field.
Also, with an extension tube fitted you lose the infinity end of
your focusing range. Add more tubes and this becomes
increasingly more l imited.
10. MACRO TECHNIQUES
3. Add a Diopt re to Make a Lens Focus Closer
Golden- ringed dragonfly. Panasonic Lumix FZ30 f i t ted wi th a Cokin +3
diopt re. 1/250sec @ f/3.6, ISO 200.
Close-up f i l ters are single-element lenses that look l ike magni fying
glasses.
These f i l ters screw into the f ront element thread and can provide an
inexpensive al ternat ive to splashing out on a pukka macro lens.
They come in a var iety of st rengths that are measured in diopt res.
Close-up f i l ters are of ten avai lable in sets of +1,+2 or +4 diopt re
magni f icat ion.
Diopt res are also avai lable to f i t Cokin style square f i l ter systems.
Add a diopt re to a br idge camera or a compact to achieve real close-up
shots.
The golden r inged dragonf ly shown here was shot on a Lumix FZ30
camera wi th a +3 diopt re added to the f ront element .
11. MACRO TECHNIQUES
4. Use Aper tures to Control Depth of Field
The lef t snowdrop shown here was shot at f/2.8 whi le the one
on the right was taken at f/22.
To get the most out of avai lable depth-of-field, select a smal l
aper ture l ike f/16 or even f/22.
You wi l l find that at hal f- l ife size the depth of field you can
achieve at f/22 wi l l be only around 15mm at best.
On the other hand you may wish to go to the other extreme
and show as l ittle sharpness as possible by opening up to ful l
aper ture l ike f/2.8 or f/4.
One advantage of the latter option is that any out-of-focus
highlights wi l l show as circle- l ike bubbles that can look very
attractive.
12. MACRO TECHNIQUES
5. Blend Flash wi th Ambient
With more static subjects it can be fun to add a bl ip of flash
just to l iven up an image.
In this composite shot of a sycamore leaf , both images were
exposed for natural l ight; however, the bottom image was
given a bl ip of of f-camera fi l l - in flash and the shutter speed
was increased by one stop in order to darken the background.
Sycamore leaf . Nikon D200, Nikon 105mm macro lens. 1/125
(top) & 1/250sec (bottom) @ f/8, ISO 100.
13. MACRO TECHNIQUES
6. Use a Third Hand
A ‘ t h i r d h a n d ’ d ev i c e i s a n e s s e n t ial ma c ro p h oto g r aphy
accessory. I t wi l l enable you to suppor t or position subjects
just where you want them. In turn, it can also help to provide
endless possibilities of positioning backgrounds.
14. MACRO TECHNIQUES
7. Fine-tune Macro Pattern Compositions
Fungi. Nikon D2X Nikon 105mm macro lens. 1/15sec @ f/11,
ISO 100.
Although we can crop things using sof tware later, it is best to
fine-tune composition in-camera at the time of shooting as
much as possible.
With close-up pattern details, ensure they either fi l l the frame
completely so that there are no gaps around the edges.
Alternatively show the entire pattern with space al l around it.
These two shots of the same fungus i l lustrate how these
opposite approaches look in practice
15. MACRO TECHNIQUES
8. Point of Focus
I t is imperative to consider the actual point of focus when
working close-up with tiny subjects. You can dramatically
change the appearance by where you chose to focus.
These two shots of the same teasle head were both shot at
the same maximum aper ture, but the point of focus was
changed by a couple of mi l l imetres to produce an entirely
di f ferent ef fect.
16. MACRO TECHNIQUES
9. Check LCD Panel
Use your rear LCD faci lity to ensure you have got the shot you
want before moving on. Look careful ly at the corners to make
sure there are no intrusions.
Tidy up any unwanted debris in the scene and make sure that
your composition concentrates on your subject as intended.
I t ’ s a l s o wi s e to c a r r y a s p a r e b a t te r y, a s c o n s t a n t l y r ev i ewin g
shots wi l l drain power.
17. MACRO TECHNIQUES
10. Raindrops
Af ter rain can be an excel lent time to search for macro
subjects when everything is dripping with droplets of rain
water.
Go in close to show how the raindrops act as miniature
lenses, magnifying the veins in leaves.
20. BEST 4 PHOTOS
I like this photo because of the
extreme close up, and how the
photographer captures such detail
on the bee.
The way the close up captures all
the bristles on the snail and all the
tiny particles of the ground its
amazing.
The way the back ground is all
blurred out really impresses
me because it really draws
your attention to the front and
all the bright colours.
The eye is simply amazing
because there aren’t many
colours just the few colours
there are just make the eye
really stand out to the viewer.
21. EXHIBITION
Title: spectrum of smal l l ife.
I would l ike to have al l my pictures on canvases or in frames.
how my design Is going to laid out:
These little photos in the
middle are of all the photos I
think are the best.
The larger ones on the side
are of ones that need to be
edited down so that they
emphasise something in
particular, this also includes
the one on the bottom.
This one is of my personal
favourite photo that’s why
there isn't one on the top.
