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Take a Closer Look - The Fun of Macro Photography
By Jeff Cable
www.jeffcable.com
There is something magical about seeing a crystal clear image of the detail in a bee's wings or a fly's eye. There are many times when I sit in my home
office and mentally search for my next photographic subject. Yosemite is a great place to shoot photos but it is about five hours from my home. The
Monterey coastline is only a couple of hours drive for me, but with a busy schedule, it is not convenient for a last minute photo trek. So…where do
I go for some great photo opportunities? My front yard, my backyard or the neighborhood park!
As we get older and grow farther from the ground, we forget to look down and see the amazing details that are at our feet. My children always amaze me
because they see things that I don't. It was with this in mind that I set out one day to take pictures of bees in my front yard. I just received my new
Sigma 150mm macro lens (www.sigmaphoto.com) and wanted to give it a try. This focal length was ideal for photographing the insects because it let me
stay far enough away from them to photograph them without being right up to their antennae.
I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had. I must have sat by one particular bush in my front yard for 45 minutes taking macro pictures of the
yellow jackets. Taking the photos was enjoyable but not as exciting as looking at the images on my computer. Macro photography allows you to see details
that are very difficult with the human eye. You can freeze the wings, capture the character of the creature, and see details in the leaves and branches.
I found that I had better luck when manually focusing the lens, so that I could highlight the exact feature of the bug or flower without having the lens
searching for a good focal point. And, since most insects will not stay in one spot for any length of time, I was challenged to get a tack sharp image with
nice composition.
A couple of days after shooting the images of the bees, my wife spotted a grasshopper on one of her potted plants in the back yard. I quickly ran and got
my camera and started taking pictures. In order to get the best picture possible, I moved the plant into better lighting and mounted the camera on a
tripod. The grasshopper was kind enough to stay put while I moved him around for the best possible photo opportunity. This is one of my favorite images,
as I love the color contrast and the composition.
I, like so many other photo enthusiasts, enjoy a great picture of Half Dome or a tack sharp image of the Sydney Opera House, but these are objects that
people visit and view every day. How many people look very closely at bugs and plants on a daily basis? This is what makes macro photography so special.
You are exposing a world that is not often put in front of people.
Articles by Jeff Cable:
- Don't stop shooting now - It's "The Golden Hour"!
- Shooting Fast - The Rule of Numbers
- What is the difference between a $300 lens and a $2000 lens?
- Shooting Underwater Photography on a Budget
- The Sport of Photography
- Hurry up…It's time to slow down
Visit www.jeffcable.com
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