What Is Macro Photography? Benefits and Tips

Macro photography is one of the special and fairly popular techniques in photography. Macro photos let us capture small subjects at high magnification. Usually, when taking photos, we focus on composition and light. But macro photography requires knowledge and skill to produce beautiful, striking images. In this article, MONA Media will walk you through what macro photography is, some points to watch out for, and detailed steps for this shooting mode. Let's dive in!

What is macro photography?

Macro photography is the technique of shooting close-up focus at a short distance, usually used to capture details of small objects, from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. Photos taken with a macro lens are magnified at a set ratio on the lens sensor, producing images with maximum sharpness.

The way macro photography works is simple: it enlarges small objects so they are easier to see, while blurring the objects behind that are not in focus. This makes the subject stand out and look sharper.

What is a macro lens?

Macro lens is a tool that can be used to product photography or film small objects. The lens delivers optimal optical performance at very short focusing distances. However, a macro lens can also be used for ordinary shots at normal distances, as long as you know how to use it.

Another important trait of a macro lens is a very shallow depth of field. This means only a small part of the photo will be in perfect focus, so you need to focus carefully to capture the details you want. Keep in mind that a shallow depth of field can blur other details in the photo. You can adjust the aperture slightly to get a depth of field that suits different subjects.

What are the advantages of macro camera mode?

Macro photography can blur backgrounds well, no worse than a professional camera. This technique lets us photograph small subjects at high magnification, with the ability to focus well at very close range, which makes the subject stand out in the photo. Macro photography also expands the photographer's creative range . With it, we can create unique photos that differ from ordinary shooting styles.

However, how background-blur photography and macro photography work is completely different. To picture it, hold a finger close to your eye and close one eye. When you see your finger clearly, the background blurs, much like portrait mode on a smartphone. This explains why background blur on a smartphone needs more cameras, while macro shooting needs only one camera with a reasonable resolution.

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What do you need to know about macro photography?

What are the subjects of macro photography?

In macro mode, because of the strong close-range focusing ability, the range of subjects is very wide, for example nature, insects, plants, jewelry, electronics, parts of the human body, food, everyday objects, and more.

What matters is that the subject in a macro photo should fill at least 75% of the frame. The main goal of close-up shooting is to make ordinary subjects stand out and turn them into distinctive works of art.

Choosing the right macro lens

When choosing a macro lens, look at the magnification ratio, because each subject needs a lens with a suitable focal length and magnification. A macro lens usually has a standard magnification ratio of 1:1, and if the ratio is lower than 1:1, it is not a macro lens.

Choosing a lens that fits the subject also matters. For details of fabric, wool, jewelry, or mechanical and electronic parts, using a lens with a focal length of about 50–65mm gives the best results. For subjects such as leaves, flowers, insects or other things in nature, use a lens with a focal length of 85–180mm.

Lighting

In macro photography, lighting conditions are extremely important. To get beautiful photos, pay attention to the timing, intensity and direction of the light and other factors that affect it, and use suitable shielding if you shoot in natural light. You can also shoot macro with dedicated lighting tools and diffusers, which make flash light look more real and natural.

Depth of field (DOF)

For a standout macro photo, the smaller the depth of field (DOF), the better. If you want a wide area in focus, you can take several shots and stack them in software to keep sharpness while increasing depth of field. To increase DOF, you need to close down the aperture and focus manually. This also helps make the subject sharper.

Watch your shutter timing

A good macro shot also comes from how you control your shutter timing together with a camera that autofocuses on the subject. Subjects are not always still, so it is hard to frame the shot and time the shutter well. If the subject is moving, like an insect, press the shutter quickly to catch the best moments and angles.

Tips for beautiful, creative macro shots you can use right away

Macro photography is a technique that takes patience and care. To get beautiful macro photos, keep these points in mind:

• Use a tripod: The depth of field in macro photography is very shallow, with focus only on the subject. A slight hand shake can blur the photo. A tripod keeps the camera steady, reduces shake and gives sharper photos.
• Increase shutter speed: To limit subject movement, raise the shutter speed. The higher the shutter speed, the better the camera freezes the subject. But if it is too high, the photo will be underexposed. In that case, open the aperture wider or use a dedicated flash.
• Choose a suitable aperture: Opening the aperture lets more light through the lens, but also reduces depth of field. Choose an aperture that gives enough light and still keeps enough depth of field in macro mode.
• Background: The background in a macro photo matters too. If the background is too bright, close down the aperture or change your shooting position.
• Avoid high ISO: High ISO adds noise to the photo. Use the lowest ISO speed you can.
• Focus manually: Macro photography needs high precision, so use manual focus instead of autofocus.

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Quick guide to macro photography with a phone

Macro photography on a phone is an interesting feature that lets you shoot close-ups of tiny objects. To shoot macro on an iPhone, just follow these simple steps

• Open the Camera app on your iPhone and choose Photo or Video mode.
• Move the iPhone camera about 2 cm from the subject. The camera will switch to macro mode automatically.
• Tap the shutter button to take a photo, or the record button to start and stop recording in macro mode.

From this article you can see that macro photography is a special and interesting photography technique that lets us capture the smallest subjects at high magnification. You can also try other special techniques such as slow motion slow motion, fast-forward video mode time lapse to create unique photos and clips. We hope this article helped you understand macro photography so you can take beautiful, creative photos.