Macro Photography: Quick Tips to Get You Started
Summer is a fun time to try something new. Challenge yourself to go out and find those ever-abundant flowers or other wonders of nature. Get close! From flowers to bees to bark, there is so much out there with incredible detail. Now is the time to play with macro photography and grab the chance while you can. Below are some articles that have previously appeared here on the MCP Actions Blog that should help achieve some great macro shots. Have fun!
Intro to Macro Photography – how to get incredible close-up shots this summer
Flower and Bee Close Ups with Non-Macro Lenses
Adding Texture to Macro Photographs
I would love to see everyone share your favorite macro shots here. Just upload a 600px wide photo into the comment section of this post. If you want to share some tips, tricks, or details on how you captured your macro shot, that would be fantastic! Here are a few of mine.
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My favorite flowers are the stargazer lilies. Since the weather didn’t cooperate, I misted the flower with a spray bottle. This was taken with my Canon 50mm 1.8 lens.
Great photos! Macro wildlife photogrraphy is my #1 passion!
I’m trying to comment with a photo but it isn’t showing up…
Amy, make sure to resize your photo 1st. Not sure why else it would not show. Comments are moderated too due to spam. So remember that in case you thought it just would not post.
I used a x3 macro filter duct-taped to the kit lens with my Nikon D3000. The filter was a different size and tape is cheaper than a new filter.
As it was, I was practically inhaling the feather. It’s not the electron-microscope look I was after, but I’m happy with it.
I took this @ my Mom’s and I can’t for the life of me remember what was behind it but I will have to say I love how it gave it a nice clean background =) I think the biggest thing in Macro is ensuring your focal point is clear. It is so easy to have your focus off when really close. I have also found that getting down for a bugs eye view works best (not that I am an expert in any way).
One more..
Love to see a post on nature photography…macro no less! I am getting a new macro lens in the next couple months, but I still take pics of flowers with the lens I have right now. Thanks for the info and the great shots!
Got this lovely Mum from a grocery store–the weather had been really bad, so I set up my ‘indoor studio’ consisting of a small, adjustable IKEA table and two Clip on task lamps (Walmart). I had my Nikon D60 on a tripod and used my Tamron 70-300 zoom/macro. I did just a little ACR cleanup and applied PWA and MCP actions to finish.
I love my macro lens! I don’t use it that often but I do bust it out atleast once per wedding to do ring shots. Fun!
I have a Sigma 70-300mm lens that I absolutely love! When I use it for macro shots, I switch the lens to manual focus instead of auto. It makes all the difference!
Here’s another one I took the first day I had my Tamron 70-300. We were out walking after lunch and it landed on my husband’s pant leg (thus the ‘fabricy’ background)
Thanks, I had already resized it to the correct size but I didn’t realize it’d take extra time before it was posted (moderated). Glad to see others posting too! Sorry for my typo in my 1st comment…
the rose was shot with a canon 5d. i shot it in shutter priority at ISO 200, 1/160 of a second with an f stop of 6.3.
Example of my macro on a budget. This is Foam Flower taken with the Raynox M-250(around $57) attached to the 50mm 1.4.
Face to Face – smiling !!
This was taken with my Pentax 100mm 2.8. A tiger lilly blooming in my front yard. Macro brings to the eye the beauty that is in the small details.
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I used my Nikon 60mm macro with my Nikon D700. Manuel focus brings much greater success!!
Shot at 1/200 of a sec at f5.6 a little deeper than usual because I wanted more detail in focus.
Kim Klaussen texture.