Big or small is only relative in the eyes of the observer.

How about you guys, today again I have the opportunity to share a little of my knowledge with you, today I want to talk about macro photography, which although it is not the branch to which I currently dedicate myself, if I can use it in times past, besides teaching me many fundamental things of photography, such as the handling of depth of field and accuracy when it comes to capturing those small details that so much characterize this technique.

So I took some time to write this guide for you, I will also leave some tips and recommendations, so it's time to take your camera and go out for those pictures.

Well... And what is macro photography?

It is that branch of photography that is responsible for showing us those small details, which we do not usually detail with our eyes, the word "macro" comes from the Greek and means "big", we usually relate this branch with nature, many photographers use it to photograph insects, flowers, fruits and others, either for purely artistic purposes, as well as for other uses, such as scientific research.

Even the symbol used in cameras for macro mode is a flower like the one you see in the image.

Although this branch is not limited to the aforementioned, since any image that captures an element, at a size equal or larger than its actual size, is considered as a macro photo, apart from that these photos usually have a huge blur in many cases, to focus the attention of our eye on the detail we want to capture.

All right now you know what it is, so how do we set up the camera to take our pictures?

I personally to take macro photos place the camera dial in "A"mode. Or equal to the "Aperture priority mode". In which we will only control the aperture of our diaphragm, which we will try to leave as open as possible, to achieve the lowest depth of field that our optics allow, meanwhile, our camera will compensate the values, automatically adjusting the "iso". And the "shutter".

Many people will think it is a mistake to let the camera do this automatically, as it can throw us "high isos". It's true, to some extent... Remember that macro photos, most of them are taken outdoors, during the day and since we will be using the diaphragm at its maximum aperture, I don't think we should worry about the noise in our image.

I usually do it this way, because when working on the air, we must be quick, when adjusting our camera there are many factors, which can make us lose a great picture, such as:

The wind: This, usually bothers a lot when doing this type of photography, especially when we find ourselves outdoors capturing insects and plants, because the slightest breeze, cause them to move, these being so small easily escape from our optics.
The clouds: Another problem when taking pictures outdoors are the clouds, because if we configure our camera, previously with the sun clear, but without noticing it crosses a cloud, we will have to adjust the values again, although if we find ourselves in a completely cloudy day, we will have the great advantage, that we will not have strong shadows, because the clouds act as a great diffuser of light.
Insects on the move: This is something very obvious, there are millions of insects, but not everyone likes to stay static for a picture, even snails often cause problems, as it is difficult to keep the two eyes focused, which constantly move.
The sun: This factor goes hand in hand with that of the clouds, but apart from that, it is worth adding the use of the "golden hours" of the morning and afternoon, which are usually the first rays of daylight, as well as the last ones at the time of the late afternoon, since the rest of the hours the sun gives us a too strong light, I recommend the first hours of the morning, since the insects begin to wake up and they are more intense.
Sounds: Whether you are completely alone or accompanied, the sounds around you can distract you, as well as insects.
The life of our battery: I think this explains itself, so if you have spare batteries take them with you and make sure they are properly charged.
The memory of our camera: Make sure to empty it before leaving, and bring another one if you have one (especially if you work with RAW format).
The movement: In this case I mean your movement, if you don't have a tripod, it can cost you a lot of work at first, so if you have one stored there, it's time for you to take it out, this will allow you to have more control when focusing, which is very important here, since we work with very low depths of field, another tip is that if the situation allows, leave the camera on the tripod and use the timer, if the situation allows it, leave the camera on the tripod and use the timer.
People: This point is based on the same as sound, in case you meet people around you.

These are just a few, I could mention many more but I don't consider them important because they would only lengthen the post, it will be a question of you going out to experiment and from your own experiences tell me that other factors notice.

Now I think you understand why I use this setting mode in my camera, because this way I can set the exposure values quickly, so I can concentrate more on what my eye sees through the viewfinder, although I apply this in outdoor situations, remember that this branch of photography applies to many situations.

There are people who take these photos within a photographic studio, with artificial light, so they can control the camera parameters manually, without being affected by the factors mentioned above.

As you can see this technique is very simple, of course there are many other things I haven't told you about, like:

The use of special optics for macro photography.
Multiplier rings.
How to use flash when the situation requires it or different flash for macro photos.
Appropriate focus modes.
Or the composition.

Since this guide will only be introductory, as you can see, there are many more details of which I only mention a few, which require a lot of time and I think they deserve their own post, why macro photography is a very complete branch of photography.

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips and recommendations:

Uses RAW format: If you already know the format "RAW". You will know the great advantages that this one presents, and if it is not so, good to summarize a little, this raw format which many current cameras allow, give us the advantage of obtaining a file, with a faithful copy of all the information that I capture the camera, of our image without being compressed, which, at the time of editing allows us to recover a lot of information, of the lights and shadows, without being compressed.
Use the center metering mode: This will get a better exposure of our object to be photographed, to use this method correctly we must place our object to be photographed first in the center, so our camera will adjust the exposure and then we proceed to frame our image at ease (don't forget to keep the shooting button pressed halfway down, while we do the procedure).
Pre-focus: If we want to capture the moment when, for example, a dragonfly, is about to land on a leaf, we must pre-focus the leaf where it landed, in order to achieve a greater sharpness, it would be crazy to follow the movement of a dragonfly through the air until it is possessed (moreover, they are very territorial insects so they tend to return to the place where they were, so keep that in mind).
Reverse the lens: If you have an interchangeable lens camera, this information interests you and is that if you do not have an optics that allows you to take macro photos, you can try taking out the lens of your camera and turn it over, it is a strange trick but I tried it long ago and it really works, although it is very uncomfortable because with the same hand that holds the lens, you will have to move the eyelash that opens and closes the diaphragm, so you will have both hands busy.
Rules of portrait photography: Let's not limit ourselves to the basic rules of a third party or golden proportion, the laws of portrait are also widely used, such as the "law of the gaze". Let's not forget that insects are living beings, so unconsciously, our brain is influenced by the direction in which they see, so this law also applies to them.
Wallpapers that don't distract: Even though these photos tend to have a great out of focus, the blurry shapes or the colors that remain in the background of the image, can divert attention away from our object.
Colored cardboards: If the background continues to give us problems, try using colored cards as a background, even outdoors you can do it, the result may surprise you.
Protect the object from the wind: This point can be complemented with the previous one, since if you use a cardboard or other object, you can protect your frame from the wind, improving your focus.
Use diffuser panels or shadow photography: If you find yourself photographing in daylight and shadows are a problem, try placing a diffuser, to make the passage of light softer, or try to make the picture in shade (you can take advantage of the nearby trees).
Use a vaporizer: You will ask yourself why we can use this object, and is that its use is very practical, especially if you are in a sunny day, and you want to simulate raindrops or the morning spray, try using a vaporizer filled with water and a little glycerin, the latter will give more firmness to the drops of water to cling to the surface.
Patience: ¡Much, much, much, much patience! As you may have noticed, taking these photos requires a lot of finesse, but the results you can get are worth it.

Basically, this is how you can begin to learn this branch of photography, don't forget that the Internet is an ocean of information, so, I invite you to immerse yourself and go deeper, in the doubts you have and if this post has been helpful I hope you give me your vote and don't forget to reesteem.

Remember to follow me here for more content and by instagram where you can see my work, IG: @samuel_film

This post is the English translation of my previous publication, it's all content is my authority, I apologize for the translation errors, I'm not good with English.

Link to my previous posts, in english:

#photography #art #tutorial #tutorials #macro #guide #spanish #steemit #steem #samuel-film #tips #techniques #techniquesphotographic #photographyamacro #asohacerfotosmacro #photoshop #tips #blog #blogdefotografia #nature #desen

How to take macro photography - Tips and recommendations

Big or small is only relative in the eyes of the observer.

As you can see this technique is very simple, of course there are many other things I haven't told you about, like:

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips and recommendations:

Remember to follow me here for more content and by instagram where you can see my work, IG: @samuel_film