| Macro: |
Print and Slide |
| 2 entries allowed in each Division |
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Following our Macro Seminar / Workshop, last month, this month’s Special Project is Macro Photography or Close-up Photography.
Extreme close-ups are among the most fascinating photographs, whether they provide an intimate view of plants and insects or simply enlarge some common household object. Since most camera lenses will focus only as close as two or three feet, you will need special close-up equipment to get really close to your subject.
There are a number of ways to obtain a close-up image. The best way is to use a close-focusing or macro lens, which is designed especially for working at close range. If you are using a digital camera, most have a macro function built into them.
The simplest, and least expensive, is to use supplementary close-up lenses – auxiliary lenses that look like filters and screw into the filter threads of your prime lens. They are available in different strengths of magnification – usually marked as +1, +2, or +3 – and can be combined for greater magnification.
Another way of taking close-ups is to use extension tubes. They are hollow devices that fit between the camera body and lens to extend the lens positioning and thereby increase its magnifying power.
When you are working at close range, framing is difficult and the depth of field is limited, often to a fraction of an inch. Keep in mind, when you magnify a subject at close range, any camera movement during exposure is magnified proportionally. For camera steadiness and sharper results, always use a tripod and if possible, also use a sync cord.
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