Newsletter - Rocky Mountain School of Photography

Macro Photography, Part I

Spring’s here. Summer’s on its way. It’s time to get outside. And one of the first things that is likely to inspire your photographic eye when you do venture outdoors are the little, colorful harbingers of warm weather: buttercups, tulips, mayflies and other small subjects that make great close-up (also called macro) shots.

Like all genres of photography, having the right equipment will improve the quality of your photos—and with macro photography, appropriate gear will also help you get closer to even the smallest of subjects.

The Camera. Any brand Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR), amateur or professional, will do a great job. It’s best to have a camera with the following features:

•	Depth of field preview, which I recommend always using for macro;
•	Spot meter, which will give you perfect exposure. (I use the Zone System for Color with all macro photography.)

Close-up Equipment. I’m giving you five equipment suggestions to help with macro photography, which actually means 1:1—or that the subject will appear the same size in the sensor or film as in real life.

Macro, Micro or Close-focus on a Zoom Lens. These lenses allow you to focus in far closer than would otherwise be possible; however, the result is never truly 1:1, and many times not even close. Also, quality is not always sharp with some of these lenses. The advantage is that it is always with you and in many cases the reproduction ratio is at least 1:2 or 1:3.

Close-up Filter. This is an inexpensive method to get close to a subject and is usually more than adequate if extreme high quality is not the goal. These filters are made to screw on to the end of a long zoom lens.

High-quality Corrected, Multi-element Lens (achromatic). These look almost the same as inexpensive close-up filters and will also screw onto the end of your lens. They typically cost around $100 and give extremely high quality images. They are made for long zooms and get in the range of 1:1; with some lenses, however, they can yield even higher magnification. These lenses are small and easy to carry.

• I protect these lenses with stack caps when I carry them—this is something I also do with filters.

• When I’m traveling and not shooting primarily macro photography, I carry these lenses to lighten my load, save space and still get high quality macro shots when inspired.

• Buy the same size achromatic lens as your lens recommends for filter size.

• Zooming your lens changes the reproduction ratio, which is very convenient.

Extension Tubes. Many photographers prefer extension tubes—the hollow tubes that go between the lens and camera body—for macro photography.

•	You can no longer focus on infinity, but you can focus much closer.
•	Extension tubes cut out some light, but your built-in meter compensates for this so your exposure is still correct.
•	The tubes you buy need to be automatic so all your camera functions can still be used.
•	Usually a set contains two or three tubes so that you can use them separately or together to achieve the reproduction ratio you want.
•	Extension tubes can fit most lenses you own and allow each to focus closer.

Macro Lens (called “Micro” by Nikon): These lenses are designed for true, easy macro photography. If you can afford one and have the space, using a macro lens is the easiest way to shoot close-up photography.

•	These lenses take extremely high quality photos from infinity all the way up to a 1:1 focus.
•	Macro lenses are easy to use.
•	They may be used with extension tubes for larger-than-life sized photos.

There are three common focal lengths for macro lenses:

i.	Normal Macro (usually 50-70 mm), best for copy work; OK for close-up nature shots, but you are very close to subject.
ii.	Short telephoto Macro (usually 90-105 mm), excellent for most all macro work because of farther working distance and less background. Most photographers use this length.
iii.	Long telephoto Macro (usually 180 or 200 mm), gives even farther working distance and less background, but are much larger and more expensive.

Filters. A polarizing filter can sometimes be useful for macro photography.
When trying this filter, rotate it to see if you can improve the photo, remembering that a polarized filter cuts out two stops of light. If you don’t see a difference, there is no need to use it.

Flash. Some photographers shooting macro will use special flashes made for close up shots. These can be quite expensive, so try one first to see if this is the way you want to shoot.

Angle Finder. Angle finders attach to the eyepiece of your camera so that you don’t need to lie on the ground while shooting low angles. These are incredibly helpful for close-up shots.

Camera Support. Most all professional macro photography is done using some type of tripod system.

Tripod Legs. Ideally, you want a good set of legs that can sit flat on the ground. Legs need to be able to lie flat so that the camera sits at or close to ground level. Major brands are Gitzo and Manfrotto, and you can buy the tripod legs without the head.

Tripod Heads. All professional heads are made to fit all professional tripod legs. I use a ball head--Kirk Enterprise BH3, which is very easy to use and sturdy enough for even the heaviest camera/lens combinations. If you get a head like this, you will need to find a plate to fit your camera.

A Focus Rail. This is probably the most overlooked and important accessory in macro photography. When you are very close and need to make fine focus adjustments, this makes shooting easy. I use a Kirk Enterprise to match my tripod head.

In the next newsletter, I will discuss macro photography techniques.

ASSIGNMENT
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It has been a long winter in Missoula as spring has taken it’s sweet time to get here. I am as ready as the next photographer to be outside again. Spring in Montana is a fickle friend, however, and takes a lot of patience with it’s on again off again weather. Macro photography is the perfect way to be outside when it’s nice or be inside when it rains. Neil Chaput de Saintonge’s macro equipment topic for this newsletter has inspired me. I am giving myself a macro assignment. I will photograph a minimum of one subject a week using the different macro equipment that Neil discussed. Not one to be alone, I am extending this assignment to all readers of Rocky Mountain School of Photography’s Newsletter. I am challenging all of you who are interested to take on the Macro assignment and send me your images! Next month I will discuss my progress with the assignment and post some of my images. Neil will be discussing Macro techniques next month so I am giving you until July to send me your images. In July I will post the images in an online gallery on RMSP’s Web site. For assignment details and guidelines for submission please download this PDF and then start photographing. I can’t wait to see your images!

Where should you start with this assignment? Here are some great locations to find macro subjects:

•		Your back yard
•		Botanical gardens
•		Arboretums
•		Your local plant nursery (with permission of course)
•		Local flower store (bring your flowers home)

Macro photography isn’t limited to flowers or plants as subjects. Effective close-up subjects can range from antiques to a rusted door of an old car. It’s all in the composition.
Alternative places to look for macro subjects.

•		Your junk drawer
•		Antique stores
•		Second hand stores
•		Dollar stores
•		Your garage
•		Any “special collections” you may have
•		Store front windows
•		Your local museum

Neil’s equipment suggestions are the best options for crisp, clear, 1:1 images but in a pinch or for the pure fun of it, here are other options to capture macro images.

•		Photograph through a magnifying glass.
•		Use a reversing ring to flip your lens and shoot through the upside-down lens.
•		Use a stacking ring to connect two lenses. The second lens will be attached in front of the primary lens. Stacking rings have two sets of threads that will connect the lenses together. Be careful not to scratch your lens.
•		Photograph through a projector lens.

Additional Reading & Resources
John Shaw’s book Closeups in Nature is a widely known and referenced source of information about macro photography.

Mark Johnson’s Botanical Dreaming is a gorgeous, inspiring book that also offers great Photoshop techniques in the third part of the book.

Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop, and Macro Photography written by Cyrill Harinschmacher gives great ideas on lighting your macro scenes inside and out.

For people who are interested in photographing objects other than foliage and insects, Michael Freeman’s book Close-Up Photography is a great source for ideas and techniques.

Nancy Rotenberg’s book, Creative Life, is a great book to read to jumpstart your creativity.

What’s Your Workflow?
How do you determine the process that works best for you? Ask the pros. Over the next few months we will be surveying photographers on their daily photography practices. Each newsletter will provide a glimpse of different professional photographer’s workflow with the goal of helping you fine tune your own workflow.

With macro on the brain, this month we caught up with Mark Johnson. Mark has been a long time instructor in RMSP’s Digital Process and Print Workshops. He has also authored of several books including his most recent work, Botanical Dreaming. With a gorgeous, inspiring book we posed the question, “What’s your workflow?”

Capture
What are the steps you take to get ready to photograph (the night before, or hour before you go)?
I'm a "grab-it-and-go" photographer. When I'm feeling inspired, I like to start shooting as quickly as possible, so I tend to keep my gear well organized in my photo backpack. The backpack and tripod stand ready for shooting at a moments notice.

Right before you take a photograph, do you work slowly, deliberately, set up each shot? Or do you work more spontaneously and just go out and shoot?
Although I work spontaneously in the field, when I discover an intriguing scene, I work very slowly and deliberately until I feel that I've fully explored the possibilities.

In general, do you pre-visualize and pre-compose or do you find your photographs as they happen/you happen upon them?
I regularly study images that inspire me. When I shoot, I consciously (and sometimes unconsciously) draw from these inspiring images. Most of the time, I do not pre-visualize my compositions. I prefer to be open to spontaneity and happenstance. When you spend enough time with a subject that you truly love, compelling compositions almost always reveal themselves.

How often do you photograph?
I try to photograph at least once a week. Sometimes, my session lasts only an hour. Other times, I can't seem to put the camera down.

What is your greatest challenge when photographing?
My greatest challenge when photographing is creating enough time and space for it. Since I earn most of my living by teaching and writing, photography sometimes falls by the wayside. In an attempt to prevent this, I've started setting aside blocks of sacred photography time. I also find it helpful to give myself exhilarating photo projects.

Process
Briefly describe your process after downloading your images from the camera and before you get into local adjustments? What software do you use? Do you edit right away? Etc.
I download images from the compact flash card using Bridge's Photo Downloader. I use Photo Downloader so that I can convert to DNG and add copyright metadata at the time of download. In Bridge, I organize the images into an "umbrella" folder with a meaningful name, such as "Zion National Park 05-15-08." Each "umbrella" folder contains three subfolders ("Raw," "Masters," and "Prints") for tracking images from birth to the point of sharing them. Following organization, I immediately rate each image to make it easy to sort the best images away from the less successful ones. The most promising images are then globally corrected using Adobe Camera Raw.

How do you name your files?
I believe in descriptive names, so I give my files names like "Purple Iris 01 Master."

Do you do much work on your images in Photoshop® or do you perform the basic adjustments (contrast, saturation, and crop) and call it good?
For me, Photoshop is merely an extension of the camera––both tools are an essential part of the creative process. Therefore, I cherish Photoshop's wondrous ability to perform local (targeted) color corrections, advanced retouching, and image compositing and montaging.

How often do you edit your images?
I tend to edit my images within a day or two of capturing them. I enjoy working on images while the feeling of the shoot is still fresh in my heart and mind.

What are your greatest challenges when processing your images?
Similar to photographing, my greatest challenge is creating enough time and space for processing.

Output
What is your most common form of output: print, web or multimedia?
I output primarily in the form of books, such as Botanical Dreaming and The Photographer's Photoshop CS3 Companion, and DVDs, such as Seasons of the Heart. On rare occasions, I market my work as fine art LightJet prints.

Do you print your own images or do you outsource your printing?
Outsource. My source for LightJet printing is Photo Craft Labs in Boulder, CO.

Do you have a website? Who/What company created your web site?
I have both a personal web site www.msjphotography.com and an educational web site Radiant Vista. I'm most excited about the educational site because it represents a forum where I can enthusiastically share what I feel most passionate about.

Are you a member of photography/artist social networking sites?
I'm a member of NAPP (The National Association of Photoshop Professionals).

Do you maintain a blog?
No blog, just The Radiant Vista.

How often do you go through your output process?
Truth be told, I don't output very often. I love the process of capturing images and shaping them in Photoshop. Output is my least favorite part of the workflow.

What’s your favorite tool, gadget, resource or website?
My favorite tools are a Nikon D300 camera, a 105mm macro lens, and Photoshop. As for resources, I love Photohshop User and After Capture magazines. There are numerous wonderful web sites available such as The Radiant Vista, Luminous Landscape, dpreview, popphoto, and photo.net.

Marcy’s Recommendations. Marcy James is our new curriculum director at Rocky Mountain School of Photography. In Marcy’s new position she spends hours and hours devoted to researching products, reading books, visiting Web sites and she’s always excited about something. We decided to share some of her favorite things in our newsletters. This month Marcy found several new Web sites all based on macro photography.

http://www.soothbrush.com/catching-water-drops-70-refreshing-photos/ A web site for water lovers.

http://www.photocritic.org/macro-photography-on-a-budget/ This blog article is for macro photography on a budget. The following link is a corresponding flickr photos site to show how beeeautiful the images from a pringles can could be. http://flickr.com/photos/tags/pringlesmacro/

If all this talk about Macro is working on that creativity of yours try one of our workshops that offers a good dose of it:

Photography and the Creative Life- July 19- 25, 2008
Instructor, Nancy Rotenberg

Oregon Coast- August 17-23, 2008
Instructor, Nancy Rotenberg

Advanced Photography in British Columbia- October 12-17, 2008
Instructors, Elizabeth Stone and Tony Rizzuto

The Art of Macro–This is full for 2008 but call to get on the waiting list or look for information on our 2009 offering of this course in September.

Haven’t made summer plans yet? Spend some time with us in our beautiful hometown of Missoula, Montana …

Sunrises, Sunsets and Flowing Water- August 9- 15, 2008
Instructor, Doug Johnson

Photoshop for Photographers- August 17-22, 2008
Instructor, David Marx

…or maybe California sunshine is more your cup of tea…

Northern California’s Rugged Coast: Marin to Monterey- June 14-20, 2008
Instructor, Tim Cooper

Travel Photography in San Francisco: Creating a Sense of Place- June 21- 27, 2008
Instructor, Brenda Tharp

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