Blog - Macro

In the world of photography we often work hard to obtain a shallow depth of field. When we take portraits and wish to separate the subject from the background, we use bulky lenses with large apertures just to get that magical 3D effect we're striving for. In the world of macro photography, as demonstrated in a previous article, things are entirely different. As I’ve mentioned before, depth of field (DOF) depends almost entirely on two factors: aperture value and magnification....

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Up until now, I've stated that when we shoot wildlife macro, many considerations have to be made as to image detail and background, in addition to making sure we shoot from a natural and personal point of view and maintain a balanced composition and sufficient depth of field. All of these considerations are important indeed, but none of them would matter without the ability to actually find a subject and be able to shoot it the way we want to. This article is devoted to the task of locating...

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A lot has already been said about composition. Every aspiring photographer knows about the rule of thirds, about the appeal of diagonal lines and about the rule of lead room. I can't fully discuss composition in one or two articles, nor do I think it's necessary in a specialized series about macro. Yet I do plan to mention a few points, emphasize and exemplify the application of compositional rules to macro, and, in addition – talk about elements which are more prominent in macro...

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As I’ve mentioned before, macro photography has many qualities that stem from the fact that we shoot from close distances. Some of these features are positive, such as the ability to control background. But mostly they are problematic, causing a variety of difficulties and challenges to deal with in the field, in addition to artistic decisions. I wish to dedicate much attention and discussion to what I view as the main technical problem of macro photography – Depth of Field (DOF)....

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My personal view of art in general is that one has to possess both technical and emotional capabilities to master it. The technical aspect comes first. When you start learning, you first need to take control and gather an understanding of the technical sides of your field – otherwise, you will never become a good artist. Once you master the technique - once it gets in your blood - only then can you put it aside and concentrate on the emotional side – the truly important side....

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We are nearing the end of the "what" section of this series. We've mentioned detail and background as critical aspects we look for in a macro shot, and now I'd like to talk about two important non-technical issues. The first issue I'll discuss is point of view (POV) – and I plan to do this using a seemingly odd comparison. Let's leave the nature world briefly and step in the domain of children portraiture. As every photographer knows, the first and most followed "rule" in...

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In the previous article, I talked about the importance of detail in macro photography. But this rather technical aspect can't be all that's important, so in this article and the next I'll go through several less technical, yet equally significant issues. The first topic I wish to address is Background. Arguably as important as the subject itself, the background can have a huge impact on a macro shot.  Photographers of all fields use the background to emphasize the subject and...

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In the previous article, 'The What and Why of Macro', I talked about what macro is and explained why I shoot macro in the wild. My next goal is trying to introduce you to the elements I consider paramount in a macro shot. I do not necessarily refer to the criteria upon which I judge an image, but rather to the fundamental aspects a macro photographer should try to bear in mind when producing it. So what's the number one, most important element in a macro shot? The easy answer is...

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When I teach macro photography, I usually begin with a statement and two questions. The statement is that I, as a nature photographer, teach macro photography in the wild. The two immediate questions that stem from this are 1) what is macro? and 2) why shoot macro in the wild? In this article I'll try to answer these questions, as well as elaborate a little bit about the essence of macro. So, what is macro photography? There is more than one answer to this question. Specifically,...

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