200 CANON TIPS - MACRO

Bring tiny creatures to life using macro lenses, camera hacks and close-up photography skills

PRO ADVICE Expert insight to help you take better close-ups of nature

1 Use a tripod

For torpid and less skittish subjects, it’s still worth using a tripod to eliminate camera shake, which is more easily visible at high magnifications.

2 Boost the ISO

Use a shutter speed of 1/200 sec or faster for sharp shots – you may need to boost your ISO a little to be able to achieve this.

3 Hand-holding

When a tripod isn’t viable, use any image stabilisation you have. Brace yourself against a wall if possible to steady yourself further.

4 Front-on

Get into a position where you can see your subject’s head: this will increase eye contact and make for a more engaging shot.

5 Continuous AF

Use your continuous AF mode and place a single AF point over the eye of your subject, to keep it sharp until you’re ready to take the shot.

6 Reversing rings 

A reversing ring lets you shoot through a lens backwards and will transform a ‘normal’ lens into a macro one. If you have a kit lens or, even better, a 35mm or 50mm prime lens, you can flip it around and turn it into a macro lens with a reversing ring that is very budget-friendly.

7 Extension tubes 

These fit between your lens and camera body to shorten your minimum focusing distance, so you can focus much closer than normal. Our Kenko tubes are in three sizes: 12mm, 20mm and 36mm; you can use one, all three or a combination of them to get the perfect working distance.

Best kit advice