One of the great things about shooting on cameras with APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensors is that the crop factor these formats apply can help us achieve even greater magnification from our lenses, macro optics or otherwise. In close-up photography, this can be a benefit, especially if your lens doesn’t allow life-size magnification on its own. However, the closer crop means, if we shoot at a life-size 1:1 setting, we exclude much of the background.
While this might not sound like a problem in many cases, there are times when you want both incredible detail in your subject – the level only seen at life-size – and location elements behind it, to set the scene. This is one advantage of shooting macro on a medium format camera; you can get close to small subjects but the larger sensor captures more of the surroundings. This creates a unique blend of wider composition and attractive bokeh.
In digital photography, we can take things even further. By stitching multiple macro images together, we can create a shot with huge amounts of detail in the subject, plenty of background elements, for context and beautiful bokeh to smooth out any distractions. This blended image is impossible to create in a single frame, truly giving it the wow factor. It’s important, however, to carefully follow the workflow shown here to achieve reliably successful results.
Shooting steps
1 Match subject height
Although a common tip for extending depth-of-field in macro photography is to shoot at 90° to the subject, and our goal is to reduce DOF, lowering the camera to ground level enables an interesting bug’s-eye view. It also allows for attractive natural backlighting.
2 Choose maximum f/stop
Bu hikaye Digital Photographer dergisinin Issue 266 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Digital Photographer dergisinin Issue 266 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 Art
This is anot-so-standard zoom lens, as Matthew Richards discovers on a test drive
AstrHori 120mm f/2.8 Macro 2x
Matthew Richards finds out if double the magnification means couble the value
DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite
DXO's flagship editor gets an upgrade but, asks Rod Lawton, are the results worth it?
Panasonic Lumix GH7
Gareth Bevan thinks a new sensor and AF make this the hybrid camera to beat
STORM CHASE
Paige Vincent on the adrenaline rush, the risks and her passion for shooting in the face of storms
PROTECT YOUR IMAGES FROM AI
Pandora's box is open and, for better or worse, Alis here to stay. Here’s how you can protect your images from being used to train Al models without your permission
CREATE AI COMPOSITES
Serge Ramelli explains how to make AI work for you, by creating otherwise impossible portrait backgrounds
Paul Wilkinson's top 25... PORTRAIT TIPS & TRICKS
Even with so much information out there, taking perfect portraits can be hard work. Pro photographer Paul Wilkinson guides us through this huge genre with his pearls of wisdom
MASTER MINIMALISM
Less is more in the world of minimalism. Rebecca Greig explores what makes minimalist captures work
LITTLE WONDERS
Kim Bunermann meets Louise B to discuss the joys and challenges of working with newborns and freshly baked parents