As a commercial studio still-life photographer, I’m always amazed at the new perspectives macro photography provides. In addition to allowing me to see the wonderful details within a subject or object, it allows me to slow down my shooting process and study the subject in front of my lens.

In my work, few things are more rewarding than taking an object that may be as small as two centimeters long, such as a beetle, and producing a final 20 x 24-inch print of it, thereby viewing it at 15 times its original size. A whole new world of detail, color and structure is revealed through the use of macro photography techniques.

My work is confined to the predictable and controllable environment of a photo studio, which allows for some flexibility. In particular, having unlimited time with a subject allows for careful and deliberate use of various lighting techniques.

Ring Flash and Strobes
One of the most useful lighting techniques for macro photography is the use of a ring flash, a donut-shaped flash unit that helps eliminate shadows. These units are available in different sizes. For many of my subjects, I use the Olympus SRF-11 ring flash, which is five inches in diameter. In addition to the ring flash, I also use various strobe heads which “wrap” around the set, usually about four different heads at varying power settings. This technique is employed to offset the flat light typically produced by the ring flash.



When placed at low angles and “skimming” across the object, these lights enhance detail and color in the object and also produce a more three dimensional effect with the use of highlight and shadow. However, using lights in this way introduces a new set of problems: the lights tend to cause specular highlights, bright spots of light that can look horrible when enlarged to the 20 x 24-inch print size.

Cross-Polarization
To eliminate or reduce these highlights, I use the technique of “cross polarization.” This method uses polarizing filters on both the lens and light source. With the filter on the lens rotated to a set position, each polarizing filter on the various strobe heads can be rotated independently to reduce the specular highlights at varying intensities.

Depth of Field
Depth of field is always an important tool to consider when shooting with macro photography techniques. Depending on the camera angle and subject, depth of field, when used properly and as a creative consideration, can truly enhance the photo.

With a complicated subject, it may not be possible to get a desirable depth of field in one shot. For example, take the image of Flavicornis beetles below. Since this was shot from overhead and the two beetles were the protagonists in the image, both needed to be sharp. However, because the beetles were placed at different heights on the set, a maximum aperture was unable to provide the required depth of field. Consequently, two separate shots were taken, with each beetle at a different focus point. They were later assembled as one shot in Photoshop, rendering each beetle perfectly sharp. This was an instance where a suitable depth of field could not be achieved at time of exposure, so the final result was created in Photoshop. Depth of field by Photoshop!



On the other hand, the photo of the vials below uses a deliberately shallow depth of field of f4.0. This is used to enhance one vial and to draw the viewer’s attention to this area of the photograph. It also creates a sensation that this product is “larger than life.”



When using such a shallow depth of field, focusing may become an issue. I never use auto-focus when shooting macro. Instead, I will take the lens completely out of focus and then focus on the object. This is useful as the object will “pop” into focus. It’s a technique I find very useful.

Right Angle Finder
In addition to the ring flash, a piece of equipment I have to found to be useful for macro photography is the right angle finder. This fits over the eyepiece/viewfinder on the camera and allows the photographer to view the image without placing an eye up to the viewfinder. It is indispensable when shooting low to the ground or when the camera height is low. It is also useful when shooting overhead, since I can typically view the image without getting up on a ladder and looking over the top of the camera.

Finally, when you’re shooting a subject in macro in a studio environment, think carefully about repositioning either your camera or subject. When you’re shooting objects at such close range, any movement -- whether it be on the part of the camera or subject -- will seem enormous and exaggerated. For instance, when I was photographing the vials, I’d experiment by moving one vial a couple of millimeters—then find, when I looked through the lens, that I might as well have moved it a kilometer! These days, when composing a photograph, I’m always mindful of the effect that the placement of an object, or the camera, can have on the compositional balance of the picture.