Michigan Macro

Photo Forum Presentation

Tom & Nancy Donahoe

 

Nancy and I spent a week in August 2006 on the upper peninsula of Michigan at a photography workshop conducted by John and Barbara Gerlach (www.gerlachnaturephoto.com).   The workshop focused on macro photography.  Setting out before dawn, we spent several hours each morning in the meadows and bogs photographing dewy dragonflies, darner flies, robber flies, bumble bees, katydids and other little critters, as well as wild flowers and dewy spider webs.

 

In the early morning before the sun warms them up, the critters do not move.  Also, during those hours, there is more likely to be moisture, dew, and little breeze.

 

Equipment

 

Macro lenses come 50 mm to 200 mm.  The longer lenses enable the photographer to gain more distance between the camera and the subject.  But price is a huge factor.  I worked with a 60 mm lens which was very difficult.  I had to set up right on top of the subject, and in thick undergrowth or bushes, that is not easy to do without disturbing the subject.  Nancy worked with a 25 mm extension tube on her 28 – 200 mm lens.  She, too, had to work very close to the subject.  We both came home with photos that were as good as those taken with better equipment, but we had to work harder.

 

In place of a macro lens, diopters on the front of the lens and stacked extension tubes work well.  But anyone who is really interested in macro photography should invest in a good lens – 150 mm.

 

Fill flash is essential for many macro shots.  The flash needs to be held away from the camera.  Using a cord, as Nancy and I did, is o.k. but, again, very awkward.; you really need a third hand or an assistant.  A cordless remote device is ideal.

 

Reflectors and diffusers are also essential equipment (Photoflex,  22” MultiDisc 5 ‘n 1, for example, about $54.).  Reflectors can sometimes perform the function of a flash but, in addition, add tone – gold, silver, white.  Except when shooting with backlight, you want to avoid direct sunlight because the color washes out.  Diffusers used to filter direct sunlight bring out the color.

 

When you are working with a tripod, L-brackets attached to the camera allow you to switch easily from horizontal to vertical.  This enables you to keep the camera on top of the tripod for greater stabilization and avoids shifting the camera to the side, which changes the position and angle.   The L-bracket is now a permanent fixture on our cameras.  L-brackets are custom made for most digital SLR cameras.  You can check them out on www.kirkphoto.com.  L-brackets range from $120 to $190.

 

The Plamp, an articulated arm, is a marvelous device which allows you to steady your subject if it is breezy, or even place your subject in the best light and with the best background.  To use a Plamp, you need an extra small tripod or stable pole of some sort.  Despite how it’s marketed, it does not work well when attached to the tripod on which your camera is mounted because you can’t move your tripod without disturbing your subject.  The Plamp is a Wimberley product (www.tripodhead.com).  It costs about $37.00.  

 

Camera Settings

 

We generally used F16 because the depth of field is very shallow anyway with macro photography.  Above f16, most cameras begin to lose sharpness.  Below F16 the focus becomes very selective.

 

Invariably we used manual focus because in macro work you want the point of focus to be very precise, almost always on the eye of the subject. In macro, if you auto-focus precisely where you want and then slightly move the camera to recompose, you will lose sharpness because focusing distance is so precise. But if you do use auto-focus, set your camera on back-focus (custom function 4 on Canon, setting 1, AE lock/AF).  Back focus allows you to focus where you want and then recompose without having to keep the shutter button depressed half way.  In AE lock/AF mode on a Canon camera you focus by pressing the star (*) button on the back of the camera.  You can release the button while you recompose and the focus will remain as you have set it (but the focal distance may have changed slightly when you moved the camera).

 

To achieve maximum sharpness edge to edge when shooting a spider web or the full body length of a critter, for example, make sure your lens is parallel to the plane of your subject.

 

If you set the camera for mirror lock up (custom function 12, setting 1 on Canon) and set the drive on timed release, the delay will be only 2 seconds.  If you do this, you really don’t need to use a cable release.  If you don’t use mirror lock up, be sure to use the cable release to avoid camera shake and make sure your speed is not in the 1/30 to 1/15 range.  Within that range, the mirror causes some camera vibration which will affect the sharpness  of your pictures.