If you’re a brand new hobbyist photographer, or perhaps a skilled nonetheless struggling to afford area of interest lenses, you don’t must miss out on Macro nature pictures this summer season? With only a cheap 50mm prime lens and your SLR, you’ll be photographing close-up flowers which are daring and exquisite. And Melissa of Melissa Brewer Pictures will train you the way in immediately’s enjoyable submit educating you macro pictures on a finances. It is a reprint of this very talked-about tutorial.
The Poor Photographer’s Macro Pictures Trick
It is a enjoyable pictures method referred to as “poor man’s” macro. I don’t learn about you however I LOVE macro close-up pictures. It’s simply so enjoyable and brings issues into a complete new perspective. Nonetheless, I can’t justify going out and shopping for a macro lens. It simply doesn’t have a spot in my enterprise. By no means fail although, there’s a means round it for us “frugal” photographers.
First, let’s discuss technical. You’re going to want an SLR and a prime lens. By prime lens I imply it could possibly’t zoom out and in – I all the time use my trusty 50mm. All the large digital camera corporations have a low-cost 50mm (normally a 1.8 model). This lens by no means fails me!
To do the poor man’s macro all it’s important to do is, take your lens off, flip it round, and maintain it in place. Yep. That’s it. Effectively, virtually.
The steps:
1. Begin by taking off no matter lens is in your digital camera.
2. Then take the prime lens, such because the 50mm lens, and switch it backwards. Right here’s the best way to maintain it the “proper” mistaken means.
3. You now have a macro lens. Warning: watch out of mud since your lens shouldn’t be screwed in because it normally could be.
4. Earlier than you begin taking pictures you have to modify your f-stop in your lens to the place you need it. I discover a good place is round f4. To your shutter pace you’re going to need one thing kinda fast like 1/125 or greater. We wish a reasonably fast pace due to how we’re going to focus.
5. Now that our lens is backwards we are able to’t simply use our focus ring and we undoubtedly can’t auto focus. What it’s important to do is get actually near your object after which slowly, I repeat SLOWLY, transfer ahead and backward till the picture is in focus. The most effective factor to do is simply maintain your shutter down as you progress ahead and again since you achieve and lose the main focus so shortly.
6. Now that you simply’ve bought the shot, the picture have to be processed. Effectively, if you wish to go for a gentle look you gained’t must however, to actually get them sharp they’re going to need to be processed. Right here’s a picture SOOC (straight out of digital camera).
In fact, we are able to make it look higher than this in digital camera by getting our publicity proper however, the picture can be missing plenty of distinction and will probably be very gentle. When processing my poor man’s macro photos I usually simply use Lightroom orACR in Photoshop. I convey the publicity up, add some black, plenty of distinction, and loads of added readability. The Grunge or Heavy Metallic Lightroom presets from MCP Enlighten could be a superb alternative. Then, once I open the picture up in Photoshop, I all the time run a excessive cross sharpen. It actually helps make the traces pop! So, right here’s the identical picture after it’s been processed.
Significantly better!
Poor man’s macro is a superb instrument to learn about and you’ll provide you with plenty of completely different seems with this one method.
You may get tremendous gentle/dreamy photos.
You may get tremendous sharp element photos.
You’ll be able to see tiny little flowers and objects such as you’ve by no means seen them earlier than.
You can too get some nice summary photographs.
One other great point to do with poor man’s macro photos is to place textures on them (such because the MCP Texture Play Overlays – AVAILABLE HERE. They fully remodel them. You’ll be able to go from “Oh cool” to “Oh, is {that a} portray?”.
So, one closing observe earlier than I’m going. Repeating the sooner warning… you may get mud into your digital camera when doing this so I don’t advise doing this someplace windy or actually dusty. Sure, you could want to scrub off your lens afterwards earlier than placing it again in your digital camera. Sure, it is going to take a minute to get a hold of. Sure, you’ll get addicted for some time. Sure, you’ll be able to shoot issues different then flowers and leaves. In truth, I encourage you to take action. Attempt to discover issues with plenty of texture or summary designs like rope, tires, or carpet. Final however not least, don’t be afraid to get down in your stomach and take a look at the world from a complete new perspective!
And most of all have enjoyable!
