Use autofocus to get the focus close enough, then move the camera in and out until you get perfect sharpness. In-and-out movements should be very minor. If students are making large movements, they are likely a little too far from the subject. Make sure eyes, rhinophores or other defining features are sharp. Once students have their cameras set up with these settings, recommend that they test the set up topside to understand the distance they need to be from their subject to get focus. PHOTO PRO continued
flash and ambient light visible. We might move from flash- sync speed toward 1/30 second, then slower if the student can keep part of the subject sharp. The strobe freezes detail while the longer exposure records movement from the animal or camera. If everything is equally blurred, the effect has no anchor. I recommend encouraging students to keep the eye or face recognizable. Snooting: A snoot removes light from everything except a small area. The trick is to align the beam on an inanimate
This also allows them to understand whether or not they need to make any strobe adjustments if the light is not hitting the subject correctly. Encourage them to play with the strobe height, distance and angle until the light is hitting the subject. For practice subjects, I usually just look around the room for something the size of a golf ball. Basic Composition: Once they’re comfortable with the settings and getting sharp images, it’s time to turn focus beyond the animal and consider the background. At this point, I would draw inspiration from other pros. Maybe give a presentation beforehand and show them some images from Marty Snyderman, Erin Quigley, Todd Winner, Herean Spalink, James Emery, and Byron Conroy. There are, of course, other incredible macro photographers but these are some of my friends and people I am constantly learning from. Look at the backgrounds in their macro images and you’ll see the very intentional compositions selected. Sometimes even a piece of unexpected debris can make a photo memorable. Once a student can produce a sharp, well-exposed frame with a controlled background, the camera stops being a problem to solve. It becomes a tool for deciding how the subject should feel. Unleash Their Creativity: Creative macro works best as a progression. I recommend giving students one primary technique per dive rather than loading them up with 10 tech- niques and every accessory they brought with them. The goal is to understand what each tool changes and why the photograph improves or fails. Slow Shutter: Slow shutter makes the relationship between
target (use a small rock, leaf, or a piece of your gear) before approaching a slow or stationary subject. Then use a fast shutter speed, low ISO and smaller aperture. If they are not
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