Photo masterclass: up close Top tips for working with smaller subjects

The stunning banded demoiselle damselfly makes an excellent macro subject, with its large metallic blue (male) or green (female) body

How to improve your…

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

acro photography can reveal

Ma hidden world that is full of wonder. True macro lenses will magnify your subject to at least life size (1:1), but even without this magnification you can still capture amazing detail. Many telephoto and zoom lenses allow you to focus very closely, and even some mobile phone cameras have a close-focus capacity. Due to a small sensor, phones have the added benefit of lots of depth of field.

Depth of field is the area in your photo that appears sharp and in focus. In every picture, there is a zone both in front of and behind the point you are focusing on that also appears sharp. Making sure you have sufficient depth of field is crucial for macro photography, as the area that appears sharp decreases the closer you get to your subject and the more you magnify.

To shoot at macro level successfully, you ideally need lots of light or you might struggle to get all of your subject in focus. If part of the image is affected by shadow, or if light levels are low, for example on an overcast day, try using flash to rectify this. The torch on your mobile phone can be used to experiment with the direction of light for more control, especially if you are photographing a plant or fungi or a very still insect. Try making a simple reflector out of tin foil stretched over a bit of card, or the foil lining inside some fresh juice cartons. Use this to direct light onto your subject and balance out the shadows.

Look for a clean background

Move around and try to find a position to shoot from that gives your subject a clean background with no distractions that compete for the viewer’s attention. Using a longer focal length lens or a shallower depth of field can help to throw messy elements in the background out of focus, and diffuse intrusive foreground elements.

Get down low

Lowering your camera to the same level as your subject – or lower – can give your images a more intimate feel. This might mean kneeling or even lying on the ground for some subjects, but it will be worth it – this approach can transform your photographs into a more inspiring bug’s-eye perspective. It is especially effective when using a telephoto lens.

If you have the opportunity to choose one specimen or individual from many options, for example butterflies or flowers, then take the time to identify the most pristine one. Look closely to check that your flower petals or insect wings are not damaged. If they are, make sure you photograph them from an angle that hides the imperfection.

As depth of field is often limited with macro photography, you may struggle to keep key elements of your image in sharp focus. Try to get parallel – or at a 90° angle – to your subject to keep as much of it as sharp as possible. If a crucial part of the picture is soft, it can spoil the final result. Keeping the camera at the same level as the subject avoids having to pitch the lens up or down, which reduces the depth of field.

Bogbean

Search for the best specimen

Red-tailed bumblebee

Stay parallel

Your wild photos

WINNER “Every time I return from an outing to WWT Slimbridge, I find that the vast majority of my images are of flamingos. Quite often, you’ll find one that seems to be posing for us photographers.” David Hoare

RUNNER-UP

“I took this photo at London Wetland Centre last November. After initially missing the bittern when it was out in the water, I was relieved when it returned four hours later in glorious autumn sunlight.” Dave Foker

WIN! WIN! WIN!

David wins a copy of Where to Watch Birds in Britain by Simon Harrap and Nigel Redman, worth £25 and available in our shops and online.

We love to see what you’ve photographed at our We love to see what you’ve photographed at our centres. Please send your best shots to Waterlife and they could be published in a future issue. Just email your high-res images and a short story about what you photographed to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. We can’t wait to see what you can do!