Macro Series, Part V: TechniqueWe will break this discussion into two parts, one part dealing with handheld shooting and one part discussing static studio style shoots. First, shooting handheld. Turn focus peaking on (if you use a mirrorless camera). If you are using a lens such as the Laowa, which I suggested you use in the weeks leading up to this blog, then you will need to set the magnification you desire. This will be determined by how big your subject is and by how much you want to enlarge it. If you are using a fixed 1:1 macro lens then you will adjust your focus ring based on how large your subject is. Once set we are ready. Let your spouse or a self standing monopod hold your background in place. Hold the camera with your right hand. Take ahold of the plant with the insect on it with your left hand. This will help to stabilize the plant from the wind. You also need to move the plant to get the composition and angle you desire. Once the insect is at the angle you want, slowly move the camera and plant closer to each other. Once your focus peaking lights up press and hold your shutter button as you very slowly continue to move the camera and plant closer to each other. Try to keep the insect in the same place in the viewfinder to make the stitching easier later on. Keep on shooting for two to four seconds. This is why we want to shoot at 10 frames per second. We want to shoot quickly to minimize how long we shoot. We want to shoot without the insect moving much. The quicker the better, but we cannot shoot more than 10 frames per second either because the flash cannot keep up. 10 Frames per second seems to be the sweet spot. If you get underexposed frames in the sequence then your flash did not keep up. Increase your ISO a bit and set your flash on less power. We now have twenty or more images. Because we kept on moving the subject and the camera closer to each other as we shot each image will now be focused at a different place. Image one will be focused on that which is closest to the lens. Image two will be focused on the next part of the insect. So each following image should be focused on the next part of the image. At the end of the day we have a sequence of images each focused from front to back of the insect. All we need to do now is to stack or stitch the images together (which we will explain in an upcoming blog). In the controlled environment of a studio or indoor setup things work a bit differently. Approach the shoot as you would a still life image. Once again, your background will be held in place by a clamp. Move your plant to how and where you want it. Place your camera on a tripod. Move it to the desired distance from the subject. Focus on the closest point of the subject and fire off your shot. Now turn your focus ring ever so slightly to focus on the next part of the insect. Take another image. Repeat this procedure until you have an image where every part of the insect is in focus. If you are using an auto focus lens and if your camera has a focus stacking or focus shift feature built in, then let the camera do the process for you. Either way, the idea is to end up with a number of images that cover the entire focus depth of the subject. With extreme macro images this may best be done with a focus rail that can move the camera at minute distances. All that is now left to do is to stack or stitch the images together.
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