Tom Clark - Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

Macro photography uses a macro lens, which allows you to get very close to your subjects and still achieve sharp focus, to capture intimate scenes in nature on a very small scale. (Flip to Chapter 3 for more on macro lenses.) Insects on a log, tiny flowers, spiders and their webs, and grains of sand are some of the elements that may be best represented through a macro lens. By using this type of lens, you can photograph an ant so that it's fairly large in your frame, revealing details and textures that otherwise would be unnoticeable. Figure 14-3 shows the fine details of a leaf's texture and biological design.

Keep the following points in mind when shooting macro photography:

Increasing magnification decreases depth of field.As a result, images taken with a macro lens often have a very shallow depth of field. (Chapter 7 explains depth of field in more detail.) If you want your composition to show more sharp detail by increasing your depth of field, shoot with a small aperture, such as f/16.

The smaller your aperture, the longer your exposure. Because of this long exposure, the slightest movement has a great effect on the sharpness of your image. As a result, you should use a tripod when shooting with a macro lens.

When you get extremely close to a small subject, you may block the available light.If you do, rotate to a position where you aren't in the way of the light source. If you can't rotate your position appropriately, a small, battery-powered flash off-camera and to the side of your subject produces a nice quality of light in most cases. Some photographers use a small ring flash, which covers the rim of your lens and provides a flat, ambient light.

If you want to keep the light as natural as possible, bring a collapsible reflector into the field. This type of reflector can be used to bounce sunlight toward your subject, or it can block the wind from causing your subject to sway.

Macro photography can be misleading regarding the size of your subject or the other elements in your photo.Providing something with an easily recognizable size in the composition gives your viewers a sense of scale and helps reveal the true size of the other elements. For more on scale, check out Chapter 12.

50mm (with 25mm extension tube), 1/60 sec, f/11, 100

Figure 14-3:Macro photography shows the fine detail of small subjects by enabling you to achieve focus at close distances.

Even if you don't own a macro lens, you can shoot macro photography with your 50mm lens if the need arises. To do so, attach an extension tube to your normal lens; this tube allows you to get closer to your subjects and still achieve sharp focus. An extension tube connects to the back of your lens and then to your camera body. It extends the distance between the glass in your lens and your digital sensor. The closer you get to a subject, the farther your focus gets from the backside of the lens. By adding distance from the lens to the digital sensor, you enable yourself to move in closer to your subjects. Keep in mind that when you use an extension tube, light has to travel farther to reach the sensor, which affects your exposure. You can compensate by opening up your aperture or slowing down your shutter speed.

Photographing wildlife is exciting, but it requires patience and skill. You gain a certain level of satisfaction from simply seeing an animal in the wild; but, having the photo to prove it is like having a trophy. Photographing wildlife is sort of like a nonviolent form of hunting. Knowing where to see animals in their natural element is the first skill you need to acquire; getting the shot is the second. I explain both in the following sections.

If you want to take photos of wildlife, you first have to figure out where to go to see the animals you're interested in. You have several options:

Go out into the wild and explore.This option is probably the most exciting and respectable way to photograph wildlife, but, depending on the subject of your photo, it also can be the most dangerous and least likely to provide results.

Always be cautious of wildlife, and put your safety ahead of capturing the shot. Getting too close to a potentially violent creature is never a good idea. Also, don't taunt or bother wildlife to gain a reaction either. It's your duty to respect and preserve wildlife and your relationship with it. Maintain your distance for its sake as well as yours.

Sign up for a tour or a safari.These group activities are designed for photographers and enable you to capture images of animals without putting yourself in harm's way. They're great for guaranteeing that you see the animals you want to see and ensuring a safe journey.

Contact a local exotic-pet handler.This option is helpful if you don't have the time, money, or expertise to go exploring in the wild or to go on an expensive tour. These companies usually allow you to photograph the animals in their care for a reasonable rental fee. Some even come to your location and provide unique and interesting insects, lizards, snakes, and various sizes of fuzzy creatures. You may have to shop around to find the specific animals you want.

The tarantula in Figure 14-4 was photographed in a class that I attended. This particular spider is very aggressive and contains venom. So, of course, I was more comfortable encountering it with knowledgeable handlers in the area as opposed to finding it on my own in the wild.

135mm, I/SO sec, f/5.6,400

Figure 14-4:A tarantula photographed during a wildlife photography class.

Visit the zoo.If you can't get into the wild and haven't found

a handler who has the animal you want to photograph, consider the zoo. Choose a day fewer people are visiting. The middle of the week and early in the morning are your best bets for finding the freedom and space to work with. Large crowds can make it difficult for you to get the compositions you desire. By cropping in close and using a shallow depth of field, you usually can create compositions that are believable as being taken in the wild.

Don't try to literally pass off your images from the zoo as being captured in the wild. Nobody likes to be lied to, and this includes stock photo agencies, magazine editors, and friends and family.

When composing an image, consider wild animals as you would any other photographic subject. To make great images of wildlife, make sure that you

Seek out interesting moments.Scenes showing a mother interacting with her young or two animals engaged in a turf battle always provide great compositional material. Even a moment where an animal makes eye contact with your camera can be great. Pay attention to the animals rather than photographing them randomly; you'll better enjoy your personal experience, and you'll capture the most interesting moment.

Look for great lighting.The best way to increase your chances of great light when photographing wildlife (because it's wild and somewhat unpredictable) is to go out during the best hours of the day. The best hours are during the beginning or end of the day. On bright, sunny days, perhaps you can use the middle of the day to take a nap or a long lunch. (Head to Chapter 10 for more information on lighting.)

Find supporting elements that say something about the subject.A shot of a cheetah is cool, but a cheetah in a tree is even cooler. This says something about how the cheetah lives its life. An eagle landing by a nest suggests that it has offspring. A photo of a lone wolf tells a different story than one that shows a wolf backed by its pack.