Tutorial : Macro Photography By Satpal Singh

-Tutorial- 
Macro Photography

(Here is a tutorial about Macro Photography by Mr. Satpal Singh, a promising wildlife photographer. He is Panasonic Lumix Camera Ambassador and has a number of awards at International level. His photographs have been exhibited and published world-wide.)
Macro Photography is one of the popular and challenging genres of Nature Photography today. This ia all about keen observation, vision and dedication. 
Here are a few points which must be kept in mind while taking macro images:

 1- It is not necessary to have an expensive photography kit.  To start we just need an entry level DSLR with a macro lens.

 2- If budget is an issue, macro photography can be started with any normal lens and a kit of close-up filters & extension tubes.

 3- Monsoon & post monsoon season (before winter) is best time for insect photography.  In this period of time thousands of species of insects complete their life cycle and offer many opportunities to a nature photographer for excellent pictures.  

 4- Morning & evening sun light is always ideal to get colourful, soft, warm & balanced tone images. 

5- A Led light or a dedicated ring flash will be very helpful on cloudy days & when our subject is in shade.

 6- Role of Aperture always plays a vital role in macro photography. (A) We can use a bigger (smaller in number) aperture to get clear & out of focus background. (B) If we are working in a condition where we need good depth of field to get all parts of the subject sharp we should use smaller (bigger number) aperture. 

7- Safe shutter speed:  Subject’s movement & camera shake is a big problem in macro photography. To overcome this problem we have to use a safe/high shutter speed such as 1/ 250 sec. or above.

 8- We can use a reflector to redirect light towards our subject if we need.

9- Focus:  (1) We have to focus at the eyes of our subject. If eyes are not sharp, image is not considered good.  (2) Manual Versus Auto Focus: * Manual focus is often the effective way to get the most important part of an object sharp. As we often click macro objects in dull light, it can be difficult for our camera to auto focus – so we should choose manual option of focusing. * When we click moving objects,  manual focusing  is not possible.  Here auto focusing is only option.

 10- We have to go on the eye level:  In macro work it is strongly recommended to go parallel to your subject. Doing such can totally change the perspective of an image. 

 11- We should avoid dresses of bright colours and wear green, navy, brown & non-alarming colors. Bright colours disturb small creatures.

 12- We have to avoid using perfumes, hair oils and creams that have fragrance. Insects are more sensitive than us.