Macro tips
diffuse the sunlight
Direct sunlight is often problematic. As shown in the bottom-right image, it causes high contrast with overly bright highlights and deep shadows.
Often delicate, soft light is better, as it more gently reveals the form and colour of the subject. With macro photography, we needn’t wait for a cloud or some shade
– we can make our own shade!
A simple 5-in-1 reflector is ideal for this. By zipping off the reflector sleeve and holding the internal diffusion panel between the sun and our subject we can diffuse the sunlight while not blocking it out completely, resulting in wonderful, soft, even, illumination.
Kit used: Macro lens, diffusion panel or white umbrella
off-camera flash
An off-camera flash is a great addition to your kitbag when you’re out shooting macros. When doing so, you will often want to stick to narrower apertures to maximize depth of field – usually between f/11 and f/22 is ideal. But this does inevitably mean that you’ll require a bit more light, which the flash can thankfully provide us with.
But it’s not just about quantity of light, the flash also lets us get creative with the direction of it. By using a remote trigger (or a sync cable), we can place it behind our subject for elegant backlighting through a leaf, as you can see in the image to the left. However, too much flash can look unnatural, so for best results, keep the flash power fairly low to harmonize with the ambient light you have on offer.
Kit used: Speedlight, wireless triggers, macro lens, tripod, light stand