Macro Lens

for any camera
Getting very close allows you to see things you don't normally see, so it tends be really interesting. In nature work, flowers and insects become entirely different subjects when you get very close, approaching life size or larger. If you search Flickr for macro you find mostly flowers and insects, no surprise.

In macro work, depth of field gets very narrow, and for more depth of field, you need more light or higher ISO. Plus you often block your own light and you scare off the insects. If you get frustrated with close-up work, welcome to the club. Get a book or a teaching video on macro work.

Bottom Line: Close-up photography reveals levels of detail that we don't normally see, so there is automatic interest generated by shooting very close. But shooting close has many technical issues you will need to deal with.

Confession: I decided very early to use one subject — Nicole — for every shot. I think it was a good idea, and adds more to the project than it takes away, but people are really NOT the ideal way to show what a macro lens can do. So I added a supporting sequence with a vase of flowers. I can't think of any human body part, other than the eye, that becomes more attractive as you get closer.

Nicole: f8, studio flash, 100mm macro
Flowers: f8, studio flash, 100mm macro
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Left
Right

From farther back, it is a portrait of Nicole, and it is just a vase of flowers.flowers

But as you get closer to Nicole or to the flowers you have to decide what to focus on — literally.flowers

With a human, the eye is pretty much the only feature that works in extreme close-up.flowers

With Nicole you start to see mostly the eye, and with the flower you start to notice the spiral pattern.flowers

So in both cases you get closer and closer to the feature you want to zero in on.flower

And in both cases you need to decide how close you really want to get.flower

Even with macro photos, you have to decide if there is a point that is just too close.flower

Is the eye as interesting as this close-up?
Is the spiral pattern really all you need to see?flower

From farther back, it is a portrait of Nicole, and it is just a vase of flowers.flowers

But as you get closer to Nicole or to the flowers you have to decide what to focus on — literally.flowers

With a human, the eye is pretty much the only feature that works in extreme close-up.flowers

With Nicole you start to see mostly the eye, and with the flower you start to notice the spiral pattern.flowers

So in both cases you get closer and closer to the feature you want to zero in on.flower

And in both cases you need to decide how close you really want to get.flower

Even with macro photos, you have to decide if there is a point that is just too close.flower

Is the eye as interesting as this close-up?
Is the spiral pattern really all you need to see?flower