home / Acts/ Macro photography of insects. Macro photography of insects using the stacking technique. Close-up theory

Macro photography of insects. Macro photography of insects using the stacking technique. Close-up theory

Remove bugs lying on the moss that has absorbed all the Carpathian moisture? What is the romance of passion here, many will ask. Of course, you can flatly tell everyone that you are doing "entomological macro photography", but will the average person who just wants to know how photographers work with insects understand you? It seems to us that the time has finally come to tell about this difficult subspecies of photography. But first, let's talk a little about photography in general.

For realism

Photos are learning fast these days. Especially with digital, when it is possible to control your misses in real time. Now a young photographer has every chance to go by leaps and bounds through the period of photo maturation, which in the film years took two to three times more effort and hours. The genre that we will talk about today belongs to the most difficult areas, both technically and artistically. contemporary photography. Considering the topic of macrophotography of insects, we decided not to include images overloaded with computer processing, or with a frank bias towards "art modern". If we really, through photography, study the tiny inhabitants of the grassy aboveground microcosm, if we really passionately capture a frame with a flying dragonfly or a crawling caterpillar, then let's do it in its purest form. There is a photographer, there is a camera and there is an insect. Let's concentrate on the description of only these three components and weed out everything superfluous. Naturally, we will pay increased attention to the camera as a generalizing element of the technical side of macro photography.

The famous German photographer Karl Blossfeldt was the first to use macro photography. He photographed the details of plants in the studio, achieving 30x magnification with the help of a camera designed by himself. His works are extremely realistic, but at the same time, he departed from the established canons of photography of his time, for he imposed on the public a new way to look at the world through the camera lens. For this, many considered him an abstract freethinker and could not appreciate the creator in him, who rose a step above the rest. Now, when photography has long served many of the needs of civilization, and cameras can capture both hydrogen atoms and superclusters of galaxies at distances of billions of light years, we can already quite consciously talk about the value of images. It is also worth talking about this because now we are very often faced with the era of imposing pseudo-photos on us, created on a computer from various scraps of various images, subjectively thought out into a composition.

So, if the image is a photograph and reflects an objective slice of the event, and is not a collage interpretation, it is already worthy of attention as a documentary fact of what happened. But is this enough for macro photography of insects? No, because, as elsewhere, in photography one should look for a creative principle that subconsciously attracts the viewer to itself.

The aesthetic foundation of realistic macro photography should be the isolation of images, their laconism. Trying to make the viewer fall in love with a caterpillar that is disgusting to him since childhood is pointless. Banal disgust and rejection by a person of a caterpillar or other similar creatures can be rooted in the sphere of the unconscious. There is only one way out - the most reliable image of an insect, extremely detailed, in an unobtrusive perspective, emphasizing the beauty of shapes and patterns. Like it or not, the photographer who opens it should not be afraid to fall to the ground and look where the space is overflowing with sources of hostility. And in order not only to dare to look, but also to subjugate this space to create beautiful portraits of moths, praying mantises, caterpillars, weevils, scarabs and spiders, you just need to love this business. We have touched on only part of the topic of the ethics of macro photography. In addition to developing the right attitude and choosing the direction of developing one's own macrocreativity, there are thousands of applied nuances. Wet feet, striving to peck their “nose” into a puddle, long-focus macro lenses, the wind throwing a blade of grass with a butterfly in different directions, meager lighting on the lower tiers of vegetation, etc. But this is a necessary working routine on the way of any creator to a masterpiece. Without a routine, it is impossible to come to God; without a long-term routine, moments of revelation from meeting with the beautiful are impossible.

macro birth

Blossfeldt created his photographic herbarium for 30 years. Methodically, day after day, he collected the stems and flowers of wild plants in the field and then photographed them against a neutral cardboard background, mostly illuminated by diffused natural light. Carl used a large-format camera of his own design with bellows that made it possible to reduce the focusing distance and achieve phenomenal magnification for that time - from 4 to 30 times relative to the original. Of course, shooting dead plants in a studio and shooting spider bugs in their natural habitat are not the same thing. But all the same, adherents of modern macro photography must definitely find a place for it in their story about the history of the progressive development of the genre. Unfortunately, we do not know the technical details of Blossfeldt's work. But with pleasure we will tell about the birth of the first prototype of a consumer macro lens. Until the 50s of the last century, the term macrophotography smoothly flowed into the definition of microphotography. The latter includes film / photography of objects and their details using an electron or optical microscope with a magnification of 20-3500 times. That is, microphotography is the responsibility of science. Previously, macro photography served exclusively scientific purposes. This is evidenced by its official definition: shooting objects, their elements and structure on a scale from 1:10 to 15:1 using special or conventional lenses. But the fact of the matter is that for ordinary lenses, 15x magnification is fantastic. Even today, Canon's flagship consumer macro lens, the $1,300 MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Photo lens, achieves only 5x magnification. As for the other extreme, in the West, for example, photographic images of objects on a scale from 1:10 (10th part of natural size) to 1:1 are not generally referred to as macro photography, using the term close-up - literally “close-up”. By the way, if it comes to that, it is somewhat paradoxical to use the prefix “macro”, which means something large, to the kind of shooting tiny objects.

The very first publicly available true macro lens was born in Japan. Distinguished company Nikon, or rather, the famous Professor Koana, collaborating with her. But the reason for the creation of such a lens was not an urgent need for field entomologists. Immediately after the Second World War, the United States introduced a high-tech system for photographic archiving of historically significant documents in Japan. True, its main component, the optical system, did not have sufficient resolving power. Sufficient to clearly reproduce the hieroglyphs of the writing system borrowed from the Chinese. And after a long laboratory work Professor Koana presents to the public a sample of a 70-page novel by Ichio Higuchi, re-shot with the new Micro Nikkor 50 mm F / 3.5. It was possible to see every stick, diagonal and dash of hieroglyphs without any problems. On the basis of this lens, in 1956, specialists developed the Micro Nikkor for type S cameras, and in 1961, the world saw its amateur version with a focal length of 55 mm, designed for Nikon F. Naturally, the development of macro photography was stimulated not only by one company. In general, in the assortment of every serious manufacturer of photographic equipment there are at least a hundred different accessories designed to make life easier for those who like to depict small things on a large scale.

Close-up theory

To simplify the concept of the topic, let's start from the definition that a macro image should be considered an image of an object on a sensor or film plane in full size, i.e., on a scale of 1:1. An increase to such proportions is purely an optical characteristic. That is, in the case of a 35 mm format, the lens must be able to focus on an area of 24 × 36 mm, and an object of this size must fill it all. By rearranging the same "glass" on a digital SLR camera with a sensor area of 15×22.5 mm, we get an object with the same proportions, only cut off at the edges. In the event that it would fit entirely on a sensor area smaller than a 35 mm frame, it would no longer be possible to speak of a 1: 1 scale. Don't confuse the ability of a lens to focus at close range, reproducing a life-size subject, with the magnification factor provided by telephoto lenses. The latter bring distant objects closer due to their large focal length, but do not necessarily depict them on a 1:1 scale. The optical system of a camera, for example, an amateur digital camera, may have a macro mode and a minimum focusing distance of only a few centimeters. And still do not provide an increase to natural size. It seems that back in school physics they taught: if the distances from the object to the lens and from the lens to the image are equal to two of its focal lengths, then the dimensions of the image and the object are also equal. It is not difficult to conclude that higher magnification can be achieved by positioning the lens further away from the film/sensor plane. Most standard lenses consist of several lenses of asymmetrical design, and only then give a sharp image when the distance between them and the film / matrix is much less than the distance from the front lens to the object. Or, in extreme cases, equal to the focal length, and the object is at infinity. In principle, any lens focuses by moving its optical elements further or closer to the sensor plane. In practice, one of the fundamental principles of the macro lens design is expressed in providing a greater range of mobility of its optical elements. If you move the lenses further away from the sensor plane, the lens will focus on objects closer to it. And vice versa. So the first case is the basis for the layout of the elements of the macro lens. As a rule, ordinary macro lenses for narrow-format SLR cameras allow you to create an image at a scale of 1: 1. If someone wants to photograph an insect that is too small, they will have to achieve a larger scale with the help of additional devices. That is, in accordance with the above reasoning, for example, to move the optical center of the lens away from the plane of the film/matrix. More on this later.

A little more theory

Question: So is it still possible to take real macro shots with a compact digital camera? Answer: you can. For example, one of the leading macrophotographers in Europe, the Pole Mark Plonsky, just started with this. He first photographed Canon PowerShot G1, then - G3. True, I immediately realized that in order to get not just “close-up” pictures, but something similar to a real macro, additional devices would be needed. After all, it is almost impossible to use the macro mode of compact models. To remove a bug from a distance of 3-4 cm is almost a utopia. He won't let him get that close. Focusing in the "tele" lens position on Mark's camera was possible only from a distance of several tens of centimeters. It was not worth even dreaming about an increase that would allow the frame to be classified at least as a “close-up”. Therefore, the photographer used diopter attachments (macro lenses) screwed onto the lens. These are single lenses that serve as a kind of magnifying filter. They allow you to reduce the distance to the subject being shot - to reduce the focusing distance, resulting in a zoom. Let's pause to understand two key terms in macro photography. First of all, the minimum focusing distance. This is the distance from the film/sensor plane to the subject, closer than which focusing is not possible. And it's not the same as working distance. It denotes the length of the segment from the subject to the front lens of the lens and, obviously, depends on the focal length of the lens itself and its physical length. A too short working length is undesirable, since again practical difficulties may arise with shooting close to the insect. And it is not easy to illuminate it in such conditions - only side illumination is effective. As a guide, Canon's 100mm macro lens at 1:1 scale will provide a working distance of about 10 cm, while the 180mm is already more than 20 cm. But let's get back to Mark Plonsky's digital compact macro solution. To achieve maximum magnification from the G3, he screwed several diopter attachments with optical power from +1 to +10 onto the lens through a special adapter manufactured by Lensmate. The rule is that the attachment with maximum optical power should be placed closer to the lens. Mark adjusted it to +27 at a time. True, this was done for the sake of experiment. There was no need to talk about the acceptable quality of such pictures. By the way, you can calculate the overall effect of magnification from diopter filters using the following formula: f / (1000 / d), where f is the maximum focal length of the lens, d is the value in diopters of the nozzle. That is, Mark "dabbled" with almost 4x magnification! It's a lot? It would be really a lot if his G3 initially gave a scale of 1: 1. It should be noted that of all additional accessories, whose purpose is to maximize the effective magnification of the lens, macro diopter attachments provide the most Negative influence on image quality. There are nozzles consisting of two paired optical elements. They are more expensive, but also, as a rule, undergo more thorough optical adjustment.

Sharp Depths

DOF in macro photography is a special topic. With the enlargement of the scale, it invariably decreases. It is more convenient to think of depth of field in macro photography as a small, clearly defined passage, the distance from the nearest to the farthest sharp point. As an artistic device, it certainly does not lose its power in shooting at a scale of 1: 1. But as you approach the object at critically small distances, it becomes difficult to control. In addition to the scale, the depth of field depends on the size of the so-called circle of scattering - a distorted image of a point formed by a particular optical system due to its defocusing of the beam of rays. It has been established that even the most perfect lens will not be able to perfectly focus the rays. Of course, up to certain limits, there is no difference between perfectly sharp and slightly unsharp images. Through experiments and calculations, opticians have established the following limits for the permissible blur spot diameter: for 35 mm film - 0.033 mm, for medium format - 0.05 mm. How does it relate to depth of field? The connection follows from the following definition: the depth of field is the range of distances on the optical axis in the space of objects, within which the size of the blur spot does not exceed the allowable value.

We know that the larger the numerical value of the aperture, the more objects fall into the field of sharpness. This works in landscape photography, but when focusing at close range, the depth of field is reduced to millimeters. Let's say if you're shooting at 1:10 scale, which corresponds to a photographable area of 24x36cm for a 35mm format, and 23x15cm for a Nikon-DX format sensor, then the range of depth of field will vary from 4cm at f/5.6 up to 15 cm at f/22. But the 1:1 scale will already be marked with approximately the following depth of field values: about a millimeter at f / 5.6 and no more than three - at f / 22 (assuming a circle of scattering equal to 0.033). Well, how can we be? Close the aperture to the limit? Not an option, because already after f / 11 the diffraction effect begins to appear. This is a phenomenon observed when light propagates past the sharp edges of opaque or transparent bodies - in this case, aperture holes, which is accompanied by a deviation of its rays from the laws of geometric optics. The wave nature of light rays invariably obeys the laws of physics, and nothing can be done about it. The smaller the aperture, the greater the diffraction effect and the lower the sharpness of the output image. In addition, diffraction will be aggravated with a decrease in the size of individual cells of digital camera sensors. The macrophotographer has almost the only means of maximizing the field of view - the correct position of the camera relative to the subjects. Famous macro photographers advise learning to think in planes. You should always decide which parts of the tiny model you want to be extremely sharp in the picture and position the camera parallel to them. The further away from the axis of the object plane the camera is shifted, the more effective sharpness will be wasted on areas that do not contain any meaningful visual information. The body of an insect is ideal in its completeness, a wonderful product of nature. But it's not flat. It can be made completely flat, for example, by an accident in the form of a person's boot sole falling on a poor beetle's head. Then, photographing this cake from above at f / 22, you really get a sharp shot. A little about the dependence of the focal length of the lens and the level of depth of field. In general, as it increases, the depth of field decreases. Only if you do not take into account the scale of the image. That is, a 200mm lens placed next to a 100mm lens will reproduce a smaller angle of view and, as a result, enlarge the image to larger proportions, losing depth of field. However, if a 100mm lens is moved closer to the subject, so that both lenses have the same magnification, their depths of field will be equal. Therefore, whatever one may say, long-focus macro objects are more useful in the field.

tripod around the head

But also harder. And it’s more difficult to get a sharp picture with it, if only because shorter shutter speeds are required. Remember, the shutter speed should be approximately equal to the focal length? And where can you get them if, when shooting macro, you often have to work at the lowest levels - among the grass, hidden in the shade of bushes, which, in turn, nestled in the canopy of a tree. There is little light, and even narrow apertures. Compensate for with a longer shutter speed. And you can't do without a tripod. Although, of course, while you install it, fix the camera, build the necessary lighting scheme, all living things in the area will scatter in different directions. However, patience is one of the main personal assets of a person who is fond of insect photography. Unsure about the strength of your hand? Then just a tripod. What nuances can be here - for starters, the height of the tripod. Too tall (and expensive) you probably won't need. You need a very durable and preferably not too heavy (which is still synonymous with the definition of expensive). The famous Gitzo carbon series immediately comes to mind. This material, in addition to being lightweight, also does not freeze through in extreme cold. The diameter of the tripod legs should not be too narrow. The stability of a tripod should not be compromised. It is desirable that the legs of the tripod are bent at as large an angle as possible, approaching 90?. After all, it is necessary to ensure its lowest possible position and turn the camera along with the L-platform by 90?. Since we are talking about tripod accessories that make macro photography easier, let's mention another useful thing - focusing rails. During focusing of a macro lens, individual lenses move inside it along the axis of the helicoid - the helical surface. This increases the distance between the optical center and the plane of the film / matrix, which, as we have already found out, leads to an enlargement of the scale of the depicted object. In the realm of macro proportions, any small inaccuracy will turn into a spoiled photo frame. It is more reliable to manually focus on some accessible object located in the plane of our model, and then simply move the camera along with the lens, thus bringing the focus to the required limit. Photographers often resort to the use of special rails with millimeter markings. They are placed between the tripod head and the camera. Having loosened the side controls, it is possible to bring the camera closer to the insect a little with high accuracy, controlling the focus through the angle viewfinder.

Give passion!

When shooting with a SLR camera, an angled viewfinder, this periscope is an indispensable thing. You don't have to bend into three deaths to put your eye on the eyepiece of the standard viewfinder of the device. For those who work with medium format cameras, it is easier to build a macro shot while looking through the shaft viewfinder. In this regard, digital compact models with a fixed lens are also convenient - those with a flip-out LCD display. True, as we have already found out, the macro nozzles available to them are not the most acceptable way to achieve an increased scale. Owners compact cameras sometimes it is worth considering the use of a teleconverter. In principle, its main purpose is to increase the focal length of the lens. At the same working distance, a lens with a teleconverter will provide a larger scale by enlarging the central part of the image. Let's say if we take the popular Sigma 180mm f/3.5 macro lens with a minimum focusing distance of 46cm and a working distance of about 23cm, then after attaching a 2x teleconverter to it, the focal length will increase to 360mm at the same lens magnification (1:1 ), and most importantly, the available working distance will double. In the case of shooting at a “normal” distance for this lens of 23 cm, the scale will reach 2:1. True, the teleconverter weakens the aperture ratio of the lens exactly as much as it increases its focal length. 2x 50mm teleconverter, you get 3x zoom. It is advisable to choose as fast a lens as possible as an attachment lens - in order to avoid excessive vignetting. Zoom lenses are not suitable for this purpose. The new working distance of such a connection will be equal to the working distance of the additional lens. As for the adapter (in English it is called a coupling ring), it is quite possible to make it yourself. Take two old filters under the threads of one and the other lenses, knock out the glass from them, glue them together, controlling the opacity, and carefully screw them onto the lenses. Many people like to experiment with the so-called "changeling" (reversing rings). These are also adapters, but they are attached directly to the mount reflex camera. A normal lens is used, only turned upside down so that it looks outward with a bayonet mount. Keep in mind that with this mounting option, the camera's exposure metering function disappears. Perhaps the most popular macro zoom accessory is the variety of extension rings that also sit between the bayonet mount and the lens. There is no high-tech exotic in them, ordinary hollow metal extensions, similar to pipe cuts. With their relative cheapness, these rings are enough effective way upscaling. Its degree will depend on the length of the ring, which simply moves the optical center of the lens away from the plane of the film/sensor. Additional magnification achieved through the use of extension rings is equal to the ratio of their total length to the focal length of the lens. It is easy to understand that short macro lenses, together with extension rings, will give a larger scale. The disadvantage of the latter is the reduction in the amount of light reaching the film/sensor, since the aperture diameter in relation to the total focal length of the lens + extension rings combination is reduced. The TTL metering of digital DSLRs will take light loss into account, correctly calculating the required exposure.

And let the light shine on the bug

Let it spill, but be very careful. The insect is small, and its body can be covered with a well-reflecting light, glaring shell. Especially in beetles that hide their wings under it. Lighting in macro photography is a whole science, or, if you like, an art. And here the craftsmen came up with so many things that one could devote a special issue of the magazine to the topic. Let's define the main problems of lighting spider bugs, winged and buzzing. They all move, constantly in search of some kind (maybe the meaning of life?), And even a beetle frozen on a leaf, carefully watching you, evaluating whether you are worthy of having it pose for you, mustaches can move, twitch nervously paw or something. If you don't reach a fast enough shutter speed, some part of the model will be blurry. But the wide aperture necessary for this will immerse the "portrait" in the darkness of blur. We cover the aperture - we increase the shutter speed, and even in the context of using all these light-cutting nozzles, extension rings, bellows. Suppose we were lucky enough to find a photogenic and apparently willing to be patient model insect perched on the top tier of grass facing the sun. On the street, of course, summer or, in extreme cases, warm autumn. The midday sun creates flashy chiaroscuro contrasts. Our task is to optimize the flow of sunlight, to change its quality.

For example, create diffuse lighting from hard contrasting light. Companies like PhotoFlex or Lumiquest make special diffusers that are basically a disc with transparent nylon stretched over it. Its effect is similar to shooting on a cloudy day - the resulting soft light is more evenly distributed over the frame area, smoothing out small light and shadow disproportions. The diffuser should be kept as close as possible to the insect, blocking the direction of sunlight, of course, so that it does not get into the frame. A diffuser placed too far from the subject will have almost no effect, creating an unnecessary shadow in the frame. While taking care of the uniform illumination of the main subject, keep an eye on the background, which may be in shadow or, conversely, subjected to rough overexposure, drawing attention to itself in the image. In the first case, a complementary diffuser-reflector will help, in the second, say, it is reasonable to use a second diffuser, or, if the light is too bright, try to obscure it with your shadow. The "factory" reflector has the same design as its counterpart, only instead of transparent nylon, it has a shiny surface in metallic or yellow, like foil. The reflector must be handled very carefully - the amount of light it sends to the object can be excessive, especially if the object is an insect with smooth shiny surfaces. In such cases, it is desirable to direct the beam of light parallel to them, allowing only light contact with the shell of the beetle. Of course, to work with these accessories, you need to have both hands free - a tripod will help out. However, diffusers and reflectors are effective when shooting relatively static scenes. You can try using a compact version of the diffuser mounted on an external flash.

Flashes ... The working distance to the photographed insect in macro photography is very small. The impulse of the external and built-in flash is quite strong, and when using the latter, it is easy to get a shadow from the lens, especially when shooting at large scales. Apart from standard flashes, there are two types of special flashes for macro photography. These are ring and two-lamp, mounted on movable brackets. The first ones, in general, are not quite macroflares in their essence. At least they are not suitable for creative macro photography. Initially, they were developed for the needs of medicine and science. In accordance with the name, a ring flash consists of several small sources grouped in a circle. Unfortunately, unlike its power, the direction of the light of a ring flash cannot be changed, and therefore it does not find such a wide application. Judging by the reviews, many photographers find the result of ring flashes unnatural, too sterile laboratory. The insect may look "plastic", taken out of the context of its natural habitat. And the "context" itself ring flashes lead into deep shadows .. Another thing is dual flashes on independent brackets, like the Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite or Nikon SB-R200. With these flashes, the mounting ring is attached directly to the edge of the lens, and the control unit is located in the hot shoe socket. From here, through the LCD display, you control the flash power, its compensation and other user functions. They are a successful find of manufacturers, a standard of technical thought in the field of macro lighting.

Each has its own approach or "Caution, bees!"

Still, whatever you say, it has become easier to live with the figure - without irony. Free shots allow you to take as many test shots as you like, checking the effectiveness of a particular optical chain or lighting in macro photography using the LCD display and histogram. But the complexity of the macro direction itself, especially its entomological wing, should not be underestimated. Many believe that, in addition to deep technical knowledge, remarkable biological erudition is also needed here, and in general, broad natural science knowledge. For example, it is important to understand that the best time to shoot is early morning in good weather. At this hour, insects that have absorbed night moisture appear on twigs and leaves of trees, and, half asleep, expose their wet wings, mustaches, and backs to the sun. Windy moths and butterflies in the late afternoon somewhat slow down in their elusive playfulness. Praying mantises and ladybugs are relatively immobile, they can be "taken" at almost any time of the day. But flies, wasps, bumblebees - a living hell, especially in the midst of a stuffy and sunny summer day. Most spiders are blind, so it's easier to approach them without being seen. True, in tropical forests you can’t joke with spiders - there are a lot of poisonous individuals, you don’t know who you will get. After all, according to scientists, there are several million undiscovered species of insects left on Earth! Dragonflies also require a careful approach. Of course, they will not bite you, but they will hide from the camera lens in the blink of an eye. Is that a couple will make love. Dragonflies have a long body, so try to shoot at the narrowest aperture possible so that everything falls into the sharpness zone. As a last resort, the eyes of this swift-winged insect should always be clearly in focus. Dragonflies instantly fly away, noticing your approach. Don't despair, place your macro kit near the grass stalk. Today is a fine day - the dragonfly will definitely return. And then you need to act quickly. Her most photogenic pose, upright with her wings up, is held for a second as she lands.

When the sun has just risen high enough, butterflies give it their wings. Having dried them, they take up their daily affairs with enviable efficiency. It's good for you - butterflies won't turn on you special attention. It's good to have a long macro lens and a steady hand: photographing winged beauties doesn't require extremely narrow apertures. By themselves, they are quite flat, especially with folded wings, and with a good shooting angle, they can be completely in the field of sharpness already at f / 5.6-f / 8.

Bees ... There is a special conversation about them, but on this stage it’s better to bypass them anyway and not interfere with dragonflies making love. By the way, do not forget to turn on the pre-mirror up mode before releasing the shutter of the SLR camera.

wasps

Tip #1

Even if you are not allergic, when planning to shoot wasps, keep anti-allergic drugs with you. You can easily survive a wasp sting, but if you accidentally frighten an insect, it will instantly broadcast an alarm to all wasps nearby. In this case, you risk becoming the object of attack of the entire nest of wasps.

Tip #2

Do not smoke when photographing wasps, do not use perfume before shooting. Clothing should cover the body as much as possible. Sleeves - with cuffs, so that the wasp could not fly into the hole.

Tip #3

Do not wear woolen clothing. A wasp can easily get tangled in hairs. Be sure to cover your neck. Neck bites are the most dangerous. Headwear is also required. Hair must be completely tucked away under a cap or hat. Wasps often get entangled in the hair and, frightened, sting.

I was stung three times in August last summer. The 1st time the wasp got tangled in the wool of the sweater. The other two - carried away by shooting, I reached for a syringe with bait, grabbed it without looking, and got a bite. Unpleasant...

bees

They say fools are lucky. This is my case. I managed to break all the existing rules for working with bees in one day of shooting. Thanks to Sergei Talanov, I learned in time that I had acted extremely imprudently and stopped dangerous experiments.

In this photo, the bees are preparing to attack. How do you figure out who is the object of interest of the army of bees? I left the hive literally a minute before the attack, not understanding the threat that hung over me.

I filmed standing in front of the notch (the entrance to the hive) in the rain, which caused terrible displeasure of the bees.

It is impossible to stand in front of the entrance and, moreover, to lay out equipment, set up a tripod, etc.

Clothing, as when shooting wasps, must be appropriate (see information about wasps)

Antiallergic drugs should always be at hand.

Ticks

These microscopic creatures can cause a lot of trouble. Ticks are carriers of diseases such as encephalitis, borreliosis and others. I won’t tell you horror stories, but believe me, there’s not enough good.

So clothing for macro hunting should be appropriate. Now on sale there are anti-tick suits. I don't know how reliable they have proved to be, but I prefer camouflage and soak it with tick sprays.

wild nature

Wildlife... it's wild nature. While you're on your own suburban area take pictures of flowers - everything is fine. But sooner or later you will want to get out into the forest, and, in search of new places to shoot, wander deeper.

That's exactly what I did. Well, what to take from a Muscovite who travels to pioneer camps as a child? When behind you, in complete silence, a polite low growl is heard - it's scary. I got an educated bear. He behaved exactly as indicated in the memos on the Internet about the correct behavior when meeting with wild animals. The bear obviously read the memo. Me not.

Even more imprudent on my part was the decision to wander around the field with oats. Well, how? Ears, sun, fragrance, nature and so on and so forth. Then I saw wild boars for the first time in my life. Mom, dad and kids. I think you will believe me that I certainly broke every possible record in running. Luckily for short distances. The jeep was next...

Remember: a bee, a wasp, an ant, a bear or a boar - they are all in their own territory. And we are visiting. Don't forget about it and everything will be fine!

Good luck to you!

about the author

Technique: Pentax K10D, SMC PENTAX-DFA MACRO 1:2.8 100mm WR lens

One of the most exciting aspects of photography is that it opens the door to worlds that we cannot see with the naked eye. Capturing these worlds is challenging and requires a much more systematic approach than other areas of photography, but the results are breathtaking and well worth the effort. Macro photography of the most numerous, but least noticeable creatures of our planet - insects - great example this.

For the best results, you need to use a technique known as taking multiple shots of the same subject with a slight shift in focus, and then stitching together the sharp areas to create a very detailed final image.

Preparing for macro photography using the stacking technique

You can easily take pictures of insects at home on your desk.

It is important to keep in mind that the composition and each shot must be the same so that at the stage of photo processing, the program can easily create the final image. To achieve this, you must first properly prepare for shooting.

You will need a spacious workplace where no one will disturb the order in your equipment, and there is enough space to move around without the risk of accidentally hitting something. At a minimum, you need a heavy tripod and a sturdy table that won't move.

Before shooting, I stress test my equipment - I release my hands from the tripod and do not support anything. All equipment must remain in place and nothing must fall or be damaged.

To achieve close focus, you can use a set that is installed between the lens and the camera. You can buy them quite cheaply. A simple 50mm fifty with macro rings is a good starter option as a macro lens.

Macro composition of insects

Good composition is what will help you create more than just a photo for scientific articles, but more attractive pictures that bring aesthetic pleasure.

Insects are removed from the bottom point, so it turns out more dynamically. Think about how your photo will be read. Insect eyes and mouths provide a fantastic focal point, while claws, mandibles and hair can be used as powerful anchor points.

When preparing to shoot, leave as much space around the subject as possible in the frame. Remember that you will have to strongly, because the macro rings will give on the periphery of the frame.

When you stitch photos in the program, you will find that the program will align your cropped shots well. So the more space you allow yourself, the more flexibility you have to create a pleasing final composition. In such cases, a camera with a high resolution matrix, such as my Sony Alpha 7R II with a 42.4 megapixel sensor, is useful.

Macro stacking technique

Macro rail helps you fine-tune focus

Persistence is the key here. The goal of stacking is to create a series of similar images where the focus changes just a little, to give you enough material that can be combined on a computer to achieve the desired depth of field in the final image. You can do this by moving the camera very small distances, either towards or away from the subject, using . It is almost impossible to manually adjust the focus using the focusing ring on the lens in such cases.

Position the camera as close to the subject as possible so that you move away from it rather than closer. This way you don't have to worry about accidentally touching the equipment, disturbing the insect and ruining the frame. Use the self-timer cable or set your camera's timer to make sure there is no jitter when you press the shutter release.

Do maximum amount images, as far as possible during a small movement of the macrorail. You may not be able to stack all of these photos, but it's nice to have plenty to choose from. Adjust your exposure manually, otherwise you risk getting different shots from each other.

It is important to use a flash to get the right , because when shooting at a covered aperture, natural light is not enough. Fortunately, since the insects are very small, and the usual external flash fit well.

Place the lighting on a small table stand as close to the subject as possible and experiment. Give the flash enough time to recover between shots. If the lighting is not the same, you will not be able to combine frames. Once you get comfortable with the technique, you can experiment a bit. As in the case of the camera, it is better to set the flash in manual mode.

To start with, take 20-30 pictures at f/11 and make sure the focal point moves around in the pictures. Later, you can use a smaller aperture and get sharper images by taking more frames, but the depth of field will be less. Ultimately, you should aim to use the aperture at which you have the sharpest lens, usually f/4 - f/5.6. To do this, you may need 100 shots to get the same sharpness in all parts of the frame.

Processing and stitching captured photos

The Helicon Focus program allows you to export the final result to a source file. These programs are not easy to learn, so don't be discouraged if you don't get the results you expect right away. The radius and blur settings can be very different for each image, and you can only find the best ones by experience. But over time, you'll get the hang of it.

Photo aesthetics when stacking

When you create images using stacking, sometimes you really want to forget about aesthetics and just stack 500 photos to achieve perfect sharpness.

This method can be tempting, but more often than not, it doesn't create a truly breathtaking image. You must not forget that the really good images are those that manage to capture a certain story. For example, when I was photographing a common house spider (see photo above), I decided to put a strong focus on its eyes and fangs to convey the spider's liveliness and mobility - and this photo was created by combining just two shots.

Lighting setup for macro photography of insects

For this photo of a ladybug, the arrangement was pretty simple, key point was the choice of background. The bright color and threads from the scarf created a beautiful backdrop for the subject. I used two triggered flashes - one with color gel, the other covered with white cardboard to soften the main light. And I placed another sheet of white cardboard to the left of the camera to fill the shadows with reflected light.

Experiment with the background
As you get more comfortable with the stacking technique, you can try using colored gels or cardboard to really bring your photos to life with interesting lighting and backgrounds.

Use a dedicated staking program
A specialized program like Helicon Focus will allow you to merge source files, so when it comes to post-processing you have a lot of options. Experiment with joining files, work with JPEGs before going directly to the sources.

The Helicon Focus Pro program is used to stitch the images.

Cool the insects
After death, the bodies of insects decompose extremely quickly, so it is best to photograph them alive - but you need to keep them from moving. For filming, it is best to lower the body temperature so that they begin to fall asleep and the movements slow down. How long to keep insects in the refrigerator (or freezer) depends on their size and weight. Place them in a plastic container and check every 1-5 minutes to see how much they have slowed down.

Used equipment for macro photography

Sony Alpha 7R II
Because stacking requires some serious cropping, a camera with more megapixels will give you a great opportunity to do this and still produce large files suitable for printing. The full-frame Alpha 7R II can capture very clear and detailed images with the right lens.

macrorelets
When using a lens, it is almost impossible to make fine focus movements. The macro rail will give you the ability to move your camera over very short distances, giving you the ability to take smooth focus shots that are good for stacking.

Flashes
Flashes will allow you to use small apertures and low ISOs. A low ISO will give you less noise and more room to correct colors and exposure in post. Also, you need the same lighting in all the photos in order to combine them later, which is not always possible with natural light.

Helicon Focus Pro Program
Although it is possible to combine photos in another program, I strongly recommend that you use this one, because it allows you to create a source file from the final stack, giving you more editing options.

The article was written by Mikael Buck, a London-based editorial and commercial photographer. He has worked as a photojournalist for publications such as TImes, Mail on Sunday and The Metro for over ten years. Currently works on a commission basis for British national publications, famous companies and major brands.

© Christina Kurzke, D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, 1/640s, f/2.8, ISO 800, manual exposure, matrix metering. Since the subject was not shy, the photographer was able to convey the scale of the shooting by capturing a butterfly resting on his finger.

Science knows more than a million species of insects that live on our planet, and many of these tiny creatures can be found right outside your doorstep. By the way, all insects belong to the type of arthropods. Distinctive features insects are a segmented body, six legs, two antennae, compound eyes, and in some cases wings. There are other creatures, such as spiders and scorpions, which are also arthropods but are not insects. Photographing insects and other miniature creatures can be a lot of fun. To open a whole new world With macro photography, you don't have to go far from home.

The first of the basic rules of macro photography is to get close to the subject. To photograph insects, you need a macro lens that allows you to focus very close to the subject. With a macro lens (known as the Micro-NIKKOR by Nikon), you can take pictures of miniature objects almost life-size.

You will also need a tripod to stabilize the camera. This is especially important when using a telephoto lens or slow shutter speeds. If the camera is mounted on a tripod, the ideal shooting method would be to release the shutter using the cable release. Some digital SLR photographers also lock the mirror up before releasing the shutter. This further enhances the stability of the camera. If you do not have a cable release, you can use the camera's self-timer mode instead.

Depending on the shooting distance, you can capture the entire insect or some part of its body, such as the head or antennae, into the frame. Be careful: many insects bite!

© Diane Berkenfeld, D600, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/100 s, f/5, ISO 800, exposure program, matrix metering. Slow moving insects like this praying mantis are great for shooting. The photographer was able to follow how he walked around the fence, and shoot a series of shots from different angles.

© Diane Berkenfeld, D600, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/1600s, f/10, ISO 800, aperture priority, matrix metering. When shooting with a macro lens with a focal length of 40 mm, you need to get very close to the subject, but most insects do not pay attention to the proximity of the camera (and the photographer) while collecting nectar.

© Diane Berkenfeld, D600, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/1250 s, f/10, ISO 800, aperture priority, matrix metering. If you don't want to risk shooting insects with a macro lens, you can start with creatures that won't bite you. The shorter the focal length of a macro lens, the shorter the actual distance to the subject must be, which must be taken into account when choosing a lens for the job.

Insects have incredible bodies, and one of the goals of nature macro photography is to show their amazing life in all its colors and details. To get a good macro shot, the photographer focuses on the eyes, legs, and bodies of these tiny creatures, as well as the details of their miniature world. For example, a photograph of a spider lurking in the center of a web might tell a more interesting story.

Background color plays an important role in the composition. If the subject has a dark color, which is inherent in many insects, then against a light, blurred background, it will stand out well and attract the attention of the viewer.

A technique that makes it possible to distinguish an insect from the surrounding background is to use a shallow depth of field. Depth of field refers to the size of the area in focus in front of and behind the main subject. The depth of field is determined by the aperture setting. Small apertures, such as f/2.8, result in shallow depth of field, allowing you to accurately focus on the subject while leaving the background blurry.

Another technique that photographers use is to shoot a brightly lit subject against a dark background. If you expose a well-lit subject, such as in bright daylight or with fill flash, a dark background will be underexposed and appear almost black. This allows you to get a uniform dark background against which the object will stand out clearly.

But if both the subject and the background are brightly lit, the insect may be difficult to distinguish in the picture. In this case, you can place some object behind the insect, such as a piece of cloth or a sheet of paper, which will play the role of a portable studio background and help highlight the object and make it distinguishable.

Insects are more active in warm weather: photograph them early in the morning or in the evening when it is cooler and they will be slower. Natural lighting at this time of day is also more advantageous.

D3S, 1/1000 s, f/5.6, ISO 200, manual exposure mode, matrix metering. This is the same shot of a bee on a flower as on the left, but after cropping. You can compose an image as you shoot, but you can also crop it or otherwise experiment with it on your computer.

Even at the most superficial glance, the photography community is not homogeneous. Someone specializes in human texture or architecture, someone prefers landscapes or factory pipes, and someone prefers something more hidden from the ordinary eye. This is one of the most contemplative and rare castes of hunters with a photo gun at the ready. Who else, tell me, will crawl in the dust for half a day, bitten by ants and mosquitoes, only in order to remove a butterfly that for a moment sat on a cornflower stalk, Or ladybug creeping on the vine. Or... the options are endless.

Macro photography, like nothing else, requires the photographer's dedication, observation and ingenuity. Photohunting and meditation in one glass. A person who discovers the beauty of this kind of photography for the first time is like Columbus who unwittingly discovered America. This is art in its purest form, there is no demand for it in the service market, unlike the same shootings of weddings. Question - what to consider macro? Even in specialized journals, opinions differ on this issue. The main criterion is the scale, that is, the ratio of the size of a real object and its image on the receiver (film, screen). As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Macrophotography can be considered the scale of shooting in the range from 1:5 to 5:1, from 10:1 and above - microphotography. A close-up photo (often confused with macro) ranges from 1:10 to 1:20. Everything else lies in the area of the so-called “gray zone”, that is, depending on the genre and plot, it can belong to one category or another.

Available means...

So you've decided to take up macro photography. Now any “soap box” is equipped with a “macro” mode. Let's switch to it. Turn off the optical zoom, set the ISO sensitivity to the lowest level, turn on the focus in the center. With some patience and diligence, you can achieve good results. You can’t get into the caste of macrophotographers in this way, but in order to please relatives and friends, it’s quite enough .

The transitional stage, in the presence of a SLR camera, is a whale, that is, a basic lens that comes with all (or almost all) professional and semi-professional cameras.

He is also the cheapest. “Whales” at the maximum teleposition (that is, in the maximum folded state) allow you to reach a scale of 1:3, this is quite enough for almost professional shooting of flowers or butterflies, but it is unlikely that you will be able to appreciate the nuances of the overflow of a dew drop on the back of a snail.

Heavy artillery is on the move

When you outgrow the amateur level, the question of professional equipment will arise. It costs more, and in the pursuit of butterflies, you will see how much heavier it is than a compact “soap dish”. But the result compensates for everything, although it will not be enough for him to simply press the button. Let's talk briefly about optics (starting with the most affordable options).

Attached lenses. One of the easiest means of reducing focus distance. Their advantage is that they do not reduce photopower. Minus - reduce sharpness and distort the picture.

You can flip the lens. In this way, the scale is increased without loss of quality. Minus - affects the control of the camera is not the best way.

Extension rings. An affordable way to increase the focal length. Minus - a decrease in aperture ratio and, again, due to the installed rings, part of the electronics may not work.

Macro lens. Most the best way The main downside is the price. However, by paying, you get increased clarity and contrast, quality at short ranges, the ability to use attachments and extension rings.

Separately - about a tripod for macro photography. When macro shooting with a flash, it is not particularly needed, it can even interfere with “hunting” for an object.

But for more precise focusing and framing, it will come in handy. Yes, and working with backgrounds and flashes is indescribably easier when your hands are free. A tripod without a center shaft or if it is removable is best suited. You can take a small tripod (tabletop) and a sliding stop. If you shoot at a low altitude, it is most convenient to use a bag of sand. The main thing to remember is that choosing a tripod is not a matter of the “religion” of the brand (Nikon or Canon), it needs to be a convenient and reliable thing.

The space is open!

On the surface lying, but often ignored question. What should be considered macro subjects besides butterflies and flowers? And here's what:

Small animals (frogs, lizards, etc.);

Fruits, berries, lichens, mushrooms;

Water in its various states of aggregation: drops, streams, ice, snowflakes, steam (there is even a special nomination at competitions);

Coins, jewelry.

According to the types of macro, they distinguish: reportage (come, notice, shoot), controlled (study the object for a long time, think over the angles, find the location, determine the time of day, with bait (if necessary), observe the object, conduct preliminary shooting, conduct a debriefing, to draw conclusions and move on to decisive shooting), staged (implies more interference by the photographer in the natural environment).

Tips: how to work with macro photography of insects.

It is best to start filming early, when the insects are not so shy.

Develop vigilance, observation and patience.

Disguise (dressing in camouflage), move slowly, do not stand to your full height, but bend down.

Note favorite landing sites for insects (especially dragonflies).

Everything you need to fasten on the belt and on the jacket, and not carry in the bag.

Carry jam in a syringe with you in order to be able to quickly “feed” the butterfly.

It does not hurt to study well the features of insect activity in the area where you are shooting. It happens that the right bugs have to wait a year.

Shooting Features

When shooting macro, the issue of sharpness is especially relevant. Wind, swaying plants, moving insects, all this leads to blurring of the frame. You can use a protective screen and special fixatives for plants or wait out the “storm”.

Natural lighting, that is - the sun. Its disadvantage is that in the absence of haze, it gives highlights and hard shadows. You can shoot in diffused light (in the morning), or you can stock up on reflectors and diffusers. A polarized filter will also help eliminate glare.

In any case, artificial lighting, that is, flashes, is indispensable. When using a single flash, background failure is possible. Therefore, it is good to have an additional backlight.

Most of the nuances are learned from personal experience. Each experienced photographer has a thousand and one own experience. Therefore, on the same issue, you can find a large number of opposing considerations. The main thing is to start and own mistakes develop a personal style of shooting. The space is open.