How to: Macro Photography

Want to improve your macro photography skills? Get closer to the tiny species of Essex with these tips.

When we look a little closer at nature, a whole new world can be revealed. The tiniest creatures can often be the most beautiful and detailed, and are fantastic subjects to photograph. Although, capturing smaller species can be a challenge. Luckily, we’ve got experienced macro photographer and videographer Ross Birnie, to share a few tips and tricks on capturing the perfect close-up shot.

"By photographing them, we are able to explore the world in which they live and thrive."

My job as a camera operator has taken me to some amazing places around the world. I've been lucky enough to see some incredible moments with some of the most fascinating wildlife. But my favourite things to film and photograph are here in Essex, right under my nose, often in my own back garden. The beauty of macro photography is that the average garden is home to dozens of different insect and spider species. And if you don't have a garden, try your local park or forested area for an even bigger selection of species.

Ready for flight

This shot of a blood-veined moth was taken in my garden in Benfleet. It's very easy to settle for taking a photograph looking down at a moth or butterfly, but I like to view them at a lower angle, as though you're stepping into their world. I got down low so I was in line with the moth's eyes, then with my macro lens attached I could get very close to its head. Then, it's all about composition. I wanted the 'face' to be central so the wings and antennae would be swooping above, showing the creature in a way we are not used to seeing.

Armoured beast

This image of a shield bug was taken in a different way from the others. With macro photography we often deal with a very shallow depth of field, which means that a lot of the image will be out of focus, so we have to be selective with which parts of the subject are in focus. I nearly always make sure the eyes of the subject are in focus. However, this photo is what we call a 'focus stack'. To make this possible, we need to use a tripod with our camera and ideally, the subject will be very still (often very frustrating). Then I take a series of 10-15 images at different focal points. Then, using photoshop on my computer I merge all the images together and blend them to make one image that shows the whole insect in focus.

This photograph of an ashy mining bee was helped by the weather. I took the shot just after it had been raining, and if you look closely you can see a water droplet running down the bee's left eye. Its hairs are also still wet and make it look almost like a wet dog! So it's important to use the weather and environment to your advantage.

This photograph of an ichneumon wasp is a good example that you can take good macro photographs at night. It might look like daytime in the image, but this was taken in near pitch black dark. I used a small torch to find it and was then able to get close to it. By using a flash and a diffuser I was then able to light the wasp up. A good flash and diffuser are vital for photographing insects and spiders. It enables you to use relatively fast shutter speeds up to 250/s. This in turn takes a 'fast' photo and freezes the action of the insect in the image (similar to bird or sports photography). The diffuser I use is called a cygnustech macro diffuser which is specifically made for photographing insects and spiders. It aims the flash down to the subject, then diffuses the light to make the image look more natural with even and 'soft' light.

An alien world on your doorstep

I love macro photography because it transports you to an alien world at your doorstep. Insects that we see every day from above look completely different up close. By photographing them, we are able to explore the world in which they live and thrive. All you really need is a macro lens, a flash and a diffuser. It's not as expensive as people think, I've even seen people make diffusers out of plastic milk cartons with great success! Some compact cameras have macro modes on them too, you might not be able to get as close and capture as many details, but it's a great starting point. The most important thing is to just get out and take photographs!

Follow Ross on Instagram, Youtube or visit his website.