Tips To Create Macro Photography - Focus, Detail and Sharpness

The last article I published was talking about Depth of Field which give you an area to set your focus point. And now, through this article I will explain how and where you should place you focus point.

Focus In The Eye
No matter what the object is, humans, animal, or insects, there is a common principle that always put in photographers' mind, always put your focus point in the object's eyes. No matter how shallow DOF you get, always find DOF area in the eye. Why should eyes? Some people says, through eyes one's heart can be seen. And so in photography, focus in the object's eye will give the object's passion and expression to the audience.

In Macro Photography, when you took a picture of an insect, find the characteristics and texture of its eyes, once you've found it, then it will be easy to shoot and focus in its eyes.

Focus in the object's eyes increase the "feel" on an image, and also make it so alive

Fast Speed
Macro Photography always deals with an object in tiny size. Usually my object only 5mm to 2 cm only in length, thus every movement you make, even only 1mm only, will give a big impact to the picture. To prevent any movement effect on the picture, such as shaking or blur picture, then fast speed shutter should be used. Fast speed can freeze the object and capture the moment in a focus and sharp picture (depends on how well you maintain the DOF area). I usually use 1/100 seconds as maximum speed while taking macro picture.
How I use fast speed when the aperture I set was so small? Use your flash. Flash can enlighten the object even you set the aperture small enough and the speed fast enough. I will explain how to use flash in next sub-topic.

Flash and Diffuser
Flash can help macro photographer enlighten the object. But, bare flash can't be used to macro photography. Since, the distance between object and camera is so close, the flash light will be harsh enough to destroy the image, detail and sharpness will be vanished from your image. Then how should I use my flash? You can use diffuser to cover up your flash. Diffuser is a cover to bounce the lighting, so the light from the flash fall to the object in a mild way.
You can buy diffuser from camera store, or you can make it at home. I made one of it, and always use it whenever I take macro photograph.

I made the diffuser from tissue box, and wrapped it with paper. And to place it on the camera, I made a hole below the diffuser and the flash built-in can be inserted through that hole. By using this diffuser, the light from the flash is bounced and diffused to another area. And in the end, you can get the detail and sharp image.

Harsh lighting reduced detail and sharpness on the face. Use diffuser to prevent harsh lighting

Use Manual Focus
Set your lens to manual instead of auto. Using auto focus, push the lens to hunt focus point that will be hard to find. Close distance make the lens hard to find the focus, since there is minimum focus distance. To make it easy, just use manual focus and try to find your focus point by moving forward and backward. At first, it will be hard, especially when you always depends on auto focus before. But, with enough practices, you will somehow understand the characteristics of your lens and definitely will find focus point quicker than before. All of my macro picture is taken by manual focusing, and the results are so good.

Tripod or Monopod
The last thing to help you get focus, detail and sharp image is using tripod or monopod. For macro photography, I suggest to use monopod, because it can move more flexible than tripod. And it's better monopod with ball head, so you can move in a circle freely.

Tips To Create Macro Photography - Depth Of Field (DOF)

Depth of Field is some kind of space on the frame that give you the most focus and sharpness area. Depth of Field is influenced by 2 factors, Aperture and Magnification.

Aperture

Aperture is how much you open the hole in your lens, it shows as f/"value" in your camera. The wider it open the smaller the value, and vice versa. Aperture is used to control the amount of light that will enter to the camera. But beside that, aperture can also control the DOF area. The wider aperture (smaller f/value), more shallow DOF you will get. And the smaller aperture (bigger f/value), the deeper DOF area you will get.

F/16, shallow DOF

F/22, deeper DOF

On first picture, F/16 was used, and the result is shallow DOF, you can see the backside of the wings. it has more blur area than the second picture. F/22 was used on the second picture, thus the more DOF area is taken. The second picture shows the backside of the wings is more sharpness than the first picture.

Magnification
Magnification in Macro Photography is a must. A macro picture should have at least 1:1 magnification ratio. It means, the length of the object taken on sensor has the same length with the real object. For example, if you take a coin with 10mm in diameter, then the coin's picture on sensor also has 10mm in diameter. That's what you call 1:1 magnification ratio.
Magnification depends on the distance between object and sensor. When you get closer to the object, then more magnified the sensor will take the object. Magnification and DOF has negative relationship. When you get the high magnification, then the result is you get shallow DOF, and vice versa. When you get less magnification, you will get deeper DOF.

Distance between object and lens is about 15cm. Picture was taken using macro lens Nikkor 85mm Micro

Distance between object and lens is about 5cm. Picture was taken using macro lens added by close up filter +10

How to Control DOF

After you know what are the factors that influence DOF, then you can control how deep DOF you want to get. In Macro photography, detail, focus and sharp picture is essential. Then, controlling DOF is an important thing you should do while taking Macro picture.
Since magnification is essential in Macro Photography, then the one you can control is Aperture. I usually use F/8 or smaller (bigger F/value), depends on the angle of the object. When you take the angle from the side of the object, then F/8 until F/10 is enough. But when you take the angle from the front or from the face of the object, F/13 or smaller is used.
What if the picture I get become under exposure? You can use built-in flash or external flash. By using flash, you can control DOF easily by changing the value of aperture, and you still can use fast speed on your shutter.
One more thing while using flash, don't forget to use flash diffuser to prevent harsh lighting over your object. Harsh lighting will reduce detail and sharpness of the object