A Guide To Macro and Close Up Photography PDF

Andrew S.
Gibson
UPCLOSE
A GUIDE TO MACRO & CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY
Introduction
For me, one of the pleasures of photography is
macro lens or an accessory for your regular lenses
that it opens up a fresh way of seeing the world
that achieves the required magnification.
around us. Perhaps nowhere is this so evident as
in close-up and macro photographytwo types
Close-up photography is a little harder to pin down.
of image creation that get us in close to everyday
I define it as enabling your lens, whichever one it
and not so everyday objects and creatures, and
is that youre using, to focus closer to your subject
show us how they look in entirely new ways.
than its designed to. The definition is nebulous
because some lenses can get closer to your subject
Getting up close is not quite as simple as it first
than others. Close-up photography brings you
appears. Most lenses wont get you very close to
closer to your subject, without getting as close
your subject without the addition of extra equip-
as you would need to for a macro photograph.
ment. Macro lenses will do it but good ones can
be expensive, and you may not want to buy one
Whichever techniques you choose to explore, I aim
if you just want to dabble in or try out close-up
to show you that close-up and macro photography
and macro photography. But the good news is that
are both enjoyable and easy to practise. Best of
there are inexpensive accessories you can buy that
all, there is subject matter all aroundyou wont
will help you get close to your subject without
have to travel far to start creating exciting new
sacrificing image quality. Ill guide you through
images. I interviewed two photographers for the
the options available, explaining the advantages
book, Mandy Disher and Celine Steen, who take
and disadvantages of each, throughout this book.
the majority of their photos right at home. Their
beautiful close-up photos will inspire you to go
Lets start with a couple of definitions. Macro
out and try the same techniques for yourself.
photography is easyto qualify as a macro
photograph your subject (or the part of it that
Note: Ive taken a lot of flower photos to il-
youre photographing) must be smaller than
lustrate this book, but Ive been unable to find
or the same size as your cameras sensor. To get
out the names of them all. The names, when
this close to your subject youll need either a
known, have been included in the captions.
Stargazer Lily, Auckland Botanical Gardens, New Zealand,

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm with 500D close-up lens,
1/1500 second @ f/2, ISO 400
Crop factor & magnification

Lets put the inspiration on hold for a couple of pages.
Magnification Magnification is the degree of enlargement
Crop factor When light passes through your camera lens,
Theres an important concept that I want to get to grips with
that your lens is capable of. Magnification is determined by the
the image is projected as a circle. Your cameras sensor captures
straight away, as I refer to it several times throughout the
focal length and closest focusing distance of the lens. The closer
just part of the image circle. Crop-sensor cameras capture
bookcrop factor and the effect it has on your photos.
you can focus to the subject, the greater the magnification.
a smaller part of the image circle than full-frame cameras,

therefore appear to have a greater magnification. However, the
There seems to be some confusion about the relation-
The closest focusing distance is more important than focal
characteristics of the lens havent changedthe magnification,
ship between the crop factor of your cameras sensor and
length in determining magnification. If you have a 24 mm lens
focal length, field-of-view, and depth-of-field are all the same.
the magnification of your lenses. Its an important idea
and 50 mm lens, and the closest focusing distance of each is 50
to understand as it makes a big difference to the amount
cm, then the 50 mm lens will have the greater magnification.
I refer to this characteristic of crop sensor cameras as ap-
of apparent magnification you can achieve in close-up
But, if the 24 mm lens had a closest focusing distance of 15
parent magnification. Its a by-product of sensor size, and
and macro photography. Be warned, there are a num-
cm, then the 24 mm lens would have the greatest magnifica-
nothing to do with the physical characteristics of the lens.
ber of inaccurate references to this topic online. Here
tion, as you could get much closer to your subject with it.
are the facts (and a couple of important definitions).
Left: This diagram shows the difference in size between a full-frame and a Canon APS-C sensor
in relation to the image circle projected by a camera lens. The APS-C sensor, at 22.2x14.8mm,
is less than two-thirds the size of a 36x24mm full frame sensor. As a result, it captures a much
smaller area of the image circle.
Crop factor & magnification continued

I took the top photo on this page with an EOS 5D Mark II and
part of the image circle. The magnification of the lens hasnt
an 85mm lens (fitted with a 500D close-up lens I cover this
changed, but the magnification appears to be greater be-
accessory in more detail later in the book). The photo was tak-
cause of the crop factor. When I want to get in really close
en at the closest focusing distance this combination permits.
to the subject, I use my EOS 40D rather than my full-frame

camera, because of this effective increase in magnification.
The 5D Mark II is a full-frame camera. So, how would

the photo be different if I had used a crop-sensor camera
On the other hand, full-frame cameras tend to have more
such as my Canon EOS 40D? The middle image shows
megapixels than crop-sensor cameras. So, if you have a
the difference in size between the two sensorsthe clear
full-frame camera, I see no reason why you cant crop the
area in the middle represents the size of the 40Ds sen-
image to get the apparent increase in magnification that
sor compared to the 5D Mark IIs full-frame sensor.
a crop-sensor camera would give you. As long as you have

enough resolution left to do whatever is you want to with
The bottom photo shows the image that the 40D would
the photo (i.e. to make a print), theres no harm. Its an easy
have captured from the same position, with the same lens.
way of squeezing a little extra reach from your setup.
The flowers are larger because the sensor recorded a smaller
Auckland Botanical Gardens, New Zealand,

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm with 500D close-up lens, 1/250 second @ f/2.5, ISO 100
3
Part One Equipment

4
Butterfly and Orchid Garden, Thames, New Zealand,

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm with 500D close-up
lens, 1/180 second @ f/2, ISO 1600
Testing your lenses

Before looking at the various ways in which you can
To see how close your lens can focus, switch the lens to
With my 1740 mm zoom lens, on the other hand, I can get
get closer to your subject, it pays to try out the lenses
manual focus mode and turn the focusing ring until the
within 28 cm of my subject. This is quite close, and Ive taken
you already have to see how close they can get already.
lowest number shows in the display. If your lens doesnt
some nice close-up photos with this lens. The focal length of
It varies widely between models, but you may be sur-
show the focusing distance, then turn the focusing ring
this lens is only half that of my 85 mm prime, yet its better for
prised at just how close the lens you already have may
until the front element is extended as far forward as
taking close-up photos.
focus, especially if you have a crop-sensor camera.
it will go. Now, looking through the viewfinder, move

the camera towards your subject until it is in focus.
On many lenses, the focusing distance is marked on

the barrel. This shows the distance between the fo-
How close you can get depends on the lens youre us-
cal plane (where the sensor or film is located) and the
ing. For example, the closest I can get with my 85 mm
subject, not the front of the lens and the subject.
prime lens is 85 cm. This isnt very close at all.
Two Canon lenses an 18-55mm kit lens (left) and the more advanced 15-85mm lens (right). Unlike the 15-85mm
lens, the kit lens has no distance scale on the lens barrel to indicate the point of focus.
5
The display of the lens barrel of my 17-40mm lens shows that

I can focus within 0.28 metres (28 centimetres) of the subject.
Green Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 40mm, 1/60 second @ f/8, ISO 1600
I took this photo with my EOS 5D Mark II and EF 17-40mm lens. Even on a full frame camera I was still able to get close-up to this wooden carving.
Testing your lenses continued

If youve never tried this exercise with your
lenses, you may not have realised how
close you can get. Try it with your lenses
and see. The good thing about working at
this sort of distance is that you can enjoy
close-up photography without running
up against the really narrow depth-of-field
that you encounter when you get really
close up. Its a good way to dabble.
Its also a good way to work on your compositional skills. As you get closer to the subject
you can crop out extraneous detail and
practice simplifying the design of the image.
For me, getting up close, even with a normal

lens like this, is part of a process of learning
to look more closely at some of the everyday
things around us and appreciate their beauty.
The photos were taken with an Canon EOS

350D and my 1740 mm zoom lens. As
weve seen, this lens can focus quite closely
to the subject in the first placethe crop
factor of the camera helped by effectively
increasing the magnifying power of the lens.
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada
Canon EOS 350D, 40mm, 1/160 second @ f/4, ISO 100
7

Canon EOS 350D, 40mm,
1/640 second @ f/4, ISO 100
8

Canon EOS 350D, 40mm, 1/500 second @ f/4, ISO 100
9
Understanding macro lenses

Without doubt, the easiest way to indulge in
Some macro lenses only give 0.5x (also
macro and close-up photography, as long as
called half-life-size) reproduction. There
your budget stretches to it, is to buy a macro
may be an accessory you can buy, such as a
lens. Ill explore the alternatives afterwards, but
close-up lens specifically designed to work
first I want to take a brief look at macro lenses
with the lens, that increases the magnify-
and the reasons you may want to buy one.
ing power to life-size reproduction.
1:1 reproduction
Later on, Im going to look at several ways
The main difference between a macro lens and a
that you can get closer to your subject without
regular lens is that the optical elements inside the
buying a macro lens. But please bear in mind
macro lens are designed to move over a greater
that macro lenses are optimised for close-up
distance. In other words, the front element
photography and will give you a better quality
extends further away from the camera body.
image than any of the other techniques that I
The minimum focusing distance of the lens is
write about here. The lens designers have cre-
reduced, so you can move the lens closer to your
ated these lenses with the express purpose of
subject, giving a greater degree of enlargement.
giving excellent image quality at high magnifica-
These rectangles show the size of a full-frame sensor

(top) and APS-C sensor (bottom). The full-frame sensor is
considerably larger.
tions. The closer you move a regular lens to

Most macro lenses are designed to give you
the subject, with the aid of accessories such as
1:1 (also called life-sized or 1x) reproduction at
extension tubes or close-up lenses, the more you
the minimum focusing distance. This means
are moving outside of the parameters within
that, if your cameras sensor measures, say 36
which the lens is designed to work. You may
by 24 mm (the size of a full-frame sensor), the
not notice much difference, and its a distinc-
camera will capture an area of your subject
tion that is more important to professional
also measuring 36 x 24 mm. This holds true
photographers than enthusiasts, but it is there.
whatever the size of the sensor in your camera.
10
The Canon MP-E 65 f/2.8 1-5x macro lens is a special macro

lens. The front element extends so far that the lens obtains a 5x
magnification at its closest focusing distance. This is five times the
magnification obtained by most macro lenses.
Understanding macro lenses continued

If you want to get even closer to the subject than macro
macro lenses have a set of floating elements that helps ensure
lenses let you, you can use them in conjunction with exten-
high image quality throughout the focusing range. They also need
sion tubes or close-up lenses, both discussed in full detail a
to have a lens mechanism that permits greater extension of the
little further on, to get larger than life-size reproduction.
front element. This makes them more expensive to manufacture.
You may be wondering, if all a macro lens does is let you focus
Working distance vs. focusing distance
more closely to the subject, why all lenses dont do the same.
Ive mentioned already that the front element of the lens
Its a good question. The answer lies in the physical limita-
moves closer to the subject as the focusing distance decreases.
tions of optical lens design. If you turn the focusing ring on
The distance between the front element of the lens and
one of your regular lenses, you will see that the front element
your subject is called the working distance. This is different
moves away from the camera as the focusing distance de-
from the focusing distance, which is the distance between
creases. The term for this is extension. You reach the minimum
your subject and the sensor or film plane. Working distance
focusing distance of the lens when the front element will
is important because if you get too close to the subject, the
move no further it has reached its maximum extension.
lens barrel may block the light and cast a shadow on your
subject. You may even hit part of the subject with the lens.
Ordinary camera lenses are optimised to give their best opti-
cal performance at regular focusing distances, as this is how
Some macro lenses get around this problem by using an internal
they will be used most of the time. As the extension of the
focusing design. On these lenses, the front element doesnt get
front element increases, image quality gradually decreases. If
closer to the subject when you decrease the focusing distance.
you move it far enough forward, the decrease in image qual-
Instead, focusing is achieved through a complex system of
ity becomes noticeable. The lens manufacturer takes this into
moving optical elements inside the lens. One benefit is that
account along with factors related to the lens design and the
the lens barrel wont block the light as you focus more closely
potential price point to select a minimum focusing distance.
on your subject. Another is that the balance of the lens and

camera combination stays the same no matter where the lens
Macro lenses are designed to give their best performance at close

focusing distances, as this is the main purpose for their use. Most
11
is focused (helpful if you are hand-holding the camera).
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

lens. This is the only macro lens with Hybrid
Image Stabilisatoin (HIS).

Focal length
Other features of macro lenses
Image stabilisation
Another factor that influences working distance is the focal
Macro lenses may have other features that help you take
Some macro lenses also come with image stabilization
length of the lens. If you have both a 50 mm and a 100 mm
close-up photos. One useful feature a macro lens may have is
(this is Canons term, Nikon calls it vibration reduc-
macro lens that give you life-size reproduction, the working
a tripod collar. This allows you to switch between landscape
tion). Now, some of you own cameras with built-in im-
distance will be greater with the 100 mm lens. This is why wild-
and portrait formats while still keeping the lens focused on
age stabilization, so this isnt such a consideration.
life photographers prefer macro lenses with longer focal lengths. the subject when you use a tripod. If you dont use a tripod
If you are photographing something living, like an insect, the
collar, and switch between formats using your tripod head
Canons EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS lens has an interest-
closer you get, the more likely you are to scare it away, so its
movements instead, you will have to reposition the camera.
ing feature called Hybrid Image Stabilization (IS). It works
useful to keep your distance. The only trade-off is that the depth
of field is narrower with longer lenses at any given aperture.
on the basis that the lens wobbles in a different way

Some macro lenses also have a smaller mini-
when you are hand-holding the camera and focusing on
mum aperture of f/32 to help you obtain greater
something close to the camera, compared to taking a photo
depth of field at close focusing distances.
at regular focusing distances. Hybrid image stabilization

is designed to counteract this particular type of wobble.
As far as I know, its the only macro lens that does so.
A Nikon AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G

lens. Nikon calls its macro lenses Micro NIKKOR.
Micro NIKKOR lenses give either 1:2 or 1:1
reproduction, depending on the model (this one
gives 1:1 reproduction). The range covers focal
lengths from 40 mm to 200 mm. The 60 mm
f/2.8G ED Micro-NIKKOR lens has the shortest
minimum focusing distancea mere 15 cm.
12
I took this photo of a tape measure with my 1740 mm

lens fitted with an 25 mm extension tube on my EOS 5D
Mark II. This combination has achieved a little over life-size
reproduction. The cameras sensor is 36 mm wide, and the
lens captured around 34 mm of the measuring tape.

Advantages of macro lenses
Specifically designed for high optical performance at close focusing distances.
May come with a tripod collar to aid switching between landscape and portrait formats.
May be image stabilized.
May use internal focusing to avoid getting the front element closer to the subject.
Most models give true 1:1 macro reproduction.
Lets you use the entire focusing range from infinity to close up.
Can also be used for non-macro workmany macro lenses also double
as good portrait lenses.
Disadvantages of macro lenses

Relatively expensive.
Suffer from light fall-off as you focus more closely to the subject
Macro lens check list

Consider these points before buying a macro lens:
Focal length
Minimum aperture
Image stabilization
Tripod collar
Internal focusing
1:1 reproduction
Both this photo and the photo on the
following page were taken with an EOS 40D
and a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro lens.
13
Woodstock, England
Canon EOS 40D, 60mm macro, 1/640 second @ f/2.8, ISO 1600
Woodstock, England
Canon EOS 40D, 60mm macro, 1/125 second @ f/5.6, ISO 400
14
Close-up lenses
Close-up lenses are my favourite way of
What are close-up lenses?
taking close-up photos. My close-up lens
Despite the name, a close-up lens doesnt look much like
comes with me wherever I goI just slip it
a lensit looks more like a filter and the circular ver-
onto the front of my 85 mm lens whenever
sions screw into the thread on your camera lens just
I want to get up close. The combination
like any other filter. For this reason close-up lenses are
of the 85 mm lens and the close-up lens
also called close-up filters or supplementary filters.
has changed my approach to photography.

I take a lot more close-up photos than I
A close-up lens is really just a high quality magnifying glass that
ever did before, concentrating on captur-
fits on the front of your cameras lens. It works by reducing the
ing little details that evoke atmosphere.
minimum focusing distance of the lens it is attached to. This

lets you move closer to the subject for greater magnification.
I took a lot of photos of flowers while
Far Right: The Canon 500D close-up lens.

Above: My 500D close-up lens attached to my
85 mm lensmy favourite close-up combination.
15
writing this book, and out of all the acces-
The strength of close-up lenses is measured in diopters. The higher
sories I used, the close-up lens was again
the number, the greater the magnification. Most close-up lenses
my favourite. The advantage of close-up
come in strengths of +1, +2, +3, and +4 diopter, although they can
lenses, for me, is that they let me get close
go as high as +10 diopter. The more powerful close-up lenses can
to the subject, but not as close as I can with
get you really close to the subject, but
a macro lens or extension tubes. There
at the cost of a degradation in
seems to be something magical about this
image quality. You can also
level of magnificationits just the right
combine two close-up lens-
amount for capturing detail without get-
es to increase the mag-
ting so close that I am photographing part
nification (for example,
of the subject, rather than the whole of
a +1 and +2 diopter lens
it. The close-up lens is also very manage-
combined gives the same
able when hand-holding the camera (the
magnification as a +3 diopter
closer you get to the subject, the harder it
lens) although again, you will
is to take photos without using a tripod).
see a significant drop in image quality.
Shanghai Botanical Garden, China

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/350 second @ f/2.8, ISO 200
16
Close-up lenses continued

There are two types of close-up lens:
Single-element close-up lenses

This is the most common type of close-up lens. Its
the sort you normally see sold in camera stores and
at trade shows, sometimes in sets of three or four,
and often at bargain prices. Its ideal if youre on
a budget or just want to try out some close-up or
macro photography without spending much money.
The drawback though is image qualitysingle

element lenses suffer from poor edge sharpness
and chromatic aberrations. You shouldnt expect
to get the same quality from the combination of
your lens and a close-up lens that you would by
using extension tubes or a macro lens. This means
that single-element close-up lenses are more of a
fun item than anything else. They let you play
around with close-up or macro photography without having to buy more expensive equipment.
Double-element close-up lenses

Double-element close-up lenses contain two elements. They are also called dual-element or achromatic close-up lenses. The second element cancels
out the aberrations and poor edge quality of the first.
The result is a high-quality image, especially if used
with a good-quality lens in the first place. I like to
17
use a close-up lens with my 85 mm prime lens. Ive

tested this combination against the results from a
macro lens and, away from the maximum aperture
of f/1.8, couldnt tell the difference in terms of image quality (however, the macro lens did let me get
much closer to the subject). Theyre more expensive
than single-element close-up lenses, and not many
manufacturers seem to make them anymore, but the
gain in image quality is well worth the extra cost.
You can use any brand of close-up filter with

any brand of lens. The important thing is to
make sure that, just like any other filter, the
filter thread size and lens diameter match.
Canon makes two double-element close-up

lensesthe 250D (+4 diopter) and the 500D (+2
diopter). These are the most affordable doubleelement close-up lenses that Im aware of that you
can buy new on the market today. Nikon made
the 3T, 4T, 5T, and 6T double-element lenses, but
theyve been discontinued (sometimes you can
find them on eBay). Schneider also makes doubleelement close-up lenses, but they are expensive.
Olympus makes the MCON 35, which appears to
be discontinued but is still available on eBay.
Claphams National Clock Muserum, Whangarei, New Zealand

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens,
1/180 second @ f/2.5, ISO 6400

If two elements arent enough for you, Raynox
Lightweight and portable
makes triple-element close-up lenses that come with
When I want to travel light, I take my EOS 5D
a snap-on mount that you can use to attach them
Mark II, 85 mm prime lens, close-up lens, and
to lenses with a filter thread from 52 to 67mm.
polarizing filter. This is a simple, flexible setup
They are surprisingly inexpensive considering the
that covers a lot of situations, and I can add my
high image quality you will get from them.
wide-angle zoom if I think it will be needed.
There are a few lenses that have a high-quality close-
No light loss
up lens, built specifically by the manufacturer to go
If you use a macro lens or extension tubes, the extra
with that lens. One example is the Voigtlander Ultron
extension means that less light reaches the sensor
40mm f/2 SL-II pancake lens. This manual-focus lens
or film. You have to use a higher ISO, wider aper-
is available for Nikon, Canon, and Pentax cameras
ture, or slower shutter speed to increase exposure,
and comes with a dedicated close-up lens that gives
which may not always be practical. There is no light
quarter life-size (1:4) magnification. Buying a lens
loss with close-up lenses, making them a good op-
and close-up lens combination that are designed to
tion at any time but especially in low light.
work together should ensure good image quality.
Auto-exposure and auto-focus work
Benefits of close-up lenses
This may not be the case if you use inexpensive
I like close-up lenses because they are portable and
extension tubes that break the electronic con-
easy to use. They offer several advantages over macro
nections between the lens and camera body.
lenses and other close-up photography techniques:
Lower cost
Close-up lenses are usually (although not always,
especially with double-element close-up lenses)
cheaper than macro lenses and extension tubes.
Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand
Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/350 second @ f/2, ISO 200
18

Close-up lenses work well with telephoto
and zoom lenses
Magnification with close-up lenses is greater when
used with longer focal lengths. Extension tubes
give greater magnification at shorter focal lengths.
The choice of which to buy may depend on the
focal lengths of the lenses you already own.
Another benefit is that, when a close-up lens

is used with a telephoto zoom lens, the lens
remains focused on the same point when you
zoom in or out. If you are using extension tubes,
the point of focus changes when you zoom,
Using my 85 mm lens as an example, you can see here

that its close-up capability is limited by its minimum
focusing distance of 85 cm.
Attaching a 500D (equivalent to +2 diopter) close-up
lens reduces the minimum focusing distance to 43 cm,
allowing me to get much closer to my subject. With
the 500D close-up lens attached, the 85 mm lens can
no longer focus on infinity. When the focusing scale is
set to infinity, it is actually focused on a point 65 cm
from the sensor plane.
Attaching a 250D (equivalent to +4 diopter) closeup lens reduces the minimum focusing distance even
further, to 33 cm. With this close-up lens attached,
the lens can focus on anything between 33 and 45 cm
from the sensor plane.
and you have to refocus the lens afterwards.
More magnification options

You can use close-up lenses in combination with
extension tubes and macro lenses to achieve
even greater magnification. Their portability
means they are easy to carry around in addition
to other equipment in case you need them.
Better protection for the camera

You can add or remove a close-up lens without removing the camera lens. In dusty or dirty conditions, this
feature prevents foreign objects from entering your
camera body, and helps to keeps the sensor clean.
19
These figures will change depending on the lens used

and close-up lens combination used.

Disadvantages of close-up lenses
Image quality may be poor at wide apertures
Here are some examples of how I use my close-up lens with
Naturally, close-up lenses also have a couple of disadvantages:
When I was testing the 250D and 500D close-up lenses, I no-
my 85 mm prime lens:
ticed that the image quality with the 250D close-up lens used
Your camera lens may not take your close-up lens
on my 85 mm prime lens was very poor at wide apertures. The
You may not be able to use a close-up lens on every camera lens
500D is differentthe image quality is excellent at the lenss
that you own, due to differences in filter thread sizes. However,
maximum aperture of f/1.8. This suggests to me that there is a
you can buy the largest close-up lens that you need and use
trade-off between image quality and magnificationthe greater
stepping rings to attach it to lenses with smaller diameters. The
the magnification of the close-up lens the more image quality
larger double-element close-up lenses can be quite expensive.
suffersand is the main reason that I chose to buy the 500D,

rather than the 250D. But that doesnt mean that the 250D
For this reason it seems that most photographers buy a
lens isnt good. Its just something I noticed with the specific
close-up lens with the aim of using it almost exclusively
lens, aperture, and close-up lens combination I was using at
with one particular lens to achieve the effect they want. I
the time. The only way to find out for sure is try it and see. The
bought my close-up lens specifically to work with my 85
difference in image quality was only visible at f/1.8 to around
mm prime lens, so its not really an issue for me that I cant
f/2.8I couldnt see any difference at smaller apertures.
You can only achieve life-size reproduction when a close-up

lens is used in conjunction with a telephoto lens (somewhere in the region of 300 mm or more)even then,
your specific lens and close-up filter combination may not
be powerful enough. However, you can achieve life-size
reproduction by using a reversed 50 mm lens as a closeup lensthis is covered in detail in the next section.
20
My 85 mm lens is ideal for portraits. I use it on a fullframe camera; a 50 mm lens on a crop-sensor digital SLR
has a similar field of view. One of the downsides of this
particular lens is that it has a minimum focusing distance
of 85 cm. This means that I cant get very close to the
subject. But sometimes, when taking portraits, I like to
get in really close, so my subjects face fills the frame,
and my close-up lens helps me to do that. I can keep
the close-up lens in its case in my pocket, and it takes
just a few seconds to screw it onto the front of my lens
when required. This action doesnt interrupt the flow
of the portrait session. It also saves me changing lenses,
use it with other lenses that have a wider filter thread.
A close-up lens may not get you as close to the subject

as a macro lens
Portraits
Subjects for close-up lenses

Ideal subjects for photographing with close-up lenses include portraits, flowers, insects, and details. I like using a
close-up lens for photographing details. It lets me get close
enough to the subject to create interesting compositions
and use the widest aperture settings on my lens to make images with beautifully blurred backgrounds. But it doesnt get
so close that I struggle to hand-hold the camera and take
sharp images, or that I run into problems with the extremely
narrow depth of field you get at high magnifications.
a benefit if Im at the beach or in a dusty environment.
Flowers and insects

This lens combination is ideal for photographing flowers. The narrow field-of-view of the short telephoto
lens helps to throw the background out of focus, and
it frames the flowers in a way that eliminates highlights and other distractions in the background.

You can also use this technique for photographing insects.
Because theres no light loss with close-up lenses, its easier to
This table shows the availibility and sizes of

the Nikon double-element close-up lenses.
This table shows the availibility and

sizes of the Canon close-up lenses.
achieve the fast shutter speeds required for freezing the motion of insects. Telephoto lenses are best for this task, as you get
Type
Dioptres
250D
+4
greater magnification when using them with close-up lenses. A

close-up lens is a good way of converting a 300mm or 400mm
lens that you already own into a powerful macro lens. They
Filter
thread size
52mm
58mm
also help you to keep your distance from the insects so theres
52mm
less chance of scaring it away (or being bitten or stung).
58mm
500D
+2
Capturing architecture and object details
72mm
Use with
focal
lengths
50mm to
135mm
70mm to
300mm
Type
Dioptres
Filter
thread
size
3T
+1.5
52mm
4T
+2.9
52mm
5T
+1.5
62mm
6T
+2.9
62mm
77mm
Shooting details offers a great way of capturing the spirit

of a place or object, and I often need a close-up lens to
get near enough to photograph a particular detail.
This table shows the availibility and sizes of the Raynox close-up lenses. The DCR-5320
kit contains two close-up lenses that can be used individually or combined.
I see a close-up lens as a way of getting closer to my subject,

but without getting into macro territory. At the sort of
Type
Dioptres
Elements
Filter thread size
DCR-150
+4.8
52mm-67mm (with adapter)
DCR-250
+8
52mm-67mm (with adapter)
DCR -5320
Pro 3-in-1
High Definition Macro
Lens
+2
+3
+5
(combined)
magnification you see in the photos on these pages, the narrow

depth of field is still manageable. I can use a wide-ish aperture,
hand-hold the camera, and raise the ISO if I need to.
Classic car shows

I like to go to classic car shows and take photos that capture
the details of the cars. My close-up lens works brilliantly for
this. Again, it provides the ideal level of magnification.
21
72mm (separate adapters sold for 52mm, 55mm,

58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 77mm, 82mm filter threads)

Both this black & white image
and the colour photo on the
following page were taken at
a classic car show. They show
the flexibility of the combination of my 85 mm prime lens
and 500D close-up lens. The
colour photo is close, but
not too close, to the subject.
The close-up lens has just
helped me get close enough
to create an interesting crop.
I got much closer for this

black and white photo, and
used a wide aperture to keep
the depth-of-field really narrow. Its a more abstractand
more dramaticimage
that focuses on the design
of the hood ornament.
22
Classic Car Show, Auckland, New Zealand.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/2000 second @ f/2, ISO 100
Classic Car Show, Auckland, New Zealand

1/350 second @ f/4.5, ISO 200
23
One of the reasons that I like my 500D close-up lens is because of the flexibility.
Both of these images were taken with the close-up lens attached to the same 85
mm prime lens. One was taken with the lens focused around the infinity mark,
and the other with it focused near the minimum focusing distance. Sometimes,
depending on the subject, this combination gets me too close to the subject
and I like having the freedom to back off a little and get more of the subject in.
24
Shanghai Botanical Garden, China

1/180 second @ f/1.8, ISO 6400 (both images)
Royal Water Lily, Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand

Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/500 second @ f/2, ISO 100
25

These photos were also taken with my 85 mm lens and 500D close-up lens. They show that its
possible to take good close-up photos of butterflies without specialized or overly expensive equipment.

1/180 second @ f/2, ISO 1600
26

1/250 second @ f/4, ISO 400

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm with 500D close-up lens, 1/250 second @ f/2, ISO 1600
27

I took the photos (this page and the following page) of a Chinese Water Dragon at Kew Gardens in London with my
85 mm lens and 500D close-up filter.
Now, there are probably not many wild
animals that you can get this close to,
but this lizard seemed quite chilled out
and happy to pose for photographers. I
processed the images in black and white
to emphasise the texture of its scales.
Chinese Water Dragon, Kew Gardens, London, England

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm with 500D close-up lens, 1/1000 second @ f/1.8, ISO 400
28
Chinese Water Dragon, Kew Gardens, London, England

1/150 second @ f/1.8, ISO 100
29

The detail photos here and on the following two pages were all taken in
temples in Shanghai, China. The combination of my 85 mm prime lens and
500D close-up lens allowed me to get close enough to take all of these images.
Jingan Temple, Shanghai, China

1/750 second @ f/2.8, ISO 200
30
Longhua Temple, Shanghai, China

1/250 second @ f/2.8, ISO 200
31
Summary: Pros vs. Cons of Close-up Lenses

Advantages of close-up lenses
Relatively inexpensive, especially single-element close-up lenses.

Easy to carry around.
No light loss.
Auto-exposure and auto-focus functions retained.
Work well with telephoto and telephoto zoom lenses.
You can attach a close-up lens without removing the lens from
the camera.
Disadvantages of close-up lenses

May not fit all your lenses.
Single-element close-up lenses cant match the optical
performance of macro lenses or the other techniques in
this eBook.
May not give 1:1 reproduction, depending on lens and close-up
lens combination used.
Poor image quality at wide apertures with close-up lenses that
have a strength greater than +2 diopter.
Close-up lens check list

Consider these points before buying a close-up lens:
Is image quality a priority? If so, you need a double-element
close-up lens.
What lens or lenses do you want to use the close-up lens with
(the longer the focal length, the more magnification obtained)?
How close do you need to get? If true macro (1:1 reproduction)
is required, another technique may suit you better.
Longhua Temple, Shanghai, China

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D
close-up lens, 1/60 second @ f/4, ISO 6400
32
Reverse lens macro

If youre interested in getting as close as possible to
Single lens reverse macro
your subject, then the main disadvantage of close-up
The first way is to reverse a lens directly onto your
lenses is that there is a limit to how close you can
camera. For this you need a reversing ring (also
get. For most close-up lens and lens combinations,
called a macro reverse ring camera mount adapter
true macro life-size reproduction is out of reach. That
by some manufacturers). One side has a filter thread
all changes with the reverse lens macro technique.
and the other side is a mount for your brand of

camera. These are quite easy to buy online.
It may sound strange, but if you turn a 50 mm lens

around so that the front element rests against the cam-
This will get you very close to your subject;
era, it actually becomes a high quality close-up lens in
a reversed 50 mm lens used on a crop-sensor
its own right. You can do this with any lens, but 50mm
camera gives you life-size reproduction.
lenses seem to be the most common choice. Longer

lenses give less magnification, and wider lenses may
The biggest drawback of this method is that you lose
give too much magnification, reducing the working
the electronic connection between the lens and the
distance so that you have to get so close to your subject
camera. This wont stop your camera metering the
to take a photo that it becomes impractical. This tech-
light accurately (just put it in program or aperture
nique also works well with standard zoom lenses, such
priority mode) but it does stop you stopping down
as 1855 mm zooms, that come supplied as kit lenses
the aperture diaphragm using the cameras controls.
with digital SLRs. This means that most photographers
This doesnt matter if you have a lens with a manual
already have the lens required to try out this tech-
aperture ring, but not all modern lenses do.
nique. The only purchase required is a special coupling

ring or lens mount, making it one of the least expen-
If you do have a lens with a manual aperture ring,
sive ways to experiment with macro photography.
stopping down reduces the amount of light entering

the camera. The camera will still be able to meter ac-
33
There are two ways to use a reverse
curately, but the viewfinder will become darker and
lens to take macro photos:
at small apertures it will be hard to see the subject.
A 50 mm lens reversed onto an EOS 40D. You need a reversing ring (also called
a macro reverse ring camera mount adapter by some manufacturers) to do this.
Reverse lens macro continued

If you cant stop your reversed lens down it means you
can only take a photo at the widest aperture setting,
and while this can be used creatively you will often
need to stop down, especially as there is very little
depth of field with macro photography to start with.
There are several potential solutions. One is to buy

a second-hand 50 mm lens with a manual aperture
ring. The make doesnt matter, all that matters is
that you can buy a reversing ring that matches the
filter thread size. Ive also heard of enlarging lenses
being used this way, although Ive never tried it.
Another solution (for Canon EOS owners) is the Novoflex EOS RETRO. Its an adapter designed to retain the
electronic connection between the camera body and a
reversed lens. It comes with a 58 mm filter thread and
connects the lens contacts with the contacts in the
camera lens mount with a short coiled cable. However, it
is not an inexpensive accessory and at the moment the
manufacturer has no versions for other camera brands.
34
These diagrams show how a reversed lens

works. When a lens is mounted on a camera
in the normal way (top) the optics reduce the
subject in size so that you can record it on
the sensor or film.
With the lens mounted in reverse (below)
the opposite happens. Small objects are recorded at life-size or enlarged (a 50 mm lens
reverse mounted on a crop-sensor camera
gives near life-size reproduction).
In normal use, the distance between the front
of the lens and the subject is greater than the
distance between the rear of the lens and the
sensor. With the lens reversed, the subject
is much closer and the rear of the lens, now
pointing forwards, is still closer to the subject
than the front of the lens is to the sensor. The
lens design is optimised for these conditions,
so the image quality is very good.

Twin lens reverse macro
A 50 mm lens reversed onto an 85 mm

lens fitted to an EOS 40D. You need
a macro coupler ring (also called a
male-to-male macro coupler ring by
some manufacturers) to do this. This
is a convenient setup for me as both
have the same size filter thread
of 58 mm.
However, the simplest solution of all, and the
all, image quality, while depending somewhat
one that I use, is to reverse mount the lens onto
on the quality of your primary lens, is very good
another lens mounted conventionally on
in the mid-aperture range (around f/4f/11).
the camera. In this setup the reversed

lens is called a secondary or supplementary lens, and the other lens
The accessory you need to make this happen is

called a macro coupler ring (and sometimes a
is referred to as the primary lens.
male-to-male macro coupler ring) . This is just
The reversed lens is being used
a metal ring with a filter thread on either side.
as a high-powered close-up lens,

and you set the aperture of the
The primary lens should have a focal length of
primary lens to control depth of
at least 85 mm in order to avoid vignetting. Its
field. Autoexposure works as nor-
probably a good idea to make sure that your
mal, making it easy to use shutter
reversed lens isnt too heavy, so that you are
priority or aperture priority modes.
not placing undue stress on the filter threads

of your lenses. The longer the focal length of
In this setup a reversed 50 mm lens is

the equivalent of using a + 20 diopter close-
tion. Use a wide-angle lens as the reversed
up lens. A reversed 24 mm lens is the equivalent
lens and you can achieve magnifications up
of using a +41.6 diopter close-up lens. Consider-
to 3x life-size. The MP-E 65 is the only macro
ing the strongest close-up lens I know of has a
lens I know of capable of matching this.
strength of +10 diopter, you can see how much

extra magnification you can get from a reversed
lens. This is why using a reversed lens can take
you firmly into macro territory. Best of
35
your primary lens, the greater the magnifica-

Matching filter threads
Advantages of reverse lens macro
Whichever reversed lens method you use, its impor-
It is inexpensive if you already have the required lenses.
tant to make sure that filter thread sizes match. For
High optical quality, except at wide apertures.
example, if you are reversing a 50 mm lens directly
Autoexposure and autofocus functions retained with
onto a camera body, you need to buy a macro reverse
twin-lens reverse macro.
ring camera mount adapter with a filter thread size that
High magnification, much higher than a close-up lens.
matches the filter thread size of your 50 mm lens.
You can attach a reversed lens in a twin-lens setup without

removing the primary lens from the camera.
You can buy reverse lens mounts from Amazon quite

cheaply, and the filter thread sizes come between 49 mm
Disadvantages of reverse lens macro
and 67 mm, depending on which camera brand you are
Single-lens reverse macro requires a lens with a manual
buying them for. Most current 50 mm lenses from the ma-
aperture ring, or an expensive accessory to retain
jor manufacturers also have filter thread sizes between 49
electronic control.
mm and 58 mm. A notable exception is the Canon EF f/1.2

L 50mm lensit has a filter thread size of 72 mm. If you
have a large lens like this you can buy a step-down ring so
that you can attach it to the smaller reverse lens mount.
There is some light loss when you use the twin-lens

reverse macro technique.
Twin-lens reverse macro only works if the filter
threads are a similar size.
Gets you so close to the subject that natural light
The same goes for macro coupler rings (also available from
photography is often impractical. A macro flash is
Amazon). They come in a variety of sizes between 49 mm and
required for many subjects.
62 mm. You need to buy one that matches the filter thread
sizes of the two lenses you wish to couple (the filter thread
sizes of the two lenses doesnt have to be identical, although
it helps if they are close). You can use step-down rings if
your 50 mm lens is larger than this, although Id be wary of
mounting a heavy 50 mm lens onto another lens without
some form of support in case you damage the primary lens.
36
The rear element of the reversed lens is exposed.
The rear element of the reversed 50 mm lens is exposed when

its reversed, and potentially vulnerable to damage. To help
protect it I use a 12 mm extension tube attached to the lens
mount. It also acts as a lens hood.

These two photos show the magnifying potential of
exposure system will calculate exposure for you, but
a reversed 50 mm lens. Both photos are of the metal
one drawback is that the cameras viewfinder will go
tip of a USB pen drive, to give you a good idea of
darker too. At narrow apertures you wont be able to
the scale. The top image was taken with a 50 mm
see muchits the same as using the depth of field
f/1.4 lens reversed onto my EOS 40D. This got me
preview button. To handle this, focus on the most im-
in quite close but with this setup I have no control
portant point with the lens set to the widest aperture,
over the depth of field as the lens doesnt have a
then stop down and take the photo. You should have
manual aperture ring. Effectively, Im shooting at
the camera mounted on a tripod for taking photos
the widest aperture of the lens and you can see that
like these as its virtually impossible to hand-hold the
the zone of focus is very small. However, its quite
camera. You can then play back the image on the LCD
possible to use this narrow depth of field creatively
screen to see which depth-of-field setting works best.
and if you have a 50 mm lens already, this shouldnt

stop you playing around with reversing it. Its a lot
If your camera has Live View, you can use that
of fun and you can create some striking images.
to verify the effect of the aperture setting before you take a photoas long as ambient light
An alternative is to use a 50 mm lens with a manual
levels arent too low, it will brighten the im-
aperture ring. Some photographers may have such
age as you stop down. Check your cameras
a lens lying around, from an older camera system,
instruction manual to see how to do this.
and you can also buy them second-hand. When

you reverse a lens, the system its from doesnt
The second photo was taken with my 50 mm lens
matter as you are using the filter thread to at-
reversed onto my 85 mm prime lens. As you can
tach it to the camera, not the lens mount.
see, the level of magnification is much greater. Using this system I stopped the 85 mm lens down to
37
If you use a lens with a manual aperture ring, less
f/22 to show the difference in depth of field. The
light will enter the camera if you select a smaller aper-
reversed lens stays wide open all the time, so theres
ture than the maximum one, The cameras automatic
no need to use a lens with a manual aperture ring.

50mm lens with EF 25 extension tube
85mm lens with 50mm reversed lens
The photos on this page are of a

leaf frozen in ice. I did this at home
by placing the leaf in a clear plastic
container with some water and leaving it in my freezer overnight.
The photos on the left were taken
with a 50 mm lens and a Canon EF
25 extension tube. The photos on
the right were taken with the same
50 mm lens reversed onto an 85
mm prime lens. You can see that the
magnification of the reversed lens
setup is much greater.
The photos were lit by a portable
Canon Speedlite flash unit fitted
with a small Lastolite softbox (there
is more information about this setup
on page 69).
38
A reversed lens can get you close enough to the subject to take photos of
water drops like this one. The setup was very simpleI placed a drop of water
on a white petal and then placed the yellow flower a couple of centimetres
behind it. I stopped down to f/22 to get as much depth of-field as possible as
I wanted both the flower and the water drop in focus, if possible. Then, using
Live View to zoom in, I focused on the reflection within the drop, not the
drop itself. I did this indoorsit would have been impossible outside as the
slightest movement of the subject is highly magnified when you are so close.
The yellow background is actually the yellow flower you can see in the
water drop even at f/22 it is so out of focus that all detail has been lost.
EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 50mm reversed lens, 1 second at f/22, ISO 400.
39
Extension tubes
If you want to get closer to your subject than a close-up lens permits, without
getting into macro territory, then extension tubes are very useful. They fit between the lens and the camera body, increasing the distance between the front
element of the lens and the sensor or film plane (known as the extension) and
enabling you to focus more closely to the subject, increasing magnification.
Extension tubes contain no glass, they are simply hollow, light-tight cylinders.
One of the selling points of extension tubes is that there is no glass inside, so the
optical quality of the lens is retained. But bear in mind that a regular lens, unlike a macro lens, isnt optimised to give its best performance at close focusing
distances, so it is unlikely that you will match the performance of a macro lens.
However, the results will still be very goodalthough this does depend on how
much extension you have. The more extension tubes you stack together, the further your lens is moving away from the range in which it is designed to work.
You can buy extension tubes individually or sometimes in sets. Most extension tubes come in sizes between 8 and 35 mm this figure tells you the
extra length the extension tube will add to the lens barrel. You can combine two or more extension tubes for extra extension, although you may lose
the electrical connection between camera body and lens if you do so.
An advantage of extension tubes is that you can use them with any lens.
Having said that, they have a greater effect with wide-angle and short telephoto lenses than longer focal lengths. If you want to get closer with a
telephoto lens that has a focal length of 200 mm or more, you will obtain
a greater magnification with a close-up lens than with extension tubes. Extension tubes work best with focal lengths in the 24 mm to 100 mm range.
40
Canon EF 25 and Canon EF 12 extension tubes. These can be used individually or combined to give
greater extension. You can see the electronic contacts inside the tubes that retain the connection
between the lens and the camera body.
Extension tubes continued

The major camera manufacturers make their own extension tubes and you will
also find less expensive third-party extension tubes for sale online from manufacturers such as Kenko and Vivitar. I use Canon extension tubes, but theres
no reason why third-party ones wont work as well. The important thing to
check is whether the extension tubes keep the electrical contact between the
lens and the camera body. If they do, then autoexposure and autofocus will
work as normal, enabling you to use whichever exposure mode you prefer. You
can also set the aperture using the camera, vital for optimizing depth of field.
Less expensive extension tubes break the electrical connection between

the lens and the camera body. This wont affect the metering as long as
you dont mind using the camera in aperture priority or program modes.
But it is an issue if your lens doesnt have a manual aperture ring, as
you will only be able to use the lens set to its widest aperture. If your
lens has a manual aperture ring you can use that to stop down, but with
less light entering the lens, the viewfinder will get darker as you do so.
If you are willing to work within the limitations of extension rings that
break the electrical contact, you can buy them very cheaply online.
An EF 25 extension tube with a 50 mm lens. The extension

tube fits between the lens and the camera body. It increases
the extension (that is, the distance) between the front
element of the lens and sensor or film plane.
41

Extension tubes and magnification
Extension tubes
Theres an easy way to calculate how
With a 200 mm lens that drops by
Canon, Nikon, and Olympus all
Sony doesnt make extension tubes, but
much extra magnification an exten-
half again to 0.125x (25/200).
make their own extension tubes.
both Kenko and Vivitar make extension tube sets for Sony, Nikon, and
sion tube will give to a lens:
increase in magnification = extension distance/lens focal length
The Canon EF 12 II and EF 25 II extension
Canon. Their sets retain the connec-
tubes have 12 mm and 25 mm of exten-
tion between camera body and lens.
sion respectively. You can combine them,

For example, my Canon 50 mm f/1.4 lens has
Does that mean that (going with the Canon
although Canon says you may lose the con-
Pentax does seem to have a set of extension
a magnification of 0.15x at its closest focusing
examples) you can put a 25 mm extension tube
nection between camera and body if you
tubes, that I could only find online at the
distance of 45 cm (I found the magnification
on a 24 mm lens and get 1:1 or greater magni-
do so (its never happened to me). You can
Amazon UK (not Amazon USA) but they are
figure in the lenss spec sheet). Adding a 25 mm
fication? Its a nice idea but it wont workthe
also buy the now discontinued EF 12 and EF
not much practical use as the price is more
extension tube means the increase in magnifica-
minimum focusing distance of the lens is
25 extension tubes second-hand. You may
than double that of any Pentax macro lens.
tion is 0.5x (25/50), giving a total of 0.65x (0.15
greater than the distance from the cameras
be able to get a good deal here, but bear in
+ 0.5). This figure is a little academic, but its
sensor or film plane required to achieve life-
mind these older extension tubes are for
You can find basic extension tubes on web-
useful for evaluating whether you can add an
size reproduction. The lens cant focus on the
EF mount lenses only. The newer EF 12 II
sites like Amazon and eBay at very cheap
extension tube to your lens and reach the 1:1
subject, only on a point somewhere behind it.
and EF 25 II fit both EF and EF-S mounts.
prices for all the major camera manufacturers

(including Pentax). These extension tubes
magnification provided by most macro lenses.

If you have a 24 mm Canon lens, you can only
Nikon makes the PK-11A, PK-12, PK-13,
are inexpensive because they dont retain
This formula also shows why extension tubes
use Canons 12 mm extension tube with it.
and PN-11 extension tubes. They have 8
the electrical connection between the lens
are less effective with longer focal lengths.
For this reason, not all wide-angle lenses will
mm, 14 mm, 27.5 mm, and 52.5 mm of
and the camera body. That doesnt affect
work with all extension tubes. Another thing
extension respectively. The PN-11 has a
meteringyour camera will handle that
to be aware of when using wide-angle lenses
rotating tripod collar so that you can turn
but it does mean that you can only change
the lens without losing sight of the subject.
the aperture setting on the lens if it has a
For example, with a 50 mm lens, a 25 mm exten-
sion tube increases magnification by 0.5x (25/50). with extension tubes is that the working dis-
manual aperture ring. Otherwise you can
tance (the distance between the front element

With a 100 mm lens the increase in mag-
of the lens and the subject) may be so short
Olympus makes the EX-25 exten-
nification is halved to 0.25x (25/100).
that the lens casts a shadow on the subject.
sion tube for its Olympus Four Thirds

mount. This has 25 mm of extension.
42
only use the lens at its maximum aperture.
These two photos were taken with an 85 mm lens fitted with a 12 mm extension tube (left) and a 25 mm extension tube (right).
They show the difference in magnification the extra 13 mm of extension gives.
43

Advantages of extension tubes
Relatively inexpensive, especially if you dont require the electrical contacts between the lens and the camera body to be retained.
Easy to carry around.
Autoexposure and autofocus functions retained with the correct extension tubes.
Work well with shorter focal length lenses.
You can use an extension tube with any lens, with the exception of some wide-angles.
Can also be used with macro lenses to increase the magnification.
Extension tubes are hollow; therefore there are no glass elements to potentially degrade the image quality.
Disadvantages of extension tubes

Cant be used with extreme wide-angle lenses.
Dont increase the magnification of telephoto lenses (100 mm plus) much.
When used with zoom lenses, the lens has to refocus if you change the focal length.
Close-up lens check list

Consider these points before buying extension tubes:
Do you require electrical contact between the lens and camera body (unless youre on a really tight budget, the answer should be yes)?
How much extra magnification do you need? Take care to buy the right size extension tubes for the lens or lenses you want to use it with.
44
EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF25 and EF12 extension tube,
1/250 second at f/2.5, ISO 1600
45
I used a 50 mm lens and an EF 25 extension

tubethats Canons proprietary 25 mm
extension tubeto take this photo. I brought
the flower indoors and used natural light
from the window to light them. I find it easiest to bring flowers indoors if I want to get
as close as this (I either pick them from the
garden or buy them from a florist) as outside
the slightest breeze will make it difficult to
create images. Here I placed a sheet of green
card behind the flower for the background.
Even with a simple setup like this you can

explore different compositions and apertures. Some of the alternate images from the
shoot are shown on the next page. I tend
to use wide-ish apertures as I like the way
the narrow depth of field throws the petals
out of focus. Its a kind of dreamy effect.
EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF25 extension tube,

1/15 second at f/2.8, ISO 400
46
Here are some more photos that I

took at the same time as the one
on the previous page. These are all
taken with the same 50 mm lens and
EF 25 extension tube combination.
The only thing that has changed is
the angle that I took the photo from
and the aperture. I also rotated some
of the images in post-processing to
add variety to the set.
47
How close can you get?

These comparison photos show
how much closer you can get to
the subject using a 500D closeup lens, extension tubes, and a
reversed 50 mm lens. Ive tried it
EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens @ 40mm

with EF12 extension tube

with EF25 extension tube
Working distance: approximately 5cm
Working distance: approximately 3cm
out with two lensesa 1740 mm

zoom and an 85 mm prime lens.
The 1740 mm lens, despite

the shorter focal length, has
40D
more magnification than the 85

mm lens because it can focus
much closer to the subject (28
cm compared with 85 cm).
Ive repeated the experiment

with both an EOS 40D, which
has an APS-C sized sensor, and
an EOS 5D Mark II, which has
5D
a full-frame sensor. The apparent difference in magnification

is down to the crop factor.
The toy car in the photos

is 8 cm long, and all the
photos are taken at f/11.
48
How close can you get? continued
EF 85mm f/1.8 L lens
EF 85mm f/1.8 L lens with

500D (+2 diopter)
close-up lens

EF25 extension tube

EF25 + EF12 extension tubes

50mm reversed lens
(equivalent to +20 dioptre
close-up lens)
Working distance:
approximately 30cm
Working distance:
approximately 25cm
Working distance:
approximately 20cm
Working distance:
approximately 4cm
EF 85mm f/1.8 L lens

with 50mm reversed lens
(equivalent to +20 dioptre close-up lens) with
EF25 extension tube
40D
5D
49
Working distance:
approximately 3cm.
This has eliminated the
vignetting but the lens
was so close to the car
that it was blocking
the light.
Part two technique

50
Pork Buns, Shanghai, China

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D
close-up lens, 1/250 second @ f/13, ISO 400
Focusing
When it comes to close-up and macro photography,
the closer you get to your subject the more awkward
using autofocus becomes. There are several reasons
for this. One is that the part of the image youd
like to focus may not be covered by one of the
cameras focus points. Another is that, depending
on your subject, there may not be enough contrast
for your cameras autofocus system to lock into.
You could run into this if youre taking a photo of
a white flower, for instance. You can also encounter
problems when using extension tubes as the extension reduces the amount of light entering the lens.
It may drop below the quantity required by the
cameras autofocus sensor to focus accurately.
Your exact approach depends on whether youre

hand-holding the camera or have it mounted on a
tripod. When Im hand-holding the camera (which
is fine for a lot of close-up photography but becomes
awkward, if not impossible, when approaching the
1:1 magnification of macro photography), I find it
easiest to set my lens to manual focus, turn the focusing ring so that the lens is focused on the minimum
focusing distance, then move towards the subject
until it is focus. The zone of sharpness is quite narrow when youre this close and the best way to focus
51

Canon EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF25 extension tube, 1/180 second @ f/3.5, ISO 400
is not by turning the focusing ring, but to rock your body
fied. Balance is crucialit is much harder to hold the
and to make decisions about focusing and exposure. It gives
slight backward or forward until the subject is sharp. If youve
camera steady if you are off balance. It is easier to either
you the freedom to use the combination of a small aperture, a
never tried this before give it a goits surprisingly effective.
use a monopod or a tripod to support the camera.
low ISO, and a slow shutter speed if you want. It also lets you
play around with focusing on different parts of the subject
The closer you get to the subject, the harder it is to
A tripod is a good choice if your subject is static and therefore
to see what happens. This is something you can try if youre
hand-hold the camera, as any camera shake created by
unlikely to run away from you. If your camera is tripod mount-
photographing subjects like flowersits surprising how much
the natural movement of your hands and body is magni-
ed, you have time to find the best framing for composition,
difference just changing the focus point can make to the image.

Canon EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF25 extension tube, 1/180 second @ f/5.6, ISO 100
52
Focusing continued
Live view
Focusing rails
One of the easiest ways to focus, if your camera has this feature,
A focusing rail is a rail that attaches to your tripod head. You
is by using Live View. If you have a fairly recent camera with
put the camera on top and can move it back or forth a small
a high-resolution LCD screen, this is an easy method to use as
distance at a time to focus. Focusing rails arent inexpensive
long as the ambient light isnt so bright it makes viewing the
but they will come in very useful if you intend to do a lot
screen difficult. On my camera I have a 5x and 10x view, and
of close-up or macro photography, especially in a studio.
I can zoom in anywhere on the image to check the focus. This

gives me a much better image than I can see through the viewfinder. The photos on this page show how it works.
When you look at a Live View feed,

you can press the depth-of-field preview button to see the image with
the aperture in the lens set to the
value you have dialled into the
camera. This means you get to
see the true depth of field within
the image. In bright light it will
do this without making the image darker (as opposed to using
depth-of-field preview when looking through the viewfinder, which
always gets darker as you stop
down). You can zoom in to see how
far the zone of sharpness extends and see
the difference in real time when you change the aperture value.
53
Creating sharp images

The extra magnification obtained when you take close-up or macro images has the effect of intensifying any camera shake or
motion blur in the image as well as the subject itself. That means there are two sides to taking sharp images (assuming that
you actually want a sharp image and arent experimenting with blur). The first is to make sure the subject is still, and if thats
not possible, then to use a shutter speed fast enough to freeze any motion. The other side is to make sure that the camera
and lens are steady enough to obtain a sharp image.
Camera shake
If you are hand-holding the camera then camera shake is
A tripod is the best way to take a sharp photo, and it also helps
bound become an issue at some point. You need to use faster
greatly with focusing, as explained in the previous section.
shutter speeds than you normally would with any given fo-
With a tripod you can select a small aperture, a low ISO, and
cal length in order to prevent camera shake, as the effect of
a slow shutter speed if need be (as long as your subject is still)
any camera shake is magnified along with the subject. When
to obtain maximum image quality. Make sure that you use
I use my 85 mm lens I try and set the shutter speed to 1/250
either a cable release, remote camera release, or the cameras
of a second on a full-frame camera, and 1/350 of a second on
self-timer function to fire the camera to avoid camera shake
a crop-sensor camera. But the best thing you can do is take a
caused by using your finger to press the shutter button.
series of photos at different shutter speeds and see what settings you need to use to create a sharp image. It depends what
your priorities are tooIm happy to bump the ISO up to get
a faster shutter speed, but Im sure that some photographers
would rather risk a hint of camera shake and use a lower ISO.
54
Creating sharp images continued

Aperture
Mirror lock-up
Another consideration is the aperture setting
One of the features of an SLR camera is a mir-
With mirror lockup enabled, the first press
of the lens. Depth-of-field considerations aside,
ror that moves up out of the way when you
of the shutter button flips the mirror up,
the aperture does make a difference to image
take a photo. If you take the lens off your
and the second one takes a photo. The idea
quality. You may be aware that your lenses
camera and look closely at the top of the
is to leave a gap of a few seconds between
normally give their best performance at settings mirror box you should see what looks like a
the two to give any vibrations caused by
of f/5.6, f/8 or f/11. Outside this range you
piece of foam. This acts as a damper for the
the mirror action time to fade away, and
are more likely to get softer images, thanks to
mirror and helps absorb vibrations created
to use a cable release or remote control
lens aberrations found at wide apertures and
by the impact as it flips up. But you may still
to fire the camera without touching it.
diffraction caused by small apertures. Im not
get some vibration, and it is possible that at
saying that you should stick rigidly to these
slow shutter speeds of around 1/30 to 1/4
On my Canon camera I can activate both mir-
aperture settings, because you will often go
of a second the vibration will cause a little
ror lockup and the ten-second self-timer at the
outside them for creative effect or to increase
camera shake. Any softening caused by the
same time. This technique works well for meI
depth of field. But its handy to know at what
vibrations is magnified in close-up and macro
press the shutter button once (with my finger),
settings your lens, and whatever accessory
photography, so this can be a real problem. If
the mirror flips up and then, ten seconds later,
you are using to explore close-up or macro
youre working at high magnifications or using
the camera takes a photo and drops the mir-
photography, gives the sharpest results as
a telephoto lens, this can make things worse.
ror back down into position. I only have to

press the shutter button once to activate the
this helps inform your decision as to which

aperture setting to use. The simplest way to
Part of the solution is to make sure that your
work it out is to take a series of photos at all the camera is firmly attached to your tripod head.
55
sequence and the ten-second delay ensures the

camera is as still as possible when the photo
aperture settings of your lens, one stop apart.
In addition, most modern digital SLRs come
is taken. If you dont have a Canon camera
Look at them closely on your computer screen
with a mirror lockup feature which is designed
you should check your cameras instruction
to see which produce the sharpest results.
to prevent vibrations caused by the mirror.
manual to see if it will work the same way.
Depth-of-Field
Ive touched on it already and Im sure that most of you are
aware that one of the defining characteristics of close-up and
macro photography is the lack of depth of field. The zone of
sharpness at any given aperture decreases dramatically as you
move closer to your subject, virtually disappearing at life-size
reproduction. This is regardless of the focal length of your lens.
You may already have guessed, from looking at the images in

this book, that I like to take photos with minimal depth of field.
Youre rightI really enjoy this technique. Theres nothing like it
for creating beautiful, dreamy, moody images full of atmosphere
and mystery. The two talented photographers in the case studies in this book also use depth of field creatively. This is partly
through necessityif you are shooting hand-held then there is
a limit to how far you can stop the lens down anyway, depending on the light and high ISO capabilities of your camera.
If you have to use a smaller aperture to get enough depth of field

for a decent image a tripod comes in handy, as long as your subject
is static. A tripod gives you the freedom to set a low ISO, a small
aperture, and a slow shutter speed for maximum image quality.
Auckland Botanical Garden, New Zealand

56
I used an 85 mm lens fitted with extension tubes to get close to this flower. An aperture of
f/2.5 has rendered a small part of the photo in focus and thrown the background dramatically
out of focus. I often find when Im taking photos of flowers outside that if I stop down, the
increased depth of field starts to make the background sharper to the point where it becomes
a distraction. The cameras LCD screen makes it easy to judge whether this is happeningI just
play back the images and reshoot if I decide to change the aperture setting.
Depth-of-Field continued
If your subject is moving, you may
noise reduction circuitry inside their cam-
have to make a compromise of some
eras. Other factors are sensor size and meg-
sort if you are shooting in natural light.
apixel count. Larger sensors create images
It depends on the light levels, but if
with less noise than crop-sensor cameras,
you shoot hand-held, which requires
and less megapixels generally means less
a relatively fast shutter speed, you
noise (thats why cameras like the 14-meg-
may have to bump up the ISO or use a
apixel Nikon D700 have such a good
wider aperture than you would like. This
performance when it comes to noise).
brings us back to using wide apertures

creativelyif youre in a position where
Another factor is processingif you
you can only use a wide aperture, then
use the Raw format youll find the Raw
try and find a way of using it to good
processing software you use makes a dif-
effect, rather than fighting against it.
ference. Noise reduction seems to be a

priority for the software companies as well,
When it comes to ISO, its a good idea to
and the latest versions of their software
test your camera and see what your toler-
are often very good at reducing noise.
ance is. Im quite happy to use ISO 6400

on my EOS 5D Mark II, although Id prefer
Noise shows up most in the shadows and
to use a lower setting if possible. But some-
in areas of clear continuous tone like blue
times it isnt. Higher ISO settings mean
sky. It may show up less in close-up and
more noise, although the amount of noise
macro photography than other types of
you will see in practise depends very much
image because the nature of close-up and
on which camera you have and how you
macro photography means that the back-
process the images. Generally speaking,
ground is usually blurred and there is a lot
the newer your camera, the less noise you
of detail. These things help obscure noise.
will see at high ISOs, as camera manufacturers are always seeking to improve the
57
National Maritime Museum, Auckland, New Zealand

Both the photos above and on the following page were taken with an 85 mm lens fitted with a 500D
close-up lens. I was forced into using a wide aperture and a high ISO as both photos were taken
hand-held inside in dimly lit conditions. I used the restriction of a wide aperture to get creative with
my composition and throw the background out of focus.
National Maritime Museum, Auckland, New Zealand

58
Outdoor photography
If you want to photograph your subject outdoors, you may run into problems caused by
the wind. If youre photographing flowers, for example, the smallest breeze can make the
flowers sway, spoiling attempts to focus accurately and create sharp images. One solution is
to buy flowers from a florist and photograph them indoors. This is easier in many ways. But
there are times when you will find flowers outside, and will be unable to or unwilling to cut
them and bring them indoors. Make life easier for yourself by choosing a calm day to take
photos of flowers. Some botanical gardens have tropical plants inside greenhouses. These are
ideal for flower photography as the greenhouse shelters the flowers inside from the wind.
I took the photos here and on the next page in a bird market in Shanghai. The market was
inside and the light was dim, so I had no choice but to use a wide aperture and a high
ISO. My prime lens comes in handy in situations like this because of the wide maximum
aperture, but any photos taken with apertures from f/1.8 to f/2.8 need a lot of care. I
usually take as many photos as I can to help ensure that I get at least one with the zone
of focus where I want it. In these photos, much like portraits of people, it was important
that the birds eyes were in focus. Yet, at such close focusing distances, the slightest of
movement from either the bird or me will move the zone of focus. A benefit of digital
cameras is that you can play back the images afterwards to make sure that you achieved
what you set out to.
59
Shanghai, China
1/90 second @ f/1.8, ISO 1600
60
Shanghai, China
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/180 second @ f/2, ISO 3200
These photos, taken on an EOS 5D Mark II
with an 85 mm lens and EF 25 extension
tube, show the effects of aperture upon
depth of field at close focusing distances.
The lack of depth of field shows up more
on the first set of photos as the car is
perpendicular to the camera. You can
get face on and level with the subject to
maximize depth of field at any aperture.
61
f/1.8
f/5.6
f/22
f/1.8
f/5.6
f/22
f/1.8
f/5.6
f/22
f/1.8
f/5.6
f/22
Part three Lighting

62

Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D
close-up lens, 1/250 second @ f/2.8, ISO 800
Lighting
I like natural light for macro and close-up work. Most of the
photos taken in this book use natural light. Its easy, and always
available, and means that you dont have to buy portable flash
Woodstock, England
Canon EOS 40D,
60mm macro, 1/250
second @ f/4, ISO 200
units. My preference for natural light is part of the reason that

I like my close-up lens so much. It gives just the right level of
magnification to let me take photos in natural light. There is no
light loss, which helps me keep the ISO low in bright lightor
to obtain a photo in low light conditions. Extension tubes
work well in natural light too, with the proviso that as there is
some light loss you will have to raise the ISO to compensate.
My favourite type of light is shadeand where shade doesnt

exist I create my own by either standing between the subject
and the sun or asking someone to hold up a diffuser to soften the light. Diffusers work wellI have a collapsible one
that is also a reflector. It comes with a sleeve that is black
and one side and silver on the other, and you just slip the
sleeve over the diffuser to use it as a reflector. Some also
come with a gold panel and a white panel and are marketed as five-in-one reflectors. These can be very handy.
Sometimes the diffuser doesnt soften the light enough. If that

happens, I insert it in the sleeve, and ask someone to hold it black
side down over the subject so that it casts a shadow over the subject and the background. Everything within the frame needs to
be in shadeit doesnt work if the subject is shaded but the background is lit by the sun, as the background will be much brighter.
63
I took this photo with a Canon MR-14EX Macrolite flash unit attached to a Canon EF 60mm macro lens. The light is very even
you can see that there are no shadows as the light comes from directly in front of the subject.
However, macro flash is usually comprised of two individual units that fire at the same time. You can control the output
independently. This is done using flash ratios. You can set one flash unit to fire with half or a quarter the power of the other
(expressed as a 1:2 or 1:4 ratio). This helps create a light source with more modelling than you see in the photo above.
Lighting continued
Another way to reduce the effect of strong light is to use a light tent.
They are not expensive if you buy them online and if you have a portable one you can take it with you and place it over the subject to
reduce the effect of the harsh sunlight. They are also handy for sheltering delicate subjects like flowers from the effects of a breeze.
But at higher magnifications, such as those you can obtain with a reversed
50 mm lens or a macro lens, you will need to stop down to get enough
depth of field. In natural light you need to put the camera on a tripod and
photograph static subjects. Thats why macro photographers use flash. It
helps freeze subject movement (important for photographing live subjects such as insects) and lets you stop down to use smaller apertures.
Flash has other advantages. One is that you can use it to take photos
when ambient light levels are too low to get the photo you want. Another
Canon EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF 25 extension tube,
1/180 second @ f/4, ISO 400
is that it helps you create sharper images by freezing movement and

minimizing camera shake. Camera shake is exacerbated by high magnification, but you can use flash, either as a fill or the main light source to
help get a sharper image. The blip of light from your flash unit is so brief
The photos above and on the following 2 pages were all taken with a 50 mm lens and an EF 25 extension
tube in natural daylight. I prefer natural light for taking photos of flowers as long as the flower is in the shade.
The contrast is just too great when the flower is in the sun to get a good image.
that it eliminates the risk of camera shake (if its the only light source)
Another advantage of taking photos in shade is that the background is lit by the same light as the flower. In
most cases it will be the same brightness or darker, and it is easy to darken the background in post-processing to make an aesthetically pleasing image.
All the major camera manufacturers make flash units designed specifically
and reduces it if youre combining a flash exposure with daylight.
for macro photography. They are either ring flash units or two small flash
units positioned either side of the lens. You can also buy flash brackets for
positioning regular flash units alongside your lens to create the same effect. The concept is simplethis arrangement creates even frontal lighting
64
Lighting continued
that you can use to light your subject. If you
same unit if you used it to photograph
are by yourself it also has the advantage of
something bigger, such as a person.
being easy to manage. You can concentrate

on looking through the viewfinder and
You can make the light even softer still
composing the image without worrying
by attaching a softbox. My favourite is
about the position of the flash units.
the Ezybox Speed-Lite from Lastolite. Its

collapsible and attaches to my flash unit
Macro flash units are a little like macro lenses
with Velcro straps. It has two panels in the
something that you will only purchase if you
softbox to diffuse the light. Inside, I use a
get really serious about macro and close-up
Hahnel Combi TF radio trigger to fire it. Its
photography. If youre taking photos inside,
usually easy enough to find a position to
and the working distance between the front
hold it where it lights the subject nicely.
element of your lens and the subject is great

enough, theres no reason why you cant use a
For a studio setup I use the flash in manu-
regular flash unit. Using flash in macro photog-
al mode. It usually takes me just a couple of
raphy is not as complicated as you might think.
tries to determine the optimum exposure.
The main reason for this is to do with the
But outside, for example if I am photograph-
All this is done with the camera in manual
You will need to take the flash off the cam-
relationship between the size of the flash head
ing flowers, I prefer to use my portable flash in
mode. The camera then uses its evaluative
era when youre outside. This is necessary
and the size of the subject. Generally, soft light
automatic mode. I can set a low ISO, a small
metering to match the flash output with the
with close-up photography because the flash
is more beautiful than hard light. Portable
aperture, and a fast shutter speed (my cameras
aperture. Its important to check the histogram
needs to be in a position where it will light
flash produces hard light because the flash
sync speed is 1/250 of a second) and at these
when you use this technique, as the camera
the subject. The flash unit doesnt need to
head is small in relation to the subject. If you
settings very little natural light is hitting the
has a habit of underexposing the subject.
be far from the camera for close-up and
are photographing something small though,
sensor. Without the flash, the photo would
You can use the flash exposure compensa-
macro work, so you can use a cord to con-
the flash head may be the same size or larger
be severely underexposed. The light from the
tion function on your camera to increase the
nect the flash to your camera. You should
than the subject. The light is much softer
flash unit is essentially the only light source.
output from the flash unit if this happens.
get one that lets the camera communicate
compared to the light you would get from the

65
Anthurium, Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand

Canon EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF 25 extension tube, 1/180 second @ f/2.5, ISO 1600
with the flash for automatic metering.
Lighting continued
The only drawback of these cords is that
they can be quite short, but for macro and
close-up photography thats not really an issue. Your subject is close to the camera, and
youll probably want to keep the flash as close
to the subject as possible for soft lighting. If
your camera has a built-in master unit that
can control wireless flash, its even easier.
Using the flash in automatic mode works well

for me in this situation because the light, and
the optimum exposure, is changing as I walk
around looking for things to photograph.
I just have to remember to keep checking
the histogram and adjusting flash exposure
compensation as required. This is because
the cameras metering system returns different exposure settings as the balance between
light and dark tones in the frame changes.
Most camera manufacturers make some kind of

trigger to control flash units wirelessly, and you
can also buy them from third-party manufacturers such as RadioPopper and PocketWizard. These
are more expensive though, and probably only
a good buy if you intend to use them a lot.
66

Canon EOS 40D, 50mm lens with EF 25 extension tube, 1/180 second @ f/4, ISO 1600
Lighting continued
Polarising Filters
If you look closely at these two photos you will see
a big difference in the quality of light in certain
areas. The biggest difference is in the leavesthe
leaves at the top of the photo on the left are shiny
and have little colour. But on the right there
is no shine and the leaves are very green.
The same has happened to a lesser extent with

the chili pepper. There are less reflections on the
surface of the pepper in the right-hand photo.
I achieved this by using a polarizing filter. Polarizing

filters work by reducing reflections on vegetation and
other non-metallic surfaces. The exact effect depends on
the position of your camera relative to the light source.
With a polarising filter in place, just turn the filter while
looking through the viewfinder to see where the effect
is strongest. I used the polariser on both images, but
it had no effect (left) until I turned it to find the position where it eliminated the most reflections (right).
Polarising filters work well and can improve your

photos of flowers and plants, but they do have a
disadvantage in that they block one to two stops of
light. This makes the viewfinder darker (so its harder
to focus) and means that you need a higher ISO.
67
Ghost Chile, Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand

Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens,
1/250 second @ f/2.5, ISO 1600
Ghost Chile, Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand

Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens,
1/350 second @ f/2.8, ISO 1600
Lighting continued
I took this photo with my Canon Speedlite 580EX II flash unit held as close to the car as I
could get it, without any form of diffuser. The flash head is more or less the same size as
the toy car, but the light is still quite hard. I held the flash unit above the car and slightly to
the right. The shadows under the car are quite hard, indicating the quality of the light used.
68
This photo was taken with a Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite softbox attached to the Speedlite
flash unit. Again, I held it as close to the car as I could without it appearing in the frame. The
light is a lot softer, and so are the shadows underneath the toy car. The larger light source has
also created larger highlights on the metallic bodywork. I held the flash unit slightly to the
right again, and this has created a modelling effect on the car as the left hand side (to your
right as you look at the page) is lighter than the other side. This helps indicate form, and is
absent in the front-lit photo of a rosebud on page 63.
Lighting continued
The Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite attached to a

Canon Speedlite 580EX II. The large size of the
front panel means that the light from a flash unit
fitted with this softbox is very soft compared to
the light from a bare flash head.
This is the Hahnel Combi TF that I use to fire my Speedlite flash when I
use it in manual mode. One part fits into the cameras hot shoe (below)
and the other part has a hot shoe in which the Speedlite sits (above).
3.5 cm
7cm
20 cm
20 cm
69
This diagram shows the difference in size between

the head of a Speedlite 580EX II flash unit (left) and
a flash unit fitted with a Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite
(right). The softbox turns a portable flash into a larger
light source and that means a much softer light source,
especially in macro and close-up photography.
Lighting continued
I took this photo by

laying my flash unit
on its back with the
softbox facing upwards
and placing the yellow
leaf on the softbox so
that it was backlit. I
used a 50 mm lens with
an EF 25 extension
tube to take the photo.
Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 50mm reversed

lens 1/250 second @ f/16, ISO 100
70
Lighting continued
This close-up photo was taken using an 85 mm lens with a 50 mm reversed lens attached. At
high magnifications like this, it becomes difficult to take photos in natural light. The depth of
field is so narrow, you need to stop right down to maximise sharpness, and that means using a
slow shutter speed. The degree of magnification means its hard to take a sharp image as any
camera movement affects the image, even with a tripod.
The solution is to
use flash. To create
this image, I froze a
leaf in a transparent
plastic container. I
mounted the camera
on a tripod above
the leaf, and used a
Speedlite flash with
a Lastolite softbox to
light the ice.
71
Tripod mounted camera
Portable flash
unit in softbox
Leaf frozen in ice
Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 50mm reversed lens 1/250 second @ f/16, ISO 100
Case study Mandy Disher

Mandy Dishers dreamlike images of flowers and insects caught
my eye because of the way she uses soft light and bokeh to
create magical, ethereal photos. Her photos gain strength
through simplicity of composition and subtle use of colour and
texture. I also like her work because her subject matter is so accessiblemost of the photos you see here were taken in her
garden. She doesnt use any specialist equipment, apart from
a macro lens. The success of these images is down to patience,
observation, and a keen eye for colour and composition.
You can see more of Mandy Dishers

photos at a www.mandydisherphotography.com
Spring is my favourite season with everything in the garden

bursting into new life again and the warmer weather allowing me to capture some sweet moments in nature.
On warmer days the ladybirds emerge from their hiding places

to bask in the sunshine, an ideal opportunity for me to indulge in my ladybird passion and borrow one for a while.
Insects and flowers offer the macro photographer an endless

supply of exciting colour, interesting texture and intricate pattern, we can see this miniature world in a whole different light.
72
Canon EOS 7D, 60mm macro lens,

1/320 second @ f/3.5, ISO 500

I use a Canon EOS 7D and my lens collection in-
commonly known Seven Spot Ladybird; it
cludes a Tamron 60 mm f/2 macro. Its my newest
co-operates well and will usually stay a while
lens and probably my favourite at the moment to use
to give lots of photographic opportunity.
for ladybird shots. Although this lens is incredibly

good I find the focusing ring not the smoothest to
I aim to get interesting shots of the ladybird as
operate; I also have a Tamron 90 mm f/2.8 macro,
it moves about and stretches out and reaches for
this is a super lens thats much nicer to handle than
the next platform to crawl along. This makes for a
the 60 mm with a very smooth focusing action. It
more pleasing image rather than it sitting still with
also produces excellent images. I also use a Sigma
head tucked in and legs hidden underneath him.
105 mm f/2.8 macro, giving a little more distance

needed for butterflies and bees; its a great lens.
Most of my close-up work is taken hand-held, I

find it is really the only way to capture these tiny
Wherever possible I like to take my shots outdoors
beetles if they are moving about as the positioning
in natural daylight, ideally a calm day under a bright
and focus are continually changing. Using a tripod
overcast sky gives me the best light. One of the big-
would be too restrictiveas the ladybird moves,
gest problems in taking close-up shots outdoors is
so my angle on the ladybird needs to move too.
that even a slight breeze will produce movement
By first getting in range and roughly in focus I move
in the subject. To stabilize a stem of flowers I use a
towards and away from the subject until I find the
Wimberley Plamp. This useful clamp is like a third
sharpest plane of focus before pressing the shutter
hand; it attaches to the tripod leg or any suitable
button. The depth of field is very limited in macro
fixing and has a flexible arm that attaches to your
photography and this very short working distance
subject, allowing you to keep it steady. Its also
means the slightest camera movement creates mo-
great for holding a diffuser or reflector in place and
tion blur, a problem resulting with many shots being
allows for quick and easy re-adjusting if needed.
deleted. It can be very challenging to get a perfect

shot using this handheld technique but it does
One of my favourite insects to photograph
happen and when it does it all seems worthwhile.
is the Coccinella Septempunctata or more

Canon EOS 7D, 60mm macro lens, 1/100 second @ f/4.5, ISO 100
73

Hoverflies, bees, and butterflies, although
tion or selective colour adjustment layer with layer
much bigger than a ladybird are more difficult
masks to target specific areas. Some last dodge and
to capture as they dont settle for more than a
burn is applied using a neutral (50% grey) overlay
few seconds; you need to be patient and wait
layer, brushing black over shadow areas to darken
for just the right moment to get a shot.
them and white over highlights to lighten them.
I like to create dreamy backgrounds and soft bokeh
Lastly I sharpen using the High Pass filter where I apply
and try to isolate my subject from them, so I tend to
a Hide All mask and paint in sharpness where needed.
use largish apertures to get this effect, but of course

it also depends on the distance between subject and
Tips:
background. The distance I am from the subject also

determines which aperture I select. I probably do not
Add interest and some sparkle to macro shots
go above f/5.6. The limited depth of field means it
by using a mist gun to add fine water drop-
is essential to get the focus point spot-on as even a
lets to the scene or shoot after rainfall. The
very small shift from the focal plane will be the dif-
droplets act like little magnifying lenses.
ference between the subject being sharp or blurred.

Use florists Oasis wet floral foam to secure cut
I always shoot in Raw format to allow full con-
flowers and foliage when using in a table top set
trol and flexibility over the processing.
up; it will keep the greenery watered and keep it

from wilting. Plus, the added weight of the wet
After basic adjustments to colour temperature,
block will help to stabilize the arrangement.
exposure, or colour in Adobe Camera Raw, I open
74
the photo in Photoshop to complete the image. I
Allow yourself plenty of time to devote to
may crop slightly for composition then adjust the
a shooting session, youll be surprised how
tonal values with a curves or levels adjustment layer.
quickly time passes as you become absorbed
To boost or change colour I use a hue and satura-
into getting those wonderful macro shots.
75
Canon EOS 7D, 105mm, 1/100 second @ f/5.6, ISO 100

76
Canon EOS 7D, 60mm macro lens, 1/100 second @ f/4, ISO 100
77
78
Canon EOS 7D, 60mm macro lens, 1/60 second @ f/4, ISO 100
79

1/250 second @ f/4, ISO 100

1/160 second @ f/3.2, ISO 100
80
81
82
Case study Celine steen

Celine Steens photos are refreshingly different from
The lens I use most commonly is the Nikon
the high-key, sanitized images of food we so often see
60 mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Micro. My other fa-
in the media. Her images have a warmth and depth
vourite lens is the Nikon 50 mm f/1.4D AF. I
of feeling that conveys a genuine love of baking and
dont use any accessories on top of that.
creating beautiful images. Both are creative actsbut

where food is transient in nature, photos are a perma-
When Im shooting I seem to favour an aperture
nent record of what was created and later consumed.
of f/5.6 the most, but I used even larger apertures

on some of the shots here, to ensure the focus
Celines images evoke the warmth of country
is on the main subject and that the background
kitchens and the simplicity of good, home-baked
stays out of focus for a more interesting look.
food. She does it all with natural light, carefully

selected props, and attention to detail. A macro
I like to shoot preferably using early morn-
lens helps her get in close, but the rest is down to
ing or late evening light, which makes for a
hard work and an enjoyment of what she does.
slightly moodier atmosphere Im quite fond of.

I definitely prefer natural light over artificial.
You can see more of Celines beautiful images (along

with recipes) at www.havecakewilltravel.com
Im not as big a Photoshop wiz as I wish I

were, so my post-processing skills are a bit
I want people to get a cozy, inviting feeling
limited. I mostly use Photoshop CS5 to apply
from the foods I shoot. Im not necessarily look-
colour correction when needed and to boost
ing for absolute neatness and perfection, but
the images to make them pop a little more.
an openness that makes them feel like they

want to be in front of that baked good (or whatever it is I photograph) as soon as possible.
83
Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens, 1/13 second @ f/5.6, ISO 400
Case study Celine steen

Tips:
1. Dont focus solely on how the food looks;
what surrounds it is important too. Use pretty
props, without going bankrupt: I love to shop
on Etsy for affordable vintage items that
have a lot more personality than most brand
new items do. Beautiful wood grains or even
distressed metal as backdrops add another
layer of beauty and interest to your pictures.
2. Keep a reflector handy: shadows can be

nice in artsy pictures, to create a moodier
look, but a reflector will guarantee people can
admire your food from every (visible) angle,
which is extremely important if youre going to do commercial or cookbook shoots.
3. Try to avoid placing your food subject in the

sun, for a couple of reasons. One being that the
subject can get washed out and lose details, but
also because the heat from the sun (especially
if you use natural light and you shoot next
to a window) will wilt your lettuce or melt
your ice cream in no time at all, making for
very sad-looking and unappealing goodies.
84
Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens, 1/40 second @ f/3, ISO 640
Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens,

1/40 second @ f/5, ISO 640
85

1/50 second @ f/5.6, ISO 400

1/60 second @ f/4.5, ISO 640

1/50 second @ f/3, ISO 640
86

1/25 second @ f/4, ISO 400

1/80 second @ f/4.5, ISO 400
87

1/25 second @ f/3.5, ISO 640

1/13 second @ f/5, ISO 640
Conclusion
Close-up and macro photography are very enjoyable means of creative self-expression.
But they can also be a little intimidating if youve never tried either one. They can very
technical, and the cost of macro lenses can be off-putting for anyone who just wants to
give it a try without buying expensive equipment. Well, the reality is that close-up and
macro photography are quite easy disciplines to master. All you need is the technical
know how plus some inspiration to get you started. I hope the techniques outlined in
this eBook, and the beautiful photos of Mandy Disher and Celine Steen, do just that.
Happy shooting,
Andrew S Gibson
April 2012
Wellington, New Zealand
Royal Water Lily, Winter Gardens, Auckland, New Zealand

Canon EOS 40D, 85mm lens with 500D close-up lens, 1/250 second @ f/2.5, ISO 200
88
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A GUIDE TO MACRO & CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY
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Andrew S.

macro lens or an accessory for your regular lenses

that it opens up a fresh way of seeing the world

that achieves the required magnification.

around us. Perhaps nowhere is this so evident as

in close-up and macro photographytwo types

Close-up photography is a little harder to pin down.

of image creation that get us in close to everyday

I define it as enabling your lens, whichever one it

and not so everyday objects and creatures, and

is that youre using, to focus closer to your subject

show us how they look in entirely new ways.

than its designed to. The definition is nebulous

because some lenses can get closer to your subject

Getting up close is not quite as simple as it first

than others. Close-up photography brings you

appears. Most lenses wont get you very close to

closer to your subject, without getting as close

your subject without the addition of extra equip-

as you would need to for a macro photograph.

ment. Macro lenses will do it but good ones can

be expensive, and you may not want to buy one

Whichever techniques you choose to explore, I aim

if you just want to dabble in or try out close-up

to show you that close-up and macro photography

and macro photography. But the good news is that

are both enjoyable and easy to practise. Best of

there are inexpensive accessories you can buy that

all, there is subject matter all aroundyou wont

will help you get close to your subject without

have to travel far to start creating exciting new

sacrificing image quality. Ill guide you through

images. I interviewed two photographers for the

the options available, explaining the advantages

book, Mandy Disher and Celine Steen, who take

and disadvantages of each, throughout this book.

the majority of their photos right at home. Their

beautiful close-up photos will inspire you to go

Lets start with a couple of definitions. Macro

out and try the same techniques for yourself.

photography is easyto qualify as a macro

photograph your subject (or the part of it that

Note: Ive taken a lot of flower photos to il-

youre photographing) must be smaller than

lustrate this book, but Ive been unable to find

or the same size as your cameras sensor. To get

out the names of them all. The names, when

this close to your subject youll need either a

known, have been included in the captions.

Stargazer Lily, Auckland Botanical Gardens, New Zealand,

Crop factor & magnification

Magnification Magnification is the degree of enlargement

Crop factor When light passes through your camera lens,

Theres an important concept that I want to get to grips with

that your lens is capable of. Magnification is determined by the

the image is projected as a circle. Your cameras sensor captures

straight away, as I refer to it several times throughout the

just part of the image circle. Crop-sensor cameras capture

bookcrop factor and the effect it has on your photos.

you can focus to the subject, the greater the magnification.

a smaller part of the image circle than full-frame cameras,

There seems to be some confusion about the relation-