Outline for Tutorials: Macro
1. Macro Part One: Why I Love Macro Underwater Photography
The beauty and sheer diversity of marine life is mind boggling. Macro opens up an entire new world within this
underwater world! With macro, we may see what the ordinary eye cannot. Surprise elements of detail might
pop out or emerge. We can have one subject, keep it simple, and emphasize only and exactly what we want to
emphasize. We can even create unique, artistic, even abstract images.
Macro is in many ways easier than wide angle and other types of photography - both technically and with
regard to composition. In wide angle photography, there are often multiple subjects that we have to worry
about in both the foreground and background and we must be concerned with not only exposure and focus of
the foreground and background, but also position, orientation, profile of these multiple subjects as well as
avoiding mergers and amputations. In comparison, in macro photography, we have only one subject in the
foreground and often a very simple background. This series of macro tutorials will discuss and demonstrate
types of images one can get with macro, equipment needed, concepts of working distance and depth of field,
technique, composition, and critiques of some of my images.
2. Macro Episode Two: Examples of Why Macro is so Cool
 Photograph the very small creatures
 Fill the frame with smaller animals
 Take portraits; convey personality of animal
 Show behavior
 Show one subject and emphasize exactly what you want
 Subject could be a small animal or small part of a larger animal (teeth or eye)
 Reveal surprising detail and beauty in the small or mundane subject
 Create unique, abstract images – color, pattern, form, texture
 Expand knowledge – discover details that are not readily visible
3. Macro Episode Three: Equipment Needed
 Patience, persistence, and practice are most important factors in getting a good macro image
 Knowledge of subject and skill of photographer also important
 Equipment is least important factor; however, for macro, I recommend SLR (with macro lens) over
compact camera
 Always respect all life
 Live animals in their natural environment should not be touched, moved, or harmed in any way
 Compact camera, macro mode (with or without accessory wet lenses)
 Advantages
 Compact camera is smaller, more maneuverable
 Can visualize image on LCD prior to depressing shutter
 Better depth of field with small sensor
 More versatile – can shoot macro and wide angle on same dive with one camera set up
 Disadvantages:
 Very small working distance with compact camera in macro mode
 Flash from camera will not fill image (usually partially obscured by housing)
 Need strobe, but might be difficult to position strobe when subject so close
 Not true 1:1 magnification on the sensor since sensor so small
 Shutter lag
 Slower autofocus
 Small sensor makes is difficult to exploit changes in depth of field with variable aperture size
 Image quality not as good with small sensor
 SLR with macro lens
 Advantages:
 Greater working distance and greater magnification than with compact camera
 Easier to position strobes
 No shutter lag
 Fast autofocus
 Large sensor allows for better quality image
 Disadvantages:
 Larger, less maneuverable
 Must view image through viewfinder – can be difficult when subject is on sea floor
 Angled viewfinder helps
 Less depth of field than with compact camera
 However, we can exploit limited depth of field for artistic purposes
 Less versatile – committed to macro for each dive
 SLR with 60 mm macro lens vs. 105 mm macro lens
 60 mm macro advantages
 Quicker and better autofocus
 Better on night dives
 Easier to achieve tack sharp image compared to 105 mm macro lens
 Smaller working distance
 Less water column to shoot through
 Better in lower visibility
 Less strobe power needed
 Better for somewhat larger subjects
 105 mm macro advantages
 Greater working distance
 Better for skittish subjects
 Easier to position strobes (but need more strobe power)
 Easier to blur background with less depth of field (better bokeh)
4. Macro Part Four: Demonstration - Working Distance with Compact Camera in Macro Mode versus SLR
Camera with 60 mm and 105 mm Macro Lens
 Focus distance = distance from sensor plane to subject at maximum magnification (1:1)
 Working distance (more practical with regard to subject approach and strobe positioning) = distance from
front edge of lens to subject at maximum magnification (1:1)
5. Macro Part Five: Demonstration - Depth of Field with Compact Camera Macro Mode vs. SLR with 60 mm
Macro Lens
 Compare images with compact camera and SLR camera with 60 mm macro lens at two distances
 Two feet from subject with small and large aperture
 Working distance from subject (maximum magnification) with small and large aperture
 Compact camera has small sensor and better depth of field than SLR with macro lens.
 Depth of field is small with a 60 mm SLR macro lens, but much smaller yet with larger aperture (f/5) vs.
small aperture (f/32).
 SLR 60 macro lens allows us to exploit changes in depth of field with varying apertures (more so than with
compact camera)
 None of the images were cropped or modified in any way for this didactic demonstration
6. Macro: Technical issues - How to do it
 Macro presents fewer technical challenges compared to wide angle and other types of underwater
photography. With macro, we must deal with two things – the foreground (generally only one subject) and
the background.
 Background is important
 Important to avoid a distracting background and separate our subject from the background
 In general, helpful to “get low and shoot up”
 If good background present -non-distracting (open, empty) or pleasing (color, pattern, frame) - then
include it
 Use small aperture to increase depth of field and include background
 Use straight ahead strobe positioning to include background
 If bad background -cluttered or distracting - with macro (unlike wide angle where the background cannot
be “hidden”) various techniques can be used
 Change it:
 Wait for subject or background to change
 Re-position camera
 Eliminate the background by moving in closer to fill frame with subject (changes composition)
 Do not illuminate it (strobe position)
 Blur it (open aperture)
 With foreground, we have to worry about three issues – lighting, focus, and composition of one subject!
 The relative simplicity allows us to concentrate on composition
 General camera settings for macro:
 ISO – set to lowest ISO
 Shutter speed – fastest that will still sync with camera strobe (1/200 – 1/250 sec)
 Strobe settings/power – TTL preferred; (as alternative, could set to manual and adjust based on
histogram)
 Focus: single servo vs. continuous (depends on if subject is moving)
 I usually use continuous autofocus; however, I also often lock the focus and rock back and forth to
get exact plane of focus that I want.
 Concept – depth of field is very small with macro; we must get something tack sharp in every
image, generally eye or face, but WE DECIDE.
 Aperture – see previous videos for demonstration and discussion of working distance and depth of
field with different apertures, lenses, and distances
 Depth of field is limited with macro and decreases further as one gets closer to the subject
 With 105 mm lens on Nikon D7100 (cropped sensor), one foot distance from subject
 At f/32 = depth of field is only 0.19 inches
 At f/2.8 (open aperture), depth of field is less than 0.02 inches (almost nothing!)
 Note, very small apertures will result in some image degradation from diffraction.
 I generally use a small aperture in attempt to get good portion of subject in focus
 However, large aperture can be used creatively
 Allows me to highlight exactly what I want
 Eliminate any distractions
 Distracting background
 Other parts of foreground subject (i.e. messy crab or shrimp with antennae, legs)
 Creative composition
 If straight on – focus on eyes
 If side view (profile) of subject – orient such that camera’s sensor is parallel to subject
 Lighting: strobe position and angle of cone of light - depends on issues relating to how we want to
illuminate the subject – emphasize color and detail (straight on positioning), versus texture and
topography (side illumination); must still be mindful of issues relating to background and potential for
backscatter
 One vs. two strobes
 Straight ahead (cone of light illuminates subject but misses intervening water column)
 Acute angle - overhead or from side to emphasize texture or topography
 Behind (back light)
 Above or from side, directed toward the camera
 Does not illuminate distracting background illumination
 However, does illuminate intervening water column (potential backscatter)
 Additional Notes
 If poor visibility
 Open aperture (blur backscatter)
 Position strobes to avoid water column (minimize backscatter)
 Other ways to make backscatter less visible
 Get closer to fill the entire frame with subject
 Find a “cluttered” background (instead of “open water” background) to mask backscatter
7. Macro: Composition Issues
 With macro composition, we have two things to be aware of: background and subject
 Background – is it good or bad - see “Technical Issues” above
 Foreground - subject (what we want to highlight); when we find a good macro subject, we have the
following considerations and decisions, keeping in mind considerations of background, potential
backscatter – see “Technical Issues” above
 Camera position
 Proximity - how close? (determines subject size and image content)
 Angle of approach (determines subject orientation)
 Framing (determines subject location within image)
 Strobe positioning
 Location (position), direction (angle), beam width (diffuser)
 Illumination of subject
 Emphasize color, pattern, or information: one or two strobes; straight ahead, diffuser
 Emphasize texture or topography: one strobe, acute angle, no diffuser
 Focus – decide exactly what you want to show (make clear vs. blurred)
 What is exact plane of focus
 How narrow should plane of focus be? (aperture)
8. Macro: Background Composition - Examples and Critiques
9. Macro: Foreground Composition - Examples and Critiques