If you're into photography, then you might want to give macro photography a try, particularly during these times when most people are still in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is “macro photography?” Basically, it is a way to take close-up pictures using specialized camera lenses.
To be a bit more technical, macro photography also means the whole image you’re trying to photograph fits into the camera’s viewfinder (1-to-1 ratio) or sensor. To achieve this “life size” image, you need to get closer to the subject.
One of the most distinct features of macro photography is that it can provide details of a subject or subjects that are not normally visible to the naked eye.
As such, common subjects of macro photography include insects, small flowers, water droplets, etc.
Here are my 3 reasons to get into macro photography while you’re in quarantine:
You don’t need to go far to look for subject or subjects.
One of the lures of macro photography is that you don’t need to go far to look for subjects. One of my favorite spots to take photos is a small road side patch of green that is a stone’s throw away from home.
Even in urban areas one can always find a small patch of grass, small plants, wild flowers, etc, which are all good spots to look for subjects.
Your home is also a treasure trove of subjects for macro photography. You can use veggies, fruits, food items, etc.. as subjects. You can use a small water spray bottle for added “effects” to your photos.
Toys are also common macro subjects, as well as screws, nuts, bolts, etc.
You don’t need to break the bank to get into macro photography.
Some of the best macro lens are indeed quite expensive. A quick online check will show that you’ll need at least a few thousand pesos for a single macro lens for your DSLR camera.
However, there are always inexpensive options. These will include macro extension tubes that you can buy online for less than a thousand pesos.
Here’s a quick tip: You can easily attach extension tubes to your kit lens (the lens that your DSLR camera came with) and “expand” the capabilities of the lens.
Extension tubes essentially allows you to get much closer to a subject compared to a “normal” lens. Extension tubes usually come in a set of threes, so you can use just one tube or use all three. The downside is that the more extension tubes you use, the more difficult it becomes to take macro photos.
One of the reasons for this is that extension tubes tend to lessen or decrease the light coming to your base lens.
It will take a bit of time to get used to extension tubes because they only work best with the manual settings of your camera. Once you get the hang of using the proper settings for your DSLR however, taking macro photos becomes easier.
Additionally, macro photography is no longer confined to DSLR cameras because most smartphones today now have decent macro capabilities.
Macro photography is a relaxing activity.
Macro photography is an extremely relaxing activity, at least for me.
Looking for subjects is a great way to exercise patience and you often lose yourself in the experience. Most often, work or deadlines take a backseat even for a while.
There are times that I would go around a small patch of green a few times looking for subjects and not really noticing the time passing by.
So there. If you’re looking for additional hobbies or activities while in quarantine, macro photography can be a great option.
