Digital Learning Photography

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Basic Digital Slr Photography - The Magic Of Macro Or Close-Up

Nature is packed full of wonderful art. Macro, or close-up, photography is one way of exposing your digital camera's magical powers.

My introduction to macro photography came a few years back when I was on vacation in Georgia. Macro photography is taking pictures at about 1:1 magnification, or even closer.

I had purchased my initial digital camera, a 3-megapixel compact digital model.

And I was just getting to know the camera, playing around with settings and such. Since I had left my instruction manual somewhere (and who actually even scans those things anyway), I was having some frustration figuring out what the little icons were for on the dial.

One or the symbols was a little flower. I was clueless as to what that meant, but I ultimately figured it might have something to do with the flowers that were all around me, so I took a few photos of those. I attempted to get as near as possible so as to get the details of the beautiful flower petals.

Let me tell you, those images transformed my existence. I became intrigued with the idea of macro every thing. When I eventually moved up to a DSLR, the first add on lens I bought was a Macro lens.

I seriously recommend getting a dedicated Macro lens. They are well worth whatever the price, and they are also really multipurpose, because you can make use of them for various other photography applications, such as portrait.

There are a few things to keep in mind when shooting close-up.

1. Use a tripod when possible. The closer you get to your subject, the more movement affects your shot. A tripod will save you much frustration by minimizing the possibility of movement and blur.


2. Set your aperture to a very small setting, preferably higher than f/13. The reason for this is that the closer you get, the less depth of field you have. Settings of f/13 to f/32 will give you the most detail in your shot.


3. Watch out for shadows and bright spots. Early morning is the best time for shooting just about any nature shot, but it is especially nice for close-ups. Bright sun causes harsh shadows and blown out bright spots. You can also eliminate shadows and brights by using a shade. A collapsible disc or an umbrella work nicely to reduce the effects of bright sunlight. There are even times when the shadow of your own body will save the shot for you. Be creative.


4. Avoid windy conditions. This goes along with the tripod. Any movement by your subject will ruin your image. This is another good reason to shoot early in the day when the atmosphere is the calmest.


5. Get a dedicated macro lens. This was already pointed out, but bares repeating. The correct lens for the application will make your photos so much superior. Lens producers use special glass to accomplish the best results, and the configuration of the glass is done so that you can get much closer than when you are using any other type of lens.

Try Macro Photography. There are some very cool shapes and textures that you will only see after you have downloaded your images to your computer or printed them.

Learn about Digital SLR photography at www.betterphotos123.com

About the Author

I love photography and all things related to it. Cameras, camera gear, and image editing software fascinate me, so I am either buying the newest piece of equipment (or software) or researching my next purchase.

Visit me at www.digital-photographic-resources.com or www.betterphotos123.com

Happy Shooting!

Learning Photography with Film is Bad Pedagogy


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digital learning photography5
digital learning photography5