How To Take Beautiful Nature Close-Up Photos ?
As the name of this style of photography suggests, it is different from the Macro photography. It can even be said that the equipment related to these will be slightly different. As a Close-up , Macro and a Nature photographer, I would like to mention a few tips for lovers of Close-up Photography in Nature :
Note : It is not about The Macro Photography.
The Accessories :
Always carry the accessories such as a backup battery, a second lens, a small desktop tripod, a water spray, a small pocket mirror, a reflector at 20 x 30 cm size or an A4 size paper with a glossy surface, a small pocket scissors, clips, LED lights and … Note that if you are going to shoot in rainy weather, don’t forget protective equipment for yourself and the camera.
Camera and lens :
I can say that we can use any camera, but we must consider what kind of quality of the final photo we need?
Based on personal experience, a camera with 16 to 32 megapixels can give excellent output.
I would like to remind you that less than 16MP will not give a pleasant output in large printed boards for close distances!
Regarding the lens, I can say that you can photograph with any lens you have, just know that for close-up photography, pay attention to the magnification and the minimum focusing distance of the lens!
Based on my personal experience, on crop sensor cameras with a crop factor of 1.5 and 1.6, selected lens should not be less than 135mm and the full frame should not be less than 90mm.
Of course, there are those who use a 50mm lens on a full frame camera to photograph flowers, Leaves, bees and … !
I said above that you can use any lens depending on your desire and purpose of photography, but this is my and the most photographers suggestion.
If you have enough budget, you can use special macro lenses that have a ratio of at least 1:1, or even zoom lenses, or you can even use a Teleconverter, Macro and Close-up Filters on your lens, for example, from NiSi or Raynox brands for filters, And if the budget is not enough for these, you can use Extension Tubes on your lens.
Remember that the New Technologies used in the lens and camera in terms of speed and type of focus will also provide convenience in photography and help you greatly with your personal experience in photography!
Look Everywhere :
Never rush to find your subject (whether it is pre-planned or not). In a hurry, you may easily miss your interesting subjects. However, if you neglect it, maybe that scene will not be repeated for your photography and you will miss it!
For example, always do not forget to search among the leaves of trees, bushes and grass, see the beautiful and scary picture below:
This Photo was The Winner of Shutterbug’s Spring “Time of the Season” Photo Contest. Jun 28, 2021
It was almost noon and the sky was partly cloudy, I started to water the flowers in the yard, suddenly I noticed that a fresh rose leaf was folded in a strange way, and when I gently pushed aside a few branches of the rose, I saw that a spider was using its webs, so I didn’t waste time and took my camera and started photographing this beautiful leaf with spider webs. Due to the partly cloudy sky, a ray of sunlight sometimes shines on the leaves, and I put the camera in continuous shooting mode and took several pictures of this beautiful and scary subject.
Or see this beautiful picture of Ladybug,
It was near noon and while walking, I saw that the grasses around had been watered, as usual, I bent down a little to touch these grasses, which attracted me to this beautiful ladybug. Most of the time, I have a camera with me, so I quickly picked it up, and because it was at a very low height, I had to start photographing this beautiful ladybug lying on the grass !. However, I captured this beautiful existence on my camera sensor.
The Angle :
Do not keep the camera angle and your position fixed, but take pictures of the subject from different positions and angles! move the camera around the subject Or / And change your location, and even if the subject has the ability to move, by using holding clips, make this change in order to get the best photographic scene from your subject. Unfortunately, most amateur photographers and some professional photographers are satisfied with one or two changes of location. (Personally, I continue to photograph as long as the position of myself, the camera and the subject change and move, and finally, while working on photos, I have taken photos of the same subject from several different angles) Pay attention to the photo below:
This is actually 2 subjects in one scene, at the lowest level of the ground there was a yellow Dandelion flower and about 10 cm above it but at a slight angle, beautiful dandelions ready to fly in the wind. This beautiful photo was captured by bending slightly from my vertical direction to the flower and also turning and giving the angle to the camera. So always change your position, the angle of the camera in relation to the subject and even the position of the subject if possible.
And I suggest you try Eye-Level photography, for flowers, tree leaves and … if you don’t have a problem with the height, and even insects. Notice the photo below, which is also a Macro of the dragonfly’s face !.
In Search of The Light :
Always look for the light on the subject so that you can catch it at the best possible time. Good light can make a bad subject look good! See the photo below:
capturing a halo of sunlight shining through the leaves of the tree on this single branch. So when passing under the trees, look for the sunlight on their leaves!
Maybe The Shallow DoF is The Beauty :
To take a photo with a shallow depth of field with a soft and beautiful background (moody), you can use wider apertures, and if there is no suitable sunlight on the subject or its surroundings, you can use an LED light Or use the flash of your mobile phone for lighting. Pay attention to this photo taken at sunset:
You Can See All The Elements of The Scene and Beauty in This Photo. Natural colors and lights .
ISO :
Use a low ISO value as much as you can !.
The Patience :
By little patience and checking the movements of some insects and the creatures in nature, you can make a series of beautiful photos of them, like the photos below:
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