Thursday, November 25, 2010

Nature Photography Section 5

The close-up world seems to be featured in a lot of photos, and having taken, or attempted to take, macro photos, I can see how proper equipment like macro lenses is essential to take the best possible pictures. Extension tubes sound like the most cost effective alternative, but they also reduce the amount of light. Supplementary lenses don’t reduce light, but they won’t fit all lenses, making them more expensive. Then there are teleconverters, which allow close up pictures from a bigger distance, but reduce image quality. A special lens may be the best solution.
Wide-angle lenses for close up work is apparently best accomplished with extension tubes, and creates a feeling of expanded perspective. Tilt-shift lenses make the best use of depth of field, allowing the photographer to use larger apertures, and use faster shutter speeds to capture motion. These lenses can be used with teleconverters, extension tubes and supplementary lenses.
If you magnify a picture past life size, the image quality is reduced. This requires special procedures to avoid the problem. However, it is restored by reversing the lens. If the lens is reversed, just about everything must be done manually.   
Electronic flashes can be used in this kind of work, but you have to be careful so it doesn’t look artificial. This can be done in a variety of ways. Placing the lens away from the camera is one, using multiple flashes is another. Reflectors or diffusers can help make the light look more natural. Just a Kleenex is an effective diffuser.
Wild flowers are probably one of the most things taken close up. One problem here can be the wind, blowing the flowers and blurring them in the picture. A plamp can be used on the flower to hold it in place, or the movement can be used with a long exposure to create a blur of color, an effect I don’t particularly like. For portraits of wildflowers, the bloom should occupy most of the image, and the sharpest focus should be on the pistils and stamens. Shooting at a large aperture for shallow depth of field allows for a composition where everything but the subject blurs.
I found this section to actually be helpful, although much of it was about equipment and not taking the pictures themselves. There was nothing in this section that seemed particularly obvious or common sense; I actually thought this section was very good.

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