Digital Infrared Photography with the Nikon D70

igital Infrared Photography with the Nikon D70 is pretty straight forward when you take advantege of the power of its custom settings. Here I'll show you what camera settings I use for my digital infrared photos using the D70.

Digital Infrared photography with the Nikon D70

Assuming you have your tripod (pretty well a MUST for perfect infrared shots), and the infrared filterof your choice (best to use an Wratten 89B or equivalent, such as a Hoya R72), you can createcustom settings in your D70 to maximize its infrared potential.

Taking the time to do this upfront will help eliminate some of the uncertainties of digital infrared photography, which can result in only an ok photo, rather than a WOW! photo.

As always with these kinds of things, there is no one right way to achieve results. But these steps are the ones that I have had the most success with, using my D70 so far.

1. Image Type
2. ISO
3. White Balance
4. Color Space
5. Sharpening
6. Bracketing Exposure

Image Type

know many people will disagree with me on this, but I really prefer to shoot RAW for digital infrared. Nikon’s NEF format is so versatile, and if for some reason you are in a spontaneous kind of photographic situation, and haven’t saved your settings, or don’t have time to adjust them, you can still get a really fine infrared image – with a little help from Photoshop, or other image editing program that supports the NEF format – if you’re using RAW.

See the Photoshop tutorial on this for the post processing process (sorry for the alliteration!)


ISO

ou can play with increasing the ISO, but I’ve had the best results when I leave it at 200. Otherwise the noise is too great - for my taste, anyway. I do a fair amount of post processing in Photo shop after exposure, so noise is going to be a problem, if it is magnified.

And unlike infrared film, where the graininess is part of the ethereal quality of the photography, digital infrared “grain” or noise really degrades your image. If you want to add the look of grainy film, do it in Photoshop, or other image-editing program. We’ll see how a little later.


White Balance

n my experience, setting a custom white balance is a key to GOOD Digital Infrared Photography with the Nikon d70. Because you are using a filter that blocks most “regular” light, the camera’s internal white balancing mechanism cannot provide you with an accurate measurement of the colour temperature of your environment. Since foliage reflects IR light, making it the brightest, whitest part of your photo, you’ll need to “calibrate” your D70 to let it know that visible light green is equal to infrared white.

There are a couple of ways to do this. Again the D70 is a very versatile little creature, so try a few and see which works best for the kind of photos you are taking.

NUMBER 1: The simplest white balance methodusing the D70 is to open your menu, use the control button to flip down to the white balance setting, and change it to fluorescent +3. Since for infrared photography you’ll be most likely shooting in bright sunlight with a “red” filter, adding some false color correction in the camera, seems to give your final IR images more “punch.” Others have found the incandescent setting works too.

NUMBER 2: Another way to adjust white balance for digital infrared photography with the Nikon D70 is to take a photo of green grass at midday in full sun. Just the grass – no feet, no trees, no sky. Just point your camera at the grass looking straight down, and click! Now, in your menu, you’ll set the white balance from this photo. So, go to your menu, select white balance, >preset> use photo>select image> use your control dial to navigate to the image of the grass (hopefully it is the only one on your card to make it easy). Your menu should now say “this image>set.” Now you’re ready to shoot infrared!

NUMBER 3: The last way but in my opinion, the best way to adjust your white balance is to do it manually, using the “preset” function. The Nikon user guide has some information about doing this, but here are the basics.

) rather than using a standard 18% gray card to calibrate your white balance, use a patch of green grass in full sunlight. Set up as if you were taking a photo of the grass, looking straight down (at your feet, but without your feet in the shot).

) select “measure” in the preset menu, or press the WB button and rotate your main command dial (the one on the back) until PRE is displayed in your control panel. Its pretty tiny so look hard!

) release the WB button, and then press it again until the BIG PRE icon in the control panel starts to flash.

) frame the grass so it fills the viewfinder and press the shutter release all the way down. Your camera will now measure the value for the white balance and use this value when the preset white balance is selected.

) if the camera was successful, GOOD will flash in the control panel. To return to shooting mode, just press the shutter halfway down.

Color space

I use the Adobe RGB color space for a greater range of colors. To set up the D70 for Adobe RGB, go to the menu, and choose Optimize images>Custom>Color mode> II Adobe RGB.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t use Adobe products for your image processing or editing, it is an industry standard, so you’ll still get full versatility from this color space.


Bracketing your Exposure

Setting up your D70 to bracket shots is easy. While you can make adjustments to the EV for each bracketed shot, most of the time I find that the default works well for infrared photos.

All you have to do is select the BKT button on the back of the camera, and use the Main Command Dial to flip to bracket mode. Check in the control panel to make sure bracketing is set.


SOME OTHER IDEAS TO HELP YOU TAKE AWESOME DIGITAL INFRARED PHOTGRAPHY WITH THE NIKON D70

Using Nikon D70 Digital Vari-programs and digital infrared photography

he D70 comes with a selection of mode pre-sets: auto, portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, Night landscape, and night portrait. Try these settings with your Infrared filter and tripod.


The nature of sunlight; the angle of its rays; the amount of haze, smog and cloud; your altitude; your location on the planet; all factor into how your final infrared image will turn out.

Experimenting with these settings can yield some very cool results!

See the Photo shop tutorials for more about digital infrared workflow.

See my award winning digital Infrared Photograph submitted to the PPOC Manitoba Print Salon.

Also check out Digital Infrared Photography with the Nikon D70 at dpreview, for inspiration form other d70 users.

YONGNUO RF-602 Wireless Remote Flash Trigger

YONGNUO RF-602
Wireless Remote Flash Trigger
for Canon

Extra receivers if you need:

RF-602RX Receiver for RF-602 Flash Trigger CANON NIKON

RF-602 is using FSK 2.4GHz wireless frequency, suitable to use this free channel in many countries; guarantee 8f the transfer speed, distance and stability. It is available to purchase the RF-602RX (RF-602 is combined with transmitter RF-602TX and receiver RF-602RX) for using multi-receivers at the same time, also purchase the 3pins YONGNUO connector to control many types of flash light and camera. When using the RF-602 reserved to "Canon" or "Nikon" to control the flash light, the flash sync speed is up to l/250s, and 100 meters. Now YONGNUO is provided all world wide DSLR camera remote plugs.

Features

1. Using global free 2.4GHz channel and FSK modulation system, and there's 15 selectabh frequency channels.
2. Flash sync speed is up to 1/250s.
3. Support the flashgun wake-up function; you'll never miss any shot opportunity.
   (Wake up can only used in TTL Compatible flash)
4. Fire the flashgun through hot shoe part and fire the studio light through PC socket
5. Supports to control multiple flashguns and studio lights at same time.
6. Supports to control multiple cameras to take shots at the same time.
7. Maximum operating distance is up to 100 meters.

Functions

Type:	FSK 2.4GHz wireless remote system
Operation distance:	100 meters
Channel:	15 difference channels and ALL channels
Release:	Half-way press, Full-way press
Transmitter terminal :	PC 3-pin input terminal
Receiver terminal :	YONGNUO 3-pin output terminal
Transmitter standby time:	Up to 20000 times (using CR2 lithium battery)
Receiver standby time:	Up to 45 hours (using AAA battery)
Dimensions ( H x W x D):	Transmitter: 38.4mm X 48.0mm X 27.0mm Receiver: 33.0mmX78.0mmX26.0mm
Weight:	Transmitter: 36 g (with battery) Receiver: 55 g (with battery)

1.Wireless flash trigger :

Transmitter compatible with the device under flash trigger mode:

Model	Compatible device
RF-602/C	Canon EOS: 1D series, 5D series, 7D, 50D, 40D. 30D, 20D, 10D, 550D, 500D, 450D, 400D, 350D,1000D Rebel T2i,T1i,XSi,XS,Xti,Xt, Powershoe G10, G11.
RF-602/N	Nikon: D3, D700, D2 series, D300 series, D200, D90, D80s D70 series, D5000. D60, D50, D40 series, F6, Nikon i-TTL COOLPIX: COOLPIX8800, COOLPIX8400, COOLPIX P5000, COOLPIX P5100,COOLPIX P6000 FUJI: S5 Pro,

Receiver compatible with the device under flash trigger mode:

Model	Compatible device
RF-602RX	Canon Speedlite: 580EX II, 580EX, 430EX II, 430EX, 270EX, 220EX.550EX
	Nikon: SB-900, SB-800, SB-600

NOTE:
Compatible with other brands flash (Wake up can only used in TTL Compatible flash)

NOTE:

This can not be used on Nissin Di622 and can only support M mode on Nissin Di866.

2.Wireless Remote Control :

Compatible with the device under shutter release mode:

Model	LS-021 cord	Compatible device
RF-602RX	C1	Canon 550D, 500D, 450D, 400D, 350D,1000D Rebel T2i,T1i,XSi,XS,Xti,Xt, Powershoe G10, G11.
	C3	Canon EOS: 1D series, 5D series, 7D, 50D, 40D. 30D, 20D, 10D,
	N1	Nikon: D3 series, D2 series, D700, D300 series, D200. Fujifilm: S3 Pro, S5 Pro. Film SLR Nikon F6 F5 F100 F90 / F90x N90 / N90x
	N2	Nikon: D80, D70, D70S
	N3	Nikon: D5000, D90.
	S1	Sony: a900. a700, a550, a500, a450, a350, a300, a200, a100„ Konica Minolta Dynax : 7D, 5D, DiMAGE 9, 7HL 7U 7, 5, 4X, 3.
	O1	E-400 E-410 E-420 E-450 E-510 E-520 E-620 E-30 E-P1 E-P2 E-PL1 SP-510 SP-550 SP-560 SP-565 SP-570 SP-590
	O2	Olympus:E-1 E-3 E-10 E-20 E-300 E-100RS C2500L

3.Wireless studio light trigger :

4.Wireless Flash trigger with PC Sync cord :
(NOTE: this mode can not support 1/250sec sync, max to 1/200sec.)
(NOTE: This mode will lose Flash wake up function.)

Package Included:

RF-602TX for Canon (Transmitter) x1
RF-602RX (Receiver) x1
CR2 Lithium Battery x1
AAA alkaline battery x2
Receiver to 3.5mm cable x1
3.5mm switch to 6.35mm plug x1
User Manual x1
(Original Manufactory Package)

Below accessory you need to order seperately:

LS-021 Shutter Connecting Cord

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for CANON 1000D 400D T1i Xsi

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for CANON 550D 500D 450D T2i

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for CANON 5D 7D 50D 40D 1D s

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for NIKON D700 D300 D300s D3

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for NIKON D80 D70s LS-021/N2

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for NIKON D90 D5000 LS-021

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable NIKON D200 D2 FUJI S3 S5 Pro

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for SONY A550 A500 A900 A850

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for Olympus E-620 E-600 E-30

RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for Olympus E-1 E-3 E3 E-300

LS-021/PC Flash PC Sync Cable for RF-602 602RX Receiver

Male to Male PC Sync cord

Male to Male FLASH PC Sync Cable Cord F YONGNUO RF-602

How to Take Good Macro Photographs

Macro Photography is very fun and fulfilling! Learning a few simple principles will help you relax and get those great close up macro pictures!

Understanding the obstacles that are encountered with Macro Photography will help overcome them. Understanding how to use Macro Photography equipment and a few techniques should all come together to produce those great macro photographs you have visualized!

This is written for macro SLR digital photography, but the principles can be applied to compact digital cameras, film 35mm, and other camera sizes.

A macro lens is rated or measured by how large the subject is in real life compared to its size on the actual 35mm (36mm x 24mm) size sensor or negative. When a 4”x6” (150mm x 100mm) standard size print is made it will be about 4 times bigger then the image was on the sensor.

Examples of macro magnification:

1:4 macro magnification means the insect (or flower!) is 1/4 its normal size on a 35mm size sensor. This could also be known as “1/4X”. So a 4”X6” photo (102x152mm) enlargement will show the image near life size. Some companies advertise this as "macro photography" but it is actually "close up photography".

Magnification - 1/4X example

1:2 macro magnification will have the same insect 1/2 (1/2X) size on a 35mm size sensor as it is in actual life.

Magnification - 1/2X example

1:1 or 1X macro magnification has the insect the same size in real life as it is on the actual 35mm size sensor. This is the standard magnification for a macro lens. Now if a 4x6 photograph is made off of the image then the insect would be about 4 times larger then in real life. The image would be about 9 times bigger then real life on a 19” computer monitor!

Magnification - 1x example

2:1 or 2X macro magnification has that same insect twice the size on your sensor as the actual insect. 2X would fit an entire full length portrait of a mosquito on a 35mm size sensor. This mosquito would be about 8 times larger on a 4x6 print and about 20 times bigger on a 19” computer monitor than in real life! 20 times bigger or 20X is approaching the life size of some mosquitoes that have attacked me on some back packing trips.

Magnification - 2X example

4:1 or 4X would just fit a portrait of a mosquito's face and be 4 times bigger on the sensor as it is in real life. 4X is very difficult in macro photography field work. I don't take photographs of mosquitoes much but used them as an example since most of us know about how big mosquitoes are. I usually take macro photographs of other things!

Magnification - 4X example

Magnification – 8X

Take into consideration your sensor size. If you have a 1.6 sensor this will increase the magnification by 1.6 and be an advantage. So a 1:1 macro lens would actually be 1.6:1 or 60% larger then a regular 35mm size sensor. Smaller sensors have an advantage!

Excellent photographs can be taken with compact digital cameras. They can be hand held to quickly take pictures of insects outside. Compact digital cameras have great Depth of Field. The small sensor is an advantage with macro photography. They won’t be the same quality as digital SLR photographs with macro lens arrangements, but can be a great place to get started with Macro Photography!

There are several things to keep in mind that make it hard to take pictures of little things. Think of it as opportunities to overcome obstacles!

Macro Photography is very different in some ways then normal photography. New skills and concepts have to be learned and mastered. When objects are at such an extremely short distance from the lens the light is blocked, objects blur easily, focusing is difficult and when you finally get it right hardly anything is in focus, theshake of the camera easily destroys the image, and diffraction and all threaten to destroy any macro photograph you might have visualized.

Learning the problems that are encountered and how to deal with them will help you produce some great macro shots!

This is using bad techniques. Not much is in focus.

This is using good techniques. Almost everything is in focus, and it shows a lot of detail.

Manual focus should be used for true macro photographs 1X to 5X. You might get by with auto focus on close ups, but the closer you get the more manual focusing becomes mandatory.

It is hard to get that much of the object in focus. It is very difficult to get much in focus no matter what equipment is used. Just go with it and give up trying to force the issue! The goal is to situate the camera and the flower so as much of the flower is in focus as possible. The closer the lens gets to the flower, the less there is of it in focus. There is no way around this. Some macro photographs only have a few millimeters of depth in focus! Hardly anything is in focus. The best way to get as much as possible in focus is to keep the focal plane as parallel as possible to the flower. If more of the flower needs to be in focus, then get further away, or use a smaller aperture (explained later in Depth of Field).

Illustration of a sensor, end of lens, and flower with parallel lines good and bad example

The focal plane is the angle of the sensor, and the part of the image that is in focus. It is better to have the sensor (or the back of your camera if it is easier to think of that way) as parallel as possible to the surface area of the flower since focusing is so limited. Some flowers or insects are difficult to photograph really close because too much of it will be out of focus. Pick your angle carefully! Too sharp of an angle will put most of the subject out of the focal plane of focus! Flowers have curves of course, but carefully pick a part of the flower to focus on that is as parallel as possible to your sensor.

1x to 4x macro shots makes focusing very important. The focusing ring doesn’t help much. The whole camera needs to be moved to be properly focused. Parts of the flower only one millimeter away from the focal plane of focus can be very blurry. The camera needs to be moved very slowly to get the focus right.

The camera equipment becomes more like a microscope as the magnification increases. Consider a microscope which has solid geared focusing with the lens moving very slowly as it is focused. A macro focusing rail makes my camera work sort of like a microscope. The camera attaches to a focusing rail which is mounted on a tripod. A knob moves the camera and lens back and forth slowly from my subject. Focusing rails are expensive, but they make focusing much easier. It is easier to move the camera when focusing very close, and not use the focusing ring on the lens. Focusing rails are handier for 2X to 4X magnification photographs, but they can make 1x photos easier also.

Some focusing rails have a geared center column which can be easier to make very fine adjustments to focusing. Others simply slide forward freely. The important thing is being able to move the camera very slowly in small increments to focus correctly.

The Depth of Field is the part of the photograph that is in focus. All that other stuff that is blurry in the foreground or background is out of the Depth of Field. The Depth of Field is very shallow with Macro Photography. To increase the Depth of Field, or the amount of the flower that is in focus, use a smaller aperture. Using small apertures from f/8 to f/16 help get more Depth of Field.

Two different Depths of Field of this 4 cm long spider. One taken at f/2 and the other at f/10. Notice how the one photo has so much more in focus at f/10.

The sweet spot of a lens aperture is usually at f/8. The sweet spot is the aperture that most camera lenses will produce the sharpest focus. For example, most lenses take sharper photographs at f/8 then at f/22 or f/2.8. Using apertures in the middle produces sharper photographs. You will get more Depth of Field with a small aperture like f/22 but the lens won’t be at its sharpest performance. One reason is diffraction. Most point and shoot digital cameras don't go more then f/8.

Diffraction in photography is the bending of light as it passes by the small sharp edged aperture blades which form the aperture opening. The light gets squeezed together, or blends together. Diffraction is worse with smaller aperture settings like f/16 to f/22. You don't want the light to blend because it causes blurriness (my word for it). I like my images as sharp as possible so I don't use apertures smaller then f16.

This is a photograph of a US postage stamp. Notice the box on part of the wing which is enlarged below twice, with different results.

These two enlarged photographs are of the same area of the bee’s wing on the stamp. The first was taken at f/8 and shows no diffraction. The second photograph was taken at f/16 and is blurred, it has diffraction. Taking photographs at small apertures of f/22 can make more things look like they are in focus, but it also causes diffraction.

f/16 provides the maximum amount of Depth of Field without much diffraction. Using apertures smaller then f/16 (such as f/22) creates a problem with diffraction. But if the aperture is much less then f/5.6 it will decease the Depth of Field so hardly anything is in focus.

So, use the smallest aperture you can to increase the Depth of Field, but try and keep it between f8 and f16. Also try and have a fast enough shutter speed to stop any action, like a breeze blowing the flowers around. See what I mean about having a lot of opportunities to overcome obstacles? That’s why I like taking macro pictures in sunny white windowsills with plenty of light. I can use smaller apertures for greater Depth of Field, a faster shutter speed, and my subject is well lit.

Shutter speeds should at least match the focal length of the lens. For example if I am using a 50mm lens, then I should use a shutter speed of 1/60 or faster. For a 100mm lens I use a 1/100 or faster shutter speed. The closer the lens gets to the subject, the more critical the shutter speed is. I took a picture of a wasp at 1.5X casually moving and cleaning her leg on her mouth and the leg was totally out of focus. Being only 1 inch away caused some problems.

Think of it this way. You take a picture of a jet flying 2 miles away at 600 mph with a 1/60 second shutter speed. Now you take a picture of that same jet flying 600mph but it is only 10 ft away. You need a much faster shutter speed since the jet takes up your entire picture. The jet will be blurred in both photographs (if examined closely) but the jet just takes up a small amount of the area of the photograph when you are 2 miles away from it. With macro photography the subjects are really close, so even tiny movements cause noticeable blur.

It is very easy to have the lens and camera slightly shake with macro photographs, turning an otherwise great shot into a very blurry one. It is better to use a good tripod whenever possible (see How to Pick the Best Tripod at commonsensephotography.com).

Make heavy use of the mirror lockup feature of your camera! Mirror lockup means the mirror goes up when the shutter button is pressed, then the shutter is activated when the shutter button is pressed the second time. Pressing the shutter button can create lens shake also. Use a remote shutter release or use the self timer. Some cameras allow a 2 second shutter delay instead of just 10 seconds so there is less worry about the insect getting out of position.

Lighting can be a big problem. Some macro lens arrangements focus on insects so close they almost touch the front piece of the lens, making exposure very difficult. This is one reason why telephoto macro lenses with focal lengths of 100 to 200 mm are so popular. They allow the subject to be lit better because the lens is further from the insect. The lens doesn’t block the light from the direction of your camera. Flash photographyposes some unique problems also.

My ideal set up for flowers is to put them on a white sunny window ledge. The natural sunlight reflects from the bottom and the sides of the window trim. The sunlight creates a nice contrast, and the colors are vibrant. Photographs of the inside of flowers have great illumination with all this natural sunlight around them. I can use a fast shutter speed, with a small aperture of about f11. I have a small white table I take outside that accomplishes the same thing. However, with insects it is nice to be inside and be able to catch them again if they fly off.

Home made contraption for taking insect and flower photographs.

Diffused lighting creates reflective lighting. There are hardly any shadows with reflective lighting. In Virginia, during the summer, there is a lot of reflective lighting from all the humidity in the air. The sunlight reflects off of the microscopic air drops and creates diffused lighting. Diffused lighting is better, but too much diffused lighting causes the colors to be subdued. Consider boosting the color saturation setting on your camera. For example, use the landscape mode on your digital camera. Also too much diffused lighting can create no shadows with the insect or flower.

Without much contrast the insect sometimes doesn’t have that much character. If you want more shadows to create contrast with a lot of reflective lighting then hold up a black umbrella on the side you want to be shady. This blocks the diffused lighting from one side and creates some contrast.

In California there is a lot of direct sunlight. This can create dark shadows creating too much contrast. The digital camera doesn’t do well revealing the details in the shadows (see What is Dynamic Range? atcommonsensephotography.com) The shadows conceal too much detail. There is mostly washed out bright areas or deeply shadowed areas. To create diffused lighting in direct sunlight hold up a white umbrella to "shade" the subject to decrease the shadows. Also by holding a large white card or reflector on the shady side of the flower can show details that are in the shadows. This can greatly illuminate the subject.

Macro Backgrounds

If you are taking your macro images indoors consider using backgrounds such as a muted material or water color paint swirls. Green cloth or paints make the picture more natural like it was taken outdoors. I place the background several inches behind the subject; it makes a pleasing blurred background. Black backgrounds are dramatic once in a while but when they are overused they get old.

This 3 inch PVC pipe creates a white background. If you do this remember to overexpose by 2 stops to correctly expose the subject.

Micro Aquariums

4”x6” glass from picture frames (just the glass can be bought at craft stores like Michaels) make a good aquarium for small pond life. The little aquarium contains the little creatures making it easier to focus on them. Simply glue the slides together with a waterproof glue or adhesive like silicone caulk for bathtubs. Wash off the insects or fish first with clean water before placing them in the clean water. Microscope slides can work for micro aquarium also, if you can find them. Edmund Scientifics sells small microscope slides in bulk cheaply. Using a small aquarium like this confines the subject to a small area and makes it much easier to get the photograph of them.

Common water bug

The Freezer and Glass Cups

I use the freezer just to slow the insects down. Small ground dwelling yellow jackets are really hyper for example. Chilling them slows them down. As they revive from the chill there is a brief moment to take their picture before they start buzzing all around again. Frozen insects make lousy macro pictures, they look frozen. Wait until they revive before taking their picture. All they need is about 5-10 minutes in the freezer. No, it doesn’t hurt them; they go back to being completely normal with no harm. I don’t want to alarm the insect rights people. I also let the insects go free afterwards.

I also use clear glass cups or a micro aquarium to cover the insect and keep them confined. I can compose the shot, and wait for the insect to calm down and get into the right position without worrying about it flying or crawling off. Then at the right moment I press with shutter button with a 2 second delay, I take off the cup slowly and presto, another great macro photograph. Hopefully the insect doesn’t fly away before they get their picture taken. Sometimes this takes a lot of patience!

Macro Panoramas

Taking Macro Panoramas requires some specialized equipment, but are very rewarding and fun!
Once you are set up, simply take a panorama of the flower or slow moving insect that you want. Remember to overlap by 20-40% so it is easier to stitch together in Photoshop® later. See the article on Panoramas in mycommonsensephotography.com site.

Baby crawfish

Side to side shifting for micro panoramas is minimal. My existing ball head attachments allowed for a little sideways movement and that is all I need.

Other Techniques

Another technique for inside macro photographs is to include a flower or leaves for the insects to rest on. Bumble Bees are a lot calmer and more at home on a flower and also it looks more natural.

Smear a little sugar water for wasps and bees. They will stay in one area to eat the sugar while their picture is taken. Just don’t get distracted watching them eat on your live view screen and forget to take the picture.

Some insects are attracted to light, others attracted to the dark. Some insects, like some spiders, are repelled by human breath. This can be used to manipulate them to move to the right area to take the photograph.

The Macro Photography equipment described here can give professional quality macro photographs, so the rest is up to you!

There are several different ways to get macro photographs. Some equipment is expensive like macro lenses. Some cost about $20 or less like a stacking lens filter using the lenses you already have! Many of the lens and attachments described here can be used in combination for greater magnification or for a better working distance.

Consider how you would want to use your camera. Do you like the idea of going around outside, waiting for the wind to stop, the lighting to be just right, and the insect to pose for you? Natural settings can produce some of the best macro photographs, but you need a portable set up that can be quickly moved. You might not want to use a tripod. Using equipment indoors, especially with a flash, makes it easier and faster but the settings and lighting are not as natural.

Using 1X to 5X macro equipment creates the need for a tripod usually. Close up photographs 1/4X to 1X can be taken hand held much easier.

Insects get scared if you get close. If they are poisonous you might be scared! We have some really unusually orange/red colored Japanese hornets that are fun to photograph, but they are very painful! The main consideration in picking the macro equipment is the amount of magnification you want, the working distance, and portability.

Picking the best lens depends on what type of macro photographs you want to take! Macro lenses range from 50mm to 200mm and are used in very different settings. A 100mm macro is a good macro starter lens because it can be handheld easily and has a good working distance when it is needed. However, a higher priced 200mm macro lens gives double the working distance and gets photos of insects that would dart off with a 100mm macro lens barreling in on them! A 200mm macro requires a tripod usually, due to lens shake, but using a tripod is easier because of the extra working distance.

But what if you want to just take macro photographs in a table top setting of coins and stamps? The 200mm macro lens would require you to have it high over the table. A 50mm macro lens would be much more practical!

Canon and Nikon both have great websites to get the details of each lens. Also, retailers like Adorama and B & H Photo have the same details as the manufacturer websites but also often have reviews from owners on the performance of the lens, and what they liked and disliked. That way you can get a “group” consensus on how each lens does, depending on the number of reviews.

Macro Photography is referred to as "micro photography" by Nikon. Macro photography and Micro Photography usually mean the same thing although sometimes Micro Photography refers to photography using a microscope.

All of the lenses and attachments discussed here are professional quality and can get great image results. So the rest is up to you!

50mm to 65mm Macro Lenses

50–65 mm is used for table top photography and small inanimate objects. There is limited distance between the lens and the subject. This makes it easier for the tabletop with a flash system but difficult for subjects outdoors or small creatures that move.

The Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro Lens is only 1:2 (.5X) magnification and you need an expensive optional accessory Canon Life Size Converter EF to get to a true 1:1 (1X) macro magnification. The lens is not really that well built but would do for tabletop macro photography.

The Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1X- 5X Manual Focus Lens for EOS is an excellent advanced and expensive lens that you might want to buy later after some experience. It allows for extreme macro photographs! You could take a close up photograph of a grain of rice! Just in case you wanted to double check those rice grains you can get with engraving… The manual focusing is very critical so you will need a tripod and probably a focusing rail. This is a dedicated macro lens that is all you will use it for, so having it manual focusing is a good thing since auto focusing isn’t need at these close ranges. The amount of depth of field ranges from 2 mm at 1X to only about 1/3 of 1 millimeter at 5X! Considering a millimeter is about as wide as the wire on a paperclip, it doesn’t take much to get it out of focus. The working distance ranges from 100mm at 1X to about 40mm at 4X. A flash will come in handy to stop the action, and to get light on the subject that the lens is blocking so it is so close. This lens is very well built and solid! It comes with a tripod collar on the lens that can be rotated or removed also. This is a very nice feature to have since you will very likely be using a tripod on this stellar lens!

The Nikon Normal Macro 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro Nikkor Auto focus Lens gives 1:1 (1X) magnification with an 8” working distance. It is a decently priced lens with sharp image quality and can be used for all around photography also.

100mm to 105mm Macro Lenses

100mm to 105mm is the standard focal range used for insects, flowers, small objects and the most versatile size. I use my 100mm Canon f/2.8 macro lens the most.

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens is excellent. It has the ring type focus which works very well. It focuses quick and sharply. It can also be used as a portrait lens! This is a very practical lens which you will likely use more than any others. It is also a good lens to start out with. It has a working distance if about 6 inches which is pretty good. It won’t blur your backgrounds as well as the Canon EF 180mm f/2.8 USM lens, but it costs less and doesn’t require the use of a tripod as much!

The Nikon Telephoto AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR (Vibration Reduction) Auto focus lens gives 1:1 (1X) macro ability at 12 inches of working distance! Plus Vibration Reduction! This lens can also be used for portraits and is a very practical lens.

The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens is very sharp, but focuses slowly. It is very well built. It allows for a working distance of about 5 inches at 1X. It is a bargain lens.

Stag beetle

150mm to 200mm Macro Lenses

150–200mm lenses give more working distance for insects and small animals. These lenses blur the background very well, giving more emphasis to the subject. This is probably the maximum focal length lens you will want to use. Longer lengths produce too many problems and are too awkward. Even very small lens movements during exposure can cause blur in the photographs. Careful use with a sturdy tripod and ideally a tripod telephoto lens attachment can help overcome this, especially with some stacked lens arrangements. Make sure the tripod center post is less than 4" from the top of the legs to avoid vibrations.

These lenses are top of the line macro lenses and their prices reflect that!

The Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens is very well built with excellent quality. It has the nice ring type USM focus but it focuses slowly. It has a very nice working distance of about 18 inches at 1:1 (1X) magnification.

The Nikon Telephoto AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF Auto focus Lens has 1:1 (1X) magnification at 18 inches and can be used for portraits and other photography.

The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens and the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG HSM Macro Lens are giving Canon and Nikon have some stiff competition! Both lenses have good build quality with very sharp images. The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens has a working distance of 15 inches and the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG HSM Macro Lens has a working distance of 18 inches also with excellent image quality. The Sigma 180mm is a good bargain since it is about $500 cheaper then the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens.

Wide angle lenses can give neat wide distorted close up views with a lot of Depth of Field. For example with a 24mm lens everything 8" away at f/22 is in focus. With a 35mm lens everything 12" and farther at f/16 is in focus.

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM can focus at 11 inches and has a magnification of 1:4 or 1/4X at 40mm with the 250D, the 500D will magnify up to 1/5X. Zooming out to 17mm at this distance gives a dramatic perspective. Adding some extension tubes shortens the closest focusing distance and gives macro world views. A 12mm tube gives about .8X and a 25mm tube gives 1:1 magnification.

Use the 250D Canon two element close-up filter with wide angle lenses to get even closer focusing and more magnification. Using a 250D can increase magnifications also by about 30% for most wide angle lenses.

There are some cheap alternatives to using expensive macro lenses which are discussed here. They can also be used with macro lenses to increase the magnification of a macro lens.

Getting professional quality macro photographs using your existing equipment for about $20 can be invigorating. You get do to something for cheap that you thought would cost you a lot of money! I remember using my first lens to lens stacking filter attachment. There were incredible size images! Suddenly no insect was safe; all insects found were subjected to having their picture taken! Minuscule small flowers that normally don’t make good photographs like a single violet filled my whole viewfinder and suddenly had my full attention! For $15! There is a real beauty in small natural objects we normally miss as we go about our busy lives.

This is the best choice if you want to move quickly around and not have to use a tripod. You don't even need a macro lens! Get one that has two elements of glass bonded together! They cost about triple what a good UV filter is but are really worth it. (The older close up filters had only one element and didn't work that well, they produced fuzziness). You simply take off your UV filter if you have one, and screw on the close up filter. Now you can take photographs much closer, with no loss of light! This produces high quality photos that can be used commercially. Canon and Nikon both make 2 element close up filters. This is the most economical way to get into macro photography with really good results.

Canon makes the 500d (the d stands for dual glass elements). Canon also has a 250d for lenses less then 70mm in focal length lenses for use with wide angle lenses.

Nikon makes the 5t and 6t. It doesn't matter which brand you get since they both have the same screw type filter attachment. Two element close up filters are about double the weight of a standard filter. However, they are much more compact and lighter to carry in the field than a macro lens! Especially when hauling my equipment for long distances! Sometimes I don't have room for a macro lens, but carrying one of these filters gives me a little insurance in case I suddenly need to do a really close up photograph. The disadvantage is that infinity focus is lost when the close up filters are attached. A close up filter is easier to add on then an extension tube or multiplier.

A dual-element lens cemented together controls chromatic and spherical aberrations (color and image distortion). Dual-element close-up lenses are usually recommended for use with telephoto lenses since they need extra-low dispersion elements to reduce the chromatic aberrations. What all this means is they work a lot better than the single element close up filters. For a rough guess on the magnification benefit to your lens, figure you will get about 30% to 50% more magnification.

Below is a list of dual element close up filters with their magnification strengths.

Focal Length	Filter	Apx. Magnification
70mm	5T	0.20
70mm	500D	0.40
70mm	6T	0.30
200mm	5T	0.50
200mm	500D	0.60
200mm	6T	0.80

Canon makes a 500 (without the D) but this is a single element filter. Don't get it. It's fuzzy. It has chromatic and spherical aberrations.

The 500 stands for the millimeter of working distance available when the master lens is set to infinity focus; however, this working distance is reduced to about 330 mm when I have my 70-200mm lens set for the closest focusing distance. The d signifies that it is a dual-element achromatic lens.

A Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens is normally 1X. With the 500D the magnification is increased to 1.3X! For the Canon 180mm macro lens the magnification is increased from 1x to 1.5X.

The Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L zoom lens gives up to 1:4 (0.33X) magnification at 200 mm and the closest focus I can get. By adding a Canon 500D, I can get everything to about 1:1.5 (0.60X) with no light loss.

Extension tubes can increase the magnification by about 20-50% depending on the focal length of the lens. The longer the lens, the less effective they are. For example, with a 50mm lens and a 25mm extension the magnification would be about .7X or about 30% more magnification, but with a 100mm lens it would only increase the magnification by about 20% or 1.2X for a 100mm macro lens.

Most of us get the 100mm macro lens and then "macro photography lust" takes over and there is the desire for smaller objects with greater detail. You do lose a little light with extension tubes, about 1 to 2 stops, but can get even more magnification with your macro lens. The distance is also reduced by about 20%. The tube has no glass in it; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the digital sensor.

I use Canon brand extension tubes. They are about 30% more then the Kenko brand but Canon extension tubes are made better.

Canon makes extension tubes in 12mm, and 25mm lengths.

Nikon makes extension tubes in 8mm, 14mm, and 27.5mm lengths. The Nikon PN-11 Extension Tube provides a reproduction ratio of approximately 1:1 with both the 105mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor and the 105mm f/4 UV-Nikkor lenses.

Kenko is a cheaper popular brand that can be used with Canon and Nikon. They can be purchased in a set of 12mm, 25mm, and 36mm lengths.

Extension tubes can be used together. For example, with the Kenko brand you could get a total 73mm extension tube by combining them all together. However, this would be an awkward set up because the whole set up would be too long, and produce too much camera shake.

Using a 12mm extension tube will increase magnification for a 24mm lens to about 0.60X. For a 70mm lens magnification is increased to about 0.50X, and for a 200mm lens the magnification is increased to 0.25X.

Using a 25mm extension tube will increase magnification for a 70mm lens magnification to about 0.80X, and for a 200mm lens the magnification is increased to 0.30X.

Lens to lens stacking, or stacking lenses, refers to using two fixed focal length lenses. The shorter lens is reversed so the lenses are face to face. They are connected via a male to male filter thread adapter that costs about $20 or less. Called lens to lens stacking rings, they are available in most filter sizes. Stacking short lenses on longer lenses can give 1X to 4X magnification.

A Nikon 50mm lens is attached to a 85mm Canon lens. Somehow this doesn’t seem right but it works well.

Just use standard fixed focal length lenses. Don't use zoom to zoom or macro to macro lenses for stacking lenses since it will be difficult to focus, if it can be done at all.

With lens to lens stacking, the magnification equals the focal length of the long lens (next to the camera body) divided by the focal length of the shorter reversed lens. For example a 100mm lens with a reversed 50mm lens stacked on it gives 2X magnification. A 200mm lens with a reverse mounted 50mm lens will give 4X magnification. However, a 200mm lens with a 50mm lens hanging onto that is awkward to use and can vibrate too much even on a good tripod. If a 200mm lens is used, consider getting a tripod mount for your lens to balance the contraption better on your tripod. So to find out the amount of magnification, divide the focal length of longer lens attached to your camera to the shorter lens which is reverse mounted.

The shorter reversed lens should be set at its widest aperture. Some lenses don’t allow the aperture to be manually set when the lens is not mounted on the camera. Exposure is controlled by the shutter speed and the aperture of the normally mounted long lens. Some lenses will stop down when reverse mounted since the rear elements and connections are not connected to a camera. You can cut off the flat portion of a rear lens cap, making a kind of rear lens hood to try and keep the aperture open wide, and to protect the rear element of the lens which is now exposed with no protective filter on it. Scratching the rear element of a lens usually destroys it since rear element scratches are very noticeable.

Some combinations of lenses suffer from vignetting (black curves showing around the edges of the photograph). I use an 85mm Canon lens with a 58mm filter size that has a 50mm Nikon lens with a 52mm filter size stacked on and it has some vignetting I delete later in Photoshop®. I have gotten some very good detailed photographs of insects with this set up which is about 1.7X. (That was a mouthful). It doesn’t matter what brand is stacked on the front of your mounted lens since they are just connected by the filter threads.

A 200m lens with a 100m lens stacked on top of it gives 2x magnification and a good working distance. The disadvantage is this is really long and awkward to use.

A 100m with a 50mm stacked on it gives 2X magnification. A 200m lens with a 50mm lens gives 4X magnification.

This is the least favorable macro set up, I think. There are some image problems with older extenders, certain brand extenders can only be used with certain brand lenses, only certain apertures can be used sometimes, and the good ones are expensive. They significantly reduce exposure by a 1 or 2 f stops. With Macro Photography, the battle is always for more light because a smaller aperture is used to increase the Depth of Field, but with a shutter speed fast enough to stop camera shake or movements the subject makes. Multipliers can double magnification if an extension is used between the multiplier and lens.

Make sure the extension tube is between the multiplier and the lens. Using an extension tube between the tube and lens allows my 1.4x multiplier to work with my 100mm macro lens. Without the extension tube the multiplier wouldn’t match since the multiplier sticks out too much.

A 1.4X or 2X teleconverter will increase magnification by about 25-35%. As with an extension tube, less light will reach the film or sensor, and a longer exposure time will be needed. However, working distance remains the same as without the teleconverter. So telephoto extenders offer more magnification and still have the same working distance! Try and stick with the same brand extender as your lens.

A 1.4X extension will reduce light by 1 f stop, and a 2.0 extension will reduce light by 2 f stops. Everything is magnified, the subject, the imperfections of the lens, and camera shake. Using a flash makes the extenders more practical.

Use a "reversing ring" to reverse the lens on the camera for about $20. This special attachment connects to the filter thread on the front of a lens and connects the front of the lens to the camera body. The lens is now in reverse. Excellent high quality results can be obtained using this cheap attachment. Use Nikon cameras with reversing rings. I have a 12 year old Nikon 50mm lens with which I can manually change the aperture while it is off the camera (and on a reversing ring), and it works with modern Nikon cameras! I get about 1x magnification without any extension rings with a working distance of 4 inches away from the subject.

A reversing ring adapter is available for Canon EOS allowing for electronic connection for several hundred dollars. For the same price you could get a whole macro lens! A reversing ring or adapter is available for old Canon mount models for about $20. As with lens to lens stacking, a rear filter cap with a round opening cut into it is advisable to protect the rear element of the reversed lens. Remember, the aperture on some lenses is not able to stay open on their own while it is off the camera so check your lens first before buying a reversing ring (aka reversing adapter).

A salesman recently asked me “Why do you want to buy a reversing ring? We have macro lenses. Reversing rings are an old fashioned way to do things!” I guess it is also old fashioned to save several hundred dollars. Why not spend $20 for a reversing adapter instead of $800 on a nice macro lens? You can get high quality results with a reversing ring and get some experience with macro photography! You can always spend the several hundred dollars later on a nice macro lens that will be easier to use, and give you more options.

This goes between the camera body and the lens to extend the lens. High quality with high magnifications can be obtained. On some bellows any old high quality lens can be used of any brand as long as it will fit on the bellows. . However, a macro bellows is large and awkward to handle. The shutter and aperture needs to be manually set. You might also have to take an exposure reading with a handheld meter since your camera may not work properly without a lens on it. Also, a lot of light can be lost this way, which increases exposure time. However, extreme macro pictures can be taken this way because the magnification increases the farther away from the lens is from the camera. I don’t use a bellows, but they are an option and can be an option to get extreme high magnifications. Remember, the more magnification, the less depth of field and the more critical focusing becomes at these extreme magnifications. The subject can hardly move at all without messing the focusing up. A better alternative might be getting a microscope with a camera attachment! 10x to 1000x can be obtained! After about 1100x the size of the light waves become a problem and you would need to move over to a scanning electron microscope! Maybe someday these scanning electron microscopes (SEM) will be massed produced and affordable!

Most flash units are larger then the actual object with macro photography. This would be comparable to using a 10 foot umbrella to reflect the light from the flash while you take a picture of a 6 foot tall person.

As you move closer the flash can easily overpower the exposure. Most flash units aren’t designed for Macro Photography. The flash can't turn off fast enough. You will need to experiment with using a smaller aperture by a few stops to compensate for this, or a macro flash unit. You could use a faster shutter speed but usually we are battling Depth of Field with Macro Photography and so a smaller aperture will put more of the subject in focus. This is why some photographers use macro flash set ups, a smaller aperture can be used in low levels of light, and any movement can be frozen. Watch out for the ring flashes. They can show rings of light in the eyes of the insects which isn't natural. There have been other problems of improper or unnatural looking exposures with ring flashes.

The closer you get with the flash, the more light there is, but the light gets exponentially brighter as you get closer. The closer I am, the more critical the flash exposure becomes.

The ideal angle for a flash is a 30 degree angle from the lens. So if I am 12" away I should have the flash 4" high. Move the flash closer down to the end of the lens as you get closer with the flash. Also, watch the flash doesn't get behind the lens and shade your subject! You will need a camera bracket, or make your own custom bracket. Sometimes a flash off to the side can give a neat effect instead of directly overhead.

There are a lot of specialized and expensive macro flash units available. Sometimes the brackets that are also needed for the flash units are almost as expensive as the flash unit. There are less expensive alternatives to this, such as using a diffuser to cut the amount of light your non-macro flash is putting off, bouncing the flash off of a white cardboard… Be creative!

Try just holding a white cloth single or double layer over the pop up flash to reduce the amount of light and diffuse the harsh glare of the flash. Another technique is to block the light from hitting your object directly from the flash, and hold an aluminum foil piece or reflector to catch the light and reflect it down at the angle you want.

A Gary Fong flash attachment can be helpful because it gives off a lot of diffused lighting, and its height helps get the light from the flash over the top of the lens to your subject. Also a Gary Fong decreases the light output from the flash which is useful up close.

How to do Table Top Macro Photography with Flash

The ideal angle for a flash for table top macro photography is 45 degrees from each side. This causes less reflection off the objects.

Get two flash units about 3-4 feet high and 3-4 feet off to each side from your object. Make sure the angle of the flash won’t be blocked by the camera lens. For some lenses the flash unit will need to be lowered, but 45 degrees is optimum to avoid reflection and overexposed highlights. The 45 degree angle also reveals texture in the objects and doesn’t look “washed out.”

Most table top macro photography is done with a 50mm macro lens. It is not convenient to use a longer focal length lens because here is an increased working distance from the object to the lens. Also, the longer lens and camera are added to the extra height, and now you are trying to look through the viewfinder. If the arrangement is too high a stool might be needed! Models with live view can help but you still need to look at the screen on the back of the camera!

It is much easier to work off of a table than the floor when a lot of objects need to be photographed. Take a little time to set up and organize the equipment and save a lot more time later! Place labels with the objects in the photographs so they can be readily identified later by just the photograph.

Another solution is to take photographs in a white room, and use a Gary Fong attachment. Block the lighting directly between the flash and the close up object so only reflective lighting hits the object.

How to Take Macro Pictures at an Aquarium

The best way to take pictures at an aquarium is to avoid having the flash reflect in your own picture! Place the flash units at 45 degrees off to each side and pointed at the fish, or crab or whatever. If possible, bring a tripod unless you are really good at hand holding a camera for long periods of time. Flash isn’t essential. I have taken close up photos of the glowing yellow jellyfish with an f/1.4 aperture at Monterey Bay Aquarium by leaning against a post. The effects can be dramatic with the aquarium lighting the photograph! But for really sharp photographs a flash is strongly recommended.

The best results are with 2 flash heads 45 degrees to each side of the fish. Remember to overexpose by 1 or 2 stops since 25% to 50% of the lighting is lost through the thick aquarium glass and the water. Try a smaller aperture of f/16 with a 100-125/second shutter speed to stop the action with two flash heads. This also yields a good Depth of Field. Another alternative is just to get at an angle to the glass. I usually just get at a 45 degree angle from the glass with a single flash unit so the reflection bounces off away from the lens.

Another problem is having your own reflection show up in the glass. Get off to one side and take the photograph at an angle. If this doesn’t allow for the close up angle you want, wear black clothing with a black cap, or attach a black cardboard to the front of the lens. Make your own black cardboard attachment by tracing the outside end of the lens on the cardboard and cut the circle up into small pie slices. Bend back the tabs you just made back and rubber band them onto the lens as the lens is sticking through the hole. Hopefully, this will help you from coming back from that great aquarium tour and having all the pictures of your own flash unit! Or with a reflection of you and your equipment in the photograph with the sea creatures! If the aquarium allows for it, bring a stool since it takes awhile for the fish to cooperate.

The closer I get the more light the flash produces on the subject. The distance of the flash is critical. So I need to underexpose another stop or two to correct for this. Getting a few inches closer dramatically increases the amount of light at these close working angles. Macro flash units allow for these close distances. The point is, flash lighting with macro photography has more room for error, and so more care is needed with the exposure.

Think of it this way. If the flash is 8 inches away, moving it 4 inches closer would be like being 20 feet way from a subject, and moving 10 feet away. However, with macro flash photography the increase in light is increased even more due to the extremely close distance.

For larger sea life or pictures from the top of an aquarium try a polarizing filter. This special filter cuts out reflective light and makes sea life much more visible though the top surface of the water. Polarizing filters reduce the exposure by 1-2 stops since they are dark colored filters.

Photograph of a baby cat fish, Virginia

Photograph of a snapping turtle at Maymont Park aquarium, Virginia

Photograph of jellyfish at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California