Macro Photography for Beginners "Gear"
What is Macro Photography? Macro Photography is when the object size is the same size on the sensor or 1:1 Ratio or better. So if your have a one centimeter object that your taking a photo of it will take up 1 centimeter on your sensor. What does all that mean? Not much to you and me except that you can focus real close. You can take photos of bugs and spiders and they take up the whole screen on your viewfinder without cropping the photograph to make it large. When your shooting Macro you are shooting a whole new world that you can't usually see with your eyes or that you ignore altogether. Very Cool.
What lens do I use to do Macro Photography. If you don't have a dedicated Macro Lens I would start with extension tubes. Extension Tubes are put between your lens and a camera and let you focus closer. They are inexpensive and don't have any glass in them so they won't effect the quality of your image. You can get a good set of three for under 50 bucks. You can use all three or stack them to get the effect you want. Macro Lenses come in a variety of focal lengths and price points. And as with everything in Photography you get what you pay for. But you can get some good gear on the cheap to start out.(Manual Focus Only) Remember these lenses can be used for other stuff too. A 105mm Macro is an excellent focal length for portraits and is used by many in the portrait industry
Accessories for Macro. When shooting Macro photography the closer you get to a subject the more light you need. One of those Physics things. So to add light you can use artificial light like an LED light or a Flash. They make LED and Flashes that attach to the front of your lens and then go to your hot shoe of your camera. You can also just use a regular flash. Almost any will do you don't have to spend a lot of money on these because you will be using it in manual and not TTL. So you can use a basic flash that you can get for 60 bucks or so. A diffuser will also be handy to make that small flash look
Thats about all that you will need to shoot Macro and you probably have most of these things already in your photography arsenal. So get them out and dusted off and start using . My next blog on Macro will be about the how to do the macro shots not on gear. So until next week get out and start shooting. Hiking and Walking to improve your Photography
Walking or hiking and I prefer hiking because you use more muscles because of the uneven ground you have to keep your balance which uses more muscles. Its not about how far you go but how long you do it at a time. Walking an hour a day 4 or 5 times a week is great. The average hiker goes about 3 miles per hour but depending on the terrain I go anywhere between 2 and 2-1/2 miles an hour. On flat ground just walking I can get to 3 mph. So find you a track that is about 2 to 3 mile long and take a walk. Walking is therapeutic and slows your mind down from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. During this hike you will burn about 350 to 400 calories . If you eat healthy Low Carb and High Protein diet and Keep the Calorie intake down.
Here are some tips to Hiking and Walking. If your walking wear comfortable shoes. I wear Skechers. They
Being in good shape will help your photography and keep you more energetic. Last year Me and Robert went to Zion National Park to hike Angles landing. Its 2 miles up to Scouts landing then another 1/2 mile straight up to the top of Angles landing. I was very heavy and carrying camera equipment. I struggled to get to Scouts Landing and was very wobbly there and did not do the Angles Landing. I didn't do it because I was not fit enough to do it. Robert made it to the top and got some great photo's but more important he got a great memory because he was more fit. Don't miss out because you're out of shape. So until next week get out and hike and shoot! Kit Lenses with Primes
Cost of Kit lenses. The price of a kit lens can be as much as 1/4 the price of its professional lens equivalent. I got my 28-60mm for less than 300 used and if I had gotten the professional one say a 24-70mm f2.8 it would be well over 1000 dollars used. Thats a big cost savings. I don't think the photo quality between the kit and the professional lens is a big enough difference for me to get the professional one. Plus the professional one is twice the length and probably 3 times the weight. Again I don't need the weight I like to be as nimble as I can be. So for me it was a no brainer to get the kit lens for casual shooting. If I want to get serious I can pull out my primes. Solved a problem. Getting this kit lens solved the problem I had when doing street photography and that's
Now I would not use this lens for my main Landscape or Portrait lens especially if I were selling stuff. But if you're just starting out a kit lens is the lens you have with you so shoot it. Every camera Manufacturer has their kit lenses and some are really good. I've heard good things from the Fuji line of lenses and I'm sure Canon and Nikon have great kit lenses also. The one I've been talking about is from Sony and was made for the A7C model camera that came out a couple of years ago. I purchased my copy used from MPB for around 250 dollars and it was like new. I always suggest buying used to save a little dough. I know a lot of professional and high end photographers trash these little lenses but I do think they serve a purpose and can be quite handy little lenses. So until next week get your kit lens out and keep shooting! New Year, New Plans
Where to go? Well that's a big question for anyone. And everyone has a different answer. For me this year
What to take? Whether its a camping trip or a Photography trip bringing the right gear is essential. Taking what you need and leaving home what you don't need can make life a lot easier. Clothing that is suited for the weather that you will encounter on your trip is crucial. Comfortable footwear is a must. Nothing is worse that having to walk through a big city and you have blisters on your feet because you brought cute shoes that didn't fit well or were not broken in. If you plan on staying a week or more only take enough clothes for 4 days and find some where to do a load of clothes. No one cares if you ware the same outfit more than once on a trip. This will keep your pack lighter. If your taking camera equipment with you on a long trip don't take everything you own. Think about the situations that you will be in most of the time and take the equipment that will handle those situations. When I went to Utah last year I had my landscaping kit with me and when I went to Boston I had a totally different kit with me. Choose the right tool for the job at hand. Keeping gear lightweight and manageable will make traveling through terminals much easier.
So get set and start making your plans for this year. I hope to see you on your travels. Until Next week get out and shoot.
The Year in Review 2022
New Years day shoot at Mount Mitchell NC the highest point east of the Mississippi. Robert and I had
Congaree National Park. Robert, Mike and I went to this National Park in South Carolina. None of us had
Pawleys Island. Now this wasn't much of a photography trip it was my 40th anniversary but I always have my camera with me so I got some shots and we stopped at Myrtle Beach State park while we were there and may go back in the future.
Shenandoah National Park. My wife and I took our little teardrop
Boston. We took a long weekend and flew to Boston. There were 6 of us that went Me and Robert, Anita
Goose Creek overbite Camp- This last one was a small spur of the
These were the major trips of the year but there was some smaller trips (day trips) That we took to Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington, New bern, and Edenton. So this was a busy year for me travel wise and photography wise. I hope I can keep it up next year. I plan on taking some more camping type of trips to places next year as well. Considering all of the places I went this year and how far I traveled I really didn't spend that much for the fun I had. The money/ fun ratio was good. What did you do this year? And have you started planning for next year? Start planning until next week get out and Shoot!
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