Here are 3 useful O'Reilly PDF files for photographers to download. They are not the full text, however are still useful in the chapters that they do offer and are definately worth the download.

Note: You will need a copy of Adobe PDF reader to view the ebooks you download.  

Digital Photography Expert Techniques

Professional Tips for Using Photoshop & Related Tools to Enhance Your Digital Photographs.

Here is a PDF download that covers chapter 3 of O'Reilly's Digital Photography Expert Techniques. The chapter is useful in that it discusses:

Using Photoshop file browser
Using image management programs
Making accurate correction to your photographs
Keeping original photographs and images in tact
Using layers
Minimizing duplicate files
Using special names
How to maintain your photographs file information
Archiving your photographs

The PDF file is a 6.85MB download: Click here to download 'Digital Photography Expert Techniques'

If you find this chapter useful, you can purchase the full text from Amazon.

Photoshop CS2 RAW

Using Adobe Camera Raw, Bridge, and Photoshop to Get the Most out of Your Digital Camera

This PDF download offers chapter 7 for photographers to read for free. Chapter contents include:

About noise
Using camera RAW to reduce noise in your photographs
How to use Photoshops reduce noise filter
About chromatic aberrations
Reducing chomatic aberrations with Photoshops lens correction filter
Diminishing or adding vignetting

The PDF file is a 3.86MB download: Click here to download 'Photoshop CS2 RAW'

If you find this chapter useful, you can purchase the full text from Amazon.

This download offers chapter 3 of O'Reilly's Digital Photography Pocket Guide (1st edition). It covers tips and trips for shooting and sharing your photographs.

The PDF file is a 2.09Mb download: Click here to download 'Digital Photography Pocket Guide'.  

If you find this chapter useful, you can purchase the full 3rd edition of O'Reilly Digital Photography Pocket Guide from Amazon.

To understand shutter speeds fully, you also need to understand how fractions work. More specifically, it's important that you understand the relationship between fractions and your camera's shutter speed setting.

The faster or shorter your shutter speed, the less light that is let in to your camera's sensor. Therefore, to use a fast shutter speed, you also need a lot of natural light (sunlight) or a flash, to ensure your images don't turn out too dark or underexposed.

On the otherhand, the slower or longer your shutter speed, the more light that is let in to your camera's sensor. This is great for low light situations, but not so good if you have a moving subject where you want to freeze action.

So how do you know if your camera is set on a fast or slow shutter speed? This is where understanding fractions is important.

For example, if you had your camera set on a 1 second shutter speed and noticed the photographs were too light or overexposed, you would need to set a faster / shorter speed. 10 times faster than 1 second is shown as 1/10 in fractions. Depending on your camera set up, it may display this as either 1/10 or simply as a numeral 10. 

Now if you wanted to set a speed 10 times faster again, you would change your shutter speed to 1/100 or 100 on some camera's. So from these examples you can conclude that 1/100 is a faster shutter speed than 1/10. The faster the shutter speed, the more natural light or flash light that will be required.

For more examples on fractions and how they relate to your camera's shutter speed, I recommend watching the video tutorial below:

Related Articles:

• Difference between fast and slow shutter speeds

There are now quite a few interesting discussions going up over on our Flickr Group, SLR Macro Photography. 

1. Penny has started a challenge for members on a theme called 'Threads' which is becoming popular. Members have posted photo's of material such as denim, cotton and woollen objects. While others have taken the theme one step further to include threads seen in spider webs, or threads of a leek while preparing dinner.

To see more of this challenge and submit a macro yourself, visit: Challenge #1 "Threads"

2. Another popular discussion is talking about members favorite macro shots and the reasons why. Shown below is a sampling so far:

The macro shown above, called 'Making a pig of himself' is one of my personal favorites because the grasshopper looks so comical when viewed large. Like one of the animation characters in 'A Bugs Life'. 
 

Photo above posted by smooveflava: I was walking down the steps to one of the beaches on the Central Coast and I saw a whole bunch of bees flying around the flowers. I stopped to take a quick pic, trying to stay steady as I was capturing it without a tripod and I also had two very scared kids attached to me pulling at my leg screaming (they absolutely hate bees!) and I got this shot...very proud considering how difficult it was.

To see more favorite macro shots photographed by members visit: Your favorite macro shot.

3. Photographers who use a Canon Twin Lite Flash for their macro work might be interested in this post called, Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash.

The discussion has some really helpful tips on how to use Canon's MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash, how to tame down the harshness of the lighting, as well as the effectiveness of diffusers with this macro setup. Macro images taken by two of our members, Dalantech and mplonsky in particular, are a must see for inspiration.

  
Related Posts:

• New Flickr group SLR Macro Photography (digital)

If you do a lot of product photography, either for stock or ebay listings, you'd have probably realised by now that items that sell the most, are those that have a pure white background. Many photographers new to this style of photography, start off by placing a white background such as a sheet behind the object they are shooting, then change the exposure until they achieve the look they are after.

However, this isn't always very effective. For example, recently I tried photographing a shiny tin bucket using the method explained above. After each shot, I viewed the image in the LCD screen then overexposed the photo one stop at a time until I had a completely white background. Unfortunately, after viewing it on my computer monitor, I found this method also took away the edges of the bucket.

It was then that I came across this video on Utube, that explains nicely how using a gray card (grey card, exposure card) can help product photographers to achieve a pure white background. Note: The video presumes you already know how to use a gray card. For those that have never used one before, I have some quick tips explaining how to use them further down this page.

How to use a photographers gray card (sometimes spelt grey card or called an exposure card)

Using a gray card is easy. First set your camera to spot or partial metering, then place the gray card near the object you are going to photograph and look through your viewfinder as if you are going to take a photograph of it. Get in close enough to fill the frame with the grey card, then lock the exposure (check your camera's manual). Remove the card and take the image.

Where to buy a gray card?

The #1 selling gray card at Amazon is called a 'Digital Grey Kard Premium White Balance Card / Gray Card for Digital Photography'.

Customer Review:

Before I used this product I used white paper as recommended by Canon for my 30D. I put lines on the paper for focus and set white balance as custom. The paper was difficult to use and keep with me. Since buying the gray digital card, I have found it to be more accurate than white paper and easier to use. The digital gray card produces perfect custom white balance and works every time. It has a focus spot to get the correct image for setting up in-camera custom white balance. One time I used both the gray card and the white card (on the lanyard) and found the gray card produced the correct white balance over the white card. Now I never take a shot without setting the custom white balance to the gray card. 

If you love macro photography, we've started a new Flickr group called SLR Macro Photography (digital), where members win REAL prizes! To start the group off, this month we will be giving away a free book from Amazon called, 'Close up shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography'. The winner will be announced on the 27th of March to celebrate the groups first month anniversary.

More details over at: SLR Macro Photography (digital) Group 

Who is this flickr group for?

This group is mostly aimed towards those photographers who own an SLR/DSLR camera and enjoy taking macro or close up photographs of smaller objects, insects and flowers. I say mostly, because we do also have members that enjoy taking macro shots with their compact camera's as well. The reason it's initially been called 'SLR macro photography', is that much of the groups discussions and RSS feed will revolve around SLR camera's and settings.

You don't need to own a dedicated macro lens to join. The idea behind this group is to inspire and encourage a love for macro photography. Many photographers first start enjoying close up photography with the use of macro filters on the end of their lens, or with a telephoto lens and the macro setting on their SLR. Once the enjoyment sets in, it usually doesn't take long before they are looking at purchasing a real macro lens.

Whatever equipment you use to photograph your macro's with, we ask only that the image appears to be a detail shot of smaller subjects.

To help give you an idea, acceptable images would include insects, flowers, small birds, frogs, leaves, coins, water droplets etc. On the other hand, unacceptable images would include a closeup shot of a horse or cat and similar larger objects.

Group News

SLR Macro Photography (digital) Group is off to a fantastic beginning. Since starting 5 days ago, we've had 476 members join, who have posted a total of 732 macro images into the group pool. The most popular discussion in the forum is titled, 'What do you love about macro photography?'

Here is a sampling of answers so far:

I love entering a world that i cannot see with my naked eye. The detail, the beauty, flowers, bugs, inanimate objects, it doesn't matter, just macro! ... (posted by belle'sbeauties)
 

Of all types of photography, macro has always been no.1 for me. Seeing an insect or bug at a higher magnification reveals such amazing details of that bug. "1:1 will let you see a bug's nose.. but at 3:1 or higher, you'll see what's inside the nose!!" ... (posted by Lordmint)

When I shoot macro,I feel like i'm an Alice in the wonderland, everyhing is real, but kinda unreal ... (posted by Moczkos)

I love the ability of showing people things that most never even realize are there. Or have never given a droplet on a flower or blade of grass much thought. I love showing them that there is a whole other world they are missing out on ... (posted by farmmommy5)

More over at: SLR Macro Photography (digital) Group

Quick tips for photographing macro's with a telephoto lens

• Use a firm tripod whenever possible. This is an important tip for all telephoto photography. The more you have your lens zoomed out (longer the focal length eg. 200mm) the more prone your shots are to camera shake.
  
  
•  Using a remote release will also help with camera shake, which is often one of the main causes for unsharp results. For the same reason, look in your camera manual for a setting called mirror lockup.
  
  
• Choose to photograph your subject against an uncluttered background, so the main focus is on the subject. In other words, simplicity is the key.
  
  
• If you can't choose an uncluttered background, ensure it's positioned a long distance away from the subject you are photographing. Next, zoom the lens all the way out (eg. 200mm) and take the shot as close to the subject as you can physically stand, yet still be able to focus properly. This will result in a nicely blurred background like the photograph of the dragonfly seen at the top of this post.

Telephoto macro tips from nature photographer Peter Madeley

Nature photographer Peter Madeley, shares with us some of his tips for photographing macro's with a telephoto lens. In this video below, Peter talks about what camera settings and shutter speeds you should be implementing when using a telephoto lens for macro photography. He also discusses the importance of mirror lockup and other alternatives if your camera doesn't have this option. Towards the end of the demonstration, he shows by example, how light reflectors can be used for macro to obtain a controlled photo shoot.
 

To watch the video tutorial above, press the go arrow

• Take lots of photographs. More than you normally would in any other photo shoot. This gives you a greater chance of getting that perfect shot.
  
  
• Don't do it all yourself. Have someone help you entertain your baby, while you concentrate on taking the photographs. This will minimise your chances of missing that smile or cute facial expression.
  
  
• Use your camera's burst mode (also called continuous mode) so you can fire off numerous shots in quick succession.
  
  
• Choosing the right light is important to create softer shades and all round tones on the babies skin. Early morning, late evening, or shady area's of the house and yard is good for baby photography. This will also ensure you don't have lots of shots of your baby squinting. Also, turn off that flash and use natural light where possible to stop colors and facial features from looking washed out.  
  
  
• As with all photography, you should try avoiding distracting background elements like toys. After all, your baby should be the main centre of attention, not that bright teddybear in the background. You can create a neutral background with the use of pillows or blankets placed around your baby. The video demonstration further down this page will show you how to do this. 
  
  
• Choosing the right time when your baby is happy and smiling is also important. For example, just after a feed is a good time for baby photography, as is nap time. Some of the cutest photo's can be taken when your baby is sleeping.
  
  
• Be creative. Often some of the best shots are imperfect. For example, photographing only their small feet, or part of the face, can be just as memorable than a full portrait style shot. You can see some fantastic examples of creative baby photographs over at Tracey's website.
  
  
• Above all else, make it fun for both baby and mother. Know when enough is enough.
  

The tips shown in the demonstration below, explains the best time of day for taking perfect baby photo's, the right lighting, as well as how to create neutral backgrounds for taking great portrait photos.  

To start watching the video, press the go arrow

Photographer and author Rick Sammon shares with you his best advice including 8 tips for photographing the perfect sunrise.

1. Know where the sun rises before you go out taking photographs. Once the sun starts to rise, you won't want to waist any time repositioning your camera gear.
   
   
2. Know what time the sun is expected to rise in your particular area. Buying a copy of the local newspaper will tell you this.
   
   
3. Use a tripod, because you will need to set slow shutter speeds due to low light conditions. For example, 1/8th of a second or slower depending on the available light.
   
   
4. Underexposing your shot will result in richer, deeper colors and shades of reds, oranges and yellows.
   
   
5. If you want a small sun in your composition, use a wide angle lens. If you want a larger sun seen within your composition then use a telephoto zoom lens.
   
   
6. For composition purposes, don't place the sun dead centre in the frame. Try and imagine a grid over your composition, like the one shown in the image below. If you always ensure the sun's position is over one of the overlapping areas, you'll come out a winner every time. 
   
   
   
    
   
7. Like any landscape, don't place the horizon dead centre of the frame either. If there is a lot of color and light in the sky, then make sure that area takes up the top 2/3's of your composition. On the otherhand, if there is a lot of color or reflection in the foreground, then compose your shot so the foreground takes up the bottom 2/3's of the shot. You can view examples of both of these compositions in the video below.
    
   
8. Take off all filters when photograhing towards the sun. Otherwise you will end up with a ghost image of the sun, which will ruin any sunrise photograph. It's also important to remember that a polarising filter is only useful in creating a more colorful sky when the sun is to the right or left of your position. Therefore, in the majority of cases, polarising filters should also be removed for sunrise photography.
   
    

In the video below, Rick Sammon explains all these tips for photographing sunrises in more detail.
 

To watch this photography tutorial, press the go arrow.

Related posts and reading:

• Top ten digital photography tips by Rick Sammon
• Photography books written by Rick Sammon 

I recently read in a photography magazine that one of the best times of the day for insect photography is early morning, before the dew dries out. This weekend I decided to get up at the break of dawn and put this theory to the test. As it turned out, early morning photo shoots certainly do put a new twist on macro insect photography.

There two main advantages of taking macro photographs early in the morning before the sun comes up:

• Lighting early in the morning is more colorful and less harsh than mid morning. With no sunshine to dull the colors, early morning macro's look brighter and bolder.
  
• Insects can't fly when their wings are covered with dew drops and they havn't yet dried out. This also give you an opportunity as a macro photographer to show the viewer a part of nature that otherwise goes un-noticed. It doesn't take long to realise why the early bird gets the worm, so to speak.

Note: You can click the insect macro's below to see them in larger size

The insect macro shown above was photographed from above the dragonfly, looking down. As you can see by the dew drops on its wings, it wasn't going anywhere too soon. As a macro photographer, this gave me sufficient time to get a good shot.

The photograph shown below is the same insect, shot at a different angle.

Now for one of my personal favorites, a damselfly covered in dew drops. The black background was created with the use of a Twin Lite MT-24EX flash.

Other times that are good for insect photography:

• I've found after a storm is also a good time for shooting macro's of insects. Like most animals, they come out to play after a rainshower. Like early morning, many are also covered with water drops and can't fly too well until they dry out.
  
  
• You'll also find plenty of insects in the late afternoon and on cloudy days, where the lighting is perfect for really colorful shots.

In contrast, the worst time of the day for this style of macro photography seems to be hot sunny daylight hours, say between 10.30am and 3.30pm. Of course every insect is different, so it's best to do your research.

Other examples of macro photographs of insects taken early morning:

Click the thumbnails above to view the macro's in their larger size

One question I'm asked on a weekly basis is: What editing or post production work do you make on your macro photographs?

While most of these types of questions come from those who use the same camera and macro lens as I own, the post production tips listed below will assist all macro photographers who edit their images with Photoshop.

It's also important to note, that no amount of post production work is going to improve a bad photograph. Personally, a good macro photo consists of 50% photo taking and 50% post production editing. However, as I said, you do need a sharply detailed image to start with.

How to edit macro photographs using Photoshop software

1. The first editing I do to macro photographs is to crop them tightly. Not every viewer will look at the larger image (even when you supply a link), so it's best to tightly crop the image so the details are clearly seen by a thumbnail. This also presumes the viewer prefers to see detail that isn't normally seen by the naked eye. Which of course, is the true beauty of macro photography. 

Take the two images below for example, the first shows the original photograph (resized for display purposes), while the second photograph is a cropped version showing the finest detail.

2. After cropping the macro photograph, I might resize the image, depending on how I am intending on using it. For example, if the plan is to display the image on a website, I'll resize to no larger than 1024 width so it doesn't take too long to download in the viewers browser. For printing purposes, I don't normally resize.

3. Next I sharpen the image by implementing a mixture of Photoshop's Lab color mode and the unsharp mask.  I won't go through the steps here as we already have a tutorial for this called: How to sharpen photographs in Photoshop.

This method not only sharpens, but in many cases also increases the color of the photograph.
 

4. After sharpening, I'll continue on to the Shadows and Highlights adjustment tool. Once again, we already have a Photoshop tutorial for this: How to use Photoshop adjustment tool?

You will find this adjustment tool increases the detail seen within either (or both) the shadows and highlight area's of your photograph.
 

5. Lastly, I use Photoshop S curves to add or reduce contrast. The S curve tool allows you to highlight the parts that are important and darken those that are not. The S curve also seems to make the colors within the photograph appear brighter and bolder. You can find a tutorial on S curves at: How to use Photoshop S curves?

Learning a few post production techniques can help improve your macro images ten fold. The steps shown above will result in more colorful and sharper macro photographs, that contain more detail than you'd otherwise have seen in the original image.

The winners have been announced for Digital Camera Magazine's annual photo competition, where photographers competed for the title of Photographer Of The Year 2007 and prize money of £15,000.

For those that enjoy submitting their work to photography competitions, it's useful to view past winners, taking note especially of judges comments so you can see what it was about the image that stood out from the rest. Studying the reasoning behind winning photographs can be a huge learning curve for all photographers and help you improve your skills.

Overall winner, Photographer Of The Year 2007 (also portrait photographer of the year)

The overall winner was Andrzej Dragan of Poland who photographed an anorexic model (who is now undergoing treatment for her condition). This winning image shows how photographs that convey emotion stand out from the rest.

The judges comments:

“One of the most powerful portraits that I’ve ever seen. The technical quality, lighting and composition are matched by the extremely emotive power of the subject.”

“With this beautiful young face and what looks like an aged body, this was a clear winner, despite the harrowing nature of the image. The photo almost defies belief. It’s also helped by clear, simple lighting and composition. What this does demonstrate is how a good, simple treatment of such a remarkable subject can still produce a memorable image.”

“A heartbreaking photo that must have required a great deal of trust between photographer and subject.”

Numerous sub categories including macro, landscape, portraits, animal, botanical, street, achitectual, fine art, black and white and documentary, also offered prizes ranging from £1,000 cash to magazine subscriptions.

Macro photographer competition winner

The macro winner was Peter Firus of Australia, who photographed two hoverflies mating in midair. Capturing a split moment in time with such perfect precision, definately made this macro photograph stand out from the rest.
 

It might not be the most artistic shot in the world, but to capture such a difficult subject in good light and pin-sharp detail, represents a superb photographic achievement by any standards.”

“A hugely ambitious shot with both insects’ heads in focus and done without a sophisticated flash set-up.”

Landscape photography competition winner

Landscape photographer of the year was won by Bob Garrigus of the UK.

This landscape has the elusive ‘wow’ factor that elevates it above the other entries in this category. The curious ice formation in the foreground gives the shot an other-worldly feel.”

“The colours are amazingly rich and vibrant in this shot. Combined with the cool ice it’s a brilliant contrast of temperatures and mood.”

Fine Art photography winner

The Fine Art category winner was Francesco Ridolfi of Italy. This image leaves the viewer wondering where the diver actually went. He / she obviously didn't dive into the pool. 

Judges comments included:

“Superb composition, nice feel and good light. An unusual take on a fairly ordinary subject.”

“A great visual pun and the primary colours work really well too!”  

Botanical photographer of the year

Judges comments:

“This isn’t a finely detailed study of what a Hepatica looks like, it’s all about the surge of hope we all feel with the return of spring. It doesn’t even matter that the flower isn’t in focus as the strong, complementary colours are much more valuable to the shot. Everything signals excitement.”

Street photographer of the year

Street photographer of the year was Yaman Ibrahim of Malaysia, who captured this winning shot shown below.

“A shot where you feel instant empathy and connection. It’s perfectly balanced and composed with superb colour and clarity.”

“Good design and storytelling.” 

For all other category winners and a list of judges comments for second and third place winners, visit Digital Camera Magazine.   

Photographers who own 'Adobe Photoshop' software, can use action plugins to do repetitive tasks such as sharpening, converting to black and white, adding more color, correcting blue yellow or red tint within a photograph and many others. Photoshop actions help save you time when it comes to digital editing, therefore leaving you more time for taking photographs. 

Listed below are free photoshop actions and plugins of use specifically for photographers. For those that have never used actions, I've also included a video demonstration at the end of this post that explains how to install them.

List of free Photoshop actions for photographers to download

1. Black and white Photoshop actions created by Digital Camera’s Technique Editor, Ben Birchall. Makes changing images from color to black and white an easy task.
   
   
   
   

   Download free black and white Photoshop action 
   

2. Scorching sunsets action by Tim Shelbourne, a famous photographer and artist who writes digital imaging tutorials for numerous photography magazines in the UK.
   
   

   

   Download free sunsets action plugin for Photoshop 
   
   

3. Set of 3 free Photoshop actions by Gavin Phillips. These 3 actions produce effects that are specifically useful for portrait or wedding photographers, including infrared, toned and softly.
   
   

   

   Download 3 free actions for wedding and portrait photography 
   
   

4. Over 160 free Photoshop actions from Action Central. Action sets include infrared, lomo, airbrushing, color boosting, vintage, contrast, vignetting, dodging and burning, bluring effects and many others.
   
   

   

    Download over 160 free Photoshop actions from Action Central
   
   

5.  Remove red eye Photoshop action - easily removes the problem of red eyes in photographs.
   

6. Free sets of borders and frame actions for Photoshop, including 3D frames, wooden frames, torn paper edges, love heard shapes and many others.
   
   

   

    

Download free sets of borders and frame actions for Photoshop

Video Tutorial - How to install and use Photoshop actions

To start this video tutorial, press the go arrow.

If you know of any good Photoshop actions that photographers can download for free, share the link along with your comments.

Rick Sammon shares with us ten of his top photography tips for beginners and amatuer photographers. Rick Sammon is a famous nature and travel photographer who has published 27 books and writes for 3 photography magazines including PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer and Layers magazine.

Rick's 10 Photography Tips:

1. Learn how to see light. Look specifically for shadows and highlights, then you can set the exposure accordingly.
   
   
2. Try to recreate the depth and dimension in your photographs, that you see in real life. A good way to do this is to use a foreground object within your composition.
   
   
3. Take the time to walk around the location you are photographing. Don't be too hasty in picking a composition. Look for all the different angles you have available to you.
   
   
4. Continuing on from the last tip, look down, back, and up. Often some of your best shots can be directly behind you.
   
   
5. Tell the whole story. Don't take only one photograph. Instead, take wide angle, medium and close up shots of the same scenery. Shoot both verticle and horizonal photographs. With a lot of different photographs, you can tell the whole story.
    
   
6. Frame your photographs. For example, look for an opening in a rock from which to photograph a landscape through, or photograph a person through a window or doorway. This will help make your images more interesting to the viewer.
   
   
7. Be aware of the background. This is something I've personally trained myself to do automatically. When looking through the camera's viewfinder, take notice of all the background elements before taking the shot. The background can make or break a good photograph. For example, last winter I took the perfect stock photograph of a snow gum. Except when I returned home, I realised the image also had an ugly power line in the background.
   
   
8. Move in tight and fill the frame. Take out any elements that don't add interest to the picture. If they are not part of the story, then get rid of them by zooming in and filling the frame.
   
   
9. Photograph in RAW format to get the most out of each image.
   
   
10. Envision the end result, or what it is you want to achieve. Rick believes in 50% camera work, 50% digital editing. For example, if you are intending on changing the image into a black and white photograph with Photoshop CS2 later on, then envision that picture before taking the shot. 

Watch the video demonstration below for a more detailed explanation on each photography tip. 

Two books written by Rick Sammon that I highly recommend reading include:

• Rick Sammon's Travel and Nature Photography
  
  

  'Travel and Nature Photography' is geared to photographers of all levels. Rick's great photographic skills are complemented by his strong writing skills. The book is informative, prescriptive and just plain fun to read. While figuratively traveling with Rick from location to location I was inspired by his images and his straight forward solutions to the challenges faced in capturing nature and travel photographs.
  
  
  
  
   

• Idea to Image in Photoshop CS2: Rick Sammon's Guide to Enhancing Your Digital Photographs
  
  

  
  'Idea to Image in Photoshop CS2, Rick Sammon's Guide to Enhancing Your Digital Photos', is a different sort of Photoshop book. Most Photoshop books focus on showing you what can be done to enhance your image. Idea to Image approaches from a different perspective. Rick Sammon encourages you as the reader to focus on your final vision prior to capturing the image. Throughout the chapters he sprinkles in an assortment of suggestions and examples designed to aid with composition, and timing. Learning when to take the picture, and encouraging you to experiment and think beyond a single shot. 

Shown below is a set of 10 amazing macro photographs. Each photograph includes an explanation of the camera equipment that was used and tips on how it was taken. While many of the images have been taken with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens, the settings can be reproduced with any real macro lens.

Click on each image to see a larger version of the photograph.

1. Hoverfly in flight

 

Photograph of a hoverfly in flight was taken with a Canon 400D SLR camera, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens and a Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash.

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

This macro photograph of a flying insect was taken in a shady part of the garden. Using a Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash allowed me to keep the aperture on a high f/11 without sacrificing shutter speed (exposure). Having the ability to keep the shutter speed at a fast 1/200th of a second allowed me to capture the moving insect sharply. It also allowed me to hand hold the camera without the use of a tripod. Like many macro photographers, I find a tripod really restrictive when photographing insects.

As the insect was moving, I also needed to turn off the lens AF (automatic focus) function. If I hadn't turned this off, the lens would have kept swimming or refocusing, making it near impossible to capture a sharp image of the hoverfly.

This macro was taken with a Canon 400D SLR camera, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens and a Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash.

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern 

I was lucky with this macro shot to have found a curious dragonfly. He sat really still and would allowed me to move in as close as I needed for a detailed macro photo of his whiskers. This also allowed me to keep the camera's lens set on AF (automatic focus). The original image was cropped with Photoshop CS2 so that the dragonflies face takes up the majority of the final composition. 

3. Blue dragonfly

Similar to the first two macro photographs, this one was also taken with a Canon 400D SLR camera, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens and a Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash.

Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern 

This dragonfly come up to me as I sat under a tree, so I took the opportunity to take a few macro shots of it. This is one of my best tips for macro insect photography. Personally, I've found it hopeless chasing them around like a mad photographer. That only seems to scare them away. Instead, it's best to be patient and wait until you find a curious insect that is sitting still.

4. Macro water drop

Playing with water droplets, a Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro USM lens and extension tubes. For those that don't know what extension tubes are, they are a plastic tube that sits between your camera's body and the lens. When using extension tubes, you need to set your lens to MF (manual focus), because the automatic focus won't work. Nowadays if you purchase extension tubes that are the same brand as your macro lens, you may be able to keep all the automatic functions (depending on the brand). 

Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/0
Focal Length: 0 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

If you view a photographs EXIF data and notice the aperture and focal length are showing as zero (0), chances are the photographer used an extension tube or some piece of equipment that sat between the camera's body and the lens.

This shot of a water droplet was taken with a plastic bag (and a pin hole in it) being held over a fish tank. The camera was then focused past the glass tank and onto the droplet. There is a detailed explanation showing the setup for it at: How to photograph water drops.  

5. What the snake see's

Photographed with a Canon 400D and a EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. When photographing a friendly carpet snake, it was a great opportunity for a self portrait. If you click on this image and view it in a larger size, you will clearly see exactly what the snake was looking at!

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 100

This photograph was taken with the use of a tripod and a remote release. Having a slower shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, I wouldn't have gotten a sharp image if the camera was handheld. A general rule of thumb for hand held macro shots, is that if your lens is 100mm focal length, then the shutter speed needs to be at least 1/100th of a second or faster to achieve a sharp photograph.

6. Katydid macro

Picture of a Katydid photographed with a Canon 400D SLR and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

For this shot, the ISO was upped to 400 speed so I could keep the aperture at a higher F number of f/11. This enabled me to get more of the Katydid in sharp focus. One of the mistakes I did when I first purchased my macro lens, was to keep the F number at a low F2.8 (just because I could). Later on I realised this wasn't always a good idea, unless you intend on getting just the eye of an insect in focus.

7. Eye in the sky (photographed by 2minutes who can be found on flickr)

This macro shot of a butterfly was photographed with a Nikon D40 camera and a Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens.

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

Because this butterfly was moving around quite a bit, the photographer upped the ISO speed to 400, so he could keep a faster shutter speed of 1/500th of a second.

8. Fairyland

This is what I've always imagined fairyland to be like :) However, in actual fact it's a macro shot of the tiniest moss, found at the bottom of an orchid pot. This is the beauty of macro photography, in that you get to really appreciate the smaller things in life and see them in a whole different light.  

The camera was a Canon 400D SLR and the lens a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro.

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

9. Miss Ladybird

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

The only reason the shutter speed is set to a fast 1/640th of a second in this case, is because I was attempting to capture the ladybird as it flies off. However, I wasn't too successful this time around at getting one in flight.

10. Butt Heavy

Photo of a dragonfly taken with a Canon 400D SLR and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. A Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash was also used.

Exposure (shutter speed): 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: Pattern

This particular photograph was taken at 8.30 in the morning with strong sunlight coming from behind the dragonfly. While many photographers don't like shooting into the sun, I find when it comes to macro photography, it can often help to highlight an insects tiny hairs. You do need to be careful not to capture lens flare though. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Related links:

• Difference between macro, micro and close up photography
• Tips for photographing flying insects
• How to use manual focusing for macro photography 
• Review Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens 
• Review Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens 

For example, Nikons top macro lens is called AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. Notice the term micro in that name.

Now for comparisons sake, Canon's top macro lens is called a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. This time, instead of seeing the term micro, you'll notice the term macro within the lens name.

What does macro and micro refer to when it comes to photography?

The word macro means big, whereas the word micro mean small. So how is it that these two terms related?  

If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a "macro" view of a "micro" subject.

What is macro (micro) photography?

Macro photography is that which is taken with a dedicated macro lens. A real macro lens has the capability of achieving in the least a 1:1 magnification. Just because a camera has the word macro written on it, doesn't make it a true macro lens. Both the Nikon and Canon lenses mentioned above, are considered real macro lenses. If you're not sure how to recognise a real macro lens, you may find an earlier article useful called, What is a real macro lens.

What is close up photography?

Close up photography, is the act of photographing objects such as flowers or insects in close range so the subject you are photographing fills the frame. In other words, it's the act of photographing subjects close up. This is easily achievable with any lens, even a 300mm telephoto lens. 

Macro photography is in essence close up photography as well. However, close up photography is not always considered as true macro photography. For example, if you have a lens that is NOT considered a real macro lens, yet offers a macro setting (as many do nowadays), this is usually refered to as being close up photography, and not true macro.  

How to recognise the difference between macro and close up photography?

Capturing the finest detail, is one of the main differences between macro / micro photography and close up photography.

Macro lenses are expensive for a reason. That being, a true macro lens allows the photographer to capture finer detail than would otherwise have been seen. For example, the hairs on an insects face, or the pattern in its eye.

Take the two photographs below for example. The first image is a very good example of a close up photograph, taken with a Nikon telephoto lens. While the second photograph is a macro shot, allowing for bigger magnification and showing the finest detail. 

Related links:

• Dragonfly photography  
• How to photograph macro water drops
• Tips for photographing flying insects 
• Manual focus is often very effective for macro and closeup photography