Up Close

Macro Focus Mode

Macro shots are one of my favorite types of pictures. You don't need a lot of skill to come up with a good one too. All you need to do is select the macro focus mode of your camera (see icon above). Select a fine looking specimen. Move your camera really close (2-5 inches, or so). Half-press the shot button so that your camera could automatically set the focus. And click! you have your macro shot. Here are a few exaples of my favorite shots. No photoshop edits for these ones.

Lamp Number 5

This is a shot of the trainer that we use in our automation class. I intentionally left only one lamp on to attract more attention to that specific area. This also adds accent to the picture. Macro shots have a very narrow depth of focus (Im not sure if I used the right technical terms, but you know what I mean). Most of the shot is out of focus and only a very small area remains clear. Again this is to shift more attention to a specific area in a picture.

The Last Slice

When taking a macro shot, you must pay close attention to the lighting. Using the flash when your camera is really close to the subject can oversaturate the image and you could end up with a picture that looks like a clean sheet of paper. You may have to take a few shots to get it right. Try to experiment which shots looks best. If your image looks good without the flash, then that's a good shot. In some cases where the flash is absolutely necessary, try to move away from the subject a bit and compensate by zooming in a little. This is a shot cake leftover from some party. With macro shots, even leftovers could look mouth watering.

Sizzler

Here is one example where I did use the flash. Take note that black is one of the dominant colors in this image. Black absorbs light and will make anything in the foreground look darker. See how the flash reflects off the corn kernels? This is why we seldom use the flash when taking macro shots. Another important factor that you have to consider when taking a macro shot is how you would frame the image. This is not a meal served from some hotel. It's just a 60-peso sizzling pork barbeque meal from one of the stores at Gateway's food court. Because we eliminated the cheap looking table and the greasy sizzling plate in order to focus more on the food, the image looks more mouthwatering that it should be. ^_^