4. Abstracts And Background Images Macro photography isolates objects in ways that create lovely abstract images. An abstract image is a nonliteral image that has little or no reference to an identifiable object. That makes the macro lens a perfect tool because you can fill the frame and exclude the literal connections. Effective abstract macro images can concentrate on textures, colors, and shapes. For greater magnification, you can use extension tubes or bellows with most macro lenses. Extension tubes fit between the lens and the camera body and increase magnification by varying factors. Some extension tubes are sold in sets of two or three, and you can use them together to increase the reproduction ratio even further. You can also use bellows to increase the magnification. They work much like extension tubes, but they allow more control over the reproduction ratio. Abstract images are great to have on hand as background images for websites and correspondence. With pre-planning, abstract macro images can also work well as backgrounds for composites and collages. To create this abstract image, I filled the frame with a roll of fine-gauge wire set on a mirrored background. Later I applied a Nik Efex Pro Bicolor filter to add color and more contrast to the picture. 5. Distorting Reality With The Lensbaby For $100, you can add a fun and creative macro lens to your gear bag—a lens that bends reality in endlessly interesting ways. Created by Portland-based professional photographer Craig Strong, the Lensbaby (www.lensbaby.com) focuses as close as one foot, and that makes it great for exploring with a more artistic point of view. Because you can bend the lens up and down and to the left and right, it’s easy to shift focus while creatively blurring the surrounding objects in the scene. The lens mimics the effects produced by $20 Holga plastic cameras. While some of the effects of the Lensbaby can be simulated in image-editing programs, there is nothing like having the Lensbaby on the camera to see and modify the various effects as you work. And you can add the 0.45x wide angle lens with macro to reduce focusing distance to one inch with the Lensbaby extended and four inches with the Lensbaby fully compressed. Bending not only the point of focus is part of the fun and challenge of using the Lensbaby. At full extension, the Lensbaby is effective for creative macro photography. With the 0.45x conversion lens attached to the Lensbaby, the focusing distance is as close as one inch. For this image, I used the macro conversion lens, the f/2.8 aperture and tungsten light. 6. Patience Is The Prerequisite, Imagination Is The Limit Once you’re hooked on macro photography, almost anything—from toothbrushes and food to pets and people—is a potential subject. The truth is, however, those inanimate subjects are more likely to sit still without complaint as you tweak the focus and composition. And speaking of tweaking and re-tweaking, most experienced macro photographers know that making macro images is a slow and exacting process. Macro photography requires a deliberate approach to setting up, composing, and focusing, and the slightest movement changes the composition and focus. Start the process with a good dose of patience, take your time, and experiment with different angles, apertures, and focusing distances. The results are well worth the effort. Depending on your sensibilities, virtually anything and everyone qualifies as a potential subject for macro photography. Close-up vs. Macro So what’s the difference between close-ups? In general, close-up photography reproduces subjects at 1/4-1/3 life size. By contrast, a true macro lens renders the subject at 1¼2 life size to life size. Macro lenses are also distinguished by their close focusing distance. For example, Canon’s EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens’ closest focusing distance is 0.8 feet, producing a 0.5x magnification, while the180mm f/3.5L macro lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1.6 feet producing life-size (1x) magnification. While the close focusing distance and magnification are seriously cool, they also give rise to a couple of potential gotchas. First, because the depth of field is extremely limited even at narrow apertures, precise focus is critical. Second, with close focusing distances and high magnification, any movement will blur the picture. If you want sharp pictures, use a tripod or the self-timer and be sure that the subject is sitting stock still. With many macro lenses, you’ll also need to use manual focus to do either all or part of the focusing. As you focus the lens, the image size becomes larger or smaller, which, in turn, changes the composition. In many situations, it’s easier to move the camera forward or back to adjust focus instead of adjusting focus on the lens. If you have an extensive collection to document, you may want to buy or make a copy stand. Copy-stand designs differ, but traditional copy stands have an arm that holds and stabilizes the camera directly over and at a parallel plane to the subject. The bottom of the stand is a platform that holds the object. Copy stands range in price from $45 to more than $3000, and they are invaluable for photographing small objects such as coins, glass objects, and book pages. Alternatively, if you have a tripod that allows you to attach the camera on the center tripod support, you can simulate an expensive copy stand. Just attach the camera to the center support and center the camera over the subject. Focusing can be dicey in this position, but it’s doable. You can also opt to use focusing rails that allow controlled camera movement along the rails while maintaining unchanging camera-to-subject distance. More Online To read past instructional features, please visit our website at: www.photographic.com.