Ive been asked a couple of times to do a tutorial on macro photography, and Ive given a few "quick and dirty" explanations on various forums. But its easier to write about it formally in an article and just point someone to a link. So here goes :)
Disclaimer: I am not the last word, nor in my humble opinion is anyone the last word, on any photographic discipline! There are many different ways to take a photo, and I really dont think that any technique is inherently wrong -just different. In this article Im going to explain how I shoot macro and hopefully there will be something that you can use. The important th
Shooting Dragonflies Tutorial by dalantech, literature
Literature
Shooting Dragonflies Tutorial
Ive spent a lot of time at Lago deAverno (Lake of Averno) shooting dragonflies. There are several species of them but the most common is the Violet Darter. After a while you start to pick up on their habits and quirks, and you learn when you can get close and when you're wasting your time. The trick is to find one that's busy. If they are feeding, mating, or otherwise occupied then they are less likely to fly away. If they do fly off then just freeze -if the dragon comes back to the same spot (or close to it) then try again. If the critter lands several meters away from you then look for a new subject to shoot.
If you try to get close
Shooting Butterflies Tutorial by dalantech, literature
Literature
Shooting Butterflies Tutorial
As beautiful as they are fragile, butterflies are one of my favorite subjects to shoot and one of the most difficult to get close to in the wild. Im often asked how I get so close to them and here is what Ive learned.
Shoot them when they are distracted.
Like all insects, butterflies are more likely to stay put if they are occupied. Go looking for them early in the morning when they are trying to dry out from the previous nights dew, feeding, or mating. In the heat of the day they are very active and less likely to let you get close.
Dont act like a snake.
Predators, like snakes and lizards, move slowly when
Dragons In Flight Tutorial by dalantech, literature
Literature
Dragons In Flight Tutorial
Given the choice Id much rather shoot dragonflies on the ground, but there are some species that always seem to be in motion when Im out with the camera. After a few attempts at shooting them in flight, and a lot of trial and error, I found a way to take shots of airborne dragons that seems to work pretty well at least for me ;) Hopefully there will be something in this tutorial that you can use or adapt to your own style of shooting.
I dont have a high end camera so my 40D only has nine auto focus points. Since Im into composing with the view finder and will not allow myself to crop there never seems to be a us