Video: The garden is a great place to do macro flash photography

 

 

For those in the northern hemisphere, spring has sprung, and gardens are beginning to come alive. This means that not only is there a lot more color around, but it also means that a whole new world of photographic subjects is upon us, including beautiful flowers and fascinating insects.

Over at Adorama, photographer Gavin Hoey has released a new video all about garden macro photography as part of his ongoing video series, 'Take & Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey.' In the video below, Hoey offers practical tips and tricks to help you get started with macro photography or improve your existing skills. Covered topics include how to approach macro insect photography, camera settings for macro flash photography, the pros and cons of using flash for macro work and more.

When photographing insects, Hoey likes to start with a wider perspective. This provides environmental context and helps him keep track of his subject in the frame as he gets closer. If you do want to get extremely close, Hoey also talks about extension tubes. These allow you to focus closer than your lens's minimum focusing distance. This is achieved by creating a gap between your lens and your camera.

As you get closer to your subject, you also need to contend with shadows. That's where flash comes in. However, while the flash will help light your subject and freeze any action, it does make your camera setup quite a bit heavier. Even with some downsides, Hoey sticks with flash because it delivers consistent, high-quality light for macro photography.

If you're interested in giving macro photography a try for the first time, check out another video we featured earlier this month, 'A complete guide to macro photography for beginners.'

(Via Adorama)