Being a professional wildlife and nature photographer, these uncertain times have had a huge impact on my business in both positive and negative ways. I was forced to cancel almost all of my workshops and trips for the year which is beyond disappointing but it has allowed me something I haven’t had in years…free time! Being stuck at home in an area that does not necessarily have a lot of wildlife or beautiful landscapes inspired me to find opportunity in unusual places. I decided to head out into my backyard and to a local park with my Tokina 100mm f2.8 AT-X macro lens and in this article I will share with you what I found and how I went about photographing it. For all of the photos in this article, I kept it very simple. I did not use a flash or a tripod. I simply put my Tokina lens on my camera and headed outside because I wanted to show that this is something anyone can do with just a camera and a lens.

Macro photography to me is no different than any other genre of photography in the way I approach it. The number one priority for me is composition so I always start there. I go into every macro shot with a plan and a vision in my head of how I want the shot to look. Macro photography tends to be more prepared and setup when compared to say wildlife photography where you are relying on an animal to create the scene. Because of this I have the ability to be very conscious of the background making sure there is nothing distracting taking away from the subject of the photo. The same goes with the foreground as much as possible. Something as simple as a blade of grass or a stick in the wrong place can ruin a great photo.

The next decision that needs to be made will be what aperture to shoot at. When using a longer focal length macro lens, the depth of field can be razor thin. I like to use a very shallow depth of field when trying to make a certain detail stand out such as a water droplet or the center of a flower for example. If more depth of field is needed, you can use a smaller aperture or don’t be afraid to back up from the subject. Backing up slightly will give you a wider depth of field and you can always crop the photo while editing. Lastly if you want to shoot very close but find you can’t get enough depth of field, there’s the more advanced option of focus stacking which is taking many photos focusing on different parts of the subject and then merging them together to create sharpness throughout the entire photo. Because the focus is so critical with macro photography, I always use only a single autofocus point to make sure the camera is selecting exactly what I want to be in focus.

When using an insect or animal in your photo, this can be a little more challenging depending on how cooperative your subject is. In a perfect world where an animal gives you enough time to set up your shot, first and foremost you should make sure that you are at eye level with it (unless intentionally shooting from above or behind the animal). Eye level shots give a much more intimate look. It is also crucial to make sure the eye is in focus. As far as composition with an animal goes…It is important to give the animal room to move in photo unless shooting straight on. For example, if the animal is looking to the right, then you should place it on the left side of the frame allowing for negative space in the direction the animal is looking. The most important part of using animals in your macro photography is making sure that you are aware of the animals limitations and do not harm them. Don’t keep reptiles and amphibians out in the sun (or cold) for too long. If an animal keeps moving it is likely stressed and should be released.

Lighting: The reason I chose not to use a flash for this article is that artificial lighting in macro photography can get pretty involved. There are a number of different options such as flashes, ring lights, etc…all of which can also be expensive and complicated especially for beginners therefor I chose to show that macro photography can be done with just natural lighting.

One disadvantage of using natural lighting is that your photos will be more susceptible to shadows if photographing on a sunny day. Taking pictures in direct sunlight often can produce harsh or contrast lighting. I prefer to find a shady spot or go out on overcast days when the light is nice and even and shadows are non existent. When photographing amphibians and reptiles also be aware that they often reflect light causing “hot spots”. A circular polarizer is a good tool for combating that. This also goes for water droplets on leaves and flowers.

Macro photography really allows you to be creative. It enables you to see the world in a different way. The best part about it is it’s actually pretty easy and you can do it almost anywhere! A lot of people tend to navigate towards other areas of photography and macro is often overlooked in my opinion. In this high tech world where everyone seems to have a camera, macro photography can allow you to separate yourself from the crowd. Social media is saturated with a lot of the same photos from the same locations but with macro you have a world of opportunity to get some really unique photographs. So get out there and see what your backyard has to offer!!

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Harry Collins is a professional wildlife and nature photographer based in Pennsylvania. Please visit http://www.harrycollinsphoto.com for more photos, videos and workshops. Also follow Harry on Instagram @harrycollinsphotography and YouTube: www.youtube.com/HarryCollinsPhotography

Some "Behind the Scenes" photos