Wedding photography - Macro photography: options and alternatives
With wedding photography, I mostly use a macro lens just for detail images at the bride's place - rings & jewelry. I do use a macro lens for detail photos of the rings. However, during the early part of the day at the bride's place, I try to bring as little equipment as possible. Then carrying a macro lens for just a few detail images might just add too much bulk to the shoulder bag. Also, if your budget is constrained, then it might seem a bit much to spend that much money for a lens that will see so little use. Read more inside...
Wedding photography - Video light for macro detail photos
With the details photos of the wedding rings, I generally resort to on-camera bounce flash for enough light ... and for interesting light. Sometimes though, I mix it up by using video light instead. Here I used an LED video light (affiliate). What I love about this LED video light, is that the White Balance can be changed from Incandescent to Daylight. This helps you blend the additional light to that of the existing ambient light where you are photographing the subject.
The need for smaller apertures with macro Read more inside...
Macro photography for wedding detail shots is one of those areas where you need a smaller aperture. I know it's been suggested by some high-profile photographer(s) that you shoot macro at f/2.8 but this is tough advice to follow. If you even breathe, your plane of focus changes for that close distance you're working at.
That smaller aperture (and I regularly work at f/11 or there-abouts), implies you will need a lot of light. A lot of daylight or lots of flash. When you're shooting indoors, this means flash, Read more inside...
Wedding photography - Tips for detail shots of the wedding rings
In photographing the detail images of the wedding rings, there are a few things to aim for:
- context within which to place the rings,
- a few images with different angles,
- great lighting which is easily achievable.
Then we also have to take care of the depth-of-field and the tricky focusing ... Read more inside...
Using a macro lens for a photo session of a newborn
I had the pleasure of photographing Jen and David's newborn baby. Aside from photographing the proud parents with their little one, it is also essential to get detail photos of the baby. With close-up images, you see even more clearly just how small this newborn baby is, when you show the scale. A tiny hand clasping a finger. Tiny toes gently flexing against her mother's hand.
For this, a macro lens is an essential part of my camera bag. Read more inside...
