The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography

The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography

by Cyrill Harnischmacher
Released February 2016
Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
ISBN: 9781681980546

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Book description

The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography is a comprehensive handbook on macro and close-up photography, offering both ambitious beginners and veteran photographers all the information they need to create great macro photographs. Experienced photographer and author Cyrill Harnischmacher covers:

  • Explanations of all the concepts behind close-up and macro photography
  • Equipment, including camera systems, macro lenses, close-up lenses, extension tubes, and reversing rings
  • Shooting techniques such as high-speed photography using photoelectric sensors, light painting, focus stacking to extend depth of field, panoramic and infrared macros, extended contrast with HDR technology, and multiple exposures
  • Tackling subject matter both in the field and in the studio
  • Working creatively with ambient and artificial light
  • Countless hands-on shooting tips
  • Post-processing your macro images

The book also offers insights about macro photo composition, discussing light, color, camera position, and focus. With more than 600 images and figures illustrating the various ways readers can document the world of the infinitesimal, this book is not only a technical guide, but also a source of inspiration giving readers ideas to run with and make their own. Finally, the book also includes do-it-yourself projects, offering solutions both for everyday shooting as well as for dealing with specific situations unique to macro photography.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedaication
  5. Foreword
  6. Table of Contents
  7. The Fascination of Macro Photography
  8. 01 The Basics
    1. The Basics in Theoretical Terms
    2. The Basics in Numbers
    3. The Deepest Depths
  9. 02 Equipment
    1. Cameras for Macro Photography
    2. Standard Lenses
    3. Macro Lenses
    4. Close-Up Lenses
    5. Teleconverters and Extension Tubes
    6. Reversing Rings and Coupling Rings
    7. Bellows
    8. Altering Depth of Field
    9. Lighting for Close-Up and Macro Photography
    10. Colors of Light and Color Reproduction
    11. Shutter Release Accessories
    12. Remote Control via Smartphone or Tablet
    13. Remote Control with Triggertrap
    14. Optical Filters
    15. Tripods and Mounts
    16. Transportation and Safety
    17. Additional Macro Accessories
  10. 03 Shooting Techniques
    1. Strategies for Dealing with Blur
    2. Holding a Camera Properly
  11. 04 Macro Photography in the Studio
    1. Studio Light
    2. Lighting Compared
    3. Building a Small Macro Studio
    4. Bringing Nature Indoors
    5. The Glowing Snail Shell
    6. Tabletop Photography
    7. Smoke, Steam, and Fog
  12. 05 Macro Photography in Nature
    1. Backyards and Balconies
    2. Into the Wild
    3. Stefan Dittmann Fungal Photography
    4. Photography in the Fungal Kingdom
  13. 06 Special Shooting Techniques
    1. Multiple Exposures
    2. Focus Stacking
    3. Light Painting
    4. Interval Shooting, Time-Lapse, and Stop-Motion
    5. High-Speed Photography
    6. High-Speed Studio Photography without Light Barriers
    7. High Dynamic Range—HDR
    8. Macro Panoramas
    9. Creative Experiments
    10. Infrared Macro Photography
    11. Jan Metzler Focus Stacking
    12. Advanced Focus Stacking
    13. Hans Christian Steeg High-Speed Photography
    14. Caught in Flight
  14. 07 Searching for Subjects
    1. Discovering, Searching for, and Collecting Subjects
    2. Variations on a Theme
    3. Abstract Subjects
  15. 08 A Day at the Zoo
    1. Zoos
    2. Botanical Gardens
    3. Butterfly Gardens
    4. Aquaria and Terraria
  16. 09 Image Editing
    1. Post-processing Photos
    2. Black & White Conversion
  17. 10 Working with Light
    1. Exposure Metering
    2. Lighting on the Go
    3. A Comparison of Portable Lighting Options
  18. 11 Composition
    1. Image Design
    2. Creative Camera Angles
    3. Setting the Scene with Light
    4. Focus as a Design Tool
    5. Accents of Color
    6. Limiting Colors
    7. Bernd Schloemer Miniature Street Art
    8. The Colognies Project
  19. 12 Do It Yourself
    1. Using a Macro Lens as a Microscope
    2. Guide Rails for Macro Panoramas
    3. Beanbag Camera Stands
    4. System Flash Reflectors
  20. Acknowledgments

Product information

  • Title: The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography
  • Author(s): Cyrill Harnischmacher
  • Release date: February 2016
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681980546