Featured Technique

Take this shot: Exotic

If your camera has a macro mode (or even better, if you’re lucky enough to win a macro lens), this is an excellent time of year to get up close and  personal with the natural world and pull off some fantastic close-up shots.

Don’t be put off by our exotic subject pictured below. You might not have geckos to photograph, but you’re likely to be able to find all manner of insects, frogs and slow worms in your back garden!

Once you’ve found your subject, mount your camera on a small tripod or rest it on a bean bag or other stable object and compose your shot. Selecting an aperture of around f/8 keeps the eyes and nose of the creature nice and sharp.

Having the background blurred helps the creature to stand out and will compensate for any distracting objects that you may be unable to move. If you can, shoot in RAW format, as this will give you more flexibility when it comes to editing your shots later. Practise the tips and experiment with ordinary tungsten lamps or bounced flash (remember to set your white balance) if conditions are somewhat dull. If you want to have a go at photographing more exotic creatures in controlled conditions, visit your local zoo or wildlife centre and ask a handler if you can get closer to some of the animals under their supervision, or check out one of the UK-wide wildlife workshops at www.wildarena.com.

1 Catch light
A great way of avoiding the ‘taxidermy’ look is to ensure there’s a catch light in your subject’s eyes. Think how much more dynamic and alive people look in portraits when the photographer has positioned the light source to create a catch light – the effect is exactly the same with other living creatures. You can achieve it by positioning your subject in natural light, or using off-camera flash.

2 Add depth
Avoid having a depth of field that’s too narrow; although this can be good for creating abstract images, when shooting creatures like this gecko, it’s desirable to have the eye(s) and nose pin-sharp, with the focus gently falling away in the background for added impact. If you can control your aperture, select a bigger number (small aperture) to keep more elements in focus, or a small number (large aperture) to have less in focus.

3 Directional lighting
Light fall-off on the background is desirable for macro shots, as it helps the subject to stand out. Experiment with the positioning of your light source in relation to the subject and try to avoid having it ‘square on’ – positioning your light source to one side creates shadows, adding contrast. Fill in any deep shadows with a reflector or a piece of white card.

4 Stay sharp
Aim for fast shutter speeds (1/60sec or faster) to freeze movement. If you don’t have a tripod, be inventive and find something else to rest your camera on; a table or a pile of boxes will suffice. To reduce the chance of camera shake further, use your camera’s self-timer mode to fire the shutter, or use a remote control or cable release if you have one.

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