Joe Liburdi’s School of U/W Photography

What is macro photography?
Macro photography is the extreme magnification of a subject.

Overview:

If using a Point and Shoot without the Manual Mode you are stuck with shooting in “P” Program Mode. The camera will, in most instances, select the best exposure.
If you are using an SLR/Point and Shoot with “M” Mode, use it. You now have the ability to create the final image as you want it to look by selecting f/stops and shutter speeds.

How to when using Compact Point and Shoot cameras with “P” Program Mode

Pre-set the camera to the following:

P” Mode. The camera will adjust automatically to an f/stop and shutter speed.
ISO 100
Macro.
•• Spot focus.
•• Lens to wide angle. Note: Zooming to fill the frame usually results in blurring the image. Keep the lens wide, get in close to fill the frame. The closer the better.
•• Auto White Balance
••Color saturation to vivid.
•• Flash to force flash mode: Note: Internal flash is not the way to go in underwater photography. The flash is positioned directly in line with the lens and any suspended matter in the water will cause backscatter, hot spots, and shadows, etc. Best to get an external flash for better results.

How to when using Compact Point and Shoot/SLR camera with “M” Manual Mode

Pre-set the camera to the following:

M” Mode
Shutter speed: Start with 1/125.
Repeat the above steps for all other settings annotated by ••
Note: SLR camera have additional settings to “A” aperture priority and “S” shutter priority. I don’t recommend using them for Macro photography.

Now that we have the above settled, let’s proceed.

Let’s begin with Aperture settings.
Many underwater photo buffs have different opinions on which is the best aperture setting to use for macro. Some say, f/8, others pick an f/sop from f/8 to f/32. I recommend using my rule of thumb exposure chart as a starting point and then experimenting with different f/stops to fine tune the exposure.

Rule of Thumb Exposures for MACRO — Distance from Camera and Strobe to Central Point of Interest.

•• 2-4 inches (knuckle to finger tip) …………. f/22-f/32
•• 6 inches (approx wrist to finger tip) ........….... f22-f32
•• 1 ft (approx elbow to finger tip) ………….. f/16
•• 2 ft (approx 1 1/2 arm lengths) …………... f/11
•• 3 ft (approx two arm lengths) ………….. f//8

Depth of Field is the area in front of and behind the subject that will appear in sharp focus.

Framing the Central Point of Interest

No matter if you are using a point-and-shoot camera set to Macro or an SLR camera with a macro lens, the most important thing is to fill the frame with the Point of Interest. This is accomplished by increasing/decreasing distance from lens to Point of Interest.

Macro with one external strobe. You have two options: TTL or Manual

Tips

I recommend starting with TTL and experimenting with Manual on occasion.
Choose the method that gives you the best results.
When shooting Macro, you must position your strobe closer than the manufacturer’s recommended strobe-to-subject distance. A good rule of thumb is to keep your strobe in line with the lens. As you move the camera back and forth the strobe remains the same distance as the camera. This is a starting point. If you like, you can then move your strobe closer/further back to fine-tune the lighting.
Aim your strobe behind the apparent central point of interest and at a slightly upward angle to gain the full benefit of strobe lighting.
Always focus on the eye of the subject.
Note: Proper focusing procedure. Hold the camera steady and press the shutter half way to get a focus. When focus is achieved follow through to complete full release of the shutter. Some people like to hold the camera steady and follow through with one quick, smooth motion.
Fill the frame.
Always shoot slightly upward and at an angle.
Do not if possible shoot straight on or straight down on a subject. This view creates a two dimensional effect.
Negative space is everything that is not the subject. Good negative space would be blue water. Bad negative space would be broken coral, etc.
Look for unusual perspective such as a nudibranch crawling over seaweed, etc.
Be creative.
Less is more