NZPhotographer Issue 21, July 2019

APERTURE IS CRUCIAL
The closer you are to an object, the more
dramatic the effect of aperture will be. In
macro photography, depth of field is crucial.
A shallow depth of field can be used to isolate
your subject from the surrounding clutter.
Equally, you may want everything crisp and
sharp to give a full sense of the detail.
SACRIFICE F11 FOR BETTER DEPTH OF FIELD
The closer you are to an object, the more your
aperture will become crucially important. A general
rule of thumb for landscape photography is most
lenses are sharpest at f11. If you are using a macro
lens, however, it may be more important to use a
smaller aperture, even as small as f32 or f45, to get
everything in focus.
EXPERIMENT WITH APERTURE
It’s often difficult to tell exactly what is, and isn’t in
focus using the screen on your camera back, so it’s
best to experiment with a range of apertures, and
determine which works best back on your home
computer.
ALIGNING PLANES
Another important aspect of close-up photography is
the plane between the subject and your camera lens.
If you are photographing a relatively flat subject, such
as the bark of a tree, it’s worth spending some time
aligning your camera lens perfectly parallel with the
subject. That maximizes your ability to get everything in
focus, and might mean you can drop your aperture to
f11.
WIND IS YOUR ENEMY
Air movement will move ferns or any delicate object
very easily, and the smaller the object and the closer
you are to it, the worse the problem. You can use
your pack, or an umbrella to help shield your subject
from the wind, or wait for any small lull and then press
your cable release. If the wind proves too much of
a problem, consider a higher ISO to enable a faster
shutter speed. It’s worth sacrificing extra noise for a
sharp shot.
KNOW YOUR SUBJECT
As with any photographic subject, the more
you know, the better the chance of making a
meaningful image. Buy a guidebook, read the
information panels at the start of the track, search
online. It all helps, and greater knowledge usually
leads to greater appreciation too.
HONE YOUR OBSERVATION SKILLS
Take your time. Have patience. Look underfoot,
overhead, sideways, behind you. Sometimes the
best subject is the one you just passed, but looking
back on it from a different angle.
These shots of the same koru, at McLean Falls
in the Catlins, show the effect
of experimenting with aperture on depth of
field.
FINALLY…
Experiment. Take risks. Be prepared to fail. Try again.
That’s photography!
July 2019
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