If you’re a bit of a macro addict, photographing insects while out and about can be great fun.Not everybody wants to photograph them sitting on a leaf or crawling across the ground.Sometimes you want to have a cleaner look that features just the subject.
THE CAMERA & LENS
You don’t really need an expensive high-end camera body. Basically, you can use the camera with a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro and a Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Macro. You could also do this with a regular non-macro lens using extension tubes, although you may face slower autofocus issues. Or, possibly even no autofocus at all.
ISO and SHUTTER SPEED
Shoot around ISO250, at f/11 with a 1/250th of a shutter speed. This will kill much of the ambient light on a dull day or in shade then adjust the flash power to expose your subject.
APERTURE
Getting focus throughout the entire depth of field is a challenging aspect that all macro photographers must overcome. There's nothing wrong with a shallow depth of field if your insect's entire body in focus. To achieve this shot using a narrow aperture is the best idea.
If you have to use a wide aperture shoot your insect from the side. This will give your viewers an insect that is more in focus and it can help eliminate the challenges that a shallow depth of field creates in macro photography.
FLASH GEAR
You can use two different flash setups when shooting. The first should appear on top of the camera’s hot shoe, controlling a Speedlight. Place the Speedlight inside a small softbox to provide a softer look to the lighting on the subject. Even though it’s a small softbox, it’s a huge light source when compared to a tiny file. Place the softbox off to one side to create a directional light.
SHOOTING
Sometimes finding small subjects is a great challenge. At times you find exactly what you’re looking for, but at other times surprises come, quite literally, flying past you. So, be ready with those quick reactions. But when you do, it’s relatively easy to make some pretty cool images.
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