Insect macro photography techniques – an ongoing experimentation (part I)

1/125sec. F11, ISO200, Wireless Flash fired

When I first ventured into photography, I started with insect macro photography, and it quickly became an activity I indulged in often. Macro photography, I think, is one of the more technically demanding types of photography, and is a good, if masochistic, way to learn and get all your photography basics right. In addition to different techniques to gain magnification, you have to worry about accurate focus, proper hand-holding technique, and the use and control of additional lighting and lighting modifiers.

After a recent attempt at insect macro work (for the OM-D E-M10 Mark II review), I found myself with a renewed itch to hunt for insects to photograph. This in turn lead to me writing this article sharing my techniques for insect macro photography.

Before we proceed, some caveats to keep in mind:

1) For photography beginners – do not skip the basics. If you still struggle to understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO, then make sure you master these fundamentals first, before venturing into macro photography.

2) The techniques I highlight below are not entirely my design, they are based on gathering information, observing other macro photographers and my own experience. Each time I shoot, there is always plenty of trial and experimentation. I consider this to be a perpetual work in progress, which means my techniques are not perfect but a good starting point.

3) My techniques may not work for you. There is no right and wrong, and there’s more than one way to accomplish the same goal. Pick what works best for you.

Required Gear:

1) A camera, of course, and my camera of choice at the moment is the OM-D E-M5, though I also use other OM-D cameras. For this set, I have used the new OM-D E-M10 Mark II. But all you need is a camera with a viewfinder and wireless flash control capability. If you are using a fixed lens camera, the lens will have to be able to focus at macro distances.

2) A macro lens – I use the Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 Macro. You need a true macro lens for larger magnification. With the Olympus 60mm, I get 2:1 magnification in 35mm equivalent format. 1:1 would be ideal but not absolutely necessary.

3) External flash which can be fired off camera. In my case, it is the Olympus FL-50R. I have tried both wired and wireless triggering systems for flash use in macro photography and find wireless to be ideal and most practical. Most insects don’t just sit around on a leaf posing for you, but hide underneath leaves, behind branches, or are found on tree trunks. With a speed light mounted on my camera, I have no control on the direction of the flash. Moving the flash off camera gives me flexibility and control over the direction of light and allows me to shoot at very difficult angles.

4) Mini Softbox attached to the external flash unit. I recently acquired the Gamilight Box 21, which works well for me. However, in the past, I have created my own diffusers or reflectors, from all kinds of materials, including shoeboxes. While they are cheaper to make, they don’t last very long and it is easier to purchase one if you plan to do this often. The Gamilight Box 21 was the only one I could find within short notice, and it was not expensive, and got the job done decently, but there are other options out there.

1/80sec, F5.6, ISO640, no flash used

1/160sec, F11, ISO200, Wireless Flash fired

1/125sec, F7.1, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired. Note: image rotated 180 degrees. The spider was originally under the leaf (as seen on the leaf structure)

1/125sec, F13, ISO200, Wireless Flash fired

My Macro Photography Techniques:

1) I hold the camera with macro lens attached single-handed with my right hand (my dominant hand).

2) On my other hand (left in this case) I have the flash, with the soft box mounted.

3) The camera is set to manual focus, and I decide what magnification I need before I shoot. The smaller the insect, the larger the magnification that I need, and most of the time I’m at 1:1.

4) I shot through the Electronic Viewfinder all the time (make sure you calibrate the diopter settings to fit your eyes perfectly. Or else everything will appear out of focus. Especially at these magnification levels). Here comes the tricky part, I then move the camera closer to the subject, until I have the insect in focus. I usually need to rock myself back and forth slightly until I can lock focus on the exact area of the scene I’d like in focus. Focusing is extremely important, and crucial and unlike still life macro, you don’t have the luxury of a tripod. The electronic viewfinder has sufficient resolution and sharpness to help me nail focus, and is in fact much better equipped than a traditional optical viewfinder.

5) The flash is usually positioned above the head of the insect, simulating light coming from the side of and above the head (much like what a photographer would do for shooting a human portrait with a one light setup). You can of course get experimental with light, but this is a good place to start in the beginning.

6) Ideally, you want to get the shot within the first or second exposure since insects don’t stick around. If the exposure if off on my first frame, I make some quick adjustments shoot a couple more frames. The burst mode (or if possible, burst with e-shutter) is useful in shooting a rapid burst of images to ensure accurate critical focus.

7) Focusing is the most difficult thing to achieve, but with sufficient practice and experience, it can be done quite efficiently and quickly.

Camera Settings:

Full Manual Exposure: No exceptions, because I want everything in control. I do not trust the camera to make creative decisions for me.

Shutter speed 1/80sec to 1/160sec: I use a lower shutter speed if I need more ambient light (so as not to turn the background into a sea of black every time).

Aperture f8-16: The closer I am to the subject and the tinier the insect, the larger the magnification I need which means as small an aperture as possible to maximize depth of field. Diffraction is an issue, but can be offset to some extent by sharpening in post.

ISO200: Which is the base for the OM-D cameras. You want to use the lowest setting possible.

Flash set to wireless TTL, controlled and triggered wirelessly: While I use flash exposure compensation to adjust the power as necessary, I generally find TTL to be accurate most of the time. In that rare occasions that this does not work (about 1 in 30 shots) I will default to manual settings for the flash.

Live View Boost on: This is more camera specific. If available but disabled, you’ll have a black screen in the shade in live view at F16, ISO200 and 1/160sec.

Manual focus: I set focus based on magnification factor, which is usually indicated on a macro lens (1:1 full magnification, 1:2, and so on).

Bonus tip: For most cameras these days, you can save these settings to a shortcut menu (I, for example, assigned it to the ART option in the mode dial). So I can access these settings quickly during on the field. Another benefit of using buttons for customized settings is when I see something else I may want to shoot which require a different set up. All I do then is turn the mode dial to, say, Aperture priority and fire away with autofocus and other standard settings that I use.

All the photos of me below show me putting this techniques in practice. Images were taken by fellow friend and photography blogger Tian Chad. 

Holding the camera + lens on one hand, and viewing through the EVF to confirm focus, while my other hand holds the flash with mini softbox mounted. Flash was fired wirelessly

Varying the distance of the flash from the subject can affect the outcome of the photographs.

Very, very important to review the images! Chimping is mandatory in shooting insect macro photography. YOU MUST CHIMP.

That was a pass. Moving on to the next shot.

1/160sec, F10, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired

A few final notes and facts to consider:

I recommend using these techniques with smaller camera systems: If you have a traditional full-frame SLR, you may want to consider other stabilizing techniques such as using a tripod or monopod, and different methods of lighting – instead of holding the flash with your hand. Holding the camera single-handedly works well with the Olympus OM-D, because of its small size, the versatility of built in 5-Axis Image Stabilization, and burst with e-shutter capabilities.

Insect Macro Photography is physically challenging: Insect macro photography is physically demanding if shot hand-held. You need to stand, squat and everything in between resulting in the most awkward positions, to get your shot as the subject rarely stays stationary or at eye level.

Invest in a Macro Lens: If you want to venture into the deep end of macro photography, a word of advise – invest in a macro lens. I have tried various methods like a reverse lens mount adapter, close up +4 filter and extension tubes on non-macro lenses. The results are rarely acceptable, or the setup extremely difficult to use in real life conditions. You can add extension tubes to increase magnification on a true macro lens, but having a macro lens to start with will save you so much trouble.

For beginners to photography, learning macro photography will improve your technical knowledge and control of the camera: You will need to deal with extreme magnification, stabilizing the camera by using proper hand-holding technique,  using advanced flash controls with the aid of diffusing or reflecting light. All of this can be applied across other photography genres. Some people ask me how I can consistently achieve critical focus while shooting on the street – its due to time spent honing these skills in the macro world. Likewise with exposure and lighting. My street photography, at least the technical aspects, have benefited from my macro experience.

Stay hydrated: Be prepared to sweat a lot while out in the field or garden shooting insects. Hydrations is a must, just like in any other physical activity. (This is at least true in hot, humid tropical countries like Malaysia)

1/80sec, F4, ISO1600, No Flash used

1/160sec, F13, ISO200, Wireless Flash fired

1/160sec, F8, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired

1/125sec, F7.1, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired

1/125sec, F8, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired

1/125sec, F16, ISO200, Wireless Flash Fired

1/200sec, F4, ISO250, No Flash used

I hope you found my thoughts on and techniques for insect macro photography useful. The technique is not difficult to execute, but requires patience and practice. My technique is still a work in progress, and I will keep you guys updated with any improvements in future articles.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 60/2.8 Macro is available here from B&H

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II is available here from B&H

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