Super macro photography is a challenge since it is tough to achieve a sharp focus underwater. Since it involves greater extent of magnification, the depth of field is reduced. The positioning of the focus field depends on the choice of focusing method including auto, auto with AF lock and manual focusing. Some of the tips for super macro underwater photography are listed underneath.
1. Focusing using manual focus ring is better when shooting super macro. This is so because the auto focus selects a plane of focus which doesn’t essentially give proper results with super macro photography.
2. Additional lighting such as artificial lighting and external flashes help in capturing the images better. Super macro photography requires ample lighting and it is advised to have enough artificial lighting for support so that the image captured is of good quality.
3. Focus bracketing involves taking many exposures while rocking the camera body slightly back and forth. The technique increases the chances of positioning the plane of focus on the desired point and this can be improvised by further decreasing the size of aperture to increase the depth of field. However, reductions in aperture size result in image softening and should therefore be used sparingly.
4. Since super macro photography involves capturing images at high levels of magnification, slow moving or stationary objects make for better choice as subjects than live and moving objects.
5. Keeping the composition simple and limiting the frame to a single subject can minimize the distraction in both foreground and background. This will yield better images with greater contrast and clarity.
6. Super macro photography involves smaller lens to subject distances and thus should be tried on approachable subjects rather than microscopic animals. This simplifies the task and is also rewarding. Flowers and their interiors, dead insects and small stones make for interesting subjects.
7. Super macro shooting demands great stability and buoyancy. Using stable equipments, a steady set of hands, admirable buoyancy skills and a calm breathing cycle can help in obtaining fine quality images. Coordinating breathing with the exposure times helps tremendously in capturing good images.
8. Super macro tools like diopters and teleconverters can be used to achieve greater than 1:1 magnification.
9. The technique demands perspective as in all types of photography since working at high magnification requires everything to be precise to the core.
10. Super macro photography is rewarding and the subject selection plays an important role in obtaining the desired results.