Nature Photography How To

This comprehensive macro tutorial from the Naturefold YouTube channel is designed for those new to the genre. Yet, everything discussed will prove equally helpful if you've given closeups a try and were disappointed with your results.

Instructor Alexis is a tiny-world expert who's developed a foolproof formula for capturing eve-popping images of insects, small organisms, flowers, "slime molds" and more. In this episode he reveals his favorite camera settings for getting the job done to perfection and discusses how the technique known as focus stacking factors into the equation.

But there's a very helpful twist, as Alexis discusses how a simple on-camera flash outfitted with an affordable diffusor will quickly transform good photos into great ones. If you're avoided outdoor flash in the past because you thought it was too complicated, you'll quickly change your mind as the lesson progresses.

According to Alexis there are four basic settings that are "essential" to understand, especially when using flash. These include aperture, flash power, shutter speed, and ISO. He provides practical examples of how these key variables interact to deliver macro shots with perfect exposure and a variety of compelling looks.

The aperture setting enables you to control depth of field—a task that’s particularly important with close-up photography because of the inherently shallow range of focus—typically measured in inches. Interestingly, shutter speed doesn't have much impact on exposure when shooting macro with flash because the output is so much brighter than ambient light reaching the subject.

With the foregoing in mind it's easy to understand why flash power is such a critical setting to get right. Alexis walks you through his process for making the right choice for different subjects and conditions. You also see how ISO has an impact on every macro image you shoot.

The video concludes by comparing images captured with a single shot, and those created  by focus sacking multiple images for the absolute best results possible. So take a look, dust of the flash that's hiding in the back of your cabinet, and then create some macro magic of your own.

Once you've become captivated by the hidden world of macro, head over to the Naturefold YouTube channel where there's much more to learn about this enchanting style of outdoor photography.