Nature Photography How To

Winter is officially over and spring has finally sprung, and that means it’s time to pull out a macro lens and bone up on your skills. The quick video below provides five very helpful tips that are different from those we’ve discussed in the past.

Instructor Andrew Lanxon is an eclectic pro who travels the globe shooting everything from travel and landscape images to just about anything else he comes across. His real specialty is close-up photography, and the “essential” tips revealed in this tutorial are in large part responsible for his beautiful work.

What make this episode unique is that is more about a mindset or an “attitude” instead of camera settings, supplemental light, focusing methods, or other technical matters. Lanxon says that the approach described in this lesson has “transformed my photography way more than any quick focus hack or easy editing tip has ever done.”

Lanxon’s advice is all about slowing down, practicing your craft, concentrating on important details, and ignoring inconsequential considerations. He insists that by following his suggestions you’ll “be able to capture better images that make you proud.”

Patience is a virtue with most forms of photography, and Lanxon explains why this is particularly true with macro. Rather than frantically rushing to capture a ”decisive moment,” there are several reason why taking a deep breath and slowing down helps you shoot great photos.

Lanxon discusses why “practice does make perfect” by refining what you already know and helping you learn by examining your mistakes. He’s also an advocate of experimenting with unfamiliar subjects and methods whether shooting flowers and bugs in the field, or small inanimate objects in a home studio. He illustrates this point with several unique images to get you inspired.

Lanxon also suggests that you “stop obsessing over gear,” and concentrate instead on being more creative with whatever equipment you own. By following these and Lanxon’s other tips you’ll be able to do a better job of “crafting” epic macro images.

You can find more helpful advice with a unique twist by visiting Lanxon’s instructional YouTube channel, so pay a visit when you have time.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted from another accomplish pro recently, explaining his secrets to making nature photos with perfect exposures.