Practical tips, behind-the-scenes of the manufacturing process, and field notes on macro photography.
Camera body, lens, flash and diffuser: complete setups, new or secondhand, to get into macro without breaking the bank.
How to shoot a macro stack by hand: how much to shift focus between frames, how many shots to take, managing the flash between shots, and maximizing your odds of a complete series.
Using the camera's automatic bracketing with flash and diffuser to speed up focus stacking series in the field.
Sensor, autofocus, DSLR or mirrorless: the criteria that actually matter when choosing a camera body suited to fieldwork with a diffuser.
Manual mode, flash zoom set wide, flash duration: the settings that matter for correct exposure with a diffuser.
Minimum focusing distance, magnification ratio, wide-angle proxy: how to choose the right lens by brand, and which diffuser to pair it with.
Guide number, size classes, AF-assist LED: the criteria that actually matter when picking a speedlight for macro and pairing it with a diffuser.
Diffraction, depth of field, focus stacking: how to choose the right aperture for optimal sharpness in macro photography.
Distance to the subject, diffuser size, panel material: the parameters that really make the difference for soft, even light.
I received a license to review Macro Studio, a new focus stacking software: getting started, stacking quality and limits, tested on my own macro photo series.
