Macro Tips: 01 – Handheld Focusing

There are a few very key things I have picked up along the way that have made major differences in my photography.  I tend to treat macro photography like abstract paintings. I focus more on the shapes and colors than I do the actual subject. Handholding the camera is when I feel I can be the most creative. This obviously has some inherent problems. You have to shoot at higher ISOs and lower Aperature Values to get a fast enough shutter speed to keep things in focus. Smaller aperature values mean a shallower depth of field and even more difficulty keeping specific areas in focus.

There are two key things I do help me make the unstability work a little more in my favor. I use manual focus and continuous shooting mode. I rarely take less than 3 continuous frames for one shot. I move my body to get the focus in the spot I’m after. Since you are never totally stationary, taking multiple frames at once gives you a better chance of getting the shot you want out of the multiple frames as well as providing some nice surprises when the focus position shifts slightly from one frame to the other.

I prefer working handheld whenever I can as I have found it’s easier to keep up to the creative ideas I have while I’m shooting. I also love working with a shallower depth of field to create different points of interest. With manual focus and continuous shooting I get greater number of keepers.

Hope this helps!

Shannon