Macro Photography

Today, we’re diving into one of my favorite subjects: macro photography! I love macro photography, so I’m excited to tell you more about it and how it works with product and food photography.

What is macro photography?

Macro photography is any photograph that showcases the subject in a larger-than-life (macro!) approach. Whether you’re zooming in on a plate of crackers so it fills the frame or highlighting the individual petals of a flower, macro photography is a great way to capture texture and detail on a subject, especially for food photography.

Do you need a special lens for macro photography?

Not necessarily! You can definitely get close enough to a subject with a typical lens like the 24-70mm lens that I use to capture macro level detail in a photo. You can see an example of one of those photos below. I do have a 100mm macro lens that I use for special occasions to capture macro. It’s trickier to use because of its intense zoom, but when it’s a matter of keeping as much detail in the image as possible, I’ll get it out.

Do you need a tripod for macro photography?

Absolutely. If you’re shooting in manual mode while doing macro photography (which I hope you are!), it can be helpful to turn the shutter speed down to capture as much light as possible. As you turn the shutter speed down and the lens is zoomed in as far as it can go, shakes, small movements, and twitches from a handheld camera can make your macro photograph blurry and unfocused. If you’re looking to capture detail and texture, put your camera onto a tripod for sure.

How can you use macro photography in product photography?

Great question! I like to incorporate macro photography into product photography shoots for clients who have a product with a differentiator like texture or quality as a part of their brand identity. It’s not great for capturing packaging or lifestyle shots, but for close-up, glamour style shots of the product itself, I love snagging a macro shot or two. They come in handy for tons of different marketing opportunities as well!

What is an example of a macro photo?

Here are some macro photos I’ve taken in my Chicago photography studio. Enjoy!