If I could keep only one tool in my macro kit it would be my tripod. Where ever I go to shoot macro, it goes with me without fail – every single time.
Why is a tripod so important when shooting macro and close-up photography? While it might be common to hand hold a camera in other types of photography, a macro lens works at a much greater magnification level and the slightest movement can result in an image that is less than tack sharp, especially when viewed at full resolution. There is nothing that will ruin your day more than getting up at dawn, spending hours in the woods without a tripod, only to find that when reviewing your images at home on the big screen the majority of them are soft. That one perfect wildflower, with the perfect dew drops, and the perfect back lighting most likely won’t be there when you go back.
There are some photographers that say they can get a tack sharp close-up image without a tripod. For those of you that can do that, you have my undying admiration. But if you are serious about macro, there are others reasons that a tripod is indispensable as a macro tool. It can free up your hands for other things. Sometimes I find that my subject just needs a little pop of light and my hands are free to hold a small reflector or a light cube in just the right spot. If I’m using a small aperture for more depth of field, then I need that extra hand to place one of my macro backdrops behind my subject. If the sunlight is too harsh, then I can hold a small diffuser.
If you’ve been shooting macro very long, then you’ve probably heard of focus stacking, a powerful tool for macro photographers. While not recommended for subjects that move, it’s an excellent tool for static objects and resolves the problem of getting everything in focus without ruining the background. It requires photographing a series of shots at various focusing distances and then combining the series in software. Because all of the images have to be perfectly aligned, a tripod is a must for this technique to work successfully.
Although lugging around a tripod can be inconvenient and cumbersome, it’s the one thing that you can do that will help get those high quality images that you’ve been dreaming of.
Photographer | Mickey Arlow
Mickey is a talented photographer who creates amazing macro photography and artistic close-up images. She is owner of Animal House Studio Photography and has a passion for animal photography. Mickey’s love of photography started in 2006 when she started photographing her grandchildren and shortly thereafter expanded to macro when a good friend loaned her a 105mm macro lens. Since retirement she has been focused on taking her macro work to a new level by studying other processional macro photographers that she admires and strives to continually learn and to share her knowledge with others.