Macro photography has to be one of the best forms of photography but can be very difficult to master. Once you start exploring the detail contained within the smallest parts of nature you will be left amazed. However, trying to get the magnification required in order to see real detail often takes more than just a macro lens. I recently purchased some extension tubes, which are literally just tubes with no glass - but they have electrical connections to assist with auto focus. These tubes allow your focal distance to be decreased thereby allowing you to get closer and achieve greater magnification.

For this particular image I used a 35mm extension tube and because I had forgotten my tripod at home, I had to handhold the camera. As I have explained in previous tips, a tripod is very necessary - but in this case I had to make do so that I could capture the moment. I pumped the ISO up to 4000 to get a fast enough shutter speed (1/160^thsecond) to handhold the camera while still allowing for enough depth of field (f13) to capture all the detail. I would still recommend the use of a tripod but don't miss the chance to tell a story just because you don't have all the equipment you need!

Expose your balance

Richard de Gouveia

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