The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography

Book excerpt: The Complete Guide to Macro and Close-Up Photography is a comprehensive handbook on macro and close-up photography, offering both ambitious beginners and veteran photographers all the information they need to create great macro photographs. Experienced photographer and author Cyrill Harnischmacher covers: Explanations of all the concepts behind close-up and macro photography Equipment, including camera systems, macro lenses, close-up lenses, extension tubes, and reversing rings Shooting techniques such as high-speed photography using photoelectric sensors, light painting, focus stacking to extend depth of field, panoramic and infrared macros, extended contrast with HDR technology, and multiple exposures Tackling subject matter both in the field and in the studio Working creatively with ambient and artificial light Countless hands-on shooting tips Post-processing your macro images The book also offers insights about macro photo composition, discussing light, color, camera position, and focus. With more than 600 images and figures illustrating the various ways readers can document the world of the infinitesimal, this book is not only a technical guide, but also a source of inspiration giving readers ideas to run with and make their own. Finally, the book also includes do-it-yourself projects, offering solutions both for everyday shooting as well as for dealing with specific situations unique to macro photography.