Monday, March 19, 2012

Book Review: Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers

Today I'm joining HolleyGarden at Roses and Other Gardening Joys for garden book reviews.  A book I got last year that I absolutely love is "Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers: The Essential Guide to Digital Techniques" by Alan L. Detrick.  I was already a macro aficionado before reading this book.  I really enjoy getting close to both flowers and insects; frequently I can see detail in my macro shots that I did not even notice with my eyes alone (this may be because my eyes are no longer capable of focusing that close to my face!)  Even though I had already loved taking macros and already had a great macro lens (the Canon 100 mm macro -- which has pretty much the best optics-to-price ratio you can get) this book really opened my eyes to more techniques and styles to try.  The book is inspiring.  Macro beginners might like to know that there is a chapter on equipment including macro attachments and extenders.  According to the author, you don't need a dedicated macro lens to do macro photography.

The best part of the book is the detailed discussion of photographic techniques and decision making.  Almost every photo has enlightening information in the caption, whether about composition, camera settings or additional tools.  There are also many examples where Detrick shows side-by-side comparisons of two or three different frames showing the same subject shot with slight differences in technique like choice of f-stop, lighting, or viewing angle.  In a few cases, Detrick includes a much longer description, a page or so, of a single photo, sharing the inspiration, all aspects of photographic decision making, and the final product.  Something new for me was the discussion of diffusers and reflectors.  A few side-by-side examples showing the difference they can make has convinced me to try it.  So far I don't feel like I've gotten as good results with it as the author (probably not surprisingly) but I will definitely keep trying.  Another thing I learned is how much difference the background can make in macro photos; I've been trying to keep that in mind more as I shoot. 



The photography in this book is awesome.  Even if Detrick did not include all the eye-opening information about taking the best macros, the photos would be an inspiration.  Even flipping through the book and analyzing which photos I like best has improved my own photography.  For example, I really like the photos in which the mostly out-of-focus background has a color echo with the subject.  This seems attainable in the case of flower photos, since other blooms on the same plant can sometimes provide the background.  Also, there are a few photos of insects here in which the insect is actually rather small in the frame.  This isn't something I would have ever thought to do on my own; I've been obsessed with getting up-close-and-personal with my macro insects to really get lots of detail.  Yet, Detrick's photos show a sort of fantasy world from the insect's point of view that really appeals to me.  For another example, after shutting my mouth again after my jaw dropped open at one gorgeous photo of the stamens of a daylily that looked like candle flames, I went out and tried to copy it for myself just to learn the technique.  I don't think I would feel comfortable showing this image as an original work (although it is not all that much like Detrick's after all) but I think I learned from the exercise.  Obviously, I will not show copies of Detrick's photos here, so I'm decorating this post with some favorites of my own macro photos, which are of course but a pale comparison.  Enjoy!

19 comments:

  1. Wow, Sharon,
    This is EXACTLY the book I've been looking for. I really loved your revied and I love books that post an image, then tell about all the thought behind it and why it works.
    100mm Canon...your are the second person to mention this lens. I will look in to it.
    Right now I have a small daily camera and I try to get as much out of it as I can.
    David/:0)

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    1. Hi David, Thanks for stopping by. The dayflower photo you have on your blog right now is beautiful. That has been a favorite macro subject for me as well. I really value that true blue color. I hope you enjoy this book and maybe the Canon macro lens as well.

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  2. I am glad to hear a review of a book on this subject. I have been looking for a book on macro photography but did not know which one to get. This sounds like a good one...thanks!

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    1. It's a book that combines two of my favorite subjects (macro photography and gardening) so a winner for me. If you've been looking for a book on macro, I think you will like it too.

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  3. Your photographs are beautiful!!! Macro is something my (cheap) camera just doesn't do well, although it might be the operator! ;) I know this book would really help me, so I thank you for your review. I love seeing macro shots, and I need to learn the ins and outs of taking them. This book is definitely on my list now! Thanks so much for linking in!

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    1. Much as I hate to admit it, the equipment probably does matter in this case. Cheap cameras don't really do macro well. Even good point-and-shoot cameras that have macro capability can be a little frustrating because you often really need finer control over the focus (and often a tripod). Please don't blame me if looking through this book convinces you to buy some better equipment! Thanks for inspiring this post (both by hosting the meme and by your comment in my previous post). I also really appreciate the compliment about my photos.

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  4. Thanks for the introduction to this book. I'll put it on my wish list. I shoot with a Nikon 105mm and love the detail that macro photography reveals. I recently bought a 35mm and am enjoying playing with the wider views it provides but my macro lens is hands-down my favorite.

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    1. The macro lens is my favorite too. I have to force myself to use other lenses sometimes, and then I always go back to the macro.

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  5. Hello,
    I enjoyed reading this book review. I will look for it the next time I visit Barnes & Noble. I do enjoy Macros - your photos are great!
    Thanks for your visit and comment on my GBBD post. I believe the violets are 'Viola sororia' or Wood Violet, a wild violet that is native to eastern North America (according to Wikipedia). They were here when I moved here almost 30 years ago.
    Have a great day!
    Happy Gardening!
    Lea
    Lea's menagerie

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    1. Hi Lea,
      That's neat about the violet. I think I might have it too. It hasn't come up yet here but I also have a white and purple one that I always wondered about. It's not in my Peterson's wildflower guide so I was stumped. I'll have to take a look at it and compare it to your photo once it blooms.

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  6. Wow, your photos are amazing! I like taking photos, but have never tried macro photography. I'm going to put this book on my list!!

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    1. Thank you. I like how macro photography takes you almost to another world. I hope you get to try some.

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  7. Your photos are gorgeous! I'm happy when my pix are in focus and don't contain a pooping dog. :o) It's great to "meet" another VA gardener! I'm in northern VA, outside DC.

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  8. Ha! Another benefit of macro I hadn't thought of. The angle of view and zone of focus are so small, there generally aren't any unintentional p.d.'s.

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  9. Oh my...what beautiful photos! The first one reminds me of angels' wings! I have only a simple digital camera, and I do enjoy taking photos of my flowers. But I would love to be able to take photos of the quality that you posted. Good job!

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    1. Thank you. It smelled heavenly, that's for sure. That first photo is a Casablanca Lily. This was the first bloom on my first lily and I was sooo excited. The other photos are a blown tulip indoors under a skylight, a bumble bee just settling into a hibiscus flower to sleep for the night, and the seedpods of a native Euonymus (which some people, fabulously, call Wahoo).

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  10. i would like to thank you for these cute photos and a nice review of the book. I love macro photography and nature.

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    1. If you like my photos, you'd really love the book, which of course has much better ones. Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. Thanks for review, it was excellent and very informative.
    thank you :)

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