Getting Familiar with Macro Photography
Here's an easy
and effective exercise to help you get accustomed to your new and
expanded macro capabilities. Select a small object like this ceramic
salt shaker, place it on a table and also place your camera on the table
to keep it stabilized. Select various zoom levels, move the camera
closer and further to tweak the focus and take the shot when your focus
is good. Such an exercise will help you understand what the macro lens
does for you in terms of higher magnification, it helps you grasp the
concept that the more you zoom the more shallow the dof, and lastly, it
shows you how nicely your camera can perform for macros when the camera
is stabilized, giving you a quality benchmark for your hand shots.
Moving Right Along
Now that you're familiar with DOF and FHRS, the best way to learn everything else is to simply dive in and learn as you go, so let's start with flowers (because they can't fly away) and then we'll move into insects (which can fly away).
You're doing well with a stabilized camera and your macro lens. Now it's time to move into hand held macros in the wilds. So find a medium sized wildflower about 1/2" (12mm). Using ISO 200 for a sunny day or ISO 400 for an overcast day, use FHRS and practice taking hand held shots at various zoom levels.
Start with no zoom. Take 3-5 shots. Check the shots in your preview. When you are consistently getting good focus, increase the zoom to 2x and take 3-5 shots at the higher zoom level, check for good focus in the preview. When you consistently obtain good focus at 2x zoom, increase to 3x zoom and so on and so forth. This importance of this kind of exercise can't be overstated. You can also do this at home with small object on the kitchen table.
If you have a slight wind . . . good! It makes for excellent practice. Since wind is a common aspect of nature, you'll need to learn to deal with it. If the wind is excessive, you can try clasping the stem of the flower with the fingers of your left hand, balance the camera on your left wrist, and stabilize/operate the camera with your right hand.
As you do this exercise, notice also how your zoom level effects your bokeh.
With flowers
done, time to move on to insects. If you approach them slowly and let
them get gradually acquainted with the presence of your camera, you can
usually get at least a few shots before they're gone. And again, use the
same technique for ISO and gradually increasing zoom levels you used
for the flower exercise.
While you're at it, try taking some high-magnification detail shots of their various body parts. Exercises such as these are both useful learning tools and just plain fun.
