Volume One
This volume is appropriate for hobbyists and professionals, medical practitioners, engineers, scientists, lovers of tiny flora and fauna, and subjects living and dead, be they biologic, geologic, mechanical or electronic. A prior familiarity with basic photographic techniques – camera controls for exposure and focus – is appropriate.
The definitive book – 360 pages, over 1,000 photographs, 3 pages of equipment suppliers, 50 links to online resources, a Glossary with 93 entries – for those starting their journey into photographing the fascinating, but often unnoticed, world of the very small. It thoroughly covers techniques and equipment to achieve magnification up to 1X, subjects as small as about 1 inch (25mm) in size.
All photographs have been created specifically for this volume. They are not only beautiful and large and easy to see, but there are hundreds that show HOW the photos were made, the equipment used and any lighting setups. Numerous examples show before/after, right/wrong, and variations.
The Manual of Close-Up and Macro Photography, Vol. I
Topics covered in great depth include:
Camera types and features.
Techniques for critical focus.
An entire chapter on the use of smartphones.
Definition and examples of magnification, depth-of-field and diffraction.
Equipment and techniques for camera stability and for positioning subjects.
Detailed information on the use of close-up filters, extension tubes and macro lenses.
Extensive chapter on lighting: available light, indoors and outdoor; flash, continuous light; diffusers, light boxes and tents
A 34-page chapter specifically on photographing flowers and bugs.
Post-production suggestions for enhancing what comes out of the camera.
Volume Two
The Manual of Close-Up and Macro Photography, Vol. II
The definitive book – 324 pages, over 750 photographs, 12 tables – for advanced techniques in close-up and macro photography, from 0.1X up to 20X.
Appropriate for the advanced practitioner, someone who has experienced the joys and frustrations of working in the close-up range (0.1X to 1X), who is comfortable with the appropriate equipment used for that range, and who has made numerous successful close-up photographs. This volume provides copiously illustrated information for hobbyists and professionals, medical practitioners, engineers, scientists, lovers of tiny flora and fauna, and all subjects living and dead, be they biologic, geologic, mechanical or electronic.
All photographs have been created specifically for this volume. They are not only beautiful and large and easy to see, but there are hundreds that show HOW the photos were made, the equipment used and any lighting setups. Numerous examples show before/after, right/wrong, this way/that way.
Topics covered in great depth include:
Focus stacking.
Critical focus, diffraction and depth-of-field.
Extensive coverage of lenses, standard and unconventional, including microscope objectives for macro work to 20X.
Configurations for mounting any lens on bellows or extension tubes, including reverse-mounted lenses, coupled lenses, and finite and infinity-corrected microscope objectives.
Over 200 pages on lighting: available, indoor and outdoor; flash; continuous, light boxes; diffusers; tents, cross-polarized and darkfield.
Post-production suggestions for sharpening, noise-reduction, retouching and special-effects filters.
Methods and equipment for precise positioning of subject and camera.
Techniques for dealing with precision focus and vibration problems.
Appendices for sources of equipment, 3 pages of online resources and a glossary of over 100 terms.