Macro Photography 101 with Kate Jonker - Part 1

CREDIT | Text & Images by Kate Jonker

In this, a two part series of articles, underwater photographer Kate Jonker tells us everything we want and need to know to make the ultimate images of the small - smallest - underwater critters that can look so incredible that we sometimes wonder if they are real.

What is Macro Photography?
The term macro relates to the magnification of the image as it appears on the sensor.  For example, if you have a small shell 10mm in diameter and the image cast onto the image sensor is 10mm as well, then this is called 1:1 magnification (life size).

Why Macro Photography
Macro photography reveals a completely new underwater world to us. It brings out the colours, textures and details of the smaller critters on the reef. It gives us the ability to focus on one subject and make them the star of the show.

Ideal Subjects
Nudibranchs, shrimps, small reef fish, flatworms, anemones, spider crabs, feather duster worms, snails, hydroids, and amphipods all make great subjects. You can even capture interesting elements of larger subjects - such as the polyp of a soft coral, the detailed arm of a basket star or the texture of a starfish, to create abstract images. You will never be short of subjects when you are doing macro underwater photography!

Equipment
Compact Cameras
If you are going to buy a compact camera, consider the type of photography you are going to do before making that all-important purchase. Some compact cameras can focus much closer than others and if you know you are going to do a lot of macro photography, make sure the camera you are going to buy can focus as close to the subject as possible. It pays to do your research!

Interchangeable lens cameras (mirrorless / cropped sensor / full frame camera)

Most of us start out with a compact camera and once we have outgrown them, move on to cameras with separate bodies and lenses. This gives us the ability to choose the lens we want to use, depending on the type of photos we are going out to shoot.

This does have its downside as you need to purchase a housing as well as different ports for the lenses you are going to be using. It also means that on a dive, you are stuck with the lens that is on the camera. If you have a macro lens on your camera and see a whale shark, you are probably only going to be able to photograph its eyeball (if it gets that close!). However, the options to use the lenses more creatively is far greater with these cameras.

Recommended lenses
My recommended lenses for macro underwater photography are a 60mm lens for mirrorless, cropped sensor, and Nikon full frame cameras. These lenses are far easier to use when the water is murky and / or surgy. For full frame Canon users, you would need to get yourself a 100mm macro lens. I have also had great success with the Zeiss Touit 50mm macro with the Sony A6400 mirrorless and can highly recommend this lens should you have a camera in this range and are looking for a great macro lens.

Other lenses
The Nikon 105mm and Canon 100mm macro lenses are both super sharp lenses which create beautiful bokeh (blurry backgrounds) and can be used on both cropped sensor and full frame cameras. However, I find them much harder to use in the often-surgy waters of the Cape because of their longer working distance (distance from the camera to your subject) and narrower field of view (how “wide” your camera sees from left to right).

A quick (basic) lesson in settings:
Manual Mode:
Try to shoot in manual!  Get out of that “underwater” or “auto” mode and take control of your camera! The more you can control, the more creative you can be and the better shots you will be able to take.

Here are the basic settings for cameras in manual mode:
Compact Cameras:  ISO 100; F8 or F11; 1/250
Mirrorless Cameras: ISO100; F10; 1/160
Cropped Sensors: ISO100; F13; 1/250
Full Frame Cameras: ISO100; F16 (60mm macro) or F18 (100/105mm macro); 1/250

No manual mode?
If your camera does not have a Manual Mode option, put it in AV. AV means you can set the aperture and the camera will set the shutter speed to give your image the right amount of exposure.  Set your AV to as high as your camera allows and your ISO to 100.

To Be Continued In Part 2 Next week… Lighting, composition, and useful equipment for macro underwater photographers.

About the Author & Photographer:
Kate Jonker a writer and underwater photographer based in Gordon’s Bay, just outside Cape Town. She is a regular contributor to numerous underwater photography and diving magazines and her images have been featured in both local and international publications. A regular judge in international underwater photography competitions, she teaches underwater photography and is a qualified dive boat skipper and dive guide for Indigo Scuba Diving Centre which she and her husband own and run in Gordon’s Bay.
Kate’s passion lies with sharing her love of the ocean and her underwater experiences with others through photography and storytelling.
“Photography is a fantastic medium with which to create an awareness of the beauty - and plight - of our oceans. Images can stir many emotions and we, as underwater photographers, have the opportunity to tell visual stories about our underwater world to encourage its protection and preservation.”

Kate Jonker:
Website: www.katejonker.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katejonkerphotography/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateJonkerPhotography
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUOVIfi0qDGMRfiRUzeZ_TQ

Indigo Scuba:
Website: www.indigoscuba.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indigoscuba/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoscuba
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0mGtOa7vPAB7IrxySSKSTA