Research Raindrop photograph.

Photographing raindrops is one of the many things you can do in the field of macro photography.

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Every day, events in nature happen all around us that seem mundane, but are actually incredible when given a closer look. Take for example a raindrop falling off a leaf after a recent rain -- while that may not seem very interesting when it happens so quickly, it's actually a complicated dance between water, the leaf and the air.


Photography allows us to witness such an event in all its detail and glory. By taking a picture of the raindrop as it falls off a leaf or other surface, we can learn a lot about aerodynamics, the way water moves and even how different surfaces create different shaped raindrops. Whether you're taking a picture of a raindrop on a leaf or on a window, this type of photography will let you create a unique piece of artwork you can keep for years.


Photographing raindrops is one of the many things you can do in the field of macro photography -- shooting photos extremely close up. While point-and-shoot digital cameras can do excellent macro photography, your best bet is to use a single reflex lens (SLR, or the digital DSLR) camera with a special macro lens.


In addition to simply photographing raindrops, we can manipulate backgrounds and surrounding objects to create colors and images reflected in the water. With the right camera settings and tools, expressive and original photos can be easy.


In this article, we'll discuss how to take photos of raindrops and learn more about ways to take incredible pictures of tiny things.





Try to find a raindrop you can shoot through if you want to catch a reflection of other objects in the water.

Raindrop Photography Tips


To start taking raindrop photographs on flowers or plants, you'll need an SLR or DSLR camera with a few accessories. You'll need a tripod that can get close to the ground, a macro lens for shooting close-up pictures and possibly something to hold the object you want to photograph. A good macro setup for a DSLR includes a camera with a lens designed to focus down to 1:1, or life size.


You can wait until after a fresh rain or you could even simulate your own raindrops using a spray bottle or an eyedropper filled with water or glycerin. Glycerin is sticky, so your drop will hold in place longer.


Try to find a raindrop you can shoot through if you want to catch a reflection of other objects in the water. Be careful not to bump the flower or you might lose your selected raindrop. When you're ready, focus your macro lens on the center of the drop.


Now, you should be ready to take your shot. One recommended camera setting is shooting with the aperture wide open to give a blurry background while focused on the drop, and with an ISO of around 100 to 400.


Now let's say that instead of taking pictures of raindrops on a flower or a leaf, we want to shoot a close up of a drop as it falls on a window. Find a clean window with a fairly plain background. You can shoot as the rain is coming down or shortly after the rain has fallen and the drops sit on the window.


Once again, shoot with the aperture wide open in order to keep the background out of focus. If you're using a camera without manual settings, experiment with the automatic settings until you find a way to focus on the raindrops.


In this next section, we'll discuss how to create the illusion of colored raindrops using macro photography.




Raindrops have the ability to reflect and refract images of the objects around them. Because of this, we can create the illusion of colored raindrops fairly easily.

How to Create Colored Raindrops in Photography


We can take photographs of much more than just raindrops falling off plants or onto windows. Because raindrops have the ability to reflect and refract images of the objects around them, we can create the illusion of colored raindrops fairly easily.


Let's start with raindrops on windows. Remember how we said earlier that using the widest aperture possible allows us to obscure the background and focus on the drops themselves? Each raindrop acts like a miniature lens against the backdrop behind it.


By obscuring the actual background image, you can cause it to be reflected into the raindrops themselves. Let's say you have a green forest with a blue sky behind your window -- obscure the background enough and you can cause the raindrops to appear blue and green against a dark background.


Think of it as creating a sort of optical illusion. You can experiment with lots of different backgrounds to generate different effects, like the reflection of a blue object in the raindrops against a light background. This creates the appearance of blue raindrops falling on glass.


In addition, it's possible to reflect whole images in the raindrop. Let's say you're taking a photograph of a raindrop falling off the petal of a flower, and you want to reflect another object in the raindrop -- in this case, another flower. One way to do this to use a device called a Plamp, a plastic arm-like instrument that attaches to your tripod and is used to hold items in place for picture-taking.


First, focus your macro lens on the center of the raindrop falling off the petal, where the image will appear. Take the second flower and attach it to the Plamp. Now move the flower and Plamp to where it's in a straight line between your camera and the drop. It should be in focus in your viewfinder.


You can also experiment with different images on the Plamp to be reflected in your raindrop. The sky's the limit!

Raindrop research Digital Camera.

Rain Photography: how to take pictures of raindrops

Many photographers go home when it starts to rain, but rain photography offers up a number of fun photo ideas that allow you to get creative with the right techniques. Our tutorial explains how to capture amazing pictures of raindrops.



Rain photography carries the obvious risk of both you and your camera getting soaked, so an umbrella is an essential accessory, as is a rain cover for your camera.

If you don’t fancy going out in the rain, you could always get a similar effect by ‘faking it’ – using a watering can with a rose attachment.

As long as you are shooting close-
ups and you can cover the whole area of your image in a realistic ‘rain’, this approach can actually produce convincing results.



Speed is the key
The key to recording rain is the shutter speed you choose – use too slow a speed and the drops will disappear. If you want to capture the rain drops you’ll need to use a shutter speed of around 1/1000sec, while a slower speed of around 1/125 sec is perfect for recording falling rain with a slight blur to give a sense of speed.

This means that unless you are shooting in bright conditions you’ll have to shoot at high ISO settings such as 800 or above. In dull conditions it is also possible to use flash to ‘freeze’ raindrops.
How to capture pictures of raindrops





1 The best lens for the job
It’s better to keep the camera as far from the subject as possible to avoid splashes, so use a long focal length lens. This distance from the subject also gives you more options for keeping your camera dry, including just covering it with a brolly.





2 Blur the rain
You’ll need to take control of the shutter speed, so switch to Shutter Priority or Manual mode. Set the shutter speed to 1/125 sec, take a test shot and use a faster speed for less blur, or slower for more. Go too slow and the raindrops will vanish.





3 ‘Freeze’ the rain
If you want to get more definition in your raindrops, you can try shooting at faster shutter speeds. To freeze the rain completely you’ll need a shutter speed of 1/1000sec or faster, but even in bright conditions you may find you need to set the ISO to 400 or higher.

Lynette Evans.

Lynette Evans a photographer from Pontypool, Gwent, United Kingdom. He has a great passion for photography, particularly macro rain drops. Most of the drops are real with real refractions, some are layered in Photoshop. No one can possibly imagine the beauty inside these tiny rain/water drops until viewed through a macro lens. His photography offers that opportunity to admire the beauty that nature has created for us, which sadly goes unnoticed

Lynette Evans.

S A Goodwin.

About Lynette Evans.

Hello dear friends, welcome to my corner of the world. My name is Lynette and I have a great passion for photography, particularly macro rain drops. I have the good fortune to own two camera’s… a Canon EOS 400D and I’ve recently purchased the Canon EOS 500D. I use the 100/150mm macro lens with a 1.4 converter.

Lynette Evans.

S A Goodwin.

No one can possibly imagine the beauty inside these tiny rain/waterdrops until viewed through the macro lens, a chance not many of us get to see. My macro photography offers that opportunity to admire the beauty that Nature has created for us which sadly goes unnoticed by the naked eye. Feel free to splash around in my raindrop world if you don’t mind getting wet, you won’t be disappointed, the effects are simply stunning.
Thank you so much for taking the time to view.

“Reach for the moon… that way if you miss… you will land among the stars”

Lynette Evans.

S A Goodwin.

Research into optics

Introduction to Lenses

The term lens is applied to a piece of glass or transparent plastic, usually circular in shape, that has two surfaces that are ground and polished in a specific manner designed to produce either a convergence or divergence of light. The two most common types of lenses are concave and convex lenses, which are illustrated below in Figure 1.

A common bi-convex lens is considered a positive lens because it causes light rays toconverge, or concentrate, to form a real image. Real images can be projected onto a screen or viewed without the aid of additional lenses, but appear inverted or opposite the orientation of the object viewed. These lenses are thicker at the center than the periphery and appear to be bulging outward in a hemispherical manner with a constant curvature of radius. The bi-convex lens illustrated in Figure 1(a) has a focal point at point F with a corresponding focal length FL. Since this convex lens is symmetrical with equal curvature angles on both sides of the lens, there is another focal point of the same length as FL on the other side of the lens, although it is not illustrated.

Concave lenses, on the other hand, are considered to be negative lenses because light waves passing through them diverge, or are scattered away from, a focal point or centerline. This divergence occurs because the lens is thinner in the center and thicker on the periphery, causing light entering the lens to be refracted away from its center. The bi-concave lens illustrated in Figure 1(b) operates in a manner similar to concave mirrors, with which light waves are refracted as if they were emitted from a point behind the lens. These waves converge on a negative focal point, labeled F in Figure 2(b). Since light does not actually converge on this point, it is called a virtual focus point and the corresponding image is a virtual image. Virtual images appear erect or in the same orientation as the real object, but can only be viewed or projected with the aid of another lens.
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Lens Shape and ActionExplore how lens shape affects the interaction of light with the lens.





As illustrated in Figure 1, a lens operates by refracting incoming light waves at points where they enter and exit the lens. The angle of that refraction, however, and therefore the focal length of a lens, depends upon the material of which it is composed. Materials with a high index of refraction have a shorter focal length than those with lower refractive indices (RI). For example, lenses made of synthetic polymers such as Lucite (RI = 1.47) have a lower refractive index than glass (RI = 1.51), which results in their having a slightly longer focal length. Fortunately, the refractive indices of Lucite and glass are so close together that Lucite can be used in place of glass in many lens applications, such as the popular disposable camera. As another example, a lens made of pure diamond (RI = 2.42) would have a focal length significantly less than either glass or Lucite, though the cost of designing such a lens would be prohibitive.

Lenses of various shapes, sizes, and materials enjoy a wide variety of usage. For instance, single lenses able to form real images are found in tools used for simple magnification, such as magnifying glasses, eyeglasses, single-lens cameras, viewfinders, and contact lenses. More complex devices, such as compound microscopes, telescopes, and binoculars, use a combination of lenses in order to enhance magnification and other desirable optical properties. However, these instruments are commonly plagued by lens errors that distort images by a variety of mechanisms associated with aberrations, or defects, resulting from the spherical geometry of lens surfaces. There are several types of lens errors, but the general effect of optical aberrations in a microscope is the appearance of faults in the tiny features and details of an image that is being observed. Thus, aberration is one of many factors that should be considered when deciding what kind of lens to use.

Most lenses are classified according to their two principal surfaces and curvature patterns, since the type of refraction that occurs when light travels through a lens is dependent upon the geometry of that lens. Basic lens groups are typically divided into two sub-categories, the convergent lenses and the divergent lenses. Each category contains several different lens types, which are addressed individually below.

The Bi-Convex Lens - The simplest magnifying lens is the bi-convex (sometimes called the double-concave) convergent lens that condenses light rays into a focal point, as illustrated in Figure 1(a). The focal length of a bi-convex lens, also featured as Figure 2(a), is dependent upon the curvature angle of its faces. Higher angles of curvature result in shorter focal lengths due to the fact that light waves are refracted at a greater angle with respect to the centerline of the lens. The symmetric nature of bi-convex lenses minimizes spherical aberration in applications where the image and object are at symmetrical distances. These lenses are typically used for focusing and image magnification.

The Bi-Concave Lens - Concave lenses, like the one illustrated in Figure 2(d), are primarily used for diverging light and image reduction, as well as increasing system focal lengths and collimating converging light beams. The bi-concave (sometimes called the double-concave) lens refracts parallel input rays so that they diverge away from the optical axis on the output side of the lens, but form a negative focal point in front of the lens, as illustrated in Figure 1(b). While the output rays do not actually cross to form a focal point, they do appear to be diverging from a virtual image located on the object side of the lens. Bi-concave lenses are often coupled with other lenses in order to reduce the focal lengths of optical systems.

The Plano-Convex Lens - Figure 2(b) and Figure 3 depict typical plano-convex lenses that have one positive hemispherical side and one flat side. Plano-convex lenses are convergent, focusing parallel rays of light to a positive focal point, as illustrated in Figure 3. Thus, these lenses form real images, which can be projected or manipulated by spatial filters. The asymmetry of plano-convex lenses minimizes spherical aberration in applications where the object and image lie at unequal distances from the lens. When the curved surface of the lens is oriented toward the object, the sharpest possible focus is achieved. Plano-convex lenses are useful for collimating diverging beams of light and for applying focus to an optical system.

The Concavo-Convex Lens - The third type of convergent lens is the concavo-convex lens, which is depicted in Figure 2(c) and Figure 4. More commonly known as the positive (converging) meniscus lens, this lens also has an asymmetric structure. One of its faces is in a convex hemispherical shape, while the other is slightly concave. Meniscus lenses are used most often in conjunction with another lens to produce an optical system of a longer or shorter focal length than the original lens. For instance, a positive meniscus lens can be placed after a plano-convex lens to shorten its focal length without decreasing the performance of the optical system. Positive meniscus lenses have a greater curvature radius on the concave side of the lens than on the convex side, which enables the formation of a real image.

The Plano-Concave Lens - The plano-concave lens, illustrated in Figure 2(e) and Figure 5, is a divergent lens that has a negative focal point and produces a virtual image. When a collimated light beam is incident on the curved surface of a plano-concave lens, the exit side forms a divergent beam. This beam appears to emerge from a smaller virtual point source than if the plane surface had faced the collimated beam. Plano-concave lenses are used to expand light beams or to increase focal lengths in existing optical systems.

The Convexo-Concave Lens - This lens is commonly referred to as a negative (divergent) meniscus lens, since its concave surface has a lower curvature radius than its convex surface, as illustrated in Figure 2(f) and in Figure 6. This type of lens can be used to reduce or eliminate spherical aberration in optical systems with which the lens is coupled and can be combined with other lenses to produce increased resolution capabilities.

Paul Harcourt Davies.

The MYN project

He is a member of the Meet Your Neighbours project (MYN), a collective of photographers who want to show the world the wildlife living close to our own doors. This is a natural option for Paul as “virtually all the projects I am now involved with have an element of ‘close to home.’”

That was the subject of the presentation he gave at WildPhotos 2008 and something he is deeply committed to. Raising awareness of “what is around us through my photographs and also… ensuring the highest possible standards of integrity in nature photography, without that,” he continues, “credibility vanishes.”

Davies at work, during a photography close-up session, something he has done for years.

This year Davies has two presentations at WildPhotos, one on the 19th October, “Close focus and wide angles – Micro and Macro tips” and on the 20th a second theme that interests him, “Publishing that Book – Print or Electronic?”

Davies does a lot of different types of photography, but is a macro and close-up specialist. We talked about that topic and the use of today’s cameras. We also spoke about his last published book, Digital Close-up Photography Q&A, that first sets the basic rules for this type of photography and afterwards seems to break most of them.

Davies says that photographers have to come to grips with the basics and then forget them.

Phototuts+: Many of your close-up photos, also those present your recent book, reveal that you’re using wide angle lenses for a lot of your work. It’s as if you’re trying to break the rules as telephoto lenses are usually the macro lens of choice. Do you feel people have to break the rules to achieve their own goals?

Davies: I have always had that slightly perverse tendency not to go with the flow. Even as a kid, I avoided things if everybody else did them. However, my use of wide angle lenses is first and foremost linked to the way I like to portray information about nature

For example, with a wide-angle lens used close to a subject you can depict it in the context of its background. In a single shot, you’ve included subject detail and also said so much more through its surroundings.

Then again, I will often use telephoto macro lens that pulls a subject out of its background isolated against a soft blur. I also enjoy using backlit white panels, the MYN approach, which really does make you see familiar subjects in a different way.

What I want is for people to take what is there in the book, move on and make it their own. Recipes are too restricting, better to show someone how to “cook!”

Pt+: How hard is it to learn the rules for close-up photography, and then go and break them?

PD: When you start moving close to subjects there seems like an awful lot to learn and remember. But it happens quickly and what I try to encourage people on my courses to do is to come to grips with the basics and then forget them. The technical stuff becomes second nature.

If you can achieve a mastery of your camera and its capabilities, then that frees you rather than restricts. It’s a bit like being a musician, go through all that hard practice with scales and arpeggios and a much wider world opens up in front of you.

All I can say is persist and I promise you that very quickly you get results that delight both you and everyone else who sees them.

Davies believes that APS-C sensors are not just adequate, they are perfect.

Pt+: What is your advice for a newcomer to this area? Is there an essential kit of gear to buy?

PD: You really do need comparatively little in the way of equipment to get you close. Even mobile phones can produce incredible results. The basic need is for a camera that doesn’t restrict you and that possesses some means of close focusing.

Many lenses have a close-focus facility built in (wrongly called a ‘macro-mode’) but, to get closer still you will need some help: a macro lens, extension tubes or auxiliary lenses that you screw into the filter thread of the camera.


Start gently. Get familiar with the equipment you have. If you see a stunning butterfly on a flower in front of you then you don’t want to be fiddling about with the controls. That’s what I mentioned earlier, spend time ‘playing’ so technique becomes second nature and leaves you to concentrate on the subject.

Time and again I have seen people go out, buy a top of the range DSLR with expensive macro lenses and then be devastated when the results are poor. The good thing is that with mastery of just a little bit of technical expertise, the difference is incredible.

Pt+: Although you come from the film era, you seem to be enthusiastic about digital cameras and the immediate feedback they give you. Do you think there is a lower the learning curve for photography now?

PD: I am not just enthusiastic about digital cameras I am passionate about them and the capabilities. This technology fits hand in hand with my great love of the natural world, the engine that drives me along.

I used a D100 as soon as it came out over a decade ago. I’m positively evangelical about what can be achieved by anyone with today’s camera technology. All it takes is a little patience and the willingness to experiment.

Modern cameras make it much easier to get things like exposure and focus spot on so there is less need to concentrate on these initially. You can rely on the camera for so much but, if you want to explore and extend your vision, then it helps to know a bit more about exposure, dynamic range and white balance, for example.

In his recent book, the author explains how to set up a small studio for close-up photography.

Pt+: You have adopted digital cameras, but you seem to not follow the general trend, and state that a 12 megapixel camera is more than enough.

PD: Advertising has been described as the business of selling people things they didn’t know they wanted. One successful way of doing that is by making people feel inadequate, about their looks, the car they drive, the house they live in and so on.

In photography, the business of “my sensor is bigger than yours and has more pixels” has been part of a deliberate drive to sell camera models. It is interesting that some of the major manufacturers are beginning to go against this. Not everyone needs to produce wall-filling prints after all.

Pt+: In terms of sensors size you also use APS-C. Does it mean you don’t think a full frame sensor is needed?

PD: An FX sensor is primarily useful in macro work because of its low light, low noise capabilities, it opens up those areas for you. However, for reasons I go into in some detail in my recent book a smaller sensor has certain advantages when it comes to perceived depth of field for example.

The crop factor with the smaller sensors can also be used to your advantage when you are generating enlarged images of small subjects. I believe those APS-C sensors are not just adequate for most people developing an interest in macro, they are perfect. To me they suggest the future direction for this kind of photography.

I have seen incredible results taken with such cameras. They are easily portable and because you get great depth of field at f/5 .6 or f8, you then end up using fast shutter speeds that reduce the problem of camera shake. They make natural light macro easier. Their sensor sites are closer together and, in theory, that means higher resolution of detail.

However, there’s a lot of other things that come into that melting pot with the main one being how the information from the sensor is then used to construct the image, the trickery used for reducing noise and so on in those elusive algorithms. There are some very bright people out there working on these things for the advantage of those of us who just like going out and taking pictures.

The cover of Digital Close-up Photography Q&A, a book that answers many of questions about macro photography

Pt+: You seem to be very excited about the available technologies today. What projects are you working on and how much do they involve the use of technology?

PD: Well, I’ve also been working on image-stacking and more control of the camera from a MacBook Pro. Building things and experimenting has always been a part of my nature and everything seems to come together with digital technology.

I find it very hard to keep my enthusiasms to myself. It may not make commercial sense but I don’t have secrets. I also contribute to two blogs, something I love doing because of the freedom of expression, and through one of them, I am collaborating with my fellow blogger Clay Bolt on a series of eBooks that will deepen areas of macro photography in a way that could never be done with a conventional book.

We’re both passionate naturalists and photographers, whereas I bring a ‘technical’ background to the table, Clay is a really gifted designer. So, watch this space. I love this day and age for the control it gives me to do things at home:. It is up to us now, no excuses!

Robert Thomson.

Robert Thompson was born in Northern Ireland where he lived for most of his early life. His interest in natural history began during his childhood explorations of a large parkland estate where he grew up. After initially pursuing a hospital career in the dental profession in London, he returned to Ireland and became involved with environmental recording projects associated with insects, for local conservation and government organisations before developing his natural history photographic career.

Simon Stafford.

S A Goodwin.

He is an accomplished natural history photographer, author, entomologist and acclaimed specialist in close-up & macro photography and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and the Irish Photographic Federation. He has been involved with a number of high profile natural history recording projects in Ireland and was the national recorder in Ireland for Dragonflies; co-ordinator for the highly successful “DRAGONFLYIRELAND PROJECT”; regional recorder for moths on behalf of Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland and has written numerous books on various natural history topics and nature photography. He has also been a major photographic contributor to many other high profile, natural history publications in Britain and is one of Ireland’s leading nature photographers.

As an active conservationist, he promotes the welfare and preservation of his subjects through his photography and writing. He has a particular interest in dragonflies, butterflies and moths for which he has a specialist scientific knowledge.

His work is widely published in the UK, Ireland and internationally, with numerous photographic credits in a wide variety of book, magazines, calendars and various other media sources through his own library and agencies. He is a frequent writer and contributor to the photographic press and other natural history publications; had several solo exhibitions including the aerial landscape collection from the highly acclaimed “NATURAL HISTORY OF ULSTER”, which ran for five months in the Ulster Museum. He currently has a new exhibition entitled, “RARE & THREATENED BRYOPHYTES OF IRELAND”, which is currently on show at the Ulster Museum’s Belfast Gallery.

He has appeared on television and radio as a photographer, author and entomologist and been a contributor to other television programs relating to natural history and photography. Although now a convert to digital, he was a long time user and advocate of “MEDIUM FORMAT”; his images frequently illustrated Mamiya’s medium format camera systems, both in the UK and Japan. His work has also been featured in Nikon Pro magazine and Nikon UK.

His photographs are represented by a number of agencies including, Natural History Photographic Agency (NHPA), Photoshot, and Nature Picture Library (NPL) in the UK. He also runs his own picture library in Ireland, runs workshops and tours in some of Ireland’s most picturesque locations. With over twenty years experience as a natural history photographer, he has explored many of Ireland’s beauty spots and travelled widely in Europe photographing its flora and fauna with particular attention to its threatened and declining wild orchid populations.

Simon Stafford.

Simon Stafford first became interested in photography while a university student. Completely self-taught, he talked his way into a job as the photographer for the university's weekly newspaper and has been shooting pictures ever since. His photographs have been used widely in newspapers, books, calendars, and magazines, and he has also enjoyed numerous successes in many photographic competitions.

Simon has built up a wealth of experience over the past thirty years in both film and digital photography. Throughout his photographic career he has used the Nikon system extensively, adopting digital photography at an early stage with the release of the Nikon D1 camera during 1999; he has being using digital cameras exclusively since 2004. He completed his first book,The Nikon Compendium, during 2003. With nearly 400 pages and Simon's own extensive photography of Nikon cameras, Nikkor lenses, and Nikon system accessories, it represents a comprehensive history of the Nikon system for the user and collector alike. He has also written fifteen books on the Nikon camera system for the Magic Lantern Guide series, published by Lark Photography Books, and is currently working on a new series of guides for Nikon Speedlights and the Nikon Creative Lighting System.

He is involved in a wide variety of photographic projects, which include presenting photographic workshops, and contributing illustrated articles to leading photography magazines, he is also Technical Editor to Nikon Owner magazine (www.nikonownermagazine.com), and a regular contributor to Pixiq (www.pixiq.com), the photography resource web site.

At the Gallery area of this site you will find portfolios of his work, whilst the News page contains a list of Simon's activities including forthcoming photographic workshops and tutorials, and details of his books, and magazine articles.

"Simon Stafford ARPS is a regular contributor to Practical Photography and has demonstrated his creativity with a camera on many occasions."
 William Cheung, Editor (former).

"Simon Stafford quite simply epitomises a standard of excellence in many different photographic disciplines with real style and, he is always ready to share his knowledge with others."
 Gray Levett, Founder, Grays of Westminster.


Simon Stafford Photographer in Macro.



Simon Stafford’s Micro & Macro Photography Workshop
Posted on January 28, 2013

Sunday, 3rd February 2013
2:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 6DX



Simon Stafford’s photographic seminars & workshops presented in association with Grays of Westminster have proved to be hugely popular and in response to high demand, Simon has developed this new practical workshop dedicated to close-up and macro photography.

Regardless of whether you are a complete newcomer to the Lilliputian world of close-up photography or a seasoned exponent, this course has been prepared to help you make a dramatic improvement to the quality of your close-up pictures by mastering core skills and creative techniques. Simon will discuss the critical importance of understanding and controlling light, and there will be an opportunity to use a variety of lighting equipment, including the Nikon R1C1 Macro Speedlight kit.

You will learn how to achieve high-quality pictures by applying sound camera technique and developing a consistent methodology. Simon will share his in-depth knowledge and 30 years of photographic experience so that you can achieve professional-looking results reliably (please note: attendance of one of Simon’s previous seminars or workshops is not a prerequisite of attending this event).
Agenda:

Part one: Camera skills
Understanding reproduction ratios and subject magnification
Appreciate the influence of working distance and diffraction
Choosing and using lenses for close focusing
Using lens accessories for close focusing
Filters for close-up photography
Selecting camera/lens support systems
Achieving accurate exposure at a close focus distance
Learn how to interpret the digital histogram display

Part two: Shooting skills
Best practice in camera handling
The pros and cons of AF and Vibration Reduction
Focusing techniques for close-up photography
Understanding and using depth-of-field
Selecting viewpoint and perspective
Honing composition skills
The importance of backgrounds
Creative techniques with focus, white balance and multiple exposure

Part three: Lighting for Micro & Macro Photography
Working with and controlling available light
Flash equipment and its application for close-up photography
Specialised lighting techniques
Choosing lighting equipment and accessories

Please note there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the event, and Simon will demonstrate some of the tips and techniques he discusses.
Prerequisite:

Since this is a practical workshop each delegate should bring a camera body together with an appropriate lens or lenses to work with during the course

The cost of the session will be £155 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber. To book, please email me only with your full name, Nikon Owner user name/membership number, daytime mobile and landline. There are very limited places available, so please reply as soon as you are able to in order to avoid disappointment. If you are not currently a subscriber, you are welcome to join whilst booking the workshop to receive the discount on the course. The session will take place from 2.00 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. and includes mid-afternoon tea and biscuits.
gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Travelling to Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX: the nearest underground station is Warren Street, but please do make sure that it is open – it is occasionally closed on a Sunday – if so, Goodge Street station is a good option. www.tfl.gov.uk
About Nikon Owner



Standard Annual Subscription – normal price £69; special price £59 when you book this course.
1-year Subscription to Nikon Owner + 3-yr warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
Nikon Owner magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly magazine that is 100% Nikon. Each issue delivers benchmark technical reviews of the very latest Nikon equipment, thought-provoking interviews and articles with world-class images
Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
Special trips and events
Discounts on events and training sessions
10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Gold subscription – special price: £290 when you book this course
3-year subscription to Nikon Owner
5-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
2-year warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
Gold Priority waiting list for all new Nikon releases (top of the waiting list)
A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
Special offers to Gold subscribers throughout the period of subscription
A signed copy of Heather Angel’s Wild Kew while stocks last or a Simon Stafford Nikon Magic Lantern Guide of your choice
Nikon Owner quarterly magazine as above
Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website which includes forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events’ page and use of a photo gallery
Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
15% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
Special trips and events
Substantial discounts on training sessions organised by Grays of Westminster, including Mike Maloney’s Workshops , Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Training Sessions, Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars and Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses.
10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

With very best wishes

Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator