Remember the article (R)eveal Your World with EOS RP, where we explored the fun things we can do in macro photography? The article and video were created to inspire photographers and show you that you can create a world of your own with the use of simple props (that you can easily find) and through a different perspective. For this article, instead of shooting indoors, we head outside in search of inspiration, and see what an outdoor setting and low angles with macro shooting can bring us.

It’s a stone, it’s a road, it’s macro mode!

EOS RP, RF35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens, f/1.8, 35mm, 1/1000 sec, ISO100

Who knew that when you combine low angle with macro shooting, you get to create a different world altogether? Viewing the subject through the EOS RP’s Vari-angle LCD touchscreen, we place our camera really low (without breaking our backs or lying down) to get a near-ground shot. Also, focusing can be done simply by tapping on the adjustable LCD screen.

The result is whatever you might imagine it to be: It could be a man on a stone path, ledge or sand. One can even wonder where could this little guy possibly be heading to, and that is the fun of this shoot – you can create anything you like in your miniature world.

I’m sitting on a… flower?

EOS RP, RF35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens, f/1.8, 35mm, 1/500 sec, ISO100

Creativity is only limited by your imagination. If you can create an alternate universe where Mr. Petal is light enough to sit on a flower, then Mr. Petal sure is light enough. Macro photography is a brilliant technique to get really close to your subject, and creating a blurred background where you can eliminate any distractions is a huge plus. Look closer and you will be able to make out Mr. Petal’s facial features, which is the beauty of macro photography – spotting something you can’t really see in tiny objects with the naked eye.

You can try switching to Aperture Priority (Av) mode. This mode not only helps you expose your photos more accurately (with exposure compensation whenever necessary), it will also let you better understand aperture so you can find your perfect depth of field in the fore- and/or background. This gives you creative control over how much depth-of-field (DOF) you want in your photo. To do so, select a wide aperture (low F-number) to blur the background. For this shot, we used f/1.8, the widest aperture for this lens, to create a nice shallow depth of field.

In search of the wild cows

EOS RP, RF35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens, f/4.5, 35mm, 1/200 sec, ISO100

Where shall we place our little cows? On green pastures, obviously. A patch of grass, most often overlooked, should be the easiest thing you can find outdoors. Match that with tiny cow figurines and the right framing, you will get yourself a photo of carefree cows in search of sustenance (and freedom). In other words, give context to the mundane and you will find something interesting or abstract to shoot.

Another good thing about using the Vari-angle LCD screen is that you can review the photo by twisting the screen upward without having to pick up the camera. In this way, you don’t have to re-adjust the framing of the shot every time after you review your photos!

Here is a quote by the distinguished English photographer David Bailey: “It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.” The world is your oyster, and your camera is the tool to that world of yours.

Find more articles on macro photography:
Macro Photography: Dew, Foliage and Flowers
Mouth-watering Macro: The Art of Close-up Food Photography
Beginner's Guide to Underwater Macro Photography

 

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