Welcome to my very first article about macro ! This year, I decided to be better in this field of photography and I’ll try to write as often as possible my experiences, my successes and my errors in this blog… Let’s begin !

Apart from owning a macro lens (even if there’s different possibilities that will do the trick), to me, the first thing to make better macro photographs is the timing of the day, that is the moment when you decide to take your camera and go out. You can read it everywhere in internet, the best moments to take macro photographs are the morning and the evening, just after sunrise and just before sunset. Why ? First, because the light is perfect, very soft and interesting. You can obtain wonderful pictures because of this light, which is gold not white as in midday. The colors of your subjects will be better, warmer, and you won’t have such hard shadows. And secondly, but most importantly, you will have more chances to find insects and to capture them with your camera (and to run after them…). In the morning, like everyone else, they’re waking up, the temperature is low, so they won’t move before a few hours. In the evening, they’re searching for a place to rest during the night, you can approach them with caution. That’s how I catch this one below !

In the morning, at first, it can be difficult to find them, because they’re not moving and when you don’t know where to look, you can miss them. But it helps to keep going out and know your buddies. Every insect has a favorite place to rest. So when you know what you’re looking for, you’ll know where to look for, and vice versa. Go to the same place, and be patient. You will soon find them. A little trick is to walk with the sun in front of you. In this way, you can spot the butterflies, for example, which are wide open, heating their wings. And finally, when you have one subject, you can spend time finding the best angle, the best light, they’re usually not moving, so you can be very close. The big bonus is when the night was cold, you will find some drops of dew on them. Look at this ladybug.

In the evening, it’s a little bit different. The insects are still moving, living, eating, doing whatever they want. It’s easier to find them, but depending on the temperature, it can be difficult to capture them. The good thing is that you will learn where they’re resting if you have patience and follow them. You’ll have until the sunset to take your photos. After that, the light will not be as beautiful as before, you can pack up your gears and go back home.

Of course, you can take pictures during the day, but not in direct sunlight. It will be better to find some shaded areas or bring with you a light diffuser to soften the sunlight on your subject. But still, the best light, the best colors, the best scenery and your best photographs will be during the morning and the evening. Try it and don’t hesitate to leave a comment below to discuss it !

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