Get Great Macro Photography Results on a Budget Using a Kit Lens

Macro photography is one of those genres that almost all of us want to try, but few of us specialize in. If it's your niche, you've probably already invested in dedicated equipment, but if you're just dabbling, you'd likely prefer to avoid purchasing an entire setup. This great video will walk you through the process of shooting and show you what can accomplish with a minimal setup.

Using just a kit lens, an entry level DSLR, extension tubes, a third party speedlight, and a makeshift diffuser fashioned from cardboard and a food storage container, Adam Kappa gets great results that are quite impressive given the setup and should satisfy most anyone looking to explore macro photography. Notice how Kappa focuses by moving the camera back and forth as opposed to using the ring on the lens. You'll find you have much more granular control this way; it can get a bit frustrating trying to get it precisely dialed in using the ring when you're holding the camera in your hands. This is a great way to jump into a very fun genre of photography very cheaply. And of course, be sure to share your shots in the Fstoppers Community

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

Hi Alex thanks for sharing this! If anyone has any questions feel free to give me a shout. There's a little but more info in the blog (https://adamkappa.co.uk/lake-district-blogger/macro-photography-for-begi...)

But I might do a follow up video with some of the questions I've received aswell
Adam

Nothing new about moving the camera to focus (rather than the lens's focus ring). On any SLR, this makes it easier to judge the range of acceptable focus than is possible by changing the lens's focus point.