How to Get Macro Images Without a Macro Lens

Have you wanted to give macro photography a try but don’t have the budget for the proper gear? Here is an excellent lens hack to get close up photos without losing depth of field.

Macro photography is beneficial for a wide variety of genres. As a wedding photographer, a macro lens is something I work with often. I can use it for things such as rings, dress details, and even portraits. It has been one of the most versatile lenses that I’ve purchased and has been worth the investment in the long run. However, for many photographers, it isn’t worth the cost for a specialty lens that they might rarely use. That is why using extension tubes are a great alternative, especially if they are used correctly.

You might have heard of extension tubes before, and yes this technique does involve purchasing one. They are very cheap and are worth a try if you are diving into macro photography. In this tutorial from Jamie Windsor, he not only shares about extension tubes, but also teaches a unique technique for locking a lens at its smallest aperture before attaching it to the tube. This allows you to retain a deep depth of field which is imperative for macro photography. He also adds a tip on how to take multiple photos of an image using different focal points and merge them automatically in Photoshop.

The combination of all of these techniques doesn’t require much additional work and will save you a lot of money. If you want to learn how to take macro shots with the lenses you already own, take a look at the video above.