All 35mm camera lenses have some kind of ratio that represent the size of an object in the picture compared to its real life size. A traditional lens presents objects at much smaller than their actual size (imagine a life-sized photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge!) while macro lenses will get a ratio much closer to reality. Have you ever looked at a close up of a flower or a head of an ant? Chances are those photographs were shot with a macro lens.

There are a few varieties of macro lens available. The most common ratio for consumer photo equipment is about 1:2 which means that subjects in the picture will be half their actual size. This may not seem like much, but remember that youre going to blow the image up when its printed onto an 8×10 or 5×7 photograph, making the final version much larger than real life. Super-high grade equipment can hit a ratio of 5:1, which would be perfect for mapping out a snowflake or exploring a rough surface like a sponge. You can find simple attachments for your normal lens (these have varied results) or a full lens to attach to your camera body, whatever suits your budget.

Macro Lens Experiments

Once you have a macro lens and have got a bearing on how it works, go out into the world and start seeing things like youve never seen them before. Even the most familiar of subjects or environments can become dramatically new and exciting when viewed from a different perspective, and a macro lens will certainly provide that to you. Heres some fun things to do with your new macro lens:

* Explore your house and get a bugs-eye view of your furniture, carpet, and surfaces.

* See how the lens expands your creativity by shooting common items in your neighborhood

* Set up a small space and see if you can duplicate catalog type images of small products

Macro lenses can have a great impact on how you see the world and provide you with a versatile alternative to shooting with a regular lens. You never know when you might need to make something tiny the center of focus and theres no better way to do it than by making it huge. Its also fun to take pictures of common objects at super-close range and see if your friends and family can figure out what the item is. Macro lenses can turn grass into green bladed mountains or ants into scary creatures that make your imagination run wild.

While the cost of a separate macro lens can cost you somewhere between $200-400, you’ll find that the extra options you’ll have to shoot are well worth the cost. Making mountains out of molehills may not work out for us in our jobs or personal relationships, but in photography it can be great fun. Besides, it’s the little things that make life interesting.

Put simply, contrast is the difference between the lights and darks in your images. In terms or black and white photography, high contrast prints have very dark black and super bright whites with no shades in between, while low contrast images will have more grey. In color photos, contrast is used to describe the color intensity and how the colors stand out in relation to each other. While theres no perfect level of contrast, a good rule of thumb is to try and create images that have pure black, pure white, and every shade in between. This is not as easy as it sounds!

Contrast in Action

As a photographer, youll probably find a set amount of contrast that works for you. Some photographers like high contrast while others like low, so it really depends upon what works for you. As long as your images convey the message you want to pass on, no one is going to call you on the phone and tell you to change your photographs around.

If you want to see an example of excellent normal contrast, take a look at the photographs of Ansel Adams. His landscape photographs in black and white cover every base possible in terms of greys, blacks, and whites, and are quite powerful because of it. For an example of high-contrast, recent films such as Sin City and The Spirit used high-contrast imagery to augment their story.

Adjusting Contrast

There are a few things you can do to adjust the contrast of your images. Different types of film or digital camera settings will give your pictures different amounts of contrast. For example, slide film has a high contrast ratio compared to regular film. You can also push your film while developing it by allowing it to soak in the developer longer than recommended the longer it sits, the higher your contrast will be. Be careful that you don’t over-develop your film because, unlike prints, it can’t be redone once you develop it.

In the darkroom, you can apply a filter to your enlarger to change the contrast of your images. A #1 filter will be a slight contrast bump, whereas a #4 filter will dramatically increase the level of contrast in the final image. If youre using digital, most photo editing software has a contrast option built in that will allow you to mimic darkroom filters and adjustments for similar results. Contrast is unlimited in what you can do with it so play around and take it to the limit and see what happens.

Contrast can control the focal point of an image, as in where your viewers look. It can help further define important parts of your photograph as well as create a higher quality image when done properly. Use the “pure white, pure black” rule in every picture and you’ll see a huge difference in the prints you will produce. Once you understand what degree of contrast works in your photos, you’ll start to see how you can use contrast in the real world to shoot even better pictures. As always, the best way to get better is to keep practicing!

Gobos are made from either thin metal or glass, commercially. Glass gobos can be colored or textured to create effects. Low budget theatre lighting has seen the use of everything from pie tins to soda cans with a pattern cut out. Essentially anything that won’t burn or melt in close proximity to a very hot light source has been used at one time or another to create a gobo.

For the architectural or interior photographer, as well as some studio portrait photographers, these creative lighting tools can come in very handy. Metal gobos come in a huge variety of patterns, including windows, blinds, doors, trees and leaves, and abstract shapes. Imagine the possibilities for interior photography! You can throw a light pattern across a room, giving the visual impression that there is a window somewhere just out of view in the image, when in fact there was none. Or you can use the technique with an abstract pattern to break up a blank and monotonous area (a stairwell, perhaps) and add interest to an otherwise dull area. It is also useful for adding light without having it look like a spotlight was placed on an object.

When used with an ellipsoidal light, a creative photographer can not only use the internal barn doors to flag the light beam, but also use the gobo to spread out a broken pattern with either a very soft edge or by adjusting the focus of the beam, create a very hard edge. This gives the option of simulating either soft, early morning light or mimicking the feeling of bright sunlight at noon. Add a dimmer switch to the equation and you can easily expand your possibilities.

Given the complexity and variety available from gobo manufacturers, you are limited only by your imagination…and budget. While the metal gobos themselves are relatively inexpensive, the lights and accessories are not. But having these tools at your disposal on a location shoot gives you options not possible any other way. Product photography goes from “same old thing” to something with depth and dimension. Your local theatre lighting supply company or Barbizon Lighting are good places to start. Ask for a catalog of gobos, sit back and let your imagination run wild. Just make certain you have sturdy stands and sandbags. Even the smaller ellipsoidal lights are heavy and need good support.

All 35mm camera lenses have some sort of ratio that can be used to describe the size of an object in the image compared to its size in real life. A typical lens presents objects much smaller than their actual size, while macro lenses will get a ratio much closer to reality. Have you ever looked at a close up of a flower or a head of an ant? Chances are those photographs were shot with a macro lens.

There are several different types of macro lenses available. The most common ratio found on consumer-level equipment is roughly 1:2, meaning that subjects in the image on film will be ½ their actual size. This may not seem like much, but remember that you’re going to blow the image up when it’s printed onto an 8×10 or 5×7 photograph, making the final version much larger than real life. Super-high grade equipment can hit a ratio of 5:1, which would be perfect for mapping out a snowflake or exploring a rough surface like a sponge. Depending upon your budget and the type of results you want, you can get a simple attachment for your normal lens or a full lens that attaches directly to your camera.

Macro Lens Experiments
Once you have a macro lens and have got a bearing on how it works, go out into the world and start seeing things like you’ve never seen them before. Even the most familiar of subjects or environments can become dramatically new and exciting when viewed from a different perspective, and a macro lens will certainly provide that to you.  Here’s some fun things to do with your new macro lens:

Explore your house and get a bugs-eye view of your furniture, carpet, and surfaces.
See how the lens expands your creativity by shooting common items in your neighborhood
Set up a small space and see if you can duplicate “catalog” type images of small products

Macro lenses can have a great impact on how you see the world and provide you with a versatile alternative to shooting with a regular lens. You never know when it may come in handy to get a picture of something really small. It’s also fun to take pictures of common objects at super-close range and see if your friends and family can figure out what the item is. Macro lenses can turn grass into green bladed mountains or ants into scary creatures that make your imagination run wild.

While the cost of a dedicated (separate lens) macro can run you $200-400, you’ll find that the options it gives you and the inspiration it can provide are well worth the cost. Making “mountains out of molehills” may not work in life, but in photography it can bring a whole new meaning to your pictures. Besides, they always say it’s the little things that matter.