Last Updated on April 23, 2021
Is the weather not cooperating or you just don’t feel like heading out for the day? No worries, there are tons of great subjects for indoor macro photography and in this article we will offer some ideas to get your started. We will also provide some tips for taking great macro photographs indoors.
Ideas For Indoor Macro Photography Subjects
Flowers: This should be obvious, but flowers are a great subject to photograph. Try focusing on the different petals and how they texture and color vary. Any potted flower in your home would make a great subject.
Small objects: The small objects around your house can make for great interesting subjects. Try focusing on something like a toy truck or other knick-knacks that you have laying around the house. Also try to capture different perspective shots as well.
Textiles: Textiles can be your best friend in macro photography. You can get some great macro shots using a small magnifying glass or even framing the object horizontally to get a different perspective. The textures and colors of fabrics can make for some interesting macro photography subjects.
Live plants: Flowers aren’t the only plant that makes for a great macro subject. Live plants are another great subject for macro photography. Try moving away from the regular house plant to something that has color or texture to it. Try capturing the leaves as part of your macro photography subject and focusing on the “life” of the plant. Succulents, ferns, and herbs are just some ideas that make for great subjects.
Pets: Pets are also a great subject for macro photography and they often have an interesting texture and color as well. Try capturing different angles of the pet and any interesting textures it might have.
Food: Food is another great subject for macro photography. Everyone loves photos of food, so why not give it a try! Try shooting at different perspectives to get some interesting shots. Also try to focus on different colors and textures that would make for great macro photographs. Your kitchen offers numerous great macro subjects.
Furniture: Furniture is another great macro photography subject. Go through your home and see if there are any small details that you can focus in on as a macro photograph.
The Indoor Macro Photography Tips
A common problem when photographing small objects is focusing. The smaller your lens, the more difficult it is to focus correctly. A sharp macro photograph will require a larger aperture than you might be used to shooting with.
A great way to get sharp indoor macro photographs is to focus on an object, go back and zoom in on your LCD screen, double check that it is in focus, then take the shot. Using live view and zooming in will help ensure your subject is as sharp as can be.
Find your light source. The light source can become an important aspect of your macro photographs. You will want to make sure that your light source is directional. Photographs of shiny things reflect light from many different angles, so the only way to get a sharp photograph is to direct your light source so that it only shines on your subject.
Once you have found your light source, arrange your subject in the best place for exposure. Make sure that you leave a little motion blur when taking the photo to reveal some of the final image as if taking a snapshot.
When you take macro photographs, which are generally taken in the same way as standard photography, try to expose your subject correctly. Your focus point should be on the area just before or beyond where you want it to be in your final image.
Try different angles on your macro subjects and you may find that there are some great shots hiding in different positions. You will also want to try different camera settings such as f/22 or f/32 if your normal setting is 1.4 or 1.6, for instance.
Bottom Line
Indoor macro photography is a fun and interesting way to take photographs of subjects that you wouldn’t normally think to photograph. The tips provided in this article will help you create your own outstanding macro photographs. Enjoy the process and remember to have FUN!