Mastering Depth of Field in Macro Photography

Unlock the secrets of depth of field (DoF) in macro photography with my comprehensive guide! Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this video is your one-stop shop for all things DoF. Learn how to manipulate aperture settings to isolate your subject or capture intricate details with stunning clarity. I’ll cover essential equipment, the impact of distance on focus, and advanced techniques like focus stacking to achieve breathtaking images. Perfect your macro shots and tell compelling visual stories by mastering the art of depth of field. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for more photography tips and tutorials!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - What is depth of field
01:20 - Aperture settings
03:17 - Diffraction
05:18 - Focal length
06:47 - Distance to subject
08:07 - Magnification
09:48 - Crop factor
12:54 - Camera angle
15:04 - Focus stacking
16:23 - Using depth of field to tell a story
17:26 - Outtakes

//MY GEAR\\

MY MAIN GEAR FOR INSECT MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY AND FOCUS STACKING:

MY FULL FRAME GEAR FOR MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY:
⚪️ Homemade diffuser

SOFTWARE I USE FOR EDITING MY MACRO IMAGES:

HOW I MAKE MY VIDEOS

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#photography #macro #stewartwood

[Joh]

Great explantion and oustanding fotos. I´m here for the first time, but not for the last.

[panostudio]

Nicely explained, especially the drawings with in focus part of an object.

[P_Lapointe]

This video is a must watch for anyone starting in macrophotography. Thank you for making it! I can't wait to discover the rest of your channel!

[carollemarchand]

Excellent explanations and comparison of different sensor sizes effect on DoF.

[ronjenkins]

Thank you for this comprehensive presentation on depth of field. It's the best I've seen. It also really shows the progress you've made. Even without the outtakes I can see the work that has gone into this video.

[dennismwallentin]

Good video on a subject that most other influencers fail to explain fully understandable. Anyway, the shorter focal length the closer to the subject we must be. I use 100mm but is looking for Canon's EF 180mm. Heavy and bulky but with a distance to the subjects. The only annoying aspect is that we cannot use focus bracketing with flash with Canon so I also use OM System with 60mm in order to get it 😊

[fremandg]

I was enjoying the video, and your shots are so good, i love macro and should do more.
I was just about to stop the video and comment on the narrative. It was a bit too fast and slightly pronounced. However, i then hit the outtakes, and all was forgiven. The nervousness and desire to get perfection in the audio will improve, your photography shows that you like to get it right and there is no question, you have developed the skill, i used to watch a guy, i think he is dutch, but found him hard to watch, although good at the knowledge, i think you have packed more in and educated anyone wanting to delve into the fascinating world of miniature life! Thank you! Im going to check out if you have left any info regarding the kit set up, i think its one that was developed by a guy a couple of years ago and was out of stock when i looked, but would be grateful to know more if it isnt in the More section!

[AlbertD]

Thank you for this video. It's by far the best explanation of depth of field I have seen. As a beginner to macro it was extremely helpful.

[dustydewey]

GREAT video presentation with lots of tech information given ! Currently own a full frame mirrorless and recently purchased the Laowa 58mm f2.8 2x mag. and now see why the move to Micro 4/3 sensor ! Guess unless I focus stack, I will never attain the extreme images with current gear ! All around fun and interesting vid ! Well done

[wizard]

Thank you Stewart. That's the best video on macro photography I have ever seen. Really well explained and easy to understand. Spot on mate.

[earlteigrob]

The Olympus 60mm Macro lens is a 60mm at infinity focusing distance but as you focus closer, the focal length increases A LOT due to focus breathing. I have not done a scientific test of the exact amount but my guess that at 1 to 1, the lens is more like 90mm. If you focus bracket between infinity and one to one, you will notice this very significantly. The stack will require a lot of cropping (like 30%) of the image to get a proper stack that has everything in it. Most focus stacking software take care of this for you. The Panasonic 30mm has no focus breathing and the new OM 90mm Macro has very little from what I have seen. BTW, excellent presentation!!!

[rchm]

Your technique and the overall quality of your videos has gotten better over the years as well as your talking voice and general expressions. Great video, really like the content..

[ronaldbuitendijkfotografie]

Lovely video again! The outtakes are amazing as always 🤣

[TheodoreSchnell]

I really like using my Canon MPE 65mm, although I do like my Laowa 100 mm macro lens a lot, too!

[pilchcaor]

Great video! A very complete and yet easy to understand description that will help many improve their macro efforts.

[TonyVeinberg]

love the outtakes ... and the videos of course.

[carolbell]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. This is something I have been wanting to learn about and understand. I will have to go over it a couple of more times to fully understand what you are

[JillBatchelor]

This is utterly brilliant Stewart I’m not sure my aging grey cells could begin to be able to say any of this out loud like you can Well most of the time anyway because I love your out takes lol I kinda just know what works but pairing things with a flash stretching me at the moment But I’m determined to get there :) Thank you I might well have to watch this video several times over….

[klaustomasini]

Great video ... I like my OM System macro lenses 90mm and 60mm. Sometimes I go for vintage manual lenses like Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 or Olympus macro 50mm f3.5.

[AndrewBassonZA]

macro, the challenge I love to do to help me relax, I run the 100mm F2.8 laowa alongside the 25mm 2.5x to 5x also from laowa, mainly on APS-C bodies mind you as I find it a good middle ground between doing macro and studio portraits