Cannabis Macro Photography

[MadCity]

 

Here are some tips on taking closeups of cannabis

First you're going to need is a decent camera that has a macro feature built in. If your camera doesn't have a macro feature you might be able to purchase a macro lens adapter for it, otherwise you'll need a new camera

Tips
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1. Make sure macro mode is enabled and that your flash is on. You can mess with secondary lighting all day long for the professional shots, but if you know how to use your flash appropriately you can get some pretty good quality pictures without worrying about the lighting around you.

2. Make sure your camera doesn't move. When taking a picture of something far away it doesn't matter if you have some camera movement (hand shake), but when you want to capture intricate details the camera must be still. I set my camera on a table and press the shutter slowly. You can also set your timer, get a tripod or use a remote.

3. Look through the viewfinder as if you're studying a completed photograph. Pay attention to what is going to show up in your picture. Is everything centered? Is there something in the background that will detract from your shot? Is the angle right?

4. Take lots of pictures! I usually take 10+ shots of the bud I'm photographing. It's rare that you'll get the perfect shot on the first try.

5. Put a thin white piece of paper over your flash to help defuse the light. Or if you're lazy like me, just put the tip of your finger over the flash a little to create the same effect.

6. Use a dark background with no patterns. This brings out the colors in your photo and creates separation between the background and foreground.

That's pretty much it! If you have a photo editor and know how to use it you may want to put some finishing touches on your picture to really make it look professional.

Below are some examples of different pictures taken under different lighting conditions:

Pic 1: Too much flash
Pic 2: No flash
Pic 3: Perfect
Pic 4: After edited in Photoshop