Close-up and Macro Photography

Robert Thompson’s interest in natural history began during his childhood explorations of a large parkland estate where he grew up. He is a highly accomplished freelance natural history photographer, writer and author with a number of well-known publications to his credit on natural history and photography. He is widely acknowledged as a specialist in close-up and macro photography and was awarded a direct Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society in 2012. He is also a Fellow of the Irish Photographic Federation. As an active conservationist and entomologist, he has worked on a number of high-profile natural history projects in his own country in conjunction with various government organisations. He also has a particular interest in dragonflies, butterflies and moths for which he has specialist knowledge. His work is widely published in the UK, Ireland and internationally, with numerous photographic credits in a wide variety of publications. He is a frequent writer and contributor to the photographic press and other natural history publications and has had several solo exhibitions of his work including the aerial landscape collection from the highly acclaimed ‘NATIONAL HISTORY OF ULSTER.' He has appeared on television and radio as a photographer, author and entomologist and been a contributor to other television programs relating to natural history and photography in Ireland. He lectures on photography and runs workshops in some of Ireland’s most picturesque locations and further afield.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE DIGITAL FUNDAMENTALS

HAVING A PHOTOGRAPHIC ROADMAP

DIGITAL CAMERAS

TRIPODS & CAMERA SUPPORT DEVICES

EXPOSURE AND METERING MODES

UNDERSTANDING ISO

APERTURE

DEPTH OF FIELD

UNDERSTANDING WHITE BALANCE

FILE FORMATS

MEMORY CARDS

HISTOGRAMS

LENSES

LIGHT

UNDERSTANDING FLASH

EXTENDED DEPTH OF FIELD

BACKGROUNDS

CUSTOM-DESIGNED EQUIPMENT

PART TWO FIELDCRAFT & METHODOLOGY

SETTING UP YOUR CAMERA FOR MACRO

COMPOSITION & ORIENTATION

IN THE FIELD

WIDE-ANGLE MACRO

MACRO ON THE MOVE

THE OUTDOOR FIELD STUDIO

PHOTOGRAPHING FURTHER AFIELD

PHOTOGRAPHING IN CHALLENGING CONDITIONS

MACRO THROUGH THE SEASONS

BEYOND LIFE-SIZE

ACCESSORIES FOR MACRO

MY FIELD EQUIPMENT

FILTERS

PART THREE PORTFOLIO CASE STUDIES

JEWELS OF THE INSECT WORLD (Dragonflies & Damselflies)

MEADOW DANCERS (Butterflies)

NATURE’S NOCTURNAL BUTTERFLIES (Moths)

LIFE IN THE FOLIAGE (The Larval Phase of Butterflies & Moths)

NATURE’S FLORAL GARDEN (Plants)

THE KINGDOM OF THE UNDERWORLD (Fungi)

LIFE IN FRESHWATER (The Aquatic Environment)

LIFE ON THE SHORELINE (Coastal Creatures & Rockpools)

PATTERNS ON BARK & STONE (Lichens)

NATURE’S GRAND DESIGNS (Patterns & Abstracts)

NATURE ON YOUR DOORSTEP (Macro in the Garden)

PART FOUR DIGITAL WORKFLOW & PRESENTATION

DIGITAL WORKFLOW & PRESENTATION

CONTACT DISPLAYS & PANELS

PRESENTING & PUBLISHING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

INDEX