Shooting Telephoto Macros (2024)

Shooting Telephoto Macros

3/29/2020

14 Comments

Getting in Close from Far Away

Okay, bring your camera in close...
Closer...
A bit closer...
There! Perfect!
When you want to get in real close to your subject, you are entering the realm of the macro photographer. Usually this means you need a specialized macro lens, one that allows for extremely close focusing distances and provides a reproduction ratio of at least 1:1. For some subjects this may be your only choice, for example, capturing the minute details of an insect. For situations like that I will grab my Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. But often I want to capture a great close-up of my subject, giving it the macro 'feel' without actually being all that close. That's when I put on a longer lens and turn to telephoto macros.

I used the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO to capture these flowers. I zoomed in to 105mm (210mm equivalent) and was several feet away from the subject. (E-M1, ISO640, 1/125s @ f/5.6).

Advantages
Using a telephoto lens for your close-up shots comes with several advantages over a regular macro lens;

Better depth of field - macro lenses have very shallow depths of field and often require you to focus bracket in order to get sharpness throughout your subject. Although this can be the case with a telephoto lens it is far less of an issue.
Better control of natural light - given your increased distanceyou are far less likely to cast unwanted shadows on your subject with your camera or body.
Easier framing - Since most telephoto lenses are also zoom lenses it is easier to frame your shot and you can do it from a more comfortable distance.

Capturing these shards of ice on the lake was far easier to do from a short distance with a telephoto lens than with a macro lens. (E-M1 Mark II, 40-150mm f/2.8 @ 100mm, ISO200, 1/1000s @ f/5.6)

Lenses
Olympus makes a variety of telephoto lenses. Given their minimum focusing distancesthey are excellent for macro-style shooting even if they aren't true macro lenses.

Lens	35mm Equivalent	Minimum Focusing Distance Range
12-100mm f/4 PRO	24-200mm	0.15m - 0.45m
12-200MM f/3.5-6.3	24-400mm	0.22m - 0.7m
14-150MM f/4.0-5.6 II	28-300mm	0.5m
40-150MM F2.8 PRO	80-300mm	0.7m
40-150MM F4.0-5.6 R	80-300mm	0.9m
75-300MM F4.8-6.7 II	150-600mm	0.9m - 1.5m
300MM F4.0 IS PRO	600mm	1.4m

Shooting Tips

Practice - Like trying any new style of photography it will take practice to get comfortable using your telephoto lens for close-up shooting. The great thing is that there are countless subjects close by. The great thing is that there are countless subjects close by. Your backyard, garden or neighbourhood park are teeming with subject matter. Try different settings and get comfortable with how your camera/lens combination performs in these shooting situations.
Shoot parallel to your subject - Start by lining up the face of your lens parallelto your subject. This will help improve the overall sharpness of your main subject. Getting down to the level of your subject will likely give you the best composition as well. Then try different angles to see if you can improve the composition.
Check your depth of field -Experiment with different apertures at different focal lengths and distances so that you become familiar with the depth of field you can expect with different settings. Then make sure you review your shots to ensure that you have achieved the depth of field you want.
Try focusing manually - The auto focus system on most cameras is fast and accurate, but for more control use manual focus with the manual focus-assist features enabled. This will allow you to more precisely focus on your subject.
Use a teleconverter - Adding a teleconverter will increase the magnification of the lens, but still maintain the minimum focusing distance. The MC-14 (1.4x) and MC-20 (2x) teleconverters will work with the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO and the 300mm f/4 PRO lenses.
Avoid windy days - Macro photography is not about capturing the action so avoid windy days. It can be very frustrating to have that gorgeous flower dancing in your frame. Early mornings usually have calmer conditions and often have the best light.
Keep it neat - Avoid clutter in your frame. Aim for clean backgrounds that aren't distracting and check for spider webs or other small objects. Things that are barely visible to the naked eye will show up clearly in your final image.

(Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 40-150mm f/2.8 @ 150mm, ISO200, 1/640s @ f/3.5)

Beautiful Blur
The best compositions are often the simplest ones. The easiest way to isolate your subject and make it stand out is to have a blurry, or defocused background. In large part this is determined by your choice of aperture, which not only establishes how much of your subject is sharp, but will also determine the degree to which your background blurs. A large aperture will create a softer background, but may not provide you with enough clarity throughout your subject. So achieving the perfect result is a bit of a balancing act and may require some experimenting with different aperture settings. Selecting a subject that is set a fair distance away from the background will also help isolate it in your final composition.
One option is to use the focus bracketing and stacking built into the OMD line-up of cameras. This allows you to use a larger aperture to achieve nice bokeh yet still have your entire subject in focus. With this technique however, having a subject that is quite still is key to getting good results.

Selecting a single stem of lavender that was on the edge of the clump allowed for a bit of natural separation. Then using a larger aperture helped to blur the background. (E-30, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 @ 150mm, ISO400, 1/125s @ f/5.6)

In order to separate this fence from the distant trees I utilized a fairly large aperture. This created the defocused background that I wanted, but not all of the frost was in focus with a single shot so I used focus bracketing as well. (Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO @ 150mm, ISO200, 1/1000s @ f/3.5)

One technique that I like to use on occasion is to add blur in front of the subject as well. This adds a creamy softness to the foreground and the illusion of extra depth. This is achieved by placing your camera in amongst some foliage or flowers, often just a few inches away from the front lens element.

By placing the camera just in front of some crocus flowers I was able to create a soft purple glow to the bottom half of the image, yet maintain the sharpness of my main subject. (E-M1, 40-150mm f/2.8 @ 150mm, ISO200, 1/4000s @ f/3.5)

(Olympus E-30, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 @ 240mm, ISO160, 1/250s @ f/5.4)

By placing the camera amongst the autumn leaves of a spirea bush I was able to eliminate some otherwise distracting elements in the background and soften the overall image. (E-M1X, 12-100mm f/4 @ 100mm, ISO640, 1/400s @ f/4)

A Backyard Safari
One of the biggest advantages to using a telephoto lens for your macro-style shooting is the ability to capture a bit of 'wildlife' along with the beautiful blooms. It is a lot harder to sneak up on a butterfly sipping nectar using a macro lens. With a telephoto lens you can be several meters away and still have your subject fill up much of the frame. This will require a closer look at your camera settings since having a faster shutter speed may be important, depending on whether you are trying to capture the insect or bird in flight versus at rest.
There are a couple of approaches to consider;

Hunting - Following your subjectas it moves from bloom to bloom can be challengingso switch from manual to auto focus and use one of the sequential shooting modes in order to improve your success rate.
Waiting - Select a bloom that the butterfly or bee hasn't landed on yet and wait. A bit of patience is required but there's a good chance that it will eventually land on that flower. Use manual focus and sequential shooting in order to capture the landing and take off. This is also a great opportunity to try using Pro Capture to guarantee that you catch the action.

At about 2 meters away this monarch butterfly was not disturbed by my presence and allowed me to get off a number of shots while it flew from plant to plant. (E-M1X, 300mm f/4 PRO + MC-20, ISO1000, 1/400s @ f/8)

I wanted to capture this bee in flight so I ensured I was using a fast enough shutter speed and just waited for it to approach this lupine. (E-M1X, 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO @ 135mm, ISO400, 1/2000s @ f/2.8)

When I saw this male monarch attempting to disturb the happy couple I grabbed my long lens and waited until it entered the frame. (E-M1 Mark II, 300mm f/4 + MC-14, ISO1600, 1/1000s @ f/5.6)

The wind was blowing so strongly on this particular occasion that I couldn't use manual focus so instead I engaged C-AF + Tracking. I worked remarkably well. (E-M1 Mark II, 300mm f/4 + MC-14, ISO1250, 1/2000s @ f/7.1)

With the speed at which hummingbirds move I decided to aim my camera at this flower and wait for it to arrive. Sure enough, it did! (E-M1 Mark II, 300mm f/4, ISO1000, 1/2000s @ f/5)

Final Thoughts and Images
I often use macro photography as a quick escape. Whether I use a true macro lens or one of my telephoto lenses it is a great way to get out of the house for a short period of time and explore my immediate surroundings. It also helps me focus on the details when I'm out shooting landscape images. If you are new to this style of shooting it is good to experiment using a telephoto lens that you already have. You can practice good field technique before making the investment into a dedicated macro lens.

For more information on macro shooting you can check on this article on focus bracketing and stacking.

Focus bracketed using the E-M1X, 12-100mm f/4 @ 50mm, ISO400, 1/15s @ f/4

This salamander was quite stationary so I was able to focus bracket the image. (E-M1 Mark II, 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO @ 150mm, ISO1000, 1/80 @ f/3.2)

E-30, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 @ 114mm, ISO400, 1/640s @ f/4.5

14 Comments

Marcel

5/6/2020 04:38:26 pm

Inspiring article. Since I own both the 60mm macro and the fabulous 40-150mm f2,8, I sometimes do macro photography with these lenses, but I have to practice more with focus bracketing and stacking. BTW, great blog and great photos. Thanks

Kanchan

7/4/2021 04:32:41 am

Can i used zoom lens in mobile

Mary

5/6/2020 05:01:52 pm

I have enjoyed your article about telephoto macro. I have an Olympus 5 II and am on the verge of purchasing the 40-150 pro. My question is which converter should I get. Will the 1.4 give enough reach for flowers and birds? Also can the camera be handheld with the 1.4 and /or the 2 x?
Thank you for your advice.

Tom

5/6/2020 08:29:13 pm

Thank you for the good ideas and beautiful images. I had been using an Olympus Stylus and enjoying it including its macro capabilities, but the 150mm maximum wasn't long enough for my interest in bird photography. So I splurged on an OMD M1 and the 75-300 lens. I was very pleased with the increased length and the additional capabilities of the M1. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover its ability as a telephoto macro. It allows me to be watching up close and to the distance during my "river walks".

Sergei Gridnevskii

5/7/2020 07:06:28 am

I did a couple of macro shots with Sigma 50-500 + 1.4x lens with Olympus E-MII. Scale was about 1:1 at 1400mm. Of course from tripod.

Jim A.

5/12/2020 10:02:14 pm

These photos and tips are just outstanding. Thanks for sharing your vision with us, just fantastic work.

Graham Lovis

6/15/2020 07:07:20 am

Thank you again Peter for yet another excellent article, accompanied by stunning photographs.
Just one thing, you say that macro lenses “have shallow depth of field”, and you’ve made similar comments before.
This is actually not true, any 60mm lens will always have the same depth of field (at the same aperture) as any other 60mm lens. It’s the laws of physics.
Depth of field does become dramatically reduced with lens to subject distance, and the special characteristics of a macro lens allows very close focusing and hence shallow depth of field.
The 40-150 set to 60mm has exactly the same depth of field as the 60mm macro - at the same subject distance.
Using a longer focal length enable you get further away from you subject increasing the depth of field at that point.
Your conclusion though is absolutely correct, using a longer lens is often easier and better for this sort of photography.

Doug Fenichel

9/22/2020 03:45:24 pm

I've been using "tube extenders" to accomplish macro photography. My budget wouldn't allow me to purchase new macro lenses, but it works with the lenses that I have. Still try to figure out bracketing and stacking (camera doesn't do it automatically)

Tasriful islam link

12/9/2020 01:04:34 am

It really helped when you said that it would be best to hire the photographer in advanced
since the best ones are the first to get booked. I will keep this in mind since my friend and
I usually talk about our dream wedding almost every day. When he finally proposes,
I will make sure that we hire a photographer in the first place to ensure that he is of good quality.
Thanks for the tips!

Viktor

2/22/2021 10:08:57 am

Nice article! Nice to see someone using 300 f4. I have an old Sigma 300 f4 that goes to 1/3rd, my favorite "macro".

Janice Gursanscky

3/22/2021 07:14:35 am

Another great article thanks Peter. I love macro photography
and have both the 60mm f2.8 & the amazing 40-150mm f2.8 plus both teleconverters & the OM1 MkI & MkII. You have inspired me to get out seek the mushrooms as we are coming to the end of a very wet summer. I will yet again try to get on top of focus bracketing as I realise I was utilising the stacking feature with limited success. Practice! Practice!
Want to add how much I enjoy your articles & writing style as as your images. Thank you.

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3/25/2021 07:57:17 am

I loved your blog and thanks for publishing this about shooting telephoto macros !! I am really happy to come across this exceptionally well written content. Thanks for sharing and look for more in future!! Keep doing this inspirational work and share with us.

Husain Zarief link

6/13/2021 07:04:42 am

Amazing article! Beautifully explained how and why telephoto lens could be better than traditional macro lens. Best point is you don't cast your shadow on the subject while capturing an image, plus you still get beautiful bokeh. Thanks for sharing!

Amir link

9/3/2022 08:53:47 am

Thanks for sharing informative article, I really like this post.

Author

Peter Baumgarten is a professional photographer and educator. He is also an Olympus Visionary and NiSi Official Photographer.

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