Macro Indoor Photo Shoot - January

Hey there! Here is a look into my studio to see how I work with flowers with just natural light.  No fancy studio equipment needed, just your camera and a little bit of know-how. We’ll go over everything from a studio setup, to the position of the subject and even give you some tips on camera settings. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced shooter, this guide is sure to help you take some stunning macro shots of flowers. So, let’s get started!

Shooting indoors can be intimidating and often unsuccessful. When I first got started with macro photography and tried shooting indoors, it was a big fail! I have worked over the years to learn how to be successful with a simple at-home setup and natural light. You do not need big fancy studio equipment or flash to have fun indoors shooting macro flowers. 

The first thing to ensure your success is a natural light source. You may have to try several around your house to find the best light at the time of day you want to shoot. Ideally, you want a window or door where you can place a subject at a 90-degree angle to the light. You want to be able to raise the blinds or curtains to let in as much light as possible. Once you have found this magical spot, you are 50% there! 

The next step is setting up a small table, stool, or bench near the light source and then deciding what backdrop you want to use. A backdrop could be the paint on your walls, poster board, black or white mat board, fabric, velvet - really anything you want. I have taped paper to my walls and used fabric or poster board. A simple backdrop is best since you are shooting so close to the subject, as the backdrop will hardly be noticed. In this example, I painted with some old paint on a canvas that I picked up on clearance at a local craft store. 

As for camera settings, I typically shoot indoors with a macro lens; I love my 85MM macro. Or you can use another lens with extension tubes. A zoom lens can work; you will have to stand further away from the subject. I like to shoot my subject with a mix of settings. I will handhold the camera and use a tripod. I often start shooting handheld at F2.4-F4 to get to know the subject and the light available; then I will move to F8 to get more details. After taking those shots, I will grab my tripod shooting at F16 or greater for more details and stability with the tripod. 

Some watchouts! 

• Always check for shadows! This is the biggest issue with shooting indoors. I usually turn off my overhead lights in the room, using only the natural light to flow in. That will help reduce distracting shadows. 
• If it is a super bright day, you may want to place a diffuser in your window. See my large diffuser sitting in the window in the image above. These are also in my Amazon store. 
• Know your lens’s minimum focus distance. This will help you ensure a sharp focus point. You may even have to use manual focus to get your desired shot. 
• If it is a really dark day, you could try adding a light or lamp near the window to help give off some additional light. 
  
• Take your time with each subject. I like to sit on a stool and play, moving the subject around and my camera to explore and allowing myself to take a lot of shots. 
• When shooting close up, flower “frogs” help position your flowers, or use flower tape, or pins to hold them in place. Check out my Amazon page for a variety of tools that I use when shooting indoors. 

Here is a short video of my recent photoshoot! I hope you enjoy and play around with capturing the beauty of flowers up close this year.