Seven budget-friendly macro photography tricks in 90 seconds

Macro photography opens up a whole new world of possibilities and subjects to photograph. In his video, Daniel Aucoin shares seven simple tricks that will elevate your macro photography to a higher level. And worry not, you don’t need fancy gear – just some stuff you already have at home and some cheap accessories.

• Aluminum foil: You can use a simple piece of aluminum foil to bounce light, create specular highlights, and add bokeh to the background.
• Inverted tripod: Lower your camera so you can separate the subject from the background while also increasing your camera’s stability. If you wanna go full DIY, you can try this pan-tripod. Yes, it’s a literal frying pan.
• Use polarizer: Using a polarizing filter will reduce reflection and glare on things like mushrooms and leaves.
• Small light sources: Using smaller light sources creates micro-contrast and enhances the depth and perceived sharpness of your images. Daniel uses Lume Cubes, and you can go with any small light like this (KYU-6 is my choice for things like this).
• Colored foil: Another trick that you can whip out of your pocket (literally) is mint foil. It’s usually colored, and you can use it like aluminum foil to bounce the light – only with a splash of color.
• Mirror for reflections: You can place tiny flowers and mushrooms on a mirror splashed with some water to create macro images with some trippy reflections.
• Keep learning: Finally, Daniel points out that practicing, making mistakes, and having fun are your friends. And I couldn’t agree more. This, I’d say, is a universal “trick” for every genre of photography. :)

[7 Macro Photography Hacks in 90 Seconds! via ISO 1200]