Experiment with differential focusing methods to make the most of abstract colour and light

ULTRA SHALLOW Shooting at maximum aperture greatly limits DOF in macro photography, and this can be used to creative effect, especially where the subject also has minimal depth – here, the extreme fall-off in focus is attractive

© Saleheh Soleimani

As we’ve discussed previously, macro photography can become a somewhat routine process, whereby we stick rigidly to a style of shooting, to produce formulaic images. Perhaps it’s because of the association with scientific photography that we tend to become preoccupied with technical perfection when shooting macro images, seeking tack-sharp detail in every frame. This is certainly a useful skill to have, since accidentally out-offocus images are impossible to cover up in close-up photography, but there are many more artistic possibilities to explore beyond this.