THE OLYMPUS GUIDE TO

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

CAPTURE A BIG, BEAUTIFUL WORLD HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.

Insects in their natural habitat, spiderweb dew, petals on a flower — there’s a wonder-filled world in your backyard, your garden and the woods and fields near your home. Capture that world with macro photography.

LET TWO OF MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY’S

BIGGEST NAMES

HELP YOU CAPTURE THE UNSEEN

Chris McGinnis bought his first Olympus OM-D camera in 2014 and was determined to learn its ins and outs. Chris joined Instagram and made a commitment to post one photo a day for a year. The experience helped him master his camera and discover something important: he loved the small natural wonders that go unseen.

Geraint Radford bought his first DSLR in 2010 and turned pro a year later. After five years and a switch to the Olympus OM-D system, he followed his heart and dedicated himself to macro photography. Today, he’s an Olympus Visionary and has been featured in BBC calendars, magazines and numerous online articles.

CHRIS AND GERAINT’S

SUPER CLOSE-UPS

OF A HIDDEN WORLD

Be patient. Slowing your pace and your mind goes a long way to finding more subjects, steadying your camera and taking better shots.

Know when to shoot. Insects are easier to photograph in the early morning or evening when they’re colder, slower and less likely to fly away just before you hit the shutter button.

Get low. It might mean getting dirty, but getting close to the ground lets you find more subjects and provides a perspective that invites the viewer into the subject’s world.

Shoot for the eyes. Compose your shot around the eyes — they are often the most interesting thing about insects and can give them humanlike quality.

Soften the light. Cloudy days are good for shooting because they provide consistent, soft light. On hot, sunny days, look for open shade where the light is less harsh.

Use macro lenses. Invest in glass specifically designed for close-up shooting. Macro lenses will elevate your photography to whole new levels of excellence.

THE PERFECT CAMERA SYSTEM FOR SHOOTING THE SMALLEST CREATURES

IS ACTUALLY PRETTY
SMALL ITSELF

For macro photographers Chris and Geraint, the compact and lightweight design of OM-D system and the E-M1 Mark III is one reason why they’re so successful at getting great shots.

Camera with water splashes showing weathersealed camera bodies

BUILT-IN WEATHERSEALING

Shoot confidently in all conditions without protective gear. The IPX1-rated E-M1 Mark III is splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof down to 14°F / -10°C. You’ll keep an eye out for small subjects instead of watching the weather.

BLUR-FREE STABILIZATION

Enjoy the freedom of handheld shooting with the E-M1 Mark III. It features a world-leading in-camera image stabilization system. It adjusts for all types of camera movement and delivers up to 7.5 shutter speed stops of compensation to capture crisp, clear handheld shots even in low light. It’s an essential feature when using magnification to shoot small subjects.

IN-CAMERA FOCUS STACKING

Create dramatic macro photos with greater depth of field and beautiful bokeh. The E-M1 Mark III’s in-camera Focus Stacking captures up to 15 shots with varying focus points and instantly merges them to create one beautifully focused image.

COMPACT WITH WORLD CLASS IMAGE QUALITY

Thanks to an array of advanced technologies, the compact, mirrorless OM-D system produces macro shots that are sharp and vibrant with accurate color and low noise.

BETTER MAGNIFICATION

Macro photography is all about making small things look bigger. Thanks to the Micro Four Thirds platform, Olympus cameras and lenses yield greater magnification than other camera systems. One-to-one with an Olympus gives you 2x magnification versus 1x with a full frame camera.

YOU DON’T NEED A LOT OF GEAR

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MACRO PHOTOGRAPHER

GEAR TO GET STARTED

OM-D E-M1 Mark III

M.Zuiko ED 30mm f3.5 Macro

MORE LENSES TO
TAKE THINGS UP A NOTCH

M.Zuiko ED 60mm f2.8 Macro

M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO

VIEW PHOTOS FROM OLYMPUS USERS

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Additional Photo Credits

Page Header: Geraint Radford | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F2.8 | 1/400s | ISO200 ; Tip 1: Chris McGinnis | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F7.1 | 1/200s | ISO200 ; Tip 2: Geraint Radford | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F5.0 | 1/125s | ISO400 ; Tip 3: Chris McGinnis | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F9.0 | 1/80s | ISO200 ; Tip 4: Geraint Radford | OM-D E-M1X | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F6.3 | 1/250s | ISO200 ; Tip 5: Chris McGinnis | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro | F8.0 | 1/160s | ISO200