Need of a macro lens

I know what you’re thinking…

You don’t shoot macro photos, so why on earth would you need a macro lens?

Macro lenses aren’t just for macro photography. There’s so much more that you can do with a macro lens than take close-up photos of flowers and insects. In fact, macro lenses are great for portrait photography.

Macro lenses are also fantastic for close-up photos. Not only does shooting macro require a little bit of a different approach, but macro photography also helps you develop your creativity and your photographer’s eye. By forcing yourself to look at scenes on a micro level instead of the traditional macro level, you can train your eyes to see shapes, colors, textures, patterns, and other features that make for an interesting close-up.

Macro lenses are versatile. You can get beautifully detailed up-close shots of your subject, and then pull back for a wider shot. You can get gorgeously shallow depth of field with a macro lens, too, which is great for portraiture. You can shoot landscapes and architecture, food and street scenes, and everything in between.

And when you need to leave your tripod behind, many macro lenses have image stabilisation to help you get sharp stills.

Image credits: Model Lauren Johnson of NOUS models, skin work by Lupe Moreno

Makeup by Vlada Haggerty photography & post-production by Julia Kuzmenko