Explore the amazing world of close-up and macro photography. Learn the techniques and equipment (optical, lighting and support) needed to achieve sharply focused, well-exposed photographs of flowers, insects, water drops, miniatures, coins, jewellery and much more. This intensive hands-on workshop will show you how to get the most from your DSLR and how to enhance its macro capabilities in very affordable ways. The course covers every type of close-up shot, from wide-angle to extreme macro, and equipment ranging from macro and reversed lenses to bellows and image stacking. It also covers focus stacking techniques and equipment for extreme macro.

Course Outline:

Learn the techniques and equipment (optical, lighting and support) needed to achieve sharply focused, well-exposed photographs of flowers, insects, water drops, miniatures, coins, jewellery and much more in this macro photography course in Sydney.

This hands-on macro photography workshop will show you how to get the most from your DSLR and how to enhance its macro capabilities in very affordable ways. In this macro photography course, you will learn every type of close-up shot, from wide-angle to extreme macro, and equipment ranging from macro and reversed lenses to close-up attachments and bellows. It also covers focus stacking techniques (including processing through Photoshop) as well as the software and equipment for extreme macro.

Course Outcomes:

• What constitutes close-up and macro photography and what special equipment can help to get a sharp, well-exposed picture.
• Lighting and exposure: Understand the nature of light and how to control exposure to get the best colour, contrast and depth of field for c/u and macro.
• Focus and depth of field: Learn the best ways to get sharp focus with a range of lenses and attachments and under a wide range of lighting conditions.
• Close-up and macro: Learn how to photograph a range of small objects at different focal lengths and using a variety of attachments and light sources.
• Extreme macro and focus stacking: Photograph at greater than 1:1 magnification using a range of optical, lighting and stabilising equipment as well as focus stacking.

Skill Level:

• Anyone who has a thorough working knowledge of their camera; aperture, shutter speeds, focusing and the basic principles of photography, or who has done the following;
• A Beginner’s Photography course or similar
• A Basic DSLR / Digital Photography course or similar

Essential Materials:

• A DSLR – digital single-lens reflex camera / four thirds or mirrorless camera with adjustable ISO and aperture settings.
• Lens(es) - Either a or a macro lens, or standard and or telephotos lens/zoom lens with manual focus.
• Laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop loaded. If you don’t have Photoshop, you can download a free 7-day trial version from https://www.adobe.com/au/products/photoshop/free-trial-download.html

Additional items:

• Tripod
• Close-up filters and/or extension tubes.
• Off-camera flash with cord and/or transmitter/diffuser.
• An extra battery and flashcard, as you will be using your camera, and reviewing your photographs frequently.
• Card reader to cord to download images from your camera to your laptop.
• Your camera’s instruction manual.
• Notepad and pen

About the Tutor:

'Nic van Oudtshoorn is a multi-award-winning photographer, including the 2024 Abstract Photographer of the Year in the professional category of the prestigious international ReFocus World Photo Annual competition. Photographers from over 60 countries took part. He also won a “Highly Commended” award in the professional wildlife section of the same competition.

Nic has been a photojournalist and documentary film maker for more than 40 years, specialising in close-up and macro, as well as black-and-white and wildlife photography.

Nic’s photos have appeared in books, calendars, newspapers and magazines (including Time and Reader’s Digest) around the world.
His photographic excellence has earned him the distinction of Associate of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, the oldest and one of the most prestigious such organisations in the world.

His footage has been seen on TV around the world, including National Geographic and Discovery channels. He has won numerous international awards for his photographs, both colour and black-and-white.

Nic is a qualified instructor with a Master’s degree from Sydney University and enjoys training photographers at local colleges and online. He is the author of 14 books, including The Photographer’s Guide to Close-up, Macro and Focus Stacking, available from Amazon as a paperback, as well as a Kindle edition.'

Other Information:

• To ensure resources are ready for you at the start of your course, we ask you ideally enrol at least one week before the course commences.
• All courses need a minimum number of students to run ("we try our hardest to get those") . If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled before the commencement and you will be informed.