Macro Photography with Androids

I recently taught a short unit on macro (or micro) photography, asking students to get up close and personal to their subject and capture an amazing shot. What has been interesting is the fact that each student has a different type of camera. Some using their phones, others simple point-and-shoot cameras, and others with more advanced DSLR cameras. Regardless the type, each student was able to capture a close-up shot that included some shallow depth of field.

Now, most of the time when I'm on walking field trips with students, I never get the chance to take photos myself. I usually spend my time assisting students, reviewing photos, and giving praise. This time, however, I was able to catch a few shots with my Motorola Atrix phone. I never realized this phone could take such good pictures!

Amazingly enough, phone cameras these days are capable of capturing shallow depth of field.  Mark, an awesome photographer at Adorama TV, best describes in his video on depth of field, how you can capture shallow depth of field, even if you don't have a super fancy camera.

1. Aperture
1. It's hard to change the aperture setting on a standard point-and-shoot, let alone a phone camera.
2. Focal Length
1. Zooming is definitely possible on a phone.  I would suggest not zooming in too much, as the image will decrease due to pixelation.
3. Distance from Subject
1. You can always move closer to your subject and focus your shot without even having to adjust aperture and focal length.