Get started in macro photography with your Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet

Nikon Team •Nikon Quickstart•28 avg. 2025•3 min. branja

Nikon magazine's Nikon Quickstart cheat sheets

Explore the miniature world with these tips and tricks and our downloadable cheat sheet

Nikon Quickstart is a series of Nikon magazine cheat sheets for beginners, in which we’re demystifying some of the techniques and tricks you can practice at home that will instantly improve your photography and video. Close-up – or macro – photography, lets you see things from a whole new perspective as you explore the miniature world. Insects, flowers or even small household objects can be seen in a whole new light when photographed close up, revealing hidden details and creating a fresh and different view. Read on for the basics of getting it right, with six tips to get you started and some suggestions on the best lenses for the technique – download your free Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet as a handy reminder.

Explore the miniature world with these tips and tricks and our downloadable cheat sheet

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8Compact and lightweight

NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR SFast, sharp, and steady

Use a tripod

A tripod will hold your camera steady while taking pictures of small objects. For extra stability, make sure Vibration Reduction is switched on and use the free Nikon SnapBridge app to remote control the shutter.

Set Aperture Priority

Aperture Priority (A) mode is excellent for macro photography as it lets you control the depth of field and allows the camera to do the rest.

Find a plain background

Make the subject your star by having a plain background. Inside you can use a plain wall or make a backdrop with paper.

Light your subject

With one small adjustable lamp you can create your own tiny photography studio. Move the light around to see how it affects your images.

Practice at home

You don’t need to go anywhere to start macro photography! Simply find some objects in your home and play around with them.

Use Manual focus

Macro photography is a great way to learn how to focus manually accurately. Slight changes can alter the focal point on an object for different effects.