Blackbackground on macro shots-Noob Question

[Sweener88]

Hi there!
Im very new to photography and got my first camera (Fuji finepix S5200) a few months ago. i am trying to learn the basics and techniques of photography and i was wondering if anyone could tell me how people create the blackbackground behidn their subject while doing macros? iv seen this alot in shots of flower pedals where all that is visible is the flower itself, the rest is all black. Please explain as noobie friendly as possible, thanks! Oh and if anyone knows of any good books or websites outlining photography techiniques such as this it'd be really appreciated!

 

[Mantat]

Shoot at high F stop (f11 and more) and use a lot of light directly on the subject and make sure that there isnt anything close in the background.

 

[Clix Pix]

Black foamcore (available in crafts stores) or black velvet cloth works nicely as a backdrop to remove distracting details from a macro shot.

 

[Coheebuzz]

To achieve a black background when doing macro you have to use a strong flash and also underexpose the shot by several stops.

The flash will only light up the subject in the foreground and things that are out of the flash and focus range will appear pitch black.

Just make sure there is some empty distance behind your subject. 😉

EDIT: Oops, Mantat said the same thing, sorry replying without reading the posts.

 

[Sweener88]

thanks for the help! im really new to photography and fstops so would i use one like f3.2? and do i want a quick shutter speed aswell? thanks for the help!

 

[Coheebuzz]

No you want to use a higher number like f11. Bigger numbers mean less light reaching the sensor and also greater depth of field.

Try setting your camera to manual mode and select an aperture of f11 or more, and a shutter speed fast enough to avoid shake, something like 1/100 depending on your focal length. Lighting conditions don't play a role here since you are using a flash.

Take a couple of shots first and check if your photos are too dark or too bright and compensate from there. Also if you are going to use the camera's build in flash use something reflective to bounce the light back onto your subject, since the lens may block the light from reaching the subject when you are too close. Good luck!