CMPG Hands-On Meeting: Close-up Photography Fundamentals

We'll kick off the 2026 Hands-On Group (formerly known as "User's Group") activities with Close-Up Photography Fundamentals. This is a workshop for all skill levels. If you're an expert hand at macro, then this is an opportunity to pass that information along. If you're a newbie to macro, this will help demystify some terminology. If you're like me, this will be a good refresher. This is a hands-on activity. So, this is an opportunity to experiment with peers.

When:

Wednesday, March 18, 6:30-9:00pm

Where: 

The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, 9100 Fathers Legacy, Ellicott City

Learning Center, Terrace Level.  Click HERE for map.

We will explore fundamentals:

• What is close focusing distance?
• What is working distance?
• What is magnification?
• What is life-size? How does sensor size affect the results?
• Practical depth of field in a macro situation.
• And finally, you'll see how clean your sensor.

The activity will be a combination of photographing targets to measure parameters and putting this information to use in photographing some small objects.  Please bring your patience and cooperation as photographing the small world can be tedious, exasperating, yet the results can be very rewarding and entertaining.

What to bring:

• Camera
• A macro lens (if you have one). Your kit lens or favorite moderate zoom will also work.
• Tripod (if you have one).
• Small LED panel (if you have one).
• Any additional macro equipment that you have and may be interested in learning or sharing more about like extension tubes, teleconverters, close up filter lens, focusing rails, etc.
• A tiny thing you may wish to photograph or share. Remember we are visitors in someone else's house, so no live insects, spiders, millipedes, or eggs of the same...
• And no glitter or the like...

What to prepare:

• Please look up the close focusing distance and maximum magnification of any lens you plan on using.