Spend money on the lens, not the camera
'I have a macro lens, which you really have to have if you're going to do macro photography, just because of the magnification. You can't achieve that on a smartphone or a point and shoot, you have to have the specific lens.'
Understand depth of field
'Depth of field is the area you have in focus in front of your subject and behind your subject. With macro photography because you are so close, you lose that depth of field, which is absolutely fantastic because you can use it to your advantage and artistic ability.
'I would definitely recommend playing around with depth of field on flowers before you move on to the moving things.'
Use manual focus
'I started learning on flowers. On macro you always use manual focus because your camera isn't going to be fast enough to search and auto-focus on a fast moving critter. Keep a steady hand and know how the light works.'
Be patient
Robertson Buchanan spent over a year trying to get the perfect shot of a species of parasitic wasp.
'Every couple of days I would just drop everything to try to photograph these wasps. I had a very specific shot in mind, and they don't stay still for more than a few seconds.
'You have to be patient. You sit around for ages. You might reel off thousands of frames that you have to painstakingly go through.'
Test before you shoot
'The good thing about digital photography is you can do a few test shots to test your lighting conditions. I always start off with an auto focus and spot-meter the spot I'm going to photograph. Then I take my exposures from there.'
Learn to sneak up on your subject
'When you're creeping up on a bug it's really important not to cast a shadow over it. They'll just see you as a predator. When I'm creeping up I'm trying to come over from the side. Casting a shadow will scare them away.'
Develop your style
'As photographers everyone has their own unique style. For me, I try to make my insects looks artistic. I don't want them to look scary, I want people to really admire their beauty and not have "ergh" factor.
'I achieve that by playing around with the camera settings, and I aim to get the eyes or a particularly interesting or beautiful part of the insect in focus so that people can really admire it.'
Be philosophical
'The creature is never going to do what you want it to do. They're completely unpredictable. You have to follow the little critters around.'
Be ethical
Some macro photographers have been known to manipulate insects, spray them with water or even freeze them. Not Robertson-Buchanan.
'I think some people think insects don't have any feelings and it's OK to pluck them from the world, pop them in the fridge or freezer and get them out, put them on a leaf and photograph them as they thaw out.
'That's something I would never do. Sometimes I don't get the shot because I refuse to pick up the insect and put it somewhere else.'
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