Editorial: Fancy background macro / Ocean

Staff · Issue 145, Jul/Aug 2025 · pp. 4

Products mentioned: Nauticam macro lenses

Editorial Fancy background macro Underwater photography has always had trends or styles, some are one trick ponies but others, like creative backgrounds macro, have become very popular indeed. There’s no doubt they were very eye catching in the early days and they certainly stood out in, and started winning competitions immediately. Roll forward a few years and I’m wondering that, however well produced, their effect lessens but, more importantly, I worry about the physical process of achieving such images. Macro photography, especially when working with high magnification lenses, requires immaculate buoyancy control if the environment is to remain pristine. It’s difficult enough with a neutrally buoyant rig and both hands on the housing but try holding a reflective background behind the subject and it must upset one’s balance. Working in such close proximity to very small subjects means …