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MACRO SHOT DEFINITION
What is a Macro Lens Shot?
A macro lens shot (sometimes called a micro lens shot) refers to a type of camera lens capable of capturing exceptionally small subjects from a close distance. The lens magnifies the miniscule subject to make it appear large on screen, capturing details and features that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye. Macro lenses have a 1:1 magnification ratio, meaning the captured subject gets projected at its actual life-like size.
To steep yourself further in this fascinating visual technique, take a look at our full guide to the macro lens, featuring even more examples and breakdowns.
MEANINGS & PURPOSE
Macro Lens Shot Examples
It’ll be helpful to get a taste for macro lenses and the stunning images they’re capable of producing before we explore exactly how they function within the context of a film. Browse the curated images and descriptions of macro lens shots below.
Intensely magnifies
Highlights detail
Explores hidden textures
Isolates singular subject
Usages
What does a macro lens shot do?
A macro lens shot in film is used for more than just making the tiny and unnoticeable appear large and fascinating to look at, it can also come with distinct storytelling advantages when implemented at just the right moment. For a solid sense of why and when a macro lens shot works within a scene, let’s take a detailed look at some specific examples.
Atmosphere
A macro lens shot can amplify a scene’s bizarre, alien-like tone by making average, everyday small objects appear surreal and strange in their amplification.
Hyper Focus
If a character is using a magnifying glass to search through evidence, a macro lens shot dials us into what the magnifying glass is revealing.
Symbolism
For an object that holds great thematic meaning, a macro shot of that object can be a useful way to loudly call attention to its meaning.
Foreshadowing
Focusing on and expanding a single object or detail with a macro lens can foreshadow later story events yet to unfold, or even reflect thematic meaning.
Qualities
Macro Shot vs Zoom Shot
While both the macro lens shot and the zoom shot can be used to increase a subject’s size within an image, they’re ultimately two very different filmmaking tools. A macro lens shot works by using its unique lens to capture the smallest details of a subject within close range of that subject, while a zoom shot shifts a subject’s framing by adjusting the camera’s focal length, pushing into a subject from a far away, or close, distance without having to move the camera at all.
Case Study
Shot listing a macro lens shot
Now let’s look at how a macro lens shot is used in the context of a Hollywood film. In Blade Runner 2049, we first meet Dr. Stelline inside an elaborate artificial world where she plays God with the environment around her.
Click the shot list below for a detailed breakdown of the entire scene. What do these macro lens shots bring to the visual palette of the scene?
Macro shots are clearly a fascinating filmmaking tool. But if you think we’ve covered all there is to know about macro lenses, there’s still plenty more to learn.
Now let’s explore the boundless possibilities that can arise from pairing the macro shot with other filmmaking techniques.
Unexpected combos
How can you use a macro lens shot with other camera techniques?
How to combine a macro shot
The images a macro lens shot produces are often nothing short of mind blowing. But let’s say we want to take the unbelievable perspective this shot has to offer and combine it with other filmmaking approaches. What might that look like? Below are just some of the creative results that can spring from such pairings:
- Whip Pan: A whip pan from a typical film lens shot to a macro lens shot can act as a jarring transition into a wildly different viewpoint.
- Rack Focus: A rack focus can be used to seamlessly shift from one fascinating microscopic detail to the next during a macro lens shot.
- Tilt: Tilting the camera up or down slowly and methodically with a macro lens can shift attention to the smallest details on an already small subject.
- Zoom: Cutting from a zoom-in shot to a macro lens shot at just the right moment can feel like the camera hyper-zoomed into a quantum world.
- Handheld: For a surreal horror scene, a handheld macro lens shot of a human eye or insect can feel truly chaotic and unsettling due to the camera’s instability.
- High Angle: Using a macro lens with a high angle shot can empower the tiniest of subjects. A spider, for example, would appear infinitely more threatening.
Frequently asked questions about the macro lensed shot
Macro lenses are essentially extreme close up shots. They’re used to capture the tiniest of subjects, bringing the viewer down to the scaled perspective of that subject so it can be observed in full size and detail.
Macro lenses have a 1:1 magnification ratio, which means the image being captured is the exact same size and scale as it is in real life, without any added distortion to proportion.
Shooting a macro shot is achieved by shooting extremely small subjects at a close distance, with the macro lens magnifying the subject so it appears exceptionally large when put on screen.
