Take a Closer Look: Macro Photography with Maarten van der Voorde

Documentary photographer Maarten van der Voorde is committed to recording the world as he finds it. He outlines how this imaging philosophy shapes his approach to macro subjects, and why Fujinon lenses are the perfect tools

Combining supreme attention to detail with a mindful search for subjects, macro photography epitomises what it means to look at the world through a different lens.

While some practitioners rigorously plan their images – creating tiny sets and carrying around lighting rigs – for the multidisciplinary documentarian Maarten van der Voorde, macro photography is simply another arena for chronicling the world exactly as it presents itself.

Becoming a Documentary Photographer

“My photography started when I was about 16 years old – that’s a long time ago now,” Maarten begins. “I started with nature photography, but gradually began to collect other kinds of projects as a professional.”

His diverse career has resulted in a particularly sharp set of skills, though as recently as 2015, a happy accident caused a total paradigm shift in Maarten’s approach to the art.

“I was travelling with a good friend of mine, a National Geographic photographer, and my job was to make images of him while he did his work. I had brought my FUJIFILM X100 – just for fun – but, one day, I left my main camera body behind. We were out there, and had some photos to do for the article, so he said: ‘You have that camera, do it with that.’

“I started using the X100, and it totally changed my mind about photography. It pushed me towards more reporting and documentary photography – that is what I do now. All my photography is documentary now. The story can be anything, everything, but fundamentally I am a storyteller.”

A Patient Approach

The way Maarten’s pure documentarian spirit expresses itself in macro photography starts with his attitude to light.

“Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. Light is like a gift. I have no flash, no light panels – I work only with what is available. You can see in my photos, when there is light appearing in the background, that is only natural. You can achieve a bokeh effect simply with sunlight coming through the trees.

“If I have a cloudy day, I have to work differently. You have to play with the light, not fight it. You must play with what you’ve got to get really natural pictures.”

Maarten’s perspective on finding subjects for macro photography is similar.

“I will go where I know I can find butterflies or mushrooms. But you may have to go there several times to get the picture. With mushrooms, you have to go over the course of a few weeks, again and again. Sometimes I will come home with two or three pictures – and sometimes I don’t have anything. That’s the sport of this kind of photography.

“When I work with wildlife, I am the guest. I’m the visitor in their environment, and no picture is worth making changes to their habitat. You could get the pictures you want – or you could go home empty-handed.

“In one of my pictures, the light is shining nicely on a frog. It took me three or four hours before I had that special light where it needed to be. I know there are people who would just take the frog and place it somewhere with that light – or better light, even. But all the bacteria on your hands can go into the frog because their skin is so permeable. You’re killing the frog for the picture, and you must never do that.”

Redefining Beauty

Brightly coloured flowers and insects are tempting targets for macro photographers, but Maarten suggests that less classically beautiful subjects deserve just as much attention, while presenting a far more interesting challenge.

“Butterflies are beautiful, but the mushroom is a whole other organism. If you want to show it off, you will need to be so secure with your background. I will look very closely at the colours and the light, so I can give the mushroom the credit it deserves.

“In one way, it’s easy to make a picture of a mushroom in the forest. But it’s difficult to get the drama and emotion to show how special it can be. If we didn’t have mushrooms, we wouldn’t even have forests – I would like to show that in the picture. They are very important organisms.”

The Best Lens for Macro Photography

It’s clear to see that Maarten is the type of creative who thrives on limitations. This characteristic extends to the way he selects lenses.

“I hardly ever use zoom lenses because I want to give myself borders. With a prime, you have to be more creative, and more specific with your subject. If you try making all pictures with one lens, you can see a shared atmosphere in the end result.”

When it comes to macro work, he has one recommendation that sits head and shoulders above the others: “The FUJINON XF80mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is one of the best. It’s tack-sharp and has so much contrast – I don’t think there is a better macro lens at this time.”

However, he’s quick to point out the excellent results that can be achieved with a variety of optics when utilising macro extension tubes like the MCEX-11 and MCEX-16.

“It’s good to use other lenses as well. These images show people that you don’t always need a super-expensive macro lens. You can try it with almost anything – macro photography can be fun for everyone.

“I took one photo using the FUJINON XF16mmF1.4 R WR, which is not a common focal length for macro, but it was perfect for that picture. I got the mushroom in the foreground and the entire forest in the background, with all this light coming in through the trees.”

Post-Processing Macro Images

Maarten’s commitment to reality is carried through to his approach to editing. His is a subtle touch, and one that seeks only to heighten natural features.

“I photograph in RAW, then develop my own texture. But I only want to emphasise the light I have seen when making the picture,” he says.

He continues, revealing his love for creating a natural vignette effect to draw the viewer’s eye. “I push that in my post-processing. For me, it makes the picture, bringing the light to my subject,” he explains.

“I take inspiration from Ansel Adams, the great American photographer. I will use dodging and burning – sometimes there are places that need to be lightened a little, other parts have to be darkened. But I try to stay as close to reality as possible.”

Ultimately, Maarten’s methodology is subtractive, resulting in extremely authentic-looking imagery. “When I go through my pictures, my exposure compensation in post-processing is almost all below. That’s how I get drama and emotion in the picture – that’s how I like to see it.”