Professional photographer Chris McGinnis has revolutionized macro photography by proving that tripods aren't essential for capturing stunning close-up images. As an OM SYSTEM ambassador, McGinnis has never used a tripod for macro photography throughout his entire career, instead relying on advanced image stabilization, strategic flash usage, and refined field techniques to photograph insects, spiders, and other small subjects with remarkable clarity and detail.
McGinnis's approach centers on what he calls the "stability trinity" – a combination of cutting-edge camera technology, refined field craft, and strategic flash implementation. His OM-1 Mark II camera features five-axis in-body image stabilization that works in conjunction with stabilized lenses like the 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro, enabling him to shoot handheld at shutter speeds as slow as 1/100th of a second while maintaining sharp results.
The breakthrough moment in McGinnis's macro journey came after nearly abandoning the discipline entirely. After struggling for almost a year with his 60mm macro lens, unable to achieve the dynamic results he admired in other photographers' work, McGinnis discovered the transformative power of flash photography. "I finally said no, I've got to dust this thing off and learn how to make compelling images with it," McGinnis recalls. "My images were good, but the subjects weren't looking as dynamic as they could have been. I then noticed the macro photographers that I followed all used flash."
The flash revelation fundamentally changed McGinnis's approach to handheld macro work. Flash enables photographers to freeze both camera shake and subject movement while maintaining consistently low ISO settings for optimal image quality. "The flash unlocks a world of possibility in handheld macro work," McGinnis explains. "Virtually all of my macro photos are shot at 1/100th of a second or slower. Without a flash, shooting handheld at those speeds is more difficult. You're fighting camera shake and subject movement. With a flash, it becomes easy."
McGinnis emphasizes that flash photography delivers superior image quality through consistently low ISO performance. Most modern OM SYSTEM cameras have a native ISO of 200, which produces the cleanest results because sensors are engineered to perform optimally at that setting. Flash allows photographers to maintain this optimal ISO setting regardless of ambient lighting conditions, resulting in sharper images with less noise and cleaner detail.
The photographer's field craft techniques complement his technological approach. Without tripod stability, McGinnis employs creative positioning methods including lying flat on the ground, leaning against trees, or resting his camera directly on the earth itself. "Nothing's more stable than the ground itself," he notes. This combination of image stabilization handling photographer movement and flash freezing subject movement creates a complete system that rivals tripod-based approaches.
McGinnis advocates for a structured practice progression to master handheld macro techniques. His three-rung ladder begins with photographing inanimate objects indoors under controlled conditions, progresses to outdoor static subjects like seeds and leaves where environmental factors like wind introduce complexity, and culminates with slow, cooperative living subjects such as stink bugs and caterpillars. "If your goal is to photograph insects, spiders, frogs, and other creatures out in the wild, you most likely won't succeed if you can't photograph a Lego figure on your desk in your home office properly," McGinnis stresses.
The photographer employs a sophisticated decision-making framework for different focusing techniques based on subject behavior and cooperation levels. For nervous subjects or species he's never photographed before, McGinnis starts with single shots to ensure he captures something before the opportunity vanishes. Cooperative subjects that remain stationary are ideal candidates for in-camera focus stacking, which combines up to 15 frames with different focus points automatically. Unpredictable subjects that might move or require more than 15 shots benefit from focus bracketing, where the camera captures multiple images with incrementally shifting focus points for later processing in specialized software.
Background control represents a powerful creative tool in McGinnis's flash macro work. The dramatic black backgrounds in many of his images result from flash illuminating only the subject while leaving the surrounding environment underexposed. When colorful context is desired, McGinnis employs slower shutter speeds to allow more ambient light into the exposure or positions himself to include closer background elements that fall within the flash's reach.
Timing plays a crucial role in McGinnis's success rate, with early morning hours providing optimal conditions for close-up photography. Cold-blooded insects move slowly in cool temperatures before the sun warms them, and morning dew adds visual interest while weighing down subjects' wings, further limiting their mobility. "A dragonfly at 5 a.m. allows me to get close," McGinnis explains. "That same dragonfly in the early afternoon won't let me anywhere near it."
McGinnis expands his close-up capabilities beyond traditional macro lenses by utilizing wide-angle and telephoto options with exceptional close-focusing abilities. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4.0 PRO focuses from just three inches, enabling environmental context shots that show subjects in their natural habitats. OM SYSTEM's telephoto lenses, including the 150-400mm and 150-600mm models, offer rare close-focusing capabilities that allow high-magnification work with skittish subjects from comfortable distances.
The photographer's "backyard philosophy" emphasizes that compelling macro photography doesn't require exotic destinations. Operating primarily within a few miles of his Bethlehem, Pennsylvania home, McGinnis demonstrates that extraordinary close-up opportunities exist everywhere. He recommends planting native wildflowers to attract local insect species, exploring unmowed areas in local parks that serve as pollinator habitats, and researching regional species to understand when and where to find specific subjects.
McGinnis's essential field kit remains remarkably minimal, consisting primarily of his OM-1 Mark II camera, the 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro lens, an FL-700WR flash, and a Cygnustech diffuser. This lightweight, weather-sealed system enables shooting in various conditions while maintaining the mobility that makes handheld macro work so appealing. "One of the things I love about macro photography and shooting without a tripod is the minimal mental commitment," McGinnis emphasizes. "I keep it all together on my desk and I throw it into a small backpack when I want to go out. It just feels easy."
The photographer's philosophy prioritizes field experience over technical perfection, encouraging photographers to embrace the learning process and accept that not every image will be portfolio-worthy. "I'd rather be out and miss shots than stay home because I'm afraid of some technical imperfection," McGinnis stresses. "Some of the best images I've ever taken happened because I was willing to go out and try things even when conditions weren't perfect. Get out, practice, fail, learn, and keep shooting."
