StretchLearn Course
Magnification and working distance, focus stacking, diffused flash, and live insect and flora control for real macro work.
Course Overview
This course takes a beginner from a kit lens to true 1:1 macro work and beyond. You will understand magnification and working distance, fight the razor-thin depth of field that defines macro, stack frames in Helicon Focus and Photoshop for front-to-back sharpness, and build a diffused flash rig that tames harsh light on shiny insects. Every module uses concrete numbers, named gear, and worked examples from the field and the home studio.
Learning Outcomes
Explain magnification, reproduction ratio, and working distance and choose gear for true 1:1 macro
Control the extremely shallow depth of field of macro with aperture, focus distance, and the focus-and-recompose limits
Capture and blend focus stacks in Helicon Focus and Photoshop for front-to-back sharpness
Build and diffuse a flash or twin/ring light to render shiny insects and petals without blown highlights
Find, approach, and control live insect and flora subjects in the field and in a controlled home setup
Edit macro frames for detail, clean backgrounds, and accurate color without over-sharpening
Curriculum Preview
Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.
Grasp the concepts that make macro different from every other genre: reproduction ratio, working distance, and the gear that gets you to 1:1 and beyond. Everything later builds on this foundation.
Depth of field at 1:1 can be a fraction of a millimeter, and this module is how you beat it. Learn aperture and diffraction tradeoffs, then capture and blend focus stacks for front-to-back sharpness.
Macro lives or dies on light. With so little working distance and so much lost to effective aperture, you will build diffused flash and reflector setups that render shiny insects and translucent petals beautifully.
Bring it together in the field and at the desk: find and approach live insects ethically, set up a controlled home studio, and edit macro frames for detail and clean color without overcooking them.
Built for Application
This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.