One week of wide angle macro photography in Mexico

For this trip, I wanted to do things a little differently. Now that I finally have all the gear for macro wide angle photography, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to challenge myself and shoot exclusively with this setup for an entire week. It’s still a very new approach for me, so I also saw this trip as a chance to learn, experiment and start developing real field experience with it.

Lately, wide angle photography has become a complete obsession. I love the look you can achieve when photographing a subject just a few centimeters from the lens while still keeping part of the environment visible around it. The images feel far more immersive and alive than what I’m used to creating in the studio. There’s something really fascinating about combining extreme close-up perspectives with the atmosphere of the location itself.

This caterpillar photo is the very first one I took with this setup. It’s honestly not a photo I’m particularly happy with but I still wanted to share my very first attempt with you!

I quickly fell down the rabbit hole with this style of photography. The more work I discovered, the more I wanted to try it myself. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been collecting gear, researching different setups and running a few tests before the trip. But despite all of that, this week will truly be my first time using this setup seriously in the field.

A baby gecko that let itself be photographed for several minutes.

It also represents a huge shift from my usual workflow. For the past six months, I’ve been working almost exclusively on extreme macro and micro photography in the studio. Everything there is highly controlled: lighting, vibrations, movement and focusing distance can all be adjusted with incredible precision.

Out here, it’s the complete opposite.

Now I’m dealing with heat, humidity, wind, insects that don’t always cooperate and lighting conditions that constantly change. It requires a lot more improvisation, quicker reactions and accepting that many attempts simply won’t work on the first try. Honestly, that’s exactly what made me want to do this project in the first place.

These bees are incredibly tiny, each measuring around 5 mm in length.

The goal isn’t necessarily to come back with perfect images. More than anything, this week is about experimenting, learning and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. If I manage to create a few photographs strong enough to earn a place in my portfolio, I’ll already consider the trip a success!

Butterflies are the subjects I’ve been trying to photograph the most so far, but it’s extremely difficult to get close to them without scaring them away!

And here’s my favorite of the bunch, a beautiful Mexican tree frog.