Vadim Sherbakov about the mesmerising art of macro films!
Vadim Sherbakov
Hello everyone!
My name is Vadim Sherbakov and I am an independent cinematographer. I specialise in short macro films involving inks, liquids, and chemicals. I have been fascinated by the colourful imagery and the unique nature of the reactions when you mix the ink with different substances. I love to capture these awesome blends. Without leaving your studio you can create unique worlds. Some look like aerial shots of distant locations and planets, others like microcosmos and the universe. Speaking about the space I would like to share with you my latest short macro film called Creation, you can watch it here.
“Creation”
Today, I wanted to share a few tips with you regarding the macro videos:
Digital level box – When you shoot macro from a top-down position it’s critical to get a sharp image from corner to corner and since we are using the macro lens, it’s possible to miss the focus on the horizontal plate. So for that, I use an electronic level or digital level box to perfectly align the level.
“Creation”
Gearhead – I know that in macro photography there is a tendency to use specific equipment such as a Macro Focusing Rail Slider, which is a great tool. However, with a macro video, you don’t really need the focus stacking with such a precision-level approach. However, the traditional ball heads are not optimal for macro cinematography. So I tend to use the other speciality equipment – gearheads. If you don’t know what it is, it’s basically a tripod head that allows you to have precision control overhead tilt and roll with additional knobs. Those knobs allow you to move your head with great precision, maybe not on a « nano centimetres « level but much much greater than just a ball head. I have an article on my blog with a list of all current models of gearhead – available here.
“Creation”
Light – Light is important in macro cinematography as much as in macro photography. So choose a good constant light source from well-known brands with plenty of power especially when you shoot darker subjects.
“Creation”
Resolution – Today there is a great debate regarding the resolution. People often argue that 4K is more than enough and nobody can spot the difference between 4K and 8K from afar. That may be true but I encourage you to shoot in the highest resolution your camera can produce, not for the sake of the best resolution but for the opportunity to recompose or use a specific spot in a frame. I usually shoot all my films on a Canon R5 at 8K CRAW, but the output film is 4K. The 8K allows me to re-frame, get closer or use just a part of an image without upscaling and losing the details.
I chose the Irix 150mm f/2.8 macro 1:1 lens for a specific reason. I need a lens that is very sharp, well built with excellent optics and colours but also that allows me to be a bit further from the subject I shoot. I need to have a pipette to drop liquids or a lighter to burst air pockets on a surface and have a room between the lens and the subject.
“Creation”