I love the intimacy that only a close-up, macro lens can provide. Tight portraits of small subjects reveal a delicate world that is often endearing and helps connect viewers in a way that is both unique and compelling. Over the years, I have experimented heavily with macro photography, revisiting natural effects like bubble bokeh and barrel distortions, creating motion blur, colorizing, and more. As a result, I was labeled "Unhinged," which was one of the greatest left-handed compliments I’ve ever received. Despite the challenges that style of shooting might bring, I still find the most significant test and challenge in capturing something exactly as we see it.
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| A curious Blenny gives me the side eye. Nikon F, 105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º |
I’ve long been fascinated by what it must look like from the critter's point of view. A vast open world to explore, mate, feed, and basically survive.
I also love the way a wide-angle lens can tell a story. A wide-angle lens can provide an inclusive overview of a reef, big animals, wrecks, or scenes that need zero explanation to communicate, drawing the viewer into the experience. Here, we see the texture of the habitat, shadows, and even natural light all playing essential roles in the image.
When we examine both shooting styles, we find a notable middle ground between them. Although many have attempted to bridge the gap between macro and wide-angle photography, the outcomes have often fallen short of capturing the true essence of both styles in a single frame.
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| Frogfish and Diver, Nikon F, 105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º |
The “Close Focus Wide Angle” style combines two styles, and when executed correctly, it can offer a well-framed glimpse of our subject within an endless world.
When we approach CFWA from a broad perspective, we often miss the mark because of both our equipment and our mindset. We start by gearing up and going in with a wide-angle focus, then look for smaller subjects to frame up close. While this approach can sometimes work, it often leads to disappointing results. The main subject gets lost in the frame, and the wide-angle perspective suffers as well. The frustration mainly comes from the gear and port setup. Sure, most wide-angle lenses allow focusing right on the port, but maneuvering the port into a tight position is nearly impossible. This affects composition, lighting, and continuity.
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| Nudibranch and diver, Nikon F105mm + Nauticam 160º |
For years, the go-to setup for APSC shooters was the Tokina 10-17 with a 1.4x Teleconverter. When used behind a small port like the Zen Mini Dome, it was quite effective and enjoyable. However, shot selection remained very important, and getting the port close enough still posed a challenge.
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| Lacy Rhinopias and diver Nikon F105 + EMWL 160º |
Recently, the engineers at Nauticam developed an idea to address the gap between Close Focus and Wide Angle, combining the two in a seamless way that opens up new possibilities. For a photographer with thousands of hours of macro shooting, this is more than a breakthrough. It allows precise focus on macro details while maintaining a broad, open background or habitat—creating a unique perspective. Think CF - WA, starting with Close Focus, then adding Wide Angle, and the style begins to stand out
After a few dives with the new lens, I was excited to get back in the water quickly and try to find something else to test the lens on.
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| Peak of the action! Nikon F105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º |
How it works - The lens setup is a wet conversion lens, meaning it must be immersed in water to function properly. It is divided into three separate modules: the focus unit at the base, the relay portion which flips the image, and the objective lens itself. I prefer to use the relay lens and 40º viewfinder over a monitor, but removing the relay is also an option. Nauticam also introduced the "Reverse Viewfinder" which flips the image in the same way the relay lens does, except within the viewfinder. For me, this is by far the best option, adding back the organic feel of diving with a standard macro lens.
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| Larger than life- The CFWA angle of smaller critters creates a unique perspective Nikon F105+EMWL 160º |
I'm shooting with a Nikon Z8 using the Nikon F-mount 105mm lens. The entire lens system measures about 12 inches (30 cm) in length and attaches via bayonet to my macro port. It can be a bit front-heavy.
However, floats can be used to offset weight and provide buoyancy. I’ve also wrapped a thick rubber band around the lens to prevent it from scraping the reef or corals. This is very close work, so careful attention and precautions for both the environment and gear are important.
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| Creative lighting adds yet another dimension to an already unique composition. Nikon F105mm + EMWL160º |
Lighting and optics:
At first, it was hard to break the old way of thinking wide angle first, but once I shifted my focus to close-up macro, I started to see results.
What surprised me the most is the final push of nearness with the lens, which creates a perspective close to 3D. Like super macro, there is a point where the perspective shifts slightly at the closest working distance. The same effect is seen through the optics of the 160 lens, resulting in a point of view with deep compositions that shows what the subject might see.
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| Nikon F105mm + EMWL100º |
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| F105mm + EMWL 160º |
Pushing the limits as far as possible, I haven't found any boundaries to what can be achieved in this space. Like in any form of photography, lighting and creative lighting remain constant challenges. The wide lens angle makes it easy to pick up backscatter, but because of the lens's
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| A world building POV of an Anenome fish aereating its eggs Nikon 105mm+EMWL-160º |
length, there's also a natural level of forgiveness. In fact, using a single strobe is often more effective than dual strobes in mitigating backscatter.
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| Macro to the glsss gives a natural 1:1 reproduction of the same Nemo eggs as above. Nikon F105mm+EMWL 160º |
Macro in the front, wide-angle in the back; the feel is similar to a +5 macro diopter with wide-angle capabilities. Creating a layered effect is the best way I can describe the thought process behind shooting true CF-WA. Stopping down too much cuts off ambient light, so boosted ISO and slower shutter speeds often come into play to keep a natural background.
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| Goby with backlit bottle and natural light Nikon F105mm + EMWL 160º |
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| A candy cane sea cucumber and emperor shrimp Nikon F105mm + EMWL 100º |
Overall, the EMWL system is easy to use and yields superb-quality images while offering unique compositional styles.
