How to Capture Stunning Wedding Ring Shots (Even Without a Macro Lens!)
If you’re new to photography you’re probably starting to realise that this is a fairly expensive hobby. And you’re probably starting to get into trying to make a bit of money from your expensive hobby, to be able to continue with said expensive hobby…
And herein, I introduce today’s problem - photographing weddings - and especially - getting those macro shots of one of the most important parts of a wedding day… the wedding rings.
But… I don’t have the money to go and buy a dedicated macro lens, just to take photos of wedding rings - especially when I’m barely charging half of the cost of a macro lens for my wedding services…
The Struggle of Wedding Photography on a Budget
If you’ve taken on a wedding or two, you’re likely trying to make a bit of money from your photography—at the very least, enough to cover your growing gear wish list! But weddings bring unique challenges, and today, I want to talk about one of them: photographing wedding rings.
Capturing those beautiful, crisp ring shots is a must for any wedding photographer, but if you’re just starting out, chances are you don’t have the budget to invest in a dedicated macro lens. And let’s be real—when you’re barely charging half the cost of a macro lens for an entire wedding shoot, buying one just for a few ring shots isn’t exactly feasible. So, what’s the solution?
Enter: Extension Tubes
Since I have a wedding coming up soon—my third official client wedding—I wanted to step up my ring shot game without breaking the bank. Enter: extension tubes. I picked up a cheap set for just $10 to see if they could help me get better macro shots without the hefty price tag.
If you haven’t heard of them before, extension tubes are simple accessories that fit between your camera body and lens. Their job? To reduce the minimum focusing distance of your lens, allowing you to get much closer to your subject—perfect for those tiny, intricate wedding ring details.
Putting Extension Tubes to the Test
To see what these budget-friendly tubes can do, I set up a little test session with some rings, earrings, and other small wedding-related details. I experimented with different lenses and setups to see what worked best and what didn’t. Here’s what I found:
First challenge: Attaching the tubes was easy, but removing them was a different story. The first time I used them, I actually struggled to figure out how to get them off—so if you’re trying these for the first time, don’t panic if they seem stuck at first!
No Autofocus: The cheap tubes don’t have electronic connectors, meaning you lose autofocus. Be prepared to manually focus, which can take some getting used to. And it picks up the natural shake in your hands and 10x’s it - so I suggest you either use a tripod, or make friends with a really fast shutter speed, burst shot and GREAT lighting!
Light Loss & Depth of Field: Adding an extension tube changes the way light interacts with your lens. The depth of field becomes EXTREMELY shallow, so stopping down your aperture is a must. You’ll also likely need to adjust your shutter speed and ISO to compensate for the light loss.
Tripod is Your Friend: A tripod can be a game-changer here. With such a shallow depth of field, even the slightest movement can ruin your focus. Plus, using a tripod allows you to bring down your shutter speed without worrying about camera shake.
Lighting Tricks: If you don’t have a bounce board, no worries! Use what’s available—napkins, a white plate, or even the bride’s veil can help reflect light and create a more flattering shot.
Creative Backgrounds: Wedding rings can be placed on various textures for beautiful results—bouquets, bridesmaids’ dresses, high heels, invitations, or even the wedding dress itself. Just be mindful of delicate fabrics and use a barrier if needed.
Props for Stability: Sometimes rings won’t stand the way you want them to. A little bit of Blu Tack can help keep them in place for that perfect profile shot!
Pros & Cons of Using Extension Tubes
Pros:
Super affordable – A $10-$20 solution instead of a $500+ macro lens
Lightweight & portable – Easy to carry compared to a dedicated macro lens
Versatile – Works with different lenses for varying magnification
Cons:
Loss of light – Requires exposure adjustments
Extremely shallow depth of field – Can be tricky to focus precisely
Build quality concerns – Cheap tubes may not be sturdy enough for heavy lenses (if you have a heavy lens, I recommend holding it, rather than relying on the connection of the cheaper rings… plus we wouldn’t want it putting additional pressure on the connection points either.)
No autofocus – Requires manual focusing skills
Final Thoughts
Overall, extension tubes are a fantastic budget-friendly way to capture beautiful macro shots—especially for new wedding photographers who can’t yet justify the cost of a dedicated macro lens. While they do come with a learning curve, a bit of practice can go a long way in making them work for your needs.
I definitely recommend testing them BEFORE you just rock up to your first wedding with them - especially considering you need to use them in manual focus mode!! It pays to really have a good play BEFORE you get there! :)
Have you tried extension tubes before? Let me know in the comments—especially if you’ve had any interesting experiences with them, good or bad!
