From a Fly’s Eyes in a toy microscope to the world of Macro Photography

When I was a child, in the 1980s, I received a small toy microscope. This simple device allowed me, for the first time, to look into a world that we normally never notice in our everyday lives. I still remember the fly I observed through that plastic eyepiece and my amazement at its extraordinary eyes. That was the moment when my curiosity about the microcosm was born – a world that is both incredibly fascinating and literally within arm’s reach.

My name is Adrian Krupczyński, and I am fortunate to live in Poland. My wife Magda and I are passionate caravan travellers, and we spend a lot of time exploring new places with our caravan. When planning our journeys, we usually choose locations far away from the noise and rush of cities, allowing us to escape work and everyday routines. These places – forests, meadows, and areas far from civilisation – are the perfect environment for me to photograph the small inhabitants of our planet.

However, my journey with photography began in a completely different world. During my childhood, professional photographic equipment was available only to a few people, and I was not among them. So I photographed the “ordinary” world with a Soviet Zenit ET camera. It was heavy, simple, and completely manual, but it had one huge advantage – excellent optics. The Helios lenses are still remembered fondly by many photographers today.

That rugged camera taught me the foundations of photography. The lack of automation forced me to think, observe, and make conscious decisions. There was no possibility of taking thousands of images without consideration. You had to understand light, composition, and how your equipment worked.

Over the following decades, Poland changed, the photographic market changed, and I was able to afford increasingly better camera bodies. I have to admit that before entering the world of Micro Four Thirds, I was a Nikon user…

Because I started with a fully manual Zenit, I had a solid understanding of the basics of photography and knew what I truly needed. Growing up in a poorer socialist Poland taught my generation to appreciate practical solutions rather than blindly follow marketing trends. And that is precisely why the Micro Four Thirds system turned out to be the right choice for me.

Today, I use the Lumix GH6 for video, and I consider it a true cinematic powerhouse. In experienced hands, this camera reveals the full extent of its capabilities. Yes, the GH6 is not an autofocus champion, but when I film, I focus manually, so this does not bother me at all.

For still photography, however, I choose the OM System OM-1 Mark II without hesitation. It does not matter whether I am photographing people at events, landscapes, or, of course, the macro world. This camera is incredibly versatile and refined.

It also has something that other manufacturers still have not introduced – flash synchronisation with the electronic shutter. For macro photographers, this is a groundbreaking feature. Although stacked images make up only around 20% of my work, I currently cannot imagine doing handheld focus bracketing with any other camera.

Of course, no piece of equipment is perfect. In my opinion, OM System could significantly improve the focus peaking function, which is the weakest point of this camera. Manual focusing is fundamental in macro photography, and a well-functioning focus peaking system makes the work much easier.

On the OM-1, I find this feature less intuitive and not fully refined. This is an area where OM System could learn a lot from the Lumix GH6, where focus peaking is much more visible and extremely helpful, including when half-pressing the shutter button.

I also cannot forget about optics. The Micro Four Thirds system offers such a wide selection of lenses from different manufacturers that practically every photographer can find something suitable. Among them are truly exceptional lenses – such as Leica and OM System optics, especially the PRO series. They represent the absolute top level.

For my macro photography, I currently use two OM System lenses – the 60 mm and the 90 mm. The latter deserves a little more attention because, in my opinion, it is currently one of the best macro lenses available on the market.

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm Macro PRO is simply extraordinary. It is so sharp that you could almost slice ripe tomatoes with it. Its 4:1 equivalent magnification ratio in full-frame terms allows you to enter the world of extremely small subjects and reveal details that are normally invisible to the human eye.

I also greatly appreciate its long working distance. In insect and spider photography, this is a huge advantage because it allows you to photograph shy subjects without getting too close. For me, it is the perfect macro lens.

The Micro Four Thirds system has many advantages, but it also has some drawbacks. According to some photographers, these disadvantages include higher noise levels and greater depth of field. However, my own experience with this system is completely different.

Working with Micro Four Thirds cameras, including professionally, has given me my own observations and conclusions. I believe that the two biggest weaknesses of this system are not the equipment itself, but rather its marketing and even its name. Who wants to have something that is called “Micro”? What photographer willingly admits that they use something smaller?

In my opinion, the marketing surrounding Micro Four Thirds has been so ineffective that, for years, it has allowed many harmful myths about this system to become deeply established.

The first myth concerns depth of field. There is a widespread belief that greater depth of field is a disadvantage and that true photography always requires a strongly blurred background.

I entered the world of macro photography after many years of photographing people. Portrait photography is indeed often associated with extremely shallow depth of field and strong background blur. But in reality, only a small percentage of portraits require such extreme separation of the subject from the background. In most situations, what is needed is more detail and carefully controlled depth of field.

The Micro Four Thirds system offers enormous possibilities in this area. It allows photographers to use wide apertures while still maintaining a larger area of sharpness where it is needed. In macro photography, this is a tremendous advantage.

It is also worth remembering that background blur does not depend solely on sensor size. The focal length of the lens, the distance from the subject, and the way the composition is created all play a very important role. This means that beautiful, three-dimensional images can be created with any system – you simply need to know how to use its strengths.

Photography is not a game of chess. There are no moves that are always right or always wrong. You have to think.

The second myth concerns noise. Of course, every sensor produces some level of noise, but each new generation of cameras handles it better and better. However, the belief that noise levels depend only on sensor size is still widespread. This is not entirely true.

Among other factors, the size of individual pixels also matters. This is why some full-frame sensors with extremely high resolution can produce more noise than full-frame models with fewer megapixels.

The sensor used in the OM-1 Mark II handles noise very well. And if noise does appear in difficult lighting conditions, modern image-processing software, such as Lightroom, which I use every day, can deal with it very effectively.

For me, noise is no longer a real problem. What matters much more is whether the camera allows me to bring my ideas to life and capture a unique moment.

I came to macro photography after many years of photographing people. And I can see that I have carried many of my old habits into this completely different world.

At first, I was fascinated by the ability to reveal extreme details. I was amazed by insect eyes, the texture of their exoskeletons, and details invisible to the naked eye. Over time, however, I realised that sharpness alone is not enough.

Today, composition and emotion are more important to me than a record number of visible details.

I photograph my tiny models in a similar way to how I once photographed people. I try to find the right moment, the right expression, and the individual character of the subject. Sometimes I even have the impression – of course, this is only a human interpretation – that while photographing insects, I establish a certain kind of connection with them.

I know that an insect does not look at me in the same way a human being does. But photographs in which I manage to capture something resembling that brief moment of connection are among my favourites.

Nothing brings a photographer as much joy as a new lens, camera, or useful accessory that genuinely helps in the creative process. For some time now, one of the things that has given me great pleasure during photography sessions is the Godox V860 III flash. It replaced my previous Godox TT685.

For me, the greatest advantage is the rechargeable battery instead of traditional AA batteries. During burst shooting, it allows the flash to recycle faster and lets me work without constantly worrying about changing power sources. I also appreciate the built-in LED light, which makes evening photography and composition setup much easier in more challenging conditions.

One of the accessories I am especially proud of is the Lumen Veil diffuser. It was not created as a random project, but as an answer to my own needs as a macro photographer.

For a long time, I used diffusers made with a 3D printer. They delivered very good results and allowed me to achieve soft, natural light, but they had one serious disadvantage – they were large and inconvenient. During travel, especially by plane, every centimetre of luggage space mattered. I could not take them with me together with the rest of my photographic equipment, which I always try to reduce to the absolute minimum.

That was when the idea of creating my own solution appeared. A few days of work at the computer, designing, and using my laser cutter to produce elements from vinyl resulted in a diffuser that met exactly my requirements.

Lumen Veil was designed by a macro photographer for macro photographers. It is not the result of market research, but rather of experience gained during hundreds of hours spent outdoors – photographing insects, spiders, and other small creatures in their natural environment.

My goal was to create something lightweight, durable, portable, and above all, highly effective at diffusing light. When photographing macro subjects, we often work in challenging conditions: early mornings covered with dew, evenings with limited light, among grasses and bushes, where equipment needs to be not only optically excellent but also practical.

Today, Lumen Veil is my primary macro photography diffuser. I always carry it with me because it easily fits into a backpack pocket and never limits me during my adventures. However, the greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that other photographers are also using it and that I receive positive feedback from them. This is the best confirmation that a solution created out of personal need can also help others.

Macro photography has taught me one thing above all: patience. It has shown me that extraordinary stories are not always found far away. Sometimes all it takes is bending down to a blade of grass or stopping for a moment beside a tiny insect resting on a leaf.

We are now in the heart of summer – the time of the greatest activity of insects and spiders. It is a special moment for every macro photographer. I wish everyone many successful adventures, patience, beautiful light, and above all, photographs that not only reveal details but also tell a story.

I am convinced that the Micro Four Thirds system and OM System equipment offer incredible possibilities to everyone who wants to discover this extraordinary, miniature world.

Photography has always been, for me, a way of seeing more than what is immediately visible. It is about slowing down, observing, and discovering beauty in places that most people simply pass by.

The world of insects and spiders is not a cold, mechanical world of tiny creatures. It is a world full of colours, emotions, behaviour, and unexpected moments. Every time I look through the viewfinder, I have the feeling that I am entering a completely different universe – one that exists right beside us, yet remains hidden from everyday perception.

Perhaps this is what fascinates me most about macro photography. It does not require travelling to distant continents or searching for extraordinary landscapes. Sometimes the most amazing subjects are waiting just outside our door.

A drop of morning dew can become a mirror reflecting the surrounding world. A spider sitting quietly on its web can reveal a completely new form of elegance. The eyes of an insect can show a complexity and beauty that we would never notice without a camera and a macro lens.

For me, photography is not only about recording what exists. It is about creating a moment of connection between the viewer and a world that usually remains unnoticed.

The equipment is important, of course. A good camera, a sharp lens, and practical accessories can make the creative process easier and allow us to achieve better results. But the most important element is always the photographer – their patience, curiosity, and ability to see.

The OM System OM-1 Mark II, the M.Zuiko macro lenses, the Lumix GH6, and tools such as the Lumen Veil diffuser are simply instruments that help me translate my vision into images.

In the end, it is not the specifications that create a photograph. It is the idea, the observation, and the moment when everything comes together: the subject, the light, the composition, and the photographer’s intention.

I believe that the Micro Four Thirds system is a perfect example of this philosophy. It may not be the largest system, but it is an extremely thoughtful and capable one. It allows photographers to travel lighter, work more comfortably, and focus on what truly matters – creating images.

The small world is waiting everywhere. We only need to stop, look closer, and give it a chance to reveal its secrets.