Cannabis Macro Photography: What No One Tells You

10x Image of a Row of Cannabis Trichomes

When people new to Cannabis first see one of my macro shots, especially a stacked trichome image, the reaction is usually something like:
“Whoa. That’s insane. How do you even do that?”

And honestly? Same. I still ask myself that every time I sit down to edit a stack of 150+ images.

Macro cannabis photography looks sexy from the outside. It’s all sparkling trichomes, psychedelic detail, and those “thats wild?” vibes. But what most people don’t see is what it actually takes to create one of those shots—mentally, physically, technically.

So, I figured I’d pull the curtain back a little. Because the truth is, this type of work is equal parts art, obsession, and self-inflicted punishment.

The Gear Trap (a.k.a. Where All My Money Went)

Layflat image of Camera Gear

Nobody tells you that to shoot cannabis up close—I mean really up close—you’ll eventually fall into a never-ending rabbit hole of gear.

At first, it was just a macro lens. Then I learned about tripods. Then camera bodies. Then stacking rails. Then you realize your light setup is trash and you need strobes with different diffusion setups, and maybe even a microscope. Oh, and don’t forget the software. Gotta stack all those images somehow.

If you are planning to jump into videography, it’s an even worse downward spiral. Video lights, gimbals, and hard drives (oh so many hard drives) will quickly eat through your bank account.

Before I knew it, I had basically built a small science lab in my home studio. And that was just the beginning.

Patience: The Unspoken Requirement

Here’s something nobody warned me about: macro photography will test your patience more than almost anything else in life—besides maybe DMV lines or trying to cancel Comcast.

Focus stacking means taking dozens (sometimes hundreds) of shots, each with a tiny shift in focus. To create fully focused still-motion stacks, we are talking about thousands of images. You can’t breathe too hard, the wind can’t blow, and your subject—usually a delicate little nug—needs to stay absolutely still the entire time. All this while you pray to the gear gods that nothing stops working.

I’ve had full stacks ruined by someone walking around in the next room. Or a rogue piece of lint (the bane of any macro photographer’s existence). Or a single missed flash.

You think you’re zen until you spend two hours shooting a stack… only to realize your lighting was off and every trichome has a weird blue shadow. Get used to spending hours (or days if we are talking about timelapses) shooting a subject only to delete the folder right after. Back to square one.

The Gear Dilemma Part 2.

I hope you’ve been working out, because being an on-location cannabis macrophotographer usually means hauling around a lot of gear. While there are many different setups that work for each individual, at the minimum, you will need your camera and lense/lenses, a tripod, lights, backdrop, lightstands, stacking rail, and this is just for photography (My setup is a lot more bulky). You can’t just show up with your camera and a memory card and get much done.

Oh ya, and space?

If you are lucky.

You’ll often find yourself getting set up in cramped and busy rooms, having to contort your body and your equipment in ways only Cirque du Soleil thought possible.

You’ll find yourself constantly debating logistics and equipment when scheduling out shoots. Can I get away without breaking my back this trip and leave the second strobe light? But what if the first stops working?

Welcome to the gear dilemma.

20X Close up image of Cannabis Trichomes

The Grind Behind the Glow

It’s not just the shooting. You’ll need your second-wind in post-production.

Depending on your workflow this often means stacking thousands of images. Editing out the weird halos or blurry patches. Color correcting so the green doesn’t look radioactive and the blacks don’t look banded. You can come back to the images the next day, where the lighting is different and mercury is in retrograde and realize you completely overexposed the edits. Then sort, export, and label. It can be hours of work for one photo.

But then… there’s that moment.

You zoom in, and the trichomes look like tiny glass mushrooms, standing tall like alien forests. You start to see the individuality of the plant at a microscopic level. And for a second, it all feels worth it. Like you are seeing the plant for the first time.

Why I Keep Going (Even When It Makes Me Want to Scream)

Because I’m obsessed.

Because cannabis is that beautiful.
Because every strain has its own signature if you know how to look close enough.
Because this work feels like a weird hybrid of science, art, and devotion.

Also? Because there’s a whole community of photographers out there—some of the most dedicated, humble, and talented folks I’ve ever met—who keep pushing the craft forward.

Macro cannabis photography isn’t just about taking pretty pictures of frosty buds (I’ve retired that phrase, don’t worry). It’s about honoring the plant. Seeing it in a way most people never will.

And yeah, sometimes it drives me nuts. But it’s a passion kind of crazy, not a psychopathic kind of crazy.

If you want to schedule a shoot and experience the struggle first hand, don’t hesitate to reach out!