From Macro To Micro — Digital Dental Photography

Course Overview

“From Macro to Micro” is an experiential photography course for dentists and dental technicians. The goal is that the participant understands how to capture dental photography at every scale — from portrait-quality facial shots to extreme macro detail of tooth micro-texture.

This course has been developed more than 90 times in 22 countries across America, Europe, Eurasia and Asia. Participants who have taken this course are involved in educational projects and use photography as a tool for communication.

What You Will Learn

• How the modification and direction of light can vary the registration of hard and soft tissues
• Select and adapt inexpensive photographic equipment to produce images in high definition with deep morphological detail
• Capture the human face, smile and lips in studio-quality mode
• Photograph the optical effects and micro-texture of hard & soft tissue in macro and micro magnification
• Show and value prosthetic elements using product-photography techniques

The course is intended for all levels from basic to advanced.

Syllabus

Day 1

Part I — Standardising Concepts

• Understanding dental macro-photography: ideal management for dental macro-photography
• Presentation of photographic equipment: cameras, lenses, flashes and accessories
• Compatibility, cost and benefit
• Adaptations for more macro

Part II — Portrait and Macro-Photography for Smile with SLR Cameras and Smartphones

• Lighting and technique with continuous light and flashes
• Management of light modifiers
• Capture lips in artistic mode

Day 2

Part III — Dental Macro-Photography with Smartphones and SLR Cameras

• Management of macro-flashes and light modifiers
• Shade communication between clinic and laboratory
• Capture of the micro-texture and optical effects
• Dental photography from life-size 1:1 (1x) to 3:1 (3x)

Part IV — Photography for the Laboratory

• Set-up for SLR cameras and smartphones
• Micro-photography with focus-stacking
• Cross polarisation
• Digital image management
• Macro-photography in the dental laboratory: capture of ceramic and metal small elements
• Backfringence of enamel: light and filters

Instructor

Dr Carlos A. Ayala

Dental Surgeon (1994–2000), Orthodontist (2002–2005) and Master in Stomatology with mention in Orthodontics at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia (2010–2012). Creator of “From Macro to Micro” Photography course for Comprehensive Management of photography and dental macro-photography since 2013. Author of “The Workbook” (2016), Quintessence Editorial, São Paulo, Brazil.