Macro photography (sometimes called micro, confusingly) has always been something that interests me, primarily because it can allow the viewer to see something at a level of detail that is often impossible with the human eye. After all, good photography is supposed to show us ordinary things in an extraordinary way, or take us somewhere new and show us things we’ve never seen or imagined. Macro photography can do both of these, depending on the scale.  Macro photography, generally speaking, is photography of very small things. Specifically, it means a 1:1 (or greater) ratio between the actual object size and the representation on the film or sensor.

Technically, macro photography can be quite challenging. It requires very specific equipment, e.g. camera type, lenses, and lighting (diy options are possible, but often impractical or not of the same quality when compared to commercially availalbe options) and a thorough understanding of the equipment’s use and limitations. Since exposure and lighting are typically done manually, and focusing can be difficult at such small scales, a good understanding of photography fundamentals is essential.

Creatively, the opportunities are endless. Simply a yard or home can provide almost limitless subject matter. Walking to the car (or bus stop) most people pass an amazing number of macro-photography opportunities.

Recently we had some flowers in the house, so I got my gear and took a few macro shots. Some are simply close-ups that don’t technically qualify as macro, like this one:

Others are closer-in, and do qualify for the macro label, with a 1:1 ratio or better like this one:

Bugs are always a popular subject of macro photos; here’s a shot of some typical ants engaged in a good example of symbiosis with aphids. To illustrate my ealier point about macro opportunities, this shot was taken from my sidewalk.

For more of my macro and close-up work, see my images tagged with “macro” on flickr.