Macro

When I began to experiment with macro photography (shooting extremely small subjects) I found myself suddenly treated to a world that I'd simply overlooked in the past. Underwater, the coral heads I'd passed by en route to to larger subjects suddenly became bustling cities populated by tiny fish, cleaner shrimp, and feather dusters. Even in my own yard, plants and flowers became treasure troves of photographic opportunities. Nothing environmentally had changed of course, but my perspective certainly had. Some of my most rewarding photography has been of subjects that measured only a couple of centimeters. Macro photography requires a lens with a magnification factor of 1:1 at its closest focus setting. This basically means that the subject (even a tiny insect) will fill the frame completely. Although not always necessary, a light source of some type is helpful as well. The detail, from the pollen dust on a honey bee to the segmented legs of a minute crab can be seen at a scale that will leave you shaking your head in amazement.