Did you know there is an amazing photographic subject within a few feet from where you are <em>right now</em>? Macro photography has a great way of making the ordinary look extraordinary. It can make the mundane seem positively fascinating. So not only does macro photography shift your perspective on the world and the subjects you shoot, it’s the most “available” type of photography around! Photographers who favor macro photography are never short of a subject willing to have their photo taken, human or otherwise. 

As an introduction to macro photography, the technique is also sometimes called close-up photography, or close-focus photography. Macro photographs are images taken from a close distance, with a very shallow focal length, showing great detail and often isolating the subject from the background. 

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<div><a title="Macro Of A Dragonfly, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26648442@N04/2693948745/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="500" height="383" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/macro-3.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Macro Of A Dragonfly</em>
Photo by Nomad 147</p>
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Got you interested? Let’s take a closer look. Heh - see what we did there?

By definition, macro lenses express the ratio of size in relation to the subject. What we mean by that is, a ratio of 1:1 creates and image where the subject shown in the photo is the same size it is in real life. The ratio decreases exponentially in steps, where a ratio of 1:2 would show the subject at ½ the size that it is in real life, and so on. 

That said you don’t necessarily even need a macro lens to shoot macro on your DSLR. Many hobby photographers use a tele-zoom lens in place of a true macro lens. Something in the 55-200mm or 70-300mm range will also have macro capabilities, where the ratio is usually 1:3 or 1:4 rather than 1:1, or 1:2.  

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<div><a title="Macro / Nature / Water Droplets, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubagallery/4985667417/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="300" height="300" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/macro1.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Macro / Nature / Water Droplets</em>
Photo by CubaGallery</p>
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You can also shoot Macro with a compact camera or a point & shoot. The Macro mode on your camera is located on the mode dial and is likely denoted by an image of a tulip. On a point & shoot camera, the Macro mode changes the optimum focal length of the on-camera lens so that you can get photos at short focal lengths. 

<strong>So whether you’re shooting with a DSLR and macro lens, or a point & shoot here’s a few tips to get you started: </strong>
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<li>Depending on the lens you are using, you may need to use a large f-number to ensure that your subject is fully in focus. Because macro lenses have a much narrower plane of focus than other lenses, you will likely need to compensate to get the entire subject in focus.</li>
<li>You might want to think about using an external flash to ensure your photo is well lit and shows good detail.</li>
<li>Because macro photography is so detail-oriented, you need to ensure there’s no chance of camera-shake so get yourself a good tripod! This is really important to capture shots where you may need to use a slower shutter speed to let enough light into the sensor.</li>
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<div><a title="Purple Macro, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/5823866306/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="500" height="400" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/macro2.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Purple Macro</em>
Photo by Doug88888</p>
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Have any good Macro tips to share? Do so in the comments below! 