CAMERA CLUB: It's the little things that count

There’s something quite special about macro and close-up photography in that we see the beauty in things that might otherwise repel us.

Like all good photography, macro shows the world in a way we don’t usually see it, which makes the images compelling. It brings some real challenges such as achieving enough depth of field to get most or all of the subject in focus; focus stacking is often used in macro work. Then, the slightest movements of the camera and subject are exaggerated so techniques to stop that are required. The use of tripods, remote triggers and anti-shock settings can help reduce camera shake. Lighting can also be an issue with lenses and lens hoods shading the subject, which is where ring flashes can come into play. Then, as with all wildlife photography, there is the need for stealth.

Being pedantic, true macro photography is where the subject is magnified 1:1, i.e. the same size as if you stuck the subject onto the sensor. The phrase has become diluted by manufacturers selling 1:2 or 1:3 lenses as being macro, where the size of the resulting image would be half or third that of the subject.

Why not give it a go. Compact and bridge cameras are particularly good tools to start experimenting with macro.