Have you ever seen a photograph that makes a fly seem as if it could rival King Kong? Chances are that photographer captured the insect with a macro lens, showing off his or her close-up photography skills. Macro simply means that the images captured are equal or larger in size to the actual image being photographed.

Photo Taken on EOS 350D , EF 100 f2.8 Macro

Macro photography – extremely close-up photography – does not exist only in the world of professional photographers. With a focus on a few simple techniques and perhaps the addition of a few new accessories for your digital camera, you can see just how much fun macro can be.

Useful for many purposes, macro photography can capture purely creative subjects as well as commercial images such as jewelry pieces for a catalog. To succeed in taking great close-up photos, focus on the image at hand, minimizing clutter in the background. Allow your digital camera's auto focus mode to take charge, but test out its "spot focus" mode for an exact preview of what the camera will be capturing.

Because macro photography features extremely close-up shooting of images, mistakes are also magnified tremendously. Consider using a tripod to minimize unsteadiness of the camera. Also, strive to create or locate the best lighting situation. You may need to bring in additional light sources to create the appropriate setting. Worst-case scenario, you can always process the photos later with an imaging program on your computer.

praying mantis prays for a prey!
Taken on Canon EOS 350D - EF 100 Macro

Taken on Canon 350D , ef 100 f2.8

Remember, practice makes perfect. Take many pictures whenever you shoot anything at all. You are bound to capture a few remarkable shots, even if the rest are just average. To better hone your skills in macro photography, read up on the subject at your local library, on the Internet or buy a book for your own enjoyment. The more you know about macro photography, the more comfortable you will be when it comes time to take photographs.