Taking A Closer Look

Macro photography is perhaps my favorite type of photography. The word macro means "above average in size or magnitude" and that's exactly what you get when you shoot macro photography. You can photograph the smallest object and it fills the frame allowing for extreme close up detail. A special "macro" lens designed to bring these small objects into clear view is essential in getting the best images. The lens I use on my pentax is a 50 millimeter standard macro with a 1:1 ratio, meaning the image on the "film" ( digital sensor) is the same size as the object being photographed.
So what does it all mean. Well, it means that when you're shooting macro, you can chase a bumble bee around a flower and when it decides to land you can be right there, up close, ready to fire the shutter.


Aside from chasing bees around the flowers, the flowers themselves can become great subjects when shooting macros . A great macro flower shot goes beyond just a picture of a flower. In the hands of a great photographer a flower shot is magically transformed into a work of art.
I tend to shoot many shots looking for just that right angle and just that right light. Once again it's a bit like fishing, many casts with few keepers. It also seems a bit counter intuitive but cloudy days make for the best flower shots. Direct sunlight casts too harsh of a light on the subject making for a really bad, washed out picture. The clouds act like a big softbox that one might use in a studio diffusing the light and limiting the harsh shadows. I shot many a bad flower picture until I learned that little secret.

Here are some examples of my macro work: