5 Ways to Get More From Your
Macro Photography

Macro photography is getting a lot of attention these days. When you take a picture up close with your digital camera the macro setting is the one to use. Usually you can find this setting by looking for a little flower on the back of your camera. The flower has the letters MF next to it.

When I first started playing with macro photography, all of the pictures I took came out blurry. They looked like blobs of color instead of the beautiful flowers in front of me. I nearly gave up on the whole process. But I kept trying, and today I would like to share a few of the tricks I learned about macro photography with you.

The main characteristic of all macro photography is the focus of your main subject in the picture. The background becomes blurred and the subject stands out in more detail. As you can see in the examples of rose pictures on this page.

Dew Covered Rose	Black & White Background	Pink Floating Rose

This close-up of a pink rose covered in dew was captured while I was in California	I combined macro-photography with a little photo editing to create this beautiful rose picture	One minor adjustment in my photo editor made this pink rose appear to be floating in the air

5 ways to get more from your macro photography:

	Steady that camera – I am sure you have read that a tri-pod is a must have, especially in macro photography. If you do not have a tri-pod (which I seldom have with me) try balancing the camera on some part of your body. I have heard the suggestion of the face. But I found using anything to steady the camera will do. I have used my knee, arm, a rock, or even just the intent of focus works.
	Use LCD Display - When I first got my camera I would use the viewfinder to take all of my pictures. This was a carry over from my film camera days I think. Then as I learned more about the digital camera I discovered that my pictures come out better if I use the LCD display. This setting uses up the batteries faster but the results are worth it.
	Turn off the flash - When taking pictures with a point and shoot camera like the one I use (a 3.5 mega pixel), I discovered the flash distorts my colors. The flash seemed to give an orange cast to my pictures. The best pictures are produced with a low, natural light. Of course using the flash can produce effects you may want. But that is for another article.
	Step Back - I recently discovered that when the flowers are really tiny, the macro photography setting works best from farther away. So step a little back and zoom in to get the best focus on that tiny flower. As we nature lovers know, some wild flowers are amazingly beautiful when you bring them up close.
	Play with the brightness - One last tip. This tip is for after you get your pictures home. Use your photo editor to enhance the photo to look the way you envisioned it in the park. They can sometimes even look a little better. I find that if I lower the brightness, and raise the contrast, I get some very impressive results.

All of the macro photography examples used on this page happen to be roses but you can use this setting on any type of flower. I have even used the macro setting on insects, mushrooms, and a variety of other nature pictures.

Macro photography may seem a little hard at first but the rewards are well worth the effort. I hope these tips will help you to bring nature into a close-up focus. Enjoy those beautiful wildflowers, roses, daisies and more in a different light.