Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Taking Macro Photos with Your Digital Camera

By Pat Peterson

Experimenting with extreme close up shots, or macro photography, can be an interesting and challenging way to get more use and enjoyment out of your digital camera. Almost all digital cameras have a macro mode which affords the ability to take highly detailed photos of your subject at very close range.

Virtually all digital cameras feature macro mode. You may need to access it through the cameras menu system or there may be a button on the camera to press. Macro mode is usually represented by a flower icon on digital cameras.

Proper focus is often the hardest part of macro photography. Shooting at such close distances leaves little room for error. Issues caused by camera shake or your subject moving are magnified. Take your time. If your camera allows you to bypass auto focus, it can be helpful to focus manually on the important part of the object you are shooting.

Be persistent. Macro photography takes a lot of practice and even those with plenty of experience take a lot of macro shots in order to get the picture they want. Anyone is capable of taking interesting even stunning macro photos so don't give up.

For macro photography, tripods can come in very handy. The advantage of using a tripod is that it keeps the camera steady so you can concentrate on focusing and composing. It may be more difficult to maneuver your camera for extreme close-ups, however.

Busy backgrounds or recognizable background objects lessen the impact of your photo. Make sure the background won't overwhelm or detract from your shot. The subject should stand out against a simple background.

If you've never tried macro photography, give it a chance. It takes practice and patience, but if you stick with it the results can be fantastic. Try it today with your digital camera and some normal household objects.

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