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Thursday, March 5, 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.

For compact or non-SLR digital cameras, accessing macro mode may be accomplished by a menu selection or a button on the camera body. If you are not sure how to set your camera to macro mode, check the manual. By entering macro mode or using a macro lens, you can make everyday objects seem extraordinary.

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.

A tripod can be very helpful tor taking macro photos. Tripods eliminate camera shake and allow you to worry about other aspects of the picture like focus and background. A tripod is not always practical, however, as macro shots require being as close to the subject as permitted and a tripod may make that impossible.

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.

These tips should get you started with macro photography. Taking macro shots can really make digital photography more fun and fascinating if you give it a try. The more you practice the more you will enjoy it.

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