Taking close-up pictures of small things is called "macro photography." I have no idea why. Perhaps because the small things in macro photography are generally larger than the things you are taking pictures of when doing "micro photography". If you really want to be pedantic then you should say you are doing "photomacrography".
Taking close-up pictures of small things is called "macro photography." I have no idea why. Perhaps because the small things in macro photography are generally larger than the things you are taking pictures of when doing "micro photography". If you really want to be pedantic then you should say you are doing "photomacrography".
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Macro photography is getting close. Technically macro is defined as photos which are made between 1/10 life size and life size. Normal photography is defined as less than 1/10 life size, and microphotography is defined as greater than life size. Don't worry about this since even these terms are defined differently by different people. For instance, Nikon, who also makes many microscopes, refers to their macro lenses as "micro" lenses.
Macro photographers have at their disposal three viable methods of modifying sunlight - diffusion, reflection and strobe. A key advantage of using diffusers and/or reflectors is that the effect is seen before the image is taken, making fine-tuning much easier and the results far more predictable. Diffusers and reflectors are easily employed tools that can be used to modify the visual brilliance between one part of the image and another. Their prime function is to modify the contrast to a point where all detail can be rendered on the capture medium.
As a commercial studio still-life photographer, I’m always amazed at the new perspectives macro photography provides. In addition to allowing me to see the wonderful details within a subject or object, it allows me to slow down my shooting process and study the subject in front of my lens.
What are macro lenses, and how do these differ from micro lenses? For some folks, especially Nikon users, macro and micro refer to the same thing—“close-up photography”—or making small objects appear large in a photo. Although the terms macro and micro photography are used synonymously, macro photography generally refers to most close-up work conducted with macro lenses. By contrast, micro photography refers to high magnification close-up work that goes beyond the use of macro lenses.
Macro photography lets you fill the frame with small subjects. A picture of a caterpillar taken with a 50 mm lens from 10 feet away is likely to be uninteresting because the subject is a tiny speck in the photo. Make that same caterpillar fill the frame of film, however, and you've got an exciting photograph.