There are some subjects which don’t look good unless they’re shot in close-up.  It’s not that there’s no story when taking these pictures, instead, the focus veers away from the subject unless the shot is taken up close.  These are distances as close as 10 ot 20 cm away from the subject.  However, not all lenses can come in close “nose to nose” as it were, to these short distances.

Lenses have a minimum focusing distance and when shooting at a distance less than that all you would get would be a blur.  To remedy this, you can use a macro lens.  Macro lenses have a very short minimum focusing distance and allows detailed pictures out of small objects.

Alternatively, you can use a macro lens attachment.  This is a lens you attach to the end of camera lans, and it shortens the focusing distance of the camera.  This is a cheaper alternative than buying a macro zoom lens or a bellows attachment.  For bridge cameras, a macro lens attachment is the only choice.

Macro photography is one type of photography which is more of an exercise in patience rather than in composition.  The detailed focusing and framing of the picture pushes conventional composition ideas to the back of the mind.  There is a lot of detail to take in, and thoughts of composition techniques do not come easily, unless these techniques are already part of the photographer’s repertoire.

Additionally, the subject is brought to the fore and the dynamics of the picture becomes the composition.  For instance, when taking a picture of the head of a dragonfly, the attention to the detail is the primary concern.  It’s not everyday you can shoot one.  Composition does not really take a back seat, but you hope that the composition concepts you’ve learned stick and has become second nature to you as you include these ideas into the picture.

Macro photography is a taxing exercise, but it is well worth the practice.