Macro photography is also known as close-up photography. Compared to other types of photography, macro photography is quite difficult, because of the nifty equipment, lightning and other techniques involved. However, in the end it comes down to what kind of pictures you want to take and what level of precision you are striving for.

In this inspirational showcase, we’ve collected some beautiful macro pictures, as well as some useful macro photography tutorials – for people at all levels of experience.

You may also be interested in the following related posts:

• 25 Beautiful Macro Photography Shots

Stunning Macro Photography

Mr. Attitude
by Cyrus K

Homies on Da Hood
by Marshall Alsup

Deflated
by MuffinMummy

Flower in a Drop
by Szabolcs Vass

Eye of a Tokay Gecko

Sugar Girl

Soul Dance

An insect

Winter Blues
By Ursula I Abresch.

Cold Miner
by LordV

Zeitautomatik

Treble Chef

Butterfly
by GOLDENORFE

Ant
by Alliec2007

Recently at the fairytale forest
by Gecko_gr

Farewell, Old Friends
by MuffinMummy

Spider
by IRAWAN YUWONO

Curved
by Kristoffer Jonsson

Summer Refreshment
by Frankieleon

Years of Lessons
by Frankieleon

Ripples of Colour
by Alex Bates

Stapelia leendertziae flower
by Martin Heigan

Multi-Color Bungee
by Frankieleon

Drips
by Alex Bates

Hover
by Alliec

Rose
by 5348 Franco

Spider with Egg Case
by Jimmy hoffman

Red Eye Tree Frog
by Juza

Hover Fly
by LordV

Pseudo Scorpion
by LordV

Gear
by LordV

Beauty of Rust
by Frankieleon

Grass Drops
by ViaMoi

Banded Demoiselle
by Alliec2007

Fred Eye
by Snack Happy

Dew Drop
by Alliec2007

Mother Ship
by Frankieleon

Getting Stuck In
by Alliec2007

Macro Photography Tutorials And DIY Tips And Tricks

Macro Photography for Beginners, Part 1, Part 2
This series of macro photography tutorials is a must for anyone starting a career in macro photography. These tutorials contain almost everything, including detailed explanations of macro photography, lighting, focusing and much more.

Picture by DodogoeSLR

How to Shoot Super Macro Photos
A superb article on macro photography. It gives you a basic explanation of macro photography, as well as equipment, set-up, depth of field, flash and examples of what can be achieved and how.

Picture by fensterbme

Macro Photography Tutorial For Taking Bug Pictures
In-depth tutorial on how to take bug pictures. It covers camera equipment, close-ups, reversing the lens, lighting, flash, tripods and much more. Very educational for anyone interested in taking macro pictures of small insects and bugs.

Picture by dincordero

Extreme Macro Photography on a Budget
If you want to achieve extraordinary results, macro photography requires both good technique and good equipment. Lenses, lights, cameras and tripods cost thousands of dollars. Here is a useful DIY (do it yourself) tutorial on building a nice macro lens from a Pringles can.

Picture by leafy

How to Take Close-Up Pictures of Small Things
This is an amazing resource for beginners. It covers basic things, such as what kind of camera and lens you need, and then gets into exposure, lighting, focus, combinations and much more.

Picture by Clicks 1000

How To Take Macro Photography: Close Up, 030
Another article to bookmark if you’re just learning macro photography. A lot of information, over four pages in fact, which will surely come in handy.

Depth of Field Calculator
A really useful online tool that lets you calculate Depth of Field (DOF) before taking pictures. It can be used for almost any camera and lets you adjust for focal length (mm), f-stop, the subject’s distance and more.

How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio
This tutorial is nothing short of fantastic. It shows you how to build a small lightbox in which you take pictures of small objects, flowers or anything you can think of. It won’t cost you much: all you’ll need is a cardboard box, cutting utensils and some paper.

Mini Macro Studio for Less than $0.02
Another useful tutorial on building a mini-macro studio out of everyday objects in no time. The set-up is very simple and requires only a sheet of paper, folded and taped. It is very easy to make and produces nice results.

Macro Photography Tips for Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras
Can’t afford all that heavy equipment? Then look at this tutorial. It provides all the basic tips and tricks on taking good macro photos with your point-and-shoot digital camera.

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© Moin Anjum for Smashing Magazine, 2009. |
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Post tags: macro, photography