Basic Digital SLR Photography - The Magic of Macro or Close-Up

Nature is loaded with awesome art. Macro, or close-up, digital photography is one way of showing off your camera's magical powers.Macro photography is taking pictures at about 1:1 magnification, or even closer. My introduction to macro photography came a few years back when I was on vacation in Georgia. I had bought my earliest digital camera, a 3-megapixel compact digital model.And I was just getting to know the camera, playing around with settings and such. Since I had left my camera instruction manual who knows where (and who actually even scans those things anyway), I was having some difficulty finding out what the little symbols were for on the dial. One or the symbols was a little flower. I had no clue what that meant, but I ultimately decided it may have something to do with the flowers that were all around me, so I took a few shots of those. I tried to get as close up as possible in order to get the detail of the delicate flower petals.Let me tell you, those photographs transformed my life. I have become intrigued with the notion of macro everything. When I eventually raised my level of digital camera to a Digital slr, the first add on lens I acquired was a Macro lens.I highly endorse getting a dedicated Macro lens. They are worth what ever the expense, and they are also quite functional, simply because you can utilize them for various other photo applications, including portrait.There are a few things to keep in mind when shooting close-up.1. Use a tripod when possible. The closer you get to your subject, the more movement affects your shot. A tripod will save you much frustration by minimizing the possibility of movement and blur.2. Set your aperture to a very small setting, preferably higher than f/13. The reason for this is that the closer you get, the less depth of field you have. Settings of f/13 to f/32 will give you the most detail in your shot.3. Watch out for shadows and bright spots. Early morning is the best time for shooting just about any nature shot, but it is especially nice for close-ups. Bright sun causes harsh shadows and blown out bright spots. You can also eliminate shadows and brights by using a shade. A collapsible disc or an umbrella work nicely to reduce the effects of bright sunlight. There are even times when the shadow of your own body will save the shot for you. Be creative.4. Avoid windy conditions. This goes along with the tripod. Any movement by your subject will ruin your image. This is another good reason to shoot early in the day when the atmosphere is the calmest.5. Get a dedicated macro lens. This was already described, but bares repeating. The right lens for the job will make your pictures so much superior. Lens companies use special glass to accomplish the best results, and the configuration of the glass is done so that you can get much closer than when you are using any other type of lens.Try Macro Photography. There are some very cool shapes and textures that you will only see after you have downloaded your images to your computer or printed them.Learn about Digital SLR photography at www.betterphotos123.com