Source:www.jimippolito.com

Macro photography, simply put, is "close up" photography.

Technically, "macro photography" produces an image that is exactly the size of the subject, so obviously we are talking about photographing small, if not tiny, things.

This is referred to as 1:1 scale and is useful in the world of science for reference purposes, or when it is necessary to have a photo that is the exact size as the object, for identification, such as gems.

As I said, small things because obviously there isn't much need for a life size photo of the Empire State Building.

There's more to it than this basic definition but most of it refers to film cameras.

These days macro photography is used more to "magnify" small items in order to reveal more detail, as in the photo I took yesterday of a newly formed flower on an Ocotillo tree in front of my house. I used my Kodak 880P for the shot.

The actual flower is only about 25% the size of what you see on your monitor.

Nearly all digital cameras have a "Macro" setting that is indicated by a flower symbol.

The use of this feature allows you to move in very close, and, because of the highly limited depth of field it throws the background out of focus. This is exactly the effect you want so that all the emphasis is on your subject.

Even though all macro programs are similar in concept you must consult your owner's manual in order to learn the little quirks that your particular digital camera's macro program has.

It's easy to do and it will open up a whole new world of photography for you.

When shooting flowers make sure there isn't even a hint of wind and use a high shutter speed to cut down on blur and put the background out of focus.

Check out Graham Jeffery's amazing macro photographs for inspiration.