Journal Entry for Wednesday, Nov 2nd

Still Learning – Macro vs Close-up Lately, I’ve been trying to learn more on taking close-up shots. It is only natural, having viewed what I termed as close-up photos taken by other photographers, that I would like to learn how to take the same kind of shots. Here is what I learned. One first needs an understanding of the differences between the terms macro, micro and close-up photography? Some confusion comes from the fact that the two of these terms, macro and micro, usually refer to the same thing. The best way to relate terms is this; If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look bigger, you end up with a “macro” view of a “micro” subject. Macro Photography Defined: Macro photography requires a dedicated macro lens. What is a real macro lens you ask? A macro lens has the capability of achieving at least a 1:1 magnification. This ratio is a measure of how large the subject appears on your camera's sensor. A lens with a magnification of 1:1 means the subject appears as life size on the sensor. A macro lens with a 2:1 ratio captures subjects twice as large as they appear in real life. Close up photography Defined: The act of photographing objects such as flowers or insects in close range so the subject you are photographing fills the frame. In other words, it’s the act of photographing subjects close up. This is easily achievable with any lens, even a 300mm telephoto lens. Though macro photography is in essence close up photography as well, the difference lies in the fact that close up photography is unable to capture the finest detail. The reason macro lenses are so expensive is that the provide a bigger magnification that shows the finest detail. What I learned from all this was that there is no way I can achieve the results that I would truly like to have without spending several hundred dollars for a macro/micro lens; which means that I will be ‘stuck’ taking close-ups until I can save up the money for a macro lens.