Up close and personal

Macro images have always fascinated me.  There is something about being able to see the minute detail in everyday objects that captures my imagination.  Thankfully I have an awesome wife who supports my career.  Last Christmas she bought the 105mm macro lens that I've been drooling over for months.  Now my interest is full blown obsession and I can often be found photographing all kinds of mundane things. 

There are some things that beg to be photographed close up.  Insects are always good although they can be tricky as the don't tend to stay still for long.  Flowers are also great.  A quick change in settings can affect the overall image dramatically.  The best example of this is the razor thin depth of field (DoF) you get with wide open apertures.  For flowers this allows you to totally isolate even the smallest details and blur everything else.

The challenge that a DoF that shallow creates is holding still enough to get that tack sharp image.  A tripod greatly helps as well as a cable release.  If you don't have a cable release but you do have a tripod don't worry.  Most cameras have a built in timer.  Just set that and the camera should settle down before the shutter is activated.  If you don't have either of those finding something to brace yourself or working in a very bright location (or use of flash) are your best bets for getting that sharp image.