Taking close-up photographs of a subject is called 'Macro Photography.' Technically macro photography is when the image projected on the film plane of a camera is the same size as the object in real life. This is referred to as a 1:1 ratio. More recently 'macro photography' has been expanded to describe ratios of 1:2 as well as general close up photography. (A 1:2 ratio means that the image projected on the film plane is half of its actual life size.)

Many new point and shoot cameras can produce great macro photography results. However, to achieve a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio you generally need a macro lens on an SLR camera. A basic setup for macro photography could be a Canon T1i with a Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens.

A lens with macro capabilities allows the camera to focus on a subject that is much closer to the lens than a normal lens would allow. Therefore a lens with macro capabilities allows a photographer to focus on and photograph a tiny subject with fine details and achieve the 1:1 ratio. This can allow a large, high quality print of the small subject to be produced.

Macro lenses come in a wide variety of focal lengths. Each macro lens can be used to photograph a variety of different subjects depending on the focal length:

• 35-60mm range is typically used to photograph products and other small objects.
• 75-125mm range is the focal length range typically used for flowers and insects.
• 150-200mm+ range is generally used for insects and small animals.

Another tool for macro photography is an extension tube. An extension tube is basically a tube with a lens mount on one end and a camera mount on the other. This allows the extension tube to fit between the camera and the lens. An extension tube has no optics in it and is used to extend the distance between the lens and the film plane in the camera. An extension tube works in the same way bellows on a camera do, they simply extend the distance of the lens from the film plane. The further the lens is away from the film plane, the closer the lens can focus on the subject and therefore the larger the subject will appear when projected on the film plane. However, there is a trade off, the longer the extension tube, the more light loss there is, requiring a longer exposure. Some extension tubes do not have electronic contacts and therefore will not allow for auto focus or electronic aperture functions to be used. Keep this in mind when shopping for an extension tube.
Another option for macro photography is a close-up lens, (sometimes referred to as a close-up filter.) A close-up lens works in the same way a magnifying lens does. The close-up lens allows any lens to focus closer to a subject. The close-up lens simply screws onto the front of a lens in the same place a filter would attach to the lens. This allows any lens to be used for macro photography.A telephoto extender can also produce macro capabilities. A telephoto extender (sometimes referred to as a teleconverter) is simply a secondary lens, placed between the camera and the lens that enlarges the image produced by the lens and projects it onto the film plane. A telephoto extender effectively extends the focal length of a lens. For example a 2x telephoto extender when mounted with a 150mm lens will produce the effect of a lens with a focal length of a 300mm. Telephoto extenders generally come in 1.4x, 1.7x, 2x and 3x models. The downside to a telephoto extender is that like an extension tube, a telephoto extender decreases the amount of light that reaches the film plane, requiring a longer exposure time. While a telephoto extender allows the photographer to zoom in closer to a subject, the focusing distance remains the same.

Reversing the lens is another technique for macro photography. Reversing the lens is exactly what it sounds like, using a reversing ring to mount the lens backwards on the camera body. A reversing ring is an adapter that screws onto the filter threads on the front of a lens and allows the lens to be mounted in reverse to the camera body. This can be a good quality, low cost way to use lenses you may already have to take macro photographs. This technique can be combined with extension tubes or bellows to achieve even closer focus.
It is even possible to mount a reversed lens in front of a normally mounted lens for use in macro photography. To do this, the reverse mounted lens must be of lesser focal length than the normally mounted lens. The normal lens is attached to the camera in the standard way, and then the other lens is reverse mounted to the front of the normally mounted lens by using a macro coupler. The macro coupler screws into the filter threads on both of the lenses and allows the lenses to be joined together. Using this technique also allows most cameras to maintain full function of electronic features on the normally mounted lens. The magnification ratio can be calculated by dividing the focal length of the normally mounted lens by the focal length of the reverse mounted lens. For example, when a 15mm lens is reverse mounted on a 300mm lens the resulting magnification ratio will be 20:1.

Other things to consider in macro photography:

Depth of field is an important consideration in macro photography. In macro photography depth of field becomes very shallow. Limited depth of field in macro photography makes it essential to focus on the most important part of the subject being photographed. Even parts of a subject slightly in front or behind the focal plane can be noticeably out of focus. It may be necessary to use a small aperture at achieve an acceptable depth of field.

Lighting is another important element to consider in macro photography. Lighting can be especially important because of the need to use a small aperture. However, achieving a bright, well lit subject may be difficult in macro photography simply because of the close proximity of the lens to the subject. A tool known as a ring flash, such as the Canon Macro Ring Light MR-14EX can be used to light a subject that is very close to the lens. A ring flash is a circular flash that is mounted around the front of a lens.