Ideas for Macro Photography [closed]

Question

I would like to know just what kind of pictures I can take with macro. I'm looking for some out-of-the-box ideas. I have plenty close-ups of flowers, insects, grass, wood, and other objects. I would also like to know some tips for macro photography. Suggestions for post-production are fine.

Answer 1

You can shoot many things in Macro including everyday objects like coins, watches, brand of your shoes or your wallet, food (like you cut an orange and shoot every little detail in it), your brother's eye, words from books, key hole in your door, water drops (try to put some water with little oil in a bottle and put the bottle on top of a colorful shirt and you'll see wonders)

Answer 2

I'm always impressed by the amazing detail of small things in nature. They are common and all around us, but we are too big to notice. You can think of a 1:1 macro lens as a low end microscope. You can make detail visible that you couldn't see with your naked eye. These lichens are a good example:

I couldn't really "see" this until I took a picture of it.

Answer 3

Food photography. Not necessarily at the closest focus distance, so not true 1:1 macro, but getting very close, with shallow depth of field can be very nice.

If you have kids, kids toys like lego, action figures and so forth, can be fun. They're very colorful. Doll houses, model train sets, anything miniature.

You could take a series of a dozen close up images of parts of a motorcycle- think of all the shiny chrome and paintwork, tires, engine parts, headlight etc.

Water or milk drops. Don't have to use a true macro here either, but it's a good lens for this. Put milk or water in a ziploc bag. Poke a hole in it so it drips onto a plate. Set up a flash and fire away.

For me, I like doing abstract shots with macro. You can take many every day things, like a kitchen whisk, and get close and get nices lines and shapes.

Answer 4

I tend to look for textures in everyday items. Sometimes I'll even plan something out a few days in advance and stack up ideas for shooting.

Some things that are good are fabrics, small parts to machines, rocks, your body, a pet, food can be very interesting. Try doing a series on things you use regularly, toothbrush, razor, lamp, screwdriver, etc.

I take a macro everyday, here is a link to those: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nelsontapias/

Answer 5

You can shoot money as was mentioned above, both banknotes and coins look completely different when viwed through a macro lens.
Also food is an interesting object for macro, think of textures we usually do not notice. Macro of a textured surface like old grunge painted wall can create an unusual abstract image, sometimes even with a pattern.

Talking about post processing, for me there is no difference between a macro shot and not macro shot, the main thing is to emphasise the focal point, this could be achieved by selected sharpening of an image.