What is Macro photography?
[[Image:Ozyptila praticola - front (aka).jpg|thumb|this spider is 3.9mm long.]] '''Macro photography''' is a kind of [[photography]]. Macro photography is about photographing objects that are very close to the [[photographic lens|lens]], the [[photographic film|film]] or the [[sensor]]. Using the classic definition, in macro photography the image shown on the film plane (or sensor) is nearly as big as the object photographed. There are different ways to achieve this. The most common one is to use a specialised ''macro'' lens. Such lenses are good at focussing sharply on a small area approaching the size of the film frame. Most 35mm format macro lenses achieve at least 1:2, that is to say, the image on the film is half the size of the object being photographed. Many 35mm macro lenses are 1:1, meaning the image on the [[135 film]] is the same size as the object being photographed. Another important difference is that lenses designed for macro are usually at their sharpest at macro focus distances and are not quite as sharp at other focus distances. In recent years, the term ''macro'' has been used in marketing material to mean being able to focus on a subject close enough so that when a regular 6&times;4&nbsp;[[inch]] (15&times;10&nbsp;cm) print is made, the image is life-size or larger. With 35mm film this requires a magnification [[ratio]] of only approximately 1:4, which demands less of lens quality than 1:1. With digital cameras the actual image size is rarely stated, so that the magnification ratio is largely irrelevant; cameras instead advertise their closest focusing distance. Typical subjects are [[still life]], such as fruit, flowers, jewelry and small household objects. Macro photography often reveals details of the subject not visible with the naked eye. ==Different ways to do macro photography== *Using a specialised macro lens. These exist in different [[focal length]], from what should be a [[normal lens]] (40-60mm for 35mm flim), to medium to long telephotos (around 100mm, and 180-200mm). Very