MASTER THE MAGIC OF MACRO

Shoot tiny details close-up and hone in on incredible details hidden to the naked eye. Professional photographer Dan Mold is your guide...

Macro photography allows you to put ordinary items under the microscope and turn them into the extraordinary, revealing a brand new world of fascinating detail otherwise hidden to the naked eye.

One reason why macro photography is so much fun is that it's accessible. While a dedicated macro lens is certainly worth the investment if you want to take it seriously, you can get astonishing results with budget-friendly accessories such as extension tubes, reversing rings or close-up filters, which turn ordinary kit lenses into macro ones - at around £/$100, they won't break the bank. Over the following pages, we'll look at these accessories, as well as more elaborate gear picks, in more detail.

When it comes to macro photography, there's a seemingly never-ending supply of subjects to point your camera towards, from finding details in insects, critters and creepy crawlies, to flowers, tree bark, bird feathers and more - there really is no limit.

Even the most mundane subjects become interesting when you get up close to them with your macro lens or close-up adapters.

Macro has some distinct challenges, though, including a limited depth of field and images being more prone to camera shake, so let's share our top tips to help you get started with cracking close-ups.

PART 1 GET THE RIGHT GEAR

Dedicated lenses aside, there are plenty of gadgets and gizmos out there to help you get better close-ups

Macro photography is one of those areas where having the right equipment really helps.

While photography kit can be expensive, the great news is that much of the essential kit you need to shoot top close-ups doesn't break the bank.

You don't even need a dedicated macro lens to get started - check out the extension tubes, reversing rings and close-up filters below, which all help you get closer with your current standard DSLR or mirrorless camera and a basic kit lens or prime optic.