Smashing Magazine
35 Examples Of Stunning Macro Photography
Macro photography is also known as close-up photography. Compared to other types of photography, macro photography is quite difficult, because of the nifty equipment, lightning and other techniques involved. However, in the end it comes down to what kind of pictures you want to take and what level of precision you are striving for.
In this inspirational showcase, we’ve collected some beautiful macro pictures, as well as some useful macro photography tutorials – for people at all levels of experience.
You may also be interested in the following related posts:
[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #2 is Successful Freelancing for Web Designers, 260 pages for just $9,90.]
Stunning Macro Photography
Mr. Attitude
by Cyrus K
Homies on Da Hood
by Marshall Alsup
Deflated
by MuffinMummy
Flower in a Drop
by Szabolcs Vass
Winter Blues
By Ursula I Abresch.
Cold Miner
by LordV
Treble Chef
Created by Glynn McDonald.
Butterfly
by GOLDENORFE
Ant
by Alliec2007
Recently at the fairytale forest
by Gecko_gr
Farewell, Old Friends
by MuffinMummy
Spider
by IRAWAN YUWONO
Curved
by Kristoffer Jonsson
Summer Refreshment
by Frankieleon
Years of Lessons
by Frankieleon
Ripples of Colour
by Alex Bates
Stapelia leendertziae flower
by Martin Heigan
Multi-Color Bungee
by Frankieleon
Drips
by Alex Bates
Hover
by Alliec
Rose
by 5348 Franco
Spider with Egg Case
by Jimmy hoffman
Red Eye Tree Frog
by Juza
Hover Fly
by LordV
Pseudo Scorpion
by LordV
Gear
by LordV
Beauty of Rust
by Frankieleon
Grass Drops
by ViaMoi
Banded Demoiselle
by Alliec2007
Fred Eye
by Snack Happy
Dew Drop
by Alliec2007
Mother Ship
by Frankieleon
Getting Stuck In
by Alliec2007
Macro Photography Tutorials And DIY Tips And Tricks
Macro Photography for Beginners, Part 1, Part 2
This series of macro photography tutorials is a must for anyone starting a career in macro photography. These tutorials contain almost everything, including detailed explanations of macro photography, lighting, focusing and much more.
Picture by DodogoeSLR
How to Shoot Super Macro Photos
A superb article on macro photography. It gives you a basic explanation of macro photography, as well as equipment, set-up, depth of field, flash and examples of what can be achieved and how.
Picture by fensterbme
Macro Photography Tutorial For Taking Bug Pictures
In-depth tutorial on how to take bug pictures. It covers camera equipment, close-ups, reversing the lens, lighting, flash, tripods and much more. Very educational for anyone interested in taking macro pictures of small insects and bugs.
Picture by dincordero
Extreme Macro Photography on a Budget
If you want to achieve extraordinary results, macro photography requires both good technique and good equipment. Lenses, lights, cameras and tripods cost thousands of dollars. Here is a useful DIY (do it yourself) tutorial on building a nice macro lens from a Pringles can.
Picture by leafy
How to Take Close-Up Pictures of Small Things
This is an amazing resource for beginners. It covers basic things, such as what kind of camera and lens you need, and then gets into exposure, lighting, focus, combinations and much more.
Picture by Clicks 1000
How To Take Macro Photography: Close Up, 030
Another article to bookmark if you’re just learning macro photography. A lot of information, over four pages in fact, which will surely come in handy.
Depth of Field Calculator
A really useful online tool that lets you calculate Depth of Field (DOF) before taking pictures. It can be used for almost any camera and lets you adjust for focal length (mm), f-stop, the subject’s distance and more.
How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio
This tutorial is nothing short of fantastic. It shows you how to build a small lightbox in which you take pictures of small objects, flowers or anything you can think of. It won’t cost you much: all you’ll need is a cardboard box, cutting utensils and some paper.
Mini Macro Studio for Less than $0.02
Another useful tutorial on building a mini-macro studio out of everyday objects in no time. The set-up is very simple and requires only a sheet of paper, folded and taped. It is very easy to make and produces nice results.
Macro Photography Tips for Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras
Can’t afford all that heavy equipment? Then look at this tutorial. It provides all the basic tips and tricks on taking good macro photos with your point-and-shoot digital camera.
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- 70 Comments
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- 2
June 26th, 2009 6:50 amthese are so cool and hi res. I love the insects ones
- 3
- 4June 26th, 2009 7:12 am
Thank you. I like the photographs with insects themes very much. Have tried something similar, but my picts are far away from being that perfect, though…
- 5June 26th, 2009 7:29 am
Some nice examples there… quite inspirational.
DKumar M.
@instantshift - 6June 26th, 2009 7:36 am
great article. very useful tips. thanks
- 7June 26th, 2009 7:50 am
I agree nice collection. Super sharp :)
- 8June 26th, 2009 8:11 am
I love macro photography, thanks for the useful (and cheap) tips!
- 9June 26th, 2009 8:25 am
STUNNING!
- 10June 26th, 2009 8:50 am
WOW! Love macro shots, especially those of water and insects. These are beautiful!
- 11June 26th, 2009 9:02 am
waoooo exelente colección felicidades
- 12June 26th, 2009 9:11 am
Some of those are really nothing special. Make it 20 and it will be a really nice list. And there are really way too many snails in one collection…
- 13June 26th, 2009 9:49 am
Beautiful shots! I love macro photography!
- 14June 26th, 2009 10:18 am
Wonderful!
- 15June 26th, 2009 10:18 am
Excellent collection!
- 16June 26th, 2009 10:26 am
very cool collection. excellent shots
- 17June 26th, 2009 10:29 am
Captivating.
- 18June 26th, 2009 10:30 am
supper sharp… nice collection :)
- 19June 26th, 2009 11:44 am
I have to preface this by saying I’m a journalistic photographer with a formal education in photography.
This post and the other post made recently with “stunning” photographs were quite poorly chosen. In fact, the vast majority of the photos were unremarkable, vapid, or simply poor photographs. For example, the photograph of the soaring eagle should not be posted anywhere on the internet that is not a wildlife website or Stephen Colbert’s website, and photos of kitties and puppies should not be hailed as “stunning” photography in any situation.
While It is true that Smashing Magazine is a GREAT resource for designers, you need to leave the photography blogging to photographers. This is not your area of expertise, and it’s made clear by the photographic content that has been posted. Most professional photographers would (and do) cringe at the two posts I’ve referred to. Please stick to design or hire a knowledgeable photographer to blog about photography.
Don’t be offended. I still love you guys.
- 20April 14th, 2010 10:20 am
my name is Jose Jimenez and this is for the Raza Locows orale pues truchas con lo que escriben in a web so pa La Raza Viva La Raza Mexicana Latinos chicanos to dos somos chingones orale pues say que honda a los vatos De Tyler TX.
- 20
- 21June 26th, 2009 12:46 pm
kKyno says Absolutely beautiful.
- 22June 26th, 2009 1:30 pm
Imagine it as video! wow!
- 23June 26th, 2009 6:29 pm
Check out my hyper macro photos of human eyes, show with a Canon MP-E 65mm
- 24June 26th, 2009 7:48 pm
AWESOME …….
- 25June 26th, 2009 8:03 pm
Awesome Pictures !!!
- 26June 26th, 2009 8:20 pm
Really sweet collection, thanks for the post!
- 27June 26th, 2009 10:56 pm
thanks for the info.
- 28June 26th, 2009 11:04 pm
wooowww! great shot, nice lens, a very composition
- 29June 27th, 2009 12:41 am
Lovely Post.. I love macro Photography !
Thank you Smash ! :) - 30June 27th, 2009 5:55 am
Only those humanbeings who are blessed with love,devotion and belief in natural beauty would must say….
” STUNNING “
- 31June 27th, 2009 6:29 am
excellent one
thanks for the share - 32June 27th, 2009 6:42 am
talk about inspiring images! Also makes me really appreciate the miracle of Mother Nature–so many good shots here – thanks :)
- 33June 27th, 2009 7:40 am
i love macro pics are the best
- 34June 27th, 2009 8:43 am
Great pictures !
- 35June 27th, 2009 9:59 am
I am afraid the soccer ball and the back of the tennis shoe are not macro photos at all, nor even that close.
From wikipedia: The classical definition is that the image projected on the “film plane” (i.e., film or a digital sensor) is close to the same size as the subject.
While Smashing Magazine does present some photography that is very appealling the average viewer, I tend to agree with Jessica that many lack the technical qualities that any serious photographer would refer to as “Stunning”. Please hire a pro if you post future photography articles – it will do well for your credibility.
I do love Smashing Magazine, but have thought this about every one of your photography showcases…
- 36June 27th, 2009 6:26 pm
Great pictures indeed!
RIP MJ
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wonderful~
- 38June 28th, 2009 7:20 am
LOL. Love that Tree Frog. He just chillin’.
- 39June 28th, 2009 7:22 pm
very well !!!!!!!!!
- 40June 28th, 2009 8:54 pm
amazing..great references
- 41June 28th, 2009 9:36 pm
Those things begin to repeat and get boring. Always the same things in different variations. Please something new!
- 42June 28th, 2009 10:51 pm
Stunning post, thanks for posting the tips. Need to give a attempt!
- 43June 28th, 2009 11:08 pm
micro photographs are TOO GOOD. Awesome images.
- 44June 29th, 2009 1:42 am
pozri si to ….
- 45June 29th, 2009 9:36 am
Excellent macros.
- 46June 29th, 2009 6:40 pm
Yet another inspiring post. I think I need to buy my own DSLR.. woooooot!
- 47June 30th, 2009 5:52 am
insects remind me some 3D creatures, the nature made them perfect indeed!
- 48June 30th, 2009 6:51 pm
macro photography is quite difficult, because of the nifty equipment, lightning and other techniques involved.
Yes. Lightning is necessary for macro photographs.
- 49June 30th, 2009 7:30 pm
!Qué belleza!
Felicidades - 50June 30th, 2009 9:30 pm
Do we really need a SLR camera. Why not shoot these things with video Camera? We can choose right frame and then same the screen OR frame.
- 51July 1st, 2009 2:21 am
Great Gallery, love the different perspectives in some of the shots!
- 52July 3rd, 2009 11:36 pm
you have very good ideas. bravo, you are sorcerer…!!!
- 53July 4th, 2009 9:57 am
Some more nature-themed macros: http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/articles/wallpaper.aspx
- 54July 5th, 2009 4:00 am
woooooooooooooooooooow,just say wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
- 55July 5th, 2009 9:59 am
Ninguna malabra describe mejor estas tomas como es, excelencia! les felicito, soy amante de la macrofotografia, lamentablemente mi equipo es muy limitado para tan buenos resultados como los que ustedes exhiben, no obtante me gustaria poder la manera de conseguir aqui en venezuela, lentes macro con mayor capacidad. En el blog gentedeprensa.blogspot.com publico de vez en cuando algunos de mis trabajos en macro.
- 56July 7th, 2009 2:58 am
Some nice shots but some of these are not macro shots – i feel the author does not have a proper understanding of macro photography
- 57July 7th, 2009 8:04 am
check mine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidlromeo/17063488/in/set-72057594059112505/sets:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidlromeo/sets/72057594059112505/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidlromeo/sets/72157601969202973/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidlromeo/sets/72157601960249800/ - 58July 13th, 2009 2:03 pm
macro is my favorite. need to get a better camera.
- 59July 21st, 2009 9:15 pm
TOTAL WAOOoooooooo SUPER WAOooooooo ME ENCANTAN.
- 60July 26th, 2009 2:50 pm
Realmente tus fotos no se le pueden colocar una nota de un 10 y no se pueden decir que son excelentes .- Solo se me ocurre decir que tus fotos, la camara y el fotografo no son de este mundo ………………felicitaciones ………. te lo dice un adicto a la fotografia ——- SIGAN ASI
- 61August 5th, 2009 6:24 am
Wish I could see more of these, but Flickr is blocked here at work. Bummer.
- 62March 7th, 2010 2:33 pm
wow n1 collection of macro shoots
check mine at: http://www.mkirste.de/index.php?x=browse&tag=Makro&pagenum=1
- 63March 15th, 2010 6:53 pm
Just love these picture. I’d love to know what kind of lens was used to take each of them.
Matt Bamberg
- 64March 22nd, 2010 8:33 am
Fantastic macro photography. I would love to try this out someday soon.
- 65April 14th, 2010 1:07 pm
Your photos at the top of beauty and I wish you more creativity I love this theme of photography and I also hope to be half your level
- 66May 4th, 2010 11:57 am
Hi All,
I am currently taking macro pictures on my small compact digital camera and am interested in upgrading my camera to a Nikon D5000 or the Canon EOS ti2. Any suggestion on which one I should purchase or other sugguested models?
Many Thanks
- 67May 8th, 2010 12:49 am
Every image is so captivating!
- 68May 24th, 2010 2:54 am
Fantastic. Just spent a small fortune on a big fat camera with a chunky macro lens, focus rails, some lights – even bought a house with a room suitable for a studio. Spend so much time with the children in the garden looking at insects – seemed like a natural extension of all that rummaging around in the undergrowth.
- 69May 25th, 2010 11:40 am
what cameras and lenses did u use because i have got some that are like them and just under the same quality better than them with a lumix TZ3
- 70July 2nd, 2010 2:58 am
im realy impresed what these pic so great
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1st. excellent collection, macro photography rocks!
Thanks Smashing