We live amongst treacherously steep mountains and cliffs, so it’s easy to overlook the tiny world at our feet.

I suppose the latter is true no matter where we live. And that’s the key to macro photography….near anything around you is subject matter. I am a lucky girl to have a yard full of foliage to chose from!

Clarity when cropped to the maximum allowance.

It’s not as easy as it could be with a nice macro lens. Even then…

I use a Heliopan L.3 Macro filter on my 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. Here’s some points I keep in mind when going macro:

• Use a tripod if you really, really truly want sharpness and detail.
• Vary your distance to the subject and play with your zoom to test for results. Sometimes stepping back brings more subject into sharper focus.
• Use a fast shutter speed, 1/100 to 1/250 of a second. Especially if the slightest breeze is blowing.
• An aperture of f/4 works great for really small focus areas. If you’re trying to get everything at equal sharpness, but the focus points vary by even the slightest distance from one another, a higher aperture of f/10 to f/18 will help pull more area into focus. You may need to adjust for brightness when using a higher f/stop. Try raising your ISO, adjusting brightness with your camera setting, or lengthening your shutter speed.
• ISO. I like mine at 100 if I can get away with it. Higher  ISO equals more grain. Lower ISO equals less brightness.

You never know what is lurking right in your back yard. Look closely for detail.

Cropped version.

Moss.

Cropped Moss. Sounds like a name for a band. Looks like ocean life.