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For me, taking a close up picture is not easy. I am more of a distance picture-taker. Landscapes, scenery, trees, nature. Anyways, I have the feature on my camera ("the little tulip"), but didn't use it. Finding the right subject to photography is the simple part. Having the right lighting, angle, distance, when to use flash, when not to, etc. are hardest (imo).
If you're too close the shot comes out very blury.
So I have been taking a couple of practice shots the past few days: (be honest if there is anything I should be doing differently) I am finding that patience is the key. Any & all helpful hints are appreciated.
These are cropped from their original, but un-edited.
Feel free to add some of your own close up practice pictures.
This is one of my first digital photos ever. I do not have a macro and did not use the tulip. Was just out having fun at lunch. Macro is certainly a specialty. Depth of field can be a problem. I've always want to do some real macro and maybe with a little pushing may get around to it. I don't consider this a macro but a simple close up. To my way of thinking a macro would only be the bee and some of the flower? Any advice?
Macro, is many things to many people. For me, this is a macro:
As is this:
In both cases, I was right 'in the face' of my subject, using the macro setting of my camera. Now of course, SLR shooters can use macro lenses, close up lenses, extender tubes, which give great results, without having to get 'in the face' of the subject. P&S cameras, well every last one of them approaches macro differently, so the best advice: Practice, practice, practice!!!
These, are what I call close ups:
This one is a toss up, I'm close enough to be a macro, but I'm not REAL close...so its like a 50-50 bar......
Everyone may have a different take....macro for me is seriously close, where as close up is just that close up, but could borderline a macro.....
Macro, by definition, is photography at 1x magnification and above. Anything less would be defined as "close-ups" rather than "macro". 1x magnification or life-size, is usually written as 1.1. Life-size means that the subject you are photographing appears the exact same size on film as it does in real life. (Like my sea oats above, same size as in life) Therefore if a fly is 15mm long, then the image of the fly on film will also be 15mm long. (Definition at Shutterfreaks)
So okay, lets say you have a bee on a flower. If you want that to be a macro, the bee must end up being its actual size on the finished frame. If the bee is 1 inch in real life, he'll be 1 inch on the exposed frame.
That's why my monarch butterfly above is a borderliner: its not the actual size of the insect, so by definition, (if ya wanna get technical) its not a true macro.
My bee appears to be larger than life size but that is misleading. I cropped and enlarged so this can't be a true macro. I think it was taken with a normal 50mm lens. A characteristic of slr macro lenses is the ability they have to focus very close to the subject. It is amazing to me what can be learned from macro shots of nature. An accurate focus is most important due to the normal shallow depth of field. I've long wanted the Canon 180 macro lens but can't justify it for hobby only work.
Here's macro for SLR enthusiasts. I like this site. I tend to keep a lot of photo info and instructional links, because even though I've been shooting for 30+ years, I can always learn something new....
Anyhow, the definition above, about Macro is there, as well as some examples for the Canon SLR enthusiasts, however, the same can be applied to those who use other brands, the information is rather universal I'd think.
On P&S cameras, in macro mode, if you're too close the camera should fail to focus at all....so, simply back off, until it will focus, and you've found your sweet spot....
Gotta fly folks, sorry, but work beckons...but I've got a four day weekend off, and you all have INSPIRED me, to go out shooting, and for that I *Thank You Very Sweetly*
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Any & all helpful hints are appreciated. 
My 1st atempt!
