Day 15

Macro photography is one of the most overlooked and underrated areas of photography. It is sometimes dismissed as simple or less artistic, but that usually says more about imagination than about the genre itself.

In reality, macro opens up an entirely different world.

It allows you to delve into a miniature universe that most people walk past every day. Textures, droplets, fibres, reflections, tiny details in flowers or everyday objects suddenly become dramatic landscapes in their own right. You are no longer photographing “things”. You are exploring form, light and texture at an intimate scale.

One of the great strengths of macro is accessibility. You do not need epic scenery or perfect weather. You can work on a desk at home with simple household items. You can shoot handheld. You can experiment with light and composition in a controlled space. A dedicated macro lens is fantastic, but extension tubes are inexpensive and can transform lenses you already own.

It is also simply fun. There is something deeply satisfying about crafting striking images from ordinary objects. A piece of perspex can create beautiful reflections. A small flash can shape light and reveal texture. By stopping down your aperture and controlling depth of field, you start to understand how light behaves at close range.

For landscape photographers in particular, macro adds another layer to your storytelling. A close-up detail of frost, rock, bark or water droplets can enrich a wider scene and bring variety to a series of images.

Macro photography teaches patience, observation and control of light in a very direct way. It encourages you to slow down and really look. And once you begin to see the miniature world clearly, it becomes difficult to ignore it.

If you want to refresh your creativity without travelling anywhere, macro is a brilliant place to start.