Digital Photography Class Online
Macro Photography
The Art of Close-ups
Learn and master photography by taking better close-up shots. Macro photography allows the photographer to see the details of life around us.
Are you an individual who is capable of being self-taught? 
It can be a ton of fun! By using a digital camera it gives the opportunity to instantly be amazed by small-scale life with the LCD review feature. There are numerous subjects that can put your skills to the test such as insects, rocks, and flowers.Taking a digital photography class online can help you learn the art of macro photography.
The following are a few tips for better close up photographs:
The first thing that can help you with close-ups is to find a place 20x20 feet and stay there for an hour. It can be a place in nature or even a bedroom. During the hour, spend time looking for close-up possibilities. It is understandable if you get bored after 15 minutes, but one hour can just get you started!
Secondly, get extension tubes! It is an empty tube that fits between your lens and the camera body. It opens possibilities of close-ups because it can be used with any lens to make it focus closer and at a higher quality.
Next, use a round-the-lens reflector. You can either buy one or cut a hole the size of your lens in a piece of white cardboard. You would put this device over the lens while shooting backlit close-ups.
Another handy thing to use while shooting is a beanbag. It is a wonderful thing to use to support the camera when you need to get low while photographing. Push the camera into the beanbag so that it is supported and movement is lessened.
You can also use your hand as a clamp. Use 
your hand to grab and steady your subject, such as a flower being blown in the wind. Not to worry, you will not see your hand in the photograph! However, buying a clamp to connect to your tripod is another route to go.
Very few cameras give good exposure for flash when used at very close focusing distances. A solution to this is to put a diffusing material over the flash. It will cut its light and make the light better for close-ups. Again, you can buy a diffuser or use a white cloth, translucent plastic, or a styrofoam cup.
Use the continuous shooting setting for better focus. Being in nature sometimes makes it hard to obtain the camera's focus. If you use the continuous shooting setting you will most likely get one photograph in perfect focus. This particular method is recommended for digital cameras because there is no charge for extra shooting.
Lastly, balancing your flash is important. Flash can overpower the existing light and cause the background in your photograph to be dark or black. To avoid this, choose a camera setting to balance the flash with the existing light. It is easier to do with digital cameras because you can set the camera to manual and keep decreasing the shutter speed until you see the detail in the dark areas when you are reviewing it on the LCD screen. Remember when you use this technique to keep any movement at a minimum because with a slow shutter speed your subject would become a blur!
Below are a couple shots I have taken that are a great example of macro photography.