I am 23 years of age, from New Zealand and I’ve been making macro photos for about three years now. I got into macro photography though another photographer who came around to take some photos of spiders I was breeding, and seeing the images he took of the spiders really interested me. I thought I would try it myself— not knowing how much was involved with macro photography.

I have always had a huge interest and obsession with bugs and spiders, so being able to photograph them has made my passion for them grow even more, as I am able to see find detail that our eyes are not able to see. Things like the eye arrangement on spiders and the variety of colors really interest me. Besides bugs and spiders, I enjoy photographing anything really. I find photography relaxing and enjoyable.

Challenges
Becoming proficient at macro photographing certainly has its fair share of challenges, everything from finding the subject to holding the camera still enough to get the shot. Finding the subject is only a small part of making the photograph. A lot of bugs are quick to run, fly or jump away to hide, and everything from shadow, light and vibration plays a part in getting close enough to the subject. Once you are close you need to move slowly so as not to frighten or annoy the subject—you don’t want it to become aggressive and start attacking. When I do get a good shot, I find the harder for me to get close and make the shot, the more rewarding it is. Patience is a big part of macro photography, as you may have to wait a while before you get the photograph you are after. One suggestion is to get down to ‘bugs eye level’ as it makes the subject really pop out of the image.