1.) Macro photography, or close-up photography, involves projecting an image on the digital sensor (or film) that is as close to real sized (1:1 magnification) as possible.
2.) An advantage of macro lenses is that they can capture the details of an object like no other lens can and even more than you can see with the naked eye. An disadvantage of macro lenses is that they are expensive.
3.) Extension tubes are hollow tubes that are placed between the camera and the lens. One benefit of using an extension tube is that there is not an optical element to the tubes. A disadvantage of extension tubes is the amount of magnification gained from the extension tube depends on the focal length of the lens.
4.) An advantage of using close-up filters is that they can be used with any lens that can have a filter attached, which includes some point and shoot cameras that cannot use extension tubes or macro lenses. A disadvantage with close-up filters is that because they have an optical element, they can degrade or affect the quality of the image produced.
5.) I think that flowers are popular for macro photography because they are interesting because of their shape and color, they are a good size, and (to me at least) they are fairly easy to take pictures of since they don’t move and are easy to get close to. I know I like photographing flowers, so yes I would like to.
6.) It is important to do research when photographing insects to know where you can find them, what their habitat is, if they can be found on a particular plant, how they might act in your presence, and what climate they are usually seen in.
7.) Some tips for taking photographs of insects are: early morning can give you betting lighting for your photograph, take a different perspective of the insect, be careful of where you are positioned in relation to the light, use different light angles, be prepared to take a lot of photographs in order to get one or two great photographs, and be prepared to take the photographs quickly since they can be unpredictable.
8.) The photograph I found is one of a dandelion puff with water droplets. The background is completely blurred but blue and I can’t tell what it is. I like the how you can see the water droplets on each seed and everything comes together to look pretty. A macro shot works with the subject because the seeds of a dandelion puff are really small and the water adds an interesting aspect.
9.) I would choose a flower because I already like taking pictures of flowers, they are pretty, and they are simple but simple things are good to take photos of.
10.) I think that it is a challenge to find a different perspective on a subject, get the right blur, not move the camera if you don’t have a tripod and a shutter button, and the expenses of the lens.
