It’s hard not to know the word “macro” as a photographer. But we don’t all really understand it, and we especially mix it up with close-ups: photos of details. So let’s close in and get these two straight.

We’ve probably all tried to photograph a small animal at some point, perhaps a cat, a dog, or a tame squirrel in the park. But many photographers make basic mistakes here that leave their pictures with no spark. So let’s take an illustrated journey through the usual defects.

Thanks to modern technology, the tiny world of plants, animals and even machines can be now easily captured like you’ve never seen it before. Macro photography is becoming more and