Introduction

Dear reader, I’m not a professional photographer and I took up photography by coincidence a few years ago. It doesn’t of course mean that I’m not familiar with the subject I’m writing about. Look at my photographs and you will certainly have no doubts.
Professionally I deal in gardening, more precisely I’m an owner of the horticultural farm that produces the seedlings of balcony and garden flowers.
I have always been passionate about beauty and I have been constantly looking for it in the surrounding world. I think that flowers are beauty in its purest form. I admire the variety of their colours, forms and scents. That is why when I bought my first digital SLR camera I started taking photos of flowers almost instantly.
Soon I have noticed that universal lenses are not necessarily the best tool to do that. Obviously, at the same time I purchased a few guidebooks on macro photography. Gaining quite broad theoretical knowledge I started my adventure with macro shots. I must admit that from the beginning I was fascinated with wonderful, and so far unknown small worlds. I was enchanted watching various insects, flowers and dewdrops in extreme close-ups. Step by step, I mastered my technical skills and upgraded my equipment. Over time, I came to the conclusion that although good gear is important, you can also take beautiful macro photos having simple compact camera with a few add-ons.
Typical guidebooks are larded with theoretical knowledge which can discourage a potential reader. Also, the practical advice seems to give an impression that macro photography is really complex. That’s why, I decided to share my practical knowledge and experience with you. I hope that this will help you to fall in love with this amazing world and see that macro photography is not that difficult. For me this little world became a microcosm, as if it was the world existing in an alternative space-time. It let me escape from the mundane reality and discover the talents that I didn’t even know I posses. My photographs inspired me to write poems for adults and fairy-tales for children. I have successfully published several volumes so far. I have won some photo contests. Together we can get to know beautiful unfamiliar worlds and develop our interests.