Looking Closer: The Practice of Macro Photography

In 2020, I was caretaking for someone close to me after they underwent a series of life-altering surgeries. We were staying in the heart of San Francisco, and it was a surreal time during the Covid pandemic. The world and me were in a state of vulnerability and unknown, causing questions and reflections about who we were, what mattered to us, and how it all fit in with the rest of our realities. I had started shooting film about a year earlier, and I was leaning into it during this liminal time. 

One day, during a break from caretaking, I drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to Seawood Photo in San Raphael to browse their collection of cameras and lenses. While exploring a bin of used lenses, I stumbled upon a “macro” lens– a Sigma 50mm 1/2.8. I was unfamiliar with macro photography at the time, but out of curiosity, I screwed in onto my trusty Pentax K1000. I was immediately enthralled by the way the lens focused so clearly on tiny subjects around the store, allowing for a 1:1 magnification (the image projected onto the camera sensor is the same size as the real-world subject).

I walked out of the store with my happy purchase, and over the following days, I became obsessed with looking at things through my new lens. Not only did it open up a world of wonder for me as I noticed more details than ever before (like how fog collects in a spider web or the way tiny mushrooms grow out of the side of a mossy tree branch), but I found a peaceful presence through the careful observation that macro film photography requires. I felt like I could see things that had always been there but I’d never noticed before. A love affair began… and grew… and grew.

Some photos from my first roll of macro photography. December 2020.

When I reflect on my creative practice over the past five years, it’s clear just how transformative macro photography has been in that journey. And looking even deeper, I see how its influence extends beyond my creative work—it has shaped the way I engage with both my external environment and my inner world.

Macro photography taught me to reconnect with myself through presence and creativity in nature.

It also showed me how a simple new tool, technique, or experimental mindset can open unexpected doors for growth—far beyond what I originally imagined.

If you are new to macro or curious about giving it a try, check out my top five tips for creating clear and captivating compositions with a handheld, manual camera. Practicing and finding what works for you is key in developing your unique style–both in the process and result. (And I think it’s worth emphasizing that, as you may have gathered, macro photography for me became more about the process than the result.) 

I hope you find time stops as your curiosity drives you to get lost in a world of tiny discoveries, and I invite you to check out my own tiny discoveries on my website or instagram.