Macro photos are close-ups of small things. Most macro lenses are designed so that they can achieve a magnification of 1:1 at the film plane. An insect of 8mm fills 8mm at the film plane. With equipment like bellows and extension tubes You can achieve even greater magnification. The greater the magnification the harder it is to focus properly. Depth of field (DOF) is also very small.

To solve the problem with the small depth of field, you can use the technique focus stacking. One takes a number of photos, where the focus has shifted slightly for each photo. The images are then put together in special software. What is in focus in the individual images are combined to form an image with great depth of field.

Focus stacking allows you to to get even closer to a subject, with such as a microscope lens, and still get images with great depth of field as the photo of hover fly below.

With close-ups for focus stacking it is important to avoid vibration, and it is important that you ensure uniform illumination.

The picture shows a Stack Shot rail that can be programmed in many ways to take the number of images of the desired distance.

Long shutter speeds easily gives vibrations of the equipment, that prevents sharp images. A flash that can last for many flashes, is often the best solutions. Some subjects are however, best photographed in natural light. The spider at the bottom is photographed in a greenhouse at daylight, with a shutter speed of 1/40, and where the mirror is raised, before the picture is taken.