A macro shot of a frozen soap bubble on snow, Montreal

© Marianna Armata/Getty Image

Magnified soap bubble. Frozen in time

Macro photography is an extreme close-up shot of typically small subjects with an emphasis on details, texture and pattern. Insects and flowers make for common subjects of macro photography. The practice of this type of photography was originally used to document relatively tiny objects that could be studied in detail through the close-up shots. Given the challenges of depth of field and lighting that come with macro photography, it easily qualifies as one of the most rewarding genres of photography.