Introduction
Macro vs. Close-up Photography:
When talking about shooting tiny stuff... we hear the terms; “Macro Photography” and “Close-
up Photography” bandied about. What’s the difference? Is there a difference? Aren’t they pretty
much the same thing?
Nope. They aren’t the same thing. Macro photography is when a subject is shot at a ratio of 1:
or greater and close-up photography is when a subject is shot at a lesser ratio.
Okay... so what does that mean?
The terms were coined in the olden days of film. So for example, if a subject was photographed
using 35 mm film and the result produced a 35 mm negative showing the subject at its full size -
that is a 1 to 1 ratio. Note: I’m talking about the actual size of the object on the negative, not the
size once it is printed.