Macro and Close-up Photography
Before explaining what macro photography is, let’s define the word “macro”, just to be clear. Macro means large, big.
Not every lens is capable of macro photography, but, in general, zoom lenses have this capability; the photographer only needs to turn this setting through a menu or dedicated button. And while some lenses cannot focus on a subject that is too close, other lenses allow shooting at a distance as small as 0 cm from the end of the lens.
Often perceived as having the same meaning, close-up and macro photography are actually different. The difference between the two is the size of the subject being photographed compared to the size of its projection on the camera’s sensor (or film). In simple terms, if the image on the sensor/film is the same size or bigger (1x or more magnification), then it’s called macro photography; if it’s smaller than the subject (less than 1x magnification), then it’s a close-up picture.
Let’s say we are taking a picture of a small button, which has a diameter of 5 mm. If its projection on the camera’s sensor/film has a 10 mm diameter, then we just got ourselves a macro photo. If the diameter of the image on the sensor/film equals 2 mm, it’s technically a close-up picture.