Taking macro photos in a garden in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija

My parents live in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, in a quaint bungalow surrounded by rice paddy fields.

To reach the house, one needs to take a 2-kilometer dirt road. The house is also about 7 kilometers away from the town center and it is understandable that some may consider it "remote."

I love going home to Sta. Rosa not just to spend time with my parents but also to take pictures, particularly macro (or close up) photos using an entry level camera and a few extension tubes.

One of my favorite spots to take macro photos is at a nearby garden where Mama Evie's orchids and other flowering plants are found.

Macro photography is not easy. It is not the lack of subjects, but more the challenge of controlling my shaky hands. I learned the hard way that in macro photography, the smallest of movements can distort and reduce the sharpness of the photos.

So far, this method of photography has been the most rewarding for me. With my modest gear, I had to crouch, sneak up and concentrate a lot to focus on the subject or subjects. 

The crouching is particularly uncomfortable and not good for the knees, but the satisfaction comes after I am able to take a photo that I like after trying to get it several times.