Trillium in black & white, North Carolina
The kind of tools you need to get the most from a macro photography class depends on the type of camera you own. If you have a compact digital camera (one without interchangeable lenses), you generally do not need any extra camera equipment to take macro shots. Your camera’s close-focusing setting allows you to get the camera very close to subjects and still get sharp focus. Check your camera manual to see how close the camera can focus; 1 inch or closer is preferable.
If you have an SLR digital or film camera (one with interchangeable lenses), you do need at least one accessory in order to make macro photos. Just because you have a lens which is described as "macro" does not mean it is capable of true macro photography (reproducing subjects at half to full life size or larger). The "macro" description often just means it can focus relatively close for its focal length. For macro photography you have a couple different equipment options of varying prices.
Find out about close-up filters, extension tubes, macro lenses and tripods for macro photography by reading the rest of this article here.