Macro opens up small worlds we don’t ordinarily notice, and when you go super-macro with a reversed lens you’ll find whole universes of amazing details in those teensie-tiny areas. I get pretty excited seeing those up-close surprises really big on my screen.

Holding that second lens against the first can be a bit of a juggling act while trying to maintain focus on the spot you want. Initially I used duct tape to stick them together (that works fine when one lens fits neatly inside the other), and then I got a male-to-male step-up ring which I leave on the second lens (cleaner arrangement, faster on and off, under $10). I use my Canon 60mm macro on my 40D and then add a reversed 50mm f/1.7 manual focus lens from my old 35mm film gear. Using a tripod and moving the subject in front of the lens is typically easier than trying to get the camera in the right place. The distance between lens and subject is VERY small, and getting light in there can be a fun challenge.

Even with a P&S you can use the reversed lens trick for great super-macro shots. With my Canon A720IS, my old 85mm f/1.7 seems to work better than the 50mm, although the 50mm does work.

Trying to get more than one part of the subject into the razor thin plane of focus can add to the interest of the shot. Robert’s beautiful green apple shot above is an excellent example of that, capturing the tip of the stem and a slice of the shoulder in focus. It gives it a kind of surreal suspension to me. Very cool!