Macro photography, especially in the analog realm, offers a deeply immersive and tactile approach to capturing the minute details of the world around us.

I experimented with this technique using my old Exacta camera. The beauty of analog macro photography lies in its ability to slow down the process, forcing the photographer to truly engage with the subject. By adding extension rings to my setup, I was able to increase the distance between the lens and the film, allowing me to focus on very close subjects and achieve that striking, high-magnification effect that is so characteristic of macro photography.

Using the Exacta, I had to be mindful of the lens' limitations, adjusting exposure, aperture, and shutter speed manually, which created a thoughtful, trial-and-error process for every shot. The extension rings I used effectively allowed me to get closer to the subject, capturing details that would be impossible with a standard lens. This gave me the ability to photograph objects like plants and textures at a scale that revealed an entirely new world—one that's often overlooked by the naked eye.

What I found particularly rewarding in analog macro photography was the sense of unpredictability and surprise. With film, there’s always the anticipation of waiting for the roll to be developed and seeing how the fine details of the subject were captured. The graininess and texture of the film, combined with the precision of the extension rings, added a certain organic quality to the images that digital macro photography often lacks. There’s something about the raw, unfiltered nature of analog that makes every shot feel more personal and meaningful.

I took my macro photography further by attaching my Exacta camera to a microscope, allowing me to capture incredible details of cells and microorganisms. The manual adjustments added precision and challenge, while the analog quality of the camera gave the images a unique texture and depth, offering a new perspective on the microscopic world.

Photo: Christine Meiler