How to Get Close in Macro Photography

Here are some tips for getting close:

1. Go slow. Be patient. Watch the bug for awhile to see how it behaves.
2. Some of the bugs are more tolerant than others (both across species as well as within).
3. Move slow. Try not to caste your shadow on the bug. If the bug takes off, be still and wait a minute or two, it will often return to the same perch.
4. When you find one that lets you get close, start firing that shutter like a maniac. Be prepared, such that all settings are as they should be, because you may only get one shot.
5. As you master the focus and exposure, you can start paying more attention to composition.