Lighting & Flash for Macro Photography

1. Shoot on bright days so you can get a decent shutter speed.
2. If you can afford an external flash, it really makes a dramatic difference.
3. If you do use flash, it needs to be diffused (e.g., a tissue) or bounced (e.g., off a white card or reflector). Pointing the flash indirectly is another possibility.
4. The 2xTC after the close-ups can help with lighting since it is easier to illuminate the subject more evenly from a distance.
5. A butterfly bracket (and off shoe cord) for the external flash will give you even more control of lighting.
6. Varying exposure and/or flash compensation as well as the position of the external diffused flash, gives me some flexibility here.