All Photos in this post were made by Don Komarechka
Tear of the Sunflower
Editor’s Note
I’m pleased to share this interview in celebration of the release of Don Komarechka’s book, Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet, 2nd Edition, which is currently Amazon's #1 best selling photography book!
In this edition, Don invites us to slow down, look closer, and reconsider the hidden worlds beneath our feet. What follows is a conversation about curiosity, craft, and the joy of discovering the extraordinary within the ordinary.
I first met Don in 2019 at Out of Longwood, a workshop sponsored by Out of Chicago. Even in that short initial encounter, it was clear that Don wasn’t just a master technician, but a deeply curious visual thinker — someone driven as much by wonder and experimentation as by results.
Since then, I’ve followed Don’s work closely. His ability to reveal extraordinary beauty in the smallest and most fleeting subjects — snowflakes, crystals, liquids, textures we rarely stop to notice — has earned him international recognition, including collaborations with major broadcasters, scientific institutions, and educational organizations around the world. His photography consistently lives at the intersection of art, science, and discovery.
Not long after the war in Ukraine began, I had the opportunity to partner with Don on a fundraising effort he'd initiated to support Ukrainian refugees — an experience that reinforced my respect not only for his creative vision, but for his generosity and sense of responsibility. He is an artist and a compasionate human being with strong convictions.
Through the Looking Glass – Mantis
How long have you been involved in macro photography, and what first drew you to it?
The joy of discovering the unknown has always been a part of my ethos. Exploring hidden landscapes, the night sky, and science experiments are treasured childhood memories. I never had access to a telescope, but I did have a magnifying glass. The window to the universe at my feet opened up, filled with unseen curiosities.
What is it about macro photography that continues to hold your attention year after year?
The same initial curiosities still propel my enthusiasm, backed with scientific understanding as well as artistic composition. The ideas don’t need to be complicated, but they do need to be “real." Real in the sense that what the camera captures is properly respected, but also that reality is highly subjective – and so is art.
Through the Looking Glass – Lady Bug
When working at such close distances, what do you find to be the biggest challenge — technically or creatively?
Photography is a woven mesh of art and science. The two elements are inseparable. The closer you get, the less you have in focus – which can be a problem, but in some cases an artistic tool. The technical challenges can be overcome with inventive lighting, focus stacking, and specialized equipment. It’s all possible. However, the bigger challenge is telling a story at high magnification. Just because you can get close, does that make it interesting? What’s the narrative? Is there a spark of curiosity? More time is spent on the creative fibers of this fabric than anything else.
How important is specialized macro gear compared to technique and seeing?
Specialized gear is needed for highly technical work. However, most macro photography can be done extremely simply with hardly any additional equipment required. The gear isn’t the most important part of the equation. The most successful macro photography from an artistic and narrative standpoint is almost never the most technical. Working quickly, capturing the right moment, patience, creativity, and asking the question “what if?” are far more important than specialized (and often expensive) gear. These words come from a man who has more macro lenses and equipment than would be considered mentally healthy.
12-Sided Star
Do photographers sometimes overemphasize equipment when learning macro?
When learning any skill, you need to understand your tools. Without this basic understanding, you have no way to progress creatively and develop techniques. The problem is that most people get stuck at the beginning of this journey; they get stuck on the tools. Ever have someone come up to you and say “wow, that’s a great image – you must have a nice camera!”? That person hasn’t even begun the journey. It’s not their fault that they don’t understand the process, and the process is far more important than the tools. If I had Shakespeare’s pen…
Mustard Blossoms – Shot on iPhone
Do you consider the iPhone a legitimate tool for macro photography? Why or why not?
I’ve used my iPhone extensively for macro photography, with and without add-on lenses. It’s a few generations old (iPhone 15 pro Max) and the newer models make the process even better and simpler. Sure, you need knowledge and skill to use any tool, but an iPhone is an incredibly viable tool – if you have the proper understanding.
Yes – there are certain limitations in the extremely technical areas of macro photography, and these will always require specialized equipment. However, photography is becoming more approachable from every subject and genre with a phone of any flavour. As the tools evolve and become more impressive, the end results fall back to the person wielding the tool.
Splash of Pink – Shot on iPhone
How does shooting macro with an iPhone change your approach compared to using a dedicated macro lens?
Shooting with an iPhone offers spontaneity. Then and there, the photograph can be created. A story that would have been lost to technical processes and setting up special equipment, is right in front of you. While you can create complex setups with a mobile device, even in this scenario the phone is an element of simplification. The less complex the entirety of the scenario, the more the focus can shift to the creative elements.
Does it influence how you compose or how spontaneous you are?
100%. There are images I’ve taken in my garden, or on a hike, where the big and bulky gear wasn’t present. Could that “traditional” camera gear make a better shot? Maybe, but not of a bee sitting on my fingertip – and certainly if the equipment isn’t in my pocket to begin with.
Allium Nova – Shot on iPhone
What advice would you give to someone using an iPhone for macro for the first time?
Understand “working distance” – how close you can actually get to your subject – which is closer than you think! When the camera switches to the wide-angle lens for macro, you can almost touch your subject with the lens.
Also know that you don’t necessarily need to get that close. The newest models of iPhone Pro have 48MP sensors behind each of the lenses. This allows you to crop in and frame your subject afterward, maximizing your opportunities to get the shot without adversely affecting your subject.
Finally, consider apps that give you more control over the camera than the default app. Explore the options – my personal favourite is Halide but there are so many choices. Know that you can control focus, exposure, and you can shoot in a RAW format if you’re keen on editing extensively afterwards. The power is at your fingertips.
Path of Water – Shot on iPhone
What inspired you to write your book, and who did you have in mind while writing it?
Macro photography can be very technical. In the film era, there were calculations for depth of field, focusing frames for placing your subject, careful assessment of diffraction causing resolution problems, it was very scientific. It can still be frustrating today, especially when you push limits. However, the majority of the effort has switched to composition, and an exploration of these curiosities without the burdens of the technicalities.
The book was designed for the “every person.” Taking the technical notes and distilling it down into digestible nuggets of knowledge that a hobbyist photographer can understand. There are deep dives for those technically minded, but even these aspects benefit the casual reader in understanding exactly where the rabbit hole goes.
How does the book help photographers working across different tools — from traditional cameras to smartphones?
The 2nd Edition of Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet includes a chapter in smartphone photography. Effectively, it illustrates how the traditional techniques described in the rest of the book are adaptable to an iPhone. The techniques are essentially the same, but knowing how to connect it to your mobile device is paramount to your success in macro work. Absolutely you can use the latest and greatest 50MP+ mirrorless camera with a $1000 lens and flashes, and, and, and… or you can also use your phone. Are they the same? No. The gap is shrinking, and there are certain advantages with an iPhone over the traditional processes (and vice versa).
Well Deserved Meal
For someone curious about macro photography but unsure where to start, what would you say to encourage them?
Ask “what if?” – stay curious. I suppose this is applicable to life in general, but it’s essential for macro photography. This mindset guides you through the creative process, and allows – encourages – you to make mistakes. Revel in your mistakes, for they are not failures. Mistakes are only stepping stones in the creative process; you’ll encounter more of them with macro photography than almost any other photographic genre.
Also, check your backgrounds. With landscape photography, the foreground is the framing element to the subject. The opposite is often true for macro photography – your background becomes the frame, and it’s the one element that can easily elevate a mediocre image to a spectacular one.
Do you use accessory macro lenses?
I have the Moment 75mm Macro lens (and accompanying iPhone case) which tends to work very well. This is NOT the only good option, but it’s built well and is easy to quickly attach when needed. I’ve just purchased the newly-announced version II of that lens as well as their 10x macro lens. I expect similar results from the new optics, and the same high-magnification frustrations from the 10x lens that I have experienced with traditional equipment. The closer you get, the more challenging things become.
Faerie Sage – Shot on iPhone
Do you find the iPhone’s Macro Mode useful?
Personally, I like a tactile/manual approach. Using a separate app that allows for manual control is the most useful for me, including features such as “focus peaking” which I became a huge fan of with mirrorless cameras. Apps such as Halide allow for manual focus and lens selection, so I can choose the wide-angle lens, set the focus to the closest point, and then physically move the camera forward and backward to have the subject pass through the focal plane.
With this technique, even without an add-on accessory lens, the magnification you can achieve is quite impressive.
Temple of the Sun – Shot on iPhone
What tripods or grips help you with iPhone macro photography? I find getting close and holding still to be very challenging.
Tripods are a challenge. When working in the field, a light and easy tripod works best – I find my Peak Design Travel Tripod works best for all my cameras, including my phone. The phone holder, however, is an important component. Platypod has a “MagGrip” that uses the iPhone MagSafe connector and a ball head, offering a lot of flexibility.
I’ll use similar equipment when working with tabletop macro subjects, substituting the travel tripod with a Platypod base – it works well with their phone holder, and is quite easy to configure with extra arms to control lighting, etc.
I find the depth of field to be so shallow that it’s difficult to find a satisfying focal point. Any tips for achieving a satisfying result?
With the latest iPhone Pro models, all cameras (main, wide, telephoto) offer a 48MP camera mode. You likely don’t need 48 megapixels for anything, but this gives you the ability to crop into your image and throw pixels away. The prevailing logic is this: the closer you get to your subject, the shallower your depth of field becomes. Conversely, the farther away you get, the greater your depth; the more you will have in focus. By getting further away and cropping in, you’re gaining on your focus while not compromising on the image quality.
This opens up the next question: depth of field vs. focal point. Where do you focus? How do you focus? Firstly, I don’t let the phone focus for me. I’m behind the wheel on that one, but exactly how I maneuver is important. I’ll often choose a manual focal point, and then physically move the camera forward and backward (handheld) and when the subject passes through the focal plane, shoot. Multiple times. Repeat excessively.
If on a tripod, tabletop? Manually focus or move the subject itself forward and back. If on a tripod, in the field? Set a manual focus point. For example, waiting for a bee to enter a flower, focus on where you expect the bee to land. You’ll be wrong of course, because the bee will be closer than the flower. Adjust again, repeat. You didn’t just make a mistake, you walked across a stepping stone towards your eventual success.
Sleeping in a Daisy
There are two ways to get Don's book; from Amazon or directly from the publisher.
Here's the Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Macro-Photography-Universe-Our-Feet/dp/103276984X/
If Amazon sell's out, you can purchase directly from the publisher here:
20% off Platypod Gear Through January 6, 2026
Don mentioned that he uses Platypod Gear for some of his macro photography accessories. He reached out to his contacts at Platypod and they provided this discount code – DonKom2026 – good for 20% off all individual Platypod products through January 6, 2026. (Please note that neither Don nor I benefit from this code.)
Go here: Platypod Gear
Use code: DonKom2026
Where to Find Don
See more of Don's photos:
On his Flickr site (https://flickr.com/photos/donkom/)
On his website: (https://www.donkom.ca/)
On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/donkomphoto/)
On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/komarechka)
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