Why I love macro photography : Details, details

I love macro photography. (For those of you not familiar with the terminology, 'macro photography' refers to ultra-close-up shots.)

What I love most about macro photography are the surprise elements that always pop out. Those surprises are fine details that either can't be seen or aren't noticed with the naked eye, but which emerge clearly when the macro photo is enlarged.

The 1:1 macro shot of the little hermit crab on this page is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The shell that is this little guy's home was all of an inch (about 2.5 cm) long. As I lay on my belly to photograph this subject I could see the shell, and the crab, and I could tell that the crab was a reddish color. I could make out legs and eyestalks -- but until the film was processed, I had no idea that the crab's eyes were turquoise, or that he had such hairy legs! (Click on the photo for a larger version, and you'll see what I mean.)

We don't know the species name for this hermit crab. If anyone out there does know, please tell us. It was photographed in the Mediterranean Sea at Konnos Bay, Cyprus at a depth of less than two meters.