A while back, we challenged our readers to show us their best macro photography. And while some of the photos didn't quite fit the true definition of macro, the results were still often strikingly beautiful. Now is a great time to get out and start learning to shoot flowers. But, before you do, we offer this gallery as inspiration. The compositions range from classic to conceptual, offering a wide variety of different takes on one of the most photographed subjects here on planet earth. 

Each entry is presented with its original caption and technical data provided by the reader. 

By Max Burke

Taken in our back yard of Oriental Poppy nearing its final stage thus causing some color fading, which gives it a nice combination of warm colors. I used tripod and took on day with no breeze.

• CAMERA: Nikon D200
• FOCAL LENGTH: 150mm
• SHUTTER SPEED: 1/20 sec
• LENS: 18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6
• ISO: 400
• APERTURE (F-STOP): f/11