Finally got the macro lens out again and took a few shots around the neighborhood.  All of these shots were taken with the canon 100mm 2.8 macro lens and a 7d.

The most important thing to think about while shooting macro shots is the background. In the above photo I was able to use the shallow depth of field provided by the macro lens to create a nice soft mottled back ground that gives the sharp yellow flower a 3-d effect.

The next photo is a close up of the hydrangea flower with the green leaves of the bush blurred in the background this very simple background really helps the flowers pop.

Below are two shots of two different Coneflowers or Echinacea. These are particularly fun to shoot in the first shot the symmetry of the spikes is the focus while the second photo really highlights the spikiness of the flower.