A photographer I am not. I appreciate the quality pics members post here but I never have much luck getting good photos.
I have a mid grade Canon point and shoot with more settings than I would ever use. Anybody have any good tips for quality photos, especially closeups?
Enable macro mode (little flower icon)
Use a tripod - even a small tabletop type
Use the self-timer
Spot focussing
Prefocus carefully
More than one light source or very diffused lighting
When you are first learning, expect to take lots of photos and then pick out the best.
Hi solar… Yes, all of the above 
Also, a very big help is to have on hand some white cards to bounce back some of the light onto the shadow areas.
Almost any white piece of card will do (make sure it’s really white), and don’t forget the number one rule in photography:
It’s the light falling on the subject that makes the photo .
The camera is just there to capture that (reflected) light :laughing:
Thanks for asking this Solar!
I subscribed to learn along with you. (and many others, I’m sure).
+1 to everything gadabout said. Especially the part about shoot as many shots as you can. They’re just bits on disk, erasing the “bad” ones costs nothing.
Also, an S-series torch with a 60° TIR makes an amazing fill light.
Lastly, choose a background that provides good contrast & edge definition.
Great topic
Will follow careful!
More good tips above from Dimbo.
If using a contrasting background, especially such as dark or light cloth, you may need to look at manual exposure options or spot metering.
A lot of compact cameras don’t have this ability so learn a little about EV correction (Exposure Value) AKA Exposure Compensation.
It is usually a little button with + and - symbol.
Use minus -ev with dark backgrounds
Use plus +ev with light backgrounds
You are aiming to prevent the background from overwhelming the subject. Typically this might happen with jewellery on black velvet for instance. Minus EV will prevent the velvet from being rendered as grey and the wedding ring from being blown out (overexposed).
You may have less need for EV correction with closeups of flashlight drivers but it really depends on how much of the frame your subject occupies.
(A quick search on 18% gray may be instructive if you want to learn more.)
All good advice so far.
Please post the camera model so we can help that bit more 
Cheers David
Concerning backgrounds… some good advice there.
I got a little tired of using plain (white or coloured) backgrounds, so I tried this…
It was an industrial part salvaged from a large machine. I thought it gave a different ‘feel’ to the pic 
Nice shot BanglaBob.
You realise of course that picture brings up the whole WB (White Balance) discussion.
Well, I'd have chimed in before but, since I'm probably nowhere near a photo pro, I just let others start the fire.
I take my photos with my modest mobile device, an XT1032, with great results. The key here is to completely ditch all those @#$% camera apps in the first place, and install Open Camera or equivalent software. After some configuration adjustments you'll be amazed at the new photo-capturing abilities of your phone. Lots of features: exposure compensation & locking, torch mode, white balance, auto-infinite-lock-continuous focus modes, etc.
Example:
Cheers ^:)
You might want to check your spelling. 
If you don’t like your pictures, it means you’re not close enough!
Crop in the viewfinder; not on your computer.
Allowing for the minimum focal distance of course 
Cheers David
Thanks for all that info, that will surely get me started in the right direction. I’ve always had an interest in photography but never really persued it. Like I need another hobby!
Thanks Raccoon, op corrected.
Great idea! I never seem to have enough hands, so that should help.
I also use a headlight for another source of light.
My problem is lack of focus on tight shots. Even with the macro (flower logo) engaged, the camera can’t seem to focus many times.
Set up your tripod in a dark room and make a 2 or 4 second exposure. Use a small flashlight to illuminate your scene to your satisfaction.
+1000 on the “crop in the viewfinder” note! So many good tips on this thread!!! Thank you to all for chipping in!
Don’t use Digital Zoom for cropping in the viewfinder! Optical Zoom only. Digital Zoom is little better than cropping in post.
I’ll step outside the original parameters for a moment of amazement:
My “mid grade Canon point and shoot” (yes, I do) doesn’t allow this, but my dumb old Droid does: HDR. You have to hold it much more still than my shaky old hands are able, but if you can, it really is amazing what HDR can do for your pictures.
My S3/IS has an option buried in it somewhere to bracket exposure in the old-school way, which I guess you could post-process into some semblance of HDR. You could, I could not, so I quit trying it.
Also, as to the dark room tip… Depth Of Field is another useful tip. Set manually, if you crank your iris down as tight as it will go, then apply enough light to get the exposure right, more of the subject will be in clear focus. OTOH, with a perpendicular camera set, you can use Depth Of Field to keep the subject in clear focus while blurring out the background.
All “in the viewfinder”, which gives you the best shot (pardon the pun) at having a useful image for post-processing.
SO many good tips!!! I only hope to keep up!
Your best bet? Join a local camera group. They’ll give loads of advice and no doubt you’ll get offers of great quality second hand gear.
Lack of focus could be a few things.
1. You are simply too close to the subject - right on the edge of your camera’s minimum focussing capability. This might be the case if “my camera can’t focus”. ie. I’m half-pressing the shutter but the green square never comes up.
2. Low light. Many AF (autofocus) systems struggle in low light with older/cheaper models more likely to have problems.
If your AF did show the green square/dot/whatever but your pictures are still blurry, then…
3. You are not using a tripod. At such close distances even the slightest fore-aft movement between AF lock and pressing the shutter will change the picture dramatically. You can sway backwards and forwards in the wind when taking landscapes and get away with it most of the time. Your hands can move a mm (a few thou) in a macro shot and render it useless.
4. Your AF point is set to auto-detect the subject. Try to find a setting which locks the AF zone to a small area in the centre of the screen. This may be called spot or centre focussing.
5. Try manual focus if you have the option. Set the camera for the minimum distance it will focus to and then move the camera (or subject) back and forward (or up and down) until your subject is sharp. - Remember that tripod I was talking about?
5. Dimbo mentioned Depth of Field and described cranking down the “Iris” to increase it. I’d probably use the word Aperture or the term f-stop which most people might be more familiar with. Many cameras have an “Aperture-priority” or “Manual” mode to select this. Smaller apertures (f11, f16, etc) will give greater depth of field and sharper macros. But it’s all for nought without that tripod. lol.