If you're like me and have trouble taking consistently good, in-focus close-up photos even though your camera has a macro setting, try using a scanner. The images are always bright and in focus and can be super-high resolution. Just place the item on the scanner glass and drape a plain piece of white paper or black cloth over it, and you will be amazed at the results. Use the highest resolution your scanner supports, and it will look like a photo taken through a microscope. Of course you're limited to what you can lay flat on the scanner, so you obviously can't use this method for live plants. But if you want to show off the trichomes in your buds, this method can't be beat.
FYI, here's a portion of an image scanned at 1200 dpi. /monthly_2007_08/Hires_Bud.jpg.41a87647b2491daf65e43ad3b3e6cdec.jpg
