Our research aims at understanding optical phenomena on the nanometer scale. To facilitate this, we take two-step approach. Firstly, we confine light by classical means i.e. focus light using microscope objectives beyond the paraxial approximation. Secondly, we use the confined light as a probe to investigate resonance phenomena (electric and magnetic) in metal nanoparticle based structures as well as study interaction of light with other nanoscale systems (quantum dots, rare earth elements, etc.).