Photography Technique - Close Encounters

By Author: Adam Coupe
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Photography Technique - Close Encounters

They say small is beautiful - this article shows how you can make it big in close-up and macro photography

Tired of landscapes? Bored with Portraits? Looking for a brand-new challenge? Then try your hand at close-up and macro photography - and you'll never find yourself wondering what to take pictures of again.

One of the great things about digital cameras is their close-focusing capabilities and most people experiment with it when they start out. But often they don't take that interest any further. The secret lies in seeing the details rather than the big picture. Instead of thinking about content, consider shape, texture and pattern. It's like any skill - the more you practice, the better you get. And before long, you'll see potential close-up subjects all around you.

Subjects such as butterflies and brightly coloured flower heads are so bold that they jump out and demand that you capture. Other close-up subjects are more shy and retiring, and you have to work harder to see them, to recognise their potential in the first place. But ...
... when you do, the effort is rewarded.

Set up a still-life
One way of working is to set up the subject as a still life. If you go to the beach for instance, you can collect shells, sand, seaweed and then combine them in an effective close-up. Similarly, a walk around the woods will yield leaves, bark and stones.
Whatever you choose to photograph, you can probably get started with the equipment you have already - accessories are not really necessary, but they will increase the versatility and improve the magnifications achieved.
Insects are one of the most popular subjects for close-up photography, but they can also be the most frustrating because they're so sensitive to anything that gets near them and they move around. This is particularly true of the most photogenic species, such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees. By the time you've framed the shot and are about to press the shutter they have flown away! The secret with butterflies is not to chase them, wait for them to come to you. Choose an attractive flower that seems to be popular, set everything up, pre-focus on manual focus and then wait patiently until your subject comes into view.

Stamps and Coins
Stamps make attractive close-up subjects, creating colourful and graphic images. And they're relatively easy subjects to capture. They're flat, so you won't have much trouble with depth of field and they're a doddle to photograph because by-and-large, they're matt and non-reflective. Just lay them down on a suitably attractive background and you're ready to go. Work next to a large window and you'll find it acts like a softbox, giving you lots of diffused light.

Coins
Coins and medals can pose more of a problem because they're so highly reflective. No matter how you seem to position them in relation to the light - whether indoors or out, natural or studio - you also seem to end up with irritating reflections. What you really need is a light tent, which completely surruounds the coin and eliminates reflections. Lastolite and Lencarta, among others, produce light tents commercially or you can improvise your own from net curtain material.
However you decide to light your stamps and coins, make sure you clean them carefully before you start. Be obsessive about eliminating dust - what looked like a tiny speck of dust will suddenly assume the proportions of a boulder in a finished picture.

Flowers and Foliage
Flowers and plant foliage are a great source of images for close-up shots. In spring and summer, there is an endless succession of colour in the garden and you're spoilt for choice. Take care with the wind which can make blooms or foliage move around and introduce blur into your shots. If necessary, hold a piece of card alongside it to act as a windbreak. Another option is to pop to the florist and buy a selection of flowers and shoot them in the comfort of a warm room where you can more easily control the light.

Foodstuffs and everyday objects
Have a root around your kitchen cupboards and you'll soon come up with some interesting subject matter. Place some pasta on a light box and you'll reveal it's translucence. Arrange some onions or garlic on a newspaper for a simple still life. Crop in tight on a pile of baked beans. Everyday objects can be equally photogenic especially things with plenty of texture. A length of rope, a collection of coloured pencils, a computer keyboard, the knot and grain in a piece of wood or the badge on a car. In fact, when you think about it there are very few things that wouldn't make an interesting close-up.
Adam Coupe is pro commercial photographer specialising in commercial photography, architectural photography and architectural interior photography for a wide range of organisations that need to project their products, people or brand in a vibrant way see for the full architectural photography and commercial photography portfolio : http://www.adamcoupe.com