CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHY

We can get pretty close to any subject of interest nowadays with just about any lens. And, with a close-focusing zoom lens set at telephoto focal length, we can make the subject look like it was a lot closer to us than it really was.

One of the attributes I like about close-up photography is that sometimes we can get so close to the subject that we take it totally out of context. We start getting those mysterious abstracts that confuse the viewer. It's hard to tell what it really is, which works in our favor. When we eliminate the label--that "thing" with which we identify objects, we add interest, mystique, and mystery. 

 My first image is a good example of taking a subject out of context. What do you see? An oil slick? Oil from a car in a parking lot? It is nothing but a puddle of water I saw while hiking, at an elevation of 10,800.' Not a car in sight. Nature's art. 

I saw the shape of an abstract blue horse when I approached this scene. What you see is part of a frozen lake with dark rocks showing at the bottom of a shallow part of the lake. 

I was at a marketplace in downtown San Antonio, Texas. One vendor was selling delicious-smelling papitas (potato slices) with chili peppers on top. I decided to get really close to one of the peppers while letting the background blur out.  

I'm not much on alcoholic drinks, with the exception of a glass of wine now and then. But, oh, I love my coffee! I went out with a friend for a late breakfast at a local coffee shop. The waitress brought our drinks first, as we waited for our entrees. I looked down at my cup and said to my friend, "Look at my cup! Nothing but bubbles." I just happened to have my camera to capture the moment. The color and design on the table were a perfect fit against the tan cup and dark brown coffee bubbles.

For this next example, I did an in-camera double exposure of these tulips. I get a unique glow when I use my double exposure technique. In a nutshell, here are the steps. First, I always use a tripod in order to line everything up perfectly. Secondly, I take the first image slightly out of focus--that's what creates the glow, or halo. Then I take a second photo in sharp focus. I also underexpose the second shot, usually by 2/3 stop. I do this so that the final image does not come out overexposed. Remember that when we do a double exposure, we expose the sensor to light twice! That's why I underexpose the second shot, before I take it. 

This one is really a mind-bender. What do you see? if you had been with me, you would have seen three (3) aspen trees. I distanced myself from the trees and photographed them with a telephoto lens, which compressed the distance between the three trees. The result was a total abstract. There is one tree in almost dead-center. There is another one in the back to the left; another in the back to the right--that one takes up a little more space than the other two. Look for them. 

I hiked along a dry creek bed looking for something to photograph. I didn't have a plan; I just left myself open to whatever grabbed my attention. As I walked the edges of the dry creek, I saw all these smooth and colorful rocks. The best geological explanation I could come up with was that the once-running creek had rounded the edges of these beautiful rocks. Their color, however, left me without answers. One answer I did have, though, was that I had to photograph them. 

They were scattered throughout. I decided to gather them up and create my own natural arrangement. It worked! 

This last close-up is of a butterfly. Using a 300 mm lens, I was able to close in and really blur the background, which made the butterfly "pop." I was careful in placing the butterfly against that light blue in the background.

I hope I've given you some inspiration and ideas for some experimentation. 

So, get out there and look for some interesting subjects and get in close and personal. With some creative techniques and approaches, you can get close in and make the common uncommon and the mundane insane. Have fun!! 

If you have any questions, or if you'd like a personal ZOOM 1-on-1 lesson, don't hesitate to contact me.