Take Amazing-Looking Close-Ups with your Digital Camera

Digital Photography Tips Complementary Guide

 

 

 

There’s a world we don’t often think about … it can be seen when you go walking, out in the garden, or even sitting in the house.  In fact, it can be seen anywhere if you care to look.  It’s the world we probably all take for granted … the small world of plants, flowers, insects, objects, you name it!  So if we take a look at these everyday objects more closely, you will find a hidden and exciting world to be discovered with your digital camera in ‘macro’ mode.  Let’s have a look at some digital photography tips on shooting close-ups …

 

Get Used to your Camera

 

Macro mode is normally depicted by a ‘flower’ symbol on your camera, which allows you to take close-up shots of subjects.   In order to get sharp photos, be sure to check out your camera’s instructions how close you can move in to your subject.

 

With ‘auto mode’  and ‘macro mode’ selected, the camera will focus on your close-up, using a larger aperture, but your background will be blurred.  This is what’s known in the camera world as a ‘shallow depth of field’ i.e. the more shallower the depth of field - the closer you can get to your subject, depending on your camera’s limit of course.

 

Regarding focusing, if you have a ‘manual’ mode on your digital camera, it’s worth experimenting with, and it will allow you to focus on a part of your subject that you are interested in.  You should also be able to adjust the aperture (or depth of field as mentioned) in addition, for added interest in your shots.

 

Flash, Lighting and Windbreaks

 

For outside macro photography you’ve got the best available light source, but you may experience camera shake or blurring, if there is the slightest of breeze.   If your camera is set to ‘auto’ mode you may get away with it.  Using ‘manual’ mode, your camera may not be so favourable, and to get around the breeze problem, you could set up a windbreak using a couple of wooden rods with some fabric tightly wrapped around, or whatever materials you can get your hands on to create a windbreak, to help eliminate this problem.

 

If you’re shooting inside, what I normally do is set my camera up near a window on a brighter day, to get as much natural available light as possible.  Of course, you can’t capture certain subjects like insects, for example, but it’s easy to set up an arrangement of flowers, or other subjects and best of all, you won’t be troubled with a slight breeze!

 

If you prefer to set up subjects indoors, depending on the available light, you may require to use your flash – experiment with it – you may even need to diffuse the light (you could try a small piece of tissue paper over your flash).  You could even try other lighting sources, or perhaps one or two white reflective cards, to reflect as much available light as possible.

 

Tip – if you shoot at different angles you will capture different effects:

If you prefer intensely saturated colours, then angle your camera so that your lighting is front-on to your subject.  If you’re looking for texture in your subject, then change your camera angle to have light coming in from the side of your subject.  Here are a couple of shots I took on auto with my macro mode - the light is coming in from one side of the flower to emphasise texture and depth.  The leaf shot is slightly different, as the light is coming through the trees from above at an angle, which gives light, shadow and texture to the photo.

 

 

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Use a Tripod

 

A tripod will help you tremendously when setting up your camera to avoid camera shake in the slightest.  A severe example,  if you can imagine crouching down in your garden to photograph an insect perched on a flower head – it’s difficult enough crouching, and this will not help you steady your shot at all - so here’s when a tripod saves the day! A tripod will also allow you to experiment with different settings on your camera, without losing your composition.

 

Composing your Shot

 

If you’re going for more detail or texture, fill your camera frame with your subject. An example would be of a close-up shot of a flower head - focusing on the centre, but not showing the full head – you will fill your frame with vibrant colour and texture.  I took these shots with my SLR camera in manual mode, using a macro lens, mounted on a tripod, indoors, with natural lighting from the window.  A macro lens gives extra power of magnification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may however, want a little background showing, therefore by experimenting with your digital camera, you can capture a beautiful floral shot, which if you focus on a particular flower, your background should look soft and blurry for contrast.  A couple more shots I took with my SLR camera and macro lens, set up as mentioned above, showing a little background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take heed - simple shots look great – so don’t try to over-do it!

 

Here’s a couple of shots I took with my digital camera in macro mode, including some background - as the foliage was densely overhanging, I liked the backdrop of a solid blue sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close-up Ideas

 

Classic examples are taken of flowers, and flowers or leaves containing water droplets.  If you don’t manage to get out in the garden after dew drops have formed, you could set up your flowers indoors and spray them gently with water for effect.  Here are two shots I took - the rose with a macro lens on my SLR carmea set up inside the house, which I sprayed with water.  The grey leaves was an outside shot using my digital camera in macro mode, capturing the real dew drops!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stones, pebbles and shells are all interesting shapes and textures, and look quite different when close up.

 

Textures like fabrics, barks, feathers - the list is endless.  A novel idea - by taking close-up abstract shots, with these ideas in mind, the photos could be used as backgrounds in artwork or you could create a CD of backgrounds and sell them.  This is a shot I took when walking in the local park, using the macro mode on my digital camera to capture tree bark texture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So bearing in mind these digital photography tips, let your imagination run wild, look a little closer at things, and have an exciting ‘close-up’ session with your digital camera!

 

 

 

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