Tuesday’s Tip for better photos #5

Tuesday’s Tip #5: 

Get in close! This can mean different things for different subjects, but it will often make an interesting photo no matter what.

For tiny things, getting in close means macro photography. Macro photography involves a whole world of challenges, but the first step is to use a macro lens that will allow you to focus close to an object. Ever notice that your camera has trouble focusing when you try to get right up next to your subject? That’s why. You need a macro lens, or even what’s called an extension tube. These are cheaper and will attach to your regular lens, but not always a better solution. I’ll talk more about macro photography in a later post. For now, just know that it is a super fun way to shoot! Google it and you will see!

For other subjects that aren’t so tiny, getting in close gives you a different perspective on things. Most people take wide, expansive shots of landscapes. Try zooming in, which is a way of getting close. Chances are, this will give you a unique take on a landscape that countless people have already photographed. While the two photos below weren’t taken from precisely the same spot (but close enough for this example), I personally like the closer view of the rocks better than yet another so-so landscape. Notice that I didn’t even take a wide shot of the exact landscape because it was interesting to me.

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Stepping forward or zooming into a portrait shot is also fun. You don’t have to include someone’s entire head in a photo, because you have what’s called artistic discretion! Although I have to remind myself to take these types of shots more often, I think they often make the best portraits! If you know your technical stuff, you can also play around with fuzzing out the background, which is a nice way to isolate the subject even more. This is true for macro photos as well.

The sky is the limit for what you can get close to or zoom in on. Seriously… you can only zoom into the sky so far before you need some kind of crazy telescopic equipment, and I’m guessing you don’t have any if you’re reading my photo tips. 😉

Have any questions? Leave them in the comments below. Maybe I can answer your question in next week’s post. 🙂