Close-up photography is a great way to express your creativity with the objects and people that make up your daily life qiuzziz. Whether it’s the folds of a newborn’s hands, the intricate details of houseplant leaves or petals, or the soap bubbles in your kitchen sink, the rediscovery of small, seemingly innocuous details can bring you joy, inspiration and endless new perspectives in photography.
The fun of macro or close-up photography knows no bounds: you can find great subjects in every room of your home. No matter what type of camera you have at home, you can get up close and explore fascinating details. A standard zoom lens (or from your kit), or even a compact camera, can take beautiful images. Here, six photographers share the mundane yet captivating things they photographed without leaving home and reveal what inspired them to take a closer look.
1. Zoom Macro in on the details that interest you
“It was the photos I took of my children when they were babies that inspired me to take close-ups for other families,” said family photographer Kate Gray. “I know that without these photos, I wouldn’t remember the perfect little creases of my daughter’s fingers or the way the skin around my son’s eyes crinkled during his first smiles.”
While a dedicated macro lens is ideal for close-ups, you can also get great results with a standard zoom or even a prime lens. The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens , for example, can focus at a distance of 25cm, making it ideal for framing the smallest details.
Most macro lenses intended for this purpose have an ideal telephoto focal length to isolate each element. If you are using a zoom lens, remember to zoom in. Then set the aperture to f/5.6 or faster if possible, and use image stabilization to alleviate any risk of camera shake. Finally, frame upwards and try to get as close to your subject as possible. You will lose focus if you approach the minimum focusing distance of the lens. So you may have to move gently back and forth to get the ideal position.
2. Capture the complexity of nature
Macro photography can reveal unseen natural treasures, from the labyrinthine patterns on the underside of a leaf to the unique complexity of a perfect snowflake. And the close-up allows you to capture the beauty of nature wherever it is, including on your windowsill on a cold, rainy day.
The only backdrop Jamie Spensley needed to bring out the fascinating details of a snowflake was a black jacket. Its macro reflector allowed it to obtain soft and unique lighting. “It’s a cone made of white material that wraps around the front of my lens. Next, a cylinder of reflective material is attached to the flash to allow light to reach the cone. This results in extremely soft light, ideal for macros.”
To further unleash your creativity when shooting close-ups, the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM and EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lenses both feature a flash Built-in macro ring that allows photographers to get closer without creating shadows.
Photographer Agi Wojcik used Close-up Scene mode to photograph watercress in her dish. “So I didn’t need to worry about adjustments and could concentrate on getting the focus right. I also used Spot AF and a handy magnification option in Live View mode. After seeing the result, I experienced a surge of inspiration. I took my camera to explore other subjects without leaving the house.”
3. Spot the extraordinary in everyday life
For many artists, a simple pencil is a good starting point. By photographing a pencil up close, photographer Lucas Piltz found a way to celebrate and embrace its creative side.
Lucas chose to take a series of images to achieve a greater depth of field than is usually possible. “I used a tripod to avoid camera shake,” he explains, “and I focused manually to better control the camera and learn more about the subject.” I started with the focus area at the very front, then stacked up to the back.” Once the image was framed, Lucas photographed 40 versions of the pencil, all with different focal points, before merging them together.
This technique, called focus stacking , can be used by merging a set of images with different focal points using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software .
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