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October 6, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Whether you're using a fully-equipped 35mm SLR or an automated point-and-shoot camera, getting closer to your subject will help you achieve better pictures. Getting closer will concentrate interest on your main subject and eliminate clutter that can distract the viewer and interfere with what you want to communicate. Here are a some tips and techniques for getting closer that anyone can use, regardless of equipment or expertise.  PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Macro Setting Gets You Closer One way to get closer to your subject is to use a macro lens or select the macro mode setting (flower icon) on your point-and-shoot camera. The macro mode automatically sets the right combination of controls so you can concentrate on your subject. Not all macro lenses give the same results. The macro setting on most point-and-shoot cameras permits you to get within 18 to 30 inches of your subject, depending on the make and model of the camera. Check the instruction manual. Macro lenses made for SLRs vary, but generally allow you to get much closer than P&S cameras. I took the macro close-up here one summer morning in my garden. The clarity and color of the flower in the foreground is further accentuated by the paler orange out-of- focus flower beyond.
 Marigold, Sea Cliff garden, 1992 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Let Details Tell the Story >
It's been said that God is in the details. Interesting details can convey a sense of place, time or season that can create a sense of wonder, awe, and excitement about your subject. The lush colors, light, and textures of this woodsy autumn vignette attracted me while walking through the Vermont woods one Fall day with my husband George. This one image, rich with the magical colors and textural details of Autumn, represents the entire day's experience for me. For this photograph, I moved in with my camera, got as up close and personal as I could possibly get to my subject and maintain focus.
 Autumn, Up Close and Personal, 1984 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Try a Wide-angle
Getting closer to the main subject with a wide angle lens or a wide angle zoom setting provides more depth-of-field (i.e.sharpness) in the scene near to far. This unique wind-twisted Bristle Cone Pine tree tells an interesting story about time, weather and survival. A wide angle lens got me closer to the textural details of the swirling bark, and at the same time helped me to "see the forest through the tree."
 Bristle Cone Pine Tree, High Sierra Mts., Ca., 1990 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Zoom in to Concentrate on Patterns and Design The zoom feature on your camera lens offers you the opportunity to train your photographic eye, and trim or expand a scene to build your own photographic tableaus. As I travel and photograph, I always look for cultural details or something special about the region. These ristras of red chili peppers hanging to dry against a bright pink adobe wall are typical of New Mexico. The intensity of color and repetition of form gave me a lot to play with. The zoom lens allowed me the artistic freedom to select, compose and create several variations on this one theme.
 Red Hot Chili Peppers on Hot Pink Adobe Wall, Taos, NM. 1998 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Include Cultural Details
An on-going photographic theme for me is walls, including those with torn layers of old pasted and peeling paper. I photograph walls in every city I visit, finding them laden with cultural details and icons, humor and pathos, and messages, both hidden and blatant. This portion of an old peeling billboard in Venice some years ago included several layers of peeling posters advertising everything from beer to cereal. It was this section that caught my eye. I was drawn to the image of the baby's smooth skin that dramatically contrasts with the rough textures of the peeling paper surrounding it. The language is a part of the cultural identity of this picture, therefore it was important for me to get close enough for the words to be legible.
 Torn Wall Poster with Baby, Venice, Italy, 1978 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Look for the Unusual
Mannequin, Flea Market, Montreal, 1996Displays, particularly at flea markets and antique shops, provide very interesting subject matter. Sellers with artistic flare "art direct" my shot by stylishly displaying their wares with creativity and ingenuity. The artistic arrangements and juxtaposition of objects from different periods and styles can be overwhelming. Select one object as your main subject and present it prominently in your composition. For this shot, I abstracted the subject by selecting and focusing only the leg of a mannequin in the foreground and presenting it as a diagonal element in the composition. The play of color and light work together as a backdrop.  Mannequin, Flea Market, Montreal, 1996 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Zoom in for Portraits Zooming in to a telephoto setting or using portrait mode on a point-and-shoot camera allows closer access to the main subject, and eliminates unwanted background clutter. It gives you the artistic freedom to concentrate on presenting your subject. For this portrait, I set my point-and-shoot camera on portrait mode, knowing the lens would automatically zoom in, isolating my main subject from the background giving me the effect I wanted. His repose and quiet demeanor, highlighted by the golden light of early evening suggested peace and thoughtfulness. Including anything else in this photograph would have intruded on the mood I wanted to communicate.
 Cowboy at the Golden Hour, Santa Fe, NM, 1996 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Zoom in to Create Abstract Compositions
This is a good exercise for anyone looking to sharpen their creative eye and improve their photographic composition. Look through the viewfinder and carefully compose an abstract design that appeals to you. Photograph several variations and compare the prints. This exercise will help you see and better understand balance and composition. Throughout the years, I have photographed 'found art' on walls in every city I visited. Earlier, I presented a torn billboard from Venice. Here is a very small section of a very bold graphic design painted on the side of a wall at a building site in Boston. The white shelf throws a bold black shadow, further enhancing the pattern and composition. A big part of the fun when photographing walls is selecting and abstracting small sections of color and pattern to create a scene that becomes truly your own.
 Found Art, Wall, Boston, 1986 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Look Down When photographing plants or florals, try looking straight down and zooming in to get a closer look. A new world of natural patterns, geometric forms and designs will emerge. Over the years I've photographed thousands of florals, nature, scenics and abstract natural patterns and designs. When visiting a new city, if time and weather permit, I make my way over to the city park, the botanical gardens or the local arboretum for a picnic lunch and the opportunity to photograph the flora on display. A wonderful place to photograph is Golden Gate Park in San Francisco with its many exotic gardens from all over the world. I took this close-up of a plant looking straight down into its center, zooming in to find pattern and design
 Natural Abstraction, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Ca, 1999 PHOTO: Grace Schaub TIP: Fill the Frame Two Parked Cars, Piesport, Germany, 1994
Getting closer with a camera that is not equipped with a telephoto lens means you have to move closer to your subject. Before taking the photograph, look carefully in the viewfinder to make sure there aren't any unwanted details lurking at the edges and corners of the frame. For this photograph, I selected two cars as my main subject. The overall scene included other cars and various buildings in the background. But nothing else grabbed my attention. I was drawn to these "twin" cars for their relationship of color and form. I moved in closer and carefully composed the scene top to bottom, and then took the picture.
 Two Parked Cars, Piesport, Germany, 1994 PHOTO: Grace Schaub
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