6 Tips for Shooting Close-Up Photography

Close up photography refers to a tightly cropped shot that shows a subject (or object) up close and with significantly more detail than the human eye usually perceives. With close up photography, you reduce the field of view, increasing the size of the subject, and creating a tight frame around your selected shot. You can shoot close up photography from farther away with either a telephoto lens, a zoom lens, or any lens with a longer focal length. A lens with a shorter focal length, however, will capture a wider area, forcing you to move closer to your subject to snap it clearly (which can be difficult for photographing wildlife or insects).

Macro photography is a form of close-up photography, originally developed for scientific research. True macro photography is when you photograph a subject at 1:1 magnification—in other words, the subject appears closer to life-size in the photo. However, most people use the term “macro photography” to refer to any photograph that depicts a close-up and extremely detailed image of small things.

Micro photography is a more extreme version of macro photography, exceeding macro capabilities with a magnification ratio of at least 5:1. Micro photography is the extreme close up version of shooting macro, using micro lenses (or attaching a DSLR camera to a microscope) for photographing objects smaller than what is possible to see with the naked eye, and capture with dedicated macro lenses.

The difference between close up, macro, and micro photography relies on the magnification ratio (also known as the reproduction ratio), which refers to the ratio between the subject’s size in real life, and how the image forms on the camera sensor. With close up photography, you can use a camera with a short focal length to get physically close to your subjects, increasing the size of your subject by decreasing the distance between it and the camera. For closer macro shots, you need additional gear like accessories and attachments to help magnify the subject in greater detail.

Achieve close focus by decreasing the camera’s distance from the subject and letting it fill the frame. Figure out your minimum focal distance—which is the shortest working distance you can shoot at while still having a focused image. If you want to increase the amount of close up detail but have already reached your minimum focusing distance, you’ll need to make a few adjustments to your gear:

1. 1. Add extension tubes or adjustable bellows. Extension tubes increase the distance between your camera’s sensor and the camera lens, increasing the image size as you get closer. The longer the extension tube, the closer the magnification. Adjustable bellows work in a similar fashion, however they are bigger and heavier than extension tubes, and not ideal for things like nature photography.
2. 2. Implement a reverse lens. A reverse lens functions with the front element facing the camera body, and the rear element facing outward. This reverse technique results in the lens magnifying the image it sees, rather than making it smaller to capture. A reverse ring or other camera accessory may be required to implement this technique.
3. 3. Use a close-up filter. A close up lens you can screw-in to the front of your dedicated macro lens is a cheap alternative to achieving higher magnification in your photos. However, these lenses are known to reduce the quality of your images.
4. 4. Adjust your exposure. Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed are all camera settings you should keep in mind while capturing your close up shots. Using a small aperture for micro photography lets you adjust the depth of field, sharpening the focus of your subject while blurring the background. For ISO, a low value means less grain in your photos, but then you’ll also have to make sure the shutter speed is low too. However, a fast shutter speed means a crisper, sharper image, so adjust your settings accordingly depending on your subject and environment. Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed combined are known as the exposure triangle.
5. 5. Reduce camera shake. Some macro photographers use digital cameras with a feature reducing camera shake (sometimes referred to as vibration reduction or image stabilization), keeping blur out of your photos—especially when shooting at low shutter speeds. You can also use a tripod to keep your camera steady while you snap your images.
6. 6. Take plenty of shots. As with any photography method, the more photos you take, the more room you’ll have to experiment, and the more opportunities you’ll have to get the perfect shot. This is especially true of macro photography, where you may not get another chance to be so up close and personal with your subject.

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