Extreme Close Up, Take One.
For some reason, in my photographic history, I have avoided shooting close ups. I mean extreme close ups. The kind where you see the pox mark or the freckles that you’re not exactly proud of. Those kind of thing that people at a normal arms length don’t really see. The kind of thing that you’re glad they don’t really see.
Lately I have crossed an imaginary line of intimacy. I have discovered the beauty of the extreme close up. I have discovered that I really like the privacy that the extreme close up brings. I love that the viewer is forcibly drawn into the world of the subject in the photograph. You can’t sit idly by and be a passive viewer. You are thrown into the emotion of the subject.
This Momshot above is of my son, Ulysses, laughing. Now to me, I see this and feel a laugh start to well up inside of me. I feel the emotion of this photo so much. I believe part of that is because of how close we are. We have passed through the imaginary bubble of “The Comfort Zone” and now we can actually see the feelings that the subject feels.
This Momshot is of my son, Magnus. I love the sparkle in his eyes and see his inquisitiveness. OK, maybe that visible sparkle is actually the flash reflecting in his eyes but the inquisitiveness is real! He is 10 months old and he is so curious about everything.
So my Momshot tip of the day is to shoot the extreme close up. Experiment with different elements of the face being in the frame and see how much emotion you can capture. You don’t have to worry about cutting of the top of the head, the chin, even the mouth. Try it out and see how much fun you can have with it. I love it!
June 4th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I have a question about what the heck we should do with all of our photograph? Sure we can save them on the computer, we may even print some out for the wall, we can email them, and so on.
I bet you have a ton and I wanna know your plans.
I took tons of pictures of my 1st baby, and have slowed down a lot now. I still have plans for them as home decor, but there will be so many that never make the grade. Is it just something to engage in when we have empty-nest syndrome? I realize that not everyone appreciates the way I do. In sharing, someone can feel like…”okay, okay, I have seen this before…” ya know.
I guess if you have a hobby passion, that is all it is. Nurturing that, right??
Please help.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Suggestion/thoughts, I am working on collaging my 13+ years of photos into digital memory/scrapbook pages. My “plan” is to make a bunch of them and replace them on the walls every so often (change of scenery) and then with the ones I remove from the wall, I will eventually have bound into a “book” form, and have them shelved so they can be looked at by whoever has the inclanation. The photos, that don’t quite “make the grade” will be stored onto CD/DVD’s incase I ever want to go back and “fiddle” with them later (the ones that just outright stink are trashed, but I try to rescue every photo I can, because kids are only that age for a short time)
June 5th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Nice tips. Thanks. I like the idea of “rotating” my pictures. I guess I would like to get them all out of the computer and in a tangible form. Perhaps individual albums to give each kid when he is older…so it can be passed down.
Okay, I feel better now. I am not excessive…I am the protector of youth that his posterity may smile!
June 12th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Rachel, you bring up a really going question about what to do with all these Momshots. I have a few ideas and will make a post about this in the near future. Thanks for bringing it up!