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!
