The Impact of a Close-Up
A close-up photo is an intimately detailed means of communication through imagery. Getting up close creates mystery and incites a dramatic feel. I’ve been a San Antonio Photographer now for a few years and I can honestly say one of my favorite ways to shoot is close for these exact reasons. There is a creative freedom that you just can’t get when going wide. I also love trying out different settings to see the results I get.
When I am preparing to take a close-up, I make sure what I’m trying to capture is crystal clear. That it has reason and purpose. If I’m going to be that up close and personal with anything, it must tell a story. A story is easily told in a wide shot when everything ties everything together but when you get close, you bring attention to details only you as a photographer notice or appreciate.
I always incorporate close-ups in my travel photography because my surroundings and their textures are so different from at home in San Antonio, Texas. For Portrait Photography, there is beauty in all human expression, the eyes, smile lines, how someone’s hair falls, I try and get some powerful close-up shots in every Portrait Photography session I do. Close-ups add variety, they literally exploit beauty in a raw way no other shot can duplicate.
Before the impact of a close-up can be felt by a viewer, a photographer must feel it first. I excited when it all comes together and will never get tired of this feeling. Close-ups give such an intimate feeling to any set and say the words that only a photograph can speak. They elicit emotion and draw our attention inwards. But they should only be used as flavor to be truly appreciated. LIke salt to a homecooked meal, adding the perfect final touch.
