Creatively Photographing Objects Up Close

Don't show everything. That's a good rule of thumb to remember when you're taking pictures. When you see something you want to photograph, ask yourself this question: "What is my subject?" Once you've answered that question you can begin to experiment with the best way to capture the image.

An important thing to remember when composing your photo is to use your feet. Don't get nailed down, move around; try different positions, different camera angles and focal lengths. Compose your image so that you eliminate distractions and bring the focus to your subject.

In this first photo it's hard to tell what the photographer wanted to capture. Was it the buildings, the deer, the parking lot, the cars?  There are too many extraneous details. By framing the photo to exclude some things and choosing a shallow depth of field that blurred the background, the photographer has captured a lovely image of the deer. The composition is much more appealing, and the viewer immediately knows what the subject is.

The same thing applies to the second set of images. There's just too much information in the first image, and the viewer doesn't know where they're supposed to look. Careful framing has eliminated the distracting elements in the second image and made the bucket the subject of the photo.

You want your photos to have an impact. Framing your photos thoughtfully and eliminating distracting elements will make for more powerful and pleasing images.