(To see examples of the types of photographs discussed below, click on the underlined section headings.)
Close Up Photography can be loosely defined as shooting subjects closer than three feet, or smaller than two feet in size yet larger than six inches, but any way you define it, close up photography is that which fills the gap between normal lens photography and macro photography.
I take close ups with one of three lens systems. I use an UW Nikkor 28mm lens with the Nikon Close Up Kit and the Underwater Phototech Spotshot framerless framer on my Nikonos V's, and I use a Sigma 50mm or a Tamron 90mm macro lens on my housed cameras.
The Nikkor 28mm lens with the Nikon Close Up Kit takes surprisingly clear photographs with great depth of field. Underwater Phototech's SpotShot framerless framer uses a pair of bright little torches to show you the center of the image and the center of the depth of field. This allows you to take photos you could never attempt using a conventional wire framer. When using a wire framer, the subject must be positioned within a wire frame to be in the image and in focus. This will spook many subjects. The SpotShot is a good solution to this problem. The big disadvantage is, of course, the lack of the ability to look through the taking lens, making composition more a matter of guesswork than of real skill. This lens system is best used to shoot subjects about the size of your fist.
The Sigma 50mm macro lens is my favorite macro lens. Because it is used on an SLR camera, composition is not a problem. I always use manual focus, presetting the lens for the size of the image area I wish to capture. Fine focus is done by moving back and forth. This lens is perfect for shooting things the size of a soccer ball or larger, and in a pinch it can be used all the way down to 1:1 (image area equal to size of the film area). When shooting really small subjects, the working distance can become awkwardly small, making good lighting difficult if not impossible.
The Tamron 90mm lens is great for getting close portraits of smaller fish. It can be used down to the macro ranges no problem, as its working distances at higher magnification allow room for lighting. I use this lens mostly for macro, but it can be used for close ups of real skittish creatures because of its long focal length.
|
With any of the above mentioned lenses, lighting can be arranged in several ways according to your vision of the subject. One standard, or normal lighting tecnique, uses one strobe as a primary light source, with another acting as a "fill" light, literally filling in the otherwise harsh shadows produced by the primary light. If using TTL to control the lighting, the fill lighting can be a strobe of equal power to the primary but set back some to reduce the amount of light hitting the sibject. It is also possible to use strobes of different powers, or strobes set to different power settings if shooting using manual strobe control. This technique can be used to good effect on animal portraits as well as on photos of coral head, fish, etc. When the primary is placed somewhat above and shining down onto the subject, with the fill kicking in some light from below on the opposite side from the primary, this technique produces a natural type of light. The obvious directionality of the primary light simulates the effect of a normally sunlit scene while the fill allows detail to be found in the otherwise black shadows. Except in really poor visibility, backscatter is not usually a problem with this technique. The subject is usually very close to the lens, and any backscatter usually gets lost when viewd against the "background" of the brightly lit sibject. |
| Standard lighting -- primary and fill. |
 |
Sidelighting can provide a dramatic touch to some subjects, especially if the lens is stopped down and the shutter speed set fast enough to create a black background. The effect on backscatter is similar to that of the edge lighting technique (see the Wide Angle page) as much of the lioght actually comes from behind the particles that could cause the backscatter.
The light from this technique bears no resemblance to "normal" sunlight in that it does not come primariliy from above the subject. Thus, the reulting images tell the eye and mind that something very strange is happening. On subjects that are somewhat translucent, the reulting image can look as though lit from within. In fact, when lighting translucent subjects, like some anemones or nudibranchs, it is a good idea to place one of the strobe just a little bit beyond the subject. |
| Side Lighting technique. |
Portraits of fish and other critters can be taken with any of the above mentioned lenses. All the images in this section (Portraits - click on link above) are taken with these lenses with the single exception of the Diamond Blenny, which was taken using a Tamron 2x teleconverter with the Tamron 90mm macro lens. The image area is so small this really qualifies as a macro photo, so please disregard it.
The biggest problem taking critter portraits is getting close enough to the critter for a good photo. Patience, and a slow, non-threatening approach are essential. Preset the strobes and the camera settings for the distance you hope to take the photo from before you begin your approach. Sometimes I do a false approach before I even set up my camera rig just to test the creatures response. I wind up specializing in photographing creatures with fairly poor survival instincts - the ones that don't flee!
Many forms of marine life lend themselves to close up photography. Still life shots of found art, invertebrates - these and more are fair game for the close up lens. Most of these shots can be bracketed to perfection, as the subject is incapable of moving away fast enough to make a difference.