Today is the very first camera duel, a weekly feature we're adding to ImprovePhotography.com. This week's theme is close-up photography.
We chose close-up photography for the first Improve Photography Duel because it's something I've always struggled with. I'm generally not a big fan of close-up or macro photography because they all look the same to me. Once you've seen a nice flower picture… they all look the same. It feels to me like macro photographers are so consumed with the magic of making something small look big that they forget to do anything creative with the composition or lighting.
So, we set out to try and do something different with close-up photography and get our creative juices pumping.
One quick not before we get going is that we called this the close-up duel instead of the macro duel because this isn't macro photography. Although many photographers use “macro” to mean any type of close-up photography, true “macro” means producing a 1:1 replication of the scene. That means that an ant in real life would be reproduced to be the size of an ant on the image sensor. True macro photography usually requires dedicated macro lenses, which most people don't own; therefore, we chose close-up photography which is doable with nearly any lens.
Close-Up Photography Duel
Jim Here: It's finally starting to feel like Spring in Idaho, and the flowers in my front garden started to pop up this week. I really liked the flowers, but I DEFINITELY didn't want just a traditional “Yeah! Look! I made the flower look bigger!” kind of photo. I wanted to add interesting lighting and a more dramatic mood to the photo. So, I decided to do light painting. I've never seen a close-up light painting, so I thought it would be fun to try.
Jim's Process: I first tried to take this picture in my front yard where the flowers were. I went out at 11PM to shoot the flowers so that I could fully control the lighting without fighting the sun (and yes, my neighbors probably think I'm a nutcase). However, when I went outside at night to do the shoot, the flowers had closed up for the night. So, the next morning I dug up the flower and brought it to the studio in a box (this is when Dustin started thinking I was a nutcase). Having the flower inside made the process much easier.
Under the flower, the ground turned a bit yellow due to the light reflecting off the yellow/green stem of the flower. I was going to get rid of that color cast in Photoshop, but in the end I decided that I kind of like the warm glow. I showed the photo to a few people to get some feedback, and they were 50/50 on whether or not to get rid of the color cast on the dirt.
The camera was on a tripod (obviously), and I used an inexpensive Stylus Streamlight flashlight to paint the light on the flower during the exposure. If you don't have a flashlight like that, you could use the LED flash on your smartphone and get the exact same result. I recorded a video of how I made this photo and I'll release it on our Youtube channel in the coming weeks.
Jim's Metadata:
Shutter speed: 30 seconds, Aperture: f/16, ISO 100.
Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8.
Lighting: Stylus Streamlight flashlight
Dustin Here: Allow me to introduce you to my photo for this week's Photo Duel!! I had such a blast doing macro photos for this duel that it was really hard to pick just one.
Dustin's Process: I love the vibrant colors in a peacock feather – but I knew it needed more than just a great angle. That's when I grabbed my medicine dropper and carefully placed water drops on it. The next challenge was to get the right amount of side lighting to bring out the texture in the feather, but enough light to expose everything the way I wanted it. With the use of my flashbender, I was able to wrap it around the lens and the feather to get the lighting that you see here.
Once I had the shot that I was in love with, I did basic edits in CameraRaw (such as: Exposure, contrast, saturation, etc) and then used Nik Software Color Efex Pro to give it a bit of a glow. That's it.
Dustin's Metadata:
Shutter speed: 1/160, Aperture: f/16, ISO 200
Camera: Canon 6D, Lens: Canon 24-105mm lens with Macro Extension Tubes
Lighting: YN-560 Speedlight with Flashbender light modifier
Let the Voting Begin!
Please note that you do NOT have to share this to your Facebook page or Twitter feed in order to vote. It just gives you that as an option after you've clicked your vote.
I think the concept of the duel is great and can’t wait until you open it up to your fans. In this particular case I have to go with Jim’s photo. I like the idea of light painting and the result. While the peacock feather looks great it just doesn’t reach out and grab me like Jim’s photo does. Thank you both for your efforts.
Both are very creative! Can’t choose one over the other though and just wanted to say that I love both of them!
I absolutely love the flower, Jim. The peacock feather is beautiful, as well, Dustin. However, I vote for the flower.
I love the flower so much and wouldn’t change the highlight at the base of where it sat in the soil, and then the brightness of the feather was overwhelming. I agreed with many who had a hard time voting for just one.
I voted for the flower, loved its simplicity and beauty.
I love both but if I really have to vote, this time it will be the flower, I love the vividness of colour and light!
Jim, I never thought I would see you take a flower photo! That being said, I absolutely love it! I like the warm color cast on the soil, too. Dustin, I love the texture in the peacock photo, the waterdrops absolutely make the photo for me. After much deliberation, my vote goes for the peacock feather, mainly due to the fact that it fills the frame and fits the “close up” theme to the extreme. They are both absolutely stunning photos. Well done to you both!
Going with Jims on this one. Dustin’s is cool too, but something pulls me into Jims
@Lyndsey- Yeah… I surprised myself. I really can’t stand flower photos because they are SOOOO common, but I gave in to temptation this time 🙂
Not voting since Jim’s picture is not really a close-up; it is a good photo, though. Just want to say that the idea of this duel is brilliant. Waiting to see where it takes us in coming issues.
Both pictures are great however, I love the texture in Dustin’s picture. Both are really great pictures.
Both of these are absolutely stunning! In the end I was quite entranced by Jim’s dancing flower. I want to experiment with light painting more after seeing that example.
Well, golly, I look forward to spring every year to go hunt Texas wildflowers. They may be SOOOO common, but I always try to find something new to try; plus, crawling around down there is good exercise. Flower photos are what you put into them. I hope I’m not guilty of being too common for Improve Photography …
I love both. However, the texture and water droplets on the peacock feather is a “plus”, which prompted me to cast my vote to the former.
Dustin, Beautiful colors. Since you placed the water droplets, maybe next time place them in such a pattern that they draw the eye into and around the photo. I think they’re just too random in this example.
Jim, I love how the lighting and angle of the flower introduce movement into the photo. The contrast between the bud and full bloom also tell a great story.
I prefer Jims-such a sweet touch with a light 🙂 Dustin’s one has beautiful colours, but Jim’s-better thought through shot.
Love the idea of the duel. I am enjoying reading about your creative and processing process. It is hard to choose between the two as they are quite different. Jim’s color is great, but the flower petals look a little too sharp. Dustin’s “macro” is more on point, but a the water drops are a little distracting. One might have been better. I still can’t decide! Will vote when the winner becomes clear. Thanks!
I really liked Jim’s flower because I had a better sense of what I was seeing. The colors were beautiful and it reminded me of spring.
Loved both shots but for me “close up” is about detail and revealing something you don’t normally see… Dustin feather photo does this best. That said, Jims pic is vibrent but just a little outside the brief, I loved the technique and methods and will definatly be trying out light painting in the future. Thanks guys.
I can’t decide!! I’m excited to see Dustin’s with the 24-105mm and the use of extension tubes!! I have that lens and have been trying to decide if I wanted to add the 100mm to my lenses for macro. It’s been a hard decision. Maybe I can buy the extenders and decide later!!
I chose Jim’s because is was taken in a very simple way. Dustin’s was a beautiful picture but was manipulated more. I like the trueness of Jim’s. I love the duel concept and I look forward to next Monday!