For me, a close-up image is one where the subject is everything and the overall setting is nothing. It's all in the details.
Shooting for Success: Zoos & Aquariums
Why decrease the depth of field? Well, the fence I shot through was a black grid fence (as opposed to a silver chain-link) with openings of about 4"x8".
Shooting for Success: Capturing a Sense of Motion
Now, working with the same principal of slowing down my shutter speed in order to soften the water, with this shot of Louise Creek I went even further. The shutter speed here was 30 seconds long
Shooting for Success: The Perfect Sport
Check out the look in the bull's eyes. You don't need to see his hind end to know that someone has got a strap around his bull parts and he's not happy.
Shooting for Success: A Soul-Cleansing Afternoon
I don't know all of the mechanics behind an inversion, but the end result is that the cold air is down while the warm air is up, and there's usually an odd cloud formation involved (see the layer of cloud sitting on the lake in the image below). In this case the cloud seemed to have trapped the frigid air right down on the lake, making it bitterly biting and difficult to go too far, especially for our two small dogs.
Shooting for Success: Landscape Depth of Field
Although this image of a small lake in Yoho National Park, in British Columbia is a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time, I'd rather use it as an example of how to maximize your depth of field in a landscape image in order to get it all in focus.
Shooting for Success: Unique Self-Portrait
1. Have your tripod on rock-solid ground. 2. If it's windy, lower the tripod (shorten the legs) if possible. Mke it as stable as possible. Unless absolutely necessary, never extend the neck of your tripod up when shooting in low light or with a slow shutter speed.
Shooting for Success: Mooses
1. Don't face directly at your prey, avoiding obvious eye contact. 2. Don't walk directly at your target, moving in at a variety of angles, so as to look casual and unconcerned.
Shooting for Success: Lightning
The toughest part of photographing lightning is that it happens so fast (at the speed of light, pretty much) that you couldn't possibly react fast enough to capture the strike.
