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How to: Photograph Closeup Images


Winter is quickly approaching, which means the days will soon grow colder and seem shorter with fewer hours of sunshine. For many people, that means more time spent indoors. But for those with a passion for photography, wintertime provides a variety of unique opportunities for amazing close-up shots. And hey, if you aren’t willing to brave the cold, spending more time indoors gives you opportunities to expand your photography skills. Bundle up and check out these pro tips for getting beautifully detailed close-up shots from Tamron!

Tip #1: Narrow your Focus
When you’re getting your lens to focus up close, it can be challenging to get a shot that’s not soft or out of focus, a result of the depth-of-field being too narrow. To prevent this, you’ll want to select a key element in your subject that stands out and keep your focus on it so it’s sharp. This will be where a viewer’s eye is drawn towards. We also recommend avoiding using a focal length that is too wide. Otherwise, your subject could look distorted.


© Jose Mostajo
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Tip #2: Go Shallow
To create dynamic images with sharp and detailed points of interest that will draw a viewer’s eye, we recommend using a very shallow depth-of-field. To make your point of interest stand out even more, use the widest aperture at the minimum focus distance to make the background smoother.


© Takashi Namiki
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Tip #3: Look for Patterns and Colors
Shooting close-up is all about refocusing your attention and turning what might be considered mundane into something fascinating. Look for interesting colors and repeating patterns in the regular objects around you, and you’ll see a whole new world of photo opportunities present itself to you.


© Glynn Lavender
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Tip #4: Highlight Texture
In addition to looking for patterns and colors, we recommend looking for objects with textures that become even more unique and interesting when seen from a new perspective up close. Texture really stands out in close-up photos, and you’ll likely want to use natural light to try and illuminate texture and create some shadows.


© Philip Ruopp
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Gear up for all your winter close-up shoots with Tamron lenses! Check out the Tamron 50-400mm Di III VC VXD and 18-300mm Di III-A VC VXD, which both have a magnification ratio of 1:2, along with all of our lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras – the 20mm F2.8 Di III OSD, the 24mm F2.8 Di III OSD, and the 35mm F2.8 Di III OSD.




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