“In photography, the smallest thing can be a great
subject.”
Henri
Cartier-Bresson
Part
1. Definition(s) and a Word About Everything Depending on
Your Point of View
What is Close Up or “Macro" Photography?”
First, the dictionary
definition: Macro
means "large" or "wide." Macro photography is a kind of
close-up photography. The classical definition of macro
photography is “photography in which the image on film or
electronic sensor is at least as large as the subject.”
This would also be known as having a reproduction ratio of
approximately 1:1.
In practical terms, a 1:1 reproduction
ratio (RR) means that if you take a picture of a penny (for
example), you can place the penny on the film negative and
it will be exactly the same size as the image on the
negative. Or you can place the penny on your digital CCD
and it will be the same size on that. By strict definition,
1:1 is 1:1—object:recording medium. With the advent of
digital (and because people don’t particularly like placing
pennies on their digital CCDs!), many people consider macro
or 1:1 as having our real penny match the size of a
photographed penny on a 4 X 6 print. In reality, 1 mm on a
measuring scale measures 12 mm on a 4 X 6 print!
Another
type of close-up photography is photomicrography, or taking
pictures through the microscope. Here's a pictures of a
moth scale (that powdery stuff on moths and butterflies).
The RR for the single moth scale image was approximately
1000:1!
For our purposes, perhaps we can put away the measuring
stick and just say that macro—or more
properly--close-up
photography simply means taking pictures of tiny things or
pictures of parts of big things like the inside of this
orchid (captured at 1:2 and printed to approximate
2:1).
As you can see, we could get so wrapped up in defining and
clarifying our reproduction ratios that we wouldn’t have
time to take pictures!
So, unless you are shooting for
scientific or forensic purposes (in which case you should
include a measuring scale IN
your photograph!), we’ll just concentrate on taking good
close-up images.
To view
the entire workbook . . . click on the
image.
