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Creative Close-Ups: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques
The essential guide for digital macro photographers everywhereThe art of macro photography-photographing small objects or super close-ups of small sections of big objects-yields fascinating results, but shooting at this level brings its own set
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
49 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Harold Davis
163 books14 followersHarold Davis is widely recognized as a leading contemporary photographer and artist. He is also the author of more than 30 books, including Creating HDR Photos: The Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Photography from Amphoto/Random House and Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis which is published by Focal Press, and has been called "one of the most beautiful books ever created."
Harold Davis believes that advances in the technology and craft of digital photography have created an entirely new art form. Trained as a classical photographer and painter, his photographic images are made using special HDR (High Dynamic Range) capture techniques that extend the range of visual information beyond what the eye can normally see.
Davis creates and processes his images using wide-gamut and alternative digital methods that he has invented. His techniques combine the craft of photography with the skills of a painter.
Photographic adventures and assignments have taken him across the Brooks Range, the northernmost mountains in Alaska. He has photographed the World Trade Towers, hanging out of a small plane, followed in the footsteps of Seneca Ray Stoddard, a 19th-century photographer of the Adirondacks, and created human interest photo stories about the residents of Love Canal, an environmental disaster area.
Harold is well-known for his night photography and experimental ultra-long exposure techniques, use of vibrant, saturated colors in landscape compositions, and beautiful creative floral imagery.
He makes his over-sized original prints on unusual substrates such as pearlized metallic and washi rice papers. Davis states, "I believe that nothing like my prints has ever been seen before. They simply could not have been created until recently. I've been able to innovate in a domain where many techniques and crafts have come together for the first time. My prints are made meticulously, and have a 200-year archival rating for ink and paper if they are handled properly.
Harold Davis believes that advances in the technology and craft of digital photography have created an entirely new art form. Trained as a classical photographer and painter, his photographic images are made using special HDR (High Dynamic Range) capture techniques that extend the range of visual information beyond what the eye can normally see.
Davis creates and processes his images using wide-gamut and alternative digital methods that he has invented. His techniques combine the craft of photography with the skills of a painter.
Photographic adventures and assignments have taken him across the Brooks Range, the northernmost mountains in Alaska. He has photographed the World Trade Towers, hanging out of a small plane, followed in the footsteps of Seneca Ray Stoddard, a 19th-century photographer of the Adirondacks, and created human interest photo stories about the residents of Love Canal, an environmental disaster area.
Harold is well-known for his night photography and experimental ultra-long exposure techniques, use of vibrant, saturated colors in landscape compositions, and beautiful creative floral imagery.
He makes his over-sized original prints on unusual substrates such as pearlized metallic and washi rice papers. Davis states, "I believe that nothing like my prints has ever been seen before. They simply could not have been created until recently. I've been able to innovate in a domain where many techniques and crafts have come together for the first time. My prints are made meticulously, and have a 200-year archival rating for ink and paper if they are handled properly.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 12, 2011
Content-wise, I found this book to be very readable, with a strong dose of common sense and good old fashioned plain talk. The author provides a clear description of how to set up close-up shots, and the equipment needed to carry them off.
The book's physical layout was a different matter altogether.
I wanted to give it a higher mark, but was torn about it. Mostly this was due to a pet-peeve that I have about books on photography that are printed with a disregard for the integrity of the photos included therein. Many of Davis' best shots were spread across two pages, often in divisions that appeared to have no systematic approach to how much of a photo was on one page, and how much would consequently be left to show up on the adjacent leaf. The apparent conservation of space and poor use of the medium was unfair to the reader/viewer. A sad way to exhibit good art.
The book's physical layout was a different matter altogether.
I wanted to give it a higher mark, but was torn about it. Mostly this was due to a pet-peeve that I have about books on photography that are printed with a disregard for the integrity of the photos included therein. Many of Davis' best shots were spread across two pages, often in divisions that appeared to have no systematic approach to how much of a photo was on one page, and how much would consequently be left to show up on the adjacent leaf. The apparent conservation of space and poor use of the medium was unfair to the reader/viewer. A sad way to exhibit good art.
March 23, 2020
Interesting read. Outlines tricks and techniques for unusual results in closeup and macro photography.
September 1, 2025
Clear and lucid instructions and well illustrated with the author's photographs
August 4, 2013
To sum this book up, it's about basic photography macro photography techniques, flower photography, and still life. The author touched on some advanced techniques, but not enough to my liking. I guess I was looking more for tips on bug photography which isn't present in this book. There was a lengthy still life section which felt out of place. If you're interested in still life, you'd be better served with a book like "Light Science and Magic". I guess it's an ok book if you're new to photography and don't know anything about macro. For me, I didn't learn very much.
August 13, 2012
About 50-50 mix of how-to versus how-I-did-it photos. Some people look at that approach as too much showing off of the author's stuff. I think it breaks up the instructional description with practical application we can use as a start point for our own variations.
I also like the fact that the book promoted the idea that you don't need a lot of expensive equipment, although it is described if you decide to put that kind of resources into it.
I also like the fact that the book promoted the idea that you don't need a lot of expensive equipment, although it is described if you decide to put that kind of resources into it.
October 16, 2013
Solid intro to close up photography for beginners to intermediate. A good amount of overlap in image content with his Creative Compositions book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews