Macro Photography Photo Workshop

Chapter 4. THE MACRO IN EVERYDAY OBJECTS

A Different Way of Looking at the World

Action Macro Photography

Photographing Shiny Objects

To me, one of the strongest appeals of macro photography is the fact that even the most mundane items can become works of intricate art. You and I live in a world in which stereotypes are completely necessary, where a single glance is expected to tell you everything you need to know about a place, an item, or even a person. People don't often have the time or inclination to go in for a second look, to explore the world more closely, and to ask questions.

By using macro photography, you have a tool to change all that. The kitchen chair you've sat on every day during the past five years can be an opulent patchwork of wood grain, tiny scratches, and old, weathered red-wine stains. The handsaw you've used for some do-it-yourself projects on your house is a collage of textures, materials, shapes, and colors. Even your fruit basket is a collection of weird and awe-inspiring colors, textures, shapes, and potential excitement. Just when you finish indoors, there's the big outdoors to explore. Who would have thought that a fence in winter could be a study in intricacy? Check out 4-1 if you have any doubt.

Armed only with a camera, a lens, a brain full of photography knowledge, and this book as a cheat sheet, you can transform the ordinary items around you into works of creative and inspired expression. Life is short, art is long — get cracking.

Figure 4.1. ABOUT ...