Little details matter

September 22, 2024  •  Leave a Comment

What makes one photograph better than another? What is the difference between a good image and a great one? In macro photography that can all come down to little details. Details matter. Look at these two images for comparison.

These two images were taken during the same session at a garden. Which one do you prefer? Do you know why you prefer one over the other? At first glance I prefer the top one because the bee seems slightly bigger in the frame and is therefore slightly more impactful. But the more I look at both of these images, the more I start to favor the bottom one. Why? It all comes down to the details.

          In the first image the bee's face merges with its right front leg. It is difficult to figure out what is what. The profile is more confused because of this. In the second image, the leg and face are separated. The profile is not confusing. To me, it just makes for a more pleasing image. Things like these are small details, but they make a huge difference. Such details tend to be out of our control. That is why I shoot macro images at ten frames per second. I shoot in short bursts, precisely because I want a sequence of images to choose from. There will be little details that can make a huge difference. These details cannot be edited in or out later. When you cull your image haul from a shoot, make sure to pay attention to little details.


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