Closeup: Dog fur

I seem to like to get up close on things. This isn’t by design or some great forethought, it’s more something that appeals to me.

If I step back and look at things more analytically, I think there are good reasons why extreme closeups make for interesting photos.

First, and perhaps most obvious, is it takes something perhaps mundane, and cast it in a new light. I could have taken just another photo of my dog, which would have been cute, but would have been just another dog picture (Can I ever say a photo of my dog is just another do picture, though? He’s just so cute.). By getting up close, the viewer is presented with the dog in a way they wouldn’t normally see it.

This also cast the subject in a different light. I’ve gotten so close, there’s something of a sad quality to this photo. There’s not really anything sad about my pup. He’s pretty happy. But the photo seems to say something else. Moving in close creates intimacy. That intimacy can arouse all sorts of emotions in the viewer.

Another good reason for me, is getting close brings out the patterns on the subject. You can see the curves and patterns of the dog’s fur, flowing, almost moving, across his face.

Finally, getting close challenges the viewer. Since the viewer doesn’t see the entire subject, the viewer has to complete the scene themselves. They have to figure out what they’re looking at.

And those are just some of the reasons I like extreme closeups, but that’s really just the analytical side. As I said, I’m really just drawn to them.