Category Archives: Macro

The Latest eBook from David DuChemin’s Craft & Vision: Up Close, by Andrew S. Gibson

Almost anyone who follows this blog knows how much I love macro and closeup photography. I’ve been doing it for years. Going all the way back to the days of film and manual cameras, I’ve done closeup photography using closeup lenses, macro lenses, and extension tubes. Closeup and macro photography – all kinds, but especially flowers, fascinates and intrigues me, and challenges me as well. Over the years, I’ve seen and read many books on the subject. No book has interested me more than the latest ebook from Craft And Vision, Up Close: A Guide to Macro and Close Up Photography, by Andrew S. Gibson.

You can spend a fortune on macro lenses, but you don’t have to. Macro photography can be surprisingly affordable, and Gibson discusses all the different approaches in depth, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each. Moreover, Gibson doesn’t just discuss equipment or theory but gets into practical techniques for doing closeup photography in different settings. As much closeup phiotography as I’ve done, I learned a great deal from Gibson’s book. He explains differences in magnification – and the effect of DX vs full-format cameras – better than any I’ve read. And there is a wealth of glorious beautiful closeup photography to admire.

Photograph by Andrew S. Gibson

After an Introduction and chapters on Equipment and Technique, Gibson discusses fully something most books gloss over but is critical to closeup and macro phgotography – Lighting. Again, he goes over the available equipment but also explains methods and techniques of different approaches.

Finally, the book concludes with something I wish more photography books included: Two in-depth case studies – Many lovely photographs and commentary by two other photographers specializing in closeup photography, Mandy Disher, who photographs insects and flowers, and Celine Steen, who does food photography.  Throughout, the style is conversational while quite informative. This book is like a private seminar on closeup photography with three expert practitioners of the craft.

Photograph by Mandy Disher

Photograph by Mandy Disher

Photograph by Celine Steen

As I said, this is one of the best books on macro and closeup photography I’ve read. It’s quite suitable for both beginners and experienced photographers. Up Close may be the best ebook to come from Craft & Vision. 88 pages. PDF ebook, available from Craft and Vision for the ridiculous price of $5!

BUT, for the first six days only, if you use the promotional code CLOSE4 when you checkout, you can have the PDF version of Up Close for only $4 OR you can use the code CLOSE20 to get 20% off when you buy 5+ PDF eBooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm (PST) June 24, 2012.

Click here to visit Craft And Vision.