Nature’s wonders are all around us—if we look closely. Photographers are discoverers; we notice things that most people don’t. When these common yet wondrous views are presented in our work, we photographers prove our value. Make this talent your asset. Use it in stock photos to boost the appeal of your portfolio.
“Photographers are discoverers; we notice things that most people don’t.”
The wonder of nature comes in all sizes. The small ones, in particular, are easily ignored by the unobservant. The snails in images 5–1 and 5–2 appeared on my back door after a night’s rain—and they are perfect examples of the little wonders we can discover if we look closely enough.
Best of all, a cell phone is actually a great device for capturing images of them. With its very close focusing distance and tiny sensor, a cell phone can be a powerful tool for macrophotography—the photography of small objects. On my Samsung S5, a 
-inch snail can fill the frame. I closed the blinds to simplify the background, while still putting the creature in the context of the human domain. With close-range focusing, the depth of field is shallow, so make sure your hands are steady. Hold your breath when pressing the shutter and “shotgun” several images to ensure you have one that is sharp. It’s better to have many images as candidates.
Image 5–1.
Image 5–2.
Open and closed compositions differ in their use of negative (open) space. Closed compositions have negative space at the margins. For example, the snail in image 5–2 is clearly having a solo show; it is shown completely and has a wide margin of negative space around it. This is a closed composition, which is more traditional and easy for designers to incorporate into their projects. On the other hand, image 5–4 (next page) has a open composition. This close-up of the succulent emphasizes the repetitive pattern and the intricate details of the plant. Therefore, using an open composition not only reigned in the viewer’s concentration, it also sidestepped the problem of how the background might fit into the composition.
Image 5–3. KEYWORDS: desert; desert plant; fat plant; gardening; garden; plant; succulent
Image 5–4. KEYWORDS: Crassulaceae; desert; desert plant; fat plant; gardening; garden; hen-and-biddies; hen-and-chickens; hens and chicks; plant; succulent
Image 5–5. KEYWORDS: lamb’s ear; plant; Stachys byzantina; Stachys lanata; Stachys olympica
Image 5–6. KEYWORDS: calla lily; flowering plant; garden; herbaceous; plant; Zantedeschia elliottiana
My sister’s little garden has lots of fun-looking succulents and cacti. Images 5–3 through 5–8 are some of the shots I took there. Getting closer is one simple tip for photographing these tiny flora. Once the whole plant, or a group of plants, fills the frame, they become universes of their own—with fine details and fascinating patterns.
Image 5–7. KEYWORDS: desert; desert plant; fat plant; gardening; garden; plant; succulent
Image 5–8. KEYWORDS: desert; desert plant; dwarf succulent; fat plant; gardening; garden; Karoo rose; Lapidaria margaretae; plant
Images 5–9 and 5–10 are so different and so similar at the same time. Their similarity lies in the revelation of curious subjects; their difference lies in the capturing process. The image of the pine cone was a planned composition, whereas capturing the image of the bird trainer required a photographer’s quick reflexes to act when a great composition presented itself for a brief moment. When you capture an image that shows a person’s face, don’t forget to approach them with a model release form in your hand—and ask nicely.
Image 5–9. KEYWORDS: California drought; drought; dry; grass; hand; lake; pine cone; plant; reservoir; trees
Image 5–10. KEYWORDS: animal trainer; beak; bird; bird of prey; eagle; falconry; glove; hawk; raptor; talon; trainer; wing; wingspan
Image 5–11. KEYWORDS: ancestor; bone; dolphin; fetus; fossil; Jurassic; paleontology; rib; spine; steneosaurus; stenopterygius quadriscissus; unborn
Image 5–12. KEYWORDS: ancestor; bone; crocodile; fossil; paleontology; spine; steneosaurus
Image 5–13. KEYWORDS: arthropods; Devonian; exoskeleton; fossil; ordovician; paleontology; Redlichilda; trilobite
Fossils of animals that died millions of years ago are fascinating. Images 5–11 through 5–13 are a few examples that showcase the details. These close-up shots emphasize the skeletal structures of the trilobite, crocodile, and ancient dolphin.
Image 5–14. KEYWORDS: alligator; Alligatoridae; crocodilian; fish; Forth Worth Zoo; reptile; river; swamp; Texas; Texas alligator; zoo
Images at zoos are seldom satisfactory. The distance to the animal, the fence, the crowd, and the man-made structures are not our allies. Images 5–14 and 5–15 reflect a rare opportunity I was able to capture with my cell phone. This alligator rested near a window and was lit by soft morning light, showing off the details of its scales and its streamlined body. The fish around it add depth and variety. Utilizing my Samsung S5’s zoom feature, I provided two composition choices.
Help Your Cell Phone Camera to Focus
Both the Samsung S5 and iPhone 6 do good jobs of focusing. Both models allow the photographer to tap on an area of the screen to focus, too. This technique is called selective focus. Interestingly, it comes more naturally on a cell phone camera than on a DSLR—where you have to switch out of the default focusing mode and use either a four-way switch (Nikon) or a wheel (Canon) to designate the focusing point manually.
Thanks to the super-large live preview on cell phone cameras, and the way the camera is held, tapping a spot on the screen makes setting the selective focus an ergonomic, intuitive, and user-friendly operation. The super-large preview also enables you to photograph at ease from all angles.
Image 5–15. KEYWORDS: alligator; Alligatoridae; crocodilian; fish; Forth Worth Zoo; reptile; river; swamp; Texas; Texas alligator; zoo