Small detail photography: there’s a whole new world out there

Why do so many photographers concentrate on the larger composition?

There is so much interest and beauty in the small things which are passed over by many photographers. Our sense of scale changes as well. Don’t you love those images that mess with our senses because we have no way of working out how big something actually is? Or where a tiny bud, a weed or piece of litter is suddenly given huge prominence in the frame?

Ignoring detail means losing out on so much potential for our photography. There is such a rich source of unusual subject matter within detail. And it helps us see in new ways, to appreciate light, texture and background to a much greater depth than if we look at a wider scene. I can’t help feeling that the further away we stand from our subject then the further apart our relationship is with the subject.

Here are some ways to approach small detail photography:

Spend time with your subject

The more time you spend in front of a detail before making the image, the more you will create a relationship with it, appreciate it and see new ways of celebrating it. You will also begin to see the detail within the detail: the way the light falls on it, how the subject changes when you move around it. You will begin to see all the elements that make it special that you may have missed when you first started looking at it.

Consider its relationship with light

Small detail photography does not require perfect weather! The drop of rain on a leaf can make the image. Often flat light works really well for us to appreciate a subject. But equally the harsh shadows of the midday sun can create some dramatic compositions. Many of these conditions would be deemed as completely unsuitable by a lot of more traditional photographers. But we can make the most of any weather or light when we immerse ourselves in small detail photography.

Use peripheral vision

Peripheral vision is often how we notice an interesting small detail in the first place. Something catches our notice out of the corner of our eye. It flickers in and out of our vision. But, because our peripheral vision has rested on it, if only for a brief moment, it means that it is worth spending time with it.

Often, when I am on a walk, I will stop to make an image. I did not set out on the walk with the intention of photographing this subject. Typically, it is nothing unusual. It is just something that has caught my eye.

Once, when walking in the Lake District, I saw some beautiful weeds in a bog. They were not in my direct vision. Nor did they lie across the path I was taking. Instead, they lay to one side of where I was heading. It was only my peripheral vision that allowed me to see, notice and appreciate what lay outside my normal field of vision. It was enough to make me stop and look at them in more detail. And to enjoy spending some time making images of them.

Small detail photography means you are never short of a subject

No matter where you are, once you are tuned in to small detail, you can always see something that is worth making an image of. It may be an item in the room you are in that you choose to isolate and celebrate. It might be a weed or a piece of litter. These can become strangely appealing. Or you may find an interesting abstract in the texture of a wall or a tree.

With small detail photography, our relationship with photography changes

We are able to produce a different sort of image. It might be a quieter image. But it is also one that says more and lets the viewer share the personal experience of the photographer. The image of the Lake District weeds in this blog does not make a dramatic statement. It is an image of a small detail. The image isn’t shouting for attention. But it does say a lot about how I see the world. I hope that is communicated to the viewer. And I think that it leaves space for reflection in the way that a more impressive traditional subject sometimes does not.

This is one of the themes explored more fully in my book A Deeper Way Of Seeing. Find out more and purchase your copy here:

https://theworldofmattparker.com/products/a-deeper-way-of-seeing