Indoor Close-Up Photography Tips

If the weather takes a turn for the worse, and you don't want to get wet, then why not have a go at some close-up photography indoors? This type of photography is great for a rainy day, and doesn't require any specialist equipment. 

Overcast days are ideal for indoor close up photography as the light will be well diffused by the clouds, making it softer, meaning less harsh shadows will be formed. Set up near a window, preferably with a table covered in a plain cloth to place your objects on. 

A dedicated macro lens, such as the Pentax-D FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR will be ideal, and scored a fantastic 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review. This will allow you to get in nice and close yo your subject, whilst still using a relatively small aperture to keep everything in focus, if this is the look you're going for. 
 

Use a reflector for more even light

A reflector will come in handy for objects that have a large depth. Place the reflector, which can be as simple as a piece of card with some tin foil wrapped around it, at the dark side of the object to get rid of any harsh shadows. You'll need to move the reflector around to get the best results, so a table top tripod or beanbag will be handy to keep the camera still while you experiment with getting the best light.  

• If you still find the light to be a little too harsh, then try putting a neutral coloured piece of muslin or netting over the window to diffuse it more. 
• If you're shooting at night, or can't get to a window to take your shots, using room lighting is fine, but make sure there isn't a colour cast on the image. Set the white balance manually to tungsten or fluorescent if you have issues.

Eliminate reflections

Reflections can be an issue when photographing shiny objects, so if you can try to photograph them in a plain coloured room. Another option is to create a cone out of a couple of pieces of A4 paper, with a hole in the top just big enough to poke your camera through. This, when attached to the front of your camera, will minimise the amount of the room that's reflected in your object. This works well for small shiny things.