This is one of the first fallen leaves I came across in early September on a neighborhood basketball court. The evening sun was hitting is just right to make it stand out and catch my eye.

I used a Zeiss 28mm f2 manual focus lens mounted on a Canon 5D Mark III with the aperture wide open and my lens right at the minimum focus distance for the lens. I love the close-up with context view that shooting very close with a wide angle lens provides, and ever since I experimented with this technique, the minimum focus distance is probably the first spec that I look at whenever I’m considering a new lens. The usual alternative of using a macro lens for close-up work can also yield really great photos, but they are completely different than a close up with a wide angle. There is no context with a macro lens… it’s all about the detail of the object being captured. A close-up with a wide angle creates a story though, and that’s what I love about the technique.

This image came out of the camera with a very 3D look at feel that I loved as soon as the shot appeared on my screen, and it’s the photo that started me down the path of trying to perfect the “close-up with context” view.

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