When I look at a photograph, the first thing that typically draws me in is the details. I feel like they tell the biggest story and I'm always attempting to capture these storytelling details in both my personal and professional work. To me, things like feet, hands, toys, hair, lips, etc... tell SUCH a big story. They tell the "here + now" and these things are so easily replaced by other (or bigger things) over time. 

When you're capturing details, there's a few things to keep in mind! 

1. Get close!

A landscape shot is just not going to give the viewer the same "feel" as a close up shot will. If you are shooting a specific detail, then hone in on it with your camera and click away. Be sure to keep your aperture in mind when shooting details to ensure the detail you want captured is in focus. For the shot above, I wanted to focus on the little flowers my daughter was giving me, while keeping the rest of the image out of focus. By using a wide open aperture (f 1.8), I was able to create quite a bit of depth in my image and make those details pop.  

2. Change your perspective.

Changing the angle you shoot details will change the overall look and feel of your image. A scene shot straight on will look very different than from shooting looking down. I love to shoot looking down onto to my subject and scene and feel like I can capture so many more details from this perspective. Again, keep your aperture in mind when changing perspectives!

3. Get creative with your crops!

I LOVE to crop my photos. I do it all the time in both my personal and professional work to help focus in on a certain detail. Sometimes I will compose my image in camera creatively, and other times I will crop creatively in post-processing. Either way works and will give you a fun and different view point! A unique crop makes for even more emphasis on the detail at hand because it visually draws the viewers attention to a certain aspect of the image! 

It's all in the details!! Keep these tips in mind the next time your capturing a certain scene and see if you can creatively photograph those small details!