To obtain a clear understanding of what constitutes close-up photography, one must understand how it is defined. Contrary to its name, the distance from the camera to the subject does not accurately define the level of close-up photography. Instead, the subject to film magnification rate, often expressed as a ratio, provides the best definition. This ratio compares the subject’s actual size to the size of the subject captured on film. The term ‘film’ refers to either the negative or slide in the camera when the photograph is taken. This ratio does not refer to the size of the subject on a developed print or a projected slide, which is irrelevant. When the size of a subject’s image captured on film is equivalent to the subject’s actual size, the magnification rate is 1:1, or life size. For example, if a small coin were photographed at a 1:1 magnification rate, the actual coin would be the same size as the image of the coin on the negative or slide. When the size captured on film is one-half the actual size, the rate is 1:2. In this example the actual coin would be twice as large as the image of the coin on the film. One-fourth actual size is 1:4, and so on. While there is no official cutoff for close-up photography, remember that the subject to film magnification rate provides the most accurate definition.