Extreme Close-Up

A detail: eyes, hands, a drop of liquid.

What it is

The extreme close-up (ECU) isolates a detail so small it becomes abstract: an eye, a fingertip, a gear in a watch. It is the language of product films and of thrillers that want the audience to notice something.

When to use it

Macro lenses and slow motion are its natural partners.

How to prompt it

Say "macro" and "100mm macro lens" - it pushes the model toward shallow focus and texture instead of a generic close-up.

Extreme close-up, 100mm macro, a crystal perfume bottle on black glass, a single drop of golden liquid falling beside it, rim light, slow orbit, slow motion.