my Journey in DSLR Photography

Cameras: Want or Need?

2013-01-19T05:59:00.001-08:00

English: Cameras from Large to Small, Film to Digital. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

19-Jan-2013

For so long a time, I have not been reading any article about cameras, or even posting articles to my blogs. But today, I came to open dpreview.com page, just to glance on what's the latest news.

Right on time, today's article was something about the review of cameras, raising the question behind the acquisitioin of a camera unit: is it a want or need?

To defend myself, I would immediately say, "Mine is need". However, I would have to be honest about this. I desired to have the D4, even at a time when my photography skill isn't yet at a level I can be proud of, but because the camera's specs was better than what I now have, an entry-level's unit: D5000.

But when I happen to talk to a fellow photographer, a beginner just like me, he'd say, "Yeah, yeah," most of the time, but at the end, asked a rhetoric question: "But why would you need a 16MB picture file size, if you would just be uploading them to Flickr?"

True enough, sometimes I vascilate between want and need, especially that these are sometimes not cheap. But one thing is sure: when I have the extra money, I'm buying a ew Yamaha or Casio keyboard, something that i can use to teach my kids something else other than photography.

Still an art, but a different kind of expression.

As for the article, here it is: Do we value cameras as tools or objects?

Nikon D4

2012-01-06T15:06:00.001-08:00

Image by louisvolant via FlickrImage by louisvolant via FlickrImage by louisvolant via FlickrImage by louisvolant via Flickr07-Jan-2012

I have been recently watching the news over at DPReview.com, and I saw that Nikon D4 is coming up. I went to read the review, and I might just have seen my next dSLR camera: the Nikon D4!

It is called by Nikon as 'the multimedia dSLR', and that's because of its improved and enhanced video capability, one of its many attractions, not to mention its 16MP sensor. And, it is a full-frame camera!

Anyway, not to say more lest I make things worse by doing so, here's the article from DPReview.com: Nikon D4 overview.

Happy shooting.

Till then!

It's 2012, and what has been in my photography journey

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001-08:00

Image via Wikipedia03-Jan-2012

For so long a time that I haven't posted, here's a quick update, as much as I can remember:

Dec-2012, I attended a basic photography workshop, provided for free by NTUC, which I am a member of, and as it turned out, it isn't so basic after all. And many of the attendants aren't starters as well. Just to see what is offered, and to see what can be offered afterwards.

Of course, there are those participants who really are beginners, and since the topic, the discussions, as far as I can tell, is somewhere between beginner-intermediate to intermediate-advance, many are lost!

But it still is a good offering, and while it was drizzling when the class ended, which signalled the start of hands-on, snapping pictures here and there and applying what has been taught, we waited a while, some of us, not all, and the rest, well, they just went on their way, perhaps to practice on their own.

One of the not-so-beginner attendees has been doing photography for the last 8 years or so, and he was showing his 'works', using his iPhone, which are all stored online through Flickr. That got me into creating my own profile in Flickr, which I have known for some time already, but never bothered to see what's in there... but now I do.

You see, as much as I can tell, I like doing nature photography, so I should be getting a macro lens. I like leaves and flowers, and I am getting better learning to use the tripod for a clear and sharp photographs of small objects, using my 55-200mm lens zoomed out all the way, so they appear bigger and closer to the naked eye, especially when viewed on the computer.

Then, I did the photoshoot of our department's Christmas party 2 weeks after the photography workshop, and I can tell that I have to improve on my skills for snapping moving objects, moving people, candid shots, 'live' pictures.

And I go about asking people on how they take this kind of photograph, what setting, etc., and not just reading books. I now freely take my camera out, and snap pictures here and there, and I don't limit myself to using the dSLR anymore, but I snap pictures using my handphone as well. There's a wealth of resources out in the open for photographers to utilize nowadays, not just the 'official' camera units we call dSLRs, be they entry-level, mid-level or pro-level. But there's always the good and bad to it.

Anyway, what got me even more snapping pictures is when the second batch of photos i uploaded to Flickr got the attention of one professional photographer. Sure, it's not actually a price-winning photograph, but it one that is candid, and one that tells me there's the right frame at the right time, at the right setting, and it doesn't have to be a professional or seasoned photographer, just a willing individual who takes the camera out and snaps pictures - and not stopping afterwards to rest on his 'laurels' - but continues on - to his journey in photography.

Till then!

iPhone 5 might kill DSLR cameras

2011-05-02T22:44:00.001-07:00

Image by Witer via FlickrWill this be true?
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iPhone 5 might kill point-and-shoot cameras “more,” iPhone 4 now becoming the most popular camera device according to Flickr.

April 19, 2011 By Carlo Diokno

According to a report posted by NY Times, iPhone 4 is now becoming the most popular camera device based on the data published by Yahoo’s popular photo sharing site Flickr. iPhone 4, which is currently the latest generation of the popular smartphone brand by Apple, is quickly becoming the number 1 camera of Flickr users, slightly behind the number 1 camera, the DSLR camera from Nikon, the D90 with 12.3 Megapixels camera quality.

Apparently, iPhone 4 is a smartphone, while the Nikon D90 is a DSLR. But smartphones today are quickly becoming the first choice of the public when it comes to shooting photos and videos because it’s portable and easy to use. Plus, smartphone manufacturers are now trying their very best to give the customers a much more powerful photo and video capturing software and hardware, aside from the fact that Apple’s app store features a lot of “camera apps.”

Speaking of powerful photo and video capturing, Apple’s “still good as a rumor” iPhone 5 might feature a better camera quality of 8 megapixel, according to latest rumors talking about the iPhone 5′s camera sensor. If this rumor is true, then expect to see the iPhone’s camera market share climbing even higher.

Aside from the iPhone, Android smartphones are also expected to deliver quality video and still shots courtesy of improved camera sensors. Samsung’s Galaxy S2 and HTC Thunderbolt are some of the new phones that have positive camera quality reviews.

Taken from popherald.com; source article is below:
iPhone 5 might kill DSLR cameras, iPhone becoming the most popular Flickr camera

Stock Photography Journey - The Beginning

2011-01-19T00:15:00.001-08:00

Image by Carlos Lorenzo via Flickr

January 2011.

I'm getting into Stock Photography

I've been always on the lookout for ways to augment my income, and I have tried Google AdSense in my blogs - quite numerous than my 10 fingers, but unfortunately, these are not giving me the expected amount of support, or maybe not yet.

And with my interest in photography, I thought, 'why not sell my photographs?'

Thus, my experimentation in stock photography began.

As an amateur photographer, it seems that I am doomed to fail. A beginner photographer trying hand in stock photography - isn't that a recipe for failure?

But I'm not about to give up, no, not easily.

And I think this is one event in my life that I want to chronicle, if I can call it that.

First things first.

Gear

I have actually signed up to 2 agencies, and while one will review the photographs once submitted, the other agency requires submitting photographs prior to being accepted as an agent.

So my journey begins.

I made it through quickly with one of the agencies, so I expected to be accepted just as quickly with the other. Wrong. 3 photos were needed, so I quickly picked some of the ‘best’ photos that I keep in my work PC (since I run through the online application while at work… on some slack time, of course).

And I was immediately rejected!

I was given 3 days to upload fresh pictures, with the reminder clause ‘impress us’, which means be your best, give your best, don’t just snap pictures, but compose and shoot a great photo – hey, this is stock photography, you know!

I went back to my camera, and got some of the ‘better’ photos that I can upload. I thought I did pick the ‘better’ photos, but again, I was rejected!

My hopes are still high.

And so while the ‘cool-off’ period is on, I made a round at the local store where I bought my DSLR last year, and thought of canvassing prices for macro lenses. It’s not within my (financial) reach at the moment, but I better know what I am dealing with, I mean, how much I am dealing with, and how much I am dealing with, how much to fork out when I really needed to buy my first macro lens. It is always with high hopes that it won’t burn a hole in my shallow pocket.

So that I did. I roughly now have an idea of how much it will cost. And I’m not buying yet.

Knowledge

I may not know what I am getting into, and I am having doubts as to what really it is that I know about stock photography. So again, on some slack times during my work, I searched the web for some tips on basic home studio, having white seamless background at home, lighting, etc., etc. I found some, but favor 2 of them:

1. Studio Lighting - Really cheap homemade diy studio - no lighting needed

2. Diffusers & Reflectors

I was actually laughing a bit, in that, what I thought of using, an A4 paper, was what the author suggested as a starter. One reader commented that you have to do some tweaking, which is to make sure that your camera’s white balance is able to compensate for the whiteness, or better yet, non-whiteness of the A4 paper you use for your seamless white background. Check out these 2 sites and learn from the author and the readers’ invaluable views.

Then there is one other aspect of stock photography, the commercial part, which will be the more important area to deal with.

What is stock photography?

I came through one site that talks about Stock Photography, and I believe I have gleaned at least one grain of good knowledge that I can make use of, planted in my questioning mind, and given the proper watering and sun and nurture, will be a good start to a good growth and yield in stock photography. Again, this is one site, and there are many others that are equally good, but this is what I found first, and it makes sense to me, since the author is a stock photography expert – so far as what he says is concerned. If what he talks about makes me a stock photography expert as well, then it must be true!

I still stand corrected, so here is the website. See if you can check out and balance the equation. I am open to suggestions and comments here. I’m all ears on this part.

Are Your Stock Photos Selling? -- The Problem with Most Stock Photos

I have learned that stock photography is speaking a bit of a different language, and while it is still about photography, the word ‘stock’ before it draws a big cut between ordinary photography and stock photography.

I will summarize what I have learned, primarily from that website:

Stock photography is about QUALITY, not quantity.

When you think of stock photography, think of HOW you photograph, and less of WHAT you photograph. And think of the competition. Browse the agency’s list of submitted photos, available for download, and see how they are done. While doing that, you will see whether or not these many, many photos already available. While learning from others, you should also be asking yourself, ‘Do I want to compete in this area?’ And if yes, then go ahead and produce, quality, competitive photographs!

Stock Photography is about SIMPLICITY, stripped of complexities, and unambiguous message.

Don’t clutter up your photographs. Think of how your photo will be used by the designer. Put yourself in the designer’s shoes, and that will greatly impact your style of photography, and how you select and compose your subjects. As in most cases, this is easier said than done, but with practice, only time will tell when every shot is a money shot. When taking photos for stock photography, think, what is my photo telling me? What message can it convey? Again, it may not be necessarily a breathtaking picture. It just has to be a usable picture that conveys a message univocally, without distraction.

Stock photography is still about photographing for others.

It used to be ‘by assignment’ – you are told to photograph a certain subject and object, or an event, and whatever the editor or designer or whoever hired you likes, that is what they pay for.

Things have changed – tremendously.

Higher demands. Saving money. These are what basically conceived the idea for stock photography. Then internet. It became a global contribution and a global competition. But that should not deter you from being a stock photography agent. Be one. An expert.

I’ve picked up what the Stock Photo Expert said from his website about some aspects of your photographs that customers may look for:

· clean, crisp images

· a very clear message

· visually appealing images

· proper diffused lighting

· uncluttered backgrounds

Stock photography is about your creativity.

Following everything in the stock agency’s rules and guidelines will make you succeed in creating a ‘generic’ stock photography item. That will get your photos accepted for sale. If you take the other half, YOUR creativity, and put them together, you get an exceptional stock photography material that isn’t simply accepted by the agency and put it up for sale, but it will be a material that is highly accepted and sought after. That is what will bring in the money!

I didn’t realize it, but coming to the bottom of the page, I saw that the author was selling something that promises to teach you to becoming a stock photography expert. I should say that I am not ready for that, and even when I am, the public library is just nearby, and I am very sure that with their vast collection of references an reading materials, I will surely find something on stock photography. And even when I don’t the web is still a wide, wide place to fish for stock photography tips and tricks.

I’ll end here, and I will come back to my post from time to time and gauge my progress in stock photography.

Till then!

A Good dSLR Photography Site

2011-01-02T18:56:00.001-08:00

Image via WikipediaI found one good site to learn and share dSLR photography. No, I have not reached a level where I can be proud of my shots at every push of the button. In fact, I am still switching a lot between the auto (preset) modes and manual mode, comparing and studying and re-shooting at different angles and settings now and then, but for me, since photography is one area that I can say is quite subjective and very personal, that is how I learn.

And with that, i want to introduce to you the dSLR website that I know is good, one look, and the photos and tutorials and all others will be of help to you as well, as it is to me, in our dSLR Photography journey.

Enjoy!

Base Digital Photography

A few more days...

2010-11-17T18:42:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, after the rain, while the sun hasn't set, we went over to the new flat to see how the renovation is progressing.

The floor tiles have already been laid down and done, as well as the master bedroom toilet tiles. And that is after the removal of the old bathtub was removed, which necessitated the removal of the remaining floor tiles and wall tiles, which required hacking. But that is all done now.

While in the rented flat, I've been able to use only my Samsung Omnia II phone to take pictures of the views presented to me now and then. And so, while not quite dramatic, the essence is still there. I have a picture of the sunrise, and a picture of the sunset. Some that I've taken are blur, but I managed to get quite clear takes.

I have also the morning sun in red, when the haze from Indonesia blanketed Singapore, the recent haze I mean.

So here they are, and hopefully, while I'm not able to use my dSLR, that doesn't stop me from taking photos.

What has been in my photography journey

2010-10-28T02:03:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaAlmost a year past, and I ask myself, where am I now in my photography journey?

I've read a ton of books. After finishing about 5, I find that most of the books are discussing simply the same idea 99%. The 1% difference is the individuality of the authors - and this is but the cream of the written word. And for most authors, they are sharing their skills and experience in the hope that you can also become like one of them. Of course I mean to say that you become like one of them in their level of photography. For some other authors, they just go through the yaadah-yaadah part of their photographs, their techniques, etc., etc., but none of their skills that can be acquired by the reader - in time. And photography being such an individualistic art, or should I say, a very subjective display of talent, I would tend to question those who would not want to share their talent to others - for they can never be copied or replaced - they are their own photographer, and you are your own. for even though the techniques are the same, it is your individuality and uniqueness that shows in your photographs. That is all the essence then, and is now, and will be.

I've not been into a park or mountain or cliff, or any grand photograph site for that matter. However, I have not limited my photography to the use of my DSLR. I also use my cell phone whenever opportunity is presented. Like the recent haze here in Singapore, where the sun was in orange. What can I say, as advocated by more than 1 author, a photographer has to come out of being a simple phot-taker, snapping the ordinary, photographing the obvious. To set your own mark, you would have to have an eye on the extra-ordinary, or the un-obvious, or the unfamiliar view. And this is done whether or not you are caryying your camera with you.

Keeping my photos, though they are nice or not. One book suggests immeidately deleting your bad photos. The reason presented is to be able to save some space in your SD card or harddisk. Secondly is to not "confuse" your good photos with the bad photos. Thirdly is that when you "showcase" your photos, the list is already edited and the bad ones removed. For some time I followed this advise. Then I thought to myself, why should I? You see, I am one who would like to 'keep' my 'unfortunate' snaps - of course, as a leaning tool. Seeing the shoots that didn't make the mark helps me to focus on my learning - not repeating the same mistake the next time I push the button. Of course, this doesn't happen overnight, but what better way for you to find out how far you've been progressing if you don't have a 'show of it'?

I have subscribed to a digest or a forum. Basically, I signed up to Digital Photography School by Darren Rowse, and I like being in the list. Quite a lot to be learned from fellow photographers, to mention the least. there there are tips and tricks from experienced, or should I say, professional, photographers? Get in the list yourself.

Another group that I signed up to is Digital SLR Guide Newsletter by Chris Roberts. It isn't quite verbose compared to Digital Photography School, but there's a grain of wisdom that can be gleaned from it just the same.

And finally, whatever level of photography you are in, there is always the chance to be yourself in your photographs - something that shouldn't be daunted by the other photographs that you see. keep on snapping and learning, and learning and snapping. Your time will come. And your photos will be on the great wall for others to admire.

Now isn't that something to make you keep on with your photography journey?

A transitionary place

2010-10-10T18:00:00.001-07:00

We sold our flat in Sembawang, and we bought a flat in Woodlands. We have to move out, as the new owners are coming in, but we can’t move in to the new flat yet because the owners of the other flat have not yet moved out, and they actually requested for a 3-week extended stay.

We rented a flat with some others, who are the real tenants.

Anyway, I managed to get a shot of the sunset there with some of the place’s buildings, and this one is clear while the other 2 are not.

So, here it is!

By the way, we are in Woodlands Drive 50 for the next 2 months… at most.

Is it a Digital Camera or a Digital SLR Camera?

2010-06-24T01:39:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

It could be something obvious, but if you didn't know, you would miss it.

I haven't covered this in my posts, and while I wanted to, I'd just link to this post which already expounded on the difference between a Digital Camera (a.k.a. Point-and-Shoot camera) and a Digital SLR Camera.

No to delay further, here it is:
What Is The Difference Between A Digital Camera And A Digital Slr Camera?

Book review: MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE for Commercial Photographers

2010-06-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

I managed to read the book before I returned it to the library, and true enough, as it was mentioned in the preface section, there were a lot of easy-to-understand figures and diagrams on lighting.

What is actually good about this book is that the diagram is presented, and the resulting photograph is also included. gives you both an insight on how to position your light, what direction, what height, how strong (or soft), etc., etc., and it also comes with the picture that will be taken using that particular lighting structure.

Also tells of the different lighting types, and its accessories.

Not much I will say, so that I will leave the rest for the book to tell about itself.

MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE for Commercial Photographers
by Robert Morrissey

Which ISO value do I use?

2010-05-11T01:19:00.001-07:00

Knowing is half the battle, and practicing is the perfection of the skill. With this, read on...
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Which ISO Setting Should I Use?
By Dr. Mark Clayson

What ISO setting should you use for everyday photography?

There is no simple answer, but have a look at the following responses to decide what is best for you:

"I usually use ISO 100, but if I realise I can't hold the camera still I increase the ISO or use a tripod"

"I most usually shoot at ISO 100, 200 and occasionally ISO 400. It annoys me that there is slight noise when I zoom on the PC. In reality you won't see it"

"I start at 100, and work up until I get a reasonable shutter speed that I feel I can cope with"

"I set the camera at 200 in good weather and 400 in bad"

"In bad light I don't go below 400"

"Inside, I start at 400, then go to 800 or more when needed. Outside I start at 100"

"If I tend to get camera shake I increase the ISO till everything is OK"

"In fully automatic mode my camera does this itself"

"I find I use 100 rarely. I prefer to go for a higher ISO to get faster shutter speeds"

So, you can see that the ISO setting is dependent upon the conditions and upon personal preferences. Experiment to find the settings that work best for you.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Article Directory: EzineArticles

From Ezine article directory with the same title:
Which ISO Setting Should I Use?
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What is ISO?

2010-05-11T01:10:00.001-07:00

This is one of the basics of photography. Before the complex matters come, we deal with the basics.

Read on...
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What Exactly Does ISO Mean?
By Can San

The ISO rating was originally a measure of film sensitivity. Films are rated for a certain ISO, this defines the sensitivity of the film to light. A film with a lower ISO number needs more light to make the same image than a film with a higher ISO number.

What does ISO mean in the digital world?

A digital sensor receives light and converts this to colour information for its pixels. It performs best when it receives a certain amount of light, let us call this the base ISO of the camera, for example ISO 100.

The same digital sensor can also work if it receives half the light. So if it operates at ISO 200, the camera will let the sensor have half the light, you can still take pictures, but the colour information coming from the sensor will not be as good. Theoretically there is no limit to how high you can take the ISO on a camera up to, the sensor will still give out image information. However, there are practical limits.

If you let a sensor give out information with less and less light, you are bound to have lower and lower image quality. What a manufacturer then does is to define the lowest acceptable image quality for the camera in question, and then cap the ISO setting at the matching level.

When the ISO is increased, you can take pictures with less light. But your pictures will not look as good as the pictures taken at low ISO's.

If you are shooting in low light at ISO 100, the shutter speed will usually be so low that it is not possible to get a handheld sharp picture. If on the other hand, if you increase the ISO to 800 or 1600, the resulting image quality will be lower, but you will be able to take a sharp handheld picture.

The ISO setting allows you to trade image quality for low light ability.

Visit http://www.notesonphotography.com for more articles like this one.

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What Exactly Does ISO Mean?
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Basic Photography Terms You Should Know

2010-04-28T18:13:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

If there are 3 pillars in photography that you should know, then there are basic photography terms that you should know as well.

Here, the author cites the number as 10, so there are 10 photography terms that you should know, to help you in your SLR photography journey.

Here goes:

10 Photography Terms You Should Know

Terminology is key to any form of photography. Know your terms and what you can do with those functions or features and your photographic world opens up to you. Terms are easy to learn. What is a challenge is to make use of what these terms describe.

Getting to grips with your terminology really frees you up to grow on your photographic journey. It may not seem necessary but join a group of avid photographers and you will soon realise your lack. So let's have a look at my top 10 terms you should know.

1. Aperture

Aperture is the size of the lens opening that determines how much light reaches the digital sensor or film in an SLR camera. It is measured in f-stops ranging from f1.2 to f32.

2. Shutter speed

How fast the shutter opens. It also determines for how long the sensor or film is exposed to the light.

3. ISO

This is the sensitivity to light of a digital sensor or the film in an SLR camera. The higher the ISO, the higher digital noise in a digital image or the grain in a film image.

4. Exposure compensation

When a camera light meter sets the exposure on a camera, it is sometimes not 100% correct. It either overexposes or underexposures. In order to correct this there is a setting called exposure compensation which allows you to change the exposure by stops of a third to half to a full stop.

5. Depth of field

This is the depth of focus of an image. When you look at an image and see the area that is in focus in front of and behind the subject it's called the depth of field. How much of it that is in focus is called either a narrow or wide depth of field. This is controlled by the size of the aperture setting. A small aperture gives a wide depth of field while a large aperture gives a narrow depth of field.

6. F-stops

These are the individual aperture sizes that help control the depth of field and regulate the amount of light that is allowed to reach the sensor or film.

7. Fill in flash

This is a very useful way of filling areas of shadow with flash especially outdoors in the full sunshine when shadows fall across a person's face.

8. Aperture priotity

When set to this setting the camera allows you to choose the aperture while it automatically chooses the correct shutter speed.

9. Shutter priority

This is opposite to the aperture priority. The camera chooses the aperture while allowing you to choose the shutter speed.

10. Rule of thirds

This is one of the basic rules of composition. Imagine a tic-tac-toe or noughts and crosses grid superimposed over the image. Where these lines intersect is where you place your focal point or subject creating a wonderfully balanced image.

Learn these ten terms and the principles, functions or settings they represent and you will dramatically improve your photography.

Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here - http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm.

Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

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10 Photography Terms You Should Know
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Really Basics of DSLR Photography

2010-04-27T02:19:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

If you are a beginner in DSLR Photography, you'll have the dilemma of having a good piece of equipment, and not knowing how to use it. Much less, to play with it!

Not to fret; all hope is not lost.

You already have your camera. The other thing you need is a picture viewer/editor, one that has the function or capability to show the camera settings when the picture was taken. Good candidate: Picasa. Hey, this one is free; just search and download from the web.

OK, so where do we go from here?

Since we are beginners, let us crank that dial on the camera, and use and try and use and try those automatic modes. Let the camera teach you. Let the camera's computer technology guide you.

Set the dial to each automatic mode and take pictures.
Upload the pictures to your computer.
View each picture, and study the values that the camera set for each auto mode.

Based on those data, you may take note of what value the setting was for:

First three are of utmost importance. if you have read a book or two, go back to the book and how it explains on the 3 settings. If you haven't read a book, now is the time to do so.

Study how the 3 settings are used, and when. Basically, analog or digital, SLRs are making use of these 3 settings the most - they are the pillars of creative photography.

Having said that, here's now what I learned:

To control or capture motion, shutter speed priority is the main setting.
To control or define depth of field, aperture priority is the main setting

Enjoy afterward!

Canon EOS 550D DSLR Review

2010-04-25T19:42:00.001-07:00

Canon has now released their latest DSLR camera: the EOS 550D.

Again, main selling point is its 18-megapixel sensor.

But will it sell?

For those who thinks that the higher the megapixel, the better, then the Canon EOS 550D will probably make sense.

But at its initial release, the camera unit is quite expensive.

And besides, compared to the Nikon D40, although already considered an obsolete model, the higher sensor resolution doesn't really quite deliver a very distinctive quality!

What's more, higher megapixel could mean 1 or more of the below problems:

The files are twice as big
Shooting in RAW and JPEG will be exacting to your camera unit
Your SD cards will fill up faster with the bigger file size
Your HDD will fill up faster as well
Your PC will be slow when opening/editing RAW files

To think really that something can be done doesn't mean that you simply do it.

So will the 18-megapixel help sell the Canon EOS 550D camera?
Maybe. But then again, maybe not.

Have you anything to say about this?

Book to Read: Master Lighting Guide for Commercial Photographers

2010-04-22T20:53:00.001-07:00

With time no longer on my side, I have to return this book to the library, or incur a penalty from not doing so. What else can I do, than to put it down here, so I can pick it up another day.

All I can do now is to put in here the back cover text, and what makes this book different from all the other photography books that has been written so far, printed or digital.

Here it is:

MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE for Commercial Photographers
by Robert Morrissey

MASTER THE LIGHTING TECHNIQUES YOU NEED TO PRODUCE TOP-QUALITY COMMERCIAL IMAGES

Master the skills you need to produce images what will sell your clients' products in print ads or on the Internet. Includes step-by-step techniques for photographing products, models, rooms, automobiles, and much more.

FEATURES:

Understanding the foundations of commercial lighting, including the types of light, the characteristics of light, and how to get a flawless exposure
Tips on selecting the right equipment for commercial photography -- from cameras and flash units to light stands and modifiers
Directions for creating simple setups to shoot products, rooms, reflective subjects, and more
Using panels, honeycomb grids, umbrellas, and softboxes to refine your light for precise control and flawless results
Special techniques for photographing corporate portraits, food, liquids, medical and scientific subjects, jewelry, glass and much more
Business tips for success in a competitive market

While much has been said, I'm sure there is something to learn from this book.

Reading on the features, I am sure that I will be looking for this book, and I'll make sure that I will read it, study it, and make use of what it has to offer.

Times and seasons come and go,
they bring along the changes, too;
While what was then, is true for now,
Our now back then, ain't true somehow.

And with that I hope that I have perked up your poetic mind a bit.

C'est tout!

Book review: The Digital SLR Expert Portraits

2010-04-22T19:17:00.001-07:00

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If there is one book on photography that deals mainly on one topic, and focus solely on one area, this is that book.

The Digital SLR Expert Portraits
essential advice from top pros

Not authored by just one, but five, professional portrait photographers. And if that isn't saying anything yet, wait till you begin flipping the pages, and learning of their styles, hints and techniques.

Will it be possible that you become like them, and shot your portrait photos the way they do?

Yes and no. yes, in that they offer their advice (it's what the book says, advise from top pros), and that is one of the priceless gems in this book. No, in that you should be you, and you should have your own style and techniques.

Here's one from page 76, which is about low-key photos:

"
Some people feel they can't shoot low-key images because they can't black out their room enough, but this is a fallacy. You can have all the light on in the room but compared to the flash going off they will be like a glow-worm, contributing nothing to the exposure at all. Press the shutter button and a bright room will be dark and black.
"

I do agree with that. I've seen another book, the review of which I didn't include in this site, which says that put up the flash power, and everything else goes darker. Of course, post-editing can help a lot afterward.

Low-key photo in a bright room? They have done it, I have done it myself, and so can you!

Having said much, know this: the camera is but a tool. If a tool is defined as 'an extension of the hands' which basically means some help or assistance, it should be noted that the tool will be used in ways and means that is mostly dependent on the user.

Thus, given the same camera unit and the same subject to shoot, 10 photographers will compose frames and shoot pictures differently, coming up with 10 different renditions of the one and the same subject.

Photography is but one of the very subjective hobby, and the photographer always applies his own artistic principles and discretion when clicking the button.

Finally, do take note that this book only mentions 1 camera brand: Canon.

If you are using the same brand, then this book is mainly for you. But if not, this book is still for you.

What's your say?

Shutter Speed: Showing the Blur or Stopping the Motion

2010-04-22T18:17:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

In my previous post I mentioned that the Aperture Setting is what we use to control and define the subject's DOF (depth-of-field), which is used mainly to make the background blur, or blur the surroundings, and keep only the main subject tack sharp.

That is most applicable when the background is distracting, and is taking away, instead of adding, to the subject being photographed.

Or, as in many wildlife photography cases, having the background surrounding just at the right degree of blurring boosts the subject matter being photographed, and brings the viewer's attention to the subject matter - and fixes it there!

Shutter speed

Speeding cars, a cheetah's leap and bounds, a baby's quick moves shot continuously, and rendering the silky look of the water on a waterfall, or capturing a drop, and many others -- these are all done using the shutter speed setting.

As has been mentioned, the shutter speed setting is on an inverse relation with the aperture value: a fast shutter speed mandates an open wide aperture, and a slow shutter speed allows a small aperture opening.

A silky-smooth water on a waterfall requires about 2 seconds and above for the shutter kept open.

A drop of water, to be frozen in mid-air, requires a 'fast shutter speed', which is about 1/200 of a second, and above.

These are not empirical values, but are guides.

What can affect the settings?

The speed of the subject being photographed, or course. An F1 race definitely requires, as I've heard, something like 1/30,000 of a second shutter speed to 'catch' the speeding car still - and usually, only the car is sharp, and all others in the frame blur.

And this is a skill that you learn with each camera unit that you use. I would say this:
All cameras are made equal, but some cameras are more equal than others.

So which one is your camera-mate?

Main use of Aperture Setting: Depth-of-Field Control

2010-04-22T17:20:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

What I have learned from all my book readings and my experiment with my camera is that the main use and function of the aperture is to control the depth of field of your shots.

Having said that, do note, however, that the correct exposure, or should I say, the desired exposure of your subject, is still dependent on 3 settings in your camera:

aperture value
shutter speed
ISO

ISO can be set independently, while shutter speed is an inverse function of your aperture setting: the bigger aperture opening (smaller f value), the faster you shutter speed can be, and vice-versa.

Again, this is a beginner's knowledge, but a fundamental one, -- it is but a foundation of all the other skills that you will ever learn later on.

Leave your comments - they are most welcome.

Till then!

Book review: Photography at Night

2010-04-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

Here is one more book that I picked up from the library, and it was something that I didn't expect really, being me who is one in the era of digital SLRs, while this book was mostly discussing on analog SLRs and analog films, or what is also called roll films.

Nonetheless, there is immense information that you can find here. Why is that so? My friend and I would usually go on a discussion, and while there is a ton of preset or auto settings in today's DSLRs, what would set you apart later on is how good you make use of the latest DSLR units set to manual mode, or program mode, at times.

And when we 'look back' and think, how good were these guys who would be able to come up with sophisticated or simply outstanding photographs - which was then using all manual and all analog SLRs - we can only say that they are the best of their times.

As has been said, this book deals mainly on analog SLRs and roll films, and how things are done in the dark room when printing form the negatives, and how certain manipulations are done to alter or enhance prints.

And one topic it has which is quite a challenge in itself, even with digital SLRs of nowadays: Photography at Night.

Again, the full title of the book is Photography at Night, Getting the most from low-light conditions by Richard Newman

I'm copying the back cover text of the book. Here it is:

Photographing at night is an exciting challenge. All the normal rules of daylight photography are borkena dn the extreme contrasts in light levels allow you to create dramatic and evocative images. Photography at Night is a comprehensive guide to night photography, covering all the aisthetic and technical aspects of using conventional and digital cameras.

Includes advice on choosing equipment and finding your own style
Features inspirational portfolios from professional photographers, illustrating the range of effects that can be achieved
Specific assignments send the phtographer out into the night to improve his or her skills and technique
Packed with advice on how to get the best results from each assignment, and how to use the knowledge gained to improve future work
Covers shootign with conventional black-and-white and color film, as well as digital photographic techniques

In one of the pages, I find it quite useful to know that using ISO 1600 compared to using ISO 400 then pushed to ISO 1600 during print processing yields a completely different (and better) result.

Then, in another part, Newman says this:

Stage

"Photographing artists on stage is an exciting and rewarding field of night and low-light photography -- but be aware that this is the artist's stage, not the photographer's, so the image-maker must remain out of the way and out of sight."

What's your say on this book?

Let us know!

Book review: On The Road With Your Digital Camera

2010-04-19T01:09:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a book to tell you on what to bring and what to prepare when going places, so you can do your digital photography - well, this is that book!

On the road with your digital camera by Michael Freeman.

There's a very good info on what weather you are expecting in a country, and what will be your camera settings suited in that place.

There's a map of the world's climate, and what will be your best shot, and what time.

Or, if you are from the northern hemisphere, and you go the opposite side, you may be disoriented... this book tells you that, and what to do to avoid being dazed or fazed.

A lite pack to bring? a medium pack? A heavy pack to bring for your photo-taking? This book also tells you what to put in, to avoid missing some, and avoid overloading.

Much to be told, but better read, check it out:

On the road with your digital camera by Michael Freeman.

Got your say on this book also? Let us know!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Book review: The Moment It Clicks

2010-04-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

THE MOMENT IT CLICKS
Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters

by Joe McNally

That is the title of the book that I will now give a short (to be honest, also shallow) review. There will come a time in my book reading that I will just simply flip through the pages without really reading the text.

And talk about a book on photography. I really thought that I knew this guy (his picture is in the book), and I've seen him somewhere. Then I flipped some pages, and I said, 'No wonder!' The name came up: Scott Kelby. I've seen them both in the books that I've read that were written by Scott Kelby (The Digital Photography Books 1, 2, & 3). They are 'shooting partners.'

Now, straight to the (supposedly) review that I am making:

Just the book's cover, if you are a person of details, will already catch your attention. I'm imagining how the picture was taken: the model held a piece of broken mirror infront of her, perhaps at arm's length, then the photographer made a very careful angling of the mirror to have a shot like the camera is directly infront of her...

Still leaves me thinking how it was really done.

Anyway, there were a lot of sentences, or rather, quotes, in this book; if not on all pages, it would be about in 95% of the book's pages, and some I will quote here. Somehow I find myself in the same thought or situation, so I think the experience will be the same. (Should I say, the path will also be the same: towards excellence?)

----------
"I can't tell you how many pictures I've missed, ignored, trampled, or otherwise lost just 'cause I've been so hell bent on getting the shot I THINK I want."

"I had no contacts, no permission, no one to ask permission from... things get real simple when you have no time."

"Tom Kennedy, the former DOP at National Geographic, always used to tell me to pay attention to the small details." (DOP means Director of Photography)

'It doesn't matter if it's only fine minutes, as long as it's the RIGHT five minutes."

"Light falls.Just make sure it falls in your favor."

"Don't pack up your camera until you've left the location."

"Shoot it now. Don't ever assume you can do a picture 'Later.'"

"Ya gotta keep your head on straight and remain confident behind the lens in a deal like this when everybody thinks you should soot it their way."

"Keep pushinig. 'No,' is always the easiest answer."

"Sometimes it's all working for you and you still miss. Other times it all sucks and you get a terrific frame. You just never know. The one surefire way to get nothing is to not bother looking."

"Some rules are good ones, like the rule of thirds. It works. but, like all rules, ya gotta break it every once in a while."

"You gotta be loose, like a boxer -- you have to bob and weave and slip and slide. The world doesn't stay still. We can't either."

"I gave flashes to these body builders and told them to go light temselves. Trust me, they were into it."

"The only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer is to shoot what you love."
----------

I like that last quote a lot. And that is just at the first few pages of the book! And while the book has ample text for reading, what is most important, especially when you have no time to go through everything, the "How to Get This Type of Shot" section is there. Isn't that wonderful?

Joe has a blog which you can visit to stay up to date: joemcnally.com/blog.
This book has a Flickr group: flickr.com/groups/themomentitclicks.

Would you tell us your review of the same book, too?

35mm Photography

2010-04-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

This is one more book that I borrowed from the library, and it is dealing more with Analog SLR units. it do touch on DSLR cameras and technology, but the discussion, tips and techniques are more on Analog SLR cameras and photography.

Case in point, this book neatly discusses the history of SLR photography, the beginning and the developments throughout the years, and shows some pictures of the antique camera units that started it all, like the Leica I, Nikon F, etc., etc.

The book explains how the 35 mm came to be, and again, for roll films, how to be able to 'save' on the rolls, by cutting up the roll into smaller quantity and putting in empty cassettes, to be able to come up with 5 to 10 or so shots for a given ISO rating, which was then having the term "DX-nnn" convention. So a DX-400 means my ISO is 400; This has now changed in the DSLR, where each shot can be assigned its ISO value, but in those days (I remember this), rolls usually come in 36 shots. If you want to change the ISO value, take out the current roll, and of course, waste the unused shots, and put in the new roll. You can avoid this altogether, as this book suggests.

And quite frankly, there is nothing further from the truth: be it an Analog or a Digital SLR, the camera is simply but a tool, and how it works the wonders is largely the photographer's expression and discretion.

Here is the book's selling point, from the back cover: 35mm Photography, by Steve Bavister

----------
A complete guide to the most universal and popular camera format, from choosing the right equipment through to developing, printing, string and even selling your photographs, by well-known photographer and author, Steve Bavister.

comprehensive guide to camera equipment and accessories
expert advice on subject matter and techniques
digital photography, manipulation and printing
invaluable fault-finding section

Steve Bavister has written more than ten books on photography. He is a former editor of Photo Answers and publisher of Practical Photography, and is currently the editor of The Photographer, a leading publication for professional photographers.
----------

Read that book. I'm sure it is not 'just another book' on photography. Though photography is a thing of the past, there is always something that comes up now and then. And each photographer, like you, will eventually make a mark - distinctly.

What's your say?

Tips from the book: 500 Digital SLR Hints, Tips and Techniques (Part 3)

2010-04-15T01:43:00.001-07:00

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I think this will be the final part of my review, and what I can recommend, or to be precise, what I want to remember from that book.

Once again, that is 500 Digital SLR Hints, Tips and Techniques by Chris Weston

Read on...
----------

from page 54:

Top 10 tips for choosing lenses

Quality - Always buy the best lenses you can afford. It's better to have less expensive camera body and a quality lens than vice versa.
Zooms - Zoom lenses provide the greatest flexibility in composition, allowing you to alter the focal length exactly as needed. When choosing a zoom lens, try to avoid extreme zooms (e.g., those that have a very wide range, such as 7-500mm or 28-300mm), as the quality of the optics is compromised by their versatility.
Primes - While being less versatile than zoom lenses, prime lenses (lenses of a fixed focal length) are generally of better optical quality. With extreme focal lengths, such as very wide-angle lenses and super-telephoto lenses, image quality will be noticeably better when using prime lens.
AF lenses - Not all auto-focus (AF) lenses are as good as each other. If focusing speed is important to your photography, it's worth testing AF performance before you buy the lens.
Inside job - Internal focusing enables lenses to be more compact and lightweight in construction than lenses where the barrel extends outward when focusing.
Aperture - The maximum aperture of the lens will, to some extent, dictate the level of control you have over exposure settings. For example, in low-light conditions with a "slow" lens (a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less), you may not be able to attain the shutter speed necessary to freeze motion or capture a sharp image.
Zoom issues - With some zoom lenses the maximum aperture can vary depending on the focal length set. This system is used to reduce the size and weight of the lens but, again, can limit your options when it comes to setting exposure. If possible, always opt for a zoom lens with a fixed maximum aperture.
Glass - Lenses that use low dispersion glass help to minimize chromatic aberration, a type of image and color dispersion that occurs when light rays of varying length pass through optical glass. In so doing, they improve sharpness and color correction.
ALEs - Lenses with Aspherical Lens Elements produce better image quality by eliminating the problem of coma (distortion at the edge of the image) and other types of aberration, particularly prevalent in wide-angle lenses use din conjunction with large aperture.
Stability - Increasingly, lenses are being produced with some form of optical stabilization. These lenses make hand-holding the camera at slow shutter speeds more practical, and reduce the likelihood of image blur caused by camera shake. They are widely used in sports and wildlife photography.

Metering Modes, and when to use them

Multi-segment metering - Matrix metering by Nikon, Evaluative metering by Canon and Honeycomb by Minolta. All but referring to multi-segment metering. Takes from many areas around the frame, then average the result. Usage: General-purpose photography or difficult lighting conditions
Center-weighted metering -usually the subject is occupying the frame large, about 75% or more. Usage: Formal portraits of people and animals; backlit subjects (except silhouettes).
Spot metering - the camera takes in about 2-3% of the frame only; what to say, it is for precision metering! Usage: Photography of high-contrast scenes or scenes of multiple tones, like landscape photography; critical exposures; assessing the subject brightness range (SBR).
Manual metering - as it says, this is manual metering. There's help in the camera. An analog meter display in the camera's viewfinder, with 2 arrows pointing and moving right and left. Bar stops at middle, or '0', to say that camera meter reading aligns with the exposure setting as you adjust the aperture and shutter speed. Usage: creative photography that is not governed by the auto or preset settings.

The sunny f/16 rule:

When taking pictures in bright sunlight, the high level of contrast can sometimes confuse a camera's internal meter. To avoid inaccurate exposures in these conditions, set the lens aperture to f/16 and the shutter speed equivalent to the ISO setting. This is known as the 'sunny f/16 rule," and is remarkably accurate.

The sunny f/22 rule:

When photographing predominantly white or very light subjects in bright sunlight, a variation of the sunny f/16 rule is the sunny f/22 rule. The process for assessing exposure is the same, except that f/22 is used as the base aperture. By stopping down by one stop, you avoid overexposing the highlights.

When photographing in moonlight:

When using moonlight as the main light source, set a shutter speed of around 4 min when the moon is full and the sky clear. Double the amount of exposure when the moon is partial. To photograph the moon itself, use a long telephoto lens and set an exposure of around 1/1000 sec @ f/8 with an ISO of 400.

Streaked lighting:

To create streaks of light from moving cars, set the camera on a tripod, manually focus the lens, and set an exposure of between 10 sec and 20 sec at f/22 (ISO 400). Use the Bulb (Time) setting if necessary, and activate the shutter using a cable release.

-----

I think that that is all that I want to cover. It doesn’t mean that there are no more that can be derived from the book. On the contrary, there are a ton of useful tips and tricks from that book. What I am saying is that go and grab a copy of it, whether that means buying your own, or borrowing from the library.

Enjoy!

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