Photography Blog by Arun Sasidharan Camera Stock Canon Nikon Photography Nature Gallery

Palette Gear peripherals for adobe promises great future for creative artists

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 03:34:00 +0000

Love the modular design of this product. The included the software provides a lot of customizability. This will be useful for photographers using Photoshop to physically move sliders and knobs and interact with adobe suite in a more intuitive way.

To see how it works and to get started with Palette gear see the video below

For mode details head to http://palettegear.com/index

Satellite Lab project - a frozen frame with shadow movement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 05:49:00 +0000

Satellite Lab Test Reel. from Satellite Lab on Vimeo.

A cool effect where you can see the shadow movement even in a frozen frame. Most likely achieved by an ultra fast frame rate and an equally fast stack/matrix lighting. This seems to be an experimental video and the technology will hopefully mature for production use

Hottest new trend in photography - dual camera phones Huawei P9

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 04:49:00 +0000

There is no question that mobile phones are the future of photography and they are so good at it that the point and shoot market is not the same any more. http://time.com/553/point-shoot-camera/

So where is the future of camera phones headed. Huawei P9 holds some clues to this. The dual camera phone features high end glass from Leica.

Press Release

The photography related highlights from the PR is included below (full version linked above)

Reinventing Smartphone Photography

Integrating the design values and engineering excellence of Huawei and Leica in a smartphone photography system co-engineered by the two companies, the P9 brings together best-in-class hardware and software, from optical lenses, to sensors, to image processing algorithms, empowering users to capture the highest-quality images.

Key to the P9’s superlative imaging capabilities is a dual-camera design that fully unleashes the power of Leica’s optical lenses, renowned for precision and attention to detail, and subject to the industry’s most stringent quality screening requirements. The RGB camera on the P9 specializes in capturing color, while the monochrome camera is outstanding at acquiring picture detail. The two rear cameras of the P9 work in tandem to enable users to create images of superior detail, depth and color. The P9 truly excels in low-light conditions, as the dual-camera design guarantees more light and detail can be captured.

Each picture taken by the P9 carries the unique emotional resonance and timelessness that are the hallmarks of Leica, as users may choose between three film modes: Standard, Vivid Colors and Smooth Colors, depending on their personal preferences. With meticulous calibration of the P9’s camera parameters, each film mode faithfully renders the authentic color and style of Leica. By selecting the monochrome mode, P9 users can use their devices as a true monochrome camera to capture powerful and evocative black and white images of superior quality.

Deploying Huawei’s Hybrid Focus technology, the P9 captures images with superior speed, accuracy and stability. The P9 supports camera focusing based on three methodologies – laser, depth calculation and contrast – and automatically selects the one that yields the best result in any given environment.

The wide-aperture photography feature on the P9 allows users to experiment with innovative visual effects to create unique images and content. The P9 makes it easy to adjust the camera aperture to create bokeh and other depth-of-field effects, while keeping the main object in sharp focus.

“Leica and Huawei share an uncompromising commitment to imaging excellence, and our partnership will put outstanding photography into the hands of more consumers around the world,” said Oliver Kaltner, CEO, Leica Camera AG. “We are deepening our collaboration to give users a more optimal smartphone photography experience.”

Hasselblad launches 100 MP 4K H6D-100c and H6D-50c 50MP medium format cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 05:59:00 +0000

Press Release

Hasselblad launches an all new medium format camera

75 years at the forefront of imagery, Hasselblad continues to innovate

Hasselblad began its journey when founder, Victor Hasselblad, refused to simply copy an aerial surveillance camera at the request of the Swedish government who asked him if he had the skills to produce a camera identical to one that had been captured. He famously said: ‘No, but I can make a better one’. The camera maker has once again, followed Victor’s philosophy and applied it to the award winning H medium format camera – launching the all new H6D.

Rather than an improvement on the existing medium format H Cameras, the H6D range has been completely rebuilt with new technical components and an all new electronic platform. The pioneering range retains the modularity appreciated by medium format enthusiasts along with iconic design elements and Swedish handmade quality for which Hasselblad is renowned.

The H6D range introduces the H6D-100c with CMOS sensor, a 100MP option and the H6D-50c with a 50MP CMOS sensor. A wider range of shutter speeds from 60 minutes to 1/2000th of a second, increased ISO range and a faster shooting rate along with USB 3.0 Type-C connector that delivers exceptionally fast file transfer. The H lens range is fully compatible and, with the choice of a faster shutter speed, can be further leveraged than with previous ranges.

The H6D-100c brings 4K video capability to medium format. The high-definition rear touchscreen LCD delivers a pin sharp live view experience and Wi-Fi as standard, a HDMI connector, for external monitor connectivity, completes the tool set.

Built-in dual card slots allow enhanced media capability; a CFast slot allows for high-speed capture and an SD card slot enables maximum compatibility. The all new platform is capable of handling the largest file throughput with speed and ease using optimised algorithms for matchless quality les.

Hasselblad’s image processing software, Phocus, has been enhanced with the new 3.0 version delivering additional features that allow you to apply local adjustments in the image and a new graphical interface that improves work flow and user experience.

Commenting on the launch Perry Oosting, Hasselblad CEO noted: “The launch of the H6D range is the beginning of a year of celebration for Hasselblad. It’s fitting that we have returned to our pinnacle medium format camera to showcase the innovation and passion that have been present in every one of our first 75 years. Our obsessive approach to optical quality and precision hand building in Sweden is at the heart of this camera.

We have retained the best and introduced the most relevant – delivering a medium format camera which we believe the Hasselblad user will fall in love with all over again.”

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Merry Christmas, a photo by Arun Sasidharan on Flickr.

Taken with Canon Rebel XTi, long exposure handheld shot. 5 Sec @ F16

The Art Of Photography Photo Contest by Sony

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:44:00 +0000

Entry Deadline:September 21, 2010

Prize : Sony DSLRs and Optics, get published in Digital Photo or Outdoor Photographer

Enter up to 5 photos in each category.

Themes hosted at Outdoor Photographer
Theme: Conservation In Focus
Prize: Sony A550 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer

Theme: Action Storytelling
Prizes: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 16-24mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer

Themes hosted at Digital Photo
Theme: Environmental Portraits
Prize: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Digital Photo

Theme: Light Is The Subject
Prizes: Sony NEX-5 Kit with 16mm ƒ/2.8 lens and publication in Digital Photo

For more info please goto Digital Photo Magazine

Seagate’s Precious Memories Competition - India

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Entries to Seagate’s Precious Memories competition opened today for Indian journalists and bloggers. The competition, which is in its second year for India, offers entrants the opportunity to showcase their creative talents online, with winners of the Indian competition gaining automatic entry into the Regional Precious Memories competition. Past regional winners were drawn from Australia, China, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore

To enter the 2010 competition, visit www.seagatememories.com/in and load your digital photo or video depicting a precious memory. Entry is restricted to Indian journalists, photo-journalists and professional bloggers* and entries close Sunday 18^th July. Winners of the competition are determined by popular online vote, so it’s important to enter early and encourage your friends and family to vote for you online. Two lucky voters will be selected at random to win a Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 320GB hard drive*.

* Terms and conditions apply – please see http://www.seagatememories.com/competition_details.php

Canon Instant rebates on SLR (EOS), Powershot cameras & lenses, Flashes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Canon has its seasonal rebate program currently for selected EOS and Powershot cameras and lens. Thanks to canon learning from its past mistakes, most of the rebates are instant and not mail-in

EOS Special Instant Rebate
- Save up to $200 on select Canon EOS (SLR) camera lens kits and EF and EF-S lenses.
- Valid from November 1, 2009 - November 21, 2009
- Details
- Qualifying Products:
  EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit
  EOS Rebel XSi EF-S 18-55IS Kit
  EOS Rebel XS 18-55IS Kit
  EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM
  EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
  EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

Buy Canon EOS Camera and Lens (Amazon)

EOS & PowerShot Loyalty Program
- $50 mail-in rebate is available if you purchase and register a Rebel XS, XSi, T1i, 50D, 7D or 5D Mark II; or a $20 mail-in rebate is available if you purchase and register a PowerShot camera*
- Valid From October 12, 2009 and December 31, 2009
- Details
- Qualifying Products:
  PowerShot G11
  PowerShot G10
  PowerShot S90
  PowerShot SX1 IS
  PowerShot SX20 IS
  PowerShot SX200 IS
  PowerShot SX120 IS
  PowerShot D10
  PowerShot SD970 IS
  PowerShot SD980 IS
  PowerShot SD960 IS
  PowerShot SD940 IS
  PowerShot SD780 IS
  PowerShot SD1200 IS
  PowerShot A1100 IS
  PowerShot A480
- Need to have registered before Oct 12th 2009

Buy Canon Powershot Cameras(Amazon)

Instant rebate on Canon Speedlite Flash System
- Save up to $70 on select Canon Speedlites and accessories
- Valid from October 22, 2009 - January 16, 2010
- Details
- Qualifying Products:
  Speedlite 580EX II
  Speedlite 430EX II
  Speedlite 270EX
  Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX
  Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX

Buy Canon Speedlite Flashes(Amazon)

Instant rebate on Canon EF and EF-S lenses
- Save up to $500 on select Canon EF and EF-S lenses
- Valid from October 22, 2009 - January 16, 2010.
- Details
- Qualifying Products:
  EF 200mm f/2L IS USM
  EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
  EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
  EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
  EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
  EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
  EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM
  EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
  EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
  EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Buy Canon Lenses(Amazon)

Source: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PromotionsAct&promocat=111

Nikon launches Learn & Explore iPhone App

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

If you have an iPhone and an interest in photography, things cant get better than this.

Imagine you are waiting for the fireworks display on 4th of July and you can check some quick tips on the spot. Think you are on a weekend hike and found yourself in front of a beautiful waterfall or saw a rare bird. Now you have a good photographic reference source that you can take with you on a safari or to the local festival that you want to shoot. The app is obviously speaks Nikon language, but is very useful for canon loyalists or users of other camera brands as well.

Some of the possibilities listed by Nikon include…

Read an article on getting the most from your travel photography while you’re on vacation.
Check information on adjusting depth of field or selecting the right shutter speed when you’re taking photos at your child’s sporting event.
Access advice on the right aperture for shooting photos indoors when you’re attending a wedding. It

Here are some screen shots to get you started

Official Link: http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Learn-And-Explore-for-the-iPhone/index.page
So if you have an iPhone, try it now and let Nikon know your feedback. you can send your feedback on what you want to see on Learn & Explore to editor@nikon.net

Canon, lets see what you have in store for us…

Panasonic Photo Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

This is a digital only photo contest and is open to residents of all EU and EEA countries, Serbia, Montenegro, Switzerland, and Turkey. prizes include Lumix DMC-GF1* digital camera, Lumix DMC-FZ38* digital camera and Lumix DMC-ZX1* digital camera. Check out the details at http://www.lumixaward.com

The contest is open from November 2009 until April 2010 and will have monthly winners apart from a Grand Prize Winner and Runner up.

Easy way for Organizing Large Number of Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:14:00 +0000

My backup hard drive crashed and I had to retrieve all the photos using Photo recovery software. Its an unfortunate situation and I hope it never happens to you. But once that happens you are most likely presented with a large number of recovered photos. In my case there were 20,000 JPG and almost half that number of CR2 Canon RAW files. All the JPGs are in one folder and the CR2s in another. Using windows thumbnail view to organize them will take a long time as each time windows will try to list all these files generate thumbnails etc.

A better alternative is to use FastStone viewer. Its a good photo viewer and quite comparable to irfanview which I was using before.

The main advantage you get in organizing by FastStone over plain vanilla Windows is that it is much faster when handling thumbnails and large number of photos. You don't need to wait while Windows refreshes with changes when you scroll or move files. Simply create a meaningful name for your folder and select the photos and drag them to the folder. Repeat this for all your photos and you are done.

If you know of a better way, please let me know by adding a comment here and I would like to try it out.

View RAW thumbnails in Windows Explorer CR2, NEF, DNG

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:52:00 +0000

If you shoot raw, then this might be valuable to you. I have always wanted to view thumbnails of photos in explorer. Windows does a good job of showing jpegs but fails with RAW formats. There are free (or paid) programs like fastone viewer, canon zoom browser etc that let you view these proprietary RAW formats but none of them will let you view on Plain Vanilla windows explorer.

There are a lot of solutions available that claim to do this seemingly simple task, but most of them fall short. Here are some solutions that actually work based on my experience.

Arcsoft Raw Thumbnail viewer (Free): http://www.arcsoft.com/products/rawviewer/
Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer for Windows XP(Free)

Download from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D48E808E-B10D-4CE4-A141-5866FD4A3286&displaylang=en
Paid software from Ardfry Imaging http://www.ardfry.com/cr2-codec/

ps: While you are at the Microsoft site you might also want to check out their pro photography site http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/

Macro Photography – Part 1 Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:07:00 +0000

A fly from my garden

Macro photography is nothing but close up photography that deals with capturing the smaller things around you. You will be amazed at the almost infinite photo ops available in your backyard or garden. Most point and shoot cameras and SLRs have a macro mode. Usually it is represented by the picture of a small flower in your mode dial. Once you engage this mode the camera will try to focus closer to the lens and some cameras will allow as much as 2cm. The exact value will vary and you should check your camera manual to see the details.

A true macro or a 1:1 macro is where the image of the subject formed on the camera sensor/film is the same size as the real life subject. Many general purpose lenses are capable of 1:2 macro which means the image formed on the lens is approximately 50% of the size of actual subject. The lenses will also label the minimum close focusing distance on its body (usually around where the lens cap fits into the lens)

A grasshopper

Techniques to capture Macros:

A dedicated macro lens is probably the best option out there for people who are seriously into macro photography. These are expensive but offer very good IQ. These dedicated lenses are usually primes and are very sharp. They also double as a good portrait lens. You can choose one based on the focal length. A 100mm macro lens will give you better working distance than a 50mm lens. This means you can stay farther from spiders and bugs.

Extension Tubes or bellows: This is what I use. Its not as easy to use as a dedicated macro lens, and you also loose the ability to focus at infinity (basically means you can only focus at close distances when tubes are mounted). I use my 50mm f 1.8 prime lens with Kenko extension tubes. Extension tubes are simple hollow tubes that provide magnification by increasing the distance between the lens and film/sensor plane. The further the lens is from the film/sensor (i.e by stacking multiple extension tubes), the closer the focusing distance, the greater is the magnification you can get. The thumb rule for getting 1:1 maco is that the you should provide a spacing equal to the focal length of the lens used. For my 50mm lens, i need to stack extension tubes to 50cm to achieve a 1:1 macro. The main problem with using this kind of setup is that the available light reduces by half when using extension tubes (as distance increases, the amount of light captured reduces). This means you will have to deal with longer shutter speeds or high iso. The Image quality is not affected using this technique

Using macro screw in lens adapters are also a way to cature macro photos. These typically screw into the lens thread . The problems of using this could be reduced sharpness and image quality. A low quality adapter will also lead to chromatic or optical aberrations in the final image.
Telephoto extenders could also double as macro adapters for lenses. But just like Extension tubes, the availability of light reduces when you use them, but the Image quality is not affected if the usual high quality extenders are used.

Reverse lens / Reversing Ring is another technique used. This is an inexpensive way wherein you need to purchase a special reverse lens adapter that attaches to the filter thread on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse.
- Link to various reversing rings

Water droplets on a leaf

In the next section of this series we will look into the various issues faced in macro photography as well as some tips on these areas.

Canon EF 100 2.8L macro, EF-S 15-85mm and EF-S 18-135mm lenses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Along with the much awaited Canon EOS 7D, cannon also announed three new lenses. one EF L series lens and 2 EF-S lenses

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens

We need to wait and see how this lens compares to the existing 100mm macro

Canon’s second L series macro after the 180mm and the most affordable L macro
1:1 real macro and should we well suited for portrait use as well
Ultrasonic focusing with Full time manual focus
Canon's sophisticated Image Stabilization
Filter Size - 67mm Max. Diameter x Length - 3.1 x 4.8 in. / 77.7 x 123mm Weight - 22.0 oz. / 625g
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.99 ft. / 0.3m (maximum close-up magnification: 1x)

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens

This is a new lens probably inspired from the similar offering from Nikon. This is a very useful focal range for a camera buyer who just needs one walk around lens.

EF-S Only – will work with APS-C type cameras only
18-135mm lens with f3.5-f.5.6 aperture (36mm Equiv of 29mm-216mm) is a very useful focal range to have
Image stabilization helps compensate for the small aperture and for low light shots
Lens Construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
Filter Size: 67mm and Weight 455g

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Wide Angle Zoom Lens

This new lens goes wider than your average kit lens (15mm vs 18mm) and does even better at the telephoto end (85mm vs 55mm).

This might be of interest to landscape and architecture shooters. Pretty expensive compared to your average kit lens but you can sure take some shots with this that your kit lens cant. The only other wide EF-S offering from canon is the 10-22mm lens. It remains to be seen how well this lens handles distortion and vignetting.

EF-S Only – will work with APS-C type cameras only
15-85mm lens with f3.5-f.5.6 aperture ( 35mm Equiv of 24-136mm)
Lens Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups
Filter Size: 72mm, Weight 575g
USM focus and Closest Focusing Distance: 1.15 ft. / 0.35m

Canon is listening to customers and providing more choice in lens for starters and enthusiasts. The set of lenses announced by canon will be a welcome addition to its existing range. I think the Canon EF-S 15-85mm will be the lens to watch out for with lot of people taking up photography as a serious hobby, they need a good walk around lens like this one.

Canon EOS 7D SLR 18MP, HD Video, Live View

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:27:00 +0000

The EOS 7D Features Fast Eight fps Continuous Shooting, Class-Leading 18-Megapixel Resolution and Full HD Video Recording with Variable Frame Rates and Manual Exposure Control

Professional photographers and advanced amateurs have been demanding higher performance and more diverse functions in their cameras, and Canon has answered – with the new EOS 7D. EOS 7D DSLR is a brand new product that stands on its own with new features never before seen in any Canon camera.

Feature Highlights

Canon EOS 7D boasts the most advanced AF system ever seen in an EOS SLR
All 19 points are f/5.6-sensitive (center f.2.8) for both horizontal and vertical cross-type focusing
AF system allows numerous AF area selection modes such as Spot AF, AF Point Expansion, Zone AF
EOS HD Movie mode -EOS 7D Digital SLR camera will record Full HD at 1920 x 1080 pixels in selectable frame rates of 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); 720p HD recording at 50p or 60p (59.94) and SD video at frame rates of 50p or 60p (59.94)
Artificial horizon for landscape and architecture photographers.
Pop-up flash features a built-in Integrated Speedlite Transmitter for control of multiple off-camera EOS Speedlites without the need for an external transmitter.
Ergonomic improvements - new super-fluid body design with continuous curves, easy-to-navigate menu
New large, clear 3.0-inch solid structure Clear View II LCD screen with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution
150,000-cycle shutter life
fully compatible with WFT-E5A wireless transmitter

Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers at the end of September, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,699.00. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,899.00.

Free Calendar Wallpaper for September 09 (Desktop & iPhone)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:03:00 +0000

I am giving away free desktop wallpaper with some nice nature photos.I plan to do this monthly so please check often. The photo was taken by me in Aspen Colorado

To set as wallpaper, simply click on the image,
The full size image will be displayed in the browser
Right click on the image and click save to disk or set as wallpaper directly.

1680x1050 Widescreen wallpaper

1024 x768 Wallpaper

Wallpaper for iPhone

Let me know your thoughts on what you would like to see more in this section

Share this post :

Why you should not give your photo for free ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:40:00 +0000

With the popularity of digital photography and the number of amateurs joining in, its a common practice among the new entrants to give away photographs for free commercial use just for the thrill of viewing their photos published.

While its totally up to you to decide how to sell your photos, here are a few points you could consider before deciding to give away your photographs for free

If you really know what your photograph is worth, chances are you might reconsider your decision of giving it away.
When someone approaches you for a license to use a photograph you should ask the right questions like
- What is the intended use ? say Corporate, Advertising or Editorial use?
- If its for corporate use, What is the average circulation for the magazine or Annual report? Or in case of website, average visitors, feed subscribers etc?
- Where will the photo be placed ? front cover, full page, spot etc
- If its an advertisement, again the intended use, placement of the ad (billboard, magazine etc) and circulation numbers should be clear
If you don't know how to price the photos based on the usage, you can go to an online stock price calculator, just enter the data you collected from the buyer and use the numbers you get as a base for negotiation.
You may not need the money from your photos, but giving away photos for free will have long lasting impact the industry itself. This is really bad for fulltime photographers who earn their income from photography.
Most of the companies that approach for free photos are large corporations . Its not that they cannot afford to pay, they just simply don't want to.
While it may be good to give away photos for charity cause, or for non profit cause, please do the homework to see if your customer qualifies for this.
What ever be the reason, you should not transfer the copyright of the photo and should always prefer to grand a per use license. For unlimited use, price accordingly.
Never give away the RAW image and only provide the photo resized for the appropriate use i.e photos for web use need not have the resolution or size for photos intended for magazine print

This is a topic for debate so pen down you views.

A Great Book to Learn Photography - Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

After you have spent months researching for the best camera that suits you need, you finally bit the bullet and got yourself a nice new camera. But are you using your camera to the fullest potential ? When I got my first camera, I used to get decent results with only the automatic modes. I was not sure how to use any of the creative modes or what each of the dozen jargons like ISO, Aperture, Underexpose, Shutter Speed, Flash curtain mean. This review is based on my own experience with the book.

Here is a book that really helped me understand the basics and got me started into experimenting with the creative zone of my camera. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson . The book starts with explaining the basic concepts like what exposure is and what are the various factors that affect exposure. I recommend reading this initial section couple of time at least as understanding this is critical to use the camera in modes such as Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority etc. Going forward, the book explains importance of having the right light, the effect Aperture has on depth of field etc. The book does not go into digital processing or anything and deals with only how to shoot pictures. So if you happen to shoot film, this book is still 100% relevant for you. Whenever there is a difference in usage of a particular concept (eg say ISO) between film and digital, the author mentions it and explains both the techniques.

Of the many things I learnt in this book, some of the techniques worth mentioning are

Panning
Shooting snow photos
Shooting people with dark skin tones
Choosing the right light and time to shoot portraits
How to handle side lit, back lit situations
Night photography

This book is highly recommended if you would like to be creative with your camera.

Understanding EXIF data in Photos. Beginners guide to EXIF

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Exchangeable image file format (Exif) is a format for storing metadata in image files. This meta data is nothing but bits of useful technical information about the photograph that get stored when the photograph is made and / or processed later. If you are learning photography, or analyzing a photograph, EXIF data is an invaluable tool that provides an additional dimension of Information to us

When you record a photograph, be it raw formats like CR2, NEF etc or universal format like jpeg, the camera records some additional information on the exposure settings or processing. EXIF specification is used mainly by JPEG, TIFF formats. Exif info is recorded by almost all digital cameras and even cellphone cameras these days.

Exif was created by the Japan Electronic Industries Development Association (JEIDA).

What Kind of Information is found in EXIF ?

The following are the main categories of information available through EXIF

Date / Time when photo was taken
A thumbnail of the photo itself which is widely used by photo management programs, cameras etc to show preview of the photos.
Exposure settings of the photo such as ISO, Shutter speed, Aperture, Flash use, metering mode, camera make and model, focal length etc
Copyright info – Many cameras allow you to set this so that all the photos you take will actually have your copyright information burned right into the meta data itself.

How can i find EXIF information of a photo that i have taken ?

Basic EXIF info can be viewed in windows itself by right click on the image, choose properties and go to summary tab –> advanced

To view entire EXIF information and to edit it effectively, you will need a more powerful program and there are plenty of freeware available. My favorite is irfranview

Lets Take an example and understand EXIF information better

I goto http://flickrexplorer.appspot.com/ app that lets you view EXIF information of the best photos in Flickr for any day.

These were chosen as some of the most interesting images for 01 - Jan – 2009. Quite stunning !! and if you want to understand further than just appreciate the photo, you need to take a look at its EXIF information. Its says which camera was used to take the photo, What software was used in post processing, what was the exposure settings like ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed. What specific processing was done like sharpness, contrast etc. was flash used or not? All this will help you to reverse engineer to some extend the thoughts that went into creating such beautiful photographs. Sometime it makes you think why the photographer chose such a shutter speed setting for this particular shot. Such thought process itself will lead you to new experiments with light and camera.

I will post more on EXIF in a later post.

Lucis Art - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Plugin free giveaway download

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:10:00 +0000

You can use the Lucis look plugin in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to create the effect shown above. a google/flickr search on this effect should give you multiple examples of this effect.

You can download this plugin free from http://sites.google.com/site/arunsphotogallery/downloads

File name is: Arun's Lucis Look Lightroom Template.lrtemplate

Keep checking for more free giveaways like this.

Sony TX1 and WX1 with Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS technology promises better low light pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 are both 10-megapixel cameras, with one unique feature. Both sport a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, the Exmor R that promises to deliver improved low-light performance. Low light has never been the forte of compact cameras and belonged to SLRs with larger sensors and faster lenses.

According to Sony the camera is able to capture low light photos better due to

Advanced COMS technology (explained in the figure below)
Faster f 2.4 lens used. This is much faster than the f 3.5 lens that comes with most compacts
Six-shot layering technology

There are some example shots below from sony Australia site.

To read the full press release and details: http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/digital_cameras/cyber-shot/release/41219.html

Flickr Explore – some interestingness thoughts on how to get your photos to explore page

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Flickr uses an algorithm to choose the best 500 photos every day and these photos are posted on post them on Flickr Explore page. This algorithm goes by the name “interestingness”.

according to flickr - "There are lots of things that make a photo 'interesting' (or not) in the Flickr. Where the clickthroughs are coming from; who comments on it and when; who marks it as a favorite; its tags and many more things which are constantly changing. Interestingness changes over time, as more and more fantastic photos and stories are added to Flickr."

1) The easiest (most obvious) way to get into flickr explore is to shoot an excellent photo. or at least one that others think is interesting to them.

2) Getting more people to comment or tag the picture as favorite will really help.

3) to get more people to comment on your photos may take a while especially if you are starting off with flickr, but you can speed up this by adding your best photos first.

4) actively participate in forums(groups), discussions get people to discuss on you photos.

5) personally i dont like the comments that embed pictures in them… but you will find a lot of them in several groups. its something you have to live with if you are really interested in getting comments.

6) Get a bunch of flickr folks to regularly visit your photos by giving positive remarks and marking their photos are favorites. Its easier If you have a bunch of friends who are actively in flickr, otherwise try inviting them. All this would improve your chances of getting to explore.

Unfortunately flickr does not notify you in any way if your photos are featured in explore (other than the attention it suddenly gets). To check if your photos are on explore, you can goto the free service http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/dna.php?username=77469973@N00 You just need to replace the username with yours and you can see a lot of statistics on you flickr account, including the list of photos that were featured in explore.

So far only 6 of my images have been in Explore and the highest position ever taken is # 34 (i still hold that). Below is a slide show of those images.

Some more links worth a click.

Nikon S1000pj - World's first camera with projector

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:53:00 +0000

Nikon pushed innovation to new heights today by introducing a brand new product category in Digital Cameras. The S1000pj includes a digital projector to show off your photos. The projector itself is rated at 10 lumens and in a dark room will produce reasonably sharp projections of photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size.

Other Major Features

5 image stabilizing features
High ISO 3200 and 6400 at 3 megapixels (reducing the image size should help in keeping high iso noise in check)
Quick In camera retouch
5x zoom NIKKOR lens (reasonable zoom range to have)
wide angle focal length of 28mm (good to have for landscape work)
12.1 mega pixels (a bit too much for a small sensor)

Video

See it in action here

Price and Availability

Available for pre order from amazon

Press Release

Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the COOLPIX S1000pj. Packing the pleasure of a personal go-anywhere theater into a stylish compact enclosure, the COOLPIX S1000pj delivers a fun new way to share pictures with friends and family in most any location.

The COOLPIX S1000pj is the first compact digital camera* in the world to feature a built-in projector. With a simple touch of a button, the camera projects favorite photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size. Pictures can be projected individually, or as slide shows complete with music and added effects that enhance the experience. It's the fun new way to share pictures with family and friends in most any location.

This capability to project still images or movie clips gives birth to an entirely new form of communication as all participants visually share the passion of special moments together. For example, the COOLPIX S1000pj can be used to capture photos on a family vacation, and then serve double-duty as a personal theater in the evening as everyone enjoys viewing the highlights of the day projected on a wall or a ceiling. Whenever and just about wherever friends gather, the COOLPIX S1000pj's projector can add whole new life to the party by displaying nostalgic pictures or freshly shot images for all to enjoy. Parents can even use the COOLPIX S1000pj to display photos of their own artworks or other images on the ceiling to complement bedtime stories they tell their children.

A handy projector stand is included, as is a remote control that can be used to operate the projector, release the shutter, and more.

Also featured are the precision optics of a 5x zoom NIKKOR lens that provides the compositional freedom of 28mm wide-angle coverage and macro shooting ability from as close as 3 cm (1.2 in.). This combines with the image quality and performance benefits of Nikon's innovative EXPEED digital image-processing concept to help ensure consistently beautiful results produced at the high resolution of 12.1 effective megapixels.

The COOLPIX S1000pj will be available in Black or Warm Silver. (Color name and color availability may vary according to region.)

Source: nikon usa site, youtube.com

Essential Free Software tools for The Digital Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:10:00 +0000

This is a list of software (Mostly free) that i have found useful in my digital workflow. If you don't see your favorite program here, please drop a comment and i would love to try that one out. Photoshop and Lightroom are not free but i have given the nearest free alternatives that I use.

Gimp / Photoshop - Gimp or Photoshop allows us to adjust the exposure settings, create HDRs Panoramas, work with layers etc. Gimp is free and is good enough for most purposes while Photoshop will cost a lot and has a few more options to play with.
Picasa / Adobe Lightroom – Picasa is a good free photo organizer and viewer for viewing your collection from Google. Lightroom is an expensive offering from Adobe and is a complete photo workflow including integration with Photoshop. However it does not have all the layers and advanced features of Photoshop, but is great to work with a batch of images
Irfran view – Irfran view is a great photo viewer (Free) and has some basic editing features as well. It supports a wide range of formats and the best feature I see is the batch processing. If you want to quicky resize 1000 photos and or rename them, adjust some parameters like sharpness while you do that, I have not seen a better tool than irfran view to do that.
Microsoft Synctoy 2.0 – This is a great little free tool from Microsoft that allows you to take backups of you photos/documents. It can be scheduled and you have a lot of options to customize your backup
Microsoft Live Writer (Photo Bloggers) – If you blog then this is a wonderful free tool from microsoft that works with most Online blogging services
A Flickr Account and Flickr Uploadr – The best social network for photographers. If you are new to photography, the you must join for a free account. Flickt uploadr is a free tool that lets you add images to flickr.
Twitter – I post the photo links on twitter whenever i upload photos or blog articles. this will help my friends who are not on flickr to follow me
more to be added……

Photographic Composition - Online resources for beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:42:00 +0000

There are some basic rules or guidelines to capture a frame beautifully that existed long before Photography. Understanding these rules will help us compose pictures in a better way. This will also help to understand the underlying meaning of the photographs that you see everyday.

One of the best online resources to start understanding composition is

www.morguefile.com/archive/classroom.php?lesson=11

The classroom goes though various abstract shapes that are commonly used compositional elements like The Triangle, Circle, verticals and horizontals etc.

Flickr is also an amazing resource of collective wisdom. You can join groups and contribute photos that will attract comments.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/learningcomposition/