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My Photography Workflow!

My life on a graph #3

#mygraphoflife 

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The evolution of my Photography skills over the years

[cuspconcepts]

Why is the DSLR more superior than a Point & Shoot camera

Ask this question to the 100s' and 1000s' of professional photographers out there and majority of them would just say "Oh! Because the sensor is huge!". That's right! But that's only one of the reasons. 

I've been asking this question to myself so that I can give a smart answer when someone asks me that question again. Well I'd like to share my notes with all of you. 

Sensor: All of us know by now that the size of the sensor is important. Bigger the size more data that is captured per sq.cm (also know as pixel density). From the image below, you can compare the area of the sensors from various cameras. E.g. Canon T3i/600D has an area of 329 sq.mm while a compact camera like Canon Ixus has 25 sq.mm that's more than 10 times the size.

Lenses: A DSLR body is just half the story, choice of lens makes up for the remaining half. You get to choose different kinds of lenses depending on the requirement. For portraits the most common lens used is the 50mm and for wildlife photography it's 100-400mm. Also, like in Canon you can choose from a luxury line of "L" lenses which have great glass (very less lens barrel distortion and chromatic abberations) and are weather proof.  

RAW: In all DSLRs you can shoot images in RAW meaning in an uncompressed format. The images are not down-converted or compressed to a JPG. JPGs are the most popular format for sharing online and hence they have to be compressed to make the file size light but at the same time sacrificing the quality of the image (pixel data is lost).

Dynamic Range: Since DSLRs have a bigger sensor, it can capture much more details in both the shadow and bright (highlight) areas in an image.  Here is a link to see how it is used by DPreview.com to compare cameras in their reviews.

Fast Auto-focus: Typically, there are more than 7 vertical and horizontal points on the sensor which assist in focusing in a DSLR. Hence focusing on a subject is very fast.

Shooting in Low Light: DSLRs can shoot in low-light just because they are capable of shooting at high ISOs. A DSLR can shoot at ISO 800 and output great pictures with great quality while a Compact Camera's picture taken at the same ISO rating would be mighty noisy. (Also the right lens would help in shooting in low light)

DPI: "Dots per inch" is very important in printing. It's basically the pixel data that is captured per sq.inch. The minimum that is required for professional quality images is 300dpi while for viewing images online/computer 72dpi would be enough. DSLRs shoot at 240-300dpi. This can be pushed all the way to 600dpi on some Olympus DSLRs. 

Depth-of-field: DOF is a measure of what is in focus. How much of it is in focus before and after the subject. If you hold your thumb up close to your face and try to focus on the thumb everything in the background gets blurred right, that's an example of DOF. People who appreciate "Optics" in physics would love this! This optical effect allows us to either separate the subject from the background or ensure everything in front and at the back of the subject is in focus. (Mostly achieved by varying the aperture) 

Hope this helps people who are considering to buy a DSLR and those who are curious to know the real difference.

Also read 5 PLACES WHERE A POINT & SHOOT CAN KICK A DSLR’S ASS! :P

Happy Wednesday!

- Phalgun    

[cuspconcepts]

Merlin Steadicam| Learning from Day 1

The name is so apt for the 'Merlin Steadicam'. It really is Magic! Kudos to the inventor of the Steadicam Mr. Garrett Brown.

It allows videographers to shoot seamless footage.

Yeah, agreed it's a bit expensive, twice the cost than that offered by it's cheaper (in every way; build, handling, etc.) competitors.  

I received it yesterday.

It comes in a fancy case. Opened it with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.

First look: OVERWHELMED! Big time!

I knew that there was a major learning curve involved; but it had to start someday.

Set it up pretty quickly, as instructed by the manual. Familiarized myself with the parts (reminded me of Machine Drawing in Engg) and then came the toughest part.

It's all about balancing the camera you have. The settings for some of the cameras can be found at http://www.merlincookbook.com/ but then finally you'll have to get your hands dirty. 

It DOES NOT work out-of-the-box. So, it requires a lot of patience and a never-give-up-even-if-Osama-is-alive attitude!

If you have followed the manual correctly and setup the camera on the stage using the right hole and the right weights on the middle and lower spars; you are 75% there.

Next step is simple. Follow these steps:

Step 1: When you hold the gimble, see which direction the camera is tilting. 

Step 2: If the camera is tilting too much either to the front or to the back, then increase or decrease the arc length (slowly, checking if it is making any difference)

Once completing this you go to Step 3 for fine tuning

Step 3: After step 2, if the camera is tilting to the left or the right then use the blue fine tuning micrometer adjustment trims you find under the stage. This needs some effort too.

After Step 3 you should have a straight upright steadicam + camera.

Ok, I had the whole thing setup (90% there).

Now the challenges you face while using it.

It can be and SHOULD be used only for moving shots. Eg: Following the subject while walking or can be used to pan smoothly.

Move with the Steadicam slowly. Because it gets into a 'Rocking Boat' mode (starts oscillating).  

The wrist will hurt like crazy even after using for just a few minutes. Use sparingly.

Plan your shots. Plan your trajectory. 

You cannot zoom, focus, change any of the settings mid-way. It has to be preset. (obviously) 

Set the balance of the camera after you have put all the accessories; battery, tape, mic, etc. because even a closed or open LCD viewfinder makes a lot of difference (to the Center-of-Gravity and hence the balance)

This brings you close to 95%. Requires a lot of practice and research. 

I'm currently shooting with Sony FX-7 its around 2.5 kgs including the weights it's weighing about 5 kgs. Status of the Right Wrist: DEAD (can't even lift a pen)!

The vest costs another Rs.80k. I think we can manage with it for now.

Hope this helps (because this is the information I wish I found on the internet)

Happy Tuesday! :D

[cuspconcepts]

Mobile Phone Cameras - A Paradigm shift?

Any wise photographer would agree that it wouldn’t matter what you use to frame a picture; it could be a DSLR, a compact point and shoot or a mobile phone camera.

I love shooting with my phone as well. Yesterday, I was just thinking about how popular iPhonography is becoming and suddenly a ‘thought’ hit me. A huge paradigm shift in the mind of a consumer who has used cameras for so many years. Before I get into this, would want to share some interesting trends.

If you check the specs for the iPhone camera or the Nokia N8. The sensor specifications is way better than majority of the P&S cameras in the market right now.

Here is another trend (courtesy Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/cameras/)

  Now, getting back to the point; the thought that hit me was that 'all these phone cameras are of fixed focal length'. There is no optical zoom. Yup! If you go back 20 years. We all had that film camera from Kodak which had a fixed focal length. We just focus and click. That was how it was done for a very long time.

In the past 5 years, all the major brands have released cameras with ridiculous zoom, 10x, 24x, 36x and onwards. That’s not a camera anymore; it’s a freakin’ ‘Galilean’ telescope!

And now people have settled for a camera with a fixed focal length, ain’t it a huge paradigm shift. (Or should I say a reversal)

And some of the mobile cameras don’t even come with auto-focus, they have fixed focus; meaning whatever you shoot, everything till infinity would be in focus.

When Flip video was introduced, people went crazy. Everybody in the US had one. It was so easy to use, just one big red button to press to record and stop recording, it was so small that it would fit in your pocket along with your car keys and mobile phone. It became so popular, didn’t need any wires at all, neither for charging it nor for transferring the files to the laptop. And guess what! It had a fixed focal length lens!! It shot in HD, it was a breeze to upload video files to YouTube. But Cisco bought the company and killed it as well (that’s a different story). RIP Flip Mino!

It really brings a smile to my face that people are finding their creative side, and this mostly driven by (the limitations in) technology.

Always love to see those mobile uploads on Facebook. Keep ‘em coming!

Happy Wednesday Everybody! :D

[cuspconcepts]

8 ways to differentiate Photographers and 'Ducks'

Here are 8 factors that differentiates a real photographer from a person who just owns a camera (I'll be referring to this person as 'duck' in this post). 

A photographer clicks a picture when he notices something creative that appeals to his eye, it's a spontaneous reaction. Where as a duck is not spontaneous, comes with a pre-visualised set of shots that he/she wants to capture, sometimes copy a famous style/technique.

A photographer not only knows how to use the camera but knows when to use the camera. When to use which setting is key to capturing the right picture. Anybody can click a picture at Yosemite but none would be as good as Ansel Adams'.

A photographer makes a picture, like how an artist makes a painting. A duck merely takes a picture.

A photographer has a vision, a long term project. A duck has a very short-sighted vision, once he/she learns all the technical details as well as the compositions that exist in the world of photography, thinks that he/she has mastered the art.

A photographer is happy with every picture he clicks. A duck is happy only when he/she gets good feedback from others. 

A photographer never feels embarrassed while taking pictures, no awkward feelings. A duck would be mighty embarrassed to pull out the camera wondering what would people think, etc. 

A photographer is happy to share his/her knowledge, after all the knowledge is free. A duck thinks the techniques, etc. are proprietary and will share only if paid for. 

A photographer learns from his mistakes, accepts criticism and feedback. A duck will most probably take feedback in a bad way.  

This is a picture of dew drops on a spider web. 

And here is a picture clicked by a duck.

Goodnight everybody! :)

[cuspconcepts]

A peek into a Photographer's mind

I bet some of you are wondering; What are the thought processes in a photographer's mind? How do they know what to shoot, how to shoot and when to shoot? I think this post will hopefully help you the next time you have a camera in your hand.

Look for the basic design elements around you. Space, Line, Color, Shape, Texture, Form and Contrast.

If you don't find any of the design elements, then try optics, try varying depth of field or go wide angle or choose a different vantage point.

Even after following Steps 1 and 2 if you are not happy with the picture composition then manually manipulate the subject/s to suit your creative vision.

If none of the steps mentioned above work, then look at it from a post-processing perspective. Can it be converted into an artwork.  

 I'm in a very make-it-simple mood today. Happy Tuesday :)