Divyanshus Weblog

I made some Photos in the last days – please tell me what you think:

It's one of the greatest tools available to photographers, it's easy to use, and yet it's among the least known and used abilities of a camera today. Pro photographers have used it for decades, but the amateur can use these same techniques without paying the professional price. It's called depth of field, and it's accessed through the use of the aperture.

The aperture, simply put, is the hole that light comes through in your camera. Light passes through the front of the lens, through a series of glass pieces, through a hole at the back of the lens, and into the camera. The aperture is the hole in the back of the lens, and you get to control this vital part of the camera, if you decide to want to bump up your pictures. You can place the camera on auto, and the camera will adjust its aperture, shutter and more to the situation it sees. By placing the camera in more manual modes, you take on powerful and personal control, and YOU get to decide what you want to create with your photographs.

An important factor here is lighting. Any photography relies heavily on the lighting that you are using, whether it be from the natural, ambient light around you, or artificial light, like a strobe or other flash unit. Especially while using natural light, it will be important to use a tripod to keep the camera steady while shooting. If you are shooting on a cloudy day, without much light, then the camera must compensate for less light by having a longer shutter speed, which it will do automatically in the mode I'll be explaining in a moment. A longer shutter speed means the camera won't be able to have a clearly focused picture without the use of the tripod.

Depth of field simply means the area of focus, or the area in the picture that is in focus might be a more accurate term. Photography is a two dimensional medium, having height and width, but it lacks depth, the third dimension. Your photography can create the illusion of that depth through a few easy camera settings. You may be asking yourself, why would I want to create the illusion of depth, and what is it good for? Part of the reason is to create a sense of emphasis. When you take a picture of a large area, with trees, birds, squirrels, people, rocks, etc, what is the thing or object that you are zeroing in on? Is there anything that you really want to emphasize to your viewer? If so, it's probably getting lost in the crowd of other things on the scene. The squirrels are so small you can barely see them, the people are walking their dogs, and the trees are swaying in the breeze. But what if you wanted to focus on the viewer on the flowers in the garden? When you create emphasis on an object, it strengthens your photo, and actually guides the eye of the viewer to that object. You could take pictures to create a story about that, as you can read in my article about photo stories. When you get in to take close-ups of the flowers is where the possibilities of great photography begin.

Emphasize the garden by focusing in on one or two flowers at a time. Grab a tripod, get down to eye level with them, and then get ready. Place your camera in a mode that allows you to change your aperture; the mode is usually called “A”, or “AV” on some models. Film cameras can allow these changes too, on SLR models. They require you to simply change the f-stop manually on the aperture ring. On your digital camera, use your selector buttons to change your aperture. You'll see on your digital camera, most likely, a letter f, with the number on the readout on either the monitor, or the info panel on the top of the camera, or perhaps both areas. The f means f-stop, which is the name commonly used to describe the number of the aperture setting. The best way to emphasize a flower is to have only that flower in focus, and to have the rest out of focus. Change your aperture to a really low number, such as 2.8, 4, or 5.6. When the lens is at a low number like this, the lens hole is wide open, but it is creating a small area or depth of field; basically an inch or two will be in focus. Focus your camera, and shoot. Now, look at the camera, and look at your pictures. The one or two flowers should be in focus, but do you see how the background is fuzzy and out of focus? This is what is called a “shallow depth of field”, and that comes from using a small number f-stop. That's because you've taken control of your camera, and changed the outcome! Because only the flower is in focus, and the rest is blurred out, you have guided your viewer to what YOU want to emphasize! You have used one of the most powerful tools available for a photographer to bring a new focus to your pictures. Try this with a lot of different scenes; look how the item is forced to really stand out for you because it's the only thing in focus.

Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum are the pictures that have the entire photograph in focus; such as a lighthouse standing out from the beach, with horseshoe crab shells in the immediate foreground. This is also done by changing the depth of field of your camera. Here, you again change your aperture, but this time place it on a high number like 16, 22, 28, etc. This is to create a large depth of field by using a small hole in the back of the lens. Again, you must use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Take a picture with something in the near foreground, such as a rock or the crab shells, and then compose your picture with a mountain or some other object some distance away, focus, and shoot. Remember to use the rule of thirds here for additional emphasis. As you'll see, both areas should be in focus, again showing the third dimension and creating the illusion of depth. This is a large depth of field.

It's a little known tool in the photographer's toolbox, but almost any camera made in the past four years will have some sort of ability to work with depth of field, whether they have a point and shoot or DSLR. Every photographer, of every level, has the ability, through practice, to create beautiful photographs that can rival those of the pros, by using the tools available with every camera. Use the strength of depth of field when you create the third dimension in your photographs, and add a new and incredibly
powerful personal dimension to your photography.

This post is number six of twenty one subjects that will help you focus when on your next journey and you wish to bring back a well rounded story of where you were.  If you’re just going on vacation and only want pictures of yourself by the pool sipping boat drinks, then you can probably skip this one.  These posts are not intent on telling you everything you need to do, step by step, to capture perfect, cookie-cutter pictures while traveling.  Instead, they are intent on pointing out some vital elements to capture when on the road and ask thought provoking questions you may want to ask yourself.  My hope is they help guide you to find your own means to better expressing what your travels have meant to you and present that in the best light possible.

How people socialize from region to region often seems something of a shock to the unsuspecting traveler, even in their own home country.  City to city, the changes are less obvious.  Block to block, they can be barely perceptible.  But they are there.  Humans are a social species and any time two or more of us get together there are behaviors and patterns, ways of communicating, ways of conveying thoughts and feelings about what’s important to each.

In broad terms, from a photographic standpoint when traveling, I take socializing to be any interactions that aren’t strictly business (even though business transactions often involve various types of socializing).  And typically the types of interactions where people are trying to learning something from each other, unlike sports and other competitions.  It’s the way cabbies waiting for a fare will stand around and chat.  It’s the way police talk with vagrants in a park before moving them along.  And kids at a movie theater yelling to friends or playing video games.

To really get a feel for socializing when traveling, it’s best to spend a day with no camera.  Walk around and maybe see some of the tourist areas, but also spend time seated in a park away from the popular sites (we’ll have a post later that talks about hitting those ‘must see’ sites, but for now, leave them be).  Go to a local cafe and just people watch.  For some of us, this is one of the thrills of travel but for some, it’s a stretch to just sit and watch.  But it’s important.  Without a camera to grab, you’re more forced to witness, to see how others interact.

Do people mainly keep to themselves or is there a lot of interaction?  Do young people talk to old people and do they do it different than when they talk to those in their own age group?  Where do people tend to gather?  Can you spot old friends and how they interact?  And discern that from new acquaintances?  Is there much physical contact during a conversation or are people more reserved?  Loud or hushed?  Smiles or serious?

Spending a day observing before grabbing your camera will answer these questions and more.  If you can’t spend a whole day, maybe just an hour will do.  It’ll give you a better idea of who the strangers are around you.  Spending this day without a camera may also have another benefit. I’ve found people are often more likely to chat with you if you don’t have a camera.  You may then learn more about how locals socialize with tourists.  You may also make a friend who can lead you to other insights about the area you are visiting.  And they’ll probably be ok with you taking their picture the next time you meet.

You say you aren’t traveling and have no photo to share in the comments section below? I say take a look at how those around you in your home town socialize and try photographing that first.  Practice at home will sharpen your skill when you’re faced with a foreign country and culture.  And by all means, please share any shots you have of what socializing means to you in the comment section.

——-

Previous articles in the Travel Photography Subjects series include Water, Old People, Young People, Religion and Sports.  Be sure to subscribe to this site to receive the other 15 subjects as they are posted!

Additional Articles From “Networking”

• What do i have to specialize in ,in order to be a networking engineer?
• What are pros about social networking sites like Fbook and twitter for government agencies?
• What are some popular social networking sites?
• Whats is the next great social networking?
• Where can I find a template for a professional profile sheet, or networking sheet?
• Why are all these social networking sites getting Boring Nowadays?
• I’m interested in starting an online dating site or adult networking site and have a few questions?
• Is there a social networking site for people who like to cook?
• What is the best way to promote a business and social networking site designed for the real estate industry?
• Is there a social networking site for actors?

19 year old Phillip Duc is based in Melbourne, and has been shooting for about three years now. He says he’s inspired by cinema photography and culture, and adds: “- What really gets me going is serene, peaceful, tranquil and sometimes depressing environments. If i had to name a photographer it would be Ryan McGinley, because he lives life accordingly through his photographs.”

His work hasn’t been published anywhere yet as he just lately started promoting it. I have a feeling we will see more of it in the future.

At the moment he is working on a project called ‘Kinrid Spirits’: “- ‘kindrid spirits’ depicting the relation between humans and animals and how we have been corrupted by technology.”

Here’s some of his work:

Check out the rest of his work here.

from: Alyvias Blog

I made new Images in the last days – please tell me your thoughts:

Fotos entwickeln

Well, it's the time of year that every parent wants to go see Santa Claus. No, not for themselves, but to get a photo of their child with Santa. Quite often it's not even your idea, but you get the request from your relatives wanting a photo done. As your kids get older I'm sure many parents out there are pro's at this. But, for parents taking their child for the first time when they are one or two years old, this can be a challenge. I will give you some tips I picked up from my experience that I just got home from.

One of the biggest ones is that you don't want to underestimate the waiting time. Keep in mind even if the line looks short there could be a few reasons that the wait will be longer than you expect. One is that the line may wind around in an area that you can not see yet. My guess is the reason they do this is they figure once you in line for a certain amount of time the chances of you leaving once you see this are rather slim. Another possible reason is because I saw a lot of parents where one parent would wait in line and then right at the end the other parent who had been wandering the mall with the child or sitting elsewhere with them all of a sudden come up and join them line at the end. This could also happen where one child was waiting in line but three of their siblings join them at the last minute. Hey, it's time to be in holiday spirits, so instead of getting upset just be prepared for this to happen ahead of time.

Like I said, your wait in line is likely to be substantial. Of course on weekends this time of year it is even worse, but weekdays can be just as bad. Keep in mind some schools close for close to two weeks around Christmas time. In anticipation of this I have some tips. First, check you child's diaper before you get in line. Especially if you are alone with your child there is no way you can get out of line and get back in without risking the people in the back of the line making an issue of it. Obviously if your child is upset because of a dirty diaper, he/she won't be in the mood to smile a lot for the photo with Santa Claus. Another tip along the same line of thought is make sure your child has had something to eat recently. Depending on how the line is arranged it might be impossible to feed your child while waiting. Finally , make sure your child is well rested. As I said you don't know how long it will be until you get your turn and if he/she is getting tired obviously they will not be in a good mood for the photo. One final suggestion for while in line, bring a toy to keep your child occupied. Don't bring something that will be disruptive to kids around yours, but something that keep your child's attention.

I also have some tips for when you finally get to see Santa Claus. The first is, keep in mind most places will allow your child sit on Santa's lap for free, but if you try to take a photo with your digital camera they will charge a “sitting fee” if you don't buy any photos from them. Most will let the parents be in the photo area out of the photo itself to try to get the child's attention and make them smile during the photo, so have an idea what you will do to stop your child from crying and get them to smile. Some places are very nice about it and if your child is throwing a fit the first time they try to take the photos they will offer to let you wait while the next child goes and try one more time afterwards. Obviously this is to their advantage too because you are unlikely to buy a photo of your child screaming. If the place you are having yours done doesn't offer this option, make sure you ask if they would let you do it, I am guessing most will.

It's always a thrill getting that “cute photo of your child and Santa”, but keep in mind it takes preparation for it to happen.

Socialite Paris Hilton got photobombed tonight while arriving at Kitson by a member of the paparazzi.  You can see the papo (in the photo above) sending his sexual invite visually to Miss Hilton as she arrived.

Hilton, in what seemed like an effort to brag or show how her followers how popular she is, tweeted the following:

“Pulling up to Kitson”

Along with the photo you see above where hilarity ensues via the popular photobomb.

Follow Paris on Twitter @parishilton

Keeping in touch with the next generation of photographers is essential for anyone working in the genre so earlier this year I took a train ride to meet a group of students studying the BTEC National Award Photography at City College Brighton and Hove.

The course is run by Julia Horbaschk, who is herself a photographer, and she had asked if I could set the students a simple assignment along the lines of our themed weekly readers' galleries. For many of the students this is their first experience of photography and the study of the way images are used within society.

To keep it simple and to ensure all the students had access to the subject I selected transport as the theme. The students then had a few weeks to come up with some ideas and shots and at that point I went to meet them.

It was fascinating to see the range of interpretations, from those who concentrated on traditional forms of transport to those who saw it more as a way to transport the mind.

I asked Julia for her thoughts on the project and process, she said:

“I feel the students have coped very well, coming up with a large range of ideas related to the subject of transport. We started the projects with several brainstorming sessions about transport in order to avoid the stereotypical interpretations such as cars, trains and planes.
 
“This included thinking of where transport is used, how and when. We also explored a variety of techniques and angles that allow us to show transport in a different dimension, including sensory responses and abstract imagery.
 
“Looking at all the images together I feel this has paid off because each student has produced an individual outcome.
 
“The grading criteria by BTEC can be challenging and the students had to respond to many tasks including finding visual as well as non visual references. Unit 4, Visual Communications also aims to 'develop the students' own visual language by working with a range of methods, materials and media' as well as to 'develop the breadth and depth of their visual communication knowledge, skills and understanding'.
 
“Furthermore the criteria ask the student to: 'communicate and present ideas and outcomes to different audiences'. By inviting Phil we had the chance of extending the audience to a larger scale, which will greatly add to the students' achievement, in grades as well as professionally.
 
“Phil's visit has also made the students aware of the changing world of photography outside the college and having some of their images published will hopefully give them greater confidence in their progress in the field. As their tutor I am proud that they have embraced the challenge”

A number of those involved have sent me one of their pictures from the series and I present them here with comments from each student and a few additional notes from me. I'm thankful for their support and willingness to get involved, and I hope to stay in touch with their progress.

Now the photos, in alphabetical order:

Connor Barnes

Connor: “In this picture I tried to emphasise the fundamental elements regarding the freedom of the skater.”

Phil: “Connor's well-framed shot of the skater brings the feeling of freedom that some forms of transport can offer. He has obviously thought hard about the subject and worked through a number of ideas to get the final picture you see here. There were others in his set that worked equally well.”

Kayleigh Blaker

Kayleigh: “I came up with this image whilst I was on a day trip in London on a hospital visit. I was walking down near Hyde Park and came across an army of horses and riders transporting guns. I thought it was an unusual form of transport and pretty unique.”

Phil: “Kayleigh's decision to photograph a less obvious mode of transport is an interesting one. She explained that she wanted to move away from cars or trains and instead find an new angle, and the gun carriages being pulled by horses are certainly that.”

Melissa Collins

Melissa: “For my transport images I was trying to create something that was very different and more unusual, so I experimented with a torch to do light drawings, adding detail and suggesting movement within the car.”

Phil: “Melissa wanted to add some fun to her pictures and she has done this well by painting with light. The idea was inspired having seen the streams of traffic recorded in long exposure pictures and here we get a different take on transport and the contradiction between the light and the static car. Photography should be fun, and this picture encapsulates that well.”

Taylor Davies

Taylor: “In my Transport project, I decided to do disability transport; walking frames, walking sticks, wheelchairs. I was trying to show how slow people walk, (with disability transport) and also how hard it is for them to move around. For example people that need wheelchairs, have to use ramps to get around but ramps aren't everywhere and this is not fair. Because my mum is disabled, this is what interested me. I guess I wanted to try and make everyone aware of how lucky some of us are.”

Phil: “Taylor concentrated on a slower form of transport but by using a slow shutter speed and flash Taylor has added the feeling of both movement and tension in the frame. Using photography to record aspects of our own lives and the issues we face can often produce powerful pictures and Taylor has done well.”

Lukas Dlhopolcek

Lukas: “I tried to use a zooming and panning technique to preserve the movement. I chose Trafalgar Square in London because there is a lot of traffic and it has an interesting iconic background. I tried to include this background so the viewer can see that it was taken in London.”

Phil: “Lukas has married his photographic technique to the subject well and created a vibrant picture that propels the viewer into the scene and conveys the feeling of motion around a busy London landmark.”

Adam Dowty

Phil: “Adam also used the blur technique to capture the mood and I have to say I like this. The two uprights of the street furniture hold each side of the frame together and the tones of the moving vehicle and the brickwork add a slightly sombre mood. There's an unsettling feeling within the frame though I can't put my finger on what it is exactly.”

Grace Flynn

Grace: “I decided to base all of my ideas around flight. I chose to do this because I preferred to interpret the subject matter of transport in a more fictional, rather than literal way. When I was given this brief almost all of the ideas that came to me were related to flying and it was a good opportunity to experiment with movement in order to create the illusion of flight. It is also a form of transport that is often associated with superheroes, fairies and fictional things.”

Phil: “This is a novel approach and very well executed. The notion of travel and transport is there in this dreamlike photo. It's also a shot that would be used in the right context.”

Becci Godsall

Becci: “The project title of transport felt quite unusual to me as I haven't really explored this type of photography before. I found it challenging but enjoyable and I think I added my own individual style to the photographs.”

Phil: “Becci was looking to capture the movement of transport – the feeling of being transported and this picture does that well. She was aware of the issues facing the lack of light on the underground and this frame is a good balance between blur and keeping enough detail to see what is going on. It's also good to see she was able to adapt her own type of photography to fulfil this brief.”

Katie Harding

Katie: “With this project I was inspired by the government's road safety campaigns and I wanted my images to be a comment on the effects of dangerous driving.”

Phil: “Katie took the government's road safety films as a starting point and then very effectively created a number of pictures that would work as posters in that sort of campaign. One shot of a rabbit that had been run over was a little too direct for such a campaign, but the child's toy and the flowers are very effective, being well-balanced shots.”

Joseph Murphy

Joseph: “I was attempting to portray the more natural side of transport, and how many of of our inventions such as aeroplanes have been inspired by the natural world.”

Phil: “This is a clever idea and as a graphic image and possible advertisement poster fits the theme well. The twist is the feeling of flying away from it all, and yet the fact that these paper birds are going nowhere works well.”

Chloe Ryan

Chloe: “This photograph was taken whilst on an adventure with my best friend after she'd splashed about in the mud bare foot by the local harbour. As she sat down to put her shoes back on I snapped away at her feet. It sparked the inspiration for my transport project, I then went on to photograph feet in different elements, such as mud, sand, grass and water to show a journey.”

Phil: “This frame struck me straight away. It's simple and yet a very powerful picture drawing out all sorts of stories or ideas. Seen small she could be standing on railway lines, but whatever it is, it signifies the start of a journey, or maybe the end. This feels like the opening frame of a film, a road movie perhaps. The picture transports the mind to new places and compels the viewer to invent a story.”

Louis Smith

Louis: “Sunny days should be spent enjoying them, like this.”

Phil: “Louis's caption says it all really, a well-framed shot, strong angles and a relaxed feel abounds.”

Sam Webb

Sam: “I was trying to capture the mood of this scene. The area was misty and had a very calm feeling and seemed as though it was a scene from a film the way the lights lit the mist.”

Phil: “The wide shot of the railway car park with a streak of light as the train passes on a misty night is lovely. It's well-framed, with lots of space to allow the subject to breathe and the mist adds drama and closes the space down well. This too could be a scene from a film or poster with plenty of room for text to be added.”

You can see the students' photos in a gallery on Flickr with comments from Julia.

Best of luck to all the students and thanks for sharing your time with me.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Newsvine |
• NowPublic |
• Reddit
• – What's this?

from: Emaleighs Site
Tajahs Site

I taken a lot of Pix in the last months – please tell me what you think:

I think I have found the best wedding photographer in the St. Louis area.  The business is called Lens Magic, run out of the photographers home.  She is at the top of her game and does any type of shot you can think of, and the best part, the pricing is well below that of other photographers.  When you book with her, you get the entire day, unlike most photographers who just stay for an hour of the reception.  Shes there to capture the preparation, vows and post numptual celebration until the last guest leaves.  Normally, for this kind of service, you would expect to pay in the thousands, but her service is much less than that although should be much more.  I used her service for my own wedding and when the proofs came back, which was within two weeks, I was absolutely amazed at the number of photos I had to choose from.  Not only did we have a 100 page album full, she also had a large envelope with just as many photos inside.  We had professional pictures of every guest at our wedding and reception, which is much nicer than the disposable camera shots which normally is the only way you get those kind of pictures.  When it was time to order, the reprint prices were just as reasonable as her rates were for our wedding day.  The best part is, almost four years later, I was able to call her and still order prints.  She keeps all of the weddings she does on file so that its possible to do this.  She has actually done pictures for a wedding, then been called back for the couples 25th anniversary for copies of those pictures and had been able to produce them!  

The best thing is, she does more than weddings!   Baby pictures, senior pictures- whatever you want.  When she does these types of pictures, she only books one person per day so that she can have as much time as necessary to capture exactly what you're wanting.  She will take whatever time is necessary, but without the additional charge that most photographers.  You just pay for the session as a whole package, not per hour or per shot! 

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this business.  This is definitely where I will have all of my professional pictures done from now on and will recommend her to anyone and everyone!

Share your graduation celebration photos, and we'll feature them at www.oregonlive.com/local community news sites and choose a few to be printed in The Oregonian's Community News sections.

Here's how to submit your photos:
 

• Go here and click on “Submit your photos.”
• Post your graduation photo to the Graduation gallery.
• Write a caption that includes the names of the school and the people in the photo and when the photo was taken.
• Put school and city names in the tag.

That's it. Simple. Now submit those photos! 

– The Oregonian

 

© Adam Lau

Crew members brace themselves on the bow of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship, MV Steve Irwin, as it plunges through Antarctic swells. Adam Lau, a student from San Francisco State University, documented the ship and it’s crew as they pursued and clashed with Japanese whaling vessels. Such ships are accused of hunting commercially under the guise of “scientific research.” While Sea Shepherd claims to be non-violent, its aggressive tactics have provoked criticism from other groups, making it the black sheep of the conservation movement.

Lau’s series is included in the PDN Photo Annual 2010 online gallery. The MV Steve Irwin and it’s crew are also the subject of the Animal Planet series Whale Wars.

A message left on the the bridge rail by crew after a whale sighting off Antarctica’s coast.

The  crew hurls bottles of butyric acid at the YÅ«shin Maru No. 1, a Japanese harpoon ship, during a clash in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. “Rotten butter bombs” were aimed at the whaling ship’s deck in the hope of making work on board difficult, and tainting meat to be sold at market.

Cook Laura Dakin, right, peers out the galley window as crew member Eric Cheng weathers a snowstorm outside after a failed mission to pursue Japanese harpoon ship, the YÅ«shin Maru No. 3.

The crew in an inflatable fast boat, armed with bottles of rotten butter, are doused by water cannons from Japanese harpoon ship, the YÅ«shin Maru No. 1.

Crew Warren Werrett and Laurens De Groot nap on ropes on the deck.

This entry was posted
on Friday, June 4th, 2010 at 12:00 pm ET
by Danny Tsui and is filed under Documentary, News, Photojournalism, Sports/Action, Vehicles.

Two questions come from this photo, one who is the perv with the camera?, two who is the bad drag queen?, Arf!

While looking through photo sets of dead, oil soaked animals washing up around the Gulf Of Mexico, a friend told me about the photographic work of Chris Jordan.  He has taken numerous pictures of decomposed birds whose stomachs contained lots of small bits of plastic trash.  "ade in September, 2009, on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and
coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed
bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast
polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to
their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands
of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and
choking."

Though the photographs are shot in a deadpan, matter-of-fact style, they are ominous, gruesome and fascinating.  The full gallery is here.

from: Cindels Weblog
Taybas Site
Ashvins Blog