Abstract in photography...(post no.112).

As in painting, many a times the abstract emerges close to realism, so in Photography too, the brain of Photographer tries to hold in it the part of realism, semi abstract, or total abstract images through his camera.Abstract imagery stems from a deeply personal space/taste. It makes it possible to communicate directly with the viewer....It is a virtual and continuous process of self-expression involved with hard work.

As u involve with this art, pl remember to shoot not what it looks like but what it feels like. This will include emotions, the inherent part of an aesthetic abstract image...

Using aperture: Many of the subjects needs to be shot with a small aperture, since it is repetition of elements or patterns throughout the frame that creates a sense of abstraction (as in the above photograph). On the other hand bokeh makes wonderful abstracts too. And here u will have to depend upon the bigger aperture possible.........................continue

Travel story in photography.(post no.111).

In travel, try to visualize a story that is a photo story which is a group of images that work together (one example of ''uttappam'' from Kerala is given above,that come under eatables). These images tell a story that imparts greater meaning than a single image would....The story can be narrative of a journey or event. However, it can also involve shooting subjects like the wall paintings of a particular region, in order to give the viewer a deeper understanding of the practice as in case of the painting below fron Bhim Baithka caves from central India from the stoneage.

The perception behind story is important so identify a theme which will set pace for the rest of the story, may be busy markets, important buildings, houses,terraces,doors, windows having peculiar designs, some outside bridges,landscapes, people in their unique attire and so on...........continue

Diffusers in photography....(post no.110)

Many a time, u feel the need to diffuse the light on ur portraits...this help getting even and shadowless lighting,unless u change the position of ur main light source....This is more useful with lamps and flash lights, which otherwise provide harsh shadows. Therefore in order to soften shadows the following will be useful:

TRACING PAPER: This is also called butter paper. Using this helps reduce the intensity of light sources, which u can check on ur LCD monitor and make necessary changes, if need be.

MUSLIN CLOTH: This also helps in diffusing the light when needed. With a warm light source, like lamps, it can even make the lighting look mellow.......Whenever using these diffusers, better keep them away from light sources, not to let them get heated.

TRANSLUCENT GLASS: Place a translucent glass in front of light source but at a slight distance. Avoid prolonged use of these diffusers.....change them to fresh ones as they are less heat-resistant...Even walls will work as diffusers...direct light at them and get ur subjects seated to get the lighting u need, 2-3 feet away from them..........continue

Using FILL FLASH....(post No.109).

FILL FLASH INTO A SCENE:....When shooting against the light, u can use flash to fill in some light onto the subject. For example fill flash works well when u r shooting a person against  the setting sun or in harsh sunlight. The camera will expose for the sky/subject, but the fill flash will ensure that the subject is not silhouetted/harsh shadows filled with some light.
--The same effect can be applied by using the Night Portrait or Backlit portrait mode in ur camera.

Street Photography--2..(post no.108).

Let me explain about the pic....There can be many elements in a shop....Here the man (shopkeeper) is relaxing (or bored with no customers). There are many items for sale when people are going to temple. He kept one chair, if anybody wants to sit or rest a while, or to talk to him passing time. There is a vessel near his leg for drinking water. Also in the bg is a man's poster for election campaign......So everything is distinct.

2) The chair well balances the man's presence and the whole photograph....This can be termed that u hv documented a shop, which is characterised by striking a balance between the form and the subject.

3) Robert Capa said ''if ur pix are not good enough, then u are not close enough''. This is well applicable in this form of photography.The style of photography will be to concentrate on the subject more than the background.............The techniques and outcome may consist of blurs, shadows, silhouettes, reflections and a true representation of the subject before the camera.

4) Other things may include patterns, structures, tones, textures, colors forming some of the principle elements in the images. (As I explained above.)...........................to continue.

Street Photography.(post no.107).

One of the most interesting and challenging subjects, is Street Photography.......This can be done in colour or transformed into a b&w image in photoshop....This is as against the thinking and executing portraits, wildlife, insects' macro photography,landscape photography, which are done under the cover of homes, studios, sanctuaries and on ur kitchen garden, nearby trees, in jungles,seas etc., where u do not have a direct interaction with your subjects.....

2) To few people, the street photography may look intimidating, because of their rather introvert nature. Introvert people think more, act less. The street photography is well executed by the people with an extrovert outlook. They are less afraid of public reactions. They try to convince the subject or walk out of scene if faced by angried men and women.

3) First question comes, ''why, what for'' u are taking the photographs. Some are conscious in public and they comment '' paisa kamayega'' (earn money from the photographs). Time has changed a lot since last 30 years....Now cameras are common in hand, particularly compacts, and mobile phone cameras. The SLR has a bigger look and attracts attention and, hei, u are watched.

4) What to do......sometimes visit regularly, so people are accustomed with ur presence. Many a time, targetting small children helps and u take few shots of people around, just by pleasing the children....Still if u are not interactive, u can use a telephoto lens or longer focal length zoom and stay in a corner, where u are less noticed and take shots. These give, with advantage, less DOF and focused on the main subject at 200mm or 300mm....Using wide angles need going closure covering more area and having good depth of field to give more life to pictures....In this case, I hang camera on my neck and at wide, I just aim the lens without looking into the LCD or viewfinder, and press the button, as if having my attention somewhere else...Later some cropping brings up the main subject.....As in the case of above picture, I promised the man to give him the prints and he did give me some good shots....Bought a small flowerpot also....Only thing, if people disapprove or become angry...it is better to walk out of the area with gentlemanliness.....haha...interesting....

Photographing places of interest.(post no.106).

There are lot of festivals in India and more of tourist places and picnic spots, which will excite to the capture them in ur camera, may be compacts,camphones or others.

2) If it is a place of diversity, just tell a story in two or three pictures. As in the above picture there is a huge temple made by Raja Bhoj some one thousand years back. Till 25 years back, it was in dilapidated condition. However, the govt took steps to get it renovated and made it a national heritage.

3) There is importance of majestic appearance of the temple and inside is a great Shiv-ling, 2.03 metre high, which is shown here in the inset....As people throng the gate, which is covered with wooden steps, it is not possible to merge both in one picture. Besides, there is contrast in lighting, outside and inside. To show the public is one especial aspect of photography depicting the importance of the place and the devotion of the people.....Cover it pictorially, framing it with side trees,rocks, people etc.....Nikon 18-55 kit lens....Expo. outside Aperture Priority Auto....1/500, f16....The inside Shiv-ling is captured by Canon compact on auto mode............................to continue.

Planning to improve shooting skills.(post no.105).

Shooting is easy but better after knowing the place. Though sometimes it happens that u go to a tourist place and that is new to u, u go on clicking, whatever comes before u.  No doubt, u got a good record of the place...But have u understood that how many pictures are good from an artist's point of view. Even when you sit on PC or Laptop, you have to view each picture and how many you will have to delete from your at random shooting...wasting lot of precious time...However, if the place is visited for the first and last time, that is worth doing the labour. But if you have visited the place and have a second chance to visit, it would be better to have a planning for spectacular places you will shoot from....As may have happened in ur first visit, most of the time you wudn't have realised but just jumped for shot after shots.....Here important is PLANNING. This may take some of your time but ultimately save lot of it to return with  perfect shots with better results in exposure setting on Aperture Priority, Prog mode or Manual mode, having correct shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting. Why ISO setting? As the evening sets in the light goes down and you do not have tripod, the HIGHER ISO SETTING WILL help you to capture sharp pictures...That is why to plan 'when,where,how,what,who' (the 5 w) will be helpful in holiday shoots. This will help u to visualise the composition before you have clicked the camera.....THE above place,in picture, I saw before, but next time the two gals helped me in scaling the composition to the boat and sky..............to continue.

Preparing for Photography Competition--5 (post no.104)

THE THEME:  The theme is generally categorised as Colour Prints, B&W Prints, Nature Prints(flowers,birds,raptiles,macro of these etc), Wildlife Prints(Animals of jungle, birds, crocodile etc), Travel Prints, Photojournalism, Digital Imaging etc. Digital Imaging is the new category included in the competitions. However, the organisers specify that the print shd have originality of the subject with few tools of photoshop used. They need the sanctity of the image, not a mutilated image.

2) Check the lighting of your picture. It shd look realistic...Avoid snapshot camera flash look. While outside or inside, make the light works well according to a competition category. This can be decided while shooting, the angles of lighting, harshness,softness of lighting. It shd not kill the subject. If necessary use reflectors, like a white towel, cloth, newspaper. thermocol, wall etc. To slightly darken the subject, use of black reflectors may also help,like black cloth,card sheet etc.

3) PRESENTATION OF PRINT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT POINT....Care shd be taken when sending the print to lab...U shd personally instruct the lab technician to further crop image and the tonal range,colours u want in the final print,if u get a proof first. Poor quality of prints have no excuse before a judge and ur print may see a corner of the table......The competitions generally need unmounted prints. But still some photographers send their prints duly mounted. If u think so, use proper mounting, clean cut cardsheets, masks, cardboards...Check the prints of any spots. They shd be duly finished.

REMEMBER, PHOTOGRAPHY IS A RECOGNIZED ART....BE AN ARTIST.

Preparing for Photo Competitions--4 (post no.103)

PICTORIAL TOUCH:...This is ur artistic capability in regard to having a good use of balance, colour, composition,cropping and creative use of space. The photo should  have a good use of contrast i.e. neither the effect shd be dull nor the highlights washed out.....In normal terms a correct tonal range, showing details in the highlights and shadow areas, so the judges have the option to give ur pic full marks....There are normally 3 judges so if 2 agree on a print, it is selected for further comparison with more effective photographs. Therefore,keeping in mind the above, your print shd not lag behind.

In the above picture, I used cropping...Since she is a prominent danseuse, she is kept in centre, surrounded by other fellow dancers (u can see around her)....Her pose is diagonal -most important to depict the sense of dynamism-her important dress and the whites of other dancers have the folding details.....that tell the story that they are the part of a troupe and in action....that is the balance. Her eyes not looking into the camera but where her concentration shd be, i.e. immediately to get up for another steps...The colour of her face shows the originality of the make up plus the well saturated colours of her dress, so the viewers' eyer stay there.Important also are ''LEADING LINES'' (AN IMPORTANT PART OF A COMPOSITION)....The hand(of another dancer above), the lyrical designs of other dancers' dresses all account to her. Even if u move to right to another of her colleagues's hand, u will hv to come back to her forceful pose......to continue

Preparing for Photo Competitions--3..(post no.102).

To go further for preparation for photo competitions.....There are simple rules to guide you to be a better photographer to be able to make your name in photo competitions...thus winning the hearts of judges, the audience, the newspapers, magazines and to obtain photographic degrees/diplomas in exams. There are hundreds of schools, colleges having photography as a full time course.

Just come along to look for things in your photographic entries:::. IMPACT: Your photograph has a main subject with other elements. When the audience view it, they shd stop and say 'vah', but make every effort to give full attention to the main subject avoiding the less important or distracting objects. However, ultimately, they shd have the full picture in mind with good composition...that is ur success.

As in the above photograph, there is impact of boats, creativity of making a triangle, the main centre of interest-- the boatman approaching the halting boats, supporting boats lying vacant, the reflection in water to say 'vah', dull evening light to make mood for boating, leading lines of small ripples take attention to the human element, whole perspective as an artist painted the view etc.

CREATIVITY: Your picture shd make the viewer think how u achieved your photographic image, if he is a photographer, he will think of focal length, the shutter speed and aperture u used, with ISO rating according to ur choice and lightings conditions. ......to continue

Preparing for Photo Competition.......(post no.101).

While submitting a photograph for competition, you may be in the thinking of telling the judges/experts that this is my best work and I can do no better.....haha...Is it true?....No it is not if you seriously believe that it can be further improved....You belie yourself if u say that u cannot improve...Improvement skills are there in your mind, thinking in the direction to make picture much better.

2) In case ur picture is critiqued, try to remake, crop, tint or redo into the style the judge/expert has recommended....Imp: AFTER you have done over the comparing  both photographs, previous one and another made on the lines/guidance suggested by the judge/expert, to understand that you hv a learning experience.If you are confident, then the competitions are for you....However, even during the year, if there is no competition and you make pictures regularly, there is no wait for judging in the competition. Are there no people/experts in you club,vicinity whom you respect for their knowledge and ability? Have advantage of their wisdom. YOU will be surprised, how easily and happily  they agree to offer you help and guidance and eagerly share their skills....That is the battle half won...........to continue.

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Preparing for Photo Competitions.(post no.100).

Photo competitions are good platform showcasing your art in public....There may be excitement of getting recognition, awards, or to be declared a 'winner'.....Yes, it is there. But still, before taking part in a competition, which is arranged by your local club or outside it should be primarily the purpose to see if your photography is improving and what the judges think about the efforts u made to improve the photograph and observe and learn from the comments they give on your photograph (this is generally for beginners to know from judges the shortcomings, if the competition is held locally or near ur town)...A competition is primarily a learning experience. Yes, the acceptances, awards will certainly increase your popularity amongst the art lovers and the public, which will make you a known figure through newspapers, magazines.

2) Good photography is not difficult but certainly the 'great' photography will need a lot of more efforts, which may compel you to think whether you are really desirous to work at it and learn how to take better pictures....If ur answer is 'yes', then there is no better time to start studying, learning how to take a better picture than from now itself............to continue