My photo blogging excursion....: April 2010: Sunil Kumar Verma

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Trick :How to blur water waves in day light!!!

I always wondered how this little photography trick is done ..now I know :) . Courtesy of "Photo tips and hints from Dave McKane of the Institute of Photography. In this tip Dave talks about how you can drop your shutter speeds more than normal so you can blur water even in bright light."

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Life is a journey - Vagabonding

Vagabonding

DSLR versus Compact Point-n-Shoot Camera - Ten Reasons to Favor Each

DSLR versus Compact Point-n-Shoot Camera - Ten Reasons to Favor Each: "Not that many years ago, compact digital cameras were good for quick snapshots at best. But current models are more than capable of producing excellent results for many needs. If you're in the market, which kind to get depends on your needs of course. But there are plenty of good reasons to favor DSLR cameras over compact point-n-shoot cameras as well as the other way around...."

Above is an excellent post on www.earthboundlight.com .One thing which I didn't know and liked most in this post about point and shoot camera is ..

"Great depth of field
The smaller sensor of a digital point and shoot camera inherently means more depth of field at the same aperture when compared with an SLR. That can be a huge benefit for macro shots but it can also come in handy for regular images since you don't need to worry as much about focusing."

Also checkout my page showing some photos comparing DSLR and P&S

The recommended sequence of image processing operations

Found this information in RAW Therapee manual

Q:What is the recommended sequence of image processing operations?

A: The recommended sequence is the same for all image manipulation software. First of all do
White Balance, then do all the Transform operations if necessary, e.g. Resize, Rotate, Distortion,
C/A Correction, Vignetting Correction etc., because these settings influence the image most.
Only cropping could be done later. Then do the basic stuff. First correct Exposure and use a
curve (or Luminance curve) for more pleasing exposure correction. Now change the Color to
your taste (Color Shift, Color Boost, Channel Mixer etc.). Then check the Shadows/Highlights,
do Highlight Recovery where needed. After that do Luminance Noise Reduction (and Color
Noise Reduction where needed). And as very last thing do Sharpening.
Or simply do all operations first that change the image most. And just do Sharpening last!
On the other hand it's always best to get the image right when you're taking the photo. The less
you have to change within RawTherapee the more details will be kept.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Free BBC Photo masterclasses

Wanna improve your photographic skills ...check out the past issues of BBC Photo Masterclasses.

Enjoy ...

Why you don't need a DSLR !!

Take a look at my photos here. 99% of these photos were taken with a mega zoom camera -Panasonic Fz-18 and a few with compact Canon A520.They may not be very professional looking but I find them exceptionally good for a not so serious photographer.And this blog is for people like those and it is not for professional photographers or for people who have lot of spare money.

Since you are ready to buy a DSLR I can safely assume that you will be comfortable carrying a bigger camera. Mega zoom cameras are not pocket cameras and their dimensions vary.For example dimensions of FZ-18 are 118 x 75 x 89 mm (4.6 x 3 x 3.5 in).

Advantages of Mega Zoom Cameras

Its next to impossible for a DSLR to provide features available in a mega zoom camera unless you are ready to spend thousands of dollars and ready to carry boat load of equipments. And if you are ready to do that then this post is not for you.

If you want an all rounder camera without breaking your bank or back ...read on and I will show you how a mega zoom camera with decent optics can give you amazing advantages.

Wide to Mega Zoom :Many people with basic kit lens DSLRs fail to capture moments which falls beyond their zoom.Most of the kit lenses are 18 mm - 55 mm with crop factor of 1.5 that turns out to be 27 mm wide to 82.5 zoom.This is like 3x zoom. Whereas a mega zoom camera can provide wide angle to 27 mm to 520 mm zoom in a single package.This feature provides some amazing photography opportunities

Take a look at this wide angle photo :

And this one at the telephoto end of my camera:

Macro :Little world of insects and flowers if captured properly can amaze you.These mega zoom cameras provide excellent close up photography opportunities.I find macro capabilities of these cameras much superior to basic kit lenses of DSLRs.Moreover you get fast and accurate live view in these camera which will be very helpful during those awkwardly angled photography sessions.

In built Image Stabilization:Two biggest DSLR manufactures (Canon & Nikon) do not provide image stabilization (IS) in camera body but you need to buy image stabilized lenses to avoid blurring while taking hand held photography.And of course these lenses are pretty expensive.IS provided by mega zoom cameras is fantastic.

RAW format photos : A raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor. This feature used to be a DSLR only thingy but not anylonger Panasonic FZ-18/28 allows you to take RAW photos and an amazing free program to edit these RAW photos.Read its review here.

Auto bracketed Images :DSLRs do allow you to take these photos but some of the entry level DSLRs do not have theis feature.Among other things lack of this feature will prevent you from making HDR photos.

Live View : Makes a camera easy to use.Can hand over your camera and any tom dick harry will be able to take a decent picture.Many camera manufactures are now trying to put this feature in DSLR cameras but I guess the response time of such live view is still very slow and unusable in most of the cases.

There are some inherent disadvantages of mega zoom cameras but I guess thats a topic of a different blog :). If you want to explore most of the vistas which photography provides a mega zoom gives best bang for the buck.Full manual controls and some amazing little features to experiment all along your beautiful photographic journey ...... best of luck.

10 Questions to Ask Your New Manager

10 Questions to Ask Your New Manager: "When I interview people for a job position, I always ask them if
they have any questions for me.

But they rarely have. Some candidates even look surprised.

Why?

A job is an economical relationship between you and your
manager. What you bring to the table are knowledge, skills, and
experience. What your manager offers are a salary, interesting
projects, and a great working..."

40 Breathtaking Photos from National Geographic Contest

40 Breathtaking Photos from National Geographic Contest: "

The National Geographic has been known for bringing awareness about natural resources and the planet since 1888. It has been educating people and has been the largest non-profitable scientific organization that inspired millions of people to pay closer attention to their environment.

In this post, we are going to share some stunning photographs from The National Geographic’s Annual International Photography Contest, as well as showcasing some really beautiful wallpapers from National Geographic collections. We hope that you’ll like this collection — please share your opinion with us.

National Geographic Contest Photos

By Yusuke Okada, Japan
A manatee photographed in Florida

By Cesare Naldi, United States
Nazroo, a mahout (elephant driver), poses for a portrait while taking his elephant, Rajan, out for a swim in front of Radha Nagar Beach in Havelock, Andaman Islands. Rajan is one of the few elephants in Havelock that can swim, so when he is not dragging timber in the forest he is used as a tourist attraction. The relationship between the mahout and his elephant usually lasts for their entire lives, creating an extremely strong tie between the animal and the human being.

By Anke Seidlitz
Staying in Asia since many years has given me the opportunity to get close to wildlife on many occasions. This female Smith’s green-eyed gecko chose to live on one of the chalets next to my home, taking advantage of the insects attracted by the lights at night.

By Hugo Machado, Portugal
Licancabur volcano is located on the border between Chile and Bolivia.

By Yeang Chng, United States
A saltwater crocodile lunges for the camera. This photo was taken just before its jaws closed on the lens shade; the blurred outline of the jaws demonstrates the lightning-fast nature of its lunge.

By Steffen Binke, Australia
After a rarely seen spyhopping of a dwarf minke whale the whale slowly descended in my direction and we came close to a 1.5m distance.
The shot happened early in the morning around 7 am and it was a rough surface and it was not easy to control my own movement.
Iso 200 1/400 f7.1 13mm tokina fisheye 10-17mm Nikon D200 Aquatica Housing

By Kent Miller, United Sates
Jessie Miller and her children, Jamie, 5, left, and Betsy, 8, of Bay City, Mich. react to the thunderous 747 jumbo jet as it passes within 60 feet above land. As the plane flew over, the sand kicked up and blasted the Miller’s bare skin. “Ahhhhhhhh!” the three screamed, as they ran away from the sand and noise. The Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten is famous for its short runway. At only 7,980 ft, it is barely long enough for large jets to land.

By Michael Hanson, United States
David Hanson crosses a fallen log beneath soaring trees and a lingering fog in Washington’s Olympic National Park.

By Fausto Podavini, Italy
The picture was shot at San Juan de los Remedios, Cuba, during a local celebration called “Las Parrandas” in which the highlight is fireworks. Here children light the fireworks and escape.

By Li Feng, China
Caged monkeys await their fate at a medical laboratory in Hubei Province, China. The judges liked that this image subverts the usual romanticized approach to wildlife photography and more accurately reflects the fate of many of the world’s animals. The sneaker at the top provides scale and injects a human being into the scene; the anonymity of the wearer suggests concealment and complicity. The structure of the cages, the horror of the captivity, the crowded composition, and the claustrophobic tension all add up to a sad and compelling photo.

By Greg Davis
Huli wigman at the Mount Hagen Cultural Show, 2009.

By Robert Garrett, United States
Taken at 1:22 a.m. on March 11, 2008. My wife and I arrived at the 528 Causeway in Cape Canaveral with our Sony 100a DSLR. With a low, solid, overcast of clouds covering the launch site, they launched. I pushed the shutter and started a 15 second time-lapse exposure! Disaster!!! I ripped the camera off of the tripod, spun the program wheel to anything else and started to squeeze the shutter. I was only able to take two photos as the shuttle Endeavour lifted into the overcast. This is the second one.

By Yuniadhi Agung, Indonesia
At Hok Tjing Bio, a Chinese Temple in Palembang South Sumatra, Indonesia, the photographer framed the shot at a precise moment, with the reflection, and the position of the passing dog in the middle of the tiger pictorial on the temple’s wall.

By Silvia Martinez Dominguez, Spain
Under a beautiful light, a monkey rests on the stones of the Angkor temples, in Cambodia. The image shows animal behavior and suggests the close connection between humans and our nearest relatives in nature.

By Mike Guzman
A red eye tree frog settles in for the day on a bromeliad.

By Patrick Gleason
On a photo safari in Tanzania, we got up close and personal with all the animals in the wild. It was an experience of a lifetime!

By Charistine Guinness
My daughter and her friend were flipping their hair and I started taking photos, and was delighted with the result. We are at the lovely Patten Pond in Maine in the summer of 2009.

By Xen Riggs, United States
A newly born silver-leaf langur gets some early discipline and love from his doting parents. This baby monkey was just about 12 hours old, born at the Columbus, Ohio, Zoo in August of 2009.

By Cabell Cox, United States
On a recent visit to a small town on the Brazilian and Bolivian border, I found this man tending to a field of burning debris and vegetation at dusk. Something as mundane as this may seem a daily, routine chore for one man, while offering a symbolic portrait of tranquil repose to another.

By Chris Gimmeson, United States
These are two wild stallions from the McCullough Peak’s herd of wild horses, which is located just outside of Cody, Wyoming. This image was taken in September 2008 with a Canon Rebel XSI and a long telephoto lens. I expected them to fight but they went back to grazing after a minute of posturing. The peaks area is pretty desolate, with little in the way of water supply and a lack of trees. The main staple for their grazing is sagebrush.

By Jose Hernandez, United States
This is a shot of three eagles fighting over a fish in Homer, Alaska, from March 2008. You can see the fish at the top of the image flying by itself, but it was caught in its fall by another eagle.

By Jacopo Pandolfini
This photograph was taken during a vacation in northern India in January 2007, in the city of Rishikesh. While walking on the streets in midtown, I saw a monkey stealing a mirror from another monkey and decided to follow it. After a while the monkey thief stopped on a tree and started to look in the mirror, giving me the opportunity to take this picture.

By Sainath Kamath
I was out with the camera after a passing thunderstorm. As I was photographing a group of calla lilies, I happened upon this little guy nestled comfortably in one, taking shelter from the rain.

By Cindy Tsai
Sunflowers are always brilliant! Their huge faces command attention and on this sunny day on the Half Moon Bay flower farm, no one was giving this sunflower more love than two attentive bees working hard at spreading and collecting pollen.

By Larry Louie
The climb to view Mount Bromo Volcano, Indonesia, at sunrise was quite an experience. As I trudged up the slope out of breath, I crossed my fingers and hoped for a clear morning and a good sunrise, with the active volcano visible in the distance. I was lucky!

By Adam Baudoux
Cool fall morning at Wells Beach, Maine

By Exekiel Tarango
Sand falls, Antelope Canyon, Arizona

By Jean Claude Louis
This evocative portrait of two Tibetan children looking out on their world captured the imagination—and the admiration—of the panel of judges. Cropped to the exact shape of the window, the photo frames the children in a timeless manner as they peer through the cloudy glass. The judges spent a long time looking at this portrait, observing how the intensity of the faces, the texture of the clothing, the surface of the old red wood, the reflections in the glass all create an absorbing series of levels. The best people photos tell a story and draw the viewer into the lives of the subjects. These children’s faces seem filled with both expectation and sadness. What are they waiting for? Jean-Claude Louis’s photo asks the question; viewers will no doubt provide their own answers.

By Dennis Stewart
Upon looking into the eye of this ancient species, I found myself mesmerized as if I were gazing into the vastness of space itself and the millions upon millions of stars and galaxies therein.