Article 1: Click Images Not Pics

Around 50% posts on Facebook are photo updates and most of them are random clicks. I urge all my readers to follow these four points and click images not pics.

Point 1. Right Setup:

Photography is all about capturing moments on digital frames. All those moments are around us all the time... you should invest sometime setting up things for the desired frame. 

Scenario 1. You have made a new dish for dinner and want to share it with friends. Make sure to decorate your plate well, put props like spoons and forks next to the plate, remove unwanted things from the frame etc. Click here for more examples.

Scenario 2. You want to click images of your kid when he/she is doing some activity. Take a moment, think about props like colorful toys or clothing and add them to the frame. Most important things is to have his/her attention. Make sure to engage them so that he/she smiles and looks right at the camera lens. Click here for more examples.

Case Study 10: HDR Photography

HDR image (high dynamic range) is made up of three exposures merged into one. Take one underexposed shot, one normal shot and one overexposed shot. Then use 'Photomatix' tool to merge them together.

Case Study 9: Taking Brighter Shots

These days I keep aperture settings handy if things are not moving much. It gives me variety of options. One of them is: Making shot brighter...

Challenge 1: How to capture Moving Subjects in Low Light?

I am starting this new topic with the title CHALLENGE where I will be discussing the issues I faced multiple times while photographing and still looking for the answers... So it is your time to educate me if you have a solution... I am open for comments.

I always faced big challenges while capturing ongoing action in a stadium. Two big obstacles:
1. Objects are constantly moving... so the shutter speed should be fastest to freeze the action but it will not allow enough light to get in.
2. Light is anyway low... since they are far.. can't use the flash.                                                                      

FAQ 3: Comparisons between Nikon's 'Consumer DSLR' Models?

People ask me this question a lot: What is the difference between entry level (D3000, D3100), upper entry level (D5000, D5100) and mid-range (D7000, D90) Nikon models?

Here is my answer in four main points... (Keeping in mind that people would like to have bird's-eye view rather than going into the technicalities.

FAQ 2: What to buy? 'Point-n-shoot' vs. DSLR

It really depends upon your preferences:

1. Are you looking for a compact one which can fit in your pocket or purse? Easy to hold, carry and use... Go for Compact size 'point-n-shoot'... DSLRs are mostly bulky. 

2. Are you looking for an awesome zoom? There are big zoom 'point-n-shoot' cameras in the market which gives you enough zoom that a DSLR provides. But DSLR's clarity is of no match. If you need great zoom and are not very particular about the quality and controls then go for big zoom 'point-n-shoot'. To get all zoom levels in DSLR... you have to buy multiple lenses which will be expensive.

Case Study 7: White Balance - Fluorescent

Spot the difference?

I am not asking you to play a game and spot 10 differences between these two pictures :)

This is an example of White Balancing... As you can figure out, I was in Fort Worth Stock Yards at 6:24 PM to be very precise. I am talking about DUSK time after Sunset when there is little bit light in the sky and it is still blue.

Case Study 6: Light Trails with a Firecracker

This is the longest 'shutter speed' shot I have taken till date... I took this one in Manual Mode with set shutter speed and aperture.

Exif data: Shutter Speed: 8 Sec | Aperture: f/11 | ISO: 200 | Focal Length: 28mm

Case Study 5: Light Trails (Zoomed-in Effect)

Guess where I am?

It was pitch dark, windy and cold on that day... I was visiting Austin with some of my best friends... We read online that this 25 feet high Christmas tree is the highlight there. Thought of doing some experiment so I went underneath it...

Exif Data: Shutter Speed: 1 sec | Aperture: f/7.1 | ISO: 200 | Focal Length: 18mm



FYI... this is not another 'trailing lights' example where you keep your DSLR steady on tripod at 1 or 2 sec shutter speed and take picture. In this example, the lights are not moving so you have to move your DSLR... rather its lens.

So I kept the same 1 sec shutter speed and clicked the picture as above... but rotated my lenses once from 18mm focal length to 48mm (Zoomed-in) during that 1 sec period and I got the effects (see below).

Exif Data: Shutter Speed: 1 sec | Aperture: f/11 | ISO: 200 | Focal Length: 48mm

Case Study 4: 'Depth of Field' and Aperture Example

Depth of Field: It means that only a part of your picture will be in focus and the rest will be blurred. The example below is a very shallow depth of field and was taken with an aperture of f/4.8. Aperture number around f/22 means that most of your image will be in focus irrespective of your camera location and it's distance from the object. 

Exif Data:
For both the pics... (The only difference is that I focused on the leaves in the first one and on the backdrop in the other one)
Aperture: f/4.8
Shutter Speed: 1/125s
Focal Length: 116 mm
ISO: 200

Case Study 2: Water Falls

This is the famous one... Capturing Water Fall at very slow shutter speed. I got hands-on in Colorado while hiking towards Adam Falls.

It was 8:00 in the morning at Adam Falls... Bright day but not sunny (because the Sun was behind high mountains).

Started taking picture at 5s and f/5 (keeping shutter speed as priority) but it was all white... after some trial and errors... I got this amazing one at 1s and f/32.

Key was
1. to increase shutter speed (from 5s to 1s) so that shutter closes "comparatively"  faster and offer less time for light to come in

2. to increase aperture value (from f/5 to f/32).. it in-turns decrease the diameter of lens so that it allows less light to come in.

In short, a perfect amount of light for longer duration of time to get this effect... flowing water fall.

Exif Data:
Shutter Speed: 1.0s
Aperture: f/32
Focal Length: 35mm
ISO: 200



Here is another photo of same place at (same ISO and focal length as above):
Shutter Speed: 1/500s

Aperture: f/5