FullFrame Photography Magazine Issue 12

Volume 1 | Issue 12 | November-December 2013 | Middle East

Architectural Landscape Photography Issue

Pointers on How to Shoot Creative Architectural Photography An Emirati Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photographer

Depth Of Focus

Mohamed Aljaberi

Omar Alzaabi

FujiFilm X-Series Workshop EGPC sweeps ASCA

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Sigma 35mm 1.4 Hands On review for Canon & Nikon Mount

Fujifilm X-M1 The New Addition to the X-Series

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Cover Story

Meiji Sangalang

Why Men Are Into Fashion Photography?!

Behind the Lens PJ Tiongson

World’s Top Selling Stock Photographer

A Desert Surprise Toy Photography

Behind The Lens

The Challenge

“Role Reversal”

Engr. Milo Torres

15 Quick Tips To Better Photos After Dark

Work Flow Exposed

The Challenge

Questions From The Readers

Do’s & Don’ts

Find out how

Depth Of Focus

Man with Simple Dreams

Jay Morales

Donnell Gumiran

Jophel Botero Ybiosa

Beyond Passion Chris Calumberan

Post Processing Tutorials

Gadget Review

Do It Yourself

Workshop Schedules

Group Profile

Issue 1 “Pilot”

Depth of Focus

9 Ways To Beat The High Cost Of Photography

Depth Of Focus

Jay Alonzo

A Manny Librodo Exclusive

Edwin Loyola

Small Things Big Result What’s Inside

Rocky Gathercole

Mike Malate

Eugene Santos / Michael Cruz

Off Camera Lighting

Richard Schneider

Edwin Allan Riguer

Jay Calaguian / Noel Garcia

of Photography in UAE

Discover Obscura

Jhoel Valenzo

Portrait Photography Tips And Methods

Yuri Arcurs

Osama Al Zubaidi

What’s Inside

Extreme Post Processing Tutorials

Camera Guide

Tips & Tricks

Get the Most Out of your Point and Shoot Camera

Issue 2 “Point & Shoot”

Photography Magazine

What’s Inside

Gadgets Review

Basic Tutorials

Workshops

Photo Gallery

Group Profile

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Issue 3 “Outdoor”

What’s Inside

Camera Review

Basic Tutorials

Workshops

Group Profile

Issue 4 “Fashion”

Photography Magazine

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Photo Gallery

Volume 1 | Issue 6 | Middle East

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NEW LOO

NEW LOOK! more

! more articKles, more tips, more inspirations

articles, more tips, more inspirations

Depth Of Focus

Celia Peterson

Guidelines for Travel Photography

Black and White Photography; The World Without Color

10 Travel Photography Tips

Mario Cardenas

Tutorials

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Photo Gallery

Group Profile

What’s Inside

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Issue 5 “Travel”

Camera Review

Tips Tutorials

Workshops

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Issue 6 “Black & White”

Photo Gallery

Group Profile 9/3/12 11:42 AM

Jay Alonzo

Capturing Emotions as a Way of Life

Paul Aiken

Alex Jeffries

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

Workshops

Lifestyle Photography: The Story of Existence

Post Production Essential Skills

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Feature, Performance & User Experience

fullframe

Camera Review

Progressive Tips on Black & White Imagery

Emirates Photography

Jay Alonzo

Ethics of a Photographer

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Mosh Lafuente

Sean Armenta

Seeing Culture through Today’s Lifestyle

Why Do You Need to Convert Your photo from RGB to CMYK?

o Fo F

Depth of Focus

What’s Inside

The Art of Black and White Photography

Depth of Focus

Focal Points

photography magazine

Tips on How to Shoot on Low Light

Standing Witness to the Frame of Time

Gear Up

Janine Khouri Elias

The Changing Picture of Photography

NIKON D600 Exclusive launch event held at The Armani Hotel

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Fujifilm X-F1 Fujifilm has launched the latest addition to its highly acclaimed X series.

GODOX QT 600 A View from a Professional Photographer

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Issue 7 “Wedding”

Volume 1 | Issue 9 | Middle East

Issue 8 “Lifestyle”

Volume 1 | Issue 10 | Middle East

SPO RTS ISSU E

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Volume 1 | Issue 11 | September-October 2013 | Middle East

Digital Art Photograp hy Issue

Culture and Travel Issue

A Thousand Words of an Image Barry Morgan

A Testament for the Passion

Thamer Al-Hassan

David Thiesset

Charles Verghese

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Issue 9 “Sports”

Depth Of Focus

Richard Schoettger

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory Paul John Tavera

Painting Light in the Wind

Depth Of Focus

Karim Jabbari

Adrian Sommeling

Defining Digital Art Photography Alexia Sinclair

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Nikon D7100 Setting New Standards for Digital Photography

CANON EF 400mm Big Things Matter in Sports Photography

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Jake Radaza

Jacob Maentz

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PocketWizard Perfect Combination for Lighting Needs

Balancing Photography and Digital Artistry

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture

A Scribe in Time

Depth Of Focus

FullFrame Ramadan Photography Competition and Exhibition

The Resolve of an Artist

Underwater Photography: Prints of a World Unknown

Jorge Ferrari

“From Dusk Till Dawn, Celebrating Ramadan”

Life in the UAE

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

Raul Gabat

Issue 10 “Culture and Travel” issue 10 cover.indd 1

Carl Zeiss Touit Lenses Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras

Fujifilm X 100s Finding the Soul Mate within a Classic

6/16/13 11:10 AM

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Fujifilm X-E1 (firmware 2.00) + Fujinon 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS

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Issue 11 “Digital Art Photography”

FullFrame is a Photography magazine not just for photo enthusiasts but for those who have taste for art, beauty and creativity. It is designed to take a deeper look into photography’s history, influence and modern agenda. With undying passion, the team behind this publication is taking photography in a different ground and hoping one day to rest the art and craft into its rightful place among the pedestal. Indeed, an impact is what we seek that would also encourage society to look unto the glamorous and not so superficial side of photography – an irony that lures the curious mind.

This editorial is intended to demystify the use of modern equipment in photography by emphasizing practical use of the camera in the field, highlighting both the method rather than the technical. It has been conceptualized to stimulate the photo enthusiasts to enhance their recreational enjoyment through photography and to satisfy their needs as amateur and professional photographers.

| EDITOR’S COLUMN

FullFrame Photography Magazine returns for its 12th issue of publication where we treat our fond and devoted readers with the soft colors and pleasingly ingenious taste of architectural landscape photography.

In this issue, we proudly present some of the best and only the influential landscape photographers of our times as they share with us their finest artworks that perfectly embellish our theme. As you glance through the pages, you will discover the secrets and challenges behind their marvelous feat in photographing buildings, landmarks and similar structures with different personalized approaches. Learn various skills from the fundamental ones to the most advanced techniques as the experts spill tips and friendly pieces of advice to aspiring photographers.

Volume 1 | Issue 12 | November-December 2013 | Middle East

Architectural Landscap Photographey Issue

Pointers on How to Shoot Creative Architectural Photography

We are also privileged to feature in this issue the first ever workshop series conducted by Fujifilm in the United Arab Emirates, which we have successfully organized and carried out last September 2013. An emerging local photography community in Dubai that aims to unite and motivate all photo enthusiasts out there is inside the cover as well. And, don’t forget to check our random clicks and write-ups that will inspire you and remind you why you fell in love with photography in the first place.

An Emirati Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photographer

Depth Of Focus

Mohamed Aljaberi

Omar Alzaabi

FujiFilm X-Series Workshop

To our loyal audience since our first release, kindly accept our warmest gratitude for your undying support and we hope you will enjoy this issue as much as we had fun for two months preparing this for all of you. We are positively looking forward for more publications in the future so do stick around with us!

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Sigma 35mm 1.4 Hands On review for Canon & Nikon Mount

issue 12 cover.indd 1

Fujifilm X-M1 The New Addition to the X-Series

Paz Calaguian 11/9/13 2:09 AM

Editor-in-Chief

Once again, Be inspired! Keep your eyes wide open!

Editor-in-Chief: Paz Calaguian | Art Director / Studio Manager: Chris Lleses | Head Content Writer : Lester Ibanez Web Developer: Vishow Khanal | PR & Events: Deo Macaraig | Project Consultant: Ashley Adriatico Writer Contributors: Michael R. Cruz | Chris Calumberan | Jason Dalmeida | Arian Marcos | Jake Radza | Keith Cooper | Subodh Shetty Anjum Vahanvati | Roy Francis Manalang | Ernie Manzano | Renato Domingo

Photographer Contributors: Eugene Santos | Feroz Khan | Dennis Dalisay | Arvin Flores | Ronald Awa Special Thanks to: Keitaro So – Fujifilm Middle East FZE | Mohamad Al Moumani | Mosh Lafuente The Moments Studio | Reyam Al Bana

| Ronald Awa | Ivy Kep Peralta | Jackie Rigor Santor | Louise Monique Soriano | Jhajha Rivera | Katrin Osipova | Razon Reyes Jeffrey de la Tado | Eugene Alasagas

For Advertising:

info@fullframemag.com website: www.fullframeme.com Mob: +971 56 690. 0466

40 Depth of Focus Omar Alzaabi

Content

Volume 1 | Issue 12 | November-December 2013

10 Cover Story 14 Tips Creative Architectural Photography

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What’s in my Bag Roy Francis Manalang

16 Tips Camera Accessories Point 19 Vantage Sigma 35mm 1.4 (Nikon) Focus 20 On Mae Calimquim Jason Dalmeida

24 Tips Mobile Camera Tools

the Frame 28 On Mohamed Aljaberi

26 Techniques Ken Lau

32 Sony A99 Review Vantage Point

34 Tutorial by: Jake Radaza 38 Tips What’s in my Bag of Focus 40 Depth Omar Alzaabi

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On Focus

Dubai 46 Photowalk Head Out and Shoot

76

Random Click

61

Fujifilm X-Series Workshop

49 50

36

Events Retro Walk Photowalk Dubai

Vantage Point

Sigma 35mm 1.4 (Canon)

52

Events

54

Tips

56

Vantage Point

EGPC sweeps ASCA

Best Outdoor Spots in UAE

Fujifilm X-Series Comparison

58

Vantage Point

61

Events

74

Unyielding Icon

76

Random Clicks

79

Workshop

Fujifilm X-M1 Full Review

Fujifilm X-Series Workshop

32

32

54

Best Outdoor Spots Ernie Manzano

Sony A99

Glamour in Black & White

Renaissance by: Donell Gumiran

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EGPC sweeps ASCA

COVER STORY |

Daniel K. Cheong

Many photographers nowadays want to catch that brief period of time soon after the sun vanishes on the horizon. Such moment post sunset, the sky turns into a beautiful blue blanket that embraces the Earth just before nighttime starts. This is often referred to as the “blue hour”. The cover image for our 12th issue is a shot of Burj Khalifa during the “blue hour” taken by Daniel Cheong, a very committed and passionate photographer who values the importance of light and composition on his artworks.

“I always try to take new pictures which will give the same WOW factor as my previous ones so as not to disappoint my followers on my social networking sites.”

“Daniel was born in Mauritius, originally of Chinese descent. His job in the telecom industry requires that he travel frequently to multiple destinations including France, USA, Japan, Singapore, though he is centrally based in Dubai. He has always loved photography, but only became serious about it when he bought his first DSLR in Singapore, back in 2006. He joined Flickr around that time, where he discovered the world of High Dynamic Range photography. His main photographic interests are urban decay, seascapes, and cityscapes, especially at the blue hour.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielcheong http://500px.com/DanielCheong1

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Daniel took the cover image from a flyover close to Dubai Mall yet distant enough from people walking around or cars passing by to avoid distractions.

He arrived earlier than the anticipated hour of “special quality of skyline blue light” to fully explore the different angles which will reveal the best shot of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Daniel is inspired by the structure’s cutting edge architecture and futuristic design. Cityscape photography has always been one of his favorite themes so having Burj Khalifa as his subject gave him numerous vantage points.

Because his picture was intended for a magazine cover, Daniel had to take the shot in portrait orientation which came with a height-width ratio restraint. This was a huge challenge for him right off the bat since most cityscape shots are taken in landscape orientation or square format. He also didn’t want his picture to fall under the stereotypical post card snapshots of Burj Khalifa (mostly taken from the Dubai Mall Fountain area) so he scouted a place where he would be able to make it appear more urban, thus emphasizing the “city buzz” and enabling him to add more elements too.

The light trails at the foreground of the image were added components recombined using Photoshop CS6. He considers post processing as an integral

part of his photographs. He utilizes a manual method called “Digital Blending” which consists of combining multiple exposures through layer masks in Photoshop. Shots of the same aperture with different shutter speed settings blended altogether allow him to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

Daniel discovered HDR photography on Flickr back in 2006, same time when he bought his first ever DSLR camera in Singapore. Since then, he has mastered the art of blending multiple bracketed exposures in order to obtain the maximum dynamic range while maintaining a natural surreal look on his HDR images. He works with a powerful desktop with two huge screens and a very big storage capacity. His primary equipment is the Nikon D800 that comes with a variety of Nikon lenses. He also owns a Fujifilm X-E1 with two Fuji lenses.

Some of his most remarkable achievements include being featured in CNN for his breathtaking collection of “Stunning Photos of Dubai’s Skyline” and in BBC World as well. A single photo on one of his Picasa albums has reached 36 million views alone. He has also been given a spotlight on several magazine issues across the globe such as on the Khaleej Times Magazine - February 2009 issue, the National Geographic Chinese Edition - July 2009 issue, the Travel & Leisure - November 2012 issue and recently on the Practical Photography UK for the October 2013 issue, just to name a few.

Daniel was very satisfied with the final output of the cover image. With the handy “transform” function in Photoshop, he was able to crop the shot to fit it to the cover size ratio without losing too much. It was also not “overcooked” – something which he is very particular to avoid on his HDR artworks. Few filters from the Nik Color Efex software enhanced the contrast and details during the final touches.

“I used a total of 15 exposures for this shot. It has all the challenges I like – Architecture, Vertical Panorama, Long Exposures and Digital Blending.”

Daniel Cheong

| COVER STORY

Urban Makeover at the

“Blue Hour” Daniel K. Cheong

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

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COVER STORY |

Daniel Cheong

“I want my photos to have a hyper-realistic effect with a perfect combination of exposure and clarity.”

Architecture 3 (Bangkok Airport): Nikon D300 & Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye, HDR (Oloneo PhotoEngine)

Architecture 2 (Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur): Nikon D300 & Tokina 11-16mm, Digital Blending

Architecture 1 (View from Princess Tower, Dubai Marina): Nikon D800 & Nikkor 14-24mm, Digital Blending & Vertical Panorama

Architecture 4 (View from Index Tower, Dubai): Nikon D800 & Nikkor 14-24mm, HDR (Oloneo PhotoEngine) & Vertical Panorama

HIGHLIGHTS TIPS | FullFrame|

Alexia Sinclair

Pointers on How to Shoot Creative Architectural Photography

Use a wide-angle lens

Unless you want to confine a specific architectural frame, a wide-angle lens below 35mm on a full-frame sensor is generally recommended. Since your subject is not moving, you want to be as close to it as possible (not too close though to the point of distortion). Your proximity to the subject reduces unnecessary external distractions such as people walking past you, presence of other constructions, or even vehicles if you are too far. A long focal length will be fine on certain occasions when you are privileged to shoot at a considerable distance, which is nearly impossible on a crowded location or a constricted area.

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Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

“

Residing in an urban region or visiting famous cities around the world - in one way or another, you may have found yourself taking snapshots of a building. It may seem easy at first because your subject doesn’t move. You don’t have to ask it to be still as what you would be doing when you’re taking portraits. Photographers take advantage of such static nature of architecture because hazy and blurry pictures will never be a concern. Unfortunately, the greatest obstacle comes from the same reason that you cannot move your subject. You are shooting something multiple times larger than you – houses, roads, bridges – all of which are steady and motionless.

To overcome the technical challenges for immovable subjects and ensure creative outcomes, below are some useful tips to observe when tackling architectural photography.

Use a Tripod

With your subject being still, you have to think outside the box and look for bizarre viewpoints for dramatic results. A tripod helps you set your camera at any angle you choose. Try to capture the most dynamic corners and edges. Search for converging intersections with the most impact. Play with the patterns of slants and twists that will define the message that you wish to convey on your photo. Any minimal alteration on your camera’s angle drastically changes your output. Don’t be afraid to tilt and turn your camera with a tripod until you discover the most captivating perspective.

Use a low ISO

To avoid granular elements from ruining the sharpness and clarity of the architectural details, keep your ISO as low as possible. Remember, your subject is not moving so you have the liberty to go for longer shutter speeds to obtain enough light.

Your image can also be easily enlarged without the unwanted noise say for instance you want to focus or give more attention to a specific architectural part or section.

Use a Small Aperture

The beauty and meaning of architectural shots are seen on its lines, shapes and curves. These details have to be sharp so an aperture of f/11, f/14 or f/16 (depending on your camera) will give you the best depth of field without compromising the quality of your image.

Architectural photographs are powerful and ageless. To make a stationary subject appear alive, vibrant and full of character translates success on this type of photography.

Be Inventive and Original

Popular architectural designs have surely been photographed by so many people in countless ways. Your technique will determine whether your own share will stand out or not. Sometimes less is more; but for a well-known landmark, which has been shot several times that’s not always the case. Take the courage to incorporate additional surprising elements – light trails, water reflections, smoke, clouds, even people – if any of these make your image more responsive, go for it. This will set you apart from the common postcard stereotypes.

Take your time

Again, your subject is not moving. The sun does. The clouds do. You don’t have to rush, but you have to plan. There will be an ideal time when the effect you want to achieve will reflect on your architectural photos with the proper amount and inclination of light, shadow and contrast. Buildings stay in one place. Move around. Walk on a higher or lower ground. Be patient. Some places of interest are even better shot at night or just before sunset. Waiting for the perfect moment when an architectural structure comes to life the most can make all the difference.

“Waiting for the perfect moment when an architectural structure comes to life the most can make all the difference.”

Photo by: Eugene Santos

TIPS |

Chris Calumberan

THE 5 MOST ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES AFTER PURCHASING YOUR NEW CAMERA After sorting out and deciding which camera to purchase, the next step is to accessorize your new baby. It doesn’t mean that you need to spend another thousand or more. Just make sure that your newly found venture will be combined with the essential stuff to keep you moving.

Each accessory has a story of its own. I will briefly tour you around about its usage, my personal opinion and quick tips on how to choose the perfect companion that will help you and your camera get the perfect shots.

Chris Calumberan

Tripod Yes, a sturdy tripod should do the trick.

Remember going out with family and friends while doing the group shot? There’s a chance that the photographer will not be included on the shot.

1

Kidding aside, tripod is an essential accessory to stabilize a shot especially during low light situation. It will help hold your camera while using a long and heavy lens and will enable you to do more creative shots using long exposures. In this case you will be able to take your photography skills to the next level.

I personally consider the durability and dependability that it gives me on the job. I assure to myself that this tripod will be my companion through the years of many assignments to come.

A quick tip on choosing the perfect tripod for you is to consider the weight of your camera. It should give you the stability you need and should therefore secure your camera would not fall off its mount.

Depending on what kind of photography you are planning to do, may it be portraits, landscapes, events or product photography, there will be the right tripod that suits your style.

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Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

2 Camera Bag I put the camera bag to the 2nd most important accessory in your photography arsenal. There are a lot of bags to choose from soft backpacks, trolleys and even the solid heavy-duty types for transport and durability.

Choosing the right bag will enable you to organize your equipment for easy access. Most importantly protect your gear from outside elements like rain, dust and even moisture.

Personally besides helping me to carry all my equipment with ease, it also serves as the perfect travel companion specially when moving from different assignments everyday.

A quick tip is to bring your equipment along with you while choosing your bag. This can be very helpful so that you can test if your equipment and accessories fit all together. Also it helps you to plan future provisions for more room in case you require new equipment.

UV Filters I am sure many of us gets confused when it comes to filters. Different types for example are Polarizers, ND with 3-6-9 stops, Gradient filters, reverse gradient filters, etc. These are not the filters you get in Photoshop. These are optical filters you put in front of your lens. It’s a massive topic and can be discussed in a separate issue.

3 4

The most basic but essential filter for me will be the UV filter. It has a coated surface that helps absorb almost all range of UV rays that will help you get a sharper image quality and less haze. The most important part for me is the protection that it offers your optics from physical scratch. It makes me worry seeing an expensive lens without a UV filter.

Installation: When installing make sure your lenses are clean. I only use a special cloth that comes with the lens. They have a special material that has no residue that doesn’t have small particles that may cause to scratch your optics.

Extra Batteries and Charger Since the revolution of digital camera started, we have also changed the manner of how we shoot.

Sometimes photographers rely on the LCD more than the optical viewfinders.

Now cameras are lithium-battery-powered. Very efficient since they are now rechargeable and are eco-friendly (properly disposed).

Now a days 3rd party batteries are as good as the original ones. I would also get another charger since I shoot professionally.

5

Storage Devices Either it’s a CF or SD, you may need to have an extra storage in case you fill up your cards in such circumstances.

For my work, I have consecutive projects that I need to cover in a day. Most of the time we don’t have the luxury to download and backup our work before going to the next assignment. To avoid such cases, I always bring a stack of cards with me.

Having the highest speed of memory cards can be very useful depending on your assignment.

During events, action shots like concerts and specially sports photography these demands high quality on rapid capture.

To simplify it, if our photography requirement is not that serious, we can always settle for the medium range storages. To be on the safe side, it is always nice to have that extra space ready if we need it.

Conclusion: The important part for us professionals and hobbyist alike is the savings! High end shops, online shopping in different malls and outlets offer discounts on the products that they represent. The business has a lot of potential and the competition is very steep.

My advice is to befriend our dealers and retailers. This will be easy for us to ask and negotiate special discounts and favorable deals. At the end of the day we all benefit by keeping relationships and helping each other.

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

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VANTAGE POINT |

Subodh Shetty & Anjum Vahanvati

Sigma

35mm 1.4 for Nikon Hands On review

SIGMA has been up with some amazing products recently and the one that has impressed the masses is their new ART series of lenses. Their recent Sigma 35 f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens made me ditch my current Nikkor 50mm f1.4 lens for it. I cannot compare it with Nikon or Canon 35mm glass as I have never used those lenses but I do have good vibes about this Sigma and have been working with it for the past few weeks without any issues. Another innovative accessory that was launched along with their new line of lenses was the USB dock which can be connected to the computer for firmware updates and optimising the lens settings like AF. What comes in the box is the Sigma 35 f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens, lens caps, lens hood, a good looking nylon case and user manual which nobody generally reads.

SIGMA's built quality might have been questionable with some of its products but the new series is a total revamp in the look department. But just the looks won't sell, it's the performance that counts finally. I don't care about

Sample Photos

the coatings or number of elements, etc as long as the lens does not give up during a shoot. Focus ring is buttery smooth if you decide to go for manual focus. Plastic filter threads might be a turn off for some but it isnt a deal breaker either. For the review few images were shot using B+W ND 1000 which is a 77mm filter. A step down ring was used to fit the 67mm filter size of Sigma and it fits very well without any hassles.

A 35mm lens would primarily be used for street photography and environmental portraits but neverthless prime lenses like 35mm are self sufficient to shoot some stunning landscapes, especially when mounted on a full frame camera. Its optics are brilliant, AF is quick, accurate & silent, distortion is minimal, bokeh is soothing but the only disappointment for me with this lens is the lack of weather sealing and overall build quality which is not as per pro-standards with a lot of plastic feel to it. When you use it, the images you get out of this glass surely won't disappoint and its an affordable option compared to the Nikon 35 f/1.4 which is almost double the price.

Pros: Simplistic design, excellent focus ring for manual override, fantastic bokehs, considerably light, USB dock and most importantly worth the price one pays.

Cons: Build Quality, Lack of weather proofing.

Article by : Subodh Shetty & Anjum Vahanvati - Founders : Photowalk Dubai.

ON FOCUS | Mae Calimquim

Who would have thought that a short holiday trip to Greece would change someone’s awareness of what a beautiful world means? For Mae Calimlim, photography has emerged as an activity that demands her to purposely search for wonder in whatever she’s looking at especially during her travels.

It all started in the summer of 2010 when her dream of visiting Athens, Greece finally came true.

Her frustration for not having a digital camera at that time that could have potentially given her a stunning snapshot of the breathtaking view of the city at the peak of Acropolis was what pushed her to enter the world of photography.

Mae Calimquim

Mae finds the simplest form of happiness in photography – mostly landscapes. It is her pleasure to share to photos everyone of her excursions throughout the globe. The different places she has been to and the diverse culture she has experience along the way translated in expressive and magnificent digital images makes her appreciate the aesthetic beauty of photography. The famous travel photographer Steve McCurry also serves as an inspiration to her while executing her “photography trips”.

Mae is usually alone on her journeys so stumbling across unfamiliar faces is one of the biggest challenges she regularly encounters based on experience. Although she meticulously prepares for her shoot by doing an in-depth research about her scouted location, safety in foreign places is still at the top of her concerns. Keeping in mind that some places may not always be available for shooting, she prematurely conjures up some composition at the back of her mind to avoid wasting time when she actually starts taking pictures.

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For Mae, architectural landscape photographs don’t always have to be taken at a grand scale or in huge sight. It is naturally tempting to select the lens with the widest possible coverage when confronted with fascinating sceneries to have as much details as possible. There are some elements, however, that require isolation to effectively describe a part of an environment or complement a panoramic view.

A point of interest or a main feature must exist to completely grab the viewer’s attention.

The main equipment that she uses is a Canon 5D Mark iii (she also owns a Canon 7D). Mounted on a tripod, her camera is most of the time set in aperture priority mode to ensure that the resulting image will be sharp from front to back. Filters become very valuable for her particularly during a shoot at sunrise or at sunset.

Like many other photographers, post processing is something that Mae considers vital on her artworks.

She prefers minimal enhancement when dealing with architectural and landscape photos giving major emphasis on the contrast, curves and saturation values. With Adobe Photoshop CS5 installed on her MacBook Pro, she is able to crop images, increase blacks and fill lighting, and tweak pictures as per her own sense of artistry and creativity.

Seeing the world is the highlight of Mae’s career in photography. It is a learning process that she enjoys doing a lot – something that you can easily sense on her outputs. Exploration and the ability to capture every single moment of it so that the world could have a visual taste of what she has witnessed is what she perceives as her greatest achievement thus far. A perfect combination of technique, style and impact on top of a humble attitude outlines her guiding principles in further improving her skills in photography.

“I want to be remembered as a landscape photographer who made an active effort to promote human welfare and express the beauty of the world behind my lens.�

ON FOCUS | Jason Dalmeida

A camera as a present on his tenth birthday marked the dawn of the photography career of Jason Dalmeida, who was originally born in Ras Al Khaimah in 1976 but is currently living with his wife and son in Al Barsha, Dubai. With the Canon 7D, his favorite lens the Canon 50mm f1.2 and a tripod, Jason is off to capture the spectacular landscapes and popular destinations across the UAE. Jason didn’t have any formal studies and has had confidently learned his skills just by merely watching YouTube tutorials and reading blogs. Just within the first month of owning his first ever DSLR, a photo he took was instantly featured in Gulf News. This became his drive to delve deeper into photography.

When his friend asked him to do a wedding shoot, that point he knew there was no turning back.

Jason Dalmeida

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One of his most notable achievements thus far was when he conducted a 10-session training program on behalf of Emirates Photography Club.

The response from the organization and his students was phenomenal. He was very pleased and ecstatic with the results as he went from the guy who was

only reading blogs and watching videos yesterday into the guy who would now educate others himself.

Jason is quick to delete a picture when he doesn’t like it. Though he considers post processing as an integral part of his works, he doesn’t rely on it too much. He doesn’t utilize any special techniques so to speak.

Instead of spending countless minutes or even hours trying to recover an image, he would just go out and retake it. And he challenges himself every time to produce a perfect shot in just three clicks or less. This is actually one of his particular plans or goals in 2014.

“When I shoot, my feelings take a dominant role in freezing a shot.”

Jason advises aspiring photographers to be themselves, to experiment and be more daring with every click. Most landmarks in the UAE have already been shot over and over again so it is not an easy task to take a uniquely intriguing picture and make it stand out among those that are already there. The works of other photographers inspire him too but when it comes down to the line, it’s only between the camera and him.

“I am merciless in critiquing my own work. I guess this forces me to become a better version of myself.�

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TIPS |

CAMERA TOOL KIT FOR MOBILES Camera Awesome (SmugMug) Some of the most notable features of Camera Awesome which you won’t find with the preinstalled camera app of Apple are image stabilization, self-timer and interval shooting. This app gives a low light boost by allowing you to control the exposure and focal points, somehow producing similar effects to the HDR version of the Apple camera app. The More Information option indeed displays more than the common details such as picture size and the timestamp when the photo was taken.

It further presents the ISO, focal length, shutter speed, flash & metering mode used. There are 9 free FX presets, filters, textures and frames for quick editing, with more effects available for purchase.

Sharing is as easy as a single click on your favorite social media apps.

Pic Stitch (Big Blue Clip) Pic Stitch may not be an all-in-one photography app due to its limited editing feature; but in cases when one picture is clearly not enough to share to your friends this is what makes this free app great. It allows you to create wonderful collages with a variety of layouts to choose from. You can quickly import photos from Facebook, from your phone’s library or even take a shot right on the spot and turn them into beautiful storyboards. You can crop and change the position of the pictures for every frame, add and modify effects, adjust brightness and contrast, and even put text or stickers to it. Not only does it provide you with the option to share it on various networking sites, it also enables you to view your final work in other programs such as LogMeIn or Dropbox.

PicsArt Photo Studio (S Square System Limited) PicsArt is both a powerful photo editing app and a collage maker with different freestyle frames. It offers diverse tools from affixing sketched and drawn images to incorporating cool effects, virtual stickers, brushstroke layering etc. Hence, its tagline “Where everyone becomes a great artist”. On top of that, its photo-sharing service does not only allow you to simply showcase your pictures through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking apps. It also lets you see the images shared by other users of the app on its own PicsArt network. Beautiful visual interface plus the ease of navigation makes PicsArt a must-have app for your iPhone.

SymbolGram (Lynette Pui Gar Fong Castellanos) Another creative way to share your pictures is through stylistic patterns. SymbolGram enables you to scale and crop your images and fit them into artistic shapes and words of varying fonts. If you want to see your pictures under a different light through random figures as designs, this app is worthy of download. This comes with an easy social media sharing option as well.

Digisocial (Digisocial Inc.) Yet another unconventional photo sharing app, Digisocial spices up your images with audio effects ranging from background scene sounds to voice commands. The featured live filters in this app can be used as you take a new picture or can also be added to your old photos in your library. With your images mashed up with your voice, you can expect to receive and leave voice comments to others users of this app in the Digisocial network. Clever and inventive, the voice over description and voice messages of Digisocial redefines social media photo sharing.

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TECHNIQUES |

Ken Lau

Location: Tai Mei Tuk Photographer: Ken Lau Camera: Fujifilm XE-1 Settings: XF18-55 ISO: 800 20MM +0.33EV F2.8 7S

This shot was taken for 7 seconds at ISO 800 and an aperture of 2.8. Ken took this picture back in April of this year using a wide-angle lens set at 20mm. For an image as such that is captured by a slow shutter speed, timing and lighting are of utmost importance. The tripod must be kept still to ensure sharp results along with a minimal workable ISO value.

As you can see, the different shades of blue are well represented and are perfectly incorporated from the night sky atmosphere, to the dark water, to the blue boat amongst the yellow ones. It is essential for evening sceneries like this that colors blend naturally with the amount of time it is exposed to light to avoid having the overdone or oversaturated look.

ON THE FRAME |

Mohamed Aljaberi

Mohamed Aljaberi

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An Emirati Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photographer Born in 1988, Mohamed Aljaberi is a young landscape photographer who began his career six years ago when he started taking pictures and thought to himself that he could produce beautiful photos with a high end digital camera. With the help of his family and friends, he pursued photography by attending workshops across the U.A.E. Mohamed tends to make his own sets of rules and has his own style of approach in photography. He wants to send a message that the UAE also has a professional landscape and nature photographer and that the country has a lot of amazing sceneries and panoramas. He wishes to share all of these to the whole world and he’s blessed being able to do this as his dream job.

There’s no specific brand of camera or lens that Mohamed recommends because for him this is just a name, which isn’t really that important. What he highly suggests is learning from the professional photographers, those who are experienced and who are already in the business. These people have had encountered challenges in doing landscape and nature shots but still find pleasure and passion in shooting them.

His simple piece of advice to aspiring photographers is to just keep on moving forward. He can’t imagine himself doing anything but fine art photography. In 2014, he particularly aims to have different pictures from what he has mostly taken in the previous years. He wants to be remembered as an Emirati Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photographer.

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ON THE FRAME |

Mohamed Aljaberi

| NEWS “You know it’s more than just a hobby when you’re free from anything and you just have photography”

VANTAGE POINT | Jason Dalmeida

Sony a99

Hands on Review

Jason Dalmeida is a mechanical engineer who specializes in recyclables and waste management.

As a professional photographer, he shoots portraits, jewelry products, weddings and events. His favorite subjects are people and nature and his interests are mainly focused on how different cultures blend on the beautiful places across the world.

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I am sure most of us have watched the Gerard Butler movie, 300.

When I was asked to write a review on Sony A99, the first thought that came to my mind was the war between the mighty Persians and 300 brave Spartans, who were led

by Gerard Butler.

I think the factors that made Spartans so special was their fearless grit and enhanced abs…

Sony A99, is a true Spartan and it was launched to stare in the face of its enemy and make a statement…

Any ardent brand loyalist would say it is unfair to compare Sony A99, with Canon and Nikon cameras, because Sony A99 is not a DSLR… Yes it is an SLT and not a DSLR, but when was the last time that two

countries went to war with exactly the same weapons. SLT stands for Single Lens Translucent, which means that the A99, is a mirror less camera which does not house a mirror and mechanism to move the mirror away before every click. In other words, it means that for every click, you have one less movement in your camera, and one less reason to find motion blur in your images.

Most major brand manufacturers never tell you this, but every good photographers knows it very well, to create great images, you need creativity, a good understanding of light and more than the body you need a great lens.

The Lens

I can write a whole book on how good the lenses are but let me state my point in a nutshell. Sony did the right thing by clubbing their flagship model with Carl Zeiss lens. This was the first time, I actually used a Carl Zeiss lens, and my eyes bled after seeing the sharpness this lens could produce.

The Body

First and foremost the feel of the camera, it is sturdy and well built..

It can also be used to hammer a nail into the coffin of its competitors.

Other than that, what I really liked about the camera is the layout of the buttons. You can clearly see that they have not installed any buttons on the left of the camera. The body is well designed to changed to any setting you want using only one hand and yes you can use the other hand, to hold the lens, or wave out to the subject to draw their attention.

The other feature that got my attention is the articulate LCD screen. I want to applaud that Sony, did not take their consumers for granted and assumed that only pro-photographers will buy a full frame camera and they wouldnot need an articulate screen. Trust me when I say this, an articulated LCD screen is important, because if for anything, it does protect your spine.

The Sensor

The next great factor about the body, apart from being a mirrorless body, it also houses a full frame sensor. Please remember Sony makes the legendary sensors, which are used in the Nikon D800, and they choose to be smarter with the sensor in the A99.

The sensor holds only 24 Mega pixels and has almost the same dynamic range as the Nikon D800. Simple mathematics, that equates to 33% less use of hard disk space and makes it easier on your computer to edit the images. Some may argue, that certain limited applications require Higher resolution images, if you do, simply stitch two images

Electronic View Finder

Unlike standard View finders, the Electronic View finder, allows the photographer to see the photograph even before it is clicked by the sensor.

This is more like the exposure stimulation most cameras offer on their LCD panels, in Live View. I must confess it was a bit confusing at first, but as I got used to it, in less than an hour, it was amusing and made my life so simple.

I no longer needed to look back into the lcd to see the final result.

A purist may say that they like the difficulty level in a standard view finder, but trust me when I say the same purist stopped driving manual transmission vehicles and they are now driving fully automatic transmission vehicles.

I support the idea of having EVF in the camera, because it does not effect creativity but infact makes it easier to make less mistakes, learn faster and in turn become creative sooner.

In body Image stabilization

The one thing that makes the In-Body Image Stabilization so special is that, the consumer no longer needs to buy an Image Stabilization mechanism with every lens. This means that every time I buy a new lens, I am now spending all my hard earned money only on the lens.

The first feel of the camera was amazing. It did teach me one big lesson, that there is hope beyond the Canon and Nikon camera.

I respect the Sony brand, because they left no stones unturned and invested the best of the technology into their flagship model, the Sony Alpha A99.

Yes you may say that Canon and Nikon have a large collection of lens.

Here is the question, for those of you who do not buy lenses as a status symbol and really know how to use the lens‌ How many different lenses do you really need in a lifetime?

In my closing statement, I would like to add, Sony A99, is truly the alpha of the full frame cameras, and to protect itself from drooling consumers, it is also weather sealed.

TUTORIALS | Jake Radaza

Before

Making your Camera Phone Landscape Shots Pop A lot of people nowadays use their phones to get travel snapshots. Most of the shots they take aside from selfies and monuments are landscapes. Unfortunately their landscape shots using their phones tend to be flat, pale & uninspiring. Here at FullFrame Photography Magazine we’ll show you how to make your landscape snapshot photos pop.

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After

Step 2

Step 1

Duplicte layer

Auto contrast (shift+ctrl+alt+L)

Step 3

Step 4

Adjustment layer / selective color / red cyan -100; magenta +100; yellow -100

Adjustment layer / selective color / green yellow +10

Step 5

Step 6

Stamp copy (shift+ctrl+alt+E)

Luminosity mask: Channels / ctrl + click the BLUE thumbnail

Step 7

Step 8

Luminosity adjustment: shift + ctrl + alt + click the BLUE thumbnail

Adjustment layer curves: push the center up to brighten the sky Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

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TUTORIALS | Jake Radaza Step 9

Step 10

Apply black linear gradient to the existing mask from the sky to the base of the horizon

Apply levels (ctrl+L) to the existing mask to brighten. Adjust to taste.

Step 11

Step 12

Adjustment layer curves to brighten the foreground. apply black mask then brush the grass with white.

Sharpen: duplicate layer / desaturate (ctrl+U) / blend using overlay / apply highpass filter radius 5

Step 13

FINAL OUTPUT Apply black mask and brush to the foreground where you want to sharpen

Jake Radaza is based in the Philippines and is considered as a part of the new generation of photographers who combine photography and digital post processing in their work. He had conducted tons of photography and post processing workshops inside the Philippines and even in some GCC countries. He has been invited numerous times to places such as Singapore to discuss about his dynamic workflow and technique.

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www.fullframeme.com

Fo r Re n t a l s & I n q u i r i e s :

studio@fullframemag.com

WHATS IN MY BAG |

by: Roy Francis Manalang

What’s in my Bag?

Ever wonder what’s inside a landscape photographers’ bag? Some underrates landscape photography as easy as point, shoot and forget type of photography.

Well think again, as I quote in the words of the master Ansel Adams that “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.” I’m encouraging every photographer to at least have it a try to prove Ansel’s statement.

Here we go: I will reveal the not so mysterious content yet unusual things to you.

Since landscape photography is somehow related to traveling and a combination of short or long hikes, carrying less gear is essential. I only bring the gears I considered essential to my work style.

Roy Francis Manalang

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bag

I’m using two bags depending on the nature and duration of my shoot.

- F-Stop Loka with a Medium/Small Pro ICU for long day trip/camping.

I was introduced to this revolutionary backpack by my best photography buddy. It has surpassed my old Lowepro Mini Trekker AW and some Sling bags in terms of usability and functions. The flexibility of the ICU (internal Compartment Unit) is superb plus the extra space is enough to carry baggage and stuffs for a long day trip. Tripod can be securely attached on the side easily and other things can be attached (sleeping bag/tent) with the use of the gatekeepers to secure it all.

- Lowepro Inverse 100 AW for a short day trip/ hike. (I wish I had the bigger 200 AW instead) An all weather-protective and comfortable beltpack that is small enough to carry around the bushes and trails. It can easily fit my essential gears without putting in much weight and strain on my waist by the aid of the padded shoulder strap that provides extra carrying option.

tripod

I’m a weekend photographer, I do landscape photography on my spare time with my buddies and making every shoot worth the trip, I don’t mind hiking as long as I carry lightweight gears with me. We scoured far flung areas, we hiked steep, rugged and slippery terrains and stuck our feet on the sand, mud and murky waters. With these situations to contend with, something small and lightweight but sturdy tripod is a musthave. Though I don’t still have the luxury of owning a high–end tripod that can be spread as low as possible to the ground I opted to a fairly usable tripod that is lightweight and sturdy enough to deliver my needs. I had the Benro C-257 with Benro KB-1 Ballhead to match and compliment my Kirk L-Bracket for easy attachment.

camera Canon 6D It is the smallest and lightest full frame sensor format Canon DSLR camera. I am impressed by the image quality benefits from it’s full frame CMOS sensors and it’s at par with other Canon full frame cameras while it remains small but it as does have the relative impact on your wallet. The 6D’s size and weight is an advantage, it is a well-built, competent, professional-grade DSLR that delivers a

punch, good enough to interpret creativity in details in every photograph at a low price point in a small body size. This is my third camera from Canon and currently the best one I ever had.

lenses

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L My most used lens for landscape and nature photography.

It replaced my old Sigma 10-20mm that I used on my previous crop sensor camera.

The 17-40mm is a wide-angle lens and has the common 77mm filter threads make sharing filters with many of my lenses easy.

It is lightweight, fast and sharp lens ideal for wide landscape photography to emphasize an object in the foreground against a sharp focused background.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS It a very good lens and it is a part of the portrait arsenal as well. Though the IS is switched off most of the time, the con of this lens is its weight but I don’t mind having it with me most of the times. It’s not practical for me to have its little brother the Canon 70-200 f/4 L for the sake of the weight since I already had an equivalent focal range. If someone is kind enough to give me one why not?, kidding aside.

Shooting in longer focal lengths can be effective in reaching far vistas. It is also great for capturing layers and patterns on the horizon that is often missed in landscape shots using a wide angle lens. It is useful in shooting birds and animals and great in maintaining the distance between live subjects.

filters

What filters has to do with landscape photography at this digital age where we can do it all in editing software like Lightroom and Photoshop? Well I’m not against postprocessing images rather I consider it as a partner/complimentary tool of my images that passes through physical filters. Filters made my work easier by achieving the desired output in a single exposure, reducing multiple shots in different exposures which may somehow prolong the shutter life of your camera and the simple appreciation in nailing the shot straight out of the camera or SOOC. Again I’m not saying you must use filters, It just so happened that this is my way of producing images like those photographers who are using other technique in balancing exposure after all it’s all about the output.

The most important thing here is understanding exposure and how do they behave in different light conditions and the use of filter is one way of taming the light and making it on you’re advantage.

I have been a Lee Filter user since I started landscape photography but my desire for all some things that are lightweight, small and easy to pack made me decide to switch with its rival. I have these small (84 X 120mm) Galen Rowell’s Graduated Neutral Density (GND) from Singh-Ray. In my opinion there is not much to compare when it comes to quality except for the sizes. Singh-Ray manufactures filters in many sizes and variations. I have a 2-stop and 3-stop soft-step and a 3-stop hard-step GND. I also have a slide-in polarizer and a screw-in 10-stop ND filter. And of course to hold those puppies in action are two Cokin P size holders.

Some photographers are asking why go for small filters when I can have the large ones at almost the same prices? Hmm, like I said I have this fascination of small things specially those powerful and compact things. My small filters will surely compliment a small, lightweight and compact camera like those of the X-Series from Fujifilm which I’m considering to have in the future as an alternative or possible replacement for my DSLR.

accesories Aside from my mobile and the usual extra batteries and memory cards, I have a shutter release cable, lens wipes, a blower, a small towel or bandana, an extra shirt, multi-tool gear, flashlight, bottled water, gum /mints, medicines and a whistle (which may comes handy on emergency situation.)

extras

Be physically fit, always have a presence of mind and a common sense, It is not worthy to risk a shot when your safety or gears are being compromised.

And one more very important living piece which you can’t left behind is a photography buddy. Always have someone nearby at least in case of untoward incident and emergency, somebody will be there to help and search for you. (whistle out if you can’t call out loud).

Never go alone just to have the exclusivity of the place, I’m telling you it’s a very bad idea and It has been proven many times, mostly unfortunate things happened to those who ventured alone especially in the outdoor where we are at the mercy of the elements.

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DEPTH OF FOCUS | Omar Alzaabi

Capturing the Unusual Angle

“If you can find that angle which will let your viewers look at your photo for more than 5 seconds, this is what I call a successful image.”

The popularity of digital cameras can be traced back in 2005 when it came out as an expensive and fascinating gadget. Being a computer engineer and a person who is easily attracted to new devices, Omar Alzaabi discovered photography as an extravagant mistake when he borrowed his sister’s Sony Cyber shot camera for 3 months. When he returned it, he knew for sure he was going to buy his own.

Since there is no institute in the UAE that offers formal studies in photography, Omar is happy to have met and joined Mr. Nasser Haji in a class where he learned the fundamentals of photography. He was also coached by Mr. Bader Al Nomani who taught him how to perceive a subject from a different standpoint that can ultimately affect the final image.

The most challenging part for him in doing architectural landscape photography is finding the best angle that will present a building or a structure as a masterpiece.

Patience is the key factor to consider because unlike in studio sessions where you can call it a wrap in an hour or two, you will have to take into account the weather and timing in harmony with your projected composition.

For architectural and landscape images, Omar shoots the subject with different exposures before and after sunrise or sunset. If water is anticipated to be an additional element, he shoots with different shutter speeds as well. He visits the location several times as a preparatory measure, observing how his subject varies its appearance as the sun changes its position on the sky before he brings his camera for the actual shoot.

Omar is a Nikon camera owner. He uses a Mac Pro with 2 calibrated monitors for his post processing (something which he considers as a must for every photographers).

For basic post processing, he uses Lightroom and Capture One. For the rest, he uses Photoshop CS6 and a couple of plug-ins such as the Nik Software among others.

He never submits or releases images without applying any digital post processing techniques that solve a lot of photography issues on the field.

Omar has become a jury member for various photography competitions across the UAE which include the Western Region competition in 2009 & 2010, the Hunting and Equestrian competition in 2009, the Maktoum Ramadan competition in 2009, the Coastal Environment competition in 2009, the UAE Talent competition in 2010, the Aldafrah Competition in 2010 & 2011, the Palm Through the Eyes of the World in 2011 and the H.H Sheik Mansoor Bin Mohammed Photography Award 2011 & 2012.

He has won numerous awards too such as the First place in Abu Dhabi Through your Eyes in 2008, Third place in Abu Dhabi Through your Eyes in 2009, Second place in Al Dhafrah Through Photographer Eyes in 2009, Second place in EPC in 2010, Second place in Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in 2011 and Second place in Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Rashid Photography Award (HIPA) in 2012.

Despite his great achievements at the young age of 30, he is still looking forward to a lot of projects and goals in 2014. His wife and his two kids are his main inspirations and he couldn’t have made it in the business without their support.

His mere curiosity of digital cameras has transformed into a powerful passion for taking pictures with committed practice and determination over time. Omar would like to be remembered as someone who actually enjoys his works in the huge developing world of photography.

DEPTH OF FOCUS | Omar Alzaabi

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“I don’t think there is a defining moment to any photographer. It is something that will evolve over time.”

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DEPTH OF FOCUS | Omar Alzaabi

EVENTS | Photowalk Dubai

Ignite Passion:

Head out and Shoot In October of 2012, Subodh Shetty and Anjum Vahanvati started a local photography community called Photowalk Dubai. As the name of the group implies, it was formed based on the underlying principle that the best way of learning photography is by actually heading out and shooting. For them, the benefits of the few hours of “photo walk” could easily outshine the outcome of spending days or months of simply browsing online. Focusing on the practical side of photography that ignites passion among its member is their main objective.

With Photowalk Dubai, members don’t only get the chance to have a hands-on learning experience on the field but gets to share the adventure with other aspiring photographers as well. If lucky enough, they even become privileged to meet well-acclaimed photographers on the road. Inspire Seminars are also conducted to constantly encourage its members of the craft that they have chosen to pursue. More importantly, the group aims to produce passionate photographers in the industry and not just professional photographers.

A huge moral booster comes into play when they award the best image for every “photo walk” they arrange. Sponsored by Nikon Middle East and Africa, the group rewards a Nikon D600 (a full frame camera) with a Nikkor 24-85mm lens to the winning photographer for a test run for one full month. Amongst a set of 100 pictures to choose from, two runners up also receive photo books, certificates and the printouts of their victoriously selected images. These small gestures in a form of incentives definitely add up to the confidence of the photographers.

Over 1,500 people have already been enlisted and a total of at least 20 events have been organized including both Photowalk and Inspire Seminars since the group’s inception. Their biggest Photowalk to date is the 500px Worldwide Photowalk held in Dubai last 21st

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of September 2013. It gathered more than 130 participants from across 350 cities worldwide. After such a favorable result, Andrey Tochilin, the Community Manager of 500px extended further support by granting a 1-year 500px Awesome Pro Account to the best photographers of future events.

Meanwhile, the most successful Inspire Seminar to date was held very recently last 27th of September 2013 at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club. Daniel Cheong, Enjo Matthew and the mastermind himself Anjum Vahanvati hosted the program, which has witnessed more than 150 attendees. These seminars come at a very affordable price, going back to the group’s primary purpose of igniting passion through inspirational talks and not as a business enterprise.

Though creating headlines is never their intention, it is inevitable for such great work to be recognized. Photowalk Dubai has had its own share of media publishes ranging from Gulf News to Khaleej Times and various Malayalam newspapers.

“We are now 1,500 members strong and about 20+ events old in just about a year. It has been a great journey so far.”

Keep an eye on their new activities by joining their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/photowalkdubai/. Also watch out for their upcoming exclusive 500px Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/500pxEmirates, which will be up and running by January 2014.

“When your motive is passion, there is nothing that can boost the same than a touch of appreciation.”

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Decisive Moment

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Photowalk Dubai

Retro Walk Film Photographers Outing

One of a kind, unique photowalk was organised by Photowalk Dubai lead by Subodh Shetty and Anjum Vahanvati. The walk was called ‘ Retro Walk’ for the simple reason that this event was exclusively for film photography. It was more or less like walking back into the past experiencing the essence of photography the way it’s meant to be.

It’s not very common to see people still use their film cameras from the past, this event gave a chance to dust off those gems and bring them back to life. The walk was held on 18th of October 2013. The photowalk started at Bur Dubai Creek area and through the older markets of Bur Dubai followed by an Abra ride to Deira. Overall a 3 hour relaxed walk across the streets of older dubai exploring the street photography opportunities.

Getting out of comfort zone of autofocus and other top of the line features of modern cameras and shooting all manual was the most challenging yet most fulfilling experience of the shoot.

Event was attended by about 20 photographers from various nationalities.

| EVENTS

Here are some of the quotes from the attendees: Kirit Ramaiya “Absolutely fantastic time to catch up with ‘retro’ friends - will remember for longtime the way passersby were looking at us while rewinding and getting out the film out of camera!! Real fun time” Shahid Hashmi “It was awesome. The slow paced shoot, and the sound of the mirror and the shutter. And all the people wondering what we were up to” Walaa Alshaer “What i like about film camera is i do not

need to edit anything in the photos! I hardly did something.

I mean sometimes u shoot by dslr and u give ur photo an effect or edit it to look like an old picture .. The film camera does that in a beautiful way without any effort”

Photowalk Dubai is planning another film photography walk, owing to the interest of people who attended and those who missed. Event would be held in December 2013 and would be held with support of Nikon Middle East and Africa and FullFrame Magazine.

VANTAGE POINT | Arian Marcos

Sample Photos

Sigma

35mm 1.4 for Canon Hands On review

If there is only one lens you can use, what would it be? Most photographers would answer the 50mm, not for me. I find the 50mm too long for the type of photos I want to take. 35mm is the perfect focal length for me, just enough to take portraits and include the environment, and not too wide to distort a persons face. So when the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM was released, I was anxious to give it a try, and probably get one for myself. Lucky me, FullFrame Magazine was kind enough to let me try the new lens Sigma has to offer.

on the fingers and is very smooth.

I’m glad Sigma did not omit the distance scale on the lens, it’s a great tool for zone focusing, it can be more useful if it is wider though.

focus is fast, it can be tricky with moving subjects such as models walking on the catwalk. Stopping down the lens a two or three stops will give a more desirable result with moving subjects.

Image Quality

Who will want the Sigma 35mm 1.4

Here goes my experience with the Sigma 35.

It’s not the look of the lens that is important to photographers, it’s a plus though. What is important is the look of the image the lens produces. Using the Sigma 35 for a couple of weeks as my everyday lens I must say the quality of the image is superb. I am not a fan of bokeh, but the bokeh that this lens produces can be comparable to the best wide aperture lenses out there. For a wide angle lens, the bokeh it produces is delish. At 1.4 I can easily say it is one of the sharpest wide aperture lens haved used. Image sharpness is a result of a number of factors, one of them is the build quality of the lens, couple that with proper focusing and camera handling this lens can produce amazingly sharp images. Maybe the sharpest Sigma lens ever.

Looks, Design, Build

Fast Aperture

Sigma is one of the few well known third party brands that produce lenses for the “main” camera brands. I have owned a Sigma lens before, the 10-20 ultra-wide angle lens. At first, it was sharp and as time passes by , the quality of the image and the focusing deteriorate, maybe because of the construction. I hope the 35mm does not disappoint.

It was love at first sight. The Sigma 35 just screams beauty, that industrial design will make any Canon or Nikon lens green with envy. Anyone, who loves minimalism will love the Sigma 35. The simple design can pass for a Zeiss or a Hassy lense. It’s not fair to just rate a lens by the way it looks. That being it said, the lens feels solidly built, not plasticky, the weight gives a good balance paired with my camera. Did I mention it is a beautiful lens?

The lens comes with a petal shaped lens hood to combat lens flare, although I rarely use lens hood, it’s a good option to have one. The only reason I use the hood is to protect the lens when I am shooting amidst a big crowd. The lens has big focusing ring almost an inch wide that feels good

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We all love fast aperture lenses, matched with todays high ISO cameras, this lens is a monster, it can see in the dark.

When I learned I will do a hands-on review of this lens, I planned on using it wide open to see if it will be usable at its widest aperture. I’ve used a number of wide aperture lenses before, from the 50 to the 85. Although lenses with fast aperture brings dreamy images, one must be careful in shooting wide open. The same is true for the Sigma 35, extreme care should be done when shooting at 1.4, the slightest hand movement can render an out of focus image, as the the focus plane is to shallow. But when you nail the focus the image quality it produces at 1.4 will make you want to shoot wide open every time. Although auto

Everyone. It’s the truth, every photographer will want the Sigma 35 1.4. Street photographers will be on top of the list, even though they will not often use the lens open wide, it’s a great option to have a fast aperture, now they will have more reason to go out on the streets even after the sun goes down. Wedding photographers, to capture low light scenes that almost always bring drama to an image. It can isolate the subject from the busy background. It will be a handy tool when flash is not allowed at the venue Travel photographers, wide enough to capture the beautiful places at all times of the day. And of course photojournalists who swear by the 35mm focal length.

What I like about the Sigma 35mm 1.4?

-The design -Fast aperture – best for low light and that creamy bokeh we all lust about -The price cheaper than the Canon 35mm 1.4 whish is 10 years old -Image quality – one of the sharpest lens I have used.

What can be improved with the Sigma 1.4?

-Add weather sealing -The distance scale can be bigger to allow a more precise zone focusing

Will I get the Sigma 35mm 1.4?

Definitely, with all the features it brings to the table, from the wide aperture to the sharpness and price. Sigma nailed it with this one.

NEWS & EVENTS | EGPC

EGPC sweeps ASCA Vienna. Eleven members of Emirates Group Photography Club (EGPC) braved the chilly weather of Vienna, Austria and brought home with them the champion’s trophy and several other awards during the annual Airline Sports Cultural Association (ASCA) photo competition hosted by Austrian Airways last October 18 and 19, 2013. The photo competition was contested by teams belonging to other airlines in Europe and Gulf Region as well, but with sheer will and determination, EGPC emerged as the best among them all.

FujiFilm and FullFrame Magazine based in Dubai graciously provided EGPC with the new Fuji X mount cameras for documenting their journey. The compact nature of Fujifilm’s cameras ensured top quality photos that are additional evidences to their great journey during the competition. Vienna is a very picturesque city with a multi ethnic population and plenty of historical buildings in and around overlooking the Danube River, and with the latest technology of Fujifilm cameras, the group was able to brought home some fantastic images in the city.

The delegations from EGPC are as follows: Ronald M Awa, Feroz Khan, Faizan Rashid, Avinash Janardhanan, Nelson Tauro, Savio Fernandes, Petal Shamin, Dennis Dalisay, Ronaldo Rivera, Clark Anthony Capistrano and Saima Tahqique (an EGPC associate member). All of them are mere photography hobbyists that have attended various photography workshops from different photographic institutions in UAE and abroad. (Actually some of us are more than hobbyists) The EGPC team won the overall trophy and altogether collected 11 medals (5 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze), the highest tally of any team, including the top

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slot in the People’s choice vote for Feroz Khan’s photo of a couple depicting love in the city. The jury also voted for Faizan Rashid’s photo of the Schwechat River as the top winner for the Jury Vote Category, and Avinash Janardhanan and Nelson Tauro also bagged awards as overall winners for Day 1 and Day 2 categories respectively. Nelson Tauro was hailed as the overall champion in the individual photographer section for the competition.

The competition rules and guidelines were carefully kept secret and teams were given specific guidelines on what to shoot in each category only after arriving in Vienna. The range of categories covered such diverse subjects as the history of Vienna, , but despite being unfamiliar with the territory, EGPC performed admirably, securing one of the coveted top 3 spots in each category.

Prior to leaving for Vienna, EGPC head Ronald Awa said he has great faith and confidence that their team will win and will bring home the bacon. Though EGPC members did not know about the themes of the competition and the seemingly unfamiliar place was a true challenge to overcome, the team kept its positive outlook in the competition and believed that they have a winning team that is composed of individuals who keeps on discovering.

Feroz Khan said, “It was an extremely well organized event by ASCA, and was planned to ensure that all participating teams got to see the wonderful sights and sounds of Vienna during the 2 days of the competition. On the whole, the EGPC team left no stone unturned in their pursuit to get the best possible pictures from this beautiful city”.

Nelson Tauro Overall best photographer gold medal winner

Savio Fernandes Silver medal Day 1 category

Feroz Khan Gold Medal winner - Public vote

Dennis Dalisay Overall silver medal winner

Avinash Janardhanan Gold Medal winner - Day 1

Faizan Rashid Gold medal - Jury vote

EGPC is an Emirates Airline and Group photography club founded by Ronald M. Awa in February 2008 along with 20 photography enthusiasts. Since then, members have grown to 2,000 active members in Dubai and all over Emirates network overseas during the last five years.

EGPC is always open to employees and their families for mebership. For more information, please send e-mail to ekpc@emirates. com

TIPS |

Ernie Manzano

Best Outdoor Spots to Shoot in UAE Ernie Manzano Landscape & Cityscape Photographer

Winter season is just around the corner and some of us are planning and choosing the best place to shoot outdoor in UAE. The country has 80 percent of desert lands and there are some amazing mountain areas in the northeast with long stretch of coastline. This simply means there’s no limit of places to explore especially now that the weather is perfect for outdoor trips and shooting landscapes as well. From this article I am going to discuss some of the best outdoor spots to shoot in UAE, from determining the location, preparation, stuff to bring, time to travel, and the best time to shoot landscape.

There are several outdoor spots to shoot here in UAE and I will suggest some, which are accessible and places that most landscape photographers love to visit.

For seascapes and beautiful rock formations, I would suggest visiting the Fujairah coastline near Snoopy Island. It’s a 2-hour travel from the heart of Dubai and 3 1/2-hour travel from Abu Dhabi.

Sunrise is the perfect time to be there. You can also check Ras Al Khaimah coastline and beachfronts, which are about 1 ½-hour travel from Dubai. The best time to shoot here is during sunset.

For sand dunes and desert, the nearest desert spot from Sharjah or Dubai is the Hatta Desert, a place where you can find the finest sand dunes.

You can shoot there either sunrise or sunset. If you are from Abu Dhabi, you can check out the famous Liwa Desert. From Al Ain, you can check out the Tilapia Lake, where the reflection of the sunset is beautifully observed.

For mountain ranges, I would suggest visiting the known Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain for an overlooking mountain spot and Green Mubazzarah beneath the mountain. Also you can try to visit the Wadi Wurayah, which is situated in the Hajar mountain range on East coast of the UAE. This can be reached by off-road driving. Along the way you can see the view of the mountains, crystal clear water ponds, steep sided valleys and water carved landscapes. There are also mountain ranges in Khor Fakkan also in Fujairah and there are some in Ras Al Khaimah area.

If you want to try something different like mangroves spot, I suggest you visit the Umm Al Quwain Mangroves. It’s a 1-hour travel from the heart of Dubai and the best time to shoot there is sunset. But take note not to wear shoes or flipflops and to bring gallons of water to wash your feet after a muddy trekking.

For astronomical like star-trails and milky-way shoot, I suggest Hatta Desert if you are from Dubai or Sharjah area. If you are from any part of the UAE just check any desert spot within your area and no need to travel too far from your place because milky-way and stars are visible in any part of UAE. Once you are on the desert area just drive your 4x4 away from the main road to avoid light pollution. Take note before leaving to always check first the weather forecast; the sky must be clear without any clouds so the stars will be very visible. This blog http://garyluhm.net/milky-wayphotography-101/ outlines the best time that the milky-way is visible on a certain month.

Preparation and stuff to bring Once you’ve set your location, a thorough preparation follows so everything will go smoothly along the way.

First you should know the exact place. Study the routes, which you can best do by asking any of your friends who had already visited the place before. If you can locate the exact GPS coordinates, that would be very useful. If you are renting a van, coaster or 4x4 vehicle, ask first if the driver knows the place you wish to go. There are several ways to know the location of a certain spot, or just visit our reliable best friend Google Maps.

Make a checklist of the things to bring. Starting from your gears camera, batteries must be fully charged, memory cards, tripod, filters, cable remote etc. Next bring sufficient food, snacks and drinks, a very important factor as we need energy to shoot. If you are planning for an overnight camping, add on your list the camping gears including tents, sleeping mats, folding chairs and tables, flash light, rechargeable lamps, barbecue or cooking kit and trash bags. Bring with you maps, GPS or compass in order to locate your direction. And don’t forget to bring a first aid kit because you never know when accidents might just happen during outdoor shoots. It’s better to prepare a checklist so you have all the necessary stuff to bring. You don’t want to spoil your shoot with just 1 item missing.

Wear comfortable dress on going outdoor shoot.

But check first the weather condition before your trip. We are in the Middle East so we only have 2 weather situations - summer and winter. During the summer, just wear light and comfortable dress and wear hat or scarf to protect your head from the heat of the sun. During winter bring extra jacket or sweater because at night the wind is so cold. And wear a pair of shoes or boots designed for mountain or desert hiking.

Next you should study camera settings depending on the location you are planning to visit. It’s always safe to do this ahead rather than guessing on the spot. If you had a chance do some research for the camera settings on shooting sunrise and sunset, landscapes and seascape, star-trails and milky-way, etc. Study some proper framing and composition for a certain landscape scene and do some test shots. This will save you on wasting time and bothering your friends asking them for the camera settings etc. It will make you confident enough to bring home only the greatest photos you can capture.

Lastly make sure that your vehicle must be on good travelling condition. Check the tires and spare tires, brakes, engine and gas, which should be on full tank. As much as possible you must travel with 2 vehicles and a rope. In case one would be in trouble, there’s always a back up to help. Never take risk to drive off-road on a desert if you don’t have proper training. Better contact professional 4x4 drivers or any travel tours agency to drive for you.

Time to Travel Plan the timing of your travel. Determine if the place is ideal for sunrise or sunset. Check Google Maps and study the orientation where the sun will rise and set. You can also check this website to calculate the traveling hours from one point to another http://www.distancesfrom.com/ If you are travelling by group, first you need to inform them of the meet up time and remind everybody not to be late. We should be strict on the time because on landscape shoot we should set enough time ahead on the location before sunrise or sunset. Based on our experience, we make sure we must be ahead of time on a certain place 2-3 hours before sunrise or sunset. So we still have time to rest, eat, mingle, prepare & eye on a perfect spot for composition on the location.

Time to shoot The best time to shoot landscape is during sunrise and sunset. That is the time where the sky will turn into beautiful colour either gold, yellow, orange, then blue. And if there are clouds present, you will have a bonus of wonderful colours behind.

Timing is another vital factor of sunrise and sunset photography. It is important to know in what time exactly the sun rises or sets on a certain location.

After getting an idea when the sun will rise or set, it is advisable to arrive on the location early. Arriving early allows people to inspect the surroundings of the scene and understand where would be a good spot to take photos. And the best time to start shooting is 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the sunrise or sunset. Just keep shooting within that time frame, and enjoy the beauty of nature and landscape photography.

VANTAGE POINT | Michael Cruz

Real life review and comparison of 4 Fujifilm X-Series Cameras X-Pro1 | X-E1 | X-M1| X100s

X-PRO1 The X-Pro1 is the big daddy of Fujifilm X-Series of cameras. It started the interchangeable X-series range. When the X-Pro1 first was launched, it started the revolution of the mirrorless era altogether. With the three mighty primes: 35mm, 18mm and 60mm lenses, it looks like it’s the beginning of something new. It wasn’t perfect though, it needed multiple firmware upgrades to unlock its potential but even in the beginning, despite the glitches, there’s one consensus: Outstanding image quality.

What I use it for: If it’s going to be a long shooting day, this is my camera of choice.

The ergonomics of the camera are perfect for my hands; it fits like a glove if I may say so myself.

Studio shoots usually fall in this category since it always takes a long time to finish this kind of shoots. It involves long hours of preparation, warm-up, test shots and art directions.

The X-Pro1 is not a fast camera to begin with and it should be appreciated as it is. It lets you slow down a little bit. It won’t let you lose your composure or hyper you up by shooting hundreds of frames per second, it’s not that kind of camera. It’s a camera that involves finesse and re-imagining your ideas, a camera, which lets you carry out your creative process without rushing you.

X-E1 The X-E1 came out as a little brother to the X-Pro1 and in so many ways it is. It is smaller, lighter and cheaper than its big brother.

It doesn’t have the awesome hybrid viewfinder but it does offer a higher resolution EVF. What I use it for: This is a very capable camera and it does offer the same image quality of the X-Pro1. For those who cannot afford the X-Pro1, this is a very good alternative but for those who already have the X-Pro1, this is the best back-up or 2nd body camera.

It’s for those moments when you want to go for a photo-walk and you don’t want to bring a lot of gear, but you have the clear intention to shoot. In other words, you are going out with one reason: to shoot; not just to wonder around and shoot in case you might have the time for it. This camera is a serious shooter that leaves a small footprint in your bag. In fact, you can have two of these in your bag so that you won’t have to switch lenses, and it won’t even take too much room in your bag. The X-E1 is a good street or photo-walk camera.

X-M1 The X-M1 is the new addition for the X-series cameras. It has the same awesome sensor of the X-Pro1 and the X-E1 with an even smaller body and a very affordable package. It doesn’t have any viewfinder but it does have a great alternative: the tilting LCD. What I use it for:

X100s The X100 was my first Fujifilm camera and if you have read my previous reviews, it was love at first sight, and now, the X100s is even a lot better than its predecessor. This is the kind of compact, mirrorless camera I have been dreaming about. It provides excellent image quality with stunning design. I have to admit, if I have to pick the best-looking camera right now, there’s no doubt in my head: Fujifilm X100s. The best part of it is that, it’s a really awesome camera. Out of all the X-Series Cameras, this is my soul mate.

This, for me is the best travel camera. This is the camera, I would bring for my vacation trips with the family. It is the most compact device without sacrificing on image quality. It is a fun camera to have, since it gives you a performance of an Italian sports car in a small fun Japanese car. It may not appear like a serious camera, but once you start looking at those images, you will be happy you have that little camera with you during those fun times.

This is a camera for picnics in the park, beach gatherings, birthday parties, school programs and other fun gatherings. Rather than relying on your small point and shoot cameras or your smartphone, you can use the X-M1 for that matter. It has a WiFi option that lets you transfer the photos directly to your laptop, tablet or smartphone. It’s a perfect travel companion. The tilting LCD lets you compose your shots differently and gives you a good point of view in difficult situations that a viewfinder cannot.

What I use it for: This is my everyday camera. When I say, everyday, I mean it literally; I carry it everyday with me. This is the camera I bring along when I feel I have no agenda to shoot, but I bring it just in case I come across something awesome to shoot. Even if I am in the office and I found an interesting subject to shoot, I have it with me. If I am in the mall and I see something interesting it is only a reach-in-the-bag away from me.

I just see no point why you could not carry this camera with you all the time? It’s a small, light and good-looking camera. That retro design is just so sleek; did I mention it is a good looking camera?

The hybrid viewfinder is really a joy to use and that fixed 35mm (full frame equivalent) f2.0 lens is sharp and challenges you to get more creative with your composition. The X100s is also an awesome street camera; it is very discreet and very silent, very stealthy indeed.

Technical Specifications Comparison: http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/sideby-side?products=fujifilm_xpro1&products=fujifilm_ xe1&products=fujifilm_xm1&products=fujifilm_x100s

VANTAGE POINT | Michael Cruz

Background

I currently use different X-Series cameras such as the XPro1, the X-E1 and the X100s.

I have found them to be more than sufficient to most of my photography work. When Mr. Keitaro of Fujifilm handed me the new Fujifilm X-M1 and asked me to test it, I didn’t hesitate, since the X-Series cameras have been very good from my experience.

However the X-M1 is not your typical X-Series camera; it doesn’t have an EVF, and the 16-50 kit lens doesn’t come with an aperture ring. So I had my doubts in the early stage; the question is: Is it worthy to be a part of the X-Series family? Let’s find out.

Introduction

I believe that Fujifilm X-M1 has been created as a cheaper alternative for those who want to try the Fuji X-Series camera system. It has also been designed for typical consumers who are not so technical about photography settings. So, instead of a shutter speed wheel, it has a multifunction wheel with different settings, which is very common for most of the cameras including DSLRs and most consumer cameras.

It might have lost the EVF but the LCD is tilt-capable and can be used to get different perspectives without you physically going on the ground or going to a higher perspective. The tilting LCD is not a gimmick it really offers great advantages.

First among any X-Series cameras, the X-M1 offers Wi-Fi support, so you can transfer your images directly to your mobile phones, tablets or computers wirelessly. That is a very handy feature.

Handling and Build Quality

The build quality is still X-Series worthy but you can notice bits of hard plastics which is typical to most of the consumer cameras. I personally think that the silver variant of the camera looks and feels better in my hands compared to the black version. However, the black version offers more stealth and anonymity on the streets.

I have bigger hands and because of the smaller size of the X-M1 it can get a little uncomfortable. But this is nothing major, once you adjust your hand, it will sit pretty well. I think, if you have smaller hands, this should fit like a glove.

As I mentioned, the tilting LCD makes you forget about the EFV and gives you a new way of shooting opportunities you never had before.

Menu Structure and the Q button

The menu structure is similar to the one of other X-Series cameras and I find it to be one of the easiest ones to use. It is very well labeled and very easy to understand. There are a lot of cameras I have used in the past that were really promising, but I was let down by the menu structure. I think this is one of the overlooked features of any camera. The Q button is also present in the X-M1 which makes it even easier to use.

The Wi-Fi

Function is quite handy to use when you want to share you photos as quickly as possible to your friends or social media network.

Although, this might not appeal to photographers but for those users who don‘t like the hassle of removing the SD card and getting the laptop, this is a much easier option. I find it useful when you take a picture of someone and instead of waiting for you to reach home, finding the time to get the images transferred and emailing the photo to that someone, you can send it right there and then directly to his/her mobile phone or tablet. The only requirement is for you to download the free Fujifilm Camera share app.

X-M1

Image Quality

This is where the X-M1 blows all my doubts away. It may not look big, but this is where it delivers big time! At the heart of the X-M1 is the same sensor as the venerable XPro1 and it really shows. The pictures are as sharp and the colors are as punchy as its older and more expensive siblings, the XPro1, XE1 and X100s. This is where Fujifilm didn’t compromise in the X-M1. The image quality is the strongest asset of this camera and even if you compare this side-by-side to any similar or higher-priced, mirrorless interchangeable camera system, this will not disappoint you. I even compared this camera’s output to one of the latest full frame cameras which is more than 5 times its price, and it manages to hold its head high. I may sound over-reacting here, but I actually did the comparison myself and I was blown away. I compared it with other cameras in terms of resolution, high ISO, distortion and flash exposure.

Intelligent Flash and Wi-Fi Function On paper, this feature may sound gimmicky until you tried it yourself. I was a bit skeptical too, but I know how intelligent the flashes on the X-Series cameras are. My X100s flash is probably the best in-built flash I have ever used and the one on the X-M1 is no exception, in fact it might be even better. The camera carefully sets exposure and uses the flash as a fill flash and not as the main light source which in practice makes you properly expose the background and your subject. So you don’t see your typical on-camera flash effect with dark background and very bright (often over-exposed) subject with lots of specular highlights.

Manual Controls

If you look on the photos of the X-M1 on the net, you will notice the lack of aperture control, shutter speed control and exposure compensation. So where did all the manual controls go? Actually, they are all there, it just functions differently now. If you want to go for Aperture Mode (A), you set the big dial on the left to A and automatically, the small vertical wheel will be your aperture dial.

The wheel on the right becomes your exposure compensation. The same goes when you set it to Shutter Speed Mode (S), the small vertical wheel becomes your shutter speed dial and the wheel on the right still functions as the exposure compensation. It will only change when you set it to Manual Mode (M), which makes the vertical wheel as your aperture dial and the wheel on the right becomes your shutter speed dial. If you have an X-Series Fujinon Lens like the 35mm f1.4, which has an aperture dial, when you connect that to the X-M1, the aperture dial on the lens gets activated so you can control your aperture from the lens itself. This works seamlessly and it is very intuitive to use.

AF System

The Auto Focus system of the X-M1 is pretty quick - I didn’t have any issues with the AF. It locks down pretty well with the 16-50 Kit lens it came along with. It comes with Face Detect feature and I found that to work pretty well, too.

Please note that enabling the Face Detection will lose the ability for changing the focus points, however for a typical user this is not an issue. If you are a more advanced user, I suggest getting the face detection disabled so you can control the focusing points on the X-M1.

The AF system has always been complained about with the X-Series cameras, but since the latest firmware upgrade, I think that problem should have been put to rest. The X-M1’s AF is pretty quick out-ofthe-box without any firmware upgrade, although I suggest having your cameras and lenses upgraded once a new firmware comes out.

Final thoughts

We have finally reached the end and we can get to the answer of my question I had asked in the beginning of this review regarding the X-M1 being worthy to be a part of the X-Series cameras? My answer is a very easy YES. The camera delivers to its promise on being an affordable camera that is big on features and bigger in terms of image quality. If you are on a look for an affordable camera with excellent image quality, you should definitely check the Fujifilm X-M1. It think, this camera doesn’t only appeal to photography enthusiasts but also to those regular users who want to get a step up from their point and shoot camera. It is easy to use and I wouldn’t hesitate on recommending this camera to those looking for a camera in this price range. This is an excellent buy.

VANTAGE POINT | Michael Cruz

Michael R. Cruz Fujfilm X-Ambassador

Is a Photographer / Photo-Enthusiast / Digital Artist / Gadget Geek based in Dubai, UAE. His photographs have been published in newspapers, magazines including Conde Nast Traveler London and other architectural and travel books. Michael also conducts workshops that teach photography and post-processing.

To view Michaels’ photography, you can visit his blog: www.michaelrcruz.com photo stream in: www.cruzm.com

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With the needs to have a top rate quality workshop today, Fujifilm Middle East FZE together with FullFrame Photography Magazine, assembles a team of today’s most respected and talented photographers in the region. Headed by Mr. Keitaro So, Fujifilm’s Managing Director of the Imaging Division, he brought together four of the best artists in UAE. Together with Donnell Gumiran: award winning documentary photographer, Chris Calumberan: one of the best fashion photographers in UAE, Michael Cruz: Fujifilm Middle East’s ambassador and Mosh Lafuenta: ITP’s most multi talented photographer, the X- Factor was born.

After a month long of meticulous preparation, the team assembled is about ready to perform. Equipped with the latest camera of Fujifilm, the X-M1, the group is about to conduct a series of workshops of their own expertise and style. Hype is building up, not only as four of the greatest photographers will conduct the biggest workshop of the year, but the excitement that filled all the participants each and every one of them will be trying, firsthand the most anticipated technology of Fujifilm X-M1 during the course of the event.

Donnell Gumiran was the first of the X – Factor members to showcase his photographic style on Portrait Photography. With a total of 38 attendees,

Emirates Aviation Training Center was filled last September 13. Donnell would like to extend his gratitude to all participants and all of the people behind his successful workshop, Creative Designer Micaela Navarro and Bobby Doren, Male Model: Dio Smith Harris, Assistants: Ashley Adriatico, Dindo Capili, Danemark Francisco, Dino Aquino, Renato Nicdao.

Next in line was Chris Calumberan and his field of expertise on Fashion Editorial. Emirates Aviation College was filled with 30 participants last September 14. Chris would like to extend his gratitude to all of the attendees and the people who helped him achieve success in the workshop; Models: Kelley Day, Katrin Osipova & Akmaral Satzhanova, Make-up Artists: Ivy Kep Peralta, Jefferson V. Palis & Jha-jha Rivera, Assistant MakeUp Artists: Louise Monique Soriano & Jackie Rigor Santor, Assistants to photographers: Ryan Santor, Jo-Anne Adriano Ham, Arvin Santos, Rose Ann Kerr, Jaime Rivera, Belle Foronda A week after Michael Cruz headed one of the most unique workshops ever done in the country, Car Photography. This time, The Moment Studio was the chosen venue to host 30 attendees and numerous first class cars last September 27. The indoor shoot showcased a BMW 2013- 335i Twin Turbo

- Special Bodykit Haman Ferrari Edition owned by Mr. Hussain Qumaish and a Mitsubishi Evolution 9 Greedy 78 Turbo 500 Horsepower owned Mr. Mohammed Qublan. Outdoor shoot showcased a Chevrolet Camaro V6 owned by Jayr Acut Aspiras, a Ferrari 430 Spider 2009 owned by Roger Perera and a Suzuki Swift Special custom Bodykit owned

by Khalid Qublan.

Last but not the least was Product Photography headed by Mosh Lafuente September 28, Emirates Aviation College was filled with 30 attendees. Mosh demonstrated how to shoot products with proper lighting and thank the people who helped him within the day. He would like to acknowledge his assistants: Firefly Photography & Maggie MaleonLafuente for making it easy for him to do the workshop.

Overall, the 4 day workshop of the four great artists of X- Factor group came to surmountable success. Thanks to the participants and effort of FullFrame Magazine and Fujifilm Middle East, it was an event fill of knowledge and inspiration. X-Factor workshop would also like to extend their gratitude to certain individuals that made everything possible; EGPC: Mr. Ronald Awa, The Moment Studio: Mr. Reyam Al Banna & Ali Al Shehhi and Fujifilm: Mr. Keitaro So, Mohammad Moumani, Paret Janjata & Mouna Jidal.

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| SHUTTERS

Fashion Editorial

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Product Photography

UNYIELDING ICONS | Keith Cooper

Keith is a commercial photographer and fine art printer based in Leicester, in the UK - covering advertising, architecture, interiors and industrial photography. His photos are often used in annual reports around the world.

Keith also teaches, writes and lectures on photography, the business of photography, and color management to individuals and companies. One particular interest is bringing an appreciation of the latest print technology to high quality Black and White photography.

Keith Cooper:

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The Chapter House Steps at Wells Cathedral, England Camera Canon 1Ds mk3, Lens TS-E17mm f4L This shows the classic use of a shifted lens to correct converging verticals on the camera.

Post processing won’t always be able to correct precise control of composition. Tilting the lens upward and straightening in Photoshop is fine for small corrections; but the resulting trapezoidal images need cropping, which can’t be easily estimated at the time of shooting.

He shares Barbara Hepworth’s observation that “Landscape is strong – it has bones and flesh and skin and hair. It has age and history and a principle behind its evolution.”

One of the most marvelous black and white landscape photographers based in the United Kingdom is Keith Cooper. For him, the key to producing astonishing black and white landscape images is to have a solid perceptual grasp of the 3D structures that you are capturing and a strong knowledge of how viewpoint and lighting convey your intentions on a flat sheet of paper or screen. He believes that the best results come from gaining an intuitive understanding of the geometry of flat images and solid objects and how you can work with or modify it.

Keith is a commercial photographer and a fine art printer who is firmly convinced that communication is a crucial element of photography. It is not enough for his photos to look attractive or decorative. There has to be a message, especially that of which his clients require. With a varied engineering and scientific research background, Keith works with several large companies testing and refining products and tools for improving aspects of photography, printing and color management.

The following B&W shots were all produced for making large prints. (70% of his works are for large prints and relatively 20% are in black and white) This shot was taken at 11mm using

the FishEye Hemi Plug-in where the spherical image projection was converted to a vertical cylindrical appearance. The unusual geometry makes it seem a much more organic component of stonework.

Keith’s Northlight Images web site is recognized for its in-depth reviews and articles. His simple advice to aspiring landscape photographers is to closely study the subject’s different angles and perspectives along with the full range of light source from dawn to dusk. His main tools are Canon DSLR cameras primarily because of these 3 lenses – the 24mm, the 17mm tilt shift lens and the 8-15mm zoom fish-eye lens. “It takes a lot of practice and experimentation to use them effectively.”

Black and White Photography gives a familiar scene a brand new nature and character. You have to look at your subject on a different light, imagining how it will look like in black and white. Colorless or monochromatic images heavily rely on shadows and contrasts so it is very essential to properly utilize light to boost the impact.

Rupert’s Gateway or the Turret Gate Multiple stitched shots EF50/1.4 lens on Canon 1Ds Mk3 The camera was mounted on a Gigapan motorized head. To capture the extremely wide-angle view, the cylindrical projection was used which also retains the upright verticals.

City Council HQ, Leicester, England Camera Canon 1Ds mk3, Lens TS-E17mm f4L This was taken with a wide lens shifted upwards to retain vertical elements.

The space between the structure of the building and its two main blocks was the emphasis of this shot.

Scissor Arch, Wells Cathedral, England Camera Canon 1Ds mk3, Lens EF8-15 Fisheye f4L This shot was taken at 11mm using the FishEye Hemi Plug-in where the spherical image projection was converted to a vertical cylindrical appearance. The unusual geometry makes it seem a much more organic component of stonework.

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

75

Photo by: Alejandre Madali

Photo by: Glenn Wesley Dulay

Photo by:Jayson Escolano

Photo by: Benny Tadili

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Photo by: Albert Q. Soldao

Photographers Gallery

| RANDOM CLICKS

Photo by: Glenn Guardian

Photo by: Shoayb Hesham

Photo by: Joyjun Acol

Photo by: Edcel Cabalan

Photo by: Jeffrey Magbitang

Photo by: Hermogenes Masangcay

Photo by: Jonathan Madriaga

EVENTS | FullFrame Photography Magazine

I would like to thank you all for the success of our workshop.

To ours sponsors, Fuji Film, Fullframe, Eizo Monitor, Art Plus Gallery Dubai, Donaco Coutre, Sumaya Abdulrazak , Eugledz.EB Production, Roldan Narag Production, thank you so much for your unconditional supports. To Mam Maripaz, Bogart & Mr. Keitaro of Fuji film, thank you so much. To Sir lary, Voltier, Renz, Micaela, Eugene & Maggi thank you for helping us. To Ivy Peralta, Benj Uy & Kerwin Solo thank for your creative stuff. To our models Suhaib al azzawi, Tony Ghazal thank you so much.

And to all the participants who trusted me I hope I was able to impart what you wanted to achieve in our workshop. More success to us all.

Donell Gumiran Photographer

Sponsors

Behind the Scene

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

79

Hahnel Giga T Pro II The Giga T Pro II wireless remote control features a self-timer, interval timer, long exposure setting and exposure count settings for time-lapse, wildlife photography, astral and studio photography. It can also be used as a short cable shutter release to eliminate camera shake.

Available for Canon and Nikon DSLR’s Key Features: 100m Wireless range Shutter Delay from 1 second to 99 hours.

Interval timer from 1 second to 99 hours.

Long exposure from 1 second to 99 hours.

1-99 shots (x2) Second (repeat sequence) timer 30 channel options Transmitter power off battery saver

Mettle K-D & K-DL Series Kit Package Includes: 3 x K-200DL/300DL 3 x E-004 Light Stand 1 x 60*90cm Soft Box 1 x 90 cm Black/Silver Umbrella 1 x Barndoors 1 x Snoot 1 x Radio Trigger 1 x Carry Bag Package Includes: 3 x K-200D/300D 3 x E-004 Light Stand 1 x 60*90cm Soft Boxddq 1 x 90 cm Black/Silver Umbrella 1 x Barndoors 1 x Snoot 1 x Radio Trigger 1 x Carry Bag Prices: K-200D K-300D K-200DL K-300DL

800W Spot light with dimmer & cooler with dimmer & cooler

Background Stand

Package includes: 3 x light heads 3 x barn door 3 x light stand 3 x power cable 1 x Hard Trolley Bag: 80x33x33cm

Specifications: * strong background support stand * 365.5cm wide * Max height:286cm * Aluminum * 4 Cross Bar

Price: 800W Red Spotlight Kit – 1250.00

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BL-8731 – 300.00

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Beauty Dish Color: Silver Size : 42 cm(LD942)/ 55cm(LD955)/ 70 cm (LD975) Honey Comb and Diffuser Cloth Included Prices: LD942 : 260.00 LD955 : 375.00 LD975 : 450.00

SOFTBOX with Grid SLIDECAM LITE

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