FullFrame Photography Magazine Issue 11

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

Digital Art Photography Issue

“From Dusk Till Dawn, Celebrating Ramadan”

FullFrame Ramadan Photography Competition and Exhibition

Balancing Photography and Digital Artistry Jake Radaza

Painting Light in the Wind

Depth Of Focus

Karim Jabbari

Adrian Sommeling

Defining Digital Art Photography Alexia Sinclair

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Carl Zeiss Touit Lenses Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras

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

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Photography Magazine

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Issue 1 | November 2011 | Middle East

Photography Magazine

Photography Magazine

Issue 2 | December 2011 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 3 | Middle East

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Volume 1 | Issue 4 | Middle East

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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”

9 Ways To Beat The High Cost Of Photography

Depth Of Focus

What’s Inside

Camera Guide

Extreme Post Processing Tutorials

Tips & Tricks

Get the Most Out of your Point and Shoot Camera

Gadgets Review

Basic Tutorials

Photo Gallery

Workshops

issue 3 final cover.indd 1

Issue 2 “Point & Shoot”

Photography Magazine

What’s Inside

Rocky Gathercole

Depth of Focus

Jay Alonzo

A Manny Librodo Exclusive

Edwin Loyola

Small Things Big Result What’s Inside

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

Group Profile 1/23/12 6:04 PM

Issue 3 “Outdoor”

What’s Inside

Camera Review

Basic Tutorials

Workshops

Group Profile

Issue 4 “Fashion”

Photography Magazine

Volume 1 | Issue 7 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 5 | Middle East

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Photo Gallery

Volume 1 | Issue 6 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 8 | Middle East

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Depth Of Focus

Celia Peterson

Guidelines for Travel Photography

Black and White Photography; The World Without Color

10 Travel Photography Tips

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Camera Review

Tutorials

Issue 5 “Travel”

Workshops

Photo Gallery

Group Profile 5/22/12 12:19 AM

What’s Inside

Camera Review

Tips Tutorials

Workshops

Photo Gallery

Group Profile

issue 5 cover.indd 1

9/3/12 11:42 AM

Issue 6 “Black & White”

Lifestyle Photography: The Story of Existence

Jay Alonzo

Capturing Emotions as a Way of Life

Post Production Essential Skills

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Paul Aiken

Alex Jeffries

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

Progressive Tips on Black & White Imagery

Emirates Photography

Jay Alonzo

Ethics of a Photographer

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Mosh Lafuente What’s Inside

Mario Cardenas

Sean Armenta

Seeing Culture through Today’s Lifestyle

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

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Depth of Focus

The Art of Black and White Photography

Depth of Focus

o Fo F

Focal Points

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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

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

NIKON D600 Exclusive launch event held at The Armani Hotel

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

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GODOX QT 600 A View from a Professional Photographer

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Issue 7 “Wedding”

Issue 8 “Lifestyle”

Volume 1 | Issue 9 | Middle East

2/12/13 12:35 PM

Volume 1 | Issue 10 | Middle East

SPO RTS ISSU E

Culture and Travel Issue

A Thousand Words of an Image Barry Morgan

A Testament for the Passion

Life in the UAE

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

Raul Gabat

The Resolve of an Artist

Underwater Photography: Prints of a World Unknown

Thamer Al-Hassan

David Thiesset

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture

A Scribe in Time Charles Verghese

Depth Of Focus

Jorge Ferrari

Jacob Maentz

Depth Of Focus

Richard Schoettger

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory Paul John Tavera

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PocketWizard Perfect Combination for Lighting Needs

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Issue 9 “Sports”

Nikon D7100 Setting New Standards for Digital Photography

CANON EF 400mm Big Things Matter in Sports Photography

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Fujifilm X 100s Finding the Soul Mate within a Classic

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

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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

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

Digital Art Photograp hy Issue

“From Dusk Till Dawn, Celebrating Ramadan”

FullFrame Ramadan Photography Competition and Exhibition

Balancing Photography and Digital Artistry Jake Radaza

Painting Light in the Wind

Depth Of Focus

Karim Jabbari

Defining Digital Art Photography

Adrian Sommeling

Alexia Sinclair

FREE COPY

Carl Zeiss Touit Lenses Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras

issue 11 cover.indd 1

Here we are again releasing another issue of our magazine, and for every issue we bring, comes our sweat, devotion and passion. Nothing can be more than overwhelming for our team, rather seeing another two month long period of hard work paid off with printed editorials to be served to our audience. Truly, we are blessed for continuing our crusade and go farther to what really matters most for us. FullFrame Magazine, now on its 11th issue, looks forward to many more to come.

For this issue, we came back to discuss what for us catches the attention of most photographers we know. Everybody in one time of their life was caught by the digital representation of images that is beyond the ordinary and seems to be unbearable in this earth we are living in. Digital Art Photography, became the outlet of our imagination and what seems to be running through our mind only become something that we can bring to the real world. Through every pages of this issue, witness how our beloved artists create magnificent works by manipulating their raw images. Know about their workflow and their challenges along the way as they bring out their masterpiece.

For this issue, we’ve tried to extend our knowledge by expanding our materials to the four corner of the world. Our correspondence Alexia Sinclair from Australia became our tool to define what Digital Art Photography is in the simplest form.

Be amazed for this issue’s cover presented by no other then the guy who is making the headline with his every photo in the Philippines, Mr. Jake Radaza.

And we made sure that this issue will be more informative than ever, as we incorporated few more tutorials and tips that will surely teach you the ropes in photography.

Again, we would like to thank you all for your undying support and we hope that you will enjoy the next few moments on flicking every page of our Digital Art Photography Issue.

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

Paz Calaguian

8/20/13 1:19 PM

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 : Gericult Paulo Cosuco I.T. Manager: Derick Venzon | Web Developer: Vishow Khanal | PR & Events: Deo Macaraig Project Consultant: Ashley Adriatico | Administrative Assistant: Hafsah Masorong Writer Contributors: Michael R. Cruz | Kenneth Wong | Alexia Sinclair | Jason Dalmeida | Arian Marcos | Donell Gumiran | Laya Gerlock | Will Dy Photographer Contributors: Light Bender Project | Kenneth Wong | Suzette Peachie Bayonito Special Thanks to: Keitaro So – Fujifilm Middle East FZE | Mohamad Al Moumani | Light Bender Project | Joelle Rayess - Eizo | Nas For Advertising:

info@fullframemag.com website: www.uspadvt.com/fullframe Mob: +971 56 276. 1179

46 Depth of Focus Adrian Sommeling

Content

Volume 1 | Issue 11 | September-October 2013

10 Cover Story 14 Highlights Defining Digital Art Photography Point 16 Vantage Fujifilm X-E1 + 55-200mm lens

18 Tips 10 Common Mistakes of a Photographer Focus 20 On Beno Saradzic Andy Ramos

60

Techniques Laya Gerlock

24 Highlights Painting Light in the Wind

Point 28 Vantage Carl Zeiss Touit Lenses

27 EPyC Hosted Annual Perseids

30 Eizo Monitors

News

Vantage Point

33 Tips Shutter Count Artist 34 The Muhammad Faizan

38 Tips Tips for Taking a Great Portrait

20

On Focus

40 Highlights Lomography 42 Tips How Aperture Works

24

Painting Light in the Wind

68

From Dusk till Dawn Ramadan Photography Competition

44 46

Highlights

52

Techniques

56

Behind the Lens

59

36

Things to Know About your Model

Depth of Focus

A Story Teller Reflected in One Image

by: Donell Gumiran

The Rebirth of Minerva

Press Release XM-1 Launched

60

Techniques

64

Tips

65

Shutters

66

How He Did This

68

From Dusk till Dawn

80

Random Clicks

32

34

The Artist

by: Laya Gerlock

Camera Tool Kit for Mobile

Warp Group

by: Will Dy

Ramadan Photography Competition

Photographer’s Gallery

16

Fujifilm XE-1

65

Shutters

COVER STORY |

Jake Radaza

Model: Dima Ahmad Al Omairi Makeup: Chek Dj Designer: Don Cristobal

Jake Radaza

| COVER STORY

Balancing Photography and Digital Artistry

Jake Radaza

As time progresses, technology had immensely influenced a great part of our life.

Communication became more comfortable due to the mobile phones and washing clothes are far simpler with the washing machine and dryers. Innovations had surprisingly presented new forms of solutions to make life easier and exciting. Even most Art form had no chance to retaliate and deny the changes technology had offered in their practices as well. In fact, Photography may be one aspect that had enjoyed much for the advancement.

Today, most of the cameras became digitally operated and can be easily accessed. Computer and software like Lightroom and Photoshop transformed post processing discipline into a more refined practice compared to the dark room era. Truly, the introduction of the new technologies in photography extended it into new heights, and with all this tools present for the craft, one cannot deny to utilize them and incorporate it in their practice.

By the time our team has decided to tackle Digital Art Photography, we have already fixed in our mind of who shall we tap on to work with us. Without any hesitation we have objectively agreed that no better person could give justice to this theme rather than Jake Radaza. Jake is one of the fast rising photographers based in the Philippines and considered as a part of the new generation of photographers who combine photography and digital post processing in their work. He had showcased extraordinary artworks

and had successfully created for himself a cluster of adherents extending to nearby Asian countries and even here in the Middle East. He had conducted tons of photography and post processing workshops inside the Philippines and has been invited numerous times to places such as Singapore to discuss about his dynamic workflow and technique.

In this image, Jake was kind enough to provide us for the cover page of this issue, he explained that his objective is to convince people that your image is actually real and not created from a blank canvass. He shared with us an image which he conceptualized out of the normal that is being done all the time. It was taken during one of his workshops in the Philippines entitled “Awakening” and normally photographers shoot colorful gowns and costumes so they decided to change their approach and do something different by having a suspense thriller theme.

Jake relayed to us, not much preparation has been arranged for this shoot since it was for a workshop and a location shoot, so beside from the costume almost everything was already set up in the location itself. Jake to shoot light and without heavy gears and the ambient light during the shoot works perfectly to what he perceived it to be. What came next will depend on the post processing and how he can bring the details that he needed for the concept.

Amazingly, for just 15 minutes he had had turned his image to another dramatic

masterpiece. Using Photoshop, he demonstrated to his workshop attendees on how to set the mood of the image using simple techniques and adjustments. Jake added some smoke and darkened the picture then brightened some areas just to highlight it and make it pop out of the image. As for Final touch, he had just sharpened the whole image to bring the dynamic and crispy outlook for the image. Jake was sincere when he said that he had more pressure on not messing up the work in front of all the participants rather than having a great output itself.

Overall, Jake describes his workflow as simple.

He makes it a point that he get it right on the camera and then just try to add a little drama to the picture emphasizing on the subjects face or actions. He seldom does radical stuff or heavy manipulation unless it’s required by the client. He admitted that he likes shooting light with a 35mm lens on camera. He is not much into gadgets as well or extra accessories like mouse, tablet or any paraphernalia on working with his post processing and use his fingers on keyboard and track pad only. Jake believes that everybody has a different touch on doing artworks. He can’t say he’s totally different but understand that what he focuses more is the photography aspect of his images. For Jake this separates a Digital Art Photographer like him to a Graphic Artist of which relays mostly on what is available already.

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

11

COVER STORY |

Jake Radaza

before

in 3D “Hardest thing in Digital Art Photography is convincing people that your image is actually real and not created from a blank canvas only.�

12before Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

13

HIGHLIGHTS |

Alexia Sinclair

Defining

Digital Art Photography About Alexia Sinclair Alexia Sinclair is an award winning Australian Fine Art photographer and digital artist. Her distinct style is easily recognizable and highly original. Using a visual narrative to seduce her audience with each photographic feast, Sinclair’s art is dark and seductive, baroque and symbolic.

Her multilayered photographs subtly present contemporary notions of fashion and beauty through innovative digital media, whilst restoring antique notions of classicism, elegance and luxury.

www.alexiasinclair.com

14

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

Probably the easiest way to define what Digital Art Photography is by breaking it down and understanding every component of the phrase. Knowing that Digital Art as a general term refers to the artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative presentation, and photography in the simplest form refers to the craft of capturing images. Thus, Digital Art Photography can be defined as a discipline in photography that utilizes the technological advancement in practicing the craft and presenting it in an artistic manner. Today, it is more commonly understood as photography enhanced through digital tools like computer software for manipulating and editing.

This is the same definition that has been given to us by our correspondence, Alexia Sinclair.

She explained that in her work, digital art photography means using a digital medium format camera in place of film and working in post-production using softwares like Photoshop rather than manipulating the image in a darkroom. And with the abundance of technological solutions in photography nowadays,an image taken straight from a camera can be absolutely different when presented.

So what would separate Digital Art Photography to the other disciplines? Though the structure could be so vague to identify and what falls under which category to which could be subjective in one line and another. A fashion shoot digitally manipulated for a certain concept could be considered as digital art photography and digital art photography if intended for a certain reason, let’s say for a fashion line, can be considered as fashion photography as well. The only thing we know is that a big part of Digital Art Photography is the presence of new elements that had not existed in the previous images and arranged by use of software like Photoshop in which most parts could be deliberately exaggerated for the sake of producing art.

For Alexia, Digital Art Photography allows us to manipulate images, to combine hundreds of photographs seamlessly. It gives her the freedom to produce the artworks already formed in her imagination. Alexia can also incorporate hand illustration and paints light into her photographs, transforming single photographs into complex painterly artworks. As artists learn the technologies involved everything will seem to be boundless developing their own techniques can help to define their own style. Rules, like in any form of art are relevant no more, and the amount of post processing and manipulation is consistent with the intention of the art itself.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether manipulating an image should be considered as a form of cheating in photography? And I guess to answer these, one should ask first the intention of the photographer. In general, and ask any photographer on this, photo manipulating can be considered as cheating if one would intentionally mislead his audience by adding or removing an element in his image for documentation. However if the goal is strictly based on artistic representation then the artist is using the camera as an artistic

tool, just as a painter uses a brush to capture their imagination .

Photography is an art no matter how you slice it and it starts in camera and ends with the final image that reflects what you perceived and felt at the moment.

Though I never understood or placed much credence to the whole purity of image capture concept and the core value of photography, I believe that intentions and message are more important to an image. You take a digital photo file and then increase highlights by using Photoshop, Is this considered as cheating photography? No! You simply just choose to use one of the tools available to you when you are working in a particular medium. In fact, photographers have always chosen to shoot on particular films and print on specific papers, because they influence the appearance of the photograph. Photographers have been making decisions about the appearance of their photography long before the invention of digital manipulation. I would agree with Alexia on this again; That Digital Art Photography is a very technical field and strong background in photography and editing practice is recommended.

Certainly it’s important to have equally strong technical skills in both photography and post-production, but it’s even more important to have a vivid imagination to form ideas and the stamina to see your work through to completion.

There are several well respected photographers out there who in one way or another enhanced their images to convey their message more appropriately. Matthew Brady apparently moved corpses and posed soldiers to make his images; Edward Curtis’ photos of Indians weren’t entirely natural, and Ansel Adams did extensive manipulation of his images to make his environmental points. Yet all three of these photographers were very influential in changing people’s view of war, Native Americans and the landscape in ways that we now find socially relevant. Again, it all boils down to the intention.

Photography is not reality, and it never has been. The tools have changed, but the license to burn, dodge, crop, select film for color and contrast, select paper for contrast, mask, overlay, distort, etc. has not.

There aren’t any “purity tests” in photography other than what we as individuals feel in our hearts. Follow your vision and don’t worry where it takes you. If you hold back out of fear of what others might think, you’ll never be fulfilled.

“Digital Art Photography allows me to manipulate images, to combine hundreds of photographs seamlessly. It gives me the freedom to transform individual photographs into complex painterly artworks without limitations.”

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 and photo stream in: www.cruzm.com.

Fujifilm X-E1 (firmware 2.00) + Fujinon 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS Review The Fujifilm X-E1 has been around for a long time now, in fact it is almost a year old and Fujiflim has issued numerous firmware updates to improve its performance. It also comes with added new features. Fujifilm is known to use unconventional approach on things compared to other camera manufacturers. And as far as Fujifilm camera owners are concerned, this is a good thing, in fact an excellent thing. Fujifilm’s “there-is-alwayssomething-to-improve” mantra has been the key element why they are ahead of any camera manufacturers in terms of customer support. The X-E1 has undergone an evolution over the year. Thanks to the consistent firmware upgrades it is now a different camera compared to when it was first announced. I really hope other camera manufacturers follow Fuji’s footsteps.

The main feature of almost all the firmware upgrades is the Auto Focus speed and accuracy. Even the lenses have their own set of firmware upgrades. If you haven’t upgraded your X-E1/XPro1 or Fujinon lenses I strongly suggest to do so right now. You can find the instructions on Fujifilm’s website on how to go about it - it’s a process which can be done in a matter of minutes.

The Firmware 2.00 on Fujiflim X-E1 comes with the following improvements:

Improvement of AF speed on most existing XF lenses.

You will need to upgrade the firmware of your Fujinon lenses to get the full effect.

Having done that, I can really see an improvement not just on speed but the accuracy of the AF. I also noticed that the XF 18-55 f2.8 lens doesn’t hunt that much anymore in low light conditions.

Introduction of “Focusing Peak Highlight” function for manual focusing.

The focus peaking has been a dream for photographers who used manual focus lenses with their XE1 and XPro1 cameras. It gives you a great help on manual focusing by giving a white outline on your subject.

Improvement of the method to switch magnification during manual focusing.

By pressing the Command dial you can activate the image magnification during manual focusing and turning this dial will also change the magnification level. I usually prefer this method over the focus peaking but it really depends on the subject so this is a great addition for photographers using manual focus lenses.

Improvement of focus accuracy in various scenes.

As per Fujifilm, the AF detection algorithm has been improved to provide more accurate focus for low contrast subjects. In practice, the X-E1 really improved in low light scenarios, it is definitely less “focus hunting” compared to before. I really appreciate that Fujifilm is spending a lot of time on improving the AF system of the

X-Series cameras since this is often a point of debate.

The Fujifilm X-E1 has been a capable camera before and is an even more capable camera today thanks to Fujifilm’s commitment on improving the camera through firmware updates, coupled it with class-leading Fujinon lenses you end up with image quality that can compete even with full frame cameras.

Fujinon 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS When the first Fujifilm X-Series interchangeable cameras came out (XPro1) it came out with 3 fast prime lenses the 18mm, 35mm and 60mm and a lot of people are wondering when or if there would be a zoom lens from Fuji; when the X-E1 came out that question has been answered with the Fujinon 18-55 f2.8-4 OIS lens. Then after that, the 2nd zoom lens was announced, the 55-200mm telephoto lens.

Build Quality If you are familiar with the 18-55mm lens or any Fujinon XF lenses you will have the same feel right at home with the 55200mm. The build quality of the lens is top notch and with a reasonable price tag it is a very attractive lens. The mount like with any Fujinon XF lenses is metal and looks like it will last for a long time. The Zoom ring has enough torque and smoothness combination to it. I have no issues going back and forth for a different zoom range. There’s also a knob to turn the OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) on or off and a button for manual or Automatic Aperture control. It also comes with a metal lens hood and a soft cloth pouch.

Zooming is not internal so the length of the lens changes as you change focal lengths, the longer the focal length the longer it goes. I didn’t observe any zoom creep issue. Overall the build quality is excellent and it feels great in the hands.

Performance and Image quality The lens has an internal focusing (IF) system and it is very quiet compared to Fujinon 35mm f1.4 for example. The front of the lens is also fixed and doesn’t rotate on focus which is good for those who are planning to use filters. In actual use, the focusing is fast and accurate in any focal length or any lighting conditions.

Although the Ver. 2.00 firmware on X-E1 didn’t mention anything about 55-200mm lens improvements, I found the AF faster and less hunting in low light conditions.

Chromatic aberration is very well controlled, in fact I didn’t find any fringes on all the images I took with the 55-200mm, which is a very good indication about the quality of the glass used in this lens. The bokeh is also quite smooth, which is an unexpected surprise. It is smooth and very pleasing to the eye, proving Fuji really did a good job on this lens.

When it comes to image sharpness, it doesn’t fall short, it is sharp not only on all focal lengths but even when aperture is set wide open. The edges can be a little soft wide open but still very acceptable, I found that the sweet spot for this lens is at around f8 where edge to edge sharpness is at its best. Personally, I didn’t have any problem shooting wide open on this lens; the images are sharp and with good contrast and details.

Final Thoughts The Fujinon XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 R LM OIS is a superb telephoto lens. I don’t see any major flaws for a lens in this price range. This is the only telephoto lens available currently for the X-Series but might change in the future as more telephoto lenses will be made for the X-Series. If you are looking for a telephoto lens for your Fuji X camera, I think everyone will be happy and satisfied with this lens. It is good to see how the X-Series are getting excellent lenses and I am really excited on the next batch of lenses to come. Overall, if you need a telephoto for your X-Series camera then you should pick one up and you won’t be disappointed.

TIPS | FullFrame

10 Common Mistakes of a Photographer

W

e’ve all made simple camera mistakes once or twice in our life. Most of the time we become victims of doing it unconsciously maybe due to negligence or even to the extend of just being unfamiliar with the simple rulings. And out of these so many camera mistakes, we’ve tried to break it down to the things that creep up a bit more frequently than others.

Here are the top 10 most common camera mistakes that most photographers make at some point and how to avoid them.

Lens Cap Still On Admit it or not but this a classic error that until now hits you every now and then. Few often than not, we suffer from this very simple mistake of pointing out the camera to our subject just to later on understand that we couldn’t see anything from the viewer but a pitch black.

Creating a habit of tipping the camera up as you lift it towards your eye so that you can check if the lens cap is on is a healthy thing to do to avoid this mistake.

Empty Battery I couldn’t think of anything worse than a photographer going for a shoot and trying to flick on their camera and wouldn’t turn on. This can happen to anyone and when it happens normally panic comes after. And then it sinks to them… it’s the battery is out of juice.

The best way out of this photographic hiatus is having a spare battery at all times. Of course it wouldn’t make sense if your extra battery is empty as well so creating a habit of charging the batteries every after use can save you at times like this.

Wrong Sensitivity Selected Shooting in different lighting condition can be confusing. Arranging all the settings manually can be tricky at times. When you have already set shooting in low lights then ultimately transfer to outdoor your settings can be really different resulting to the wrong exposure.

Sometimes we tend to forget to adjust our settings immediately letting us miss the chances on shooting a winning moment.

That is the reason why there is a flashing value of aperture or shutter speed in the viewfinder. It is there to remind you of what settings you are shooting with. The key to avoid this kind of mistake is to stay vigilant and keep an eye on the exposure settings. Try to make it a habit of looking at the values first before pressing that button.

Memory Card Full With todays memory cards having those huge capacities, we tend to form a habit of not transferring files immediately an thought that we still have more than enough. However, if we don’t clear the card, eventually it can run out of space and experiencing this in the middle of the shoot can be very traumatic.

One way to avoid this is by creating a habit of transferring every file after shoots. It’s also bad practice to walk around with a collection

of cards that are full with images.Those cards are small and easy to misplace and it’s easy to lose track of which images have been downloaded and which haven’t.

Wrong White Balance This mistake is for those who don’t set their white balance on automatic and manually adjust the settings on it to get the very best result they can in-camera to match the shooting conditions. I know this setting the white balance manually can do good however when done wrongly then this is something to look out for.

Using a white balance value that’s designed for rendering warm indoor light neutral when you’re outside will make the world look very cold. Conversely, using a daylight white balance under artificial lighting can result in a very warm, almost orange image.

The only way to correct this is by checking through your LCD screen. Looking at your image in it should alert you to any color problems and would let you correct it instantly.

Dust Marks Most cameras today has an automatic dust removal system that cleans loose dust easily.

However there are times that dust couldn’t be shook off and remains on the camera. Though a few little specks of dust here and there aren’t a major problem and will only take a few seconds to clone out on a computer, but keep an eye on the situation so it doesn’t get out of hand.

If you are familiar with the proper way of cleaning your system then it is advisable to clean the camera every now and then.

However if it seems tricky for you then bringing it to service center for cleaning could be best for you.

Shutter Speed Too Fast for Flash This can catch you out when you’re shooting portraits outside with a fairly larger aperture to blur the background and you decide to use a bit of flash to fill in the shadows.

In some cases the camera refuses to fire because it has recognised that the shutter speed is too fast for the exposure to sync with the flash firing.

In this situation also usually gives you a clue by flashing the shutter speed in the viewfinder.

In other instances, however, the shutter will fire and the image has a black section because the shutter wasn’t fully open when

the flash fired.

If you want to stick with the same aperture the solution is to use a neutral density filter on the lens to take out some of the light and allow a longer shutter speed.

Missing Tripod Quick Release Plate Quick release plates are very useful. It allows you to place and remove the camera on a tripod easily. And having your camera mounted on a tripod can help you avoid extra movements that can cause blurring of images. However, the problem that arise to this is that quick release plates are quite small and can easily be misplaced. The only way to avoid missing this plate is always leaving it on your camera or always make sure that the plate is clicked properly back onto the tripod head after use. There is no assurance that you can always remember where you have kept it and by attaching it to something bigger like the camera or tripod then looking for it would be easier.

Wrong Focal Length This is the reason why photographers invest in different lenses. Each lens is designed for a specific purpose. The 70-200mm works well on long range and a 35mm works well for portrait. Sometimes when we go out for shoot everything seems to fall perfectly to what we expect but then all of a sudden something comes along that would make the picture far better, however you are not equipped with the right lens at hand.

To be prepared for these kind of instances it would be smart to bring extra lenses every time you are going for a shoot. Make it as a habit that you place different kind of lenses with different focal lengths all the time so that we are always prepared for what comes along.

Spot Metering Still On Spot meter in DSLR cameras can be very useful at times because it allows you to take precise light measurements from small areas within the scene and make sure that your subject is correctly exposed. However, if you leave it on and pick up your metering over a very bright area without the intention to do so, the camera will reduce the exposure and will give you a very dark image or vice versa.

The best way to avoid this situation is to check your metering and adjust to the setting that you normally use. Always remember to check if your spot metering is on or not before shooting.

Petr Probst Saradzic ON FOCUS | Beno

Bringing Vision into an Illustration

Beno Saradzic For Beno Saradzic, post processing is an essential and fundamental part of photography whether you’re shooting on film or digitally. It allows you to circumvent the limitations of the camera’s sensor which is nowhere near as sensitive as the human eye. Post processing allows you to control the tones in the image and recover the lost details in the shadows and highlights. It allows you to tighten up your composition by cropping out the unnecessary parts of the image, to clean up the dirt spots and to remove the elements in your image that are drawing unwanted attention. And in the words of Ansel Adams himself, “The negative is comparable to the composer’s score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways”. Ansel knew this very well and that’s why he spent more time processing his shots in the darkroom than outdoors, shooting new photographs! For this we might say that if post processing through software such as Photoshop was available by the time Ansel was at his peak of doing his photographs, he might dwell, occasionally, with the constructive tools the technology can offer the craft.

As an Art Director and Producer for Timesand Studios in Abu Dhabi, Beno had showed immense potential in the craft. His works have been highly acknowledged by several institutions in the photography industry and had been awarded in several competitions. Beno was featured as well in some publications already and had been documented in several TV shows such as Discovery Channel’s Passage to Abu Dhabi and BBC’s Natural History’s ‘Wild Arabia’.

When asked about how he does this extraordinary artwork, he humbly answered that it usually starts by pre-visualizing the photograph when he spot a scene. All of it happens in his head as he imagines the composition, the point of view, and how he will capture the image.

And once he had transferred the image on his computer, that’s where the real work begins. He usually spends 2 to 4 hours working on any given photograph. Some may take even longer. His work isn’t done until the photograph on his computer screen matches what he had imagined during the pre-visualization phase.

His workflow starts with the backup of all his captured files.

You can never be too safe he said so he keeps at least 2 to 3 copies of each file, the 3rd one being outside of his home or on the remote Cloud server. On post processing, he starts in Lightroom where all RAW files are imported and pre-processed. He usually tweaks the White Balance then he recovers the highlight and shadow details, enable optical correction and minor sharpening and de-noising.

Once he’s done, he exports all the photos as 16-bit TIFF files. Photoshop is where 90% of post processing is accomplished. He uses an array of plugins, depending on

the task, his vision, or the client’s brief. Beno used Photoshop as an architectural visualization specialist and 3D animator for over 15 years, so he knows it inside and out. When he shifted his interest to photography, he was extremely well prepared already for post processing and all the techniques that go with it.

Beno has shared that he met quite a few photographers who flaunted their photographs for being ‘straight out of the camera without any processing’. They said this as if postprocessed photographs were somehow inferior and compromised. That couldn’t be further from the truth. For him it all depends on the type of photography. Post processing can either be very subtle or in some cases, a major part of the workflow. That said, Beno is not endorsing post processing for fixing bad photographs.

No amount of post processing will turn a bad shot into a good one. But if you are starting with a solid photograph, skilled post processing techniques will take it to the next level.

ON FOCUS | Andy Ramos

Andy Ramos

Art can be measured by the life and dedication you pour into it. The passion that one gives into creating an artwork is not just an option one can freely dive into when wanted, but it has to be build into his every DNA. Art is not just simply defined by the finished product, but by the process one pours into the very act of creating it.

These statements can be proven on every work Andy Ramos has presented. In fact, he could be easily tagged as a very meticulous artist as he wants everything in order and according to what he had planned. The compulsion to do his work right and structured is running through his veins, as one could notice, that as much as possible, every enticing details in the image are done clean and perfect. From changing the background to removing unnecessary hair strands and creating shadows, you can say that he have given ample of time and effort on doing so.

Since 2009, Andy has been persistent in polishing his craft. Though without any formal training, he

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was able to acquire the necessary skills through his dedication, persistence and hard work. Andy has been succumbed to the challenge of seeing the life of art in a more realistic way and he was hooked with the photography and found himself spending numerous hours in front of the computer researching and learning more about the craft.

He was inspired with the photographers he came across in the internet thus fueling him to do better within the craft and his undying motivation lead him to expand his knowledge. Soon he found himself dwelling in learning to make more visually dramatic pictures through Photoshop, and probably found one of his comfort zones in digital art photography itself. Andy was struck by the endless limit of his new craft, and proven to himself that learning photography is just as addictive as practicing it.

Andy can be considered as one of his kind. The color combinations and manipulation techniques he is using can easily be distinguished and separates him the other. His Digital Art Photography works

are a combination of a vivid imagination that seems very unrealistic in this world, but his processing skills made them so natural that it might look like an image straight from the camera. As a form of advice, he shared his approach in doing his digital artworks, he make sure that he does the following three components closest to perfection; First is cleaning and processing the skin texture, second will be cropping the image and third is blending the subject with the background. By getting these components right, one artist can present a more realistic processed image.

Though he has been highly acknowledged in his field already, he still considers that there are still a lot of things where he needs to improve himself with. He is not afraid to admit that until now he still experiments in his workflow and undergoes on trial and error process. For him, Digital Art Photography is a never ending learning and one should have the patience to experiment, discover and practice as it would lead you to perfection.

Dario Endara

| ON THE FRAME

HIGHLIGHTS |

by: Karim Jabbari

painting light in the wind

Karim Jabbari

Light Calligraphy is one of the most interesting form of art that has been catching a lot of interest today. From incorporating something new to photography and expressing a tradition through a new medium, it has garnered a lot of praises and followers to those who practices it. For this, we reach out to one of the most respected light calligraphy artists in the Arab world, Karim Jabbari. His quest for innovation and discovering new ways to incorporate the Arabic calligraphy pushed him to give a new dimension to that discipline. And with a DSLR camera and flashlight he is able to produce some breathtaking calligraphies with the light hanged in the space.

Q. What is Light Calligraphy?

A. It is a long exposure photography combined with a source of light to create a mixture of calligraphy and photography and I always call it the 4th dimension to a photo. It gives the illusion that the photos are digitally modified when in fact they’re purely photography and calligraphy instantly combined.

Q. How did you come up with the idea of Light Calligraphy?

A. I was interested by photography and also by calligraphy, and since I’m a calligrapher for years now I was looking for new techniques to evolve the Arabic calligraphy and take it to another level. Everything started when I discovered the technique of light painting and decided to apply it to my art and that’s how it all started.

Q. What inspired you to practice this kind of art?

A. What inspired me most was the beauty of the light painting technique and the freedom it comes with as you take your camera at night and start an exciting artistic journey and since it’s a technique rarely used with the Arabic calligraphy. It was an extra motivation for me.

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Q. Can you discuss further on how you do the craft?

A. Light calligraphy, a new and rare form of art, introduces a new dimension to the photography experience. Any light-source can produce exquisite compositions, and it’s up to the photographer to experiment with color, light intensity, and number of light sources. The fluid movements created by the hands, arms and body are key to the process.

Q. What is the hardest thing to do regarding Light Calligraphy?

A. Writing with a source of light in an open space is a very hard task and especially when writing in Arabic. The level of difficulty appears when you try to write for the first time because you realize that you have to do it the inverse way and keep your proportions in space so you get the desired result and that’s the hardest thing to achieve.

Q. What tools do you use in doing the art?

A. DSLR camera, I use a Canon 650D with the very useful touchscreen, a tripod, a remote to trigger the camera and different types and sizes of LED flashlights. The Canon T4i (650D) for me is a perfect machine for light calligraphy with its easy to use touch screen I can change the settings in seconds and focus on my calligraphy performance.

Q. On taking the photo, what is the ideal setting to get a good result?

A. First of all the camera must be on M (manual) mode. The main settings are shutter speed and you have to fix it according to the time you need to achieve your calligraphy, I often go with a BULB and use a remote to trigger the shutter so I have the exact time needed. ISO must be at 100 always and the aperture must be set according to the environment you are working in. I start often with F22 and see the result and may decrease it if needed.

Q. What are the common reactions you are getting from your audience?

A. It’s always a pleasure to see and hear the reactions of people when they see the finished light calligraphy on the camera screen or on a projection screen. The beauty of the letters hanging in space is always an amazing and beautiful thing to see.

“Light Calligraphy gives the illusion that the photos are digitally modified when in fact they’re purely photography and calligraphy instantly combined.”

About Karim Jabbari

Q. Are there any big plans you have for this art?

A. I started a year ago a project called ‘Light in the City’ It came to life in one of the most adventurous and avant-gardist cities in the world; Dubai. A series of Lightcalligraphy workshops embellished well-known landmarks and cityscapes across Dubai, creating unique snapshots of light and time. Tashkeel Studios supported the launch of the project idea and hosted the pilot workshops across Dubai. As the beginning of a world-wide phenomenon, Dubai served as a stunning start for the growth of such a pioneer project.

I have also a future project called DOORS and it will be a worldwide phenomenon and a combination of photography, calligraphy, collage and street art. The project will involve people worldwide and it will open opportunities and new horizons to emerging artists.

Q. Any message to your audience?

Inspired by old Arabic scriptures, and determined to establish a Contemporary approach to calligraphy,he developed his own abstract typography using different patterns, shapes, and colors. Always searching for an original concept to breathe more vibrancy and life into his creations, his work is continuously evolving. Classic Kufi and Maghrebi calligraphy are featured in many of his compositions. This preference arises from the strong pull towards his North African background and the importance of keeping dying traditions alive.

The love of letters and art is the main source of inspiration for him, and that’s what made him one of the most prevalent artists. Calligraphy, painting, lightgraff, photography and calligraphy clothing are Karim Jabbari’s universe.

A. Take your camera, go out, work hard and explore the artist inside of you.

Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

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Decisive Moment

| NEWS

EPyC Hosted the Annual Perseids Meteor Shower Photo Shoot

More than 200 amateur and professional photographers, together with astrologers astronomical enthusiasts, gathered at “The Zubair Camp”, late in the night of August 12th, 2013, to witness the annual Perseids Meteor Shower. The showcase of falling debris in the sky is said to be the most active of its kind, with a rate said to reach about 60 meteors per hour.

Emirates Photography group also known as EPyC, hosted and organized the activity for the night. Mr Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, founder of Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG) and expert of astronomical phenomenon started the evening by welcoming everyone and giving small background of the meteor shower that is about to be witnessed. A short workshop for the photographers on how to shoot meteor shower was also done by the expert.

Around 95 EPyC members of attended this event and had their cameras poised from 9 pm onwards hoping to capture the annual celestial event. People from all age groups also attended and were found scattered around the farm, either working on their cameras, or lying down on the carpeted floor looking straight up into the sky, eagerly waiting the natural fireworks display of the meteor shower. EPyC believes in sharing and helping the photographer’s community, by regularly organizing events, which can educate their members and photographers alike on different aspects of photography.

The crowd came alive at around 1 am, after the clouds were driven away by the eastbound wind. The sky watchers let out an occasional scream every time a meteor shot past the sky while photographers were seen guarding their cameras on tripods, and were capturing images every 1 sec, with at least 30-second exposure hoping to capture trails of the stars and meteors. The Perseids meteor shower is associated with the comet ‘Swift Tuttle’, which left behind a trail of debris along its orbit. According to Keith Cobby, Manager of DAG, it is called the Perseids Meteor Shower because the meteors seem to originate in the sky close to the Perseus Constellation.

Witnessing the meteor shower for with your own eyes, you could say that nature really knows how play wonders in its own way. Though the weather of the night was just about comfortable with tolerable levels of humidity and though the clouds played spoiled sport till around 1 am, in where the meteor shower was expected at 11:45, still a huge group patiently waited for the meteors to show up.

The whole event in many ways was a success. EPyC members, together with all the photographers in the event, had a great time experiencing this once every year phenomenon. For this, the organizers have committed plan for more of such events. EPyC is always welcome for all photographers, in general, to join their group. After completing their free registration on the group’s meetup.com account, all members will have the access on the group’s page and will be regulary updated with all upcoming events organized by EPyC. Truly it was worth the wait, and Perseids Meteor Shower will definitely is a must to wait next year.

VANTAGE POINT | Michael Cruz

Carl Zeiss

Touit Lenses Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras Zeiss Touit 1.8/32 & Touit 2.8/12 Lens Review

Packing & Build Quality If there would be an award for the best lens packing, the Zeiss Touit lenses would definitely win. Zeiss Touit have the best packing I have ever seen with any lens.

It is nicely packed in a white box and blue foam inside. It is not your typical lens packing. Once you remove the outer packing box, you will see the inside packing, which can be opened like a chest box -really a classy touch. This is the first Zeiss lens I have seen, so I might be just overreacting. Anyway, I still think that the packing is a work of art.

Once you are done opening the classy packing, you will glance at the lens laid on a nice royal blue foam like a piece of expensive jewelry— well, it sort of is. Both of the lenses display superb craftsmanship and appear to be possibly one of the most high-end lenses for any mirrorless camera system yet. While Fujifilm lenses have excellent build quality, the Zeiss Touit lenses are ahead by a notch. However I was not particularly impressed with the rubber rings to control the focusing and the aperture. Although it doesn’t feel cheap, it’s still not as aesthetically pleasing as the Fujinon lenses (for my taste at least). Although Zeiss cited that the rubber rings are better in colder weather since it won’t get ice-cold in your hands; although in Dubai, that is not useful unless you shoot most of your time in Ski Dubai. Kidding aside, this is just a personal preference, it doesn’t really affect the usability of the lens.

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.

The front element of the Touit 12mm f2.8 lens is quite large and requires a 67mm sized filter, so yes, it can be fitted with filters such as C-PL or ND filters. It also comes with a nice lens hood, although personally, I didn’t end up using it as much because it makes the lens quite big, with hood attached. The lens is pretty light at 270 grams, so you can always carry it in your camera bag. It has an almost similar size to the Fujinon XF 14mm lens, however the Touit 12mm is a little bit wider.

With regards to the Touit 32mm f1.8 lens, it is built in the same class like the Touit 12mm lens; same rubber rings for aperture and focusing, although as I said before, I prefer the focusing rings of the Fujinon XF 35mm lens. The size compared to Fuji XF 35mm is pretty close, with one exception: the hood. The hood of the Touit 32mm lens is large compared to the slim hood of the Fuji

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

Photo by: Michael Cruz

Ease of Use Both the Touit 2.8/12 and the Touit 1.8/32 are pretty straight-forward to operate. You can set the aperture and the focusing via the rubber rings on the lens. The Aperture ring is smooth to turn, it can be set to A (Auto), f2.8 up to f22 (f1.8 to f22 for the Touit 32mm). Even though it’s smooth to turn, you can still feel the clicks. For some it might be too light but for me it is just fine. I don’t usually adjust it often. Although as I mentioned before, I didn’t like the rubber-feel of it; I got used to it in the end and it never bothered me anymore. The same goes for the focusing ring, it is buttery smooth. The aperture ring might be a little too easy to turn and might disturb other photographers, although in my case, it is no biggie.

Just a nitpick though, I noticed that on the Fujiflim X-E1 camera it is a little harder to mount the Touit lenses compared to the Fujinon lenses.

Although this is nothing major, it is noticeable. I would wish that Zeiss would make the dot guide on the mount white rather than dark blue so you can easily mount it even in dark situations. I ended up trying to find a good light to mount the lenses.

Performance

lens fits to my shooting style. The fact that it doesn’t have a fringing and vignetting problem which is common to wide angle lenses, made this lens very attractive to buy.

The only thing that I could find that could potentially hinder users from buying it is the price tag and knowing that the Fujinon 14mm is also a superb wide angle lens. Overall, I’m really impressed with the image quality of this lens, this is by far the best wide angle lens I have used till now, including full frame lenses. If you need a wide-angle lens for your Fujifilm X series camera, this is an excellent lens to buy if you can afford its price tag.

The Zeiss Touit 32mm f1.8 lens is a superb lens. In my opinion, it has a better built than the Fujinon XF 35mm, although not by far. The image quality of this lens is first class, although the same can be said about the Fujinon XF 35mm. The main advantage of this lens over the Fuji is the build quality and the quieter AF motor. The question is why you would go with the more expensive Zeiss if the Fuji XF 35mm is just as good? I think on this one, it will greatly depend on your personal preference. If you already have the Fuji XF 35mm I think there’s no compelling reason to replace it with the Touit 32mm lens, but if you don’t have the Fuji 35mm then it might be worth your time to check out the Touit 32mm f1.8 lens.

Special thanks to FullFrame Photography Magazine & Advance Media for letting me use these lenses, I really had a nice time using them and really had a hard time returning them.

Auto Focus of the Touit 12mm is pretty fast and accurate. This applies both to good lighting and low lighting conditions. Seriously, unless you are shooting a fast paced sports, I don’t think anyone will have a problem with the AF speed. I have used it for more than two weeks and there’s no single time that I had an issue with the autofocusing capabilities of this lens. Just a tip, if you make the focusing box smaller, the AF speed gets faster.

The Auto focus on the Touit 32mm f1.8 lens feels a tad slower than the Fujinon 35mm (with firmware 2.02), however it has a much quieter AF motor. In fact, you will hardly hear the focusing when you are outdoors. Although the AF is not lightning-quick, it is good enough for any non-sports shooting scenarios.

The image quality of the Touit 12mm is really impressive. It is a sharp lens, although you need to step it down to f4.0 to get the edges sharp, but the center is always sharp no matter what aperture setting you use. I also didn’t notice any color fringing which is a common problem with most wide-angle lenses. The distortion is well-controlled and the Color reproduction is pretty accurate. The contrast out of the camera is also superb – albeit the color reproduction might be more of the X-Trans Sensor capabilities rather than the lens.

Touit | 32mm

Another common problem with wide-angle lenses is the vignetting effect, in which the corners are darker compared to the middle part of the image; I didn’t notice any of that even when the lens is set wide open at f2.8. I’m really impressed with the image quality of this lens, this is one of the best wide angle lenses I have used so far, including full frame lenses.

The Touit 32mm image quality is also amazing. It is bitingly sharp even at 1.8 and the bokeh is smooth and very pleasing on the eyes. I really have no complaints whatsoever with this lens, I am pretty sure that everyone who will use this lens will enjoy the excellent image quality produced by this lens.

Final Thoughts The Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8 is the widest lens (non-fisheye) available for Fuji X series cameras (as of this writing) and it is good to know that Zeiss didn’t disappoint when it comes to the build quality and performance of the Touit lenses. I am one of those photographers who require an Ultra Wide-Angle lens all the time and the 12mm Touit

Touit | 12mm

VANTAGE POINT | Kenneth Wong

“Is your image worth the paper it’s printed on?”

That’s the question someone once asked me, and it proved to be a real eye-opener. I paused, and felt somewhat insulted, thinking that I was doing well in the area of motorsport and concert photography. Back then, armed with my Nikon D3s and a D700, along with the complete collection of all of Nikon’s best modern zoom lenses and legacy primes, I took a lot of pride in the number of ‘Likes’ I was getting from my images across various image sharing and social media sites.

Until then, I hadn’t given much thought to paper quality or anything like that, till I began the process of printing my work. After all, how hard could it be? Hook up a decent inkjet, shoot the file down the USB cable and voila, I should have a darn good print in my hand. After all, I was using an Apple Macbook Pro, and the display was touted to be amongst the most colour accurate in the field.

Like most photographers, I assumed that it was ‘good enough’ to publish my work to an online portfolio for prospective clients to view and appreciate. I couldn’t have been more wrong depending on the type of display the viewer was using to browse my work, it would have shown to be overly vibrant, too flat, too magenta, or a series of other discrepancies.

I couldn’t understand it. Skin tones were warmer than they looked on my screen and colours looked more vibrant, certainly not that flat looking print I was holding in my hands. It didn’t make sense at all. With this, I started my journey into the rabbit hole that professional photographers and printers call colour management.

Kenneth Wong

Director, Customer Centric Design at du UAE Kenneth Wong is one of the most prestige photographers in the Middle East. He is widely known for his technical expertise in the craft and extended knowledge on different industries and sections. With 15 years of experience across various roles and industries ranging from banks to advertising agencies, dot coms to telecommunications, Kenneth has accumulated superior understanding on different subject matters.

Specialties: Customer Experience Design, Launch Management, Product Marketing, Project Management, Go To Market, Devices, Handsets, Cloud Computing Ecosystems, Social Media Marketing, Multi-channel Campaign Strategist

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It was then that I realized why professional photographers don’t use online portfolios when presenting work to a client. They use printed portfolios, where they have full control over what the viewer sees - the full majesty of their work, in the colors they were meant to be seen.

Printing and presentation, I was told back then, was the completion of a photographer’s workflow. It was the ultimate expression of one’s work, material and time. It was also the defining output of one’s skill, not just in capturing the moment, but in sharing it. Much in the same way that looking at an image of Mona Lisa on a computer screen is nowhere comparable to seeing it first hand in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Printing is as challenging, if not more so, than capturing the moment. With cameras today that you can practically blink and capture the perfect image, printing has a similar, yet different set of challenges - what paper are you printing to? Under what kind of lighting will it be presented under? These questions, innocently enough, betray a tricky, manual process that takes time, patience and experience to master.

And in the heart of that challenge lies colour management.

For years, I struggled to get perfect colour calibration between my screen and printer, and often found myself frustrated while trying to get my output to look exactly like what I was looking at on my screen. I shoot with a Hasselblad H4D-40, a medium format digital camera that is capable of capturing 16-bits of colour per channel. A 14-bit system like Nikon or Canon’s high

end systems are capable of capturing just over 16,000 shades per Red, Green and Blue channel. Hasselblad’s 16-bit system captures over 65,000 shades in each colour channel, producing files that are more natural and smooth in tonality.

I would spend hours and wasted ink and paper trying to get the colours to match up, but no matter how I tried, it was nearimpossible to get it right. Especially since the screen colour temperature seemed to change ever so slightly every few hours.

I needed something that was truly WYSIWYG, something I could be confident that that shade of red was going to be exactly what I would see on my print.

Along the way, I discovered Eizo. Truth be told, I heard that name whispered in many photographic circles, but never really delved into it, mostly because it was prohibitively expensive.

“USD3000 for a monitor? Are you crazy?”

Granted, the high-end Eizo displays like the CG276 came with their own colour calibration hardware and software, but seriously, how good could it be? Would it be worth the $3000 to get my prints colour-perfect? It certainly didn’t make sense to me when the monitor easily cost a third of my kit. So I put it to the back of my mind and didn’t revisit it … until the CX240 came along.

The CX240 is a brilliant piece of kit, really. It’s a 24” IPS display that displays a wonderful 1920x1200 resolution over a DVI connection to my Macbook Pro. More importantly, it has a colour correction sensor built into the frame, and this is simply genius.

After working on a 15” Macbook Pro display for over three years,

the CX240 is like a breath of fresh air - a true pleasure to work with.

You see, the problem with most colour displays lies in the shift in color and temperatures during the operational timespan.

Even if I correctly calibrated my display to my printer (an Epson 3880), and to the paper type being used, that shift will certainly affect the final output, for one reason - my eyes are not calibrated to the display. As a result, without the benefit of a colour-calibrated, self-correcting system, I ended up trying to compensate for these shifts in my head by making it a bit more yellow, more red, more green, making it warmer or colder, largely by guesswork, and hoping the print would come out right... somehow.

I work in an environment that uses warm fluorescent lighting with daylight streaming in from a large window less than 2 meters from my right.

After calibration, it almost seemed that the Eizo was showing up way warmer than the Macbook Pro, which felt wrong. Turns out I was right - my eyes were so accustomed to the fact that my Macbook Pro display was ‘wrong’ that the correct calibration looked incorrect!

More importantly, the Eizo is capable of presenting far more colors than the standard Macbook Pro. Translated into plain English, the Eizo is more capable of reproducing the full range of colors captured by our cameras, allowing us to work more effectively in post-production to deliver more accurate images and color.

VANTAGE POINT | Kenneth Wong Color gamut of the Eizo CX240 display

print, assuming I didn’t mess up and used the wrong paper profile. With the included ColorNavigator Elements software, I was able to visually calibrate my print colours to the display colours, ensuring true WYSIWYG operation without fuss or drama.

But for me, the element that is the deal-closer here is the pricing and 5-year warranty. There’s just no point in getting a colour-accurate display if I need to worry about downtime, and when I’m preparing for an exhibition, downtime is not time I can afford. Under the 5-year warranty, Eizo will provide a replacement display during the period of downtime, which means work can continue relatively uninterrupted.

Unlike the top-end CG series displays which cost up to AED10,600, the CX240 costs just AED5,787, and the basic CS230 model costs just AED3,544. The only differences between the CG and CX/CS series displays is that it comes with the display hood to keep stray ambient light from contaminating/influencing the colours being displayed, and comes with an ingeniously integrated colour calibration (SelfCalibration) sensor with the ColorNavigator software included (ColorNavigator is optional on the CX240, and instead of a SelfCalibration sensor, it has the self-correcting sensor).

Color gamut of the Apple Macbook Pro 15” Retina display

Like the CG series, the CX displays are able to display almost (97%) the full gamut of colors within the Adobe RGB color space, which is what most professional photographers use during capture (14-bit Adobe RGB profile is available in most Nikon, Canon, and Fuji premium compacts like the X-Pro 1, X100/X100S, XE-1).

There’s just little point in buying an expensive camera and shooting in the highest quality possible, then blinding oneself in post-processing with inaccurate colours, on top of getting frustrated over wasted prints which cost time and money.

For the budget-conscious and those of you who use printers that support the sRGB color space, the CS230 is a no-brainer. Like the CX and CG models, the CS230 enjoys a full 5-year warranty with a replacement display provided during downtime, has the built-in self-correction sensor (not to be confused with the SelfCalibration sensor), for just a hair over the price of other 23” displays which are not as colour-aware or colour-accurate.

So, what’s not to like about the CX240? Well, for one, it’s priced pretty close to a 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display (AED4499), which displays a mind-boggling 2560 by 1440 pixels, while the 24” CX240 puts out a comparatively lower resolution of 1920x1200 pixels.

Getting started Hooking up the system was easy - I connected the display to a power source, connected my Macbook Pro to the display using a DisplayPort to DVI connector (an AED119 accessory from Apple).

Downloading and installation of the free ColorNavigator Elements took just minutes and I was up and ready to go.

Unless you’ve gone for the CG series displays, Eizo also sells the Datacolor Sypder 3 colour calibration device for AED552, which was easy to set up, and within minutes, my monitor was calibrated to the lighting in my workspace, which uses warm fluorescent lighting.

Up to this point, these are things you can do with practically any display on the market, it is the next step where the Eizo displays truly shine.

By setting the self-correcting sensor to do its job every week, I was able to work on my images with complete peace of mind, knowing what I was looking at was what I was going to get on my

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To match the 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display, you’ll want to be looking at the CX270, which comes in at a tear-inducing AED7962, a solid AED3,500 ‘bonus’ that gets you more control over your color management, height-adjustability (goodbye neck strain!), self-calibrating capabilities, a MUCH wider color gamut, and five years of warranty with a replacement unit to use during downtime (as compared to Apple’s two year warranty). Regardless, the CX240 is nothing to sneeze at, not when it’s delivering this much more color accuracy over anything else out there today, for less than the cost of a lens.

Frankly, with the reliability of these displays, most people would find themselves replacing/upgrading their cameras before the warranty on the monitor runs out.

After using one for a week, I can see why professional photographer rave about the Eizo, and I can’t imagine having to give this one back.

| TIPS

Identifying How Long Your Shutter Will Last

One of the many myths regarding a DSLR is the lifespan of how long would the shutter inside the camera will last. It’s a myth because very few had proven and while some have claimed so, they seem to give a lot of different reasons into it that makes it harder for us to understand. So here we are, hoping to shed some lights to what seems to be a very blur issue for most of us. Hopefully by the time you ended up on reading this article, you can understand how long your shutter will still work for you.

First things first, we should now that the lifespan of the shutter depends highly on the number of actuations or the number of how many times you have pressed that shutter button to take a snap. Firmware of the camera has nothing to do with how long your shutter will last so updating it would not affect its lifespan. Updating a firmware has its own purpose for the camera, but unfortunately it’s not for this one. Last but not the least, each camera model has its own estimated number of actuations before the shutter wears out.

How many shutter actuations does the manufacturers claim?

Manufacturers publicize the shutter rating of the camera. They will eventually let you know how long could you expect the shutter to last. One thing you will notice is that different models have different estimation of how long the shutter would work. Normally higher level cameras promises a longer lifespan and more shutter actuations before it wears out. Most of the entry level DSLR cameras today rated at around 100,000 shutter actuations while high-end ones have more durable shutters that can last up to 300,000 actuations. Accuracy wise, again whatever actuation rate manufacturers states are all just estimation from their series of test, so more often than not, expect the lifespan around what they have publicized.

How many shutter actuations to most photographers actually achieve?

This matter regards mainly to the photographers themselves. Heavy users might achieve the expected number of actuations before a shutter wears out. But it will definitely take time for you to reach the 100,000 level mark. Fortunately for the manufacturers, most of the photographers don’t press the shutter button that many times as they think they do, so during the warranty period, they don’t have to worry for claims that shutters wore out because of lack of durability.

How many pictures have my camera taken?

So now that you know that your shutter will eventually wear out and stop working, you are probably interested to know how much actuations have you accumulated already. So how can you check now at what rate are you into already with your camera. If you are using Nikon, it is simple to find out how many pictures your camera has taken. Simply download EXIF reader to analyze one of your photo and tell you exactly how many times you have pressed that shutter.But if you are Canon user, you can try downloading the Hex editor and let it analyze one of your RAW file .

How much does it cost to get a shutter replaced?

Now that you know all about this matter, do not worry much cause wearing out your shutter doesn’t necessarily means that your camera is done. Shutter is just one of the component of any camera so this part is always replaceable. Shutter can be sent back to the manufacturer and be replaced for an approximate price of AED 1,500.

For higher-end DSLRs, I guess this price wouldn’t hurt much to do so, however if you are using a lower-end ones it is much wiser to buy a new one. I guess it’s about time to upgrade anyway after having those great number of shots and experience already. check below to see the shutter actuation rate for different brands: http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/ Volume 01 | Issue 08 | 2013

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Faizan John Tavera THE ARTIST | Muhammad Paul

A Day with a

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A talented artist is infinitely marketable; he or she can work in virtually any field. Using his softwares and gizmos, a digital artist can achieve something that is unique and unscathed by a pure craft in itself. What the technology nowadays brings to the table is more freedom to expand creative thinking.

It allows us to achieved new heights in our art. And even in the world of photography, digital arts has taken its rightful place and provided something extraordinary. What used to be just an imaginary image that a camera cannot bring out straight from its own, doesn’t just lurks any more in our brain and thankfully achieved through digital reformation.

Today, we dwell upon on how digital artists work on their art, their importance to the photography industry and their relationship with photographers. To help us discuss it better, we tag along a very talented young lad named Muhammad Faizan to give us the insight of what life looks like for a digital artist. Muhammad, with a proud root of being a Pakistan was born and raised in the UAE, had worked with some of the few noted photographers in the industry and has been creating a buzz for himself. He has always been fascinated in creative expressions and have tried different kind of traditional arts to do so. However, it is the art of using the computer as his primary tool, he truly found his knack.

comes. Finding the perfect stock of images for an artwork is very necessary and is a must to see something convincing and true to an artwork. He realized that he had to collaborate with photographers in order to spread his work, so most of the time he asked them for raw files that he could work on. Putting them all together and shaping them in an order is just technical know how.

But representing what the scene is about is where imagination really takes place. One thing he always keeps in mind is that he would never want his work to have no story or emotion at all. Technique wise, most of the time he uses tools and styles like painting over the subject to make his work look like a little bit of a traditional painting.

As a digital artist, Muhammad sees the craft as an integral part in his life. It helps him to express a certain feeling or a situation that he would like to tell people about, in an interesting way rather than just using vocabulary. The abundance of software and computer aided tools not just make his works easy but gives him the opportunity to bring out the ideas that seems possible only in the dark depths of a human mind. He started by just simply retouching photos and cleaning unnecessary elements in the image, but couldn’t gain the attention from anyone.

So he decided to learn more techniques and later on based most of his works more on Photo manipulation Artworks.

Muhammad describes his relationship with photographers as a simple give and take relationship. He says that they play a very important role in his work and hoping that photographers see them as equally important as they do.There are just certain images that are nearly impossible to achieve with photography itself and that is why Digital Art Photography became a popular discipline under it. Muhammad had worked with few Dubai based photographers already like Jhoel Valenzona, Myk Reyes, Emil Latumbo, and Aziz Mehmood. He had also constructed logos for some Makeup-Artists like Ivy Kep Peralta and Ferdie Santiago. He said his experience in working with them was a time to remember as most of them are very helpful in in his inquiries and very comfortable to work with. For him, a mutual respect and trust that they both know what they are doing is more important to create a healthy working atmosphere. Their work is photography, his work is digital artistry, so there is no necessary needs to interfere much on each other works.

When asked what normally does his workflow looks like, he says that it always starts with a concept in mind. When everything is visually arranged in his thoughts, he then searches for images of models, objects or whatever needed to create the scene as he perceived it would look like. This is where the first challenge

Muhammad looks up to artists like Ben Heine, Dave Hill, and Michael Oswald and continues to inspire himself from all the emotions, situations, people, expressions, and relationships around him. With an ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS5 EXTENDED v12.03 in his desktop, he feels he can keep on facing his creative challenges ahead. He plans to learn photography as his next step to better himself and equipped him in his work and hopefully know more photographers to work with after. As for his parting words and advise, he relay his message to everyone that no matter what they create, if they work with all of their heart, the result will always be something fabulous.

Muhammad Faizan

www.facebook.com/Mfworks

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THE ARTIST | Muhammad Faizan

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“The abundance of software and computer aided tools not just make works easy but gives us the opportunity to bring out the ideas that seems possible only in the dark depths of a human mind.�

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TiP SHOT

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES | Arian Marcos

Pointers for a perfect outdoor portrait •When taking a photo of a portrait, the most important thing to remember is to keep the eyes sharply in focus. The eyes express the emotions of the subject and it tells the story by itself. Try to let your subject do different poses and experiment on the angle but keep your focus locked on the eyes and recompose your image as you wish to frame it.

•Having a shallow depth of field is ideal in doing portrait shots. This way you can focus the attention of the viewer on to the subject and away from distracting elements in the background. By using a wide aperture such as f2.8 or f5.6 you can achieve a proper shallow depth of field and can highlight your subject properly in the image.

•With regards to composition there is no absolute choice to with through.

There are a lot of arrangements to follow and even experimenting is always welcome in doing so. However, when it comes to shooting a portrait it is worth considering the most commonly used style the rule of thirds. This places the subject at thirds within the image in order the lead the eye of the viewers through the picture and create a pleasing dynamic.

•Choose a location that perfectly suits your subject. Finding a quiet location without extra elements that could be distracting to the subject is ideal to do so. Avoid backgrounds or foregrounds that will take away your viewers’ eye out of the subject. You can scout on this in advance so that you can be well prepared already on the actual shoot.

•If chances will permit you to control the lighting conditions, do make so.

It will be easier to achieve what you have in mind and get the exact image that you desire. Bring flash or reflector along as a backup while doing an outdoor shoot and check the weather forecast for the day so you are prepared for all possibility.

Photographer: Arian Marcos Model: Jade Wentzel Setting:

Nikon D700 85 mm @ F2.8 1/250 ISO 200

Lighting setup: Sun as rim/back light Speedlight on a shoot through umbrella slightly camera left for a subtle fill light.

Depth of Field

Depth of Field refers to the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus. It can be greater in which most of the scene is in focus and sharp or shallow where only a part of the whole image is in focus. Depth of Field is strongly dependent on the aperture. Depth of Field Depth of Field refers to the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus. It can be greater in which most of the scene is in focus and sharp or shallow where only a part of the whole image is in focus. Depth of Field is strongly dependent on the aperture.

Tips for Taking a Great Portrait Lighting

In photography, lighting plays a major role to capture colors as well as texture in an image. The characteristic of light adds meaning and drama as well to the whole composition of a photo. It is once said that photography is all about light, and in fact, it is also one of the hardest things to get right in a photograph. Understanding the light source is critical and it can make or break the whole photo.

Location

Location in photography refers to the added elements to be incorporated in the main subject of the image. This plays a vital role specially when shooting for a portrait on outdoor. Whatever can be directly being seen in your whole composition affects the story or the message of the picture. So scouting for the right location for the shoot is an important matter to dwell upon.

Composition

Composition basically is the way you display your subject in the image. It is where and how you place elements in the frame of the picture. It can also be thought of as the arrangement of the subject, props foreground, background and other parts in the frame according to the principles of art.

Focus

Focus in photography refers to that object in a photo at which we want to draw the most attention to. It refers to the amount of the image that is sharp. The point of focus plays a great role in expressing our thought is the image and most often than not this is where the whole story of the photo is center about.

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HIGHLIGHTS | Hind Mezaina

Lomography:

Expect the Unexpected

Lomography holds a charm all of its own. Somehow, everything is amplified, making ordinary objects stand out. Details are being enhanced and what would normally go unnoticed will just pop out and appeal to your taste. The art of Lomo Photography is strongly characterized by ever-changing variables such as the mysterious vignettes that frame the shot, light leaks, lo-fi grain, beautiful blurs, the magical balance of contrast and saturation. Uncontrollable yet engaging, the combination of these unexpected factors makes Lomography unique and inticing.

Essentially, Lomography embraces the element of surprise that only analogue film photography can bring and wholeheartedly celebrates the outcome.

and capture the subjects and emotions she wants. Hind love experimenting with techniques like multiple-exposure and cross processing because the results are always surprising - the mundane can have a new and fresh look. She had taken part in several group exhibitions in cities including Dubai, Sharjah, London, New York, Berlin and Tokyo.

Hind plauded that besides the focus of Lomography on analogue photography, For her, she sees the craft as something spontaneous, fun, democratic and encourages experimentation.

Lomo cameras has been out of the market fo a long period already. Traces go all She has always been fascinated when she sees old photos the way back in Russia, home to superior optics, and the few remains are still showing a different time and place, seeing what people wore, visible today. It’s unique practice and output has been tested to stand in time, even how they lived – this made her sure that in the future people will be just as fascinated when they see the photos we take today. with the dynamic influence of today’s digital era, a few photographers still comes up for the challenge Lomography has to offer. I guess a big part of its survival If there is any rule to share regarding Lomography, she said can be credited to a group of students from Vienna, Austria as they played one of that just take your camera everywhere you go and photograph the most important part on how the craft continue to exist against the changes whatever you like and what catches your attention. As same as demanded in photography. They passionately established a community that other photography style and genre, there is no rule in practicing shares the same ideology in the art and extravagantly promoting the practice. In Lomography and just define your own. As good as it sounds, Hind 1992 the said group of students officially founded the group called Lomographic admitted that not everything in Lomography is a smooth sailing.

Society International. After they discovered the Lomo LC-A camera created by One of the biggest challenges for her is the discontinuation LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia, the group was hooked with the enigmatic of production of their favourite films. Hind admits that anyone approach of the craft and its simple principle as an argentic film-based camera. practicing the craft could get alamed and will be ultimately be afraid on being attached to the new films they used, fearing that Our interest on the topic didn’t ended in just knowing Lomography’s history. In they will disappear. But for her she knows that she just have to no time our path was lead to a photographer and a blogger, practicing the craft work with what is available. Another challenge is that there aren’t itself. Hind Mezaina has been into Lomography ever since she could remember many photo labs that develop black and white film and cross and she has been actively promoting the art in the region. As the Ambassador process films. But for her true enthusiast can find one way or of Lomography in UAE, she has been promoting the craft through seminars and another because of their love for the craft. workshops over the region. Her photography is a combination of using low-fi analog cameras and a mission to document the world we live in. Included in her tools are cameras like the LC-A, Diana F+ and instant cameras like the Polaroid.

For her, the simplicity of these cameras gives her the freedom to concentrate

Hind would like to acknowledge Gulf Photo Plus for supporting their cause. GPP had supported her in most of her workshops and has started promoting and selling Lomo Cameras by themselves. Although there is just a small community practicing the craft in UAE, she believes that they should just bring each other together and promote Lomography as much as they can. Lastly, Hind would like to send her message to everyone as a parting way - Start with one camera; photograph as much a possible till you develop your style. After that learn how to edit your work – always aim to show your best work, whether it’s for your portfolio or photos you share online via social networks.

“Uncontrollable yet engaging, the combination of these unexpected factors makes Lomography unique and enticing.” www.hindmezaina.com www.theculturist.com

TIPS | FullFrame

How Aperture Works

Aperture is like the pupil in the eye. Like the black part in the center of the iris, it contracts or expands depending on how much light is needed. Aperture refers to the size of the hole of the lens that delivers images to the body of the camera. Mainly, it is positioned between at the rear of the lens right before the image sensor or film. A series of blades in a circular array called the diaphragm creates the opening which is the aperture itself and controlled by a command dial in the camera body or automatic in programmed modes. Some aperture can be controlled on lenses as well. Like the older ones, aperture rings can be seen on the barrel of the lens with engravings showing the aperture value called as f-stops.

There are two modes where you actually can have a complete control on your aperture settings. First is the Manual Mode which allows you to adjust every setting in your camera such as the shutter speed, the ISO and the aperture openings. You can also use the Aperture Priority Mode to maneuver by yourself the aperture opening in your camera. Your aperture setting usually shows on the LCD of the camera. From here you could see at what f-stop value you are shooting with.

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Manual Mode This mode allows you to have a full control of your camera by adjusting all settings like the shutter speed, ISO and aperture.

Aperture Mode This mode allows you to control the aperture settings and the camera then automatically sets the shutter speed and ISO accordingly.

Aperture Read Out This displays the aperture selected. It can also be seen in the camera’s viewfinder.

Also there are some few things we should be clear while working on aperture settings. First we must understand the function of an aperture and its difference to shutter speed. Most people mistakenly identify its function with the role of the shutter. Shutter speed controls the duration of how long you will let the light pass through your camera, while aperture allows you to adjust the volume of light it allows it to pass through. Meaning to say if you have a larger opening of aperture then more lights are coming in and the brighter your image goes. Next is which is which when it comes to dealing with aperture settings. It gets confusing on labeling your aperture. Probably you have noticed symbols like f/1.4, f/5.6 and f/22. Each of these numbers correlates to a specific lens aperture size. And one thing to remember on how this thing works is that smaller numbers indicate a larger aperture opening and larger numbers correspond to smaller openings. Meaning to say, if you set your f-stop at f/1.4 then more light will pass through your camera than if the setting is at f/5.6.

Here is how your aperture looks like on different f-stops: Now aside from the ability to filter the light going through the camera and exposure, aperture also plays an important role in controlling the amount of depth of field of the camera. Since aperture refers to the opening of the lenses, adjusting your aperture settings will allow you to set the amount of focusing on the subject. A bigger aperture opening can be utilized to achieve a narrower depth of field while having a smaller opening gives a wider depth of field. If you are taking an image on a bigger aperture opening, the part of the subject you are pointing at with your focal point gives a sharper result among the other part of the image. And as you narrow your opening the wider your depth of focus comes. Many photographers use this technique to great artistic effect so go out here now and try it for yourself.

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HIGHLIGHTS |

Things to Know When Your Client are Professional Models

Working with Models as your client needs a little more attention than what is expected to.

They are well familiar with the work and needed less guidance than a normal client does. While photographing models may not be as lucrative as shooting a wedding, they certainly are the most easy and beautiful clients to shoot and will be a repeat customer year after year when they need to build up their portfolio. They do need headshots updated regularly, almost on a yearly basis as they mature and their hair style changes. So here are some things that a photographer should know regarding models that would make the job easier to do:

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Models Knows Their Good Side

Models Know Each Other

Models are photographed more than a usual person does so they have really had great experience on this already. They know their better angle more than anyone else and with several photo shoots already that they have been with, definitely they can tell which look suits them better. By asking them which angle is their good side prior to the shoot it will help you to plan ahead on your lighting and composition. No model will ever select an image showing their least favorite side, so you’d be wasting your time photographing it.

The modeling world is a small community. There is a great chance that one model knows the other. So expect words to spread through them very easily. When a model is photographed and the images came out better as expected, these great works will definitely be the news in their circle. Knowing this, make sure to always be positive, polite, upbeat, and professional, the way you worked with them will always be the basis on how you are going to work with the others as well.

Models Need to Look Better Even how beautiful models are, they know how important it is to work with great talents such as stylists and makeup artists. Most models will want the hair and makeup service be done by someone they already know and have seen works before. Of course, models don’t like just working with just anybody because their reputation also depends on this. So don’t just pick just any makeup artist. Make sure you have seen their work and you like the way their models have looked before hiring them. Also try to find someone who could have personality that could match well with the model since they will be working closely with them, and most likely they will stick around for the entire shoot and making necessary adjustments all the time.

Models Want to Be Involved and at the Same Time Be Directed Models are creative artists too, so they may come to the table with a vision, so be open to that. They have great experience on what they do so most of them do not need constant directions. However, models like anyone else would also wanted to be guided. They listen to what the photographers might have to say because they trust that the photographer sees things better behind the camera. From time to time it is good to direct poses that will flatter, slim, and get the mood you want from your model. Engage them throughout the shoot and encourage them to move as much as possible.

Models Trust Photographers One thing about models is that they have complete trust on the photographers. They know that photographers aim is to take the best possible shot out of them so they know that they don’t have to look at the camera on every picture they take. Models are aware also that they aren’t going to look pretty in every shot and understand the editing process of photography. That is why, as a photographer you should take care of that trust as well that you will do your best to make them look better. By simply watching over for flyaway hairs, makeup flaws, and knowing when they need to refresh their smile, models will feel better that they are properly taken care of too.

Models Aren’t Rich Like What You Think They Are Models aren’t rich and don’t get paid as much you may think, so charging them an extra than usual is kind of a rip off for them. Photographers must be considerate that they will not be doing this kind of job as well if they do not need the extra money it gives them. Most of them have a regular job just like us. So it will help them a lot if we treat them better and charge them better. Models aren’t big spenders, understand that your sessions with them might be cheaper than other sessions you offer, but the rewards are truly stunning and artistic images. You can also have a better arrangement with them by using their photos for your own portfolio.

Chances are working well with them can help you as well on building the images that you needed for your own sake.

Models Need Advice with Wardrobe Models invest on dresses. Most of the time when they come for a shoot and asked to bring their own dress, they bring more than what is needed.

As a photographer, you are entitled to suggest what clothes to wear for the session. If you are working with a stylist, the job will be easier because they understand what fits properly. If you have extra outfits or jewelry, feel free to put them on the rack for your sessions as well. Models love wearing something fresh and this also gives you more control over how your final product will look.

Models Need Specific Shots According to Their Needs Like any other client, models take photos for themselves for special purposes and needs. Ask your model what shots they need. By knowing this, you can determine your locations and your lighting setup and even the wardrobe needed for the shot. Discuss the entire requirement your model needed. Keep in mind they are your client at the specific time so be professional as you can be. Pat attention to what purpose the pictures will be and do not hesitate to give them your ideas on how you are going to approach the matter so that both of you can achieve the desired images.

Models Need to Look Like Themselves The reason models are being hired by companies is because of their unique looks. As photographer being hired to take these images it is your job to make sure that your model can emphasize their unique characteristics.

Avoid making your client and model look someone who she is not. These pictures will represent her on her job hunts and client as well and it would be best for them to show their real look.

Models Have Their Own Comfort Zone Like anybody else, models have their own comfort zone even they are very used to being photographed all the time. As the photographer it is your main responsibility as well to make the model feel comfortable. The result of the shoot depends on this highly as well. So make sure that everything is set to their accordance as well as they are your client to please.

Photo Credit: Photographer: Suzette Peachie Bayonito Make Up Artist/Hairstylist: Ronald Allan Santos Model: Sabah Zaman

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DEPTH OF FOCUS | Adrian Sommeling

A Story Teller Reflected in One Image

Adrian Sommeling

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Try to be unique. This saying has always been a motto to live in for Adrian Sommeling. He let the style that he uses define himself and as a positive person that he sees himself, he makes positive arts that would reflect of how he deals with the daily circumstances in life.

Adrian had a first taste at photography during his secondary years. He had a very interesting and blissful experience with the practice of the craft although he seems to be bounded by not having enough control over the images as he processed the frames in the darkroom. By those times he couldn’t bring out the motivation he needed to be really hooked with the craft. Developing the frames in the liquid solutions seems to lack the excitement he was looking for and lead him into a halt with the practice. After two and a half year of not having a camera at hand, Adrian saw some friends on Facebook posting beautiful photos. This ignited his passion back and made him think to give photography a second a chance. He started shooting again, and sooner experimented to do something better with it. He wanted to tell stories and from then on, he became the artist that he is now; A Story Teller Reflected in One Image.

Since Adrian was a child, he could remember sitting down next to his mother, watching her paint on canvas with oil. While she was painting, Adrian was in one corner with his pen and paper drawing whatever comes in mind. Sooner than later he found himself painting as well and did fine with doing photorealistic arts. For Adrian, this could be his biggest influence in his photography style today. Knowing the in and out of handling airbrush and brushes, he can combine this knowledge from before to the craft he is masterly perfecting.

The likes of Dave Hill greatly influences him in photography. Adrian remembers his first photocomposition like it was only yesterday. He recall that it was really hard to get it a bit realistic at the first time and when he finished the artwork, it didn’t look the way he was hoping for. The perspective wasn’t correct and also the sizes of the models compared to each other weren’t correct. He knew what he did wrong and eagerly dwell to correct it afterwards.

Adrian as artist found his rightful place in the industry. As a Graphic Designer he was fortunate to do photography as a part of his job.

Without a doubt in his mind, he knows he is trudging the right career path for him. Having his passion as a profession is more than enough for him and considers it as a great blessing.

When it comes to his style, Adrian believes that what separates his work from others is the story that gives its audience a smile. Often than not people connects with his work and let them remember their own childhood. His inspiration is his son and his own life. By seeing his son doing things, he couldn’t stop remembering his own childhood.

As always, his workflow starts with shooting a background photo.

After that he looks for the models needed for the photo and shoot them separately from the background with two or three speed lights.

From there, he will pick it up by combining all the different photos in Photoshop. Adrian added that for him the most challenging part on doing his works is combining all of the photos to bring out the artwork he had envisioned to be. Shooting 8 or more separate photos and combining them in one whole composition is not as easy as it seem.

Adrian hopes to be remembered as a man that inspired other people to be creative. He plans to travel around the world and conduct workshops. Last August 13, Adrian had his first ever international workshop in Indonesia, and enjoyed every minute of inspiring artists with his work.

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DEPTH OF FOCUS | Adrian Sommeling

DEPTH OF FOCUS | Adrian Sommeling

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES |

Donell Gumiran

Donell Gumiran A visionary, an artist, a name that brings pride not only to the Filipino Photographers in UAE but the whole community of Filipino Expats in the country; Donell Gumiran, the man behind the many masterpieces, acknowledged and awarded by many institutions on the Middle East, is undeniably one of best photographer in the region who made a name for himself.

For this issue, we bring back the Artist who worked with us for the very first issue of FullFrame Magazine. Donell, the perfectionist which conveniently take time on capturing the precise moment in every photo and sensibly process every pixel of an image to bring about the proper details needed, share with us one of his many techniques on post processing an image. We are humbled that behind his glory and very tight schedule on photography workshops he organizes, he finds time to look back at us and share his winning style in photography.

“the DG effect”

Before

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES |

Donell Gumiran

(Optional) Check

STEP 1

Duplicate Layer

STEP 2

STEP 3

Use blending mode (multiply 50% opacity) for dramatic lighting a. Use masking tool (Reveal the light portion of the skin) b. Set the brush (25%) c. Flattened

STEP 4

Add Vignette effect (Dramatic lighting) a. Lens correction - Vignette (Amount -50% Midpoint %)

STEP 5

Toning: Go to layer menu a. new fill layer select solid color b. Color: None, Mode: Hue (694b02), Opacity: 30%

STEP 6

Create new adjusment layer (Gradient Map) see details on screen then flattened

a. Auto Level b. Auto Contrast c. Auto Color

STEP 7

Use blending mode (Multiply 50% opacity) for dramatic lighting a. Use masking tool (Reveal the light portion of the skin) b. Set the brush (25%) c. Flattened

STEP 9

Add Shapening using high pass a. duplicate layer b. covert overlay c. Filter - other - high pass (not more than 3.0)

STEP 10

Finishing Touch “Your Creativity” Good Luck!

STEP 12

STEP 11

STEP 8

Optional Add Vignette effect (Dramatic lighting) a. Lens correction - Vignette (Amount -50% Midpoint %) b. Flattened

Hue and Saturation - 15

YOUR DONE!

BEHIND THE LENS |

Rachel Lobangco

Rachel Lobangco Photographer

The highest art is always the most religious, and the greatest artist is always a devout person - a statement that for me could perfectly define our featured photographer, Ms. Rachel Lobangco; bold and unafraid to express her creative thoughts. For few weeks of stalking her social networking accounts, I became a fan (I know it sounds creepy, but believe me it is just for the sake of the job).

And for me, her art can be characterized by her irresistible urge as a creative artist. Nobody exemplified better dedication for her craft than she does. Her devotion to the chosen art was beyond comparison and the passion within her overflows with every photograph that she presents.

Rachel will always be remembered as an actress and model. In fact by the time our Editor-in-chief had written her name on the draw board, the first thing that came into my mind is her movie “Kokak”.

Little did I know that she is a photographer and a great one indeed. As one by one her works flashed in front of me, I couldn’t help myself mesmerize and my jaw drops in awe for the artistic presentation in the images she had done.

I couldn’t help also to remember Minerva as I go through Rachel’s work. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and sponsor of arts. She was considered by the early Romans as the goddess of music, poetry, and crafts. She is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl which symbolizes that she is connected to wisdom. She was illustrated as a woman of knowledge and highly creative. Minerva was the ultimate symbol of art. And as far as I can see through it, Rachel Lobangco is one of those who inherited her spirit.

I am glad that this piece landed at my desk. I get to know Rachel as artist on her own way. I found out that she took her Fine Arts course in the University of Sto. Tomas, Philippines and during those times did she had her first taste of the immaculate sensation of photography. She has always been interested to the craft. Her

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The Rebirth of Minerva undeniable talent led her to be part of the photography industry. And though she had always spent most of the time in front of the lenses in the beginning, she found herself as the one who presses the shutter in no time.

Rachel has always been fascinated with photography. During her collage years, she had a subject in photography and was hooked by the process of developing films in the darkroom. Her first introduction to digital photography came when a good friend of her lend a DSLR camera to her and try for few shots. Her daughter Leona was the willing victim of her first few trials and urges her to learn the craft. Without reading the manual, she took a couple of shots and for her it just went fine and seems to be natural within her. During her visit in Dubai for a show, she bought her first ever DSLR camera. Half of her earnings from the show were invested for Nikon D60, and she felt good for investing on something she really likes to do. With the D60, she continued to be a hobbyist and ended up having her own “One Woman” photo exhibit at one of Ross Capili’s workshop. They printed out about 100 beautiful photos of her “Women of Leq” concept in 20x30 to 80x80 canvases which ignited her passion to do better. It was inspiring and yet a new challenge for her in the craft and for her there is nothing to do else but to take the hobby as a serious craft.

From then on Rachel forged her own style and techniques. With the support of her mom, she established her own studio on a penthouse in the heart of the Philippines.

“The sleepless nights just thinking on how to prepare a concept and where to get the look is the biggest challenges I love to overcome every time. Remembering photographs for me will always boil down to the unique concept behind the shoot”

She started producing open shoots and workshops. Among the gurus she had collaborated with were prominent photographers like Jake Radaza, Leo Castillo, Black Ice, Maricris Fabi Carlos and even the Master of all Manny Librodo. Eventually, she learned a lot while working with these amazing photographers.

For Rachel her photography serves her artistic purposes and not for commercial. She wants to be able to work freely on it as she can express her inner sympathies without boundaries. She loves working with lots of colors and textures, and more of a studio photographer rather than an outdoor type. Regarding the post processing in her works, she treated her arts divine. She said she feels more comfortable on editing it herself as much as possible rather someone else do the work for her. Rachel does everything, from concept, styling to lighting set up, she wants everything hands on. She claimed that she wants to be in control of the whole situation and hoping to lessen doing trial and error shoots. She is very particular on everything and wants everything perfect.

Photography for her is more about preparing for the shoot.

80 percent of her art comes from homework on styling and just 20 percent is taking photos. The sleepless nights just thinking on how to prepare a concept and where to get the look for her is the challenges she loves overcoming everytime. For Rachel remembering photographs will all boils down to the unique concept at the end and hopefully at the end of her photographic career she will be remembered in this slogan ....’’I AM RACHEL LOBANGCO! I AM MY ART!”

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| NEWS

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) is proud to announce the launch of the FUJIFILM X-M1, the third premium interchangeable-lens camera from the company. Compact and lightweight, the X-M1 offers enhanced operability whilst bringing the outstanding design, picture quality and performance of the multi-award-winning FUJIFILM X-Pro1 and X-E1 cameras not only to photo enthusiasts but also to a broader scope of users.

On August 18 and 19, 2013 Fujifilm Middle East headed by Mr. Keitaro So and his team launched X-M1 to the retailers across the Region. Major retailers such as Grandstores, Sharaf DG, Carrefour, Jumbo Electronics and a lot more were all present to experience first hand the new X-M1.

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES |

Laya Gerlock

Laya Gerlock believes that PEOPLE LEARN BY DOING. It has been his motto in his life, extended to his photographic career and hoping that he could pass to his students.

Laya understands the importance of having things experienced first-hand. He knows that the easiest way to incorporate something into his system is by being familiar into it. This is evident in most of his photography workshops organized as about 80% of the tutorials are mostly hands on. Probably, for this same value he inculcated in his workshop, he had successfully taught more than 600 students already and now on his 72nd Batch on teaching his 1 Day Advanced Photography Workshop.

Laya is a professional photographer based in the Philippines. He graduated from the New York Institute of Photography and garnered an Award of Merit while doing so, Laya later on practices his learning on different genre and disciplines in photography and gained prominence in the industry. Through sheer hard work and experimenting on different lighting techniques, he eventually formulated a distinct characteristic in his works that had garnered a lot of attention and acknowledgements. After a while, Laya had came into thinking that is about time to share his knowledge and give back to the community, so in 2010 he conducted his first ever workshop in the Philippines.

Laya Gerlock

For him, we are all different people and we are also different photographers. People interpret what they see in different ways. His job is just to teach his students the tricks that they can use in their own photography but still it’s up to them to find their own direction and focus. As Laya learns new techniques, he knows he has improved himself thus allowing him to teach more to his students. He does not hesitate on admitting that he is further cementing his skills and without a doubt he is willing to share these accumulated knowledge to his peers. This is the same reason why his workshop’s outline usually changes and gets even better every month.

He would like to be remembered as someone who is not just a good photographer, but a teacher who is passionate about sharing his knowledge to others. He hopes that when people talks about Laya Gerlock, they would think of him as a dynamic, out of the box thinker, and someone who always seeks a new perspective in photography.

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Shot 1

Shot 2 (Optional)

Shot 3

Shot 4

Normally in shoots, I start with my Main light, but with this shoot I started with my background light because I wanted to get the gradient feel and highlight perfect. I used a black granite tile for the base of my subject to get a nice reflection. I used an sb-600 for the background(White seamless paper) with Color Effect gels and stofen omnibounce(to get a circular and gradient feel in the BG.

I didn’t have enough highlights in the middle of the colored background so I used a separate flash with snoot to put highlights in the middle of the gel. I used a studio strobe with snoot to get the highlight.

After getting the background I wanted, I placed an sb-600 with a shoot thru umbrella(Bounced), 45 degrees above my subject to get my mainlight.

I placed 2 studio strobes thru a softbox a little bit back of my subject from the left and right side to get the rimlighting in my main subject.

uipment I used Materials and Eq e: for this shot ar

) e (Still life shot Black Granite til and (3) 160w ’s 00 -6 Nikon Sb 5 flashes - (2) Studiostrobes 1 umbrella 2 softboxes 1 snoot ce for sb-600 Stofen omniboun 24-70 2.8) ith w DSLR(Nikon D3 ) Poverty Wizards s( er gg tri Wireless nd) ou gr ck ba r( pe Pa White Seamless

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This is my final setup shot for this shoot.

I changed different colored gels from cyan to pink to get the colored background I wanted.

ounced) with umbrella(b (1) - Mainlight g for rim lightin d colored gels (2&3)- softbox omnibounce an en of st in the ith w (4) - flash light or hotspot snoot to get high ith w sh fla ) (5 background robist info: r of my flash/ St ** For the powe r was at 1/4 powe r (1) My Main light was at 1/16 powe g in ht lig es for rim (2 & 3) Softbox gel @ 1/2 (4) Flash with snoot @ 1/16 (5) Flash with

2

4

5

3

1 My Final output after stitching 3 shots in photoshop and cleaning my dust in the granite tile and BG. Final shots using different subjects and different gels for the subjects

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Th e Se t up

I also use this same lighting setup for some of my Portrait shot, I just use a reflector or another lightsource below the subject.

Model: Yhang Isla

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TIPS |

CAMERA TOOL KIT FOR MOBILES Photoshop Express (Free) FullFrame Rating 3.0 OS: IOS, Android

I believe Photoshop Express is just another introductory product of Adobe. Knowing much that this company has always been giving out new add-on in its products every time, this app might store a lot more than what it can offer now. As basic as it can be, you can adjust exposure, saturation, tint and contrast, and there are a number of preset effects. You can crop, rotate, straighten and flip, too. One thing I like from the app is the way the adjustments are controlled by dragging the finger across the image. It doesn’t have much sharing options, but good thing posting edited pics to Facebook is there directly. Purchasing the extra pack will give you access to extra features such as Noise Reduction, Self Timer for taking pictures and Auto Review. But definitely I will be looking forward to more presets on this.

Filterstorm (US$ 3.60) FullFrame Rating 4.5 OS: IOS

Probably the best photo editing app there is, Filterstorm has nearest interface and functions to those photo editing softwares in Mac OS X or Windows application. It can import and edit images in raw format and has a lot of useful adjustment functions such as curve manipulation and color correction. Tools like noise reduction, sharpening and vignetting is a real joy for users and the commands and options are clearly laid out. You can also save the action you just have done in one session and apply it to the other images very similar to Photoshop’s Action function. It has several ready made presets already for adding effects on the image plus a separate tab allows you to crop, straighten, flip, scale or add a border and title to your images. There’s even a Clone tool available in Filterstorm that can be used to remove unwanted parts of the image.

Camera 360 Ultimate (Free) FullFrame Rating 4.0 OS: IOS, Android

Camera 360 Ultimate is basically a series of photo effect one after the other. Like most of the camera apps available now, it has good functionality on enhancing the photo experience through your mobile phones but I would likely dwell more on the editing ability of this app. There is a lot of available ready made preset already to choose from but what made its more interesting is its ability to allow users to tweak an edited image already with a variety of additional effects. Some awesome effects like Colorful, B&W, Retro, Funny, 1839, Tilt-shift, Magic are fun to play with and as you select any of the effects, a row of additional effects shows up to complement it further. There are some fun-filled effects like Ghost and Huge-head, and the HDR effect is something to watch out for.

Snapseed (Free) FullFrame Rating 3.0 OS: IOS, Android

Though Snapseed lacks a little bit in the ability to do photo correction and pretty limited to contrast and color correction, it really makes up with its effects. Preset actions and photo effects that include drama, grunge, vintage, center focus, frames, and tilt shift can turn photos into spectacular images. Tilt shift is one of its most popular effects and only possible with expensive lenses. Snapseed also lets you choose an elliptical or linear focus area for the effect, and the results can be impressive.

BeFunky Photo Editor (Free) FullFrame Rating 3.5 OS: IOS, Android

From its name itself, BeFunky is one of the coolest photo editor apps in the market today. It is very easy to use and leaves most of the controls to the users. IT has extended range of photo effects with it and allows you to add amazing frames and text to your images. Choose from Vintage, Pop Art, Grunge, Viewfinder, Duo Tone, Toy Camera, Sketch, Tilt Shift, Instant, Old Photo, Cross Process, Cyanotype, Gritty HDR, Pinhole, Orton, and many more effects and share it through social networking site like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Tumblr. Photo correction tools are available as well such as adjusting the exposure, hue and saturation. You can also crop pictures instantly and rotate them as you want.

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| SHUTTERS

Free to be Radical Free to be WARP

Web Alliance of Radical Photographers or better known as WARP is a Qatar based photography group which aims to unite photography enthusiasts of any nationality into one community that will help each members to hone mastery of individual craft through continuous share and learn cycle. Actually at first, the group has no formal objective.

They formed the group just to ease boredom as an OFW. Established camaraderie and sharing different knowledge in photography into one. But as the group grow bigger and bigger, the founding members decided to move on and become better.

The group started way back July 2009. The original name is GPNQ or Gulf Photographers Network Qatar, which was managed and handled

by Carlo Ramos and his friends called Wildboyz. Originating from Bahrain, the group later on extended to other parts of Qatar. December of the same year, the group came out with a decision to change its name to WARP, which simplifies their belief of WARPing out of the normals, WARPing out of the rules, and they define their own virtue of artistry. The group started with 20 charter members only under its belt.

But now its total number of members is reaching up to 335 already.

WARP unlike any normal organization, the group does not have a set of officers as they believe in equality of rank for all its members. Instead, WARP has sets of officers equally in rank, which called as Management Committee or MC. Probably the biggest break for WARP would be their participation in DIYAFA 2012. The group became the official photographers of the event and the members was able to exhibit and showcase their works in a big venue, the Doha Exhibition Center, which run for 3 days. The royalties from GCC countries attended the exhibition and no other Filipino Photography Group was given a chance to exhibit their works to a big venue like this. It’s a milestone for the group.

Another worth mentioning activity organized by WARP is the photowalk with Scott Kelby as a part of his Worldwide Photowalk. WARP again was the only photography group in Qatar that has the large numbers of participants every year that comes along the event. Most of the time, the Photowalk is being conducted every October of the year and over 100 of WARP members partipate in this prestigious event.

WARP also conducts several workshops and other exclusive events in Qatar that includes their annual activity such as “Shoot to Death”. The idea of the event is to wake up in the morning… gear up… pack your snacks and lunch… proceed to the meeting place… drive up via convoy and stop by various locations in the country.

An adventure and exploring Qatar prime spots… from morning until early evening…. from breakfast to dinner. Shoot until your batteries dies. Shoot until you feel you don’t want to shoot anymore in the next following weeks. Shoot and socialize to the max. Shoot till your own physical and mental energy could. Shoot until you drop. That’s Shoot to Death.

Their involvement to the Filipino Community in general also is something the group is really proud of. WARP participates mostly to all Filipino events here in Qatar. They conducted several Shoot for a Cause for the cancer victims, flood victims and Clean Drive Campaigns. To the community, WARP hopes that they can share their skills and knowledge in photography and inspire people to be part in the beginning of their photography journey.

Though its very hard to do photography in know Qatar as most GCC do, WARP practices their craft passionately and follow all rules. With so many restrictions and since we are in other country, the members do not crossover the rules to avoid any conflicts. For them, photography is an art and although there is freedom with it, respecting the art will let you respect other circumstances as well.

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HOW HE DID THIS |

Will Dy

Setting / Setup: Nikon D700 F-11.0 ISO 200 1/150 FOCAL L 85.0mm LENS 85.0mm F 1.4 LIGHT SOURCE: Strobe Light Interfit 150 softbox

Glass Frame

1 2 3

Build a concrete concept For this shoot I would like to achieve an image of a prince trapped in the black hole for eternity for his bad deeds.

Soft Box Model

Prepare what is needed for the shoot For the shoot all that I needed was a soiled empty picture frame and a black crown provided for me by Mel Maria (ADFDG). This will be sufficient to address the necessary components of my subject.

Facing the challenges in the shoot The model needs to be very close to the glass frame so I can still see his face. The limited space of the frame makes it difficult to put him in a perfect spot that is close enough for the strobe light to give him sufficient lighting.

4

Preparing for Editing It took some time for me to look for the right textures that I needed for my artwork.

Choosing the right images with that awesome grudge and dark feel is not easy as one thinks. It has to match the subject you are going to work with.

5

Brief description of your workflow After opening the Raw file I adjusted the color of the image in lightroom. After that I started to work on Photoshop CS5 and do the major alteration .First adjusting the hue saturation then the levels and after I used dodge and burn to achieve the darkness and the shadow. I started adding different layers of textures to achieve the gritty look and then sharpen the whole image.

Photo Editing Software Used:Lightroom /Colorefex/ Photoshop CS5 Number of Hours Spent Working: 1 hour

Make Up Artist: Will Dy Fashion Stylist: Mel Maria Crown made by Mel Maria Location: Home Studio

Will Dy Is a professional photographer and fashion designer based in the Middle East. His creations are based on his great deal of experiences in life with a twist of uncanny imagination and unique perspective on subject matters. As a fashion designer in his earlier years, Will’s designs has reach its peak as master photographers like Wig Tysman has covered his designs for their works. Exposed to the photography industry, his artisitic instinct led him to indulge to test the new craft as well. Soon, he had formulated a distinct style of his own and from then on, his name became the talk in his field.

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Ramadan Photography Competition & Exhibition

Venue: “The Fridge”Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse #5 - Street 8 / Street 17Al Quoz 1, Dubai UAE

In Collaboration with

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Photo by: Leon Pangilinan

Photo by: Leon Pangilinan

Photo by: Meiji Sangalang

Photo by: Angielo Cruz

Photo by: Ryan Santor

Photo by: Roselle Reyes

Photo by: Belle Foronda

Photo by: Ryan Santor

Photo by: Shad Abdul Shukoor

Photo by: Dino Aquino

Grand Prize Winner Dusk till Dawn Roger Alfonso

People’s Choice Award Dusk till Dawn Sherwin Flores

Special Thanks to: Sponsors: Fujifilm Middle East | Eizo | Sandisk | Al Boom Diving Judges: Mrs. Moza Alfalasi, Mr. Nasser Haji Host: Zafar Ahmad Models: Katrin Osipova, Crystal Van Lloy Make-up Artists: Ivy Kep Peralta, Jhajha Rivera, Jackie Rigor Santor Fashion Designers: Davey Gurlee Aguirre Reyes Light Bender Project: Leon Pangilinan, Belle Foronda, Joel Foronda, Frai “Papu” Camero, Teddy Arago, Mark Arvin Peregrina Bike Owners: Jeff Inocencio, Noel Alcantara

Photo Conributors: Meiji Sangalang | Roselle Reyes | Belle Foronda | Ernesto Serrano (PAME) | Dino Aquino Ryan Santor | Angielo Cruz | Shad Abdul Shukoor

RANDOM CLICKS |

Photo by: Fadhel Hasan

Photo by: OJ Abagat

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Photo by:Ron Margallo

Photo by: Romy Israel

India Tourism Dubai Tel: +971-4-2274848 Fax: +971-4-2274013 E-mail: goirto@emirates.net.ae