FullFrame Photography Magazine Issue 15 by FullFrame Photography Magazine

Volume 2 | Issue 15 | May-June 2014 | Middle East

Captured

Yousef Al Habshi

Feeding The Film Amelia Johnson

Addyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advancing Addiction Addy Adnan

Aerial Voyager Beno Saradzic

Tips

How To Read Your Light Meter Color Spaces and File Formats

FREE COPY

NIKON D4s

By: Subodh Shetty

B1 Profoto

By: Celeste Van Rooyen

For more information: www.lexar.com

A standard superzoom that offers outstanding optical performance throughout the zoom range. The definitive ultra-compact all-in-one lens for the high-megapixel era.

Contemporary

18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM Micron - Officialsigma-global.com Supplier of the FIA World Rally Championship

Transform any occasion into a priceless moment. Through our creative edge and imaginative approach to photography, we bring each picture to life. Express yourself at Image Arts.

Photography Magazine

Issue 1 | November 2011 | Middle East

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

A Desert Surprise

Osama Al Zubaidi

Jay Calaguian / Noel Garcia

Toy Photography

Behind The Lens

Discover Obscura

The Challenge Engr. Milo Torres

15 Quick Tips To Better Photos After Dark

Work Flow Exposed

The Challenge

Find out how

Off Camera Lighting

Depth Of Focus

Jophel Botero Ybiosa

Beyond Passion Chris Calumberan

What’s Inside

Post Processing Tutorials

Gadget Review

Do It Yourself

Workshop Schedules

Group Profile

Issue 1 “Pilot”

Mike Malate

9 Ways To Beat The High Cost Of Photography

Depth Of Focus

A Manny Librodo Exclusive

Edwin Loyola

Small Things Big Result What’s Inside

Camera Guide

Extreme Post Processing Tutorials

Issue 2 “Point & Shoot”

Photography Magazine

What’s Inside

Get the Most Out of your Point and Shoot Camera

Tips & Tricks

Richard Schneider

Edwin Allan Riguer

Eugene Santos / Michael Cruz

Man with Simple Dreams

Jay Morales

Donnell Gumiran

Portrait Photography Tips And Methods

Yuri Arcurs

of Photography in UAE

Do’s & Don’ts

Jhoel Valenzo

World’s Top Selling Stock Photographer

Gadgets Review

Basic Tutorials

Photo Gallery

Workshops

Issue 3 “Outdoor” issue 3 final cover.indd 1

Group Profile 1/23/12 6:04 PM

“Role Reversal” Rocky Gathercole

Questions From The Readers

Depth of Focus

Jay Alonzo What’s Inside

Camera Review

Basic Tutorials

Photo Gallery

Workshops

Issue 4 “Fashion”

Photography Magazine

Volume 1 | Issue 7 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 5 | Middle East

AED 15

Group Profile

Volume 1 | Issue 6 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 8 | Middle East

NEW LOO

NEW LOOK! more

! more articKles, more tips, more inspirations

articles, more tips, more inspirations

Depth Of Focus

Celia Peterson

Guidelines for Travel Photography

Black and White Photography; The World Without Color

10 Travel Photography Tips

Camera Review

Photo Gallery

Workshops

Group Profile

issue 5 cover.indd 1

5/22/12 12:19 AM

Issue 5 “Travel”

What’s Inside

Camera Review

Tips Tutorials

Photo Gallery

Workshops

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Group Profile 9/3/12 11:42 AM

Issue 6 “Black & White”

Volume 1 | Issue 9 | Middle East

Jay Alonzo

Capturing Emotions as a Way of Life

Paul Aiken

Alex Jeffries

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

NIKON D600 Exclusive launch event held at The Armani Hotel

issue 7 cover.indd 1

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

GODOX QT 600 A View from a Professional Photographer

11/25/12 12:54 PM

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Issue 7 “Wedding”

Volume 1 | Issue 10 | Middle East

SPO RTS ISSU E

Lifestyle Photography: The Story of Existence

Post Production Essential Skills

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Progressive Tips on Black & White Imagery

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

Tutorials

Jay Alonzo

Ethics of a Photographer

AED15

Mosh Lafuente What’s Inside

Mario Cardenas

Emirates Photography

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

fullframe

Depth of Focus

o Fo F

Focal Points

Sean Armenta

Seeing Culture through Today’s Lifestyle

The Changing Picture of Photography

The Art of Black and White Photography

photography magazine

Tips on How to Shoot on Low Light

Standing Witness to the Frame of Time

Gear Up

Janine Khouri Elias

2/12/13 12:35 PM

Issue 8 “Lifestyle”

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

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

Architectural Landscape Photography Issue

Digital Art Photograp hy Issue

Culture and Travel Issue

A Thousand Words of an Image Barry Morgan

A Testament for the Passion

Thamer Al-Hassan

David Thiesset

Depth Of Focus

Richard Schoettger

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory Paul John Tavera

4/16/13 6:25 PM

Portraiture: A Genre of Facial Distinction

Adrian Sommeling

Mohamed Aljaberi

Omar Alzaabi

FujiFilm X-Series Workshop EGPC sweeps ASCA

Defining Digital Art Photography FREE COPY

Carl Zeiss Touit Lenses Fujifilm X-Mount Cameras

Fujifilm X 100s Finding the Soul Mate within a Classic

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

6/16/13 11:10 AM

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

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

8/20/13 1:19 PM

Issue 11 “Digital Art Photography”

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

11/9/13 2:09 AM

Issue 12 “Architectural & Landscape”

Volume 2 | Issue 14 | March-April 2014 | Middle East

Volume 2 | Issue 13 | January-February 2014 | Middle East

Portrait Photography Issue

Karim Jabbari

FREE COPY

Nikon D7100 Setting New Standards for Digital Photography

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Painting Light in the Wind

Depth Of Focus

An Emirati Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photographer

Depth Of Focus

Alexia Sinclair

CANON EF 400mm Big Things Matter in Sports Photography

Issue 9 “Sports”

Jake Radaza

Jacob Maentz

Depth Of Focus FREE COPY

PocketWizard Perfect Combination for Lighting Needs

Balancing Photography and Digital Artistry

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture

Charles Verghese

Jorge Ferrari

FullFrame Ramadan Photography Competition and Exhibition

The Resolve of an Artist

A Scribe in Time

Pointers on How to Shoot Creative Architectural Photography

“From Dusk Till Dawn, Celebrating Ramadan”

Life in the UAE

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

Raul Gabat

Underwater Photography: Prints of a World Unknown

Street Photography Issue

10 Don’ts Of Street Photography

The Rare Look to Film Photography

Clockwork

Saeed Nassouri

Anjum Vahanvati

A Picture That Defines A Life

Painting Colors Through A Camera Eros Goze

Shirley Lawson

Preserving Moments in Life

Cover: Photography at It’s Purist Form

Joseph Alexander

Chris Calumberan

FREE COPY

SONY A7R

Compact SLR with Fullframe Sensor

Passions Anew Street Session

Cover: Sketching Out The Frame

Franco Naron

Andy Ramos

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FUJIFILM X-T1

Backpacker Tripod Review

Issue 13 “Portrait Photography”

Subodh Shetty

Shinihas Aboo

MeFOTO

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A Portrait Of A Portrayer

GPP Photo Friday

By: Michael Cruz

1/16/14 12:05 PM

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NIKON DF

By: Feroz Khan

Issue 14 “Street Photography”

3/25/14 4:19 PM

| EDITORS COLUMN Editor-In-Chief Paz Calaguian

Volume 2 | Issue 15 | May-June 2014 | Middle East

Creative Director

Volume 2 | Issue 14 | March-April 2014 | Middle East

Chris “Bogart” Lleses

Street Photography Issue

Content Writer

Captured

Sherwin Dela Cruz

Yousef Al Habshi

10 Don’ts Of Street Feeding The Film Photography

Layout Artist

Amelia Johnson

Angelica Raymundo Domingo

Clockwork

Marketing Assistant

GPP AddyPhoto Adnan Friday

Marian Padla

Addy’s Advancing Saeed Nassouri Addiction

A Portrait Of A Portrayer

Passions Anew

Aerial Voyager

Subodh Shetty

Shinihas Aboo

Admin Assistant

Aileen Grace Marinas Abella

Beno Saradzic Street Session

Tips

Cover: Sketching HowOut To Read Your Light Meter The Frame

Franco Naron

Andy Ramos

Color Spaces and File Formats

FREE COPY

Web Developer

FREE COPY

Vishow Khanal

FUJIFILM X-T1

By: Michael Cruz

In-House Make up Artist Ivy Peralta

NIKON D4s

By: Subodh Shetty

NIKON DF

By: Feroz Khan

B1 Profoto

By: Celeste Van Rooyen

issue 14 cover.indd 1

issue 15 cover.indd 1

3/25/14 4:19 PM

6/13/14 2:15 AM

Cool Shades Not Included Writer Contributors:

Subodh Shetty | Celeste Van Rooyen | Anjum Vahanvati Chris Calemberan

Photographer Contributors:

Dennis Ong | Marlon LInang | Chris Calemberan | Chino Marfax | Tara Bahadur Gurung

Special Thanks to:

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

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

With the turn of a page and the sweat of a gland, FullFrame Photography Magazine’s 15th issue finally makes its formal appearance shining just as bright as the summer sun does outside. For this current issue, we’re going on a magic camera ride above and beyond the pointy peaks of the cityscape to catch a glimpse of the world below and right after, travel all the way down to the closest you can get to seeing what lurks behind a blade of grass. This month’s main focus feature includes an insight into Aerial Photography with an interview with one of the resident experts here in Dubai. As difficult as it is exciting, it’s one notch on a photographer’s portfolio you’d definitely be proud to earn should you choose to take on the challenge. We’ve also got a little treat for Macro Photography enthusiasts and if you’re a bug lover, oh, I’ll just leave it as a treat. On the other side of the table, and just in case you haven’t had your fill yet, Food Photography’s on the menu, too! We’ve shone the spotlight on some of the best representatives in their respective fields here in the UAE; we fly high and dig deep here at FullFrame, and we’ve got the pictures to show for it. We haven’t forgotten the demand for more product reviews either, and the latest gadgets are put to the test, marked by their judges and set to the standard. They’re quite illuminating, if I do say so myself. We’ve also covered quite a number of events this time, from workshops to exhibitions; it’s a wonder how we continuously keep on seeing many people attending them so eager to learn about our picturesque world. Ah, but I digress; I don’t want to dish out all the goods right here and now. We’ve got tips, tricks, photos that are just waiting for you to gaze upon them and just maybe, a little surprise announcement at the end. Welcome to the take-off of FullFrame Magazine’s 15th issue! Keep your hands on the pages, and don’t forget to flip!

Paz Calaguian Editor-in-Chief

Aerial Photography Aerial Voyager

Beno Saradzic

Content

Volume 2 | Issue 15 | May- June 2014

Story 10 Cover The Crystalline Giants of Abu Dhabi Beno Saradzic

Point 12 Vantage Profoto b1 Celeste Van Rooyen

14 Events One for the Album: PhotoWorld Returns!

16 Tips Photog’s Choice: RGB vs. sRGB Photography 18 Macro “Captured” Yousef Al Habshi

Photography 26 Aerial Aerial Voyager Beno Saradzic

Events

ShooterMania

34 Tips Aerial Photography 36 Events ShooterMania Point 34 Vantage iDeer Bag Vinta 370

40 Tips How to Read Your Light Meter

42 Chronos Of The Camera Point 46 Vantage Ricoh GR

One for the Album: PhotoWorld Returns!

50 Fashion Photography

Lewis de Mesa

Events

Anjum vahanvati

Addy Adnan

Food Photography Amelia Johnson

Macro Photography “Captured”

Yousef Al Habshi

Chronos Of The Camera Lewis de Mesa

Food Photography

Best Buy

Tips

Vantage Point

Amelia Johnson

Grandstores

Food Photography

32 12 Vantage Point

50 Fashion Photography

Profoto b1

Addy Adnan

Celeste Van Rooyen

Nikon D4s

Subodh Shetty

Workshops

70 72

Best Buy

Workshop

Light Shaping

Alton Trading

Workshops

Mastering Creative Lighting

Wedding Photography

Random Clicks

Photographers Gallery

72 Workshops

Mastering Creative Lighting

Workshops

Light Shaping

COVER STORY | Beno Saradzic

The Crystalline Giants of Abu Dhabi Beno Saradzic

Designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners, that sleek concrete complex you’re looking at is one of the landmarks in the city that I was commissioned to aerially shoot: the WTC Abu Dhabi. I’ve always been a fan of Sir Norman Foster’s work and his WTC Abu Dhabi structures are among the most impressive ones in the UAE. The fully-glazed skyscrapers feature unusual slants as their peaks and with its sheen and shine, appear almost like polished ice stalagmites, oddly enough, jutting out of the Arabian Desert. My interest however, was in the appearance of these towers from a high vantage point and once I got up there, I definitely wasn’t disappointed. From an altitude of approximately 450 meters, these spectacular buildings no longer reflected the sky but the surrounding Capital itself – creating the illusion of a huge poster of the cityscape wrapped around its windows. And just to confirm: it’s an incredible feeling, circling around these massive monoliths. My initial shots of the towers were taken with a telephoto lens from an altitude of 1000 meters. I wasn’t too happy with the previews since telephoto lenses tend to flatten the subject and create a dull perspective. The ridged surface of the towers was no longer prominent and the image was unengaging. Nevertheless, I quickly adapted my strategy and changed to another camera body with a fish-eye lens. The trouble shooting with ultra-wide lenses is that you have to be close to the

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

subject in order to fill the frame. Sure, that’s alright when you’re standing on the ground, but not when you’re hanging out of a circling helicopter with the wind in your face. It gets tougher for the pilots as well, since it’s too risky (not to mention, prohibited) to fly too close to the buildings. Add to the fact the turbulence that occurs around the tall structures, a lot of things could go wrong very quickly. With a calculated risk, we approached the tip of the tower; extremely close, but safely positioned. I was able to frame the whole tower from the roof to the ground in a single, yet very dynamic and wide field of view. All the while, as an added bonus, I managed to capture the whole western side of Abu Dhabi in a glorious afternoon light - the money shot I was hoping to get using a Canon 5D Mk3 and Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens. Flying on the agile Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter, which apparently is a perfect aircraft for aerial photography, I usually shot through an open door of the aircraft. However, when shooting with fish-eye lens, I had to extend my arms all the way out of the door in order to avoid capturing the helicopter’s body in the sides of the frame. This image was pre-processed with Lightroom 4.4 and finished up in Photoshop CC. Both the primary and secondary grading were accomplished with Nik Software plugins suite and Topaz Labs’ ReStyle.

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

VANTAGE POINT |

Profoto B1 Air

I am hooked and cannot wait to include this profoto head in my collection of professional MUST HAVE equipment.

“Rechargeable battery, portable and ease-to-use system, efficient, effective and ingenious, I’m starting to wonder why I haven’t bought one for myself yet!”

Profoto’s B1: Everything You Want in a Flash

Alright, so Profoto’s got something new with us to play with and it comes in the form of a new off-camera flash - the B1. I got my hands on it recently to test it out while wondering why I would choose to work with it instead of any other simple speed light off-camera. I eventually found out it’s got a couple of things that make it all the more worth it. It lightens the load, that’s for sure. Aside from that, it’s got a great connect between the light and camera! (The Air remote!) Another fun thing about this gizmo is how handy it is, batterywise. Carrying those heavy battery packs around is now a thing of the past with this gadget since its battery is now included in the profoto head. One of the major aspects that the B1 shines with is that it works with a rechargeable battery. I suddenly find myself not needing electricity outlets as much; so no more distracting cords and cables, either. Since it’s so much sleeker and easier to work with, I can focus much better on actually shooting my subjects instead on spending too much time setting everything up.

TTL Battery Portability

One of the major drawbacks of working with a light as powerful as the B1 is how heavy its battery pack is and the constant access to an outlet that you’ll most likely need. The B1 however, works with a cordless, rechargeable battery that will take you through long hours of shooting. This was one of the things that impressed me about the Profoto B1. Aside from that, it’s also a versatile piece of equipment: need a portable speedlight or a powerful studio light? Maybe a manual light? How about one that’s TTL capable? The B1 steps up to all those challenges.

Intense Power

Speaking of lights, the B1’s got as much power as a bunch of speedlights bound together - like they were all placed within one convenient piece of equipment. This is much more helpful when, for example, you need to shine a nice bright ambient light on certain subjects in dark areas to balance them with the light.

With its TTL capability that works great when used with the Air Remote, this is one of the distinct things that sets the B1 apart from others in the field. Even if you’re a photographer who prefers using flash on manual, and may not use TTL that much, I’ll have to admit that it was fun testing TTL on the B1 especially when I used it in some very complex situations where it performed pretty well. You can also tweak the TTL if you think it’s a little off by setting the B1 into manual mode just by the simple press of a button then adjusting the settings into something you’re more comfortable with.

Efficient integration with Profoto Light Shapers

Usually when you use a speedlight off-camera, you’ve got to set certain attachments to be able to connect the flash to the stand, and a modifier to the flash, but with the B1, Profoto modifiers clip onto it with no hassle at all – it’s designed with the ease-of-use in mind! In just a few seconds, you can add an umbrella or beauty dish of your choice. Everything worked so well that I was now finally able to quickly switch Profoto modifiers since they effortlessly connect to the B1, giving me more time to concentrate on my shoot at hand. Since Profoto also makes some of the best modifiers I’ve ever had in the business, being able to cut down on time by giving us the ability to clip them on and off of the frame of the B1 in an instant was a great idea!

Celeste Van Rooyen

fashion, portraits, corporate, lifestyle, food http://www.celestevr.com

Special Thanks to: Tara Nowy from Life Model Management Dress by Carolyn Baxter image from underneath Lipsy clothing image landscape Sabina insta: SAB_HZ Hair and Make Up: insta: EPRAHEMF Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

EVENTS |

PhotoWorld 2014

One for the Album: PhotoWorld Returns! “The large numbers attending today are proof that this event is a great opportunity for serious photographers and hobbyists to see the latest technology and products, and keep up with the latest trends in imaging,” - Justin Boutros, CEO of Channels Exhibitions regarding the event’s draw. Last month saw the return of one of the newest and latest photography-related attractions this side of Dubai City; the PhotoWorld. The exhibition, which lasted for three days from May 6th to the 8th, was officially opened by Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai Government Media Office. The free-to-attend event, which was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, attracted quite the international crowd that ranged from normal visitors and videographers, to photography enthusiasts and professionals from all across the region. The exhibition also featured a line-up of new attractions sponsored by Nikon, not to mention the inclusion of the Nikon Photography Awards; a series of professional photography seminars, workshops and practical discussion groups.

For any further information about the exhibition, the PhotoWorld - Dubai team at Channels Exhibitions can be contacted on: +971 (0)4 282 4737 or send them an email at: channels@channelexhibitions.com

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

Topics tackled and discussed during these sessions included presentations on many a discourse such as portrait lighting, event videography, wedding cinematography, high-end photo retouching, digital blending, time-lapse photography, basic video, photography above the clouds, underwater photography, food photography, street and people photography, interior photography and essentially, how to master a camera. It also included a Nikon photography competition which was further promoted through the PhotoWorld website. In a show of continued success, the audience turn out for PhotoWorld keeps rising. Last year around 5,795 people – photographers and business owners – attended the show, a dramatic increase of 10% as compared to that previous years’ total numbers. This year, the organizers are confident that due to the increased exposure and attention the show keeps getting, the visitor count would definitely be greater than before.

TIPS |

Color Spaces and File Formats

Color Spaces and File Formats Photog’s Choice: RGB vs. sRGB While knowing how to properly position the lighting in order to effectively capture both animate and inanimate subjects is always a plus point, don’t rely on just that if you expect your photographs to come out looking great. Bear in mind that part of the process of how your final photos will turn out depends on how you set key camera settings.

“Newbies” experimenting might ask themselves “which colour space should I use for this shoot?” and truthfully, it really depends on what you’re shooting for. You’ve got two viable options here: Adobe RGB (1998) and sRGB. Both have their fair share of differences; Abobe RGB (or just RGB to keep it simple) has a wide “gamut”, or colour space, able to record more colours than the sRGB, which conversely, has a smaller colour space.

Now wait a minute, don’t press that shutter button just yet. You’re probably thinking, “hey ok, a no-brainer!” pick RGB ‘cause it has access more colours and that’s always a good thing, right? Sure it is, if you’re planning on having your work mechanically reproduced and/or featured in a book. When that happens, the images that’ll appear on the pages are converted into another colour space that you might’ve heard of: CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black). What’s the catch? It’s even smaller than the sRGB. CMYK reproduction needs to have as much colour as it can possibly have before conversion since it’s more limited colour-wise. On the other hand, sRGB is perfect if you want your pictures framed and hung on walls or for images that are sent to labs to be printed in 8x10s, 5x7s, what have you. The printers in these labs are sRGB-specific; they might not even recognize RGB files and are thus, inept at both seeing the entire range of the RGB gamut and producing it. In case the files aren’t read by the printers, the images will then have to be manually converted into sRGB – though this might come at an extra cost to you. Another important note: Images that you post online should be in sRGB, too. Otherwise, they tend to look flat, dull, or even slightly off-colour. Your computer monitor is also an sRGB device, and unless it’s one of those very few and expensive types built for the RGB colour space, it will not see beyond the colour range it can handle, even if the files you’ve shot are in RGB.

So as stated earlier, your choice of colour space depends on what you want to shoot for.

A graph of the three color spaces and the range of colors they can reproduce. Adobe RGB (1998) is the largest; sRGB fits inside of it. CMYK is the smallest color space.

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY | Yousef Al Habshi

Yousef Al Habshi That instant when you saw an outright stunning photograph and you don’t know why your eyes seemed magnetized-- could it be because the subject is perfectly timed and stilled at a precise angle? Or the colors are as vivid as life? Complementing light and shades perhaps? Or maybe that particular feel of interest that exudes beneath the sheet? Whatever it may be… at that instant, one thought remained runnning on your mind… “How I wish I could also capture moments like these…” That moment – Boom! You have just been captured by the allure of photography! While every photographer has his own story, for Macro Photographer, Yousef Al Habshi, this seems to be the case.

Captured Spur of the Moment

Yousef, who just turned 33 last March, admitted that his fondness for photography just came “all of a sudden”, after marveling at a beautifully captured seascape (credits to the anonymous photographer) while surfing the World Wide Web. It started as an admiration for the work which right then conceived the desire in his heart to actually be behind the lens and take the shot himself. This desire eventually gave birth to a hobby last December 2009 when he got his first DSLR camera, Nikon D90. Armed with nothing but his enthusiasm, he recalled his first ever shooting venture one night at the Emirates Garden Palace. As usual for a newbie, the turnout was not that totally great. “All the shots were randomly taken and were so bad.” he said. But this did not dishearten him; instead, it motivated him to pursue excellence. In the absence of formal training and education on photography, he utilized various online resources: e-books, video tutorials, forums, etc. to equip

himself and enhance his skills. And when discouragement does come, the works and experiences of other well known photographers encourage and motivate him to keep improving his craft and to try and find his strengths as he discovers different genres of the field. No sooner, the hobby had grown into a passion.

Defining Moments

As his experience grew, the desire to deliver something unique led Yousef to Macro Photography. Despite the technical challenges from lighting and camera stability, significant magnification, critical depth of field, superb requirement for patience and probably the danger and risk of running after moving and sometimes lethal subjects, Yousef found his heart in this genre. For all it is, he wants to be remembered as a fine “Extreme Macro Photographer”.

recognition at the Emirates Photography Competitions last 2012. His Macro photos garnered one gold medal, one silver medal and an honorable-mention ribbon. From then on he knew… his hobby has evolved to a career. Aiming for mastery and perfection of his trade, he upgraded his gear from Nikon D90 to Nikon D800E with the addition of Sony Nex-5T as his auxiliary. To further bring out the best in every moment he takes, he integrated post processing to his works through the help of Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 4.2. Now looking at his works again, blown up images of insects about several times their size, perfectly lighted with all their stark colors and shades neatly featured along with their creepy, hairrising details magnified and made alive on still shot. Remembering how Yousef began, one could somewhat wonder, who was captured first, is it really the subject or the photographer?

His passion later bore fruit as three of his works garnered awards and

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY | Yousef Al Habshi

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY | Yousef Al Habshi

TIPS |

Macro Macro Photography

Photography Up Close & Personal

Mr. Photographer, you think you’re ready for a close-up? If you’re all about paying attention to detail, consider zooming into these quick tips for outdoor macro photography.

Lay Down the Lens

It can’t be stated enough: you’ve got to have a good understanding of which type of lens is more suited to what you’re aiming to do. As a standard, 50-60mm lenses are the common choice for when you want to shoot general macro. However, not all your potential subjects are easy to snap at a moment’s notice (sensitive creatures such as birds or butterflies, for example) and lens-to-subject distance becomes an important issue so your focal length needs to be greater. 100mm lenses are a great choice for this, and if you’re willing to look past the price, a 150-200mm range will give you that extra power you need. Bonus sub-tip #1: Speaking of sensitive creatures, if you’re thinking of snapping a butterfly - try late afternoons when they’re a little more tired. It’s a lot easier than getting frustrated when they flutter about anytime earlier. Bonus sub-tip#2: Go natural with your lenses: raindrops. After a nice downpour, outdoors is the place to be with many a subject to choose from. Do close up shots of nature and see how rain droplets magnify the veiny details of even the tiniest leaf.

Testing Tubes

Adding extension tubes to your camera equipment (between the camera body and lens’ rear mount) has quite the handy outcome of making the lens focus even closer, creating a large image of your subject. While they’re a bit tricky to use, it’s a more economic option than purchasing a macro lens. Consequently, the more tubes you add, the more you limit your focusing range and lose its infinity end.

Dioptre Accoutre

Did you know that adding a dioptre to a camera can help you attain a good close up shot? A “dioptre” is how you measure the various strengths of a lens - such as close-up filters. These types of lenses look like magnifying glasses and can be added to a camera’s front element to do the job. They usually come in the following sets of dioptre magnification: +1, +2, or +4. Bonus sub-tip: Got Cokin-style square filter systems? Don’t worry; there are dioptres available for those, too.

Getting to Know Your DOF

Don’t tell anyone this, but if you select a smaller aperture like (f/16 or f/22, go ahead), you can get the most out of the available depth-of-field. Alternatively, opening up the aperture to f/2.8 or f/4 minimizes the sharpness – useful for when you want your photo to look a little more artistic since anything that’s out of focus turns into eye-catching bubbles. Bonus sub-tip #1: At half-life size, 15mm is the best range of depth of field you can achieve when your aperture is set at f/22. Bonus sub-tip #2: While DOF helps you with perspective for your photos to make them more engaging, liven them up by adding a little bit of flash to the mix. It can help make a flat image pop.

Third Hand Help

If you want a subject to be situated at a particular angle or held in a certain position, you had better use a third hand – a mechanical device indispensible to macro photography. In a situation where angles can make or break your photo, sometimes three “hands” are better than two.

Compose Now, No Crop Later

It’s part of the whole post-processing gig everyone does, but when you’re a bit on the rush for time or if you have a lot of it, it’s sometimes better to get the composition of your photo right during the shoot, itself. For subjects with finer patterns/ details you want to capture, do a close-up shot – making sure that the subject fills the whole frame. On the other hand, you could also situate your subject in the middle of your photo surrounded by an equal amount of space. Bonus sub-tip #1: Don’t forget to check that LCD panel and review your shot before capturing it. Make sure what you want to shoot – and only what you want – is in the frame. That said, carry spare batteries; a lot of reviewing takes its toll on the battery life. Bonus sub-tip #2: Composing good photos means testing out different backgrounds. Don’t pigeonhole yourself using the same plain boring background that you’re used to. Add more character, change it up a bit!

Get Your Focus On

We’ve rambled on and on about how lenses, angles, and depth-of-field are important aspects of macro photography but lo and behold there’s one more: focus. The subject has to grab your attention and what better way to do that than by choosing which part of it you place your point of focus on. Try it: choose a subject, take two photos (the first one standard) but on the second, change the point of focus by just a few millimetres and notice how different the two images turn out.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Beno Saradzic

AERI AL VO YAGER Beno Saradzic

A far cry from his Slovenian roots, Beno moved to Abu Dhabi in 1991 where, for 18 years, he worked as an architectural illustrator and 3D animator - until he decided to steer his ship on a different career course. Would you believe it was only in 2011 that he considered himself ready to tackle Photography? In only 3 years since then, he’s already had his work featured in many a blog, website, magazine, newspaper, and TV network - locally and abroad - all while carving a niche for himself as a professional aerial photographer, among other things. In this Q&A, we’ll find out how he did it, how he does it, and why he’ll continue to keep doing it.

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Let’s cut to the chase, how did you get started in Photography? When the real-estate sector took a hit back in 2008, my business practically came to a halt, so I decided to rekindle my longtime, yet dormant, passion for photography. I put myself on a 6-month, self-taught crash course on the subject and once I had a good grasp on the basics, I made sure to practice further for another 2 and a half years. I read all I could about it, took hundreds of thousands of photos, studied the works of masters and soon enough, developed my own style. By 2011, I knew I was ready. Of all the crafts you could have gone into, why Photography? Due to my background, I already knew how to make a virtual scene look good with my computer. I knew the rules of composition, lighting, color science and where to place the virtual camera within a 3D space. Going into photography felt like a natural, seamless transition. Once I got hold of a real camera, my focus turned to which button did what, how ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed affected the exposure, how to use lenses and what various focal lengths were for. No one helped me here; I learned through trial and error.

Your inspirations? Various visual artists; but not all photographers. Ansel Adams was and remains my number one idol. I don’t think there will ever be a photographer with a better understanding of this craft. I studied the works of pioneers, filmmakers, contemporary photographers such as Julius Shulman, Robert Frank, Norman McGrath, Alfred Stieglitz, Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Vincent LaForet, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Ron Fricke, Godfrey Reggio, Philip Bloom and many, many others. These days, I’m mainly inspired by my own experiences. Can you recall the first time you ever took a shot with a camera? What did you think then that made you want to really polish your skills? I wasn’t a fan of my early work, at all! I recall thinking “this is garbage”. Subjects in my photos didn’t look even remotely the way I remembered seeing them with my own eyes. I initially thought I needed a better camera but when I saw what more experienced photographers were doing with their equipment, I realized the camera doesn’t make the man. On the contrary, initial frustrations with my results didn’t discourage me; they only fuelled my motivation to study harder.

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AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Beno Saradzic

You said earlier your passion for photography was always there, albeit dormant. Why didn’t you choose to formally study it? I was always artistically inclined but the arts weren’t considered as the path to a stable career, so I didn’t pursue them academically. Instead, I chose micro electronics/ electrical engineering which, as you might have guessed, didn’t turn out to be my true calling. During your studies and experiences, did you ever have a defining moment where you thought of photography as being more than just a mere hobby? There wasn’t really a singular moment that made me say “a-ha, I’m going to be a photographer!” It was a combination of events, commissions, recognitions, and passion projects over the course of 2 years that made me really pursue photography and filmmaking on a professional level. Seeing the finished result on screen or in print gave me a rush, a sense of pride for having accomplished something. Each photograph is part of my legacy.

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And you’ve come a long way in just a few short years; what are your photographic achievements till date? I’ve won over 20 photography competitions both locally and internationally since 2011. Aside from that, I’ve worked for numerous high profile clients: the BBC’s Natural History Unit, the Discovery Channel, as well as international, multi-national corporations such as British American Tobacco. My new film, ‘Beyond - Memoirs in a time lapse’ is currently circulating on the local and international media scene, ever since His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum first tweeted it to his millions of followers. We have to say, we’ve seen your works in Aerial Photography and they’re very impressive! What would you say makes your art different from those of others? Thank you. My work is inspired by my fascination and appreciation for architecture – skyscrapers and the ones who conceived and built them. It may be out of left field, but another one of my influences is science fiction. I’ve countless film references in mind and before I press the shutter button, I look for something in the scene that sparks my imagination. Movies like Blade Runner, Star Wars, The 5th Element, Metropolix, The Matrix are always on my mind when I’m photographing Dubai or Abu Dhabi from the air.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Beno Saradzic

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Going through your work, do you consider post processing as an integral part of photography? It’s about 40% shoot and 60% post-processing for me, so yes, very much. If you have a great image to start with, you can capitalize on its potential with good techniques. People need to remember, post-processing won’t fix bad composition, bad lighting or bad focus. I always think of the finished image before I press the shutter button and treat all my photographs cinematically - like you would a movie poster - using a dramatic theme and mysterious lighting. If it looks common or seems as though it’s been done before, I’m not interested. There’s always a smartphone for that.

We’ll go with your specialization now; how do you prepare for an Aerial shoot? Know your subject well. I always study its orientation with respect to the sun so I can anticipate which side will be illuminated at a specific time of the day or month and in turn, it helps me decide on the crucial factor of whether the session should happen in the morning or evening. Google Maps is your friend; use it. I also rely on precise sunlight, shadow direction and length study from a nifty iPad application called The Photographers’ Ephemeris. I never plan my shoot without referring to it first.

When did you start incorporating post-processing techniques into your work? Right when I first started taking photos. My best are those with the most inspired post-processing. Post-process on your shots enables you to truly realize your vision so to me, a raw, unprocessed photograph is like an unpowered bulb. It’s not enlightening.

Before you get on the chopper, plan for your safety above all. Since you’ll be shooting through an open door, you’d better get strapped down to the airframe with a full-body harness. And make sure you get one. You also need to be fastened to

“Moving to photography was the best call I’ve made in my life. Whatever I learn about today, I’ll do differently tomorrow just to see where it will take me next. I am fascinated by the unexpected.” by using a high shutter speed. I usually set my camera in Shutter Priority mode, the shutter speed at about 1/800s or higher and I let the camera choose the Aperture it needs. ISO is usually set at 400 or higher, all depending on the day and how bright it is. In many cases, I turn off the autofocus and only leave the Image Stabilization on. The distance between the camera lens and subject won’t change much so make sure you turn the shooting mode to ‘Continuous’. When the aircraft is moving, your composition will be constantly changing and with it, the spatial relationship between your subject and objects in the foreground or background will shift. Keep your finger on the shutter, don’t let go and just fire away. Better you have many frames to pick the best one from than to have few that aren’t good enough.

the chair with a standard seatbelt before you take off. You then need to dismantle all the loose parts from the camera and stow them away so they won’t fall off the helicopter. Keep in mind your lens hood and lens cover. A blast of wind caused by the aircraft’s rotor will blow them away. Make sure you bring a spare camera body. An hour in the air isn’t particularly cheap and you don’t want to look silly in front of a client in case your camera suddenly stops working. In fact, I always shoot with 2 cameras - one is fitted with a wide zoom lens and the second one is with a telephoto lens. The last thing you want to do when in the air is change the lens with the wind blowing full blast in your face. Camera settings are crucial too; in the air, you’ll experience a lot of vibrations coming off the wind, engines and rotors. The aircraft is unlikely to be locked in a fixed position so you’ll have to deal with motion blur. The best way to do so is

Based on your experience, what is the most challenging aspect of Aerial Photography? I won’t lie - it gets overwhelming and intimidating when you’re starting out in this field. As an aerial photographer, I’ve learned to communicate with the pilot so he can get me at the right altitude, in the right place. When you’re shooting on the ground, changing the position means picking up your tripod and walking a few steps. You can’t do that in the air; your aircraft is your tripod. The trouble is you’re only taking the shots, not flying the bird. You must constantly communicate with the pilot while keeping tabs on the right exposure, composition, subject orientation, altitude and vibrations, a lot of noise plus motion blur. How would you describe your workflow? Does anyone inspire you regarding it? I’m self-taught so I don’t have any real inspiration when it comes to it. Every shoot, every experience, teaches me a lesson that I apply to my next project.

For a general idea, I start importing raw frames into Lightroom for basic pre-processing. I correct lens distortions, chroma aberrations, add some sharpening plus noise removal. After a little white balance tweaking, I export the image in 16-bit TIFF format in order to preserve all color information present in the RAW file. Then, they’re imported into Photoshop for additional post-processing. The final ‘look’ is achieved with various plugins from NIK Software and Topaz suites. After all’s said and done, how would you like to be remembered as a photographer? I’d like to be known for my style which should, in theory, be easily recognizable but not so easily imitated. I’d also like to be known as a photographer who inspired many others, while sharing knowledge to boost their passion. Any goals to achieve this 2014? I would like to explore new creative directions in photography and take on projects I haven’t attempted before. I don’t want to be boxed in a comfortable atmosphere or begin stagnating creatively. I’m addicted to fresh challenges! Tools of the trade: Softwares: - Photoshop - Lightroom Plugin picks: -NIK Software -Red Giant -Topaz Equipment: Cameras: Canon Lenses: Canon / Nikon Tripods: Gitzo / Manfrotto Ballheads & pan/tilt heads: Really Right Stuff / Manfrotto - B+W filters (UV / Circular polarizers) - LEE graduated and plain ND filters - Promote Remote Control by Promote Systems (for HDR bracketing) - SanDisk Extreme memory cards Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Beno Saradzic

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TIPS | Aerial Photography

Aerial Aces: 6 Points For

Aerial Photography So you’ve got broader ideas and want to be a little more adventurous than the standard photographer, right? Dare yourself to aim from above and shoot what’s below. Wait, what? Yup, you read that right. The best photos are all with unique perspectives – only we’re going with the literal. Get in that metal bird, buckle up, and have your equipment ready because when you’ve got the opportunity to take it, aerial photography, while being quite challenging and daunting, is worth the experience to add to your skill set. Here are just a few things to consider when you’re flying high with a camera in hand.

Hold On Tight

This should be the first thing on your mind. Aerial Photography doesn’t just require the right camera, but the right chopper (good pilot implied). When you’re up in the air, make sure you’ve strapped yourself in properly. This goes for your equipment as well. Make sure all parts of your gear, especially loose ones, are safely secured or stowed away someplace else. Bonus sub-tip: Speaking of gear, if you think the wind blowing in your face is bad, wait until it blows onto your camera lens. Make sure you protect it well with a lens hood – a protective filter helps too (UV filters, especially).

Seasonal Sights

Depending on where you are at the time, you’ve got to remember different seasons allow for different subject matter and what you would expect to see during it. While most people might think about standard flower field for spring, island-hopping hijinks for summer, miles of orange trees for fall, and a white desert for winter, don’t forget that some things tend to look better in the season they’re in rather than any other time.

To avoid those frustrations, check the windows before the flight to ensure they’re clear. If you want to get into it yourself, but not before asking the permission of the pilot, bring some water and microfiber/chamois skin cleaning cloth. Mind you, be careful of which type of materials you use to wipe with – most light aircraft windows might be susceptible to micro-scratches since they’re most likely made of plexiglass. Bonus sub-tip #1: Avoid reflections in the glass by getting as close as you can to the window to shoot, or better yet, consider wearing darker clothes. Bonus sub-tip #2: Turbulence is never anyone’s friend in these situations, and tripods are close to useless for aerial photography, so try using the window itself as your camera’s stabilizer. Keep in mind, a short shutter speed minimizes the risk of blurry images.

Optimum Optics

We’ve all been there, right? Plans postponed or cancelled due to an unexpected turn of events – nature can be fickle. If that happens, try to make the most of your situation, if you can’t wait it out. Ideally, bright and sunny days are thought of as the best for aerial photography since natural light trumps all, but beware the haze from a high altitude – they end up adding that layer of mist that might besmirch your photo. What you really want is a nice cloudy day, as that can help balance the light around the area. If you’ve got a really cloudy day on your calendar, don’t think of it as dulling your pictures, but an opportunity to take a dramatic one. Bonus sub-tip #1: Remember the sun’s position; this can make or break your photo. Keep in mind how the light illuminates the area, and how the shadows fall.

Make sure you know which lens you’re planning on using for the duration of your trip. It’s an understatement to say you’re going to face some difficulty changing your lens for the shot (but do make sure to carry a spare, just in case). Let’s have a closer look at the choices, pun intended: * Wide-angle lenses are great for panoramic views (such as landscapes). * Zoom lenses can be safe bets that are good for panoramic or even close-ups images. *Telephoto zoom lenses are trickier; they’re good for isolating subjects close to the ground but because of how big and heavy they are, they’re quite a chore to keep your grip onto. *Prime lenses, while great choices if you want sharper photographs, are more for experienced aerial photographers looking to test the skills they have.

Bonus sub-tip #2: Make like a boy scout and be prepared: know which areas you plan to shoot and where they are; mark them on a map if necessary. To save more time, test your camera settings while on the way to your shooting spots.

Bonus sub-tip #1: More for general knowledge: make sure you’re not always stuck trying to get one particular area. Take in the whole landscape, there’s a lot of things to see from above so be creative and look at the bigger picture, enough to take it!

Window Shooting

Dial M for Manual

Weather Watching

So you’ve got that perfect Kodak moment ready to capture? It’s behind the window glass. You shoot anyway, completely forgetting that there was a smidge on the glass. Your photo is now spoiled, good job! To a photographer, nothing’s as bad as the feeling of a ruined photo – especially if it’s a once-in-a-chance click.

Manual mode is important for aerial photography since you’ll need to be in absolute control of the aperture and shutter speed. Shutter speed-wise, anything below 1/250s is perfect… if you want everything blurry. Instead, try setting it to 1/250s (with a small aperture) or 1/2000s (with a wide aperture). For a good ISO setting (depending on the weather factors and the amount of light surrounding) try keeping it in between 100 to 200. Want your photos to have a sharp focus all while still having a lighter image? Try wide apertures (even up to f/1.8!)

Photo Courtesy by Tara Bahadur Gurung

EVENTS | ShooterMania

It all started four months ago when a group of photography enthusiasts got together at the Photowalk Dubai Event 26 “Stroboscopic” helmed by Franco Naron. The remarkable experience at the event ignited the inspiration to start a new group altogether, one dedicated to helping amateur photographers, hobbyists, and anyone interested to further develop their craft. On March 1st, 2014, four enthused amateur photographers, Hann Honculada, Ferrarie Custodio, Paul Omana and Arnel Santonia laid the first foundations, and thus, “ShooterMania” was born. After a series of successful events showcasing their photos, and with help from social media exposure, ShooterMania has carved a name for itself within the photography circle - receiving positive reviews and the membership of more than 300 people. These successes eventually lead to the evolution and inception of ShooterMania International. The

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group maintains its roots and is open to all who are interested to hone and share their knowledge and skills in the various genres of photography. The group also consistently holds many activities (affectionately referred to as “missions”) that range from, but are not limited to: street photography, portrait shoots, night landscapes, and postprocessing. On May 23rd, 2014, ShooterMania International held a special event to kick-off the summer called “Mission 10: Man and Machine” – which featured two groups of car aficionados, Lancer Pro UAE and Abu Dhabi Petrolheads, headed by Ese Quiolgico and Mario Madera, respectively – that highlighted 32 impressively-customized cars at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Up until now, it was the biggest mission that ShooterMania had ever had, with 36 members including 3 videographers participating in the event.

Ever-growing, ShooterMania has recently welcomed fellow enthusiasts, Franco Naron, Richard Viajedor, Jefford Lorio, and Lon Hipolito as part of the Administration section to help manage the growing troupe. In almost 4 months since its creation and mission to help fellow enthusiasts, ShooterMania has already achieved many a milestone and gone far in developing and exploring the sparks of where it all began – the art and love of photography. Hann Honculada ShooterMania International

For more information and any queries, take a gander at our Facebook page or drop us a note at: shootermania_international@yahoo.com https://www.facebook.com/ groups/644514165585652/

VANTAGE POINT | iDeer Bags

Chris Calumberan Photographer

iDeer Bag Vinta 370 Hipster Subculture

These days, the word “hipster” has become so widely used that you’ve most likely already heard it pop up in normal conversation. By default, these people can be described as young middle-class bohemians who have embraced an international subculture that evolved from the love of alternative music, vintage designs and the lifestyle that surrounds it. Neutral Aesthetics Romantic Kinesthetic When it comes to designs, I usually seek function, minimalism and appeal; pieces that speak to you, tell your story and represent your personality. Some people make themselves seem more approachable by wearing a noticeable article – a technique which fashionistas used to call “conversation starters”. Personally, I like the small details that make a design more distinctive. I want that neutral effect that doesn’t need to be loud or primary yet bold enough like a truth that doesn’t need defense. After satisfying my visual tastes, I then go for the kinesthetic. It can be the ergonomic handle, texture, the brass finishing and even the stitching that makes it a sexy product.

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The iDeer Vinta 370

Right off the bat, I can tell you I was attracted to this item like love at first sight, so much so that I already consider it one of my favorite shoulder camera bags. Just by looking at its materials and craftsmanship, you can tell it’s something you’ll use for a long time.

Overall

The material itself is distinct from most of the camera bags I’ve seen so far. Stitching looks very strong and its doublepadded thickness ensures its longevity and durability.

Front

The embossed iDeer emblem signifies experience and quality. It has a monochrome shade of dark brown with a glossy finish that shimmers in the light. I like brands that think about their identity and know how to make their logos visible enough but not too obvious. The brass finish buckles truly adds to the item’s personality: stable, yet stylish. I love the magnetic buttons, safe and secure.

Strap

Most of the camera-bags’ straps I see are made out of either nylon or clothe that negatively affect the design. The iDeer Vinta straps are consistent with the design flow in that they’re also made of the same material as the bag. They’ve got those adjustable buckles and loops, also with a brass finish. Imagine carrying it like you would a messenger bag, while wearing a white-cotton shirt paired with blue denim jeans – it’ll look very striking! However, I do I wish that the shoulder support had a stopper in place in case it slips.

Test

The iDeer Vinta 370 is designed to handle up to 1 DSLR with lens attached and 2 extra lenses/flash units. It also has 5 exterior pockets that keep your accessories organized. My testing method figures out how to put in 4 mirror-less cameras 3 with attached lens, 1 flash unit, 2 remote triggers, 16 batteries, 1 card holder, 1 card reader and some of my personal stuff. I laid all the accessories, including the batteries, triggers, the 60mm lens and the flash, on the first layer. On the second layer, I placed the camera body without lens on the bottom and the others in a standing position, ready to use. I shoot with prime lenses so I have my 14mm, 23mm and 35mm ready for easy access. Evidently, there’s still more space for personal items, filters and the like, when you carry 2 bodies and all the lenses.

Conclusion: The iDeer Vinta was inspired by the classic era. It satisfies both visual and kinesthetic needs for an elegant and functional bag. Hands down, this bag is a perfect travel companion - especially when shooting with mirror-less cameras. I love the fact that this product is quite understated when it comes to showcasing all of its qualities; very subtle and not too flashy. That said, the personality “hipster points” that’s you’ll get from it will be off the charts. The bag inspires me to go out more and street-shoot. Though it misses the trolley insert from behind, it still looks so exclusive and unique, all while giving off the assurances that it’s a remarkable product: stylish, environmentally-friendly, durable and better yet, very affordable. Grab this bag, get out there, be stylish and keep shooting!

TIPS | Light Meter

How to Read Your Light Meter

Far and away, the most important accessory in the studio (even in available light situations) is the light meter. Even more important is the ability to read it properly and know how the numbers affect your images. METER

F2/.8 F2/8.3 F2/8.7 F4 F/4.3 f/4.7 f/5.6 f/5.6.3 f/5.6.7 f/8 f/8.3 f/8.7 f/11 f/11.3 f/11.7 f16 f/16.3 f/16.7 f/22 Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

CAMERA f/2.8 f/3.2 f/3.5 f/4 f/4.5 f/5 f/5.6 f/6.3 f/7.1 f/8 f/9 f/10 f/11 f/13 f/14 f/16 f/18 f/20 f/22

When shooting JPEGs, you have an exposure latitude between 1/3 overexposure and 2/3 underexposure. Images made outside of these tolerances cannot look “normal,” even with editing in Photoshop, and once a pixel has been overexposed to a value of 255, there is no way to burn it in or bring it back. F-stops are symmetrical and mathematical measurements of light. If we begin with an aperture of f/8, for example, opening up the lens by one stop, to f/5.6, will double the amount of light reaching the sensor. Conversely, stopping down the lens one stop, to f/11, will cut the amount of light reaching the sensor by half. When we power the light to a whole stop—f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, or f/22— we’ll only see a zero next to the f-stop number and we’ll know that if we set the camera’s aperture to that number, f/5.6 in this case, the exposure will be right on the money. Digital camera apertures can be set in 1/3 stops, which gives you the opportunity to be extremely accurate when powering your lights for a particular effect. They are shown on your light meter as an extra number just to the right of the primary f-stop number, such as this reading, f/5.6.6. This reading means that the light falling on the subject is 6/10 stop

stronger (brighter) than f/5.6 itself. If you ignore that extra .6, you will overexpose your images, which you definitely don’t want to do. So, to be more accurate, you should set your camera to f/7.1 (which is actually f/5.6 +7/10 of a stop). To be completely accurate and get the very best exposure, move the main light slightly closer to the subject, move the subject slightly closer to the main light, or power the main light up, slightly, to a light meter reading of f/5.6.7 (f/7.1 on the camera). If your meter is calibrated, your exposures will be right on the money. Though you are probably aware of the whole stop numbers, you may not understand the new, 1/3 stop numbers and how to translate those easily from your light meter to your camera. The chart on this page shows the correlation. When working outdoors, you won’t have the control over tenths of f-stops as you would in the studio. When that happens, if the reading is +1/10 over a target f-stop, set the aperture to the lower value. In other words, if the meter reads f/8.1, set the camera’s aperture to f/8. If the reading is f/8.2, set the aperture to the next highest value, f/9. In either case, the files as they are will be close enough to go straight to proofs and easy to tweak to a more perfect exposure with Photoshop.

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ON FOCUS |

Lewis De Mesa

Chronos of the Camera Lewis de Mesa

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With his trusty Nikon D800 by his side and the patience of a few saints, Lewis can be called quite the pro when it comes to Time-lapse photography. With several of his works featured in the various well-known newspapers in the U.A.E. - Gulf News, The National, 7Days, and the Abu Dhabi Week to name a few - heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely come a long way from humble beginnings and failed experiments, among other things.

“I started showing interest in photography back in 1995.” he recalls. “I experimented on compositing layers of slides and masking certain areas in an image with a pen while shooting a multiple exposure. They do that in Photoshop now.” Looking back, Lewis says he always found a certain fascination in capturing things that most people either take for granted and what the eyes don’t normally notice or even see; the little things like “capturing movements like clouds passing and stars moving.”, as it were. “Especially the Milky Way,” he notes with a smile. “...as this is the closest I can get to it.” While he’s at the top of his game now, it didn’t start off as well as he might have hoped. University proved to be a major eye-opener with trials and errors here and there and lots of lessons to be learned. “Photography was part of the Fine Arts Curriculum at University of Santo Tomas in 1997. When I first started compositing photographs one on top of another, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.” But it turned out to be a test of character as well as a learning experience. “I failed in my experiments but I didn’t let that stop me,” he relates. “I kept trying until I fully understood

what I could and couldn’t do.” Learning more about the process not only deepened his interest in the field, but also helped him further appreciate the path he was set to take; and his inspiration? Wildlife photographers, apparently. “They have so much passion in their work. Time doesn’t exist in their vocabulary. They go in there and their subject is their main priority.” Eventually he found his own place and passion for Time-Lapse photography. A new goal was born and a new hurdle to clear. As seen, this type of photography isn’t merely sitting around hoping the skies clear up enough to get a good shot of a bird flying through to make your picture, no. It’s a whole mix of many other acquirable skills that would be necessary to have if you want to truly show the emotion behind the lens. “Obviously, it requires patience and time,” he explains. “It’s a lot of effort - from learning the process of shooting, to post-assembling and editing. Even adding music.” He reminds us about not forgetting softwares, as well. “I generally use Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere.” When asked what the most challenging thing he experienced doing a time-lapse shoot was,

he probably has to wipe his forehead just from the memory. “I had to shoot a time-lapse for 26 days during the height of summer. So much haze and humidity. It didn’t help that it was the hottest temperature of the year.” But when was it that he first legitimately considered photography as a career and not just a hobby? The highlight came when his self-funded time-lapse project he did, just because he wanted to, was bought buy a TV channel to use for their program. And from then on, he knew he had what it took. Nowadays, he still continues to learn the tricks of the trade along with his many gadgets and equipment that help him snap the perfect shot: “A DSLR, a time-lapse Dolly, Radian...” he reveals, as he further hopes to encourage others to take up the lens–game if they have their mind set on it. His photography isn’t just for show, he asserts. “I would like to be remembered as someone who gave others inspiration through his work,” and leaves us with sound advice: “I always believe that whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. Always be inspired - and more importantly, just keep shooting.”

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VANTAGE POINT | Anjum Vahanvati

Let’s review something different today.....

...Something that’s not popular in this region, that 99% of people are unaware of its existence, something that looks ugly as s- yet still feels so beautiful; a joy for street photography, pure simplicity, something that’s known as Ricoh GR. What is this brand? RICOH IMAGING CO. LTD or just RICOH. Definitely not a new kid on the block, Ricoh has been around for a while now and currently owns Pentax Imaging since 2011. GR has a cult following since film days but I have hardly seen any Ricoh camera around this part of the world where I live in, but rest assured, it’s as good as it gets. The only direct competitor for the Ricoh GR would have to be Nikon Coolpix A (spec and performance-wise) but I have compared most things along with Fujifilm X100, as that’s my previous street companion, and I have used it extensively to compare with my new toy.

...simplistic, no non-sense all black, magnesium-alloy body and a rubberized hand grip. Overall, solidly built and lightweight camera.

The GR has a simplistic, no non-sense all black, magnesium-alloy body and a rubberized hand grip. Overall, solidly built and lightweight camera. By both the look and feel, it’s squarely aimed at enthusiast and pros and largely used by street photographers.

Let’s start with some paperwork, the base spec sheet. * 16.2 megapixel APS-C sensor * No low-pass (AA) filter * 18.5mm f2.8 lens (28mm equi.) * ISO 100 - 25,600 * 4 fps continuous shooting * 12 bit RAW (Generic DNG format) * Built-in 2 stop ND filter * Built-in flash (Sync’s at 1/2000 sec) * Hot-shoe * 1080p HD Video

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

It’s smaller than my previous X100 and my field of view changes from 35mm equivalent on X100 to 28mm equivalent on the GR. My preferred focal length is still 35mm so I had doubts about getting used to a wider 28mm. Another plus is the size, it’s small - as in very small for an aps-c sensor camera plus very light weight. X100 feels bigger and chunkier comparatively. I can now tag the camera along all the time as its fits all of my pockets and doesn’t bother me; taking pictures is stealthy; it’s as silent as the X100. While the X100 attracts a bit more attention than the GR which has one of the most boring looks of all time, you will only be able to appreciate the design when its held in the hand and used. Ergonomics are the best of any such compact camera you will ever hold. GR

knocks the socks off any other camera in this class for handling, I am in love with the grip, the best single hand operation in any camera I have used and that’s a huge plus for street photography. Then comes the menu system short, simple & easy. From its outer appearance you might think that the lack of physical dials on the body means diggin’ around menus for your settings but Ricoh has done a surprisingly wonderful job with the controls. Everything you need is at your finger tips from ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, focus mode, focus point, metering, whitebalance, EV comp, etc. It’s more than you will want for your shooting needs.

So it’s perfect?

Actually nothing ever was, is or will be perfect. GR has many things that I love and few things that I don’t. It was the same case when I had the X100. For people obsessed with zoom and bokeh this is not a toy for you. And if you are into video then the bottom line is - GR sucks, so did the X100 and so do I. Video is never a consideration for my camera purchases. It’s a killer street photography tool; unless you don’t like the focal length of 28mm you cannot go wrong with the GR. Going with a secondary interchangeable lens camera is like marrying to the system: lenses, filters. But with the fixed lens compact, it’s just you and the camera without much need for any other GAS attack. What I miss the most in GR from the X100 ? My most favorite viewfinder in the world, that’s all.

“Ergonomics are the best of any such compact camera you will ever hold.”

Noteworthy Menu Options:

1. Snap Mode - Zone focusing at its best, preset your focus range from 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 2.5m, 5m & infinity. How it works is just set it at a preset distance and snap on. It’s a blessing for street photographers. 2. TAv mode - Unique to Ricoh Pentax brand, taking a different approach to the auto ISO modes in general cameras. It lets you set your desired aperture + shutter speed and base on that sets the ISO automatically. 3. Macro mode - quick, one touch activated macro mode, unlike any other camera that requires confirmation to get in and out of macro mode. 4. Effects - 7 customizable effects in camera. My favorites are Positive Film & Hi-contrast B&W. Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

VANTAGE POINT | Anjum Vahanvati

PROS:

• Small & light weight. (250 gms approx.) • Built-in ND filter. (2 stops) • 1/4000 sec to 30, 60, 120, 240, 300 sec shutter speed. • Snap focus mode. • Open standard Adobe DNG raw format. • Timelapse mode (Interval shooting, infinite images) • Safe (nobody wants to steal that boring brick) • Price. (Cheaper than other cameras of same class) • Looks “touristy”, works professionally.

CONS:

• No viewfinder. • No weather sealing. • Low light auto-focus is lame. • Battery life. (Like any other compact camera) • No battery charger included in the box. • No sales & service. (Middle East region)

A fixed lens 28mm lens camera might not cater to everyone’s need and fits in a very niche market of consumers but if you are into street photography and you need a stealthy, full-featured, pocketable camera that delivers amazing images then Ricoh GR fits the bill perfectly. If you are looking for it in UAE, it would be hard to find locally and you will have to opt in for import as I did. www.anjumvahanvati.com www.flickr.com/vahanvaty

Photo by Ahmed Ginawi

Chris Calumberan professional photography

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FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY | Addy Adnan

There’s no denying his belief in self-expression and the impact of an artistic rebirth. Even when you first meet him, Adnan’s got that aura that lets you know he’s interested in the full package - the beauty of it all. And he’s got the history to prove it. With Mert and Marcus, Mario Testino, and Mario Sorrenti as his inspirations, Adnan “Addy” Hanif aims to not just hit the top, but go beyond it.

angles, light, and a little intuition on whatever looked and felt nice at the time; who’d have thought? His base desire already there, it didn’t hurt that it had instant results - literally. “I absolutely love to capture that ‘one’ moment and expression. I love that it can be anything. Most importantly, it’s fast. I click and ‘snap’ - there it is. It’s not like I have to spend two months like on a painting, haha!”

Hailing from 1976-Pakistan, Adnan’s always had an interest in images since he was a wee lad in the fifth grade. Though it didn’t take off until the late 80s, he started off buying old fashion magazines, and just like a dedicated fan would do, cut out his favourite photos and ads and plastered them all over his bedroom walls; and not just from any magazines, either: Vogue, GQ, Elle, to name a few. He recalls, “I used to save my pocket money and spend it on buying new posters! I had them all over my walls and even on my door. I believe that’s when I really started loving photography.” And who where the people on the posters? 80s idols Phoebe Cates, George Michael, and Alyssa Milano, of course!

One Step Ahead

Done in A Snap

The seeds of his inevitable future started sprouting right at the start of when digital cameras spread, and his weapon of choice? A humble Sony cybershot. “Everyone loved when I would take photos of them. They used to say they looked different, in a good way.” Apparently, the trick up his sleeve turned out to be your standard

With all this talk of passion and desire for the camera, you’d think Adnan would’ve delved into hardcore studies of it, but it would surprise you to know otherwise. “I never had any formal studies in this field.” he reveals. “I actually did my Masters in Computer Science, specializing in Graphics and Animation. The best I did was read books about photography and most of my knowledge came from doing it myself.” He laughs when he recounts how he used to open various photography books and see all their sample compositions and tips. “I was already doing it! Whatever I thought looked good on my own, a book was trying to teach me the same things.” He chokes it up to common sense and firmly believes that one doesn’t need to go to a school for it to be a photographer. “Books and schools can’t make you an artist. It’s in you. Technical stuff enhances your skills yes, but it doesn’t give them to you.” Thinking of doing it all as a viable career choice only came after he finished his Masters studies, too. “Pakistan had fewer opportunities that time. I really started on this path when I moved to Dubai in 2006.” Since then, he takes it all day by day, client per client,

ADDYS ADVANCING ADDICTION Addy Adnan shot per shot. A standard work day for him would include shooting everything in raw, and using Photoshop, “Only photoshop!” he reiterates, his preferred software, for any enhancements he feels the photo might need; but don’t let that fool you. He’s a big advocate for the one thing he feels is the most important to his photos, above all else. “Lighting!” he decisively declares, for everyone to hear. “Post-processing? It’s for-sure there but no, it’s all about that perfect,” a pause. “Lighting!” just to make sure we hear it again.

Creatively Confident Checklist

Aside from an eye for splendour, Adnan’s managed to dip his hands into many other creative areas, encouraged by his immediate interest and supported by those who adore his work. “People loved it, whichever art form I did. When I did animation, I made sure I was the best at it at the time. When I did Graphics, it was the same case. I’m also into film-making: moving images can show so much more.” Photography won however, and here he is now. When asked about his most challenging experience yet, he brushes it aside saying he’s never felt that way, not even once. He’s confident in his time shooting as well as having been exposed to many different situations that he finds himself able to tackle and handle what comes his way. Recounting an old experience, he tells us: “I once got call from an agency about a shoot for a client on a yacht, and other minor details. When I went to the location, I found out it was

a big name jewellery brand. I had to shoot their products on the model, who flew from out of the country just for it! With no stylist and no idea about the timing they had, it fell on me to handle it. And you know what? It went really well! They loved it.”

Flashes of the Future

With a collection of hundreds of JPEGs, Adnan’s still unassuming about everything that’s happened so far. He doesn’t think of what he does as achievements, but a process of evolution. While all he dreams of is getting into more editorial work, he says that when it comes down to it, what he’s done is follow his passions and watched where it lead him. “I love meeting new people everyday through what I do. I’ve never thought of a legacy to leave behind. I’ve still got a long way to go and whatever happens; happens. I let my photos speak for themselves.” He does have notes to mention to anyone interested and adamant enough to advise any up-and-coming photographer, however. And of course, one of them deals with his favourite tool. “A tip? If you love those crazy plug-ins that make your picture look great, just make your own preset out of it so it gives you your own signature style. But most importantly, please don’t go overboard with the retouching.” He sternly adds, “It won’t make you any different from the thousand other new digital photographers coming in every day. Learn more about the equipment you use, and definitely, about lighting!” There’s never a dull moment with this guy, that’s for sure.

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FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY | Addy Adnan

“My passion and love for photography? It’s not just a career, it’s my lifestyle. I don’t just aim to make my models look beautiful in my pictures; I show them at their very best.” Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY | Amelia Johnson

Feeding theFilm Amelia Johnson

Amelia Johnson is the prime example that you can have your cake and eat it too. Specializing in portraits and food photography, she shows us that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams - and earn a living out of it. Born in the U.K., March 1983, self-taught Amelia has had no formal studies in photography, merely getting by through helping other photographers and teaching herself the basics through workshops with GPP, Creative Live, online courses, and simple observation. From then on, it’s been learning experience after learning experience. “I always thought that to be a professional photographer you had to have learnt to use a camera before you learnt to walk!” she exclaims. The early years weren’t as sensational as people would like to think, either. Starting from the bottom, she recalls having to do many things to get to where she is today; assisting photographers full time was quite the first step. “Carrying bags, making coffee, cutting vegetables and schlepping around industrial plants in the 50 degree heat. It was far from glamorous, but I was hooked,” she poignantly remembers. “I knew very quickly that I’d found my purpose.” In the classic better-late-than-never motivation, she first started her camera trail five years ago doing a course in Gulf Photos Plus. She speaks fondly of the people who were the major motivators in the early stages. “Mohammed Somji at Gulf Photo Plus, and my husband, Alex, were instrumental in encouraging me that I could become a pro.” Along the way, she found many others who would continue to help and inspire her in her venture, benefitting from when she would assist Graham Tooby and Katarina Premfors right down to an American History of Photography Professor, Jeff Curto, who she informs us puts all his lectures and course notes online for anyone to access. “I bought the text books and followed one of his courses, and learnt a lot from him about appreciating the art of photography.” And for those who she’d like to emulate as she grows? “I aspire to the work of Chris Court and Katie Quinn Davies.”

A True Career Path

“I am making money from something that I absolutely LOVE. That is my biggest achievement in my mind!” She reveals that in order to assert herself as a photographer, her husband would advise her to tell others she was a photographer long before she got paid for her first job - and it seemed to do the trick. You’ve got to talk the talk, walk the walk and snap the shot, as it were, and it definitely helped when you were confident enough that others could see it. It all came full circle when one of her clients booked her for a second job. “It was a defining moment for me.”, she notes. And thus, she became a professional - but takes the term on its basic level. To her, being a professional doesn’t immediately mean that you’re taking beautiful photos. “There are plenty of pros out there making money from subpar photography…” she reminds us. To her, this is what separates the terminology of an amateur hobbyist and a professional. “I don’t think there’s a rule. You’re a professional if you’re making money from photography, right?” Since then, it’s been quite the journey. Living and working in Dubai hasn’t stopped her from travelling Gulliver-style around the word from Brazil to Bangladesh, to Bahrain and Madagascar. Aside from being shortlisted for HIPA 2013, she’s also been published in the London Financial Times - twice! She’s taken so many photos in the few years she’s been active that she can’t even recall what her first photo was. Regardless of that, she continues her full-forward march adapting to the ever-changing photography landscape finding her signature style. “My photography has a very editorial feel which is the direction the food photography industry is moving in London and New York. I shoot mostly flash, but make it look like natural light,” she shares all while lamenting, “finding good quality, consistent, natural light in the UAE is tricky!”

“I find photography to be my passport into unusual places that I would never normally get to go. I meet different people every day and I get to collaborate with some super talented and inspirational people.”

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FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY | Amelia Johnson Tech it Out!

It isn’t all just a point-&-shoot game when it comes to her workload. Being a food photographer isn’t always just what angle makes the food look the best in and the hardest thing she ever had to do isn’t what you would think it is. “Shooting curvy glasses with liquid in them. Agh!” she grumbles. “I know some people enjoy this kind of challenge but it’s not my cup of tea.” she jokes. Aside from lighting, she sometimes also relies on postprocessing when she deems it necessary and integral to the shot. “I started incorporating it from the very beginning. You have to learn both at the same time. There is so much to learn.” To Amelia, post-processing isn’t simply an option you can simply choose to ignore

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anymore, and while she herself enjoys taking a photo more than editing it out later with your basic retouching, she’s not blind to its importance. “For sure, there’s no getting away from it, and it is often an incredibly useful and valuable tool.” When we ask about how she manages her workflow, she notes that she’s all about efficiency. “I shoot tethered into lightroom. I then do basic processing to the whole image, colour correction, sats, contrast, etc. before taking it into Photoshop to do work on different parts of the image.” And not leaving anything out, it’s no joke to better be safe than sorry. “I save my images as TIFFs and Jpegs. Then I back up. Three times!”

Next Chapter

You’d think that someone who has worked with a multitude of clients such the BBC Good Food Magazine, Jumeirah Group, and St. Regis Group, to name a few, would be content with what they’re currently doing now, but no. Amelia’s got her sights on shooting a cookbook. “Preferably a travel one.” Her desire brimming. “I also want to do more pro bono work.” Adding on before the close, she shares her tip for anyone interested in food photography in a simple sentence: “Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. Read. Look.” Let’s just hope we’re luckier and won’t always have to come across curvy glasses here and there on the way to the top. Want to get in touch with Amelia and have her capture you on film or just browse through more of her work? Get in touch through these channels:

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY | Amelia Johnson

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

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TIPS | SIX Quick Tips for Those Scrumptious Shots

SIX Quick Tips for Those Scrumptious Shots You’ve already heard the phrase one too many times, and now you’re about to hear it again. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” Since the dawn of whenever high-quality camera smartphones became public access, everyone and their second cousins twice-removed have felt an uncontrollable urge to snap a soup bowl. But fret not, if you’ve got that genuine interest of wanting to shoot a really palatable photo that you want others to drool over too, check out these tips on how to:

Photo Courtesy by Amelia Johnson Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

One.

Quality Purchases

So you’re planning on a daring choice: clicking a salad, let’s say. Just like you would if you were making it to begin with, you need to get ingredients that look healthy. If your food’s skin, for instance, has got a couple of flaws on it, trust that the camera will make sure your reader/eater sees them in HD. If angling the food can’t fix it, you’ll need to learn how to be really picky with your pickles. Bonus sub-tip: If you’re shooting with veggies, sprinkle a bit of water or glaze them with some olive oil to make them look a lot fresher.

Two. Utilize Utensils

Don’t forget your cutlery, those bowls, plates, or even the actual ingredients used to make the food. While I wouldn’t recommend throwing them all together in one photo - pick and choose what works well with the type of food you want to capture. It adds a more realistic touch to your image that doesn’t make it look like it was just cooked for a click.

Four. K.I.S.S.

Though the 4th “S” might just be for a desert dish, keep it simple and sweet. The focus of your camera should be on the food itself, unless you’re planning a panorama of a buffet, don’t include things that don’t add anything to the photo or take away from the subject at hand: the edge of a table, a half-drunk glass, crumpled tissues, etc. This also applies to the actual food itself: if part of the meal doesn’t really look good to you, only show a certain portion of it that does; that’s when you need to get creative with your angles.

Five.

Angle Here, Angle There Don’t just stick to one perspective when shooting the meal. While you want to show the food at its best, a different view of it is a nice refreshing change from the norm: cycle through clicking from above, or even from the edge.

Simplicity comes into play here again - if you can, don’t over-embellish the meal with fancy forks, or crazy patterned bowls - you want to make the food stand out, not drown in the container. Mind you, it goes without saying but make sure all your tableware is perfectly clean. Taking us back to tip #1, if the flaws in your food can be magnified, the flaws on a plate close up won’t be any different.

Six.

Three.

A couple of bubbles boiling, a knife slicing up those carrots julienne, or even defrosting meat under a stream of water if you can do it, showing the process of preparing a meal is sometimes more interesting than showing the final dish. This helps people appreciate the meal more when they see the effort put into making it.

Let There be Light!

We can’t illuminate this point enough; good lighting will make or break a photo - one of food isn’t an exception. A beam of light, when placed at a desirable angle (usually from behind) showcases all of what the food has to offer - from the smoke emanating from that meal, to even the contents of a clam chowder. This is because the angle of the light can add or subtract depth from the image, rendering the food more appetizing or just flat and tasteless if done incorrectly.

Show the Process

And while you’re at it, add a human touch (no, not to the meal), a photo of a hand ready to toss in a pinch of salt, not only adds flavour to a dish, but a real and personal touch to your photo. Bonus sub-tip: Fully cooking something usually shrivels up the ingredients. It may seem strange, but if you want to keep your food photos looking plump and enticing, you might want to consider taking them out a bit early, clicking it, and then putting them back in to finish cooking. Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

VANTAGE POINT |

Nikon D4s Review

Nikon D4s Review by: Subodh Shetty

If I had to cut the drama and speak to the point, being as advanced as it is, one may look at D4s as a shortcut to amazing photographs, but no. Like they say, “the camera is as good as the photographer” - D4s lives on that principle. To put it clearly, it’s not about how good the D4s is; it’s about how well you handle it to justify owning one.

How do I describe it?

How about with some drama: D4s needs no introduction, no approval for its presence, and no justification for its price tag. It is the King of all the DSLRs in the market. It demands respect by its sheer presence and makes other DSLRs look like dwarves not just through its size but also through its performance.

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When Nikon MEA offered me the D4s for a test ride, I was quite excited about it, given that I was travelling to Nepal for a photography trip. But it also made me a bit worried, since I was also carrying my Nikon D800 along. Having two heavy bodies with Nikkor lenses didn’t seem like a wise choice for street photography in terms of both safety and backbreaking weight. But now when I look back at the images, it all seems worth it. Nikon D4s is one of those cameras which have been crafted with the utmost care to fit into a professional’s hand. Everything about it is just about right. Before I begin the review, I would like to make it very clear: I am not one of those who would pixel peep on images, who would care for sharpness which could cut through diamonds, who would care if the images have noise; simply, I don’t really mean to review the camera in the technical term of a lab-geek but would instead, like to share my hands-on experiences with the camera in a more personal way.

Build Quality: Any pro-level camera is meant to be built like a tank. That’s one of the most important criteria, given these cameras go through hell. D4s stands up to the challenge with its tough magnesium alloy and fully weather-sealed body. Perhaps the ‘S’ in D4s also stands for SOLID. In Nepal, I was caught in the middle of a storm; tourists around me ran for shelter but I couldn’t miss shooting the picturesque waterfall known as “The Devil’s Fall”. One of the curious/concerned locals walked up to me to check if I was out of my mind to be shooting in the storm. In his words, “Camera looks expensive; you should take care of it!” (Little did he know it was a D4s). After 15 minutes under the downpour, I eventually gave up, but D4s on the other hand was unharmed. Another note, the D4s feels much more comfortable to handle compared to other DSLRs that I’ve used so far, including the D800.

Sensor: As per lab tests done by the tech-savvy (which I still fail to understand), the D4s is the best performing sensor to date of any DSLR for hi-iso performance. 16.2MP is a very decent resolution producing easy-to-handle file size and thereby not being a pain in terms of storage, unlike the D800, which produces mammoth files (not that I’m complaining, though). There’s no compromise as far as the details of the image are concerned, 16.2MP maintains a clear balance between the highlights and the shadows but not as much dynamic range as the D800/D610 sensors. But remember, the megapixel war is totally insignificant to a pro-photographer but much more significant to a camera owner, if you know what I mean.

Low Light Performance: Nikon top range cameras are known for their amazing low-light capabilities and the D4s sits proudly on the throne as the new king of low light. The D4s’ noise performance is significant compared to other cameras in market. Though I found no need to push it to its extreme, ISO up to 25600 produced images that were worth using. 1000 is the new 100 for the D4s as far as the ISO is concerned. D4s boasts an ISO Hi4 that equals to (hold your breath) ISO 409,600. I took one shot at that ISO just for fun and that’s about it. Frankly speaking, it’s totally unusable. Or maybe not, those images could be done as a modern art equivalent in photography; there’s always an excuse. Practically speaking, ISO 25600 is where the limit ends (almost). Above that, they are just numbers.

VANTAGE POINT |

Nikon D4s Review

Autofocus: This is what I’m actually most keen about in a camera. The focusing speed of D4s is the best of any camera I’ve ever used - it’s as good as it gets. Autofocus continuous (AF-C) on 3D focus tracking is simply a joy to work with and it’s nearly impossible to miss the focus, no matter how quick the subject moves. If I had to point out one single reason to buy the D4s, it would be the too-good-tobe-true autofocus system. There are more permutations and combinations to work with in the AF system like the all-new group area autofocus, wherein you have option to choose a cluster of 5 AF points to focus on.

FPS: First thing I did when I got the D4s was the music test. 11fps is nothing short of a symphony, but that’s not the reason why it exists. For a sports/wildlife photographer, this would be one of the most important features of the camera. The best part of 11fps is the amazing feature, which lets the camera individually focus and meter each of those 11 shots in milliseconds. The camera can go on shooting at this speed for up to 210 images. Now imagine, 210 images in 20 seconds – all of them individually focused and metered – all thanks to the all-new EXPEED 4 processer, which is quicker than the blink of an eye!

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Body Details: Some say beauty lies in the details. Small tweaks on the D4s, which may not sound significant, but it sure does add to the value of it. Most of these are carried forward from the D4, but nevertheless they have been refined a bit. For instance, I totally love the backlit buttons of the D4s. It makes it very convenient to use at night. Keep in mind the audio-notes function of the D4s may come in handy for a working photographer.

Conclusion: For a pro-photographer, investing in a Nikon D4s is a no-brainer. It’s fast, reliable, tough and so much more. For a serious hobbyist, the price tag may prove to be a barrier. It’s much more expensive than a Nikon D800, which in itself is a very good investment. It all boils down to the genre of photography one follows. If aspects like the FPS and Low light performance, top notch AF is what matters, then the D4s is a winner any day. For landscapes, architecture, studio work, and the like, the D800’s dynamic range and megapixel power would do more justice. However, if you’re considering upgrading to a D4s from a D4, I’d say go for it – as long as you have mucho dinero to spare.

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

WORKSHOP | Light Shaping

Light Shaping Workshop The venue: Light House Studio; the date: May 10th, 2014. At 11am on a nice Saturday morning, organizers from Advanced Media had begun a free light-shaping workshop fronted by professional fashion and beauty photographer Andrea Belluso, otherwise known as Profoto’s Light Shaper. The one-day workshop focused exclusively on light – both its theories and behaviours. From its morning start to evening end at 6:00pm, all the guests were provided with a thorough hands-on session regarding Profoto’s key light shaping tools ranging from Reflectors (Zoom, Soflight, NarrowBeam), Telezoom and Widezoom, Magnum, Hardbox, CineReflector to ProRing, Softboxes, down to Umbrellas. With more than 70 people having attended the workshop, the event organizers and professionals were successfully able to convey the precise information for the proper usage of Profoto light-shaping tools.

Workshop by Andrea “The Light Shaper” Belluso Profoto & Advanced Media Andrea Belluso is an Italian photographer based in London and in Stockholm where he has his studio. He started working in London in 1983 when he did his first job for Italian Condé Nast. Since then he has had Paris and Milan as home bases. Feeling at home both in the studio and on location his long list of international clients has made him travel all over the world on commissioned shoots. Andrea Belluso also holds lectures and seminars across the Globe and he is also known as “the Light Shaper” by the main photographic lighting company in the world Profoto because of his unique expertise in photographic lighting. Apart from his commercial work Andrea also publishes photographic art books and holds photographic art exhibitions.

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METTLE 4 BULB KIT What Includes: 2pcs Softbox 50x70cm 2pcs Light Stand 2pcs 4 Socket Converters 8pcs 35W Bulb (5500k) 1 Carrying Bag M2832-5070 – AED 750.

NiceFoto LED Continuous lights Product Description: It is a new kind of LED light, which always compatible to Bowens S-type. With the light you not only get standard color temperature, and bright light, but also add some accessories, to make exciting effect. Model: LED-1000B LED-1500B Input Power: 100W 150W Input Voltage: AC90-240V Color Temperature: 5500K±200K Power Regulation: Stepless dimming(0%-100%) digital display Heat-dissipating method: Silent electric fan Luminous flux(LM): 11000LM 15000LM Weight: 3.5kg 3.5KG

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

RANDOM CLICKS “A photo means something more than to be kept hidden.” If you have photos that you feel the world needs to see, send us a copy through info@fullframemag.com and we’ll gladly publish it for you.

WORKSHOP | Mastering Creative Lighting

Mastering Creative Lighting

On the 23rd and 24th of May, Photowalk Dubai hosted a creative-lighting workshop featuring Dave Brosha at the Nikon School. This event, the combined effort of both Photowalk Dubai and DP Photography, was supported by Nikon Middle East & Africa, SCube Events and Fullframe Photography Magazine.

About Dave Brosha:

Dave Brosha is a critically-acclaimed and highly accomplished photographer hailing from Canada. Harboring a passion for the world and an eye for the beauty it contains, he is on a permanent journey to seek out and capture the splendor of nature – whether it lie in the magnificence of the most extreme environments or in the emotion behind a person’s most personal moments. With ample experience in commercial, personal, and landscape photography, his personal affiliations and representations include the First Light Agency, Getty Images, National Geographic, and the Canadian Press for which he is a freelance photographer. Dave has also been published in numerous media outlets including: CNN, Reader’s Digest, Outside Magazine, ABC News, The Huffington Post, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Sky At Night (BBC), The Today Show, the Daily Telegraph, Up Here, Yukon: North of Ordinary, the CBC, the Vancouver Sun, Above & Beyond, Outdoor Photography Canada, Adventure Kayak, and CTV. To add to the icing on the cake, Dave’s impressive client list has also included the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Ford Motors, BHP Billiton, Harry Winston, the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Montreal Planetarium.

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

One Day Workshop by Dave Brosha | Photowalk Dubai Workshop Details:

The workshop started off with an inspiring talk from Dave Brosha passionately welcoming the attendees into his world of photography, after which he went into a detailed introduction into the various lighting equipments and technicalities flashes, triggers, diffusers, reflectors, TTL / manual flash control, high-speed sync intro and other related topics. This was followed by a practical session for studio lighting with professional models. The session progressed from one-flash tutorials onto two and three flashes to create dramatic images. Once the basic idea of lights were conveyed to the students, more powerful strobes and various diffusers ranging from softboxes, to Octa, to beauty dish were brought in. This was further expanded on through explanations of the different ways to control light with various techniques ranging from in-camera controls, flashes to diffusers and a detailed session on using TTL/Manual modes and high speed sync all of which was held during the pre-lunch session. The Post-lunch session was dedicated to outdoor shoots which mainly tackled the mixing of ambient lights with the flashes/strobes to create striking photographs. Dave provided each student with on-location hands-on-training. The latter part of the workshop dealt with editing tips and tricks from Dave, which included detailed sessions featuring the dos and don’ts of editing and more techniques to achieve better postprocessing results. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Nikon Middle East & Africa. Photowalk Dubai would like to wholeheartedly thank Team Nikon MEA for all the immense support and effort they have put in to make this workshop a success. Special thanks to the event associates DP Photography, SCube Events and Fullframe Photography Magazine for taking care of all the behind-the-scenes work, they really sweat it out!

For more information on such workshops and photowalks, please feel free to join Photowalk Dubai at https://www.facebook.com/groups/photowalkdubai/. Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

WORKSHOP |

Wedding Photography

Wedding Photography Workshop

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

Once again FullFrame Photography Magazine together with Fuji Film Middle East headed by its new General Manager Mr. Yuta Kawamura joined by his team Mr. Mohamad Al Moumani, Technical Manager and Fuji Film Japan Mr. Shusuke Kosaki joined by more than 70 photographers held its first workshop for 2014 at Emirates Aviation College. Mr. Alvin Mark Buen, an Abu Dhabi based Wedding Photographer shared his workflow to the participants and guided them during the actual shooting of the models. Mr. Chris Calumberan one of the Fuji Film Middle East Ambassadors discussed the technical aspect of FujiFilm Cameras.

FullFrame would like to acknowledge the support and participation of the following persons: Make-Up Artist: Darwin Perez from IKP HMUA & Ken Corsino Models: Ola Ruestra, Nicole, Ken Corsino & Suhaid al Azzawi Volunteers: Chino Marfax, Thomas Heussaff, Ashley Adriatico, Marlon Linang, Dennis Ong Venue Coordinator: Ronald Awa

Vol 02 | Iss 15 | 2014

RANDOM CLICKS|

Photo by: Alvin Peralta

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Photographers Gallery

Photo by: Debbie Fortes

Photo by: Tex Bacalian

S t ro k e s m a g a z in e

BEAUTY BITES

The Best Buy in Town and where to Find Them!

Face O f f Proper W

STYLE!FASHIO

ay of Applying Make-U p

SUCCESS

EXTRA ORDINAR Y TIPS FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE

ISSUE 1 VOLUME

THE ULTIMATE

BEAUTY GUIDE

STROKES the new magazine in town to be launch by the same team who brings you FULLFRAME PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE! STROKES will cater to all the men and women in U.A.E. who loves beauty and fashion. Its aim is to educate on the ways and means of beautifying ‘one’s self and self-improvement. It’s designed for all ages and nationalities, it is easy to read- easy to carry magazine. It will entertain you, fascinate you, guide you and at the same time teach you!

SOON in UAE! Credits: Photographer: Royce Aldrich Ceanteno HMUA: Ivy Kep Peralta | Darwin Perez

“TAKE THE PROFESSIONAL ROUTE”

99 3,3avigator D AE ColorN des inclu

EIZO ColorEdge

CS230-CN Monitor 23" (58 cm) Hardware Calibration LCD Monitor

Designed for entry-level users in the photography/creative field, EIZO’s color-accurate sRGB monitor will make you feel like a pro nonetheless. The 16-bit LUT-enabled CS230-CN monitor offers professional featuress like automatic color adjustment and comes bundled with EIZO's patented ColorNavigator software that can help even enthusiasts deliver professional results.

• Integrated front sensor for self-correction to get stable color reproduction after calibration • Accurate color display from a 16-bit look-up table (LUT) that covers more than one billion colors • 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio for superior image quality right down to the last detail • Digital Uniformity Equalizer (DUE) for homogeneous luminance distribution and color purity • Optional shading hood and external sensor to get higher end results • DVI-I, HDMI, DisplayPort, 2x USB upstream ports, 2x USB downstream ports

Eizo is renowned around the globe as one of the best producers of professional grade monitors. The brand has three main selections for graphics: Flexscan for basic use, Flexscan Premium for higher end graphical and photo editing, and ColorEdge monitors for the highest quality results. Visit Eizo.com to know more.

Visit Our Showroom: IDN SAL, 2107, HDS Tower, Cluster ‘F’, JLT, Dubai, UAE | +971-4-4433413 | www.idnsal.com | eizocolorpro@idnsal.com