Better Photography November 2010 Issue Preview

CM YK

SHOOTING classical dances • enter now: INDIA’S BIGGEST PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

www.betterphotography.in

ial ! 0 ec up 01 Sp und A 2 Ro OKIN OT PH

November 2010 • Rs. 100

PHOTOGRAPHY AT NIGHT • PHOTOKINA 2010 ROUNDUP – NEWS & PREVIEWS • REVIEWED: NIKON D3100

Better Technique. Better Insight. Better Pictures

Discover the magical ways in which you can shoot the moon

FASCINATING SHOTS AT

Creative ideas and simple techniques to capture lights, bokeh & moonscapes

Vol. 14 • No. 6 • November 2010

Exclusiv e

Preview s Sony Alp ha 33, P

anason Sony NEX ic LUMIX GH2, –3 Panason cameras and ic 100–30 0mm & 14mm lenses!

On Assignment

Capturing the drama and high energy of rock concerts

GREAT MASTERS

Photo artist Ralph Gibson on his quest to ‘be pure’

How to

Shoot stunning star trails with your basic SLR camera

CM YK

PROFILE

The story of visually impaired Evgen Bav ar

EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS Nikon D3100 Sony H55 Panasonic TZ10 Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G

November 2010

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94

SnapShots

GearGuide

24

Website Review www.photofunia.com

26

Book Review Dayanita Singh

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News and views from the world’s biggest photography exhibition

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CM YK

OT PH

BeTTer PHOTOGraPHY

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Ial ! 0 ec uP 01 SP uNd Na 2 rO OKI

November 2010 • rs. 100

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH2 An efficient upgrade of a popular video DSLR

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Sony Alpha NEX-3 New challenger on the mirrorless circuit

PHOTOGRAPHY AT NIGHT • PHOTOKINA 2010 ROUNDUP – NEWS & PREVIEWS • REVIEWED: NIKON D3100

52

better Technique. better Insight. better Pictures

Sony A33 The world’s first SLT!

48 ON THE COVER SHOOTING claSSIcal daNceS • eNTer NOw: INdIa’S BIGGeST PHOTOGraPHY awardS

Preview

Discover the magical ways in which you can shoot the moon

FASCINATING SHOTS AT

Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 100–300mm f/45.6 MEGA OIS Ideal telephoto lens for Micro Four Thirds users

Creative ideas and simple techniques to capture lights, bokeh & moonscapes

VOl. 14 • NO. 6 • NOVEmbER 2010

excluSIve

PrevIew S

Sony Panason alpha 33, Sony Nex ic lumIx GH2, –3 Panason cameras and ic 100– & 14mm 300mm lenses!

ON aSSIGNmeNT

Capturing the drama and high energy of rock concerts

GreaT maSTerS

Photo artist Ralph Gibson on his quest to ‘be pure’

HOw TO

Shoot stunning star trails with your basic SlR camera

PrOFIle

The story of visually impaired Evgen bav ar

photograph: Gan-Ulzii G Design: pradeep kumar B nambiar CM YK

EXClUSIVE REVIEWS Nikon D3100 Sony H55 Panasonic TZ10 Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G

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Panasonic LUMIX G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH Tiny, fast and wide!

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test

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Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ10 Feature-rich, but is that going to be enough?

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Sony Cybershot H55 A competent superzoom

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ACDSee Pro 3 An efficient workflow management system

Nikon D3100 Is this the best entrylevel DSLR to date?

Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.4G ED lens How does one improve a legendary lens?

InFocus

112

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BetterPictures

80 86

SHOOTING TECHNIQUE

To the Moon and Back Interesting ways to capture the charisma of the moon Bonkers for Bokeh Shoot gorgeous out-of-focus lights for a cinematic look!

ShowCase

112

Profile

Evgen Bavcar An inspiring tale of a visually challeged photographer

118 Ajay Hirani 120 Ralph Gibson

PhotoFinish

190 A Flash in the Pan 192 BeyondEarth DIFFERENT STROKES

History

The origins of astrophotography

MY BEST SHOT

GREAT MASTERS

194

STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE

Earth from Outer Space

A legendary photo artist who aims to leave his mark on all his images

90 94

CAll for entries for Poy 2010

ON ASSIGNMENT

In the Midst of Music Capturing the drama, high energy and lights at rock concerts A Stage In Frames Shooting the different moods and expressions of classical dance.

102 Experiment with White TIPS & TRICKS

Balance, shoot at forts and even grass

India’s biggest photography awards are back - Page No. 56

CAll for entries for WPoy 2010

128 Dhiraj Singh PHOTO FEATURE

A personal documentation of the effect of a natural disaster

The second edition of India’s biggest wedding photography awards - Page No. 72

Regulars Feedback.............................................................12 PHOTOCRITIQUE................................................... 98 Q & A..................................................................106 1000 WORDS........................................................126 Your Pictures...................................................132 BP Buyer’s Guide............................................... 176

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Lowepro Adventura Bags Lowepro has introduced a new series of toploading bags Adventura TLZ 15 and TLZ 25. This is an extension of the company’s Adventura shoulder bag series. It is designed to fit in a wide range of DSLRs and is fully padded. It has a tricot lining to protect the LCD screens and lenses from scratches.

The overlap zipper of the camera has a rainflap lid to protect the camera from dust, sand and rain.

The design of the bag is meant to make it easy for a photographer to grab their gear and shoot. It also has dedicated pockets for memory cards and storing filters, small accessories or personal items.

LensBaby Scout with Fisheye

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Lensbaby has released the Scout, a manual focus fisheye SLR camera lens. This is the first lens from Lensbaby that does not bend.

The Scout has a 12mm Fisheye lens. It functions as a circular fisheye lens on a full frame camera, while non-full frame users will only get some vignetting at the corners of the image.

Interestingly, the Scout uses aberrations to give a creative feel to the photos. It adds a lens flare effect that brightens the edges of the photos. One can also use the other Lensbaby Optics along with the Scout. The lens with Fisheye optics is priced at USD 249.95 (approx. Rs. 11,000)

Leica M9 Neiman Marcus Edition The Leica M9 Neiman Marcus Edition is a special edition of its digital full frame rangefinder camera.

The camera has a silver finishing and it is covered with brown ostrich leather along with a strap. Only 50 such editions have been produced. Each camera is numbered and can be personalised too.

Magnum Photographers Celebrate Indian Women

Alex Webb

Patrick Zachmann

This photograph of taxi drivers Hasina Sheikh and Nazleen Babusheikh is a part of Magnum Photos’ Women Changing India.

Members of the all-woman panchayat of Undil village discuss local issues with villagers at a Gram Sabha meeting in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.

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focused on was how the women in India are coping with such changes. Women in India have been entering male-dominated professions, be it in the field of business, in Bollywood as editors or choreographers, or even as taxi drivers.

For instance, one of the stories captured

by Alex Webb include that of Hasina Sheikh, a woman taxi driver who works for Mumbai-based taxi company called For She, which only hires women chauffers.

The photographs will be published in the form of a book called Women Changing India.

Over the next two months, they will also be exhibited in the following cities.

• Mumbai: 22 October–1 November, National Center for the Performing arts (NPCA) • Delhi: 24 October–2 November, Visual Art Gallery Habitat Center • Kochi: 11 November–21 November, venue to be decided • Chennai: 20 November–28 November, Lalit Kala Academy • Kolkata: 4 December–16 December, Tagore Center

egendary photographers from Magnum Photos had been commissioned to photograph women in India, and the project will be showcased in a travelling exhibition over the next few months. The event is being organised to commemorate 150 years of BNP Paribas, a global banking group.

Magnum is an internationally renowned co-operative that includes some of the best photographers in the world, and are conducting this event to commemorate 150 years of BNP Paribas, a global banking group.

The photographers who have shot for this initiative include international photographers like Alex Webb, Olivia Arthur, Martine Franck, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Patrick Zachmann and Indian photojournalist Raghu Rai. The photographers aimed to interpret the theme Women Changing India, by portraying the lives of Indian women and their struggle for achievements in technology, their career aspirations and access to life in public spaces. One of the significant areas that was

When you make four-hour exposures in the middle of the night, you inevitably slow down and begin to observe and appreciate more what’s going on around you. In our fast-paced, modern world, it’s a luxury to be able to watch the stars move across the sky.

Michael Kenna (1953) Michael Kenna is an English photographer best known for his black and white landscapes. The scenes he captures are serene and mysterious—even haunting, at times. By shooting at dawn or at night, Kenna uses light in create a near surreal and supernatural feel. In 2000, the Ministry of Culture in France made him a Chevalier (a rank of honour) in the Order of Arts and Letters.

Better Photography

Image source: Wirtz Gallery

November 2010

s napshots

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Redrock microEVF for Video DSLRs Redrock Micro has announced the launch of microEVF, an electronic viewfinder for DSLR cameras. The microEVF claims to be the first electronic viewfinder that is specially designed from scratch, for DSLR cameras that shoot HD video.

It is an external electronic viewfinder that connects to the camera body and can be placed anywhere for ease in shooting and stability.

Filmmakers can use the microEVF as a part of a multi-monitor solution too. The backlit LED of the micro EVF has a low power requirement, with a battery life of over 10 hours. Although the device is designed specially for HDSLRs, it works with any video camera with HD output. The cost of the complete device is estimated to be USD 595 (approx. Rs. 26,000)

Kingston Ultimate 600x CF card

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Kingston Digital, Inc. has announced the release of its CompactFlash Ultimate 600x memory card. The Ultimate 600x supports UDMA mode 6 and it has a read/write speed of up to 90MB/sec. This makes it fast enough to support high-end digital cameras that shoot at speeds of 9 or 10fps or record Full HD video. The Ultimate 600x also gives you access to a freely downloadable data recovery software from MediaRECOVER. The cards are available in 16GB and 32GB and have lifetime warranty and free live technical support. For more information visit www.kingston.com/india

Arca-Swiss announces Rm2d and Rm3di Arca-Swiss announced the release of two cameras – Rm2d and Rm3di at photokina. The Rm3di comes with a detachable front that can be rotated 90 degrees. The camera can be configured to have a front swing instead of front tilt. It offers self-locking geared AIP (All In Plane) in vertical and lateral shifts. It also allows users to move from portrait to landscape format without adjusting the viewfinder or the back.

At 700g, the Rm2d is lighter than its predecessors. It has its own AIP vertical shift.

The +/- 15mm manual vertical shift makes quick stitching possible; the vertical shift of +20-10mm takes place micrometrically. The camera is compatible with all leading digital and film backs.

Listed prices are USD 3950 (approx Rs. 1.80 lakhs) for the Rm3di and USD 3100 (approx Rs. 1.40 lakhs) for the Rm2d.

Better Photography

Indian Wins Honorable Mention in IPA 2010 K untal Paul, Senior Project Manager, Infosys Technologies Limited has received three Honorable Mention awards in the Non-Professional categories of the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2010. The IPA are organised annually by Lucie Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to encourage and exhibit photographers of all styles and genres.

Three of Paul’s photographs—Artisans of Raghurajpur, Portrait of tribal women of Orissa, India and Interior of Royal Palaces of Rajasthan—received the Honorable Mention in Lifestyle, Portrait and Interior categories respectively. This is the third

Kuntal Paul

This image received an Honourable Mention in the Lifestyle category at the International Photography Awards 2010 year in a row that his photographs have received this honour at the IPA.

Arko Datta, Dhiraj Singh Launch Photo School

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ward-winning photographers Arko Datta and Dhiraj Singh have launched Udaan, a school dedicated to the art and science of photography. Udaan is based in Mumbai. Considering the dearth of photography institutions in India, this photo school by these two eminent photojournalists is a welcome initiative.

The school aims at providing extensive education in both photojournalism and commercial photography. According to the two founders, the course at Udaan has been designed to cater to all levels of expertise in photography—from absolute beginners and serious enthusiasts to aspiring professionals who wish to fine tune their craft and learn new skills. The school will educate students on new ways of seeing, technical aspects and postprocessing too.

The faculty at Udaan will include Datta, Singh and other professionals like Ritam Banerjee and Yogesh Bhandary. The school also plans to conduct workshops. For more details, log on to www.udaan.net.in.

Goa Photographer Gets International Honour C handar Gaonkar, a photographer from Panaji, has received an honour from the India International Photographic Council (IIPC), Delhi. Gaonkar has been inducted by the IIPC to a Licentiateship (LIIPC). Significantly, he is the first photographer from Goa to be a part of the LIIPC. He has received this honour for a set of photographs that he had submitted to the Pictorial Photography section.

In the past, Gaonkar has achieved many certificates of merit in both national and international photography contests.

Chandar Gaonkar

This image is from the set of photographs that inducted Gaonkar into the LIIPC. November 2010

GearGuide How We Test Product Categorisation We first segregate products into categories for the purpose of equitability in testing.

The DSLR is divided into entry-level, semi-professional and professional categories.

For compacts, we distinguish between advanced and basic compact cameras. Similarly, we also test consumer and pro lenses, flashguns, printers, and other photographic accessories and gear.

The Process We primarily test for features, performance, build, ergonomics, warranty and support. While this remains constant, the weightage we give to these parameter differs from category to category, because different types of consumers have diverse expectations from products.

Final Ratings Under each main parameter, we 46 list out hundreds of individual variables (for eg. colour accuracy for individual colours in different lighting, individual features, dynamic range, center-to-edge definition, light fall-off, etc.) against which we either give points or simply mark ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Thus, we arrive at a score for that parameter, and then, the final score, denoted as a percentage.

Additionally, based on the current pricing of a product, a star rating for ‘Value for Money’ is considered. Value for Money does not affect the final percentage, because prices for products change constantly.

Our Seals of Approval Any product that scores 80% or higher in individual tests gets ‘BP Recommended’—a seal test of approval from our team. In comparison tests, we also tag products as ‘BP Best Performer’ and ‘BP Best Value for Money’.

BP Excellence Awards At the end of the calendar year, the five highest rated products in each category automatically gets nominated for the ‘Better Photography Excellence Awards’.

A panel of experts then decide the winners. This is BP’s recognition of the very best products launched in the course of the year, and the companies that made them.

Better Photography

Sony Alpha 33

Budget Speed Demon In an exclusive preview, K Madhavan Pillai uses the A33, the world’s first DSLT, and finds out what has Sony so excited.

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ony’s growth in the DSLR market must be viewed with some interest. While no one gave them much of a chance a few years ago, they have come out with cameras that have caught everyone’s attention.

Sony announced two cameras that look like DSLRs, but are not quite the same.

The A33 and A55 are the world’s first digital SLT (Single Lens Translucent) cameras. I got my hands on the A33 during the first few days of photokina 2010.

The SLT technology is great for enabling highspeed shooting Reinventing the ‘SLR’ SLT It is first important to note what the and using word ‘Translucent’ means. Unlike DSLR autofocus cameras, an SLT camera’s mirror does not during video flip up and down. It is a translucent mirror capture. that reflects a small part of the light onto

the phase-detect AF sensor, with the rest of the light falling onto the imaging sensor.

What does this mean? Firstly, one can use phase-detect AF in Live View, which means quick autofocus during movie shooting. The AF speed during video shooting is excellent... not as fast as with still photography, but certainly the best amongst all the entry-level DSLRs we have tested so far.

Also, the fact that the mirror does not need to go up and down allows for some really fast shooting speeds. The A33 can go all the way up to 7fps, again making it the fastest in this category of cameras.

And it does all of this with live view on!

Focus seems to match up to the shooting speed, but we will have to wait for the final production piece for a full review. november 2010

preview

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Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH2

The Video DSLR, Improved

During Better Photography’s recent visit to photokina 2010, we got the opportunity to lay our hands on the latest Micro Four Thirds camera from Panasonic, the LUMIX DMC-GH2. Shridhar Kunte recounts his experience.

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anasonic tasted great success with the GH1 because of the way in which it integrated both still and video functions. Until recently, it was the only HD video DSLR that allows you the use of AF while shooting video. The GH2 takes the video legacy further. The 1080i video is now derived from a 60 or 50fps capture, as compared to the GH1 that would shoot at 24 or 25fps and then upsample the video.

Moreover, the GH2 provides greater audio control as compared to the GH1.

High Resolution Sensor The GH2 has a has a multi-aspect sensor with an effective resolution of 16MP. Better Photography

S p e c i f i cat i o n C o m pa r i s o n Model Name

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH1

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH2

Sensor size, type

17.3 X 13mm, Live MOS sensor

17.3 X 13mm, Live MOS sensor

Effective pixels, max. image size

12.1 million pixels, 4000 X 3000

16 million pixels, 4608 X 3456

LCD

3-inch TFT LCD

3-inch touchscreen TFT LCD

ISO range

Auto, 100–3200

Auto, ISO 160–12,800

Shutterspeed

60–1/4000sec

60–1/4000sec

Metering modes

Intelligent Multiple / Spot Center Weighted

Intelligent Multiple / Spot Center Weighted

File formats

JPEG, RAW, AVCHD, MPEG

JPEG, RAW, AVCHD, MPEG

Battery

Li-ion

Li-ion

Storage

SD, SDHC

SD, SDHC, SDXC

Dimensions (W X H X D), weight

124 X 90 X 45mm, 385g

124 X 90 X 76 mm, 392g

november 2010

preview

Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 100–300mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS

Small Size, But Big Reach 52

Shridhar Kunte shares his initial impressions on the LUMIX G VARIO 100–300mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS, one of the three lenses announced by Panasonic during photokina

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ill date, there was no Micro Four Thirds lens from Panasonic to go really close to the action—until now. The new 100–300mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS lens from the company offers a focal length equivalent to 200–600mm (in 35mm parlance), making it a great choice for sports and wildlife photographers.

A Compact Bundle The lens has an optical construction that is designed to control chromatic aberration even while shooting against the light. While the lens is much smaller than a Nikon or Canon lens of a similar focal length, it is not as compact as Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds counterpart.

This is because Panasonic uses optical stabilisation, while Olympus has in-body stabilisation. To activate image stabilisation, the lens has a dedicated switch on its barrel.

The diaphragm is constructed around seven blades.

This telephoto zoom lens is one Excellent on Field of the smallest The focusing speed, coupled with the lenses of its type excellent AF system of the new Panasonic GH2, was fast. I tried shooting moving in the market.

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trains and birds in flight. The lens tracked fast-moving subjects with ease and the images are sharp and well exposed. The lens balances well on the body. Even with such a long focal length, I did not find it necessary to use a tripod or monopod.

While designing the lens, Panasonic has kept videographers in mind too. The lens employs a stepper motor mechanism that enables silent AF even while shooting HD video. Initial impressions of the image quality are promising, but we will wait for Panasonic to release a final production piece before we do a full-fledged test.

S p ec i f i cat i o n s Model name

Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 100–300mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS

Lens construction

17 elements in 12 groups

Close focusing distance

1.5m

Maximum magnification

15

Diaphragm blades

7

Maximum aperture

f/4

Filter diameter

67mm

Dimensions

73.6mm X 126mm

Weight

520g

november 2010

Sony Alpha NEX-3

Slim Wonder?

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Sony has delayed in releasing its mirrorless series in India, but we managed to get our hands on the NEX-3 at photokina 2010. Shridhar Kunte reports.

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he Sony Alpha NEX-3 is the youngest entrant in the all-new Alpha NEX system of cameras, which also includes the highend NEX-5. The two cameras are actually quite similar, except for a few subtle differences in their build and

Better Photography

feature sets. The Alpha NEX-3 that we used is made of polycarbonate while the NEX-5 has a superior build quality—it is made of magnesium alloy. Also, the Alpha NEX-3 shoots only 720p HD video, as compared to the NEX-5 that offers Full HD AVCHD video recording.

november 2010

test

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Nikon D3100

The Entry-Level King

On paper, the Nikon D3100 offers more photo and video features than any DSLR at its price point. Raj Lalwani puts it through several rounds of rigourous shooting to see whether this entry-level camera is really as good as it looks on paper.

Weightage of test parameters

15% 20%

5% 30%

30%

Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support B e t t e r P h o t o g r a p h y

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ikon’s previous entry-level offering, the D3000, was a rather underwhelming camera. Its feature set was too similar to older cameras, and hence, did not offer much of an upgrade.

Moreover, the low-light performance left a lot to be desired. This was also the time when the overall market was changing, with mirrorless cameras proving to be an interesting alternative to entry-level DSLRs. Not surprisingly, the all-new D3100 seems to be an attempt by Nikon to reclaim some lost ground. This new release has almost every feature that an entry-level user would want—including video.

Features When it was announced, the video features of the D3100 were the ones that grabbed all headlines. It is the first Nikon DSLR to shoot Full HD video (now matched by the high-end D7000). Interestingly, Nikon was the first manufacturer to introduce video in DSLRs. However, other companies stole the company’s thunder by introducing 1920 X 1080 video, as compared to the Nikon cameras that could only shoot 720p.

With regard to this, the past two years have seen a lot of criticism directed towards the company—with the launch of the D3100, they are finally coming up to the level of the competition. november 2010

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Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ10

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Geek Gadgetry

Neha Mutreja tests the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ10 to see whether this feature-packed superzoom camera is worth its exorbitant price tag.

Weightage of parameters 10% 15% 15%

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Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support Better Photography

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he TZ10 is the latest addition to Panasonic’s popular TZ-series of cameras. With interesting new features and a rather expensive price tag, we were keen to see whether this camera does enough to distinguish itself in an extremely crowded market of superzoom cameras.

Features The DMC-TZ10 is a successor of TZ7 and it incorporates almost all its features with some additional ones to make it different.

It is fitted with a Leica 12x zoom lens (25– 300mm in 35mm parlance) that is coupled with Power Optical Image Stabiliastion (OIS) to ensure sharp images.

What make the TZ10 different from the other cameras in the TZ-series is the fact that the camera has a Manual mode and also has a built-in GPS feature. GPS (Global Positioning System) is a feature that allows you to geotag your photographs with the help of a built-in database of half a million landmarks across the globe.

One can also sort and display photographs depending on the location. This is specifically good for people who travel and would like to tag all their photographs.

The TZ10 also records HD movie at 720p. The video recording function has a number of features, such as stereo sound and the ability to use optical zoom during video capture. The camera also features

What’s in the box • LUMIX TZ10 camera • Camera strap • Instruction manual • Li-ion battery • Battery charger • USB cable • A/V cable • Warranty card • Software CD november 2010

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55

Snapshot Expert

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Ambarin Afsar takes the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 out for a spin and discovers that this tiny camera is a bundle of superzoom capabilities, useful still and video features and ease of use.

T Weightage of parameters 10% 15% 15%

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Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support Better Photography

he Sony Cybershot DSC-H55, launched in February this year, is the latest addition to Sony’s popular H-series of superzoom cameras. The H55 is packed with a number of automatic modes and is targeted at an audience looking for a budget superzoom camera with HD video capabilities. On paper, the camera offers something to everyone—from the basic user who wants to shoot snapshots to the serious enthusiast who needs a considerable amount of manual control.

Features The Sony Cybershot DSC-H55 is a 14.1MP camera with a 10x zoom Sony G lens that gives an effective focal length of 25–250mm (35mm equivalent). The extremely wide focal length of 25mm provided by the camera exceeds the wide angle capabilities of most superzoom compact cameras.

However, instead of using a backlit CMOS sensor (which is theoretically better for shooting in low light), the camera sports a CCD sensor.

For users looking for more automation, the camera offers 11 Scene modes and three other auto modes called the Easy Mode, Intelligent Auto (iAuto) and Program Auto.

The inclusion of the Easy mode seems superfluous, considering the fact that the camera already has an efficient iAuto mode.

One of the most useful features of this camera is a Manual mode that allows users to adjust shutterspeed, aperture and ISO values. However, users can only choose between a choice of two aperture values while using this mode.

Handling The DSC-H55 feels sturdy and fits snugly in your hands. It is sleek and slips unobtrusively enough into the pocket.

What’s in the box • Sony Cybershot DSC-H55 camera • Camera strap • Instruction manual • Li-ion battery • Multi connector Cable (A/V, USB) • Warranty card • Handbook CD november 2010

Imaging: Santosh D Kamble

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Managing Files Efficiently Ambarin Afsar puts ACDSee Pro 3 to some extensive image database management tests to discover that the software has a bundle of photo managing and editing abilities.

M Weightage of parameters

30% 40% 30% Features Ease of Use Performance Better Photography

ost of us end up shooting gigabytes of images every day.

In such situations, it becomes even more important to store and manage these innumerable files. ACD Systems’ latest professional release, the ACDSee Pro Photo Manager 3 claims to simplify our workflow.

A Feature-Packed Bundle ACDSee Pro 3 has undergone several design changes from its previous versions and now includes a tabbed interface.

A photographer’s workflow is usually divided into managing images, viewing, editing and uploading them online.

Similarly, ACDSee’s interface is divided into four logical tabs—Manage, View, Process and Online.

The Process tab is the most interesting of the lot—it allows you to edit nondestructively, and also offers some additional pixel level adjustments. For instance, one can make marquee selections and use tools like Spot Healing, Cloning, Levels, Curves and even Lens Correction features. Moreover, this version has a useful Advanced Color Editing tool that helps you make target-specific colour adjustments.

Interestingly, the Online tab provides access to a free account with 2GB storage space on ACDSee’s official website.

It also offers uploading options to Flickr, Facebook, SmugMug and FTP servers.

Interface Woes For a first-time user, the interface looks a little intimidating and takes some getting november 2010

Sho ot ing T echniq ue

BetterPictures

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The moon is often visible in the sky well before sunset. The combination of the moon with sunlit landscapes, evening hues and deep shadows usually make spectacular photographs.

Better Photography

November 2010

SHOOTING TECHNIQUE

ON ASSIGNMENT

ON ASSIGNMENT

Bonkers for Bokeh Capture lovely out-of-focus lights!

In the Midst of Music Shooting at a rock gig

A Stage in Frames Freezing emotions of classical dance

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To the Moon and Back

The timeless beauty and ever changing charisma of the moon can be wonderfully framed through the lens. Ketan Kundargi tells you how.

N ov e m b e r 2 0 1 0

A Relatively Bright Companion After the sun, the moon is the brightest object in the sky. We perceive it as bright because the sky is comparatively dark.

It is easy for the in-camera light meter to be fooled by the darker areas around the moon, causing the camera to overexpose, turning the moon into a white blob. Using the spot meter reading helps.. But again, it may underexpose the moon, turning the Better Photography

Robert Meij

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very night, we witness the splendour of the moon. With its effervescent phases, the moon paints a different story each night. Considered to be the epitome of beauty, a sea of calmness, an eternal symbol of love and much more, the moon is an ideal subject for photography.

Here are a few ways to capture the magic of the moon.

Sho ot ing T echniq ue

Bonkers for Bokeh Ever wondered about those blurry lights in your photographs? Supriya Joshi explains the phenomenon of bokeh and tells you how you can take beautiful bokeh shots at night.

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ave you ever shot a subject at night against bright lights and noticed those lights becoming round spots of radiance in the photograph? This phenomenon is known as ‘bokeh’. It is a Japanese word for ‘blur’, describing the way in which the lens produces out-of-focus points of light.

Just What is Bokeh?

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With an aperture of f/1.4, the bokeh in this image looks smooth and well rounded.

Exposure: 1/100sec at f/1.4 (ISO 400)

Bokeh occurs because of the difference between the lens design and aperture shape.

It occurs best in areas that lie outside the depth of field that have specular highlights or pointillistic sources of light, so that they are completely out of focus.

How Does it Happen?

Lens type and aperture size determine bokeh—the larger the aperture, the larger the bokeh. Bokeh also depends on the shape and size of the lens. Smaller apertures will give small and flat bokeh and vice versa. Fast lenses with apertures below f/2.8 are great for shooting bokeh.

The good news is that you do not need really expensive equipment to capture bokeh. You can also achieve bokeh with a compact camera. Simply switch to aperture priority mode and dial to the widest aperture setting. Shoot by focussing on subjects close to the lens to blur away the background completely.

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Sho o t ing T echnique

This image was shot by placing a goblet of water on a balcony to capture the neighbourhood lights.

Exposure: 1/2sec at f/5.6 (ISO 640) n ov e m b e r 2 0 1 0

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Oyvind Idland

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In the Midst of Music

Tamagna Ghosh braves jostling crowds and erratic light conditions to make electrifying photographs of rock music concerts.

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hotographers often complain about light. We make excuses that the light levels are too low or sometimes, that it is too contrasty.

Then of course, there are times when the light changes with every passing second. This is what presents the greatest challenge to us photographers.

My Perspective I personally relish such challenges, which is why I decided to photograph a number Better Photography

of live music performances in Mumbai’s clubs. Considering that my day job is at a radio station, my interest in music is natural. Most of the songs that are played on radio are from Hindi films, but these performances allow me to discover and enjoy the work of other musicians, who try to do something different.

At a rock music show, the light has a life of its own. It is an equally important character in a concert—as important as the musicians on stage and the audience. Besides the November 2010

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My Assignment Description To portray the feel of a live music performance and to convey the spirit of the Indian rock music scene.

Duration Various rock concerts and gigs over the past 6–7 months in Mumbai.

Notes In a live music act, the light is extremely dim and constantly changing, which makes the assignment more challenging.

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Concerts usually have contrasty light, but I decided to use this to my advantage by shooting high contrast B&W photos.

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my best shot

Great masters

Photofeature

Ajay Hirani On his favourite image

Ralph Gibson An insight into his stunning imagery

Dhiraj Singh Profile Documenting the effect of a disaster

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The Virtuoso

Evgen Bav ar

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Ambarin Afsar is left spellbound by the masterful, surreal images of Evgen Bav ar, a visually challenged photographer.

• Evgen is a writer, a lecturer and a little bit of a poet. He feels that he would have been a musician if not a photographer. He could teach a piano accordion or any other instrument.

• Bav ar’s first camera was the Zorki 6 that his sister Maria had bought for herself.

• He also likes writing about time; for instance, a piece on Berlin twenty years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall or even a historic view of the last 20 years as he experienced them.

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uch like a magician sweeps his magic wand around and creates wonderful miracles, Evgen Bav ar, creates fantastic photographs. Why do I equate him with an illusionist or a magician? Because even people who

can see, cannot put their imaginations so perfectly down on a piece of paper as Bav ar does, who lost his eyesight completely when he was twelve. It seems so miraculous that you cannot help but imagine him as a wizard, concocting potent images that bewitch the world.

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Light plays a strong role in Evgen Bav ar’s images and can be seen as a repeating motif in almost all his work.

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November 2010

November 2010

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Profile

ShowCase

my best shot

Great masters

Photofeature

Ajay Hirani On his favourite image

Ralph Gibson An insight into his stunning imagery

Dhiraj Singh Profile Documenting the effect of a disaster

118

128

The Virtuoso

Evgen Bav ar

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Ambarin Afsar is left spellbound by the masterful, surreal images of Evgen Bav ar, a visually challenged photographer.

• Evgen is a writer, a lecturer and a little bit of a poet. He feels that he would have been a musician if not a photographer. He could teach a piano accordion or any other instrument.

• Bav ar’s first camera was the Zorki 6 that his sister Maria had bought for herself.

• He also likes writing about time; for instance, a piece on Berlin twenty years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall or even a historic view of the last 20 years as he experienced them.

M

uch like a magician sweeps his magic wand around and creates wonderful miracles, Evgen Bav ar, creates fantastic photographs. Why do I equate him with an illusionist or a magician? Because even people who

can see, cannot put their imaginations so perfectly down on a piece of paper as Bav ar does, who lost his eyesight completely when he was twelve. It seems so miraculous that you cannot help but imagine him as a wizard, concocting potent images that bewitch the world.

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Light plays a strong role in Evgen Bav ar’s images and can be seen as a repeating motif in almost all his work.

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November 2010

November 2010

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Ralph Gibson

Contemporary art photographer Ralph Gibson speaks to Chandni Gajria about his inspiration and his quest to ‘be pure’.

T Ralph redefines the concept of simplicity with this photograph from the ‘Infanta’ series, which explores the human figure.

he most intriguing thing about Ralph Gibson is his ability to create fiction and abstracts with the simplest of objects. Ralph is known for creating balanced compositions with strong curves, shapes and lines and has been photographing for more than 50 years. Interestingly, he also believes that being cultured enhances his personality, and consequently, his photography.

Early Years Born in Los Angeles in 1939, Ralph often accompanied his father to Hollywood movie sets where he had a few small acting stints. In the 1950s, Ralph was introduced to photography while studying for the US Navy. Soon, he moved to the San Francisco Art Institute and by the age of 22, he got hold of his first camera—a Leica.

Surrealism to Abstraction Although Ralph was mentored by photojournalistic greats like Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank, his work began to have profoundly surrealistic influences.

“My mother came from Costa Rica and I was brought up as a Catholic. That, in my understanding, is enough to make one a surrealist. From all the ‘isms’ in art, I believe that surrealism is the only ‘ism’ which is also a philosophy.” However, as time passed, this early influence has now evolved into something that is perhaps more mature. “Now, I am more interested in abstract sounds and music.” One example of this interest is his Light Strings series which has unique perspectives of guitars—from vibrant colour images to stark black and whites.

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Looking for Inspiration Every photographer draws inspiration from somewhere. But, according to Ralph, the key is not to get too inspired. “The truth is I get most of my inspiration from studying other cultures. Also, I get most of my inspiration from music.” Ralph has been exploring the relationship between music and photography and music in cinema. “I have never lost my inspiration,” he states. Interestingly, during one of his shows of the Light Strings series, Ralph was playing the guitar as the photographs were exhibited.

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“ My mother came from Costa Rica and I was brought up as a Catholic.

That, in my understanding, is enough to make one a surrealist.”

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‘Striped Nude’ was shot in 1981. Ralph likes to think that the subject here is the light and the woman, the source of light.

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History

192 Digitized Sky Survey, ESA/ESO/NASA FITS Liberator

This image of the Orion’s Belt made using digitised B&W photographic plates, recorded through blue and red filters.

Beyond Earth

Sukruti Staneley travels to the magical realm of outer space, even before the era of photography began its interpretation of the galaxy.

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hey say that the sky is the limit.

But, then from where do all the magnificent shooting stars zoom in? It was only in 1929, that we realised that we were not the only galaxy in the universe, but simply one of the 100 billion other galaxies!

Photography has played a massive role in these discoveries which changed our view of the universe forever. Discovering the unknown has always been exciting and so, over the last two centuries, a few curious explorers set out to decipher the mysteries of the universe. Through their mind-blowing photographs they made us aware of the fact that the sky is in fact, endless.

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Initial Halting Attempts Photography achieved a great impetus in the mid-1850s. Around the same time, astrophotography was also making halting forays. However, do you know that the very first attempt of astrophotography dates back to 1803? A British experimenter and a potter’s son, Thomas Wedgwood tried to use ceramic pots coated with silver nitrate to capture an image of the sun on to white leather. However, these ‘pictures’ were not permanent and slowly faded away.

Since The Fuzzy White Spot Almost 30 years after the leather imprint, the French artist and chemist LouisJacques-Mandé Daguerre, attempted to november 2010

History

Photography helped us discover the existence of the hidden ninth planet, Pluto, asteroids, the creation and death of stars and much more.

produce a permanent photograph of the moon. However, due to certain tracking errors while guiding the telescope, the long exposure was unsuccessful and resulted in a fuzzy white spot. Ultimately, the first recognisable picture of the sun was taken

by Lerebours, a French instrument maker.

Later, in 1845, two French physicists, Leon Foucault and Armand Fizeau, obtained a more successful daguerreotype of the sun with an exposure of 1/60sec.

In 1840, the first successful photograph of the moon was produced by John William Draper, an American physician.

It was a 20 minute long exposure using a 13cm reflecting telescope.

astrophotography! John William Draper’s son, Henry Draper was influenced by the work of his father and was soon known as a pioneer of astrophotography in his own right. Henry photographed a range of 50 stars. He also went on to make the first photograph of a nebula, the Orion Nebula, by using the dry plate method and an exposure of 51 minutes.

Since then astrophotography was instrumental in great discoveries of many astronomical phenomena. We discovered the existence of the hidden ninth planet, Pluto, asteroids, the creation and death of stars and much more.

The Influence of the Solar Eclipse

Though most researchers and astrophotographers extensively observed celestial bodies, they were under the impression that our own galaxy was the entire universe. However, this belief changed in 1924, when Edwin Hubble’s Hooker Telescope first discovered and photographed the Andromeda galaxy.

This proved that there were more galaxies and our concept of the ‘universe’ was revolutionised.

Today, technology has transcended our imagination and scientists are continuously finding unique ways to discover the universe. From remotely controlled satellites, unmanned robots to space stations—they continue to bring back magnificent images of the universe’s treasures and the beauty it holds.

Around the same time, young William Cranch Bond was fascinated by the clocks which were made in his father’s business.

This boy, who built his first clock at the age of 15, was to go on to take the first photograph of a star. William’s journey to becoming a well-known astronomer started soon after he experienced his first solar eclipse at the age of 17. In 1850, William and John Adam Whipples, an American inventor, captured the fifth brightest star in the night sky, the Vega.

This was the first photograph of a star and went on to become a major milestone.

Astrophotography is Popularised The rise in the interest in celestial bodies even managed to draw some families into

Hubble Expands the Universe

Capturing Jupiter A British astronomer, Andrew Ainslie Commons, established an important milestone by capturing the planet Jupiter using a 91cm reflector telescope. Andrew’s father died when he was very young and his mother borrowed a telescope to support his interest in astronomy.

The Pioneers of Astrophotography

Armand Fizeau (1844)

Angelo Secchi (1851)

Amedee Mouchez (1880)

Andrew Ainslie Commons (1883)

Edwin Hubble (1924)

Bernhard Schmidt (1930)

He was the physicist responsible for creating early daguerrotypes of the Sun.

Secchi photographed a spectra of stars, and one of the earliest images of a solar eclipse.

He created the ‘Carte du Ciel - Photographic Atlas of the Sky’, a survey of the heavens.

This astronomer was known to have first captured the Orion Nebula in the night sky.

Hubble created The Hooker Telescope which first discovered the Andromeda galaxy.

He invented a telescope that helped correct spherical aberrations in astrophotography.

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