Better Photography December 2010 Issue Preview

improve candid photography • enter now: india's biggest photography awards 0+ ts 50 duc o pr

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

www.betterphotography.in

t e e os uid sid in sm g ia' r's ind uye nd e b d a iv te ns da he up pre m co

December 2010 • Rs. 100

portraiture photography • 10 ideas for group photographs • great masters: david de souza

Better Technique. Better Insight. Better Pictures

10

ideas to take stunning group photographs

ENHANCING YOUR SKILLS FOR

PORTRAITURE Creative ideas and simple techniques to capture any portrait like a pro!

Shoot yourself in fun, creative and whacky ways!

Vol. 14 • No. 7 • december 2010

also tested

EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS Canon PowerShot G12 Fujifilm 3D W3 Tamron 70-300mm Tokina 16-28mm

film, rtra 400 Kodak Po IXUS 300HS Canon ents 9 & Elem

On Assignment

Capturing the inherent quirks of people through portraits

GREAT MASTERS

Enter the surreal world created by David de Souza

Photo feature

Documenting Bangladeshi boatmen in their homes

profile

The honest and simple imagery of Mohammed Morsi

InFocus

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BetterPictures

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SHOOTING TECHNIQUE

10 Ideas to a Better Group Portrait Learn to shoot like a pro!

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Shooting the Shooter Enhance self portaits with various techniques

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Candid Photography Learn how to be an invisible photographer

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ON ASSIGNMENT

Quirky Portraiture A city defined through quirky portraits

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Shower Confessions Unusual portraitures in the shower

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DIGITAL TECHNIQUE

Break Boundaries Make photos ‘pop out’ with Elements 9

100 Snow,fog and deserts...!

TIPS & TRICKS

ShowCase

PhotoFinish

106 Mohammed Massoud 195 War Photography Morsi A showcase of honesty 196 TheCuriousCaseofthe and simplicity Profile

DIFFERENT STROKES

History

Humble Portrait Exploring the diverse history of portraits

198 Creating aWebsite MARKET SENSE

112 114

MY BEST SHOT

Sooni Taraporevala GREAT MASTERS

David DeSouza Enter the surreal world of a photographer stretching the medium

122 Prabhuddha Paul PHOTO FEATURE

A documentation of the daily struggles of boatmen in Bangladesh

Tips to create your own photography website

200 Hitler Rehearses for the STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE

Camera

CAll for entries for Poy 2010 Last few days to enter India’s biggest photography awards - Page No. 34

CAll for entries for WPoy 2010 The second edition of India’s biggest wedding photography awards - Page No. 62

Regulars Feedback.............................................................12 PHOTOCRITIQUE....................................................97 Q & A..................................................................104 1000 WORDS........................................................120 Your Pictures...................................................126 BP Buyer’s Guide...............................................180

December 2010

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SnapShots

GearGuide

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Website Review www.photomuse.org www.geofflawrence.com

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Software Of The Month Kigo Photo Card Maker

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Look Who’s Shooting Mohamed Reza

ON THE COVER improve candid photography • enter now: india's biggest photography awards

portraiture photography • 10 ideas for group photographs • great masters: david de souza

better technique. better insight. better pictures

vol. 14 • No. 7 • december 2010

44

Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Exciting 3D technology, but at what price?

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Tamron 70-300mm f/45.6 Di VC A perfect companion for your kit lens

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Tokina AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX The company’s first fullframe wide angle lens

to take stunning group photographs 10 ideas ENHANCING YOUR SKILLS FOR

portraiture Creative ideas and simple techniques to capture any portrait like a pro!

shoot yourself in fun, creative and whacky ways!

also tested

eXclusive revieWs canon powershot g12 fujifilm 3d W3 tamron 70-300mm tokina 16-28mm

, ra 400 film Kodak port 300hs canon iXusents 9 & elem

on assignment

capturing the inherent quirks of people through portraits

great masters

enter the surreal world created by david de souza

photo feature

documenting bangladeshi boatmen in their homes

Canon Powershot G12 Can it survive the mirrorless revolution?

Canon IXUS 300HS A camera with a little bit of everything!

0+ ts 50 duc o pr

better photography

www.betterphotography.in

test

42 st e side mo guid in ia's r's ind uye nd e b d a iv te ns da he up pre m co

december 2010 • rs. 100

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Kodak Portra 400 Shoot with vivid colours!

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Elements 9 Is the update worth it?

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MICRO TEST

Sony DPF - X95 A fashionable digital frame for your pictures

profile

the honest and simple imagery of mohammed morsi

photograph: Bhagathkumar model: Swetha Design: praveen nambiar

Ansmann Powerline Charge multiple batteries at low costs

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Panasonic GF2 Announced Panasonic has announced the release of the Lumix DMC-GF2 Micro Four Thirds camera. The camera is a simpler version of the GF1, with the same body design. However, the layout and controls have been revised. It features a 12MP CMOS sensor, AVCHD video recording of 1080i60 movies from 1080p30 capture. The camera also allows the use of Panasonic’s recently released 3D lens. The camera will be available with the following kit options: DMC-GF2C - 14mm f/2.5 Lens Kit and DMC-GF2K - 14–42mm Zoom Lens Kit. The LUMIX GF2 will be available in January 2011.

New Medium Format Camera by Mamiya

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Mamiya announced the RZ22 digital medium format camera system with fully integrated electronics for direct communication with the digital back, similar to the company’s previously released RZ33 medium format camera. The Mamiya RZ22 is a new large sensor digital camera kit that combines the high performance of a the 22MP CCD sensor used in the Mamiya DM22 digital back with the latest RZ67 Pro-IID camera body.

The RZ22 is compatible with all RZ system lenses and most accessories. The kit, including Capture One and Leaf Capture software, is now available in the US for USD 11,499 (approx Rs. 5,08,831).

3D Xpress Lenticular Software 3D Xpress is an advanced Lenticular image creation software which helps in the creation of several types of 3D Lenticular images. Effects like flip, zoom, morphing, animation, 2D to 3D image conversion, change in colours, image rotations and twists can be achieved through this software. The software can also be used with Photoshop and is capable of creating images as small as 3 x 5cm and as large as 60 x 80cm.

Modi, VPAG Honour 32 Photography Veterans

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ujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi honoured 32 photographers, in a glittering ceremony organised by the Video Photographers Association of Gujarat. The photographers included some of the biggest names in the business, including Hemendrabhai Shah, Chandrakantbhai Shah, J P Soni and the 101-year-old legend, Pranlal Patel. The awards were given to these photographers as a recognition for their contribution to photography and videography. After the felicitation, Modi spoke on how

photographers are the wealth of our nation. He recounted how India’s freedom struggle received a huge impetus due to the efforts of photographers who documented the event.

The Gujarat Chief Minister also unveiled a book called Tasveer: Amaratva Kaushal, that features a number of rare photographs that depict the state of Gujarat.

The event ended with Modi receiving a large framed photograph of a majestic lion, shot by wildlife photography maestro, Hemendrabhai Shah.

Nikon Sets Up its First Call Centre in India N ikon India has set up its first call center in India to be operated out of its head office in Gurgaon. The call centre has been designed and equipped to handle services and queries of all the imaging products of the company.

Hiroshi Takashina, Managing Director, Nikon India, said, “For Nikon, customer satisfaction is extremely important. Nikon has always strived towards providing its

customers with world-class products and services. Keeping this in mind we have set up the call centre for our Indian customers as an extension of our focus towards providing our customers with quick response time.” The new centre will also be equipped with information regarding new product launches, prices, retailer details, lens servicing and so on. The toll-free number is 18001027346.

The war photographer’s most fervent wish is for unemployment.

Robert Capa (1913–1954) Robert Capa was a Hungarian war photographer and photojournalist who photographed five different wars—from the Spanish Civil War in 1936 to the First Indo-China War in the early 1950s. His photographs are well known for portraying the violence and severity of war. In 1936, he became famous around the globe for his photograph of a soldier falling to his death after being shot in the Spanish Civil War. The photograph is widely speculated as being staged, but there is an equal number of people who negate this allegation. In 1947, Capa co-founded Magnum Photos with French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, among others. The organisation was the first cooperative agency for worldwide freelance photographers. In 1954, Capa was covering the First Indo-China War in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, while shooting, he accidentally stepped on a minefield and died.

Better Photography

Image source: www.independent.co.uk

december 2010

snapshots

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New Tripod Kits from Benro Benro has added two new kits to their tripod collection—the Travel Angel Tripod Kit and Transfunctional Travel Angel Tripod Kit. The legs of the Travel Angel Tripods can be folded back, making the kits comfortable to carry. The new tripods also have an improved leg locking system, dust-resistant technology and a better finish.

The Transfunctional Travel Tripod Kit incorporates the qualities of the standard Travel Kit and can be converted to a compact monopod from a full size tripod. These tripods come in different sizes and have reverse-folding Twist Lock Aluminum legs with B-Series ball heads.

The ball heads are meant to offer manual drag control as well as provide smooth, independent panning control.

The Slightly Improved Olympus E-PL1S

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The new E-PL1S from Olympus is a slightly improved version of PEN Lite EPL1. The camera comes in a kit which features a newly designed lens enabling a fast and quiet autofocus, new BLS-5 battery that comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion-safety standard as well as a M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 model II zoom lens. This is the first Movie and Still Compatible (MSC) model. Also, the ISO has been boosted upto 6400 with this improved version.

The camera has currently been released in Japan, however, the worldwide release is unknown.

Founder of the National Institute of Photography Manohar Desai Passes Away T he founder and head of NIP (National Institute of Photography), Manohar Desai, passed away on 19 November 2010, at the age of 59. An eminent photographer and an experienced teacher, Desai’s unexpected demise shocked thousands of his students around India. “I was rendered speechless when I heard about his death.

Manohar Sir was an inspiration not only

for me, but also for many others.

I owe him a lot for having shared his infinite wisdom and patience,” said Brijesh Bolar, one of of Desai’s former students.

Canon Delays Shipping of Latest EOS Lenses C anon has said that the shipping of three of its recently announced lenses will now be delayed. The EF 8–15mm f/4L USM Fisheye zoom, the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II and EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II lenses will now hit the shelves in March 2011

rather than December 2010 as previously scheduled. However, the EF 70–300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM and the 2x III and 1.4x III Extenders, which were also announced simultaneously will start shipping as scheduled by the company.

Fifty Photographers Illuminate Spanish City

Kingston DataTravel R500 Kingston’s DataTraveler R500 is a new portable storage device from Kingston that has rubberised casing for a better grip, protecting the the drive from scratches and general wear and tear. The drive offers a reading speed of up to 30 MB/ s and writing speed of 20 MB/s. It comes with a five-year warranty and is available in capacities of 16, 32 and 64GB.

Novoflex Releases Camera Accessories Novoflex has introduced few innovations which include Ball NQ, a tripod head; MagicBalance, a levelling device; Blue Bird Kit, which is a steady kit for shooting video and the Q=Mount Holder. Ball NQ allows 360o rotation and can be fixed in any direction. The MagicBalance a levelling device from Novoflex is designed to turn 15o in all directions.

The new Q=Mount holders D and DC are double sided quick releases to be used with the MultiMedia-Rack. Along with this the company has also introduced the Q=Mini which is a plate for compact camera. Blue Bird Kit from Novoflex is a steady kit for DSLRs that shoot video.

Better Photography

Caborian

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hotographers from the Photographic Association of Toledo in Spain decided to photograph their city in a novel and epic scale. In an attempt to capture a nighttime panoramic photograph, the association

enlisted 50 photographers to light paint the entire city. These photographers travelled around the city, firing their flashes several times in a minute. The end result is a city illuminated by over 3000 flashes.

ImageBazaar Files Copyright Infringement Case I ndian stock photography agency, ImageBazaar has filed a copyright infringement suit against BLB Institute of Financial Markets (BIFM), Delhi. The stock agency claims that the institute used their images without permission and without asking for the license or giving

payment for those images. The suit was filed at the District Court, Delhi and is awaiting settlement. ImageBazaar has also alleged that the BIFM used the images for promotions in newspapers and websites and continued to do so even though they were served a legal notice.

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GearGuide

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

The DSLR is divided into entrylevel, 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 38 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.

Canon PowerShot G12

Trying to Keep Up Raj Lalwani tests the Canon PowerShot G12, to see if this expensive compact camera is relevant in a market that is now dominated by mirrorless technology.

Our Seals of Approval Any product that scores 80% or higher in individual tests gets Weightage of ‘BP Recommended’—a seal parameters of approval from our team. In comparison tests, we also tag products as ‘BP Best Performer’ 5% and ‘BP Best Value 15%for Money’.

30%

BP Excellence Awards

20% At the end of the calendar year, 30% the five highest rated products in each category automatically gets nominated for the ‘Better Features Photography Excellence Awards’.

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

Better Photography

Weightage of parameters 10% 20% 15% 15%

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he mirrorless revolution has changed the way we look at cameras. The last one year has seen a number of cameras that do not have the bulk of a DSLR, yet produce excellent, high quality photographs due to the use of a large sensor. In a scenario like this, what happens to the conventional advanced compact camera that used to be a bridge between an ordinary point-and-shoot and a DSLR? This was something we were mulling over when we received the expensive Canon PowerShot G12.

Features The Canon PowerShot G12 is a modest refresh of the G11, with the overall feature

set being rather similar. The G12 has a 10MP sensor, identical to the one used in the G11, S90 and S95. As we have seen in our previous tests, the sensor is optimised for low-light shooting, and produces cleaner images than other compact cameras. The G12 has a 28–140mm lens, which offers a very useful zoom range, but does not have the f/2 capabilities of a camera like the S90. Just like the G11, the G12 has a hot shoe, and can also shoot RAW images.

The highlight feature of the G12 is the new Hybrid Image Stabilization system, which we first saw in Canon’s latest 100mm Macro lens. With this, the G12 becomes the first compact camera to get the benefits of this system. Hybrid IS offers stabilisation up december 2010

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Canon Digital IXUS 300 HS

A Little Bit of Everything The Canon Digital IXUS 300 HS has a fast lens, interesting video modes and loads of style. Neha Mutreja tries to understand who can make best use of this camera.

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he Canon IXUS series has always been known for its trendy designs. Earlier this year, Canon introduced a camera in this range, which not only maintains the fashion quotient, but also offers some interesting features for both stills and video shooting. A lens that is similar to the excellent S90, some interesting video modes and a decent amount of manual control—the Canon IXUS 300 HS sounded rather different from the conventional IXUS cameras. We put it to the test to find out who the target audience really is.

Features The Canon Digital IXUS 300 HS has a 10MP back-illuminated sensor that, according to the company, has been

optimised for good quality at high ISO settings. The camera has a maximum aperture of f/2 at the wide end, which is one stop faster than most other compact cameras. Not only does this give you some control over DOF, but also allows you to shoot in low-light situations that you might not have used a compact camera in.

Significantly, the camera offers users semimanual control, in the form of modes like Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority.

The highlight features of the Canon IXUS 300 HS are its video recording capabilities. You can shoot 720p video with stereo sound. Besides this, the 300 HS also offers a Super Slow Motion mode. In this mode, the camera captures 320 X 240 video at 240fps, and then plays it back at 30fps to give a slow-motion feel. Finally,

P lu s • Excellent image quality • Innovative video modes Minus • Expensive • Poor ergonomics december 2010

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Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3

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3D Imaging Reloaded!

Ambarin Afsar roughs it out with the world’s second 3D camera, the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3—only to find out that this exciting technology still comes at a price.

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ast year, we saw the introduction of the Fujifilm Real 3D W1, the world’s first consumer 3D camera.

Since then, we have seen new 3D lenses and also some cameras that have limited 3D features. But the only dedicated 3D digital camera remains the Fujifilm, which has now been upgraded in the form of the W3.

Features The new Real 3D W3 is the only 3D camera that also shoots 720p high-definition video, with stereo sound. The implementation of 3D technology is similar to the way the human eyes work. Two lenses are set apart at a distance of 77mm (similar to the distance between the human eyes), and two sensors interpret the data to form one 3D image. To view the photograph, you need a 3D television set with special glasses, or

Fujifilm’s special 3D Viewer. However, if you wish to make 3D prints, you will have to put your plans on hold, as Fujifilm is yet to release its 3D printers in India. Of course, you can simply view the images on the lenticular LCD screen of the camera.

The older version of the camera featured a 2.8-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 230,000 dots. But, the upgraded W3 boasts of a bigger 3.5-inch screen, with a much higher resolution of 11,50,000 dots.

The camera has two Advanced Scene Modes, namely Advanced 2D and Advanced 3D. The Advanced 3D mode lets you create a 3D image from two shots of a moving subject that are taken at a specific, user-defined interval. This can prove to be very effective when shooting moving objects in an otherwise stationary scene.

On the other hand, the Advanced 2D mode lets you take two simultaneous shots

P lu s • Efficient 3D technology • Good image quality • Good use of twin lenses for simultaneous shooting Minus • Too expensive • Inadequate support for printing december 2010

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Tamron 70–300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC

Kit Lens Companion Shridhar Kunte tests the full frame Tamron 70–300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC. Interestingly, he finds out that it complements the regular kit lens for cropped sensor bodies too.

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he 70–300mm lens has always been favoured by both amateurs and professionals alike. Professionals who do not need a constant f/2.8 aperture favour a full frame lens like this due to its lightweight nature, while amateurs enjoy the extra reach and quality that they get at an affordable price. To give a different alternative to the proprietary lenses of Nikon and Canon, Tamron has introduced their own version of the 70–300mm.

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Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support Better Photography

As compared to similar lenses from other third party manufacturers, this Tamron lens is rather feature packed.

It is the third lens from the company to be optically stabilised. The proprietary Vibration Compensation mechanism reduces shake by using a three-coil system, whereby three driving coils activate the shake-compensating VC lens group electromagnetically via three steel balls.

The lens is equipped with Tamron’s first ever ultrasonic autofocus motor, called USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive).

Theoretically, such a technology helps

attain faster AF speeds with lesser mechanical noise. The lens allows you to fine tune the autofocus without pressing any switch. All you need to do is adjust the thick focusing ring, and you can make precise adjustments on the fly.

The lens is built around 17 elements in 12 groups. It has an advanced optical design that features an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialised materials.

This enhances light transmission and thus aims to prevent chromatic aberration.

Handling I used the lens on two contrasting camera bodies—the chunky full frame D700, and the tiny entry-level D3100. The 70–300mm lens balanced perfectly on both bodies, and was enjoyable to use on field. The lens uses internal focusing technology. This means that the front element does not rotate, thus allowing the use of a circular polariser.

The body is made of very high quality plastic and has a metal mount. The broad rubberised zoom ring offers some stiff resistance while operating. But this is understandable as it will prevent any december 2010

test

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 16-28mm f/2.8 (IF) FX

Full Frame Festivities

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Raj Lalwani gets hands-on with the recently unveiled professional, full frame, ultrawide Tokina AT-X PRO SD 16–28mm f/2.8 (IF) FX, a lens that creates a new price point for this category.

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anon and Nikon full frame camera owners can now rejoice.

Tokina has finally released their first pro-level fast ultrawide lens, and in the process, the company has created a new price point for lenses of this nature. The AT-X 16–28 f/2.8 PRO FX lens has been in the making for a long time now. While rumours about the lens had been floating for a long time, the first prototype of the lens was shown at the beginning of the year during the Photo Marketing Association trade show.

The lens finally started shipping a couple of months ago, and we recently got our hands on the Canon-mount version for a full-fledged test.

Features The last two years have seen Tokina announcing some excellent wide-angle lenses, but none of these lenses have been compatible with full frame cameras. The 16–28mm f/2.8 is the company’s first wide-

angle lens for full frame users, and packs in a number of features in its hefty body.

A fast constant aperture of f/2.8 makes the 16–28mm lens a great option for street and event photographers who need to shoot in varying levels of light. 16mm on a full frame camera can be very wide indeed, and to get shallow DOF at such a wide focal length is a characteristic that only a few lenses can manage.

Fast ultrawide lenses are often prone to aberrations like fringing and flaring, especially at wider apertures. To minimise these problems, the lens uses a rather exotic optical construction. It has a largesized aspherical element within the front lens group, with two more aspherical elements in the rear group. Besides these, three Super-low Dispersion glass elements have also been included.

Handling The Tokina 16–28mm f/2.8 lens is one of the few Tokina lenses that boast of the december 2010

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A Burst of Colour

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Ambarin Afsar subjects the Kodak Professional Portra 400 to rigourous rounds of testing and comes away amazed at the gorgeous world of colour opened by the film.

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Film Latitude Colour Performance Dynamic Range Midtone Contrast Performance Better Photography

igital technology may be dominating the world today, but Kodak’s latest release reflects the company’s philosophy that film is still very much alive. The Kodak Professional Portra 400 is the latest addition to Kodak’s renowned family of portrait films. A prephotokina release, the film claims to be the world’s finest grain, high-speed colour negative film. Interestingly, this film will be replacing two existing films from the Portra family—the Portra 400 Vivid Colour (VC) and the Portra 400 Neutral Colour (NC).

The Making of a Successor The new Kodak Professional Portra 400 utilises KODAK VISION Film technology, which is the same technology used to film motion pictures using Kodak’s cinematic films. This makes the emulsion extremely sensitive to light—even if you are shooting in low light, the film captures latent detail

that can be extracted while developing.

Besides, the film also uses Kodak’s proprietary targeted advanced development accelerators and microstructure optimised T-GRAIN emulsions.

These technologies are supposed to make the film ideal for scanning and allow it to be enlarged to a large degree.

This new film combines the attributes of two films, the Portra 400 NC and 400 VC.

Replacing Two Films So, how is this new release different from or similar to Portra 400 NC and Portra 400 VC? For starters, the new Portra 400’s saturation levels are somewhere between the NC and VC films. This may disappoint Portra VC users who prefer an overtly saturated look, but it offers an effective balance that will appeal to most photographers. Interestingly, the company has retained the low contrast of Portra 400 NC instead of the high contrast offered by Portra 400 VC, thus improving the overall dynamic range. december 2010

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Better Photography

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shooting technique

shooting technique

On assignment

Shooting the Shooter Mastering the art of self portraiture

The Invisible Photographer Be a fly on the wall

Quirky Identities Portraying the ethos of a city

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10 Simple����������� Ideas� ���������� for ���� Better� Group� ��������������� Portraits ��������� Neha Mutreja reveals some basic, practical tips on how you can add a professional touch to your group photographs.

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uddling to take group pictures is something we like to do— especially when we get together with friends and family during occasions like weddings, school reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, picnics, and religious ceremonies. These pictures

are the best way to remember our near and dear ones! However, we often end up shooting carelessly and get photographs that are not up to the mark. There are a few simple things you need to keep in mind if you wish to give your day-to-day group portraits an innovative twist.

Instead of a conventional pose, let your subjects interact with each other in different ways. december 2010

Better Photography

Vipurva Parikh

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Sho ot ing T echniq ue

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You can create evocative portraits by obscuring most of your face or by using textures too.

Better Photography

december 2010

Sho o t ing T echnique

Shooting the Shooter Aditya Nair takes you through a set of basic techniques that will help you shoot better self portraits.

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elf portraiture is a unique and diverse art form. There are a number of great reasons to shoot self portraits. The model works for free and does not mind working overtime. Importantly, self portraits allow you to try different setups and poses at your own convenience.

More importantly, touching the model inappropriately will not lead to a lawsuit.

Shooting self portraits is a great way to tap into your psyche and express yourself as different characters. It gives you instant access to a whole world of new ideas. It also allows you to revisit old thoughts and try them out over a period of time.

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Paromita Deb Areng december 2010

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Sho ot ing T echniq ue

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Photographer Supriya Joshi reveals some simple methods with which you can capture perfectly timed candid moments, without being noticed!

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ife would have been so much simpler if we all had a magician’s invisibility cloak. We would all be able to capture perfectly-timed candid moments with absolute ease and without being noticed at all.

Though an invisibility cloak might just Better Photography

be a distant dream, it does not mean that you cannot capture stunning candid photographs without drawing any attention to yourself. Precise timing and an acute awareness of your surroundings can surely help you master the art of candid photography! december 2010

Sho o t ing T echnique

Anticipating actions helps you shoot the decisive moment. december 2010

Better Photography

Raj Lalwani

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Quirky Identities

Chase Jarvis uses unusual perspectives to photograph the people who make up the ethos of his city.

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december 2010

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This photograph represents something I have always believed in—the power of an unusual picture to make you stop and look. december 2010

Better Photography

Shower Confessions

Manjari Sharma invites people to bare their souls in a session of intimate portraiture in the shower.

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or the last few months, I have been inviting people to visit my apartment and photographing them in a very intimate space—my bathroom. The shower series is something that strives to go beyond regular portraiture—it is, in fact, a journey to explore and understand different personalities, especially once the subject lets his guard down.

My Assignment Description To create a series of introspective portraits by capturing people in the shower.

Duration Ongoing. I started the project a year and a half ago.

Notes A shower is where we are often lost in our own thoughts and recall memories of the past.

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D E C E M B ER 2 0 1 0

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The magical window light that streams into my bathroom inspired me to start this project.

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Better Photography

di gi tal Techniq u e

Tools Used • Out of Bounds option under Fun Edits • Quick Selection Tool • Stylize Option • Add a Gradient Option (In Photoshop Elements 9)

Skill Level Priyanka Azad

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Break Out of Boundaries!

Chhaya Pandey transforms two-dimensional photographs into striking creations with the Out of Bounds feature of Photoshop Elements 9.

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emember old picture books in which cutout images would pop out at you? What would it be like to replicate this ‘pop-out’ effect for digital images? The Out of Bounds feature in Photoshop Elements 9

helps you do just that with the help of a few steps! However, you need to select the correct subject and position the frame accordingly. You can download the 30-day trial version of Photoshop Elements 9 at http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/

Make Images that Pop Out Strikingly, in Eight Simple Steps

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GO OUT OF BOUNDS: Choose an image which would look good as a pop out and open it in Photoshop Elements 9. Go to Guided Edit option. In the Guided Edit panel, scroll down to reveal a list of Fun Edits and select Out of Bounds from this list.

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ADD A FRAME: The Guided Edit option lets you see a step-by-step description on the right hand side panel. The first step would be to Add a Frame. Just click the add frame button and the frame will be added at a default position. december 2010

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RESIZE THE FRAME: Move the frame so that the area that needs to be popping out is located outside the frame. You will see a green tick to commit changes, but do not click on it right now. We still need to create the magical 3D effect!

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ADD A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE: Hold down the Alt+Ctrl+Shift keys and you will see the cursor turn into an arrow head. Click one of the bottom corners of the frame and drag it outwards to achieve perspective. Click on the green tick.

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INCREASE THE WIDTH OF THE FRAME: To add some width to the frame, click and drag the handlebars surrounding the frame. Adjust them to the desired width and then commit the change by clicking on the green tick mark.

MAKE AN OUT OF BOUNDS IMAGE: Once you have made the selection, click on Create Out of Bounds. VoilĂ ! The selected part will pop out of the image giving it a 3D effect. However, to create more drama, you can add a few other tweaks.

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MAKING TRICKY SELECTIONS: Click on the Quick Selection Tool icon. Once the tool is selected, click and drag the area that needs to stand out in the final image.

Make sure that all the parts lying outside the frame are selected.

FINAL TWEAKS AND ADDITIONS: You can give the image a sense of depth by adding a shadow. To do this, click on Small, Medium or Large options under the Stylize tab.

Finally, to add a gradient to the background, click on the Add Gradient button.

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Prof i l e

ShowCase

Mohammed Massoud Morsi

• As a passionate writer; along with his images, Morsi’s articles and poems have been published in Denmark and London publications.

• This photojournalist has been working on social issues like race, equality, justice and improving the working conditions in the third world countries.

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MY BEST SHOT

GREAT MASTERS

PHOTOFEATURE

Sooni Taraporevala On her favourite shot

David de Souza A creator of Wonderlands

Prabuddha Paul Profiling Bangladesh’s boatmen

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Profile

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Phirun finally hears the cry of his daughter, caused by the loud stomping of machines, turning clay into bricks.

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The Simple Life

In a conversation with Mohammed Massoud Morsi, Chandni Gajria discovers a down-to-earth and honest photojournalist. december 2010

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David de Souza Raj Lalwani enters the world of David de Souza’s images, to get an insight into the mind of this maverick educationist.

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ntering David de Souza’s house is like entering Wonderland.

You walk through a narrow passageway, and are greeted with a variety of sights and sounds.

An old fan greets you as you enter, with the blades starting to rust. There are books on the bookshelf by authors ranging from Marcel Proust to Friedrich Nietzsche. To sit, Better Photography

you have to choose between a stool shaped like someone’s posterior, and a unique transparent chair. As you settle, you notice an installation made of icecream spoons, resembling a large collection of spaceships that are about to take off. You soon see more knick-knacks—books shaped like threedimensional hearts and even toys, including a large collection of spinning tops. And december 2010

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This photograph is from David’s monograph Mythology december 2010

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History

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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An 1893 photograph shows a photographer’s studio, just before a portrait session. The brace behind the subject holds the head steady.

Story of the Portrait Raj Lalwani takes a glimpse into the glorious and diverse past of portraiture, to explore the amusing incidents behind this serious affair.

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magine being asked to pose for a photograph, with a gun to your head. Though this seemingly comic scenario may sound like something that is straight out of a melodramatic Bollywood film, it is something that a subject actually had to face in 1861. “Dare to move a muscle and I will blow your brains out…” was what he was told by the photographer, in an incident that probably ranks as one of the most oft-told tales in the history of portraiture.

The art of portrait photography is replete with stories like these—incidents that may seem amusing and exaggerated now, but go a long way in telling us the long journey that the humble portrait has taken.

A Painstaking Affair The first few photographic processes were not exactly simple, but they did Better Photography

make portraiture more accessible than art forms like painting and sculpture. A large number of portrait studios sprang up in different parts of the world, but portrait making was still a painstaking affair. Each photographer had a number of assistants to help him manage the large camera and plates. Once the setup was done, he would make the person pose, plead with him to stay still, disappear under a black cloth, and presto! The portrait session was done!

The Birth of the Snapshot The only problem with this, was that there was no way in which a layman could shoot a picture of a loved one, without going to a professional studio. You needed to be a photographer, or seek the services of one.

All this changed when George Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie in 1900.

This humble box-like camera was available

To make a person stay still, photographers used opium and even threatened them with guns. december 2010

History

Everything changed when George Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie.

for only one dollar, which made it really popular. Moreover, it was so simple to use that Kodak promoted it by saying that even a child could shoot pictures with it!

Portraiture had finally reached the common man. Families shot pictures of each other—at home, while at a picnic, and practically everywhere. This was a far cry from the formal portraiture that dominated the eighteenth century, and resulted in common people using portraiture for sheer fun! Interestingly, the term ‘snapshot’, which we all use today, was devised after these random, casual portraits shot through the Brownie.

Clamps, Tears, Opium and Guns Of course, it was not always this simple.

In the early days, the photograph largely depended on technical limitations, and this often led to a comedy of errors.

For instance, photographs shot in the 1800s needed the use of extremely long exposures, even lasting for several minutes. Even a slight movement during this long exposure would affect the final photograph. To solve this issue, photographers thought of a rather novel technique to freeze the subject—they clamped them up!

Consider their plight. The clamps lead to severe pain around the neck, but this was the price that a portrait subject had to pay. Gradually, photographers developed unique techniques that were more painless.

A famous story has a photographer recommending the use of opium! “A good

dose of opium effectively prevents the sitters from being conscious of themselves, of the camera, or anything else. They become delightfully tractable, and you can do anything with them under such circumstances.”

If you see some eighteenth century portraits, you will notice that they often show the subject’s profile, with their head bent down or looking into space. This was because it was nearly impossible for someone to keep their eyes open for so long. Photographers often got frustrated with subjects that blinked. Photo studios at that time saw a number of heated tempers, as seen in the aforementioned incident of a photographer getting angry enough to remove a gun! The few subjects who were skillful enough to keep their eyes open had tears in their eyes at the end of the ordeal.

The Ever-Evolving Portrait As we saw with the influence of the Brownie, portraiture has gone through many different transformations due to technology. The invention of faster lenses, fast film and flash has allowed people to add their own twist to the classic portrait.

While we often saw portrait lighting and poses being inspired by the movies of that time, there have been eras that have gone back to painting as inspiration. Even today, we remember paintings like the Mona Lisa and strive to capture the ‘classic’ portrait.

The only difference, is that we neither need opium, nor do we need a gun. Face, Smile and Blink Detection are good enough!

For the Privileged Portraits are probably the first thing most of us shoot when we first pick up the camera.

But did you know that portraiture was initially only restricted to a privileged few? The origins of portrait making go back several centuries, through painting and sculpture. However, considering that both these need dedicated skills, only kings and queens could afford to demand portraits at that time. The birth of photography changed this.

Iconic Portraits Through the Ages

Robert Cornelius

Yousuf Karsh

This self portrait shot by Robert Cornelius is the first ever photograph that shows a recognisable human face.

This portrait of Albert Einstein is so iconic that it has been featured in science textbooks through the century.

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Yousuf Karsh

Portraitist Karsh calmly removed the cigar from Sir Winston Churchill’s mouth just before he shot the photograph.

Alberto Korda

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s portrait has been used on posters, books and even T-shirts around the world.

Annie Leibovitz

This iconic portrait of musician John Lennon with his lover Yoko Ono, was shot barely hours before Lennon was assassinated.

Steve McCurry

Titled The Afghan Girl, this portrait of young Sharbat Gula is quite easily Steve McCurry’s most famous photograph.

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M a rk e t Sense

Photograph: Shridhar Kunte Imaging: Praveen Nambiar

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Create Your Own Website Raj Lalwani tells you the essential things that you need to keep in mind before putting up your work online and creating your own photography website.

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aving a personal website that presents our photographs to the world and showcases our name beside the photographs, is similar to seeing our name in print, or seeing our own photograph on a wall. More importantly, a portfolio website is an invaluable tool for any photographer.

It not only helps you promote your brand, but it also helps you show any prospective clients what you are capable of. Today, with the advent of social networking, the online world has become a doubly important

Remember the Basics There are some simple, basic things that one must keep in mind. It must look attractive, load quickly and should be easy to navigate. All information must be easily accessible and you should not need to unnecessarily click multiple times to reach any particular section. Put yourself in the visitor’s shoes and imagine that you are navigating through your own website. Do the pages take too much time to load? Is there anything that distracts the eye? Answering these questions will help you spot any problem areas and fine tune the website.

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sphere for anyone who wishes to make his mark. Creating your own website is actually quite simple. But before you start out, there are a few simple things you need to keep in mind.

Decide Why You Need a Website The idea of making your own website is attractive in itself. However, before you start researching and planning your website, you need to ask yourself why you wish to make one. A website can have many different functions—you can use it to showcase your work to prospective clients, or to portray a particular brand identity. If you are not a commercial photographer, the website can simply be a statement that helps you define yourself as an artist.

Ask yourself why you want a website, and accordingly choose your best photographs.

Create an Identity While deciding the content of your website, it is essential to remember that your december 2010

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website is representative of you. When anyone visits your page, it will tell them what kind of a photographer you are. It will help them understand the genres that you are proficient at, and any characteristic style that defines your photography.

Most importantly, it will portray ‘you’ as a photographer. Thus, if you are a specialist food photographer, your website must reflect the same. On the other hand, if you regularly do various assignments that range from weddings to portfolios, events, fashion and still life, your website must inform the visitor about the range of photography you can do.

Select the Photographs Every photographer shoots hundreds of images each day, but eventually, there may be only one or two that stand out.

Amongst these, there may be only one single photograph in a month that can truly qualify as his ‘best’ work. It is important to understand that a website is a showcase of the kind of work you are capable of. The word ‘showcase’ automatically implies that you must upload only your best images.

To understand this, think of a website that has 45 photographs, some brilliant, some good and some that are not so impactful. On the other hand, imagine visiting a site that has only 15 pictures, all of which make you stop and go ‘Wow’. Which one are you more likely to remember? Be selective—almost ruthless—while choosing which images to upload. Make a rough edit yourself, but also get the opinion of a senior or a peer whose opinions you value.

Make an Online Eco-System A lot of people wonder whether they should have a website, maintain a blog or simply open a Facebook Page. It is

Register your Website Registering a web space is not only simple, but also very inexpensive. Choose your domain name carefully. You can choose your name as a domain name (for example, www.rajlalwani.com) or modify it slightly (www.rajlalwaniphotography. com). However, you can also think of an alternative domain name to make it simpler and easier to remember (for example, www.awesomeportraits.com).

An effective website address determines how easily one can find your website. If it is unique, it will ensure that your website shows up as the first result when anyone types your name in a search engine like Google. In addition to this, there are other ways in which you can optimise the site for search engines.

Include important keywords like ‘your name’, ‘photography’ and ‘your location’ in the Title, Description and Index Page of your website. december 2010

important to understand that a blog is not a substitute for a website, or vice versa.

These are tools that must complement each other. For instance, your website can have a tight selection of your best work, while your blog can be used as a vehicle for your opinions and any new, interesting work that you may be doing. A Facebook page, on the other hand, is a great tool to communicate with prospective clients. To put it simply, it is important to make an online eco-system—a website is only a part of this eco-system.

Find the Right Designer The design of your website determines how good your photographs look. Simplicity always works—a cluttered design may take away the focus from your photographs. All this makes it vital to find a web designer with the right skills. It is even more important that the aesthetic sensibilities of your website designer match yours.

Only if he understands your work and can appreciate it will he be able to make a portal that makes the work really good.

Flash or HTML? Flash is an incredibly powerful tool and the preferred choice of most photographers to make their portfolio websites.

However, you can explore other options too, like HTML 5.

Moreover, even if you have designed a website using Flash, it should have an alternate HTML version as well. This is because certain new-age devices like the Apple iPhone and iPad do not support Flash. And while most of the general public may not use these gadgets, their popularity is bound to grow in the future.

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…Or Design it Yourself It may take some time, but if you are confident about your computer proficiency, it may well be worth designing the website on your own. After all, no one understands your photographs as well as you do. Besides traditional web designing tools, there are a number of free services online that offer templates. www.viewbook.com, for instance, is an efficient tool that is dedicated to making professional portfolio websites.

Showcase it to the World With all things in place, it is time to showcase your website to the entire world.

Post its link on all your personal pages on online portals like Facebook, Twitter and so on. You can also e-mail your friends and contacts about the same. Including your domain name on your e-mail signature and your visiting card are also good options.

In today’s world, it is important to stay connected. Moreover, creating an effective website to promote your photography needs nothing more than some basic technical skills, a good aesthetic sense and some common sense.

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