smartphotography_feb2010_teaser

ISSUE 11 I VOLUME 05 I FEBRUARY 2010 I RS.100

5th Annual UNIROSS -

Smart PHOTOGRAPHY

Awards Special

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www.smartphotography.in

Discovering the Unseen Interview with Jess Williams LEARNINGS Get Started in Lightroom 2 (Part-VI) The Secret of Creating Brushes Why RAW+JPEG? Handy Tips for Better Inkjet Prints Understanding Nikon Flashguns Basics of Photography Close-up and Macro - Part I

REVIEWS

9 770974 665000

ISSUE 11 | VOLUME 05 | FEBRUARY 2010

Budget Battle Samsung ST550 Canon PowerShot G11 Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm Photoshop Elements 8

Nikon D3S

Participate in the Picture of the Month contest and win a

Mr Site Takeaway website easy-to-use website developer tool. Worth Rs.2,999/-

A note to our readers 1. Kindlly ensure that your picture is of 17x11 inches in size, at 300ppi.

2. Ensure that the picture is horizontal.

3. Some readers are sending their images in low resolution. Such images will not be accepted 4. Please do not ask us to check your images on online galleries.

5. Kindly ensure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.

Picture of the Month We are sure that all of you must be having some pictures that you think could be prize winning. It happens very often that you don’t know where to send the image that could put a feather on your cap. If you have such images (we’re sure you have many!), send us ONE such horizontal image. If we find it good, we shall publish it as a double-spread. a. You have to guarantee that the picture was shot by you. b. If there are people in the picture who can be identified, we’ll need a model release. c. The picture must not have been printed in any magazine/newspaper, or offered to any publication. d. The image has to be at 300 ppi for 17x11 inches. e. Mark it as the “Picture of the Month”. f. You may send a print/e-mail at sphoto.india@gmail.com

Photograph by

Tanveer Farooqui

SP AWARDS

Presents

AWARDS

2010 Honoring Excellance!

Presents

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SP AWARDS

Over the years, the Smart Photography Awards have not only become a premier event, but also been recognized and accepted as the benchmark for imaging excellance. The awards ceremony was held on January 7, 2010 at ‘The Leela’, in Mumbai. And for the fifth successive year Uniross teamed up with Smart Photography, to sponsor the awards.

SP Awards ceremony has come to be identified as the most highly awaited, closely watched, and well attended event by the entire imaging industry, renowned photographers, and well wishers. And this year was no different.

Reproduced below is the keynote address of Hoshang S. Billimoria, Editor, Smart Photography and CEO Next Gen Publishing Ltd., at the Uniross-Smart Photography Awards 2010...

T

he 5th Uniross-Smart Photography awards were held at the hotel—The Leela, Sahar, Mumbai on Thursday, January 7, 2010. For the fifth successive year, Uniross teamed with Smart Photography to bring these important awards to the Indian imaging industry. As usual, these awards were heavily attended with all the top managers from the imaging companies present and a huge audience awaiting announcements with anxiety and excitement.

In his keynote address, H. S. Billimoria welcomed the guests and wished them a happy and prosperous 2010. He mentioned that 2009 was indeed a difficult year for industry and commerce throughout the world.

The imaging industry also had a tough time with demand shrinking in several developed economies.

Emerging economies, however, came to the rescue and India was a shining example. Inspite of the economic slowdown, the Indian imaging industry was estimated to grow by around 20 percent in 2009.

The compact camera industry was rated at around 1.6 million pieces. This still compares unfavorably with countries like the UK or China where the market size was three to five times that of the Indian market. However, the Indian market has been moving consistently in the right direction and there have been no blips so far. Billimoria compared the Indian market size with the Russian market, which, in 2008, had reached a figure of three million units. The market in Russia has crashed since that date and in 2009 it was expected to be around the same size as the Indian market. Billimoria ended his talk on a note of great optimism and professed that by 2015 India will be amongst the top imaging markets in the world.

Boris Duhamel, Managing Director, Uniross Asia Pacific followed Hoshang S. Billimoria to the dais and gave the audience a bird’s eye view of Uniross and the battery industry.

Presents

AWARDS

2010

Hoshang S. Billimoria, Editor, Smart Photography, and CEO, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., delivering the keynote address.

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Kaleidoscope Finally, a platform for all photographers to exhibit their talent and GET NOTICED!

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Smart Photography February 2010

Striking Contrast

Hi-tech policemen

Camera: Nikon D300 Sensitivity: ISO 100 Aperture: f/1.8 Shutter speed: 1/2500sec

Camera: Canon EOS 350D Sensitivity: ISO 400 Aperture: f/3.5 Shutter speed: 1/30sec

DOCUMENTING CANDID MOMENTS FOR EVER Yogesh P. Chiplunkar

C

ommercial photography happened to be a natural extension for Yogesh P. Chiplunkar, after completing his diploma in Applied Art from Mumbai in 2005-06. But, destiny had other plans for him, and instead of commercial photography, the young man initiated into documentary photography.

Yogesh grabbed the opportunity of joining the Indian Express Group, and soon began interacting and understanding the powers of photo journalism.

However, having come this far, he still believes that documentary photography is the most demanding genre of photography. This is because, every day it is a challenge to capture different expressions, moods, timings, and especially outdoors.

He has dabbled with several subjects with the sole intention of finding out the real difference that exists between photography and painting. But it goes without saying that the camera is the primary capture device, while the final output is the artist’s innate vision that brings out the centrality of the subject to the fore.

Recently, he had the good fortune to document the making of Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Teen Patti”, and also the wonderful opportunity to observe the superstar from close quarters. He is currently working towards putting up his first solo exhibition, which will be unveiled in 2011. In addition, he is a regular contributor to Value Research and also for Femina publications.

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© Jess Williams

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

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Smart Photography February 2010

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

Discovering the

Unseen Jess Williams Perhaps there are no other genres of photography that is more challenging, more difficult, and of course more fascinating than underwater photography. This is because, beyond the photographic skills, underwater photographers have to face multiple challenges such as acquiring and maintaining physical fitness, diving skills, and acquisition of specialized camera equipment. But, it goes without saying that underwater photographers always come across something that they might not have imagined about in their wildest dreams.

They also need to know the tricks of staying stay alive in alien environs. The UK-based, Jess Williams, emphasizes that she likes capturing details the most. She is facinated by macro underwater photography.

Her body of work transports you to that magical, romantic, and fantasy world of unseen creatures.

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CANON POWERSHOT G11

Black Beauty Price: Rs.31,995/- Final Score: 84% At 112.1x76.2x48.3mm in size and approximately 405g with battery and card, it can most easily be carried in a trouser pocket. The camera sports a real image zoom viewfinder with picture coverage approximate 77 percent.

Dioptric adjustment for individual eyesight is available.

KEY FEATURES

T

he PowerShot G-series represent the epitome of Canon’s compact digital cameras. Though there are quite a few minor differences between the PowerShot G10 and the G11, the obvious ones are the lower resolution sensor on the G11 (yes, 10 megapixel against 14.7 MP on the G10), and of course, the 2.7 inch swiveling LCD monitor (the G10 has a 3-inch fixed LCD screen).

Why did Canon bring down the resolution from 14.7 to 10 megapixel when the world is turning crazy about increasing the pixel rating? I believe they have done the right thing; too much of pixels is not good at the digital noise level unless there is a comparative increase in sensor size.

Increasing the sensor size would mean bulkier cameras and additional cost (though Panasonic has proved otherwise, in terms of size).

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

Inside the box • Camera • Neck strap NS-DC9 • Battery pack NB-7L (with terminal cover) • Battery charger CB-2LZ/CB-2LZE • AV cable AVC-DC400 • Interface cable IFC-400PCU • DIGITAL CAMERA Solution Disk • Camera User Guide • Warranty Card • Customer Support Leaflet

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The all-black, full-metal bodied (except for the rubberized hand-grip) Canon G11 is built to professional standards and looks every bit a pro camera. The finish is immaculate; the buttons and dials are pro-quality.

The Canon PowerShot G11 is a 10 megapixel (effective) digital compact using a 1/1.7-inch Type CCD sensor (5.7x7.6mm) in combination with a 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens. Lens shift type image stabilization (IS) is available. Apertures range from f/2.8-8 at the wide-angle end and from f/4.5-8 at the telephoto end. At the wide-angle setting, in Auto and Low Light mode, the lens can focus between 1cm and infinity; at the telephoto end, between 30cm and infinity. The Normal focusing range is from 50cm to infinity.

The top plate of the G11 is beautifully designed. The power ‘on/off’ button is flushed with the body so it cannot be inadvertently put ‘on’ when the camera is in the bag. A large, very clearly visible ISO Dial surrounds the Mode Dial, while the Exposure Compensation Dial marked in 1/3 stop intervals, is at the left. ISO range offered by the G11 is from 80-3200 plus Auto, while the user can choose between Evaluative, Center-weighted and Spot metering. The G11 offers various shooting modes: For the advanced users, you have Aperture priority (Av or Aperture value), Shutter priority (Tv or Time value), Program, Manual, and two Custom modes wherein the user can store his favorite settings. For the beginner, you have Auto, Low Light, Quick Shot, Scene, and Movie (640x480 pixels at 30fps; 320x240 pixels at 30fps). Still images can be recorded in JPEG, RAW, and

Mahesh Reddy

RAW + JPEG Large. The G11 does not allow you to set Adobe RGB as its Color Space (personally speaking, that’s not such a big deal as it is made out to be).

The Function button at the back of the camera takes you to a screen that allows you to set the White Balance (10 settings), Color Tone, Bracketing (either 3 shots with varying exposures, or 3 shots with varying focused distance), Flash Compensation (+/- 2 stops), Neutral Density (ND) filter (reduces incoming light by 3-stops), Drive Mode (single shot, continuous, continuous shooting with AF), and Recording Pixels [Large; Medium 1/2/3; Small, Wide, or RAW]. The Control Dial at the back allows you to navigate to Macro Mode/ Manual Focus/Flash options/Self-timer.

The 2.8 inch LCD monitor can be flipped out, rotated 180 degrees toward the lens, or turned 90 degrees toward the camera base, making it very easy to compose high level/low level shots.

The LCD can also be closed with the screen facing outwards. It is possible to connect the camera to a TV screen while shooting.

The G11 has a built-in flash with the usual flash modes and has a flash range from 50cm to 7m (W), and 50cm to 4m (T).

The camera is provided with a dedicated hot-shoe for use with Canon’s (optional) dedicated flashguns, though some functions may not be usable with this camera. Images are recorded in SD/SDHC/ MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus card. The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack NB-7L. An AC adapter kit ACK-DC50 (optional) is available. The G11 weighs 355g without battery and card (approximately 405g with battery and card).

screen that can be moved away from its original position, is that it does not warm up the image sensor, which could result in noisier images. The 3-stop Neutral Density filter is of immense value when photographing certain subjects where

MACRO

ERGONOMICS The Canon PowerShot G11 is a pleasure to use and is equally easy to operate. The buttons and knobs feel very positive at all times. The swiveling LCD monitor is crisp and is great for low-angle/high-angle shots. Another advantage of an LCD

Aperture: f/8 Shutter Speed: 1/2sec. ISO: 100

NOISE

FLASH OUTPUT

ISO: 80

ISO: 3200

Aperture: f/4.5 Shutter Speed: 1/60sec. ISO: 100

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