Better photography 2015 01 by Nuno Saraiva

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January 2015 • Rs. 150

(Total 194 pages+16 pages Supplement)

Better Technique. Better Insight. Better Pictures

BP Excellence Awards Celebrating the best gear to grace our test bench

Easy ways to make party pictures that are fun and truly memorable ON ASSIGNMENT

An escapade to a world of beautiful self-portraiture

TIPS AND TRICKS Ideas on making pictures of kids, murals and more

GREAT MASTERS

Sebastião Salgado explores our planet's pristine origins

EXCLUSIVE TESTS Nikon 1 V3 Z' 5 4 6 X A T GoPro Hero4 PHEENFIRST 'AFFORDRAMBLAET T Canon EOS 7D Mark II DIUM FO 51MP ME VIEWED! RE Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PROFILE

Neeraj Priyadarshi's prolific journey as a photojournalist

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President & editorial director, tV18 Senthil Chengalvarayan

editor-in-chief, Web & Publishing, network18 R Jagannathan

editorial Chief editor K Madhavan Pillai

deputy editor - technical

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Group Coo, network18

Get Published in better PhotoGraPhy

Alok Agarwal

Participate in online contests, share your best tips and techniques to get your work noticed. Follow these simple guidelines:

Ceo-network18 Publishing Sandeep Khosla

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assistant General Managers

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senior Features Writers Ambarin Afsar, Supriya Joshi, Aditya Nair

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For your Pictures, reader’s Gallery and reader’s tip: Visit http://betterphotography.in/contests and register yourself on the website Participate in the relavant contests on the page. There will always be a contest open for you to take part in! For Reader’s Gallery contests, make sure the images have been made using a cellphone For Reader’s Tip and Your Pictures contests, include a 100-word note on how and why you shot the image Winners of all the contests get featured on our website and can be featured in the magazine too. They will also receive special prizes!

send in a synopsis, with low-resolution images for viewing, to contribute articles to the following sections:

On Assignment, Step-by-Step, Photofeature, Tips & Tricks, Shooting Technique, History, Story Behind the Picture

Get in touch with us:

To have your images reviewed by our panel of experts: photocritique@betterphotography.in To showcase your best photographs: entries@betterphotography.in To contribute articles and for questions on photography: editor@betterphotography.in For your suggestions, appreciation and criticism on the magazine: feedback@betterphotography.in Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd (Network18)*, its publisher and/or editors. We at Network18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Network18 does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Network18 does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Network18 reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.

Published and Printed by Sandeep Khosla on behalf of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Editor: K Madhavan Pillai Printed at Indigo Press (India) Pvt. Ltd., Plot # 1 C/716, Off Dadoji Konddeo Cross Road Between Sussex & Retiwala Indl., Estate, Byculla, Mumbai - 400027, & published at Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd., Empire Complex, 1st Floor, 414, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013. Better Photography is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. 69122. Network18 does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition. * Ownership of this magazine stands transferred from Infomedia18 Limited (Infomedia18) to Network18 Media & Investments Limited (Network18) in pursuance of the scheme of arrangement between Network18 and Infomedia18 and their respective shareholders and creditors, as approved by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and the necessary approval of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is being obtained.

Better PhotograPhy

a Year For our own leaps of Faith

editorial

“The last year has been that of space odysseys of a different sort, and photographs from millions upon millions of kilometres away.”

It is already 2015. How quickly time flies! Not so long ago, twenty fifteen was the stuff of distant future and science fiction. Arthur C Clarke had written ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ in 1968, and Stanley Kubrick passed away in 1999 (apart from being a filmmaker who produced some of the most visually compelling cinema, he was also a published photographer). The first commercially produced ‘Digital SLR’ was released by Kodak all the way back in 1991, using a Nikon F3 body. If all this seems to be a long time ago, the first 1GB CF 16x card, made by Lexar, became available in 2003 (it cost about Rs. 76,000, by today’s value). Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007. The original 5MP GoPro HD Hero was unveiled in 2010. Nikon announced the D800 in 2012, and its upgrade, the D810 in 2014, challenged their best optics. Now we can barely remember a time when cellphones had number-pads and no cameras in them. The last year has been that of space odysseys of a different sort, and photographs from millions upon millions of kilometers away. Mangalyaan made us proud when it sent its first photos of Mars. Rosetta lifted our spirits into the sky when she successfully landed on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, and sent back a panoramic view (published in the last page of our December issue). If it was a year of humanity’s greatest leaps of faith, the last month also showed us how singularly cruel, depraved, faithless, ugly and inhuman some factions of our species could be. Children, 141 of the 148 who were massacred in a school in Pakistan, for no other reason than that they were... children! The incident is so shameful, that words and pictures fail woefully to describe the horror of it. The hearts of the BP Team go out to the parents and the survivors. The significant lives of others can offer a glimmer of hope. Sebastião Salgado, one of the world’s most legendary social documentary and environmental photographers (featured in this issue’s ‘Great Masters’), had started planting trees over a decade ago, in his deforested homeland in Brazil. Since then, he has planted over two million trees, and recorded a barren piece of denuded earth come back to life as a beautiful, resplendent rainforest. Perhaps, 2015 is a year to take a page out of his book... to return some of what we have so easily consumed, and to make the planet a better place for our children.

K Madhavan Pillai

editor@betterphotography.in

Chinstrap penguins on an iceberg, between Zavodovski and Visokoi islands, South Sandwich Islands, 2009 by Sebastião Salgado Journeying across ideologies, Sebastião had once said, “So many times I’ve photographed stories that show the degradation of the planet... In the end, I thought the only way to give us an incentive, to bring hope, is to show the pictures of the pristine planet—to see the innocence.”

To know more about Sebastião Salgado’s truly inspirational life— Turn to page 138 Better PhotograPhy

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January 2015

54 SnapShots

Book Review ‘Photographs from Rural India’ by Jyoti Bhatt

Look Who’s Shooting Shashwat Prakash

Retrospective K G Maheshwari

ON THE COVER

DESIGN: santosh d KaMbLe

GearGuide

test

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Does it match up to the legacy of the 7D?

Nikon 1 V3 The latest sharpshooter on the block

GoPro Hero 4 The best action camera available today?

Olympus 40-150 mm f/2.8 PRO Versatile focal length with fast optics

micro test

Pentax 645Z 51MP ‘affordable’ medium format

Sony 128GB SD Card and Sirui N-2204X tripod

CellphonePhotography

102

test

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Xiaomi Redmi Note Delightful and efficient!

OnePlus One Hits all the right sweet spots! Well... mostly.

106 Alina Rudya cellPhoNe Profile

A look into the visual diary of the poetic storyteller

InFocus

128

134

BetterPictures

116

shootiNG techNiQUe

It’s Party Time! Seven creative ideas to bring back the fun in your party photographs

ShowCase

128 Neeraj Priyadarshi Profile

A look at the fast-paced life of the prolific photojournalist

PhotoFinish

192 The Ultimate Sacrifice storY BehiND the PictUre

IndIa’s bIggest weddIng

120 ExploringtheSelf oN assiGNmeNt

An escapade to beautiful self-portraiture

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tiPs & tricks

Learn how to shoot playful children, street murals and religious places

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photography awards return! For more details, turn to page no. 52

Great masters

Sebastião Salgado A breathtaking journey into the photographer’s exploration of the planet

140 TamronChallenge2014 showcase

A view of the winners of the nation-wide contest

Regulars feeDBack ............................................................14 cellPhoNe Diaries ............................................105 reaDers GallerY .............................................. 112 1000 worDs ......................................................144 YoUr PictUres ..................................................146

Feedback

Send your suggestions, thoughts, and feedback letters to... feedback@betterphotography.in Every month, the ‘Letter of the Month’ will win a special gift from

CellPhone teChnique

A Photographer’s Guide To Becoming #InstaFamous

Instagram isn’t just an easy-to-use photosharing social network, it also happens to be the fastest to being able to showcase your photos to millions of people, the app is filled with potential isn’t a story about getting millions of followers overnight, rather about getting found by the

growing medium for self publication that has ever existed for photographers. In addition, editors, clients, art lovers and collaborators whom you can engage and work with. Ultimately, this right people who appreciate the images you make. Aditya Nair shows you how. Creative Use of Apps

Build up your instagram handle andle

Natasha Desai (@curlsb4swine)

“The Instagrambased article in the December 2014 issue was very informative and I was able to learn several new tips.”

CellPhone teChnique

Before you start publicising your Instagram handle add at least 15 great images that represent your work. This gives people an idea of your work and a reason to follow you.

Who you are makes a difference ifference A catchy handle and a descriptive bio about who you are and what you shoot will go a long way in distinguishing you from the hoards of spam bots out there. Choose a profile picture that is welcoming and easy to understand in a small size.

leverage your existing networks etworks Connect your Insta account to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and share your images here. If you have business cards, have a link to your account so that potential clients can connect and see your work here as well.

most importantly, Be aspirational People visit Instagram to see stunning imagery and read interesting stories behind them. There is a reason that travel, food, pets and kids are popular topics. Positivity works wonders on Instagram. Even if it is your objective to bring to light social issues, avoid lamenting or ranting about them. Instead point your followers towards NGOs or groups working to fix the problem, through your captions.

don’t Be a ghost host The most annoying kind of Instagram users are the ones that go around following everyone in a hope to boost their own follower count. Instead, follow people whose work you enjoy and engage with them about their photographs. Have a look at the people they follow as it will help you discover even more great photographs.

the Best time to upload Photographs Figure out when your followers are most active. Do they check Instagram as soon as they wake up? Or prefer to end their day looking at beautiful imagery, before going to bed? Give them something to appreciate... an interesting story.

geotag your our Pictures Tag the images to the places where you make them. This serves two purposes. Firstly, your photographs act as a document for others to see. And secondly, it is always fun to go to the Map feature of Instagram and go through all the places you have visited when you want to reminisce.

don’t Become the King of Spam Post regularly but don’t spam people’s feed. Avoid posting more than three images at a stretch. Conversely, avoid going off the grid too often. If you feel the need to share a lot of images in one go, try using apps like @Flipagram or HTC’s Zoe to create slideshows.

Be a Part of the Community There are plenty of collaborations that happen on and as a result of Instagram. For example, since the @EverydayAfrica and @EverydayAsia handles gained popularity, it has spawned many local replicas like @EverydayMumbai. Try getting your work featured by such handles. Additionally, Instagram themselves run Weekend Hashtag Projects each that you can participate in to get featured on their account.

experiment With Video Can you tell a great story in a few seconds? Or show off the breathtaking scenery of the place you are travelling to? Or even capture a funny moment? Then you may want to mix your photography up with some entertaining 15-second video snippets too.

get Personal

Join insta Walks in your our City

Your style may define you as a photographer but also throw in a few images that help humanise you. Photos of friends, family, your workplace, funny things that your pets do are all good fodder to feed the insta-hungry.

Groups of Instagrammers getting together and going on photowalks are now a common sight in almost every city. There is no better place to network, share ideas and talk about photography. If there isn’t one in your city, start one!

Stay Current

try Being a guest instagrammer nstagrammer

Choose subjects that are current in people’s minds. Before a festival, photograph the making of idol. During the IPL, try making pictures at the stadium highlighting the team you support. You can use websites like Webstagram (websta.me) to get an idea of popular hashtags.

Take over another account for a week or two and post your images there. This could be an account of a magazine, group or even trade accounts with a fellow photographer. It exposes you to a whole new and interesting audience. One of the best examples of such a collaboration in India was by @Scroll_In, where photographers across the country documented the Indian elections.

Be Known For a Style

monitor your our Statistics Sites like iconoSquare (formerly Statigram) and totem (nitrogram) itrogram) give you analytics for instagram nstagram like number of followers, unfollows, comments and likes to help you understand your followers and what they are interested in.

As you start building your followers, people will start associating you with a certain kind of imagery and quality. We all love to experiment but new Instagrammers are more likely to follow you if they see a profile filled with great photographs. So, be picky about what you choose to share. Above all, avoid clichés. Sunsets may get you immediate likes but they will severely limit your audience. deCemBer 2014

deCemBer 2014

Famous on Social Media Thank you BP for publishing the Cellphone Technique ‘A Photographer’s Guide to Becoming #InstaFamous’ in the December 2014 issue. What I really liked about the article was that the tips were not generic, as with most web-based articles on such topics. I was wondering if you could do similar articles on Flickr, 500px and Facebook? It will be really helpful for photographers like me who are keen on promoting their business. Amrohit Pawar, Indore, via post

Partner up With Popular Blogs Ask them if they would like to feature your stories and photographs. Most blogs will jump to the chance as it means free content for them. Ask them to embed the Instagram images they use. Or, at the very least link to your profile.

#dont #Be #that #guy #either ither Hashtags are useful but add them within reason. Stick to relevant hashtags. If you are use apps like VSCOCam, or a particular brand of cellphone or camera, mention them in your tags. Certain brands pick up these images and share them with a their followers.

Better PhotograPhy

Nothing wows a photography audience like seeing something unique. There are a number of apps available that help you conceptualise weird and unique ideas—from editing (Snapseed), filters (VSCO), B&W tones (Hueless), collages (Photo Grid) to more interesting prospects like animated 3D graphics (Matter), multiple exposures and layer blending (Union) and psychedelic effects (Glitché). Even adding music or augmented virtual reality in an everyday setting can result in some fun photo-video projects to enthrall your audience.

let instagram evolve your Style It is always fun to scroll down to the very first of thousands of images posted by Instagram pros and see how their styles morphed over the years. You can see when certain trends, hashtag projects and apps became popular, even how short or longlived their popularity was. Better

PhotograPhy

‘A Photographer’s Guide to Becoming #Instafamous’ appeared in the December 2014 issue. It listed useful tips to improving your Instagram viewership.

Friend, Philosopher and Guide I discovered Better Photography for the first time when I was visiting a friend’s home. His son, a photography student, was reading the magazine and offered to share it with me. It was the January 2012 issue, and I was amazed to see the coverage of the best cameras of the previous year, along with interviews and techniques. In a few weeks, I started subscribing to the magazine and found myself completely hooked. I even attended a workshop on photography and was surprised to find out how quickly I picked up all the lessons I was taught. After seeing my enthusiasm, my wife and son gifted me a Canon EOS 550D. It has been three years now, and I would like to thank Better Photography for always being my teacher and my guide. Now, most of my evenings are spent teaching photography to the children in my society. Santosh Prabhakar, Patna, via email

Our Readers Tell Us About their Photographic Resolutions for 2015 We asked our Facebook readers to tell us how they plan to turn over a new leaf for the year 2015. The response that we received ranged from the simple—learning how to use a camera, to the thought provoking—shooting videos based on important social issues.  A click a day shall keep my stress away. 

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–Prasanna Jeni I will focus on ‘updating’ my vision, rather than my photography gear. –Saha Debojyoti My resolution for the new year is to experiment more, increase my learning—specifically my knowledge on wedding photography, and look for a teacher who will mentor me. –Moumita Rudra I want to develop my vision by travelling around the country. – Raashi Metkari No resolutions for me. I am going to continue photographing the way I do. –Sumit Patel 2015 is going to be the year that I am going to dedicate to photographing personal projects. –Amit Vakil In 2015, I want to photograph at least one wedding! – Uday Bhaskar Pratti I think my perspective and way of seeing things around me got a little too redundant. I would like to change this. –Pankaj Kumar

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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I want to up my game by shooting a lot more than I currently do. –Shayne D Souza 2015 is going to be the year that I dedicate to making videos of important social issues—discrimination against skin colour and prostitution. – Sigmaa Upadhyay Market myself better. – Jon Poulson I have resolved to not let arrogance creep into me. Also, I have to subscribe to Better Photography magazine! – Faizan Patel I want to reduce my dependence on software and make all my adjustments before shooting the moment. I also want to work more efficiently. – Shailesh Liya Learn how to use my camera! – De Cavendish I want to explore and experiment with the possibilities of flash photography. – Paras Shah I am aiming to have my photographs published in Better Photography magazine. — Rahul

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Twitter: twitter.com/betterphoto Facebook: facebook.com/betterphotography Youtube: youtube.com/betterphotoindia Website: betterphotography.in

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The Gift of Photography For as long as I can remember, my mother has always been a self-designated photographer of family gettogethers and vacations. Relatives and friends would gather around her so that she could photograph them. She continued to actively shoot until four years ago, when she suffered from a severe stroke. This left her without the ability to speak, and also resulted in the paralysis of her right arm. Despite this, she has always been quite active, even though she uses a wheelchair to move around. To reignite her love for photography, my wife and I were thinking about gifting her a camera. The only problem is that since she has lost all sensation of her right arm, it might be difficult for her to handle the camera. Are there any specific contraptions or accessories attachable to the camera, that can help her? Also, since all cameras are designed for righthanded people, what camera do you suggest I should buy her? Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

I know for sure that she is going to be absolutely delighted to receive the gift.

Roshan Thomas, Kochi, via email Editor’s Response: We are really happy to know that you are thinking about returning the joy of photography to your mother. Unfortunately, there is very little that you can do to customise the photographic process as per your mother’s convenience. Instead of purchasing a camera for her, I would suggest that you buy your mother a good cameraphone. Not only are they smaller devices to handle, but they also either have inbuilt voice-enabled shooting features, or you can download an app for it. If you are on a budget then the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is a great option at just Rs. 5999. But if you are looking for superior quality, then the Samsung Galaxy S5, the LG G3 or the Apple iPhone 6 are good options.

Distinct Ways of Seeing For the month of November, I had challenged myself to make different photographs of my daily commute to work. The first 15 days of the challenge went about smoothly, but after that I felt very uninspired. I could not think of any other innovative way to shoot a picture of the same subject again. I would really appreciate it if Better Photography could do an article on exploring the various perspectives that one can explore and shoot in an urban environment. Vidhya James, Bengaluru, via email

Strange Medical Photography

CORRIGENDUM

We inadvertently mispelled Dr Alok Bharadwaj’s name in Snapshots in the December 2014 issue. We apologise for the error.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

A few weeks ago, I was browsing through Better Photography’s website, when I decided to search the words ‘medical photography’. What came up were interesting articles on Duchenne de Boulogne, the Elephant Man and a story behind Albert Londe’s cronophotographic images, amongst others. I was quite surprised at how much I did not know about the application of

We believe that the joy of a family photo is in displaying it. To make your special memories stand out, this Letter of the Month wins a special Photo Frame from Red Moments!

medical photography in the 19th century. For instance, Albert Londe made several photographs of patients who were suffering from hysteria. Some of them were strange and quite scary-looking, but still equally interesting. The articles made for a very interesting Sunday afternoon read. Gayatri Sarang, Puducherry, via email

Matte or Glossy Paper? Thank you Better Photography for always giving your readers the best tips and advices on the latest in the world of gear and photography techniques. However, I wish you could do articles on the postproduction aspect by reviewing the best printers in the market, and even the different types of paper that are available for printing photographs. For instance, I am always confused about whether to use glossy or matte paper for printing my images. It would be beneficial to learn the advantages and disadvantages of both. Nelson Pinto, Mumbai, via email

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Casio Exilim EX-MR1 The EX-MR1 is a 14MP, 1/2.3-inch square CMOS sensor which features a lens behind a mirrored surface, and shoots full HD video. Additionally, it comes with a Make Up mode that provides users with six modes of skin tone adjustment, and 12 levels of skin smoothness adjustment. The camera is available in the colours pink, white and green.

BlackBerry Classic The Blackberry Classic comes with a QWERTY keyboard, a 3.5-inch screen and trackpad. It features an 8MP rear and 2MP front camera, and captures 1080p video at 30fps. The phone comes with a 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of storage, 2GB RAM and runs on the BlackBerry OS 10.

egendary pictorialist, portraitist and teacher, K G Maheshwari passed away due to natural causes on 4 December, 2014. He was 92-years-old. As a young boy of 15, his singing teacher said that he had no talent. Instead of letting the incident pull him down, K G Maheshwari dedicated himself to excelling in some art form. Inspired by Illustraed Weekly, photography became his preoccupation and this passion stayed with him throughout his life. Even though he devoted a significant amount of time to his cotton ginning and pressing business, he photographed everyday and received unending support from his wife, Shantidevi. He was also

skilled at creating beautiful pictograms. We shall miss his guidance, eye for detail, and ready wit. Students of photography will find themselves deprived of a great teacher. He was forever willing to share his techniques and to that end, he conducted hundreds of workshops with nominal fees. He was a perfectionist when it came to his photographs and they can be studied for their tonal range, perfect composition and timing. We at Better Photography are thankful for his time with us and offer our deepest condolences to his family.

Huawei Honor 6 Plus The Honor 6 Plus comes with three 8MP cameras. One of them is front facing while the other two are beside each other on the rear to allow the refocusing of captured images. However, no other information about its processor or sensor size have been released yet.

Seagate Archive 8TB Seagate announced a 3.5-inch 8TB hard disk drive as a part of their new Archive HDD lineup. The external hard disk has an average read speed of 150MB/s. The drive has six platters and uses technology that allows an extra 25% more data per platter. It is priced at USD 260 (approx. Rs. 16,500).

K G Maheshwari

Photography Great K G Maheshwari Passes Away L

To know ahead of time what you’re looking for means you’re then only photographing your own preconceptions, which is very limiting, and often false.” DoRoTHEA LAngE (1895–1965) A documentary photographer, Dorothea Lange was best known for her work on the Great Depression in the USA. Her images brought out the human side of the entire period. One of her most famous photographs titled Migrant Mother, from her series on agricultural workers, became symbolic of the depression era. Lange studied photography at Columbia University and her work paved the way for serious documentary photography and influenced several photographers as well. In 1941, she received a Guggenheim scholarship to photograph the various religious groups in USA.

Better PhotograPhy

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

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s naps hots

omega Reflector The ten-in-one reflector is designed with a removable center panel, so that the reflector can be used like a ring flash or beauty dish. The 38 x 45-inch reflector can fold down to one third of its size and is priced at USD 100 (approx. Rs. 6300).

Celebrated Photographer Phil Stern Passes Away A merican photograher, Phil Stern passed away on 13 December, 2014. He was 95-years-old and suffered from congestive heart failure and emphysema.

Image Source: www.philsternarchives.com

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Sony 64gB UY SD Card The 64GB card from Sony features a read speed of up to 40MB/s, and has a UHS Speed Class 1 rating. The waterproof, dustproof, temperature proof and X-Ray proof card supports full HD recording. It comes with the Sony File Rescue software. This software supports 3D movies and photos as well. The durable card is priced at Rs. 4100, and is available in stores across India.

Fyuse App

Fyuse is a spatial photography app that lets you capture images in 3D. When using the app you can make a dynamic photo by moving your phone around. Viewers will able to see your 3D images by moving and tilting their phones. It also offers filters and the opportunity for users to share photographs on Fyuse’s own social network and Facebook, Twitter and the web too.

Venus Eco Photobook The Eco Photobook is printed on the HP INDIGO WS 6000p digital press. The book is a 36-inch long single print which will be able to open 180° and lie flat on a surface. This accommodates panorama printing without a crease in the center. This book is available in Metallic Pearl, Metallic Silver, Deep Leather, Medium Super Gloss and Medium Silky with a texture of Silk photo paper.

Adobe Lightroom 5.7.1 and Camera Raw 8.7.1 Adobe announced the availability of Adobe Camera Raw 8.7.1 to support the Sony ILC-A7M2, and updated support for the Samsung NX1 cameras. The updates are available on their website www.Adobe.com or through the update mechanism in Photoshop CC 2014 and Photoshop CS6. Also available is the 8.7.1 version of the DNG Converter. 8.7.1 and Lightroom 5.7.1.

FCE Photo Video Begins Distribution Across India As part of a new initiative, FCE Photo Video will begin distributing photographic products across India. Their new lineup of products include Tiffen filters, Think Tank bags, SKB hard cases, Cinematic Film lens cases and Motion 9 DSLR cages.

Better photography

He started his career as a photoengraver’s assistant in New York, USA but with the onset of World War II, he enlisted and became a war photographer. After the war, he began shooting Hollywood celebrities and was credited with humanising them. His images often caught them in relaxed, intimate and candid moments. “I was never interested in the glamour, I was interested in the tears and agony behind it,” he once said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

India Bans Sale of Xiaomi & OnePlus Smartphones T he entry of Chinese cellphone manufacturers Xiaomi and OnePlus caused quite a stir in the Indian market. Soon after they began selling their phones, both companies faced injunctions from the Delhi High Court. Acting on a case filed by Ericsson India against Xiaomi, the Delhi HC banned the manufacturer from selling its smartphones in India. According to the case, Ericsson accused Xiaomi of infringing on patents. However, a week later, the courts lifted the ban on Xiaomi’s devices that ran on

Qualcomm chipsets. However, any devices running on the Miditek processors continue facing the ban. On the other hand, a partnership between Micromax and Cyanogen led to the ban of all OnePlus devices in India. According to the agreement, Micromax will be the sole manufacturer of the Cyanogen based OS devices in the country. Since the OnePlus’ flagship device called the One, comes with the CyanogenMod ROM for Android, Micromax sought an injunction to prevent further sale of the smartphone.

Sony Announces the Alpha 7 II and Three Lenses S ony has announced the 24MP full-frame mirrorless Alpha 7 II. It has a 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation, which is a first for a full-frame mirrorless camera. The company claims that by CIPA standards, the shake will be reduced by 4.5 stops. Additionally, the Alpha 7 II has 117 phase detect and 25 contrast detect points on its CMOS sensor. Sony is claiming a 30% improvement in the camera’s AF speed, along with a better tracking performance than its predecessor.

The Alpha 7 II supports S-Log2 and the XAVC S codec, which records 1080/60p video at 50Mbps. As for the design, the grip is larger and the shutter release button has been placed on it. The front command dial too, has be repositioned on to the grip. Prices and release dates are yet to be announced. Soon after, the company announced three A-mount lenses—the 70–300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II, the Vario-Sonnar T* 24–70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II and the Vario-Sonnar T* 16–35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II lenses. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

E V E n TS 22 november 2014–15 January

nobody’s Art India Wonderwall, new Delhi

Swedish artist Reg Fallah travelled around India and photographed the minute details on the walls of various cities and villages. A mix of expressionism and surrealism, the images find comparisons with India’s classical periods.

Self-timer is the mechanism that keeps the shutter open for some seconds after the release button has been pressed.

8 December 2014–3 January

Retro-Spective

Waswo X. Waswo

the harrington Street arts Centre (ho Chi Minh Sarani), Kolkata

Retro-Spective will be a showcase of artist Waswo X Waswo, who is known for his photography and unique hand coloured portraits of India. Over 40 of his best photographs and coloured portraits are on display. His themes explore colonial ethnography in humourous and poignant ways.

CP+ 2015—All Set to Begin in February T he Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) will be hosting the CP+ Camera & Imaging Show 2015 from 12–15 February at the Pacifico Yokohama hall in Japan. Now, in its fifth year, CP+ annually brings together the latest in technology and the culture of photo imaging. This year’s theme FOCUS! Inspiration lies beyond the frame, will see a plethora of events planned around it. To start with, the main event is a oneday seminar with Martin Parr, President of Magnum Photos. Along with this, the GALERIE PARIS will host an exhibition Magnum Paris in Monochrome from 10–15 February. Additionally, visitors to the event will be able to view a photo exhibition of the winners of the LES ZOOMS photo contest. Along with this, an 8K

CA L L Fo R E n T R I E S Categories: Macro Traditional, Macro Unrestricted, Wide Angle Traditional, Wide Angle Unrestricted, Compact Cameras, Conceptual and Fashion and Video. Prizes: The grand prize winner will receive a cash prize of USD 1000 (approx. Rs. 6,33,000). Entry Fee: USD 10 (approx. Rs. 633) website: www.underwatercompetition.com Deadline: 8 February

51st wildlife Photographer of the Year

8 December 2014–24 January

A Yank’s Memory of Calcutta

Clyde Waddell

aakriti art gallery, Kolkata

In 1946, Clyde Waddell was a military photographer with the US Army. Apart from photographing Calcutta, as it was known then, he captured the life of American soldiers too. The exhibition features 60 gelatin silver prints made by him. Better PhotograPhy

UHDTV that is being developed by the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) will be on display. The video Makino’s Wondrous Guide to Plants and takes of Mt. Fuji will be played on the screen. Visitors will also be able to view 4K video on a dedicated 4K viewing experience corner. In a special weekend event only, CP+ exhibitors will be holding a sale on photography accessories. With so much to look forward to, we are eagerly waiting for the show to begin!

Image Source: www.cpplus.jp

P R o TA L k

Forest Europe is giving you the chance to visit a protected forest area in Spain!

Show off Your Forest The Competition: Forest Europe is conducting a competition to highlight the importance of the world’s flora. Theme: Participants have to depict the benefits of forests and how they protect us. Categories: Cellphone and Camera. Prizes: The first prize winner will receive a trip for two to a protected forest area in Spain. website: www.showoffyourforest.com/info Deadline: 8 February

our world Underwater Competition The Competition: Photographers are invited to submit their underwater images and videos.

The Competition: The competition is held by the National History Museum in London and the BBC. Categories: There are 10 categories for adults and three for photographers under the age of 17. Prizes: The Wildlife Photographer of the Year will receive 10,000 pounds (approx. Rs. 9,90,000). The Adult and Young category winners will receive 1250 pounds (approx. Rs. 1,23,000) and 1000 pounds (approx. Rs. 90,000) respectively. Entry Fee: 30 pounds (approx. Rs. 3000) for the Adult category. website: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/wpy/index.html Deadline: 27 February

Phodar Biennial 2015 The Competition: The festival will take place in Bulgaria and the images will be judged by a panel made up of international judges. Theme: No vice is greater than fear. Prizes: The grand prize winner will receive 750 euros (approx. Rs. 58,000). website: www.fodar.dir.bg/index.html Deadline: 28 February

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E V E n TS 8 December–25 January

The Urban Story apparao galleries, Chennai

In their own way, artists Deidi Von Schaewen and George K explore the urban city through photography. George discovers an abandoned furniture factory and vies it as a political aspect of social outcasts. On the other hand, Deidi explores the hidden agenda of politics using scaffoldings as a metaphor.

P R o TA L k Pincushion Distortion is a lens effect where images appear pinched at the center. this distortion usually occurs at the tele end of a zoom lens.

13 December–23 March

what is Home– Ideas of Belonging gallery Veda, Kochi

his year, Better Photography was pleased to partner with Tamron for the Tamron Challenge 2014. With entries pouring in from all corners of India, the competition wrapped up its third edition in the second week of December. Kasturi Mukherjee, Jayanta Roy, Ankit Nandwani and Rajneesh Panwar were the four photographers who made the final cut. Participants were invited to submit five images each and were judged on originality, photography prowess,

amongst other characteristics. The next round consisted of a portfolio review session of 20 additional images from the shortlisted contestants. These were conducted by judges in several cities around India. After this, five promising candidates from each city were given a Tamron Photographer’s Vest. Out of this shortlist, the four winners were selected. To view the stunning images of the winners, you can turn to page 140.

19 December–5 January

Hybrid Modernism

The photographs above are of contestants and judges from the portfolio review session in kolkata (left) and Mumbai (right). At the session, judges discussed their images and gave them tips and feedback on the same.

Woodlands theatre, Chennai Sabine Haubitz/ Stefanie Zoche

Images Courtesy: Tamron India

Documentary photographer Anshika Verma explores how differently we perceive the idea of home. Through the series, she finds her connection to them and their worlds. During the course of this exploration, she hopes to find the place she belongs to.

Tamron Challenge Declares Winners for 2014 Contest

Hybrid Moderism–Movie Theatres in South India explores the influence and reinterpretation of western architecture in South India. Artists Sabine Haubitz and Stefanie Zoche photographed the structures that have been around since the early 1950s.

Photography Exhibition

The exhibition was a culmination of Pascal Bernard’s images and Anupama Raju’s poetry.

Dr Mukesh Batra hosted an exhibiton of his photographs, featuring the landscapes of Switzerland. The annually held exhibition was in its tenth year and this time it was hosted at the Piramal Art Gallery, Mumbai from 1–12 December.

Surfaces et Profondeurs A collaboration between Indian poet Anupama Raju and Pascal Bernard resulted in the exhibition Surfaces et

The Bengaluru chapter of the Kolkata Photographer’s Club, hosted a photography exhibition with elements that depicted the flavour of colours in their stories. The exhibition was held from 12–14 December at the Rangoli Metro Art Center.

Aashish Vyas held a photography exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai on 16–22 December. Titled Treppe, which translates into steps in German, Aashish’s images featured a variety of steps that he has encountered.

DIBI Expo 2015 Dr. Prabhakar Kore Convention Centre, Bengaluru

Better PhotograPhy

An Ensemble of Stories: Season 2

Treppe

23–25 January

The Digital Image and Broadcasting Show 2015 is dedicated to photography, video, digital imaging and broadcasting. It will be organised by Richmond Events and is supported by the Government of Karnataka.

Profondeurs (Surfaces and Depths). It was held at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore from 1–21 December. The two artists dug into the depths of the roots and explored French and Indian culture.

The Red Light Rising

Pascal Bernard Kaamna Patel

On 19 December, Leena Kejriwal organised an outdoor visual installation at Sonagachi in Kolkata, of her ongoing project titled M.I.S.S.I.N.G. It was exhibited in collaboration with Apne Aap Women Worldwide and hamari Muskan, two NGOs in Kolkata. It was a part of the One Billion Rising in Revolution event. Her project addresses the issue of millions of girls disappearing without a trace. She works with at-risk girls from red light districts of Sonagachi, Munshiganj and Bow Bazaar in the city. The aim of the project was to give them a platform through which they may be able to realise their true potential.

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“expectations from India are high and we have to be a giant to continue.”

Canon India has been around for a long time, and with my move, it is only natural that the company will now look at internal capabilities and strengths. We have focused on people development and I will be making the move knowing dr. Alok Bharadwaj Executive Vice President, that there is a robust Canon India Pvt Ltd team in place. This change creates several opportunities for them to step up and take responsibility as there will be several new initiatives in the pipeline. At Canon Singapore, I will be responsible for the strategic business planning and execution, along with corporate communications for Canon’s Southeast and South Asian regional operations. Canon Singapore is a diverse company with around 18 countries under its umbrella. Additionally, I will be overseeing business development in 13 emerging markets. In this diverse arena, we would like to create leaders who will be able to carry forward the successful practices in Canon. Along with this, I will don another cap where I will undertake leadership development. With business environment and technology evolving so fast, the company requires capable leaders with longevity. My focus will be on building capability in these future leaders, particularly in the emerging markets. I leave Canon India on a hopeful note. With the speed of innovation only going faster, expectations from India are high and we have to be a giant to continue. This connected world will make our lives different and will continue with ferocity. I know that the speed of response will be such that Canon is seen as the best. —As told to Natasha desai

Book RevIew Title: Photographs from Rural India Authors: Jyoti Bhatt ISBN: 978-1-62890-107-8 Publisher: Tasveer, in partnership with Vacheron Constantin Price: Rs. 1000

TIPA Photo Trophy 2015 Calls for Submissions T he Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) is calling entries from all over the world for one of the largest photo art contests. The theme this year is Discover the world: open (y)our eyes to the beauty of planet Earth and the deadline for submitting your photographs is 23 March 2015. The first prize winner will receive 5000 euros (approx. Rs. 3,87,000), while the second and third prize winners will receive 3000 euros (approx. Rs. 2,32,000) and 2000 euros (approx. Rs. 1,54,000) respectively.

The TIPA Photo Trophy is free to enter and is a special theme that forms a part of the Trierenberg Super Circuit and Special Themes Circuit 2015. To submit your entries, visit www.tipa-photocontest.com

Image Source: www.tipa.com

I N d u ST Ry vo I c e

Trierenberg Super & Special Circuit Call for Entries T he Trierenberg Super Circuit and Special Themes Circuit invite photographers to participate in their contests. The deadline for submissions is 23 March. The Super Circuit has two themes— General and Nature. On the other hand, the Special Circuit has several themes— Experimental, Phototravel, Landscape, Nudes, Portrait, Water, Panorama, Architecture, Human Emotions, People and Pets, Sports, Seasons and Weather, Trees and Woods, Children of the World, Colour Ecstasy, China, Self-portrait, Streets, Roads and Paths, Mountains, Sunrise and Sunsets, African

Wildlife, Red, Seen from Above, Macro, Music and Dance, Underwater, Night and Artificial Light, Unusual and Avant Garde, Series and Sequences. To enter the contests, participants will have to pay a fee of USD 60 (approx. Rs. 4500) for any one category and USD 5 (approx. Rs. 380) for each additional category. The grand prize winner will receive 5000 euros (approx. Rs. 3,87,000) while theme winners will receive gold medals. To view more details and submit your photographs, you can visit www.photocontest.at

Witnessing Passages of Change Jyoti Bhatt is an eminent printmaker, painter and photographer. And, you can clearly see the effect of the this mix of media in Photographs from Rural India. The book is Jyoti Bhatt's attempt to preserve the dying art forms across rural India, where he saw a haste to accept the new and discard the old. It is divided into three parts, the first being photographs from Gujarat, the second from Rajasthan and the third from Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The book takes you back to the 1970s, where, as he puts its, "...There was nothing I could do about my concern for preservation, but I continued making photographic records of the art forms and art traditions that were still alive." Every photograph has people or animals or both in them. Each page is as much a portrait of the mural, floor art design or decoration, as it is of the person in it. All his frames are carefully constructed, much like his paintings and graphical prints. Every part of the image is assigned a specific role to play. Eloquently crafted, the book takes you on a journey across India's villages, where you see similarities, intricacies, stark differences and Jyoti Bhatt's dedication to recording a very important aspect of Indian identity. A line in the Foreward by artist Tyga Helme most aptly sums up this beautiful book—"Although he does not believe in forcibly keeping traditions alive, he was determined to document what he could for posterity and preserve in some way, the dying traditions and changing ways of life." — Written by Natasha Desai

Better photography

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s n a ps h ots

or a while, India was one country where civilian drones could be used. Concerned about the use and regulations governing them, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that until appropriate rules are made, the civilian use of drones will be banned. In the wake of New Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent incident of rape, police sources are reportedly planning to use drones with cameras as surveillance in the

city. The drones will be made to fly at a height of 600 feet each patrolling a few square kilometres of the city. While the ban on civilian use of drones was quite a blow for photographers and videographers, it is interesting to see how the device will fare as surveillance equipment. If the New Delhi project is successful, the same surveillance model will be applied to other cities across the country as well.

The First Lumia Phone from Microsoft is Here T he Microsoft Lumia 535 has finally arrived. After a fairly complicated business partnership Microsoft ended up buying Nokia's phone-making business. Soon after, the newly-formed company announced that the name Nokia will be dropped from all future phones. The Lumia 535 is the first rebranded phone to hit the markets. It features 5MP front and rear cameras, the latest

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Windows 8.1 OS, 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and a 5-inch screen.

Magnum Workshops at Goa Photo 2015 Festival

ll set to begin on 25 February, the Goa Photo 2015 festival will see a four-day Magnum photography workshop. It will be conducted by Harry Gruyaert and Stuart Franklin and will be held in Panaji. The aim of the workshop is to help photographers to refine and construct visual narratives through practical assignments. The cost to attend the workshop is Rs. 58,000. Also available are two scholarships for Indian photographers. To apply for the workshop and scholarship, visit www.goaphoto.in/magnum-photos-workshops

Image Source: www.goaphoto.in

Capital to Use Drones for Security Surveillance F

Better photography

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APP RevIew

Moldiv The photo collage app market is quite a competitive one with apps like Diptic and PicsGrid being favourites. Moldiv proves to be a contender in its own right. The app offers 80 basic frames and more elaborate ones available in the premium range. During image selection, you can import all the photos at one go and arrange their placement at the same time, which is time saving. You can also select patterned or solid colour backgrounds and filters for the photos. Additionally, the app also offers text and stamps, with fun options in them. One function I really like is the Frame Adjust function, which lets you can adjust the frame size using a slider. Another feature that makes the app a worthy download its cut out option. Here, you can select part of an image and have it pasted on to your collage, without a set frame. The collage can be saved in the maximum resolution of 3264 x 2674 on an iPhone 5. Even with so many features packed into the app, its design is simple, and users will find it easy to navigate. The app is available for both iOS and Android. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; written by Natasha desai

Darren Jew Better photography

Instagram Updates App Win Prizes Through the With Five New Filters TIPA Readership Survey

ith its most recent update for iOS and Android, Instagram has added five new filtersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua. Additionally, users can now view how the filters will affect the colours of the photo. Apart from this, they have added a Manage button where users can arrange their favourite filters in the order of their preference.

he Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) is a body of 29 photography magazines in 16 countries, and is conducting an international readership survey. 50 participants of the survey will win Better Photography's 12 Pocket Guide set. Internationally, they will be entered in a draw where they stand a chance of winning Nikon D4S, Sony Alpha 7R, Canon EOS 70D, Fujifilm X-T1, Nikon D3300 or an Olympus OM-D E-M10 camera. Hurry, as the deadline to submit the survey is 10 January! Go to page 34 and mail or fax the survey on the address provided, or, visit www.presseforschung.de/betterphotography ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Peter Lik

arren Jew, an underwater photographer from Australia, has recently set the Guinness World Record for being the first person to capture nine whales in a single frame. The 48-year-old photographer has been photographing Humpback Whales since 2001. On this occassion, everything including the light, water clarity, location and the pod of whales came together perfectly. Japanese free diver Ai Futaki is also featured in an image from the series. She is swimming beside the pod of Humpback Whales off the coast of the Kingdom of Tonga in the southern Pacific Ocean. She also holds a Guinness World Record for free diving. The whales in this image were travelling at 10 knots and she had to react quickly. Her presence of mind helped Darren Jew add an extra element to his images.

photograph, has caused controversy. It has ndreas Gursky's Rhein II has been led to many many art commentators to call dethroned as the most expensive the sale, a marketing gimic. photograph by Peter Lik's Phantom. It is a derivative of his colour image Ghost, made in Antelope Canyon in the USA. While Gursky's photograph sold for over USD 4 million (approx Rs. 25 crores), Lik's has sold for a staggering USD 6.5 million (approx. Rs. 41 crores). Phantom has been bought by an anonymous buyer but, the claim has remained unverified. The photo being priced at USD 2.2. million (approx. Rs. 13 crores) more than the Gursky's

Natasha Desai

Photographer's Image Sells for Over Rs. 40 Crores Guinness Record for Most Whales in a Photo A D

CEIF Photofair 2015 Set to Begin in New Delhi T he CEIF Photofair is ready to kick off at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, from 8–11 January. The Photofair is organised annually by the All India Photographic Trade and Industry Association (AIPTIA). The expo will feature the latest in imaging technology, along with galleries and various workshops.

Image Source: www.aiptia.org

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Federation of Indian Photography Workshop

nil Risal Singh, Anup Shah and Threesh Kapoor will be conducting a workshop from 17–20 February in Uttarakhand. For more details and to register for FIP's Call to the Himalayas workshop, visit www.fip.org.in

Lo o k w h o ’ S S h o oT I N g

A Young Eye in the Old City

Shashwat Prakash is a photography enthusiast based in Varanasi. He is 16- years-old and wants to earn a B. Tech degree after completing school.

“Steve Mccurry, Raghu Rai and vineet vohra are some my favourite photographers and inspire me to shoot better every day.”

Better photography

Being a teenager can be a tumultuous yet exciting period in one's life. While some may drift through it in confusion, other's like Shashwat Prakash find an interest, that is a little different from his peers. "Nobody in my class likes photography!", laments the Class 10 student. But this has never stopped him from photographing his hometown at every chance he gets. This can be quite the challenge, considering the demands of school. Shashwat discovered photography two years ago, with a little point-and-shoot that was lying in his home. He purchased a few rolls of film to experiment with and....he was hooked! Seeing his interest, his father

soon gifted him a DSLR. From this point on, there was no turning back. Apart from going out to make pictures regularly, Shashwat attends workshops, seminars and group shoots with other photographers in the town. One of his images was very recently published in the Federation of Indian Photography's monthly magazine. At the moment, he has no plans of taking up photography as a profession after school. He does, however, plan to keep at it as a serious hobby. To view more of Shashwat's photographs, visit www.betterphotography.in — written by Natasha desai

Shashwat Prakash

Shashwat goes around the city looking for interesting things to photograph. he was walking around early one morning when he noticed that the birds, the man and sun just fell into place in front of him.

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tr i Bute

In Memoriam

K G Maheshwari (2 November 1922– 4 December 2014) He dedicated over seven decades of his life to the art of photography. He was the recepient of over 1600 Salon acceptances, and around 400 awards. His work resides in a coin museum owned by him at Nashik, along with the trophies, plaques and medals. He was also one of the first four photographers to be awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of India.

Better PhotograPhy

Feline Grace

The late Krishna Gopal Maheshwari was a pictorialist par excellence. We speak to his family and those he influenced, for our humble tribute.

hat began as a hobby during school, turned into a lifelong passion for Krishna Gopal Maheshwari. Interestingly enough, Maheshwari’s father wanted him to learn music, but the teacher declared that the young Krishna did not have the voice for music. This spurred him to learn some form of the arts, and eventually photography is where he found his calling. While he made a career out of cotton ginning and pressing, photography never took a backseat. “In order to divert my mind from the stresses of my daily routines, I started a darkroom at home and made photograms. Each image required visualisation and understanding of exposure,” he said in an interview with Neha Mutreja in the October 2010 issue of Better Photography.

It was his diligence and passion that led him to be schooled by the very best in Indian photography. Jehangir Unwalla introduced him to tabletop photography and photograms while Burjor Fanibunda from the Photographic Society of India taught him darkroom techniques. K G Maheshwari’s photographs are not just strong compositions, they also show his intimate understanding of his subjects and of light. Initially known for his prowess in portraiture, his explorations in other genres are being recognised as serious works of art. It is to this master of light and portraiture that we bow our heads to. May his legacy live forever in all those he taught and all those he influenced. To read the Great Masters article on K G Maheshwari, please visit: www.betterphotography. in/perspectives/great-masters/maheshwari/262

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t r i Bu t e

He lived and breathed photography till his very last days.

“I began employing the things I learnt through photography in my business. I started solving problems at work by eliminating unwanted details, just like I would when I composed a frame.” –Krishna Gopal Maheshwari

A week before my father passed away, he was visited by a delegation of photographers who wanted to speak to him about his portraiture lighting techniques. Despite his frail health, he spent hours with them, helping them out of their problem areas, and also handled their heavy DSLRs. All my life, this is how I’ve known him to be. He never refused anyone, and tried his best to guide those who approached him. He also wanted me to take up photography. The first time I went abroad, he handed me a film camera and asked me to make pictures of my time there. But I did not know how to wind film and I came back with the roll unshot. Now, it is my fondest wish to see his legacy endure, and to ensure that his photographs see even more acclaim. — Kamlesh Kumar Maheshwari, son of the late K G Maheshwari

He donated his equipment to PSI’s faculty and to me. Just a few weeks before his death, he called me and a colleague, and told us he was giving us his equipment. He also gifted his entire portraiture lighting setup, which is currently situated at the ofﬁce

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of the Photographic Society of India (PSI), to our faculty. This is the kind of largehearted man he was. His gesture made us incredibly happy. —Prasad Pawaskar, Hon. Secretary, PSI

Domes and Minarets

When he was exhibiting at the NCPA, he taught me a great deal about lighting.

He would come to the gallery quite often and we would talk about photography for hours. I come from a photojournalistic background, and his natural lighting techniques were invaluable to me. —Mukesh Parpiani, Head of the Piramal Gallery, National Centre for Performing Arts

Saga of the Sky Better PhotograPhy

E X C E L L E N C E AWA R D S

BP EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

AND THE AWARD GOES TO... The BP Excellence Awards are a stamp of quality, and our way of celebrating cameras and lenses that have earned the highest rating on our test bench, in the past one year.

onth after month, the BP team tests, inspects and introspects how the latest technology will help you chronicle the most important moments moments in your life. We appreciate some of this equipment, despise others and occasionally, test cameras that make us fall in love. With these awards, we

recognise the gear that has scored the highest ratings in our tests. For the Camera of the Year and Innovative Product of the Year awards, we weigh the pros and cons of each gadget, and then decide the best. For us, the best imaging products should be those that are not only feature-packed, but also efficient and capable of delivering the best results in their respective categories.

Camera of the Year 46

Reviewer Speak

The D750 is the best value-for-money pro DSLR one can get.

Nikon D750 The D750 is a powerhouse performer. Image quality is fantastic. The amount of detail and headroom in the RAW files is jawdropping and at the lowest ISO, the camera boasts of having the best dynamic range today. Noise performance at 100% levels is slightly better than the D810... this actually makes it as good as the D3S/D4, and implies a good two-stop improvement over the D700. Autofocus is fast, and battery life, excellent. In fact, the only place where this camera does not knock the competition flat is video. While quality and features are excellent, the similarly priced Sony Alpha 7S has better video. The D750 offers a far superior headroom in RAW... and it is a lot cheaper! At a price of Rs. 1,34,450, it is the best value-for-money pro-DSLR one can get. I would go as far out to say that the tilting screen and AF improvements mean that you should go for the much-more expensive D810 only if you really need that extra resolution and buffer speed. The D700 was a mythical camera that was so far ahead of its time, that apart from the lack of video, it has stayed competitive, all these years. Neither of the new Nikons felt like an adequate replacement, but the D750 has now changed all that. The legend has moved on, and we have a new pronouncement. Waiting for it was well worth this legendary camera.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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E XC E L L E N C E AWA R D S

Basic Compact Camera of the Year Reviewer Speak

The P600 is surprisingly lightweight, but reasonably sturdy. For its price the 60x zoom is a very good deal!

Nikon COOLPIX P600 This camera is characterised by a huge 60x zoom range equivalent to 24mm–1440mm in 35mm parlance, optical vibration reduction with an ‘Active’ mode that increases the action of the VR for shake-free viewing and shooting at extreme telephoto ends of the lens, and 7fps. The performance is absolutely exemplary.

Advanced Compact Camera of the Year Reviewer Speak

The RX-10 is the first to feature a superzoom lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture on a 1-inch sensor.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 Simply put, the RX10’s image quality is superb. It uses the same sensor of the much-appreciated Sony RX100 II. The 24-200mm equivalent lens has surprisingly low distortion. The dynamic range allows excellent recovery of details. With features like a responsive AF system, Flexible Spot focusing, and fantastic video that employs the entire sensor area with every pixel being used to create the video frame, the RX10 stands out among the crowd, racing ahead of its competitors, despite its hefty price.

Consumer Mirrorless Camera of the Year Reviewer Speak

If you want great image quality and the ability to travel light, then the X-E2 is a wonderful choice.

Fujifilm X-E2 This is a small, quiet, rangefinder-styled camera. Its retro-look and handling belies some rather advanced features that make this camera a pleasure to use. It is also supported by some very fine lenses. It produces outstanding image quality across the ISO range. It features improved focus functions and better low light EVF visibility over its illustrious predecessor, the X-E1. JA N UA RY 2 0 1 45

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Advanced Mirrorless Camera of the Year Reviewer Speak

It is the best image quality you would get with any cropped-sensor camera, and rivals some full frame DSLRs as well.

Fujifilm X-T1 The X-T1 is a fantastic mirrorless camera and at the pinnacle of mirrorless technology. It has superb low-light performance and an excellent electronic viewfinder that can be easily said to rival a good OVF. Ergonomically, the camera is a combination of advanced functionality and old-world charm that can get very addictive.

Pro Mirrorless Lens Of The Year Reviewer Speak

The lens exceeds expectations. It is optically excellent and it is also superbly designed.

Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO With an equivalent focal length of 80-300mm, this lens proves itself in practically every area. It has excellent sharpness and contrast with negligible aberrations, performs well fully wide open, is weather sealed against rain, can operate in extreme temperatures, and it is also very well designed... a perfect balance.

Large Sensor Camera of The Year Reviewer Speak

The G7 X can produce astonishingly good image quality at higher ISO settings.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Considering this is the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first use of a 1-inch sensor, the G7 X has exemplary image quality. It features a fast lens with a significantly bigger zoom range, a large shutterspeed range that can be hugely useful, excellent ergonomics, and rugged build. If you are a purist looking for exceptional image quality and handling finesse, the Canon G7 X offers great value. BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 45

E XC E L L E N C E AWA R D S

Consumer APS-C DSLR of the Year Reviewer Speak

The image quality is admirable for a budget DSLR such as this.

Pentax K-500 The K-500 becomes the most highly rated entry-level DSLR this year because it is so perfect for the budding hobbyist as a great price. It is not a camera that comes with plenty of frills, especially in terms of video, but what it does well is to condition a beginer to make pictures in a spartan way, unlike other entry-level DSLRs.

Semi-pro APS-C DSLR of the Year Reviewer Speak

The Sony Alpha A77M2 gives you fantastic speed, good image quality and class-leading video control that will leave you very satisfied.

Sony Alpha A77M2 The Alpha A77M2 makes a point that is hard to ignore. It has excellent image quality up to ISO 3200, is built like a tank and its autofocus system is fantastic. In fact, the Alpha A77M2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autofocus system matches shoulder to shoulder with some cameras that are far more expensive, as well. Add to this the fact that you get the excellent 16â&#x20AC;&#x201C;55mm f/2.8 as a kit lens, and you have a winner on your hands.

Pro Full Frame Camera of The Year Reviewer Speak

The Nikon D4s is a fantastically crafted marvel of balanced, insightful design, cutting edge technology and precise engineering.

Nikon D4S For a high-end professional photographer, the performance of the Nikon D4s is the very best that Nikon has delivered yet. In terms of low light high ISO capabitites, it beats every other DSLR around. It can shoot at 11 fps with full autofocus and auto exposure, coupled with tracking of moving subjects. The build is exceptional and it is supported by a range of excellent optics. JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Consumer DSLR Lens of The Year Reviewer Speak

If you are looking for a reliable, telephoto lens with a great zoom, Tamron has you covered.

Tamron SP 150â&#x20AC;&#x201C;600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD The absolutely unique nature of the focal length range draws attention to this rather large lens. Wildlife and bird photography enthusiasts, and sports and action photographers alike will certainly love it. It is economical and performs well, both optically and in terms of AF.

Pro DSLR Lens of The Year Reviewer Speak

The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X has exceptionaly good optics and focusing speed.

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X This is a giant of a lens, with a big price tag and incredible specifications. For professional sports and wildlife photographers, this lens can deliver unlike any other lens can, with a performance that is incredibly close to prime lenses with similar focal lengths in this class.

Innovative Product of The Year Reviewer Speak

How often can compact cameras boast of coming so close to medium format territory... resolution and optics included?

Sigma Quattro Series The three Quattro cameras from Sigma, the DP1, DP2 and DP3 must be the most exotically designed cameras on the planet, and act as great conversation starters. Differentiated by fixed prime lenses of focal lengths 28mm, 45mm and 75mm in 35mm equivalents, and housing exactly the same Foveon sensor, their indivual optics and resolution is simply astounding. BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 45

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BUYERIA’SL SPEC

The abundance of cameras currently available in the market can make choosing your next camera quite daunting. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are Team BP’s recommendations for the best cameras today!

hile the last few months of 2014 saw a significant push towards 4k capable cameras, there were also plenty of significant improvements made in photographic technologies as well. Compact cameras appear to be making a comeback through the large sensor category, the mirrorless segment has seen many

new entries, while image quality, focusing speeds and low light performance reached incredible levels. With all of this in mind, here are our favourite cameras (and five cellphones too!) that offer the best features and the most value for money. Although, no gear can make up for a photographer’s imagination and vision, who doesn’t love a great camera?

Key to Essential Features RAW Availability of RAW format recording in the camera

LCD Avbailability of a full-colour LCD information display

2160 4k video, 4096 x 2160px or similar, at 30fps 30p

CC 7.6 x 5.7mm or 5.76 x 4.29mm ‘compact camera’ sensors

20x Available zoom ratio of the built-in lens of the camera

LCD Tilting colour LCD display, allowing a higher or lower T viewing angle

EWS WS rain / Normal weathersealing

CX sensor by Nikon. 4/3 refers to the Four 1in 4/3 1-inch Thirds sensor used by Olympus and panasonic

10fps Highest framerate available in the Continuous Shooting mode

LCD Swivelling colour LCD display allowing 180o viewing angles S

WP 10m Waterproof up to a maximum depth of 10 metres

IS In-camera optical or sensor-shift based Image Stabilisation

LCD Touchscreen LCD to access various controls via the screen TCH

SP Shockproof up to a fall from a maximum height of 2.2m 2.2 metres

20mp Total effective pixel count of the camera sensor

APS-C 23.6 x 15.7mm ‘half frame’ sized sensor

Extreme weathersealing with resistance to

FF 36 x 24mm or ‘35mm’ or ‘full frame’ sized sensor

OVF Availability of an Optical Viewfinder in the camera

720 HD, 1280 x 720px video, progressive scan at 30fps 30p

WiFi In-camera availability to transfer data through WiFi

MF medium Format

EVF Availability of an Electronic Viewfinder in the camera

1080 Full HD, 1920 x 1080px video, progressive scan at 60fps 60p

NFC WiFi features

Better PhotograPhy

Near Field Communication for extended camera

Ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Bu y e r S’ S P eC Ia L

BELOW `20,000

Canon Digital IXUS 145 16mp CC

announced in February 2014

0.8 LCD 720 fps p

Nikon COOLPIX S32 13.2 CC mp

MRP

4.7 fps

announced in February 2014

WP SP IS LCD 720 p30 EWS 10m 1.5m

MRP

Rs. 5995

Rs. 6950

Best For? Gifting and casual use

Best For? Gifting, casual and underwater use, great for children

Why? While the features may be rather basic–16MP resolution, 8x optical zoom, and a Digic 4 processor–a superbly low price point, and a reasonably good performance offer excellent value for money.

Why? Apart from the 13.2MP resolution and Full HD video shooting capability, the waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof rugged build and large buttons for easy operation makes the camera an attractive buy.

Canon Digital IXUS 265 HS

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS

16mp CC

12x 3.9 fps

announced in January 2014

IS LCD 1080 30p WiFi NFC

16mp CC

18x 3.9 fps

announced in January 2014

IS LCD 1080 30p WiFi NFC

55 MRP

MRP

Rs. 12,995

Rs. 8995

Best For? Gifting, casual use, great for travel and uploading to social media as well

Best For? Gifting, casual use, street photos, travel and social media purposes

Why? With 12x optical zoom, WiFi capability and Full HD video, this stylist compact is the perfect choice for everyday use. It delivers good quality images and even has fun modes like the Creative mode and Hybrid Auto at a great price.

Why? Automatic shooting options, on-the-go sharing, and a useful zoom range in a lightweight package makes the camera a great buy. While 18x may not be the highest zoom range in the market, it is what keeps the price of the camera reasonable.

Nikon COOLPIX S9600

Nikon COOLPIX P340

16mp CC 22x 6.7 fps

announced in February 2014

IS LCD 1080 30p WiFi

MRP

0 Rs. 14,95

12mp CC RAW 5x 10fps

announced in February 2014

IS LCD 1080 30p WiFi

MRP

Rs. 18,950

Best For? Casual use and street photos, great for travel

Best For? Serious enthusiast use, indoors, street, travel

Why? A powerful as well as attractive camera, the S9600 is well suited for travel

Why? A larger-than-usual 1/1.7-inch 12MP sensor and RAW shooting capability ensures that out-of-the camera images are good, and it also provides the option to process images in any editing software to personal satisfaction.

photograpers. Its 22x zoom, Full HD video, in-built WiFi coupled with a 16MP resolution and 1cm macro capability makes shooting any kind of subject a breeze. Ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Better PhotograPhy

B uye rS’ S PeCI aL

`20,000-`40,000 Nikon COOLPIX P530 16mp CC

42x

7fps

announced in February 2014

EVF LCD 1080 30p

Canon 1200D

announced in February 2014

18mp APS-C RAW 3fps OVF LCD 1080 30p

MRP

Rs. 27,9n9ly5)

Rs. 19,950

(Body O

Best For? Gifting, casual use, sports, street, travel

Best For? Beginner, hobbyist

Why? Versatility would be another name for this camera. 41.7x optical zoom, Full HD video recording, detailed image quality, reliable exposure metering, and a DSLR-like feel makes the camera one of the top choices this year.

Why? If you are looking for an entry-level camera with good image quality and sensible ergonomics, this should be your camera of choice. As a bonus, Canon’s app for IOS and Android devices is a good teacher of photography on the go!

Nikon D5200

GoPro Hero4 Silver

announced in november 2012

24.1 APS-C RAW 5fps OVF LCD 1080 30p mp

12mp CC 30fps

WP LCD 2160 15p EWS 40m

announced in September 2014

WiFi

MRP

Rs. 34,90 MRP

50 Rs. 34,4 Only) (Body

Best For? Hobbyists Why? Though the D5200 was released in 2012, it is still excellent value for money for

Best For? Adventurists, extreme weather photography

photographers who are neither beginners nor completely advanced users. It is a simple enough camera with advanced features suited for all kinds of photography.

Why? Shockproof, waterproof at up to 40m, improved photo and video features, a host of mounts and the signature GoPro ﬁeld of view. Need we say more?

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Nikon 1 AW1

16mp CC RAW 65x 6.4 fps

announced in September 2014

EVF LCD 1080 60p WiFi NFC

WP 14mp 1in RAW 60fps LCD 1080 30p EWS 15m

announced in September 2013 SP 2m

MRP

Rs. 35,99

Best For? Hobbyists, travel photographers Why? With the largest zoom range any advanced compact camera is offering, apart from Full HD video, 16MP resolution and image sharing ability, the camera is a good all round buy! Better PhotograPhy

0 Rs. 3ic9e,,9with511(kit pr ns) 27.5mm le

Best For? Hobbyists, underwater use Why? The camera is ideal for everyday use, general purpose photography on dry land and for those who are adventurous, some underwater photography as well. Ja n ua ry 2 0 1 35

BU Y E R Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S P EC IA L

`40,000-`85,000 Sony Alpha A6000 24MP APS-C RAW 11fps

Announced in February 2014

1080 EVF LCD T 30p WiFi NFC

Canon PowerShot G7 X 20MP 1in RAW 4.2x 6.5 fps

MRP

0 Rs. 40,99ly)

Announced in January 2013

LCD 1080 WiFi NFC IS T/TCH 30p

Rs. 44,99

n (Body O

Best For? Serious enthusiast, wildlife, action

Best For? Enthusiasts, social media users, landscape, travel, street, action

Why? An impressive AF system (even for moving objects) combined with a good 11 FPS burst shooting rate, makes this camera an ideal buy for photographers who love to shoot action.

Why? Bright apertures at the wide end (f/1.8) and telephoto end (f/2.8), speedy AF, features for both stills and video combined with connectivity options ensure that this camera gives the other contenders of this category a run for their money.

Ricoh GR

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100M3

Announced in April 2013

Announced in May 2014

20.1 APS-C RAW 2.9x 10 fps EVF LCD 1080 WiFi NFC T 60p MP

16MP APS-C RAW 4fps OVF LCD 1080 30p WiFi NFC

58 MRP

MRP

Rs. 54,99

Rs. 52,99

Best For? Street, travel, serious hobbyists

Best For? Street, travel, multimedia use, video

Why? In addition to the superb handling and customisability, the GR delivers excellent image quality because of sensor, high quality lens and other photography features. This makes it a wide-angle photography delight.

Why? An in-built viewfinder, consistently fast lens, great stills and video output in within a tiny camera body make it a great camera on the go.

Sigma Quattro DP2

Sony Alpha A77M2

Announced in February 2014

20.1 APS-C RAW LCD MP

MRP

0 Rs. 75,00

24MP APS-C RAW 12 fps IS

Announced in May 2014

1080 EVF LCD T/S 60p WiFi NFC

MRP

90 Rs. 84,9 Only) (Body

Best For? Landscape, studio, portraiture, large print makers

Best For? Street, travel, action, wildlife, enthusiasts, serious hobbyists, video, backup body users

Why? The DP2 is incredibly inexpensive for the medium format-esque image quality it offers, at lower ISOs. It becomes a must-have for a very specific kind of qualityobsessed photographer, despite its many quirks.

Why? Fast AF, in-body IS and high ISO capabilities, make it a great camera for photographers looking to shoot action. Good image quality and other handy photo features ensures this cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use across genres.

JA B ENTUA T RY E R 2 0P1H5 O T O G R A P H Y

B E T T E R P H OJAT NOUA G RRYA P2 0H1Y35

B UYE RS’ S PECI AL

`85,000-`1,30,000 Pentax K-3 24MP APS-C RAW 8.3 fps

Announced in October 2013 IS OVF LCD 1080 30p EWS

Fujifilm X-T1 16MP APS-C RAW 8fps

MRP

Announced in January 2014

1080 WiFi WS EVF LCD 60p T

MRP

5 Rs. 85,36ly)

Rs. 91,99ly9)

n (Body O

Best For? Extreme weather, street, travel, photojournalism, wildlife, enthusiasts, serious hobbyists Why? Smart camera features, not seen in other manufacturers, a large viewfinder

Best For? Casual use, street, travel

with 100% coverage, customisation, solid build and weathersealing make this a camera designed for serious photographers.

Why? Forget that this camera has excellent image quality and a great AF system, intuitive handling, portability and a phenomenal viewfinder. All you need to know is that it is just an absolute pleasure to shoot with!

Olympus OM-D EM1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

16MP 4/3 RAW 10 fps IS

Announced in September 2013

LCD 1080 EWS WiFi NFC EVF T/TCH 30p

16MP 4/3 RAW 12 fps IS

Announced in February 2014

LCD 2160 WS WiFi NFC EVF T/S/TCH 30p

59 MRP

MRP

00 Rs. 1,05O,0nly)

0 Rs. 1,11O,9nly9)

(Body

Best For? Serious enthusiasts, prosumers, street

Best For? Serious enthusiasts, prosumers, wedding, video

Why? Photographers who want the customisability of a DSLR in a relatively

Why? Not only is it a serious videographer’s camera, it is also one of the best movie/stills package available today at its price.

compact, weathersealed body, will love it.

Sony Alpha A7R 36.3 MP

Announced in October 2013

1080 WS WiFi NFC FF RAW 4 fps EVF LCD 60p T

MRP

90 Rs. 1,24O,9nly) (Body

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Announced in September 2014

20MP APS-C RAW 10 fps OVF LCD 1080 60p WS

MRP

95 Rs. 1,28O,7nly) (Body

Best For? Studio, landscapes, portraiture, prosumers, serious print enthusiasts

Best For? Video, hobbyists, serious enthusiasts, action, wildlife, backup body

Why? When it comes to high image quality in a tiny full frame camera, this

Why? The 7D crams many pro-level features, especially video, into an APS-C body. Though the output quality and dynamic range could have been better, a fantastic focusing module and well designed ergonomics make it a winner.

Sony has beaten everyone else. Coupled with a great sensor, the lack of an AA filter helps too! JA B ENTUA T RY E R 2 0P1H5 O T O G R A P H Y

B E T T E R P H OJAT NOUA G RRYA P2 0H1Y5

BU Y E R Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S P EC IA L

ABOVE `1,30,000

Nikon D750

Announced in September 2014

LCD 1080 WS WiFi 24MP FF RAW 6.56 60p fps OVF T

Sony Alpha A7S 12MP FF RAW 5 fps

MRP

Announced in April 2014

1080 WS WiFi NFC EVF LCD 60p T

MRP

50 Rs. 1,34,4nly)

90 Rs. 1,54,9nly)

(Body O

Best For? Almost everything

Best For? Prosumers, serious enthusiasts, video, street, wildlife, action

Why? The D750 comes close to hitting the camera sweet spot. Excellent image quality, fast AF, decent video features and great value for money, the camera will entice enthusiasts and pros alike.

Why? Targeting serious video users and low light shooters, the A7S offers incredible high ISO performance, ISOs up to 4,09,600 and uncompressed 4k video when using an external recorder through HDMI.

Nikon D810

Nikon D4s

Announced in June 2014

36.3 FF RAW 5fps OVF LCD 1080 WS 60p MP

Announced in February 2014

16MP FF RAW 11fps OVF LCD 1080 60p WS

60 MRP

MRP

50 Rs. 1,99O,9nly)

50 Rs. 4,19O,9nly)

(Body

Best For? Studio, landscape, portraiture, pro-use, serious print enthusiasts, video

Best For? Prosumers, street, multimedia use, photojournalists

Why? Unparalleled dynamic range, particularly at ISO 64, fantastic high ISO capabilities, pro-grade video features and a fantastic AF system inherited from the Nikon D4S.

Why? Designed for the most demanding users and multimedia pros, the D4s improves on the already excellent D4 with an better AF system, enhanced image quality, video features, an astonishing high ISO range and performance.

Canon EOS-1D X

Pentax 645Z

Announced in October 2011

18MP FF RAW 14 fps LCD OVF 1080 30p WS

MRP

95 Rs. 4,55O,9nly) (Body

51MP MF RAW 3fps

Announced in April 2014

LCD OVF 1080 EWS T 30p

MRP

50 Rs. 6,29O,4nly) (Body

Best For? Prosumers, street, multimedia use, photojournalists

Best For? Studio, portraiture, landscape, making large prints

Why? In short, it is the D4s for Canon users. While the image quality falls slightly

Why? Not only does it offer stunning image quality at a phenomenally low price, it also has fantastic high ISO performance and good video capabilities while also introducing DSLR features, never seen before in a medium format camera.

short of its Nikon rival, a blazing fast AF system and drive modes, along with improved video functions more than make up for it. JA B ENTUA T RY E R 2 0P1H5 O T O G R A P H Y

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 35

BU Y E R S’ S P EC IA L

Our Favourite Cameraphones Key to Essential Features Total effective pixel count of the 20MP camera sensor

1/XX Camera sensor size

RAW RAW capability out of the box 1080 Highest video resolution and 60p frame rate

OIS Optical image stabilisation LED The kind of flash available 5.5in Screen size

WR Weather resistance

Prices mentioned are the launch MRPs. The phones may be available for cheaper online.

he year 2014 has been great for cellphone photographers. The camera modules started rotating, RAW imaging picked up speed, experimental apps started growing and so did the acceptance for commercial cellphone photography. 8MP and 13MP resolutions have quickly become the norm, even for entry level smartphones. New entrants into the market are galvanising market shares of reigning manufacturers by offering fantastically specced phones at incredible prices. In 2015, 4k and improved video is going to be a definite norm, large sensors and OIS are a possibility, better AF an eventuality. But while we wait for that, here are our some of favourite phones, currently available.

Samsung Galaxy S5

BEST ANDROID PHONE

16MP 1/2.6 2160 30p LED 4.7in WR

BEST BUDGET PHONE

Xiaomi Redmi 1S 8MP RAW 1080 30p LED 4.7in

99 5,9 . s R MR

Who Should Buy It? Photographers with on a tight budget, people who want a good spare phone

Why? At Rs. 6000, the 1S offers great image quality, even in low light and maximum value for money. It also has many features like LED flash and 1080 30p video that more expensive budget phones don’t include.

BBEST IPHONE

iPhone 6 Plus Dual 8MP 1/3 1080 60p OIS LED 5.5in WS

450 53, . s R

500 62, . s R

Who Should Buy It? Anyone who can afford the fantastic shooting experience offered by one of the best cameraphones available today

Who Should Buy It? Android fans looking for a great cameraphone and lots of fun features

Why? Optical image stabilisation, phase detection AF, a superior JPEG engine and sharp lens make it a great camera. Not to mention the numerous apps photo apps available that are still iOS only. If you want a smaller screen and can live without OIS, there is also the iPhone 6.

Why? 4k video, an incredibly fast phase-detect AF system, stellar image quality, realtime HDR and weather resistance are only a few highlights of what this phone is capable of. The LG G3 comes a close second.

Nokia Lumia 1020

BEST WINDOWS PHONE

41MP 1/1.5 RAW 1080 30p OIS LED 4.5in

INNOVATIVE PHONE

Oppo N1 and N3 Dual 13MP 1/2.3 1080 30p LED 5.9in Dual 16MP 1/2.3 1080 60p LED 5.5in RAW

P 50 8,7 1 . Rs MR

Who Should Buy It? Photographers who swear by image quality alone and aren’t bothered by the lack of apps

Why? Despite being over a year and half old, the quality delivered by the 1020 remains the best seen in cameraphones today. It is also one of the first phones to include optical image stabilisation and RAW.

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

P 99 9,9 3 . Rs MR

Who Should Buy It? While we loved the rotating camera module and image quality of the N1, the improved N3 will be launching very soon. Why? The 206° rotating camera of the N1 and N3 are great if you want to shoot discreetly or conveniently change your perspective. The N3 will also offer RAW capability and improved video features to boot.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

test te st

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.

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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, 66 we 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 falloff, 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.

Pentax 645Z

When Size Matters

The first truly ‘affordable’ digial medium format in recent times, the Pentax 645Z has features not seen before in its genre. Does it have what it takes in today’s varied digital climate? K Madhavan Pillai finds out.

Our Seals of Approval Any product that scores 80% or higher in individual tests gets ‘BP Recommended’—a seal 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 highest rated products in each category automatically win the Better Photography Excellence Award. This is Better Photography’s recognition of the very best products launched in the course of the year, and the companies that made them. Better PhotograPhy

WEIgHTAgE OF PArAmETErS 5% 15% 15% 20%

45%

Features Performance Build Quality ergonomics Warranty & support

mongst the companies with a legacy in producing medium format cameras, Pentax has maintained a common philosophy since the launch of the venerable Pentax 67 in 1969— make them like SLRs. The Pentax 645Z (announced in April 2014, it succeeds the 40MP 645D, released in 2010) uses a large, new 43.8 x 32.8mm 51.4 MP Sony sensor with no anti-aliasing filter. While this is viewed as the standard sensor size for medium format cameras, digital parlance can be rather forgiving. It is about half the size of 60mm x 45mm (the dimensions of a frame in older 645 film cameras), but it contains 56% more real estate than a full-frame 35mm.

Features While this sensor is shared with the Hasselblad H5D-50c, and the Phase 1 IQ250 digital back, the 645Z stand apart from other medium format cameras because of features that make it very much like a high-end DSLR. For instance, the 640Z goes all the way up to ISO 2,04,800, can shoot at a rate of 3fps, actuates AF using the SAFOX 11 AF system also found on the Pentax K-3 DSLR (with 27 AF points, 25 of which are cross-type) that can focus down to -3EV and has an 86,000 pixel RGB colour metering sensor. Like a DSLR, it also features Live View shooting, Full HD video functionality, and a 4K interval movie shooting function. It also uniquely has a sensor dust ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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Canon EOS 7D Mk II Can it recapture the magic of original 7D?

Nikon 1 V3 The third generation of this 1-inch sensor ILC

GoPro Hero4 test Does this edition live up to the hero worship?

WHAT’S In THE BOX • Pentax 645Z body • Li-ion battery (1860mAh) • Battery charger • AC cord • Large eye-cup • Body mount cover • Hotshoe cover • Neck Strap • Software CD • Warranty card

removal system using ultrasonic vibrations, and a tilting LCD. The shutter and mirror mechanism has been tested for up to 100,000 shots. It houses two SD card slots, boasts of high-speed data writes and image review in less than a second after shooting, and can be controlled with a smartphone using the prorietary FluCard. The 645Z has a comprehensive menu system, a host of in-camera RAW edit functions, including set of digital filter effects like Toy camera and Fish-eye! It has a huge range of controls and image customisation options, just like in the K-3.

Handling One would not consider the word ‘abuse’ to be used as loosely with medium format cameras as with pro-DSLRs. But here is a camera that falls in that class. The solid

build and airtight weatherproofing inspires confidence. The camera is heavy, but I found myself using the weight of the camera quite effectively to steady my shots. With the left hand held under the lens, the 645Z was as maneuverable and felt as good as a Nikon or Canon ﬂagship DSLR. The camera inherits its control layout from the 645D, and the K-3. There are dedicated buttons for almost every function (perhaps too many of them). The range of customisations available are extensive and brilliant. As with its Pentax DSLRs, using the 645Z needs some time to learn, but once you get used to it, you will realise how intuitive it all is. Here lies one of the biggest advantages of the 645Z. With other medium format cameras, one needs to adhere to an almost painfully ‘slow’ process, taking the time to

Handheld shooting with the 645Z? I had to relearn the art of being careful! The huge pixel counts meant that even the tiniest camera shake is magnified. Despite the DSLR-like handling, the 645Z weighs upward of 2 kilos, with one of the smaller lenses attached. I started using double the reciprocals of focal lengths, to calculate minimum shutterspeeds.

All photographs by K Madhavan Pillai

Owing to both the large sensor and high resolution (and subsequently large image viewing and print sizes), the DOF can get very, very critical. I resorted to using a DOF calculating app on my phone, until I got the feel of it for different lenses.

Lens: DA 645 120mm f/4 macro Exposure: 1/125sec at f/4 (ISO 200) with the subject at about five feet away. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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set the camera perfectly to get the best image quality. While the pixel count and weight of the camera necessitates a certain level of care while shooting, the 645Z is extremely fast to operate and control.

Performance

It is a given that sensor technologies advance every two years so that today’s ISO 3200 is yesterday’s ISO 1600. However, the noise performance and fine detailing in images by the Pentax 645Z, especially at low ISO levels, are simply off the charts, with every speck and hairline visible beautifully. The quality is good enough for perfect 30 x 40-inch fine art prints. The lack of an AA filter improves sharpness to a great degree, but one needs to be careful. Over-sharpening in post process starts throwing up the inevitable jagged edges, when viewed at 100 percent. I was quite happy with the in-camera controls for both sharpness and noise reduction. They are reasonably subtle and can be pushed. I preferred working with DNG on Adobe Camera RAW, even for minor processing. It offered a better level of control. AF and metering is quite accurate, even in tough situations. In low light, focusing does slow down, but locks conclusively. There is something to be said about the 13-stop plus dynamic range, easily appreciable when working with the DNG files. In over 1000 frames exposed, highlight clipping occurred only when shooting straight into bright light. There was plenty of detail to be recovered from shadows... easily upto 5 stops at lower ISO levels. I haven’t gone all out in testing the lenses that came with the camera, but as expected, not all lenses are made equal. I found myself very happy with the 55mm AW lens across the aperture range in terms if detailing, and not so much with the 150mm f/2.8 (although I liked the bokeh it produced). The 120mm macro is another fine lens to work with. With a sensor this large, DOF gets extremely critical at close distances. While Full HD video is available on the 645Z and I like what lenses can do in terms of constricting DOF, bitrates are restricted to 21mbps VBR, there is no ‘clean’ HDMI out, and this is not a fully featured camera for video. If video is important, you would be better serviced with a full-frame DSLR. Better PhotograPhy

A horizontal crop of a vertical frame, this portrait loses 60% of the original image area. Taken almost at dusk, with distant, colour-leaching sodium vapour street lamps being the only source of illumination, I committed every cardinal sin of low light, high ISO photography, including underexposing by 1.5 stops and then recovering it later in post process. I never expected this image to do well at all, let alone be published cropped. Fantastic!

Lens: DA 645 55mm f/2.8 Exposure: 1/80sec at f/2.8, ISO 12,800 (Auto ISO)

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Test Shots

Colour Settings that can be Easily Fine-tuned

Quick, DSLR-like Responsiveness on the Field

An important consideration is whether the 645Z can adhere to standardised profile based workflows... and it does this well. From ISO 100 to 800 in daylight, the 645Z has over 13 stops of perceivable dynamic range. It records 14-bit data on open source DNG, or using the proprietary PEF RAW formats. Customised settings can be saved to three user profiles, directly accessed through the main mode dial.

The 645Z takes 1.5sec to start up, about 0.5sec to actuate and lock AF in reasonably good light, and there is no perceptible shutter lag. It achieves 3fps for 10 frames of DNG with JPEG Fine, and then slows down to 0.5fps. It takes 36 seconds to clear the buffer completely onto a UDMA 1 SDXC card. All very respectable speeds for a 51.4MP medium format, with a much larger reflex mirror slapping up and down.

conclusion

P lu S • • • • • • 70

51.4MP, large sensor Dynamic range ISO performance DSLR-style handling Speed Unbeatable price!

mInuS • Only third party TS adapters available

ErgOnOmIcS

The 645Z costs Rs. 6,29,450 (body only). Expensive? Yes. But for the first time, a medium format camera is at a price point for there to be debates on whether the Nikon D810 or the Sony A7R might make a better buy at a much, much lower price. And these perfectly capable 36MP cameras may very well be what you just need. But let us be very clear. The 645Z represents the next step in the evolutionary ladder in terms of image quality, and a whole level above DSLRs. It does not end there... unlike most other competing medium

Front

format cameras available today, the 645Z’s DSLR-like usability, all-weather ruggedness and exceptional ISO range opens up a realm of possibilities for large, detailed images of landscapes, architecture, weddings, travel, or outdoor fashion, and especially for those who do not want to pack up their gear at the first hint of rain or snow. While the overall system of available lenses and accessories may not match that of Hasselblad, a line-up of 18 smc 645 lenses ensure that you are certainly not left behind. A Pentax adapter, that allows their older 6x7 lenses to be mounted onto the

rear

Top mirror up dial

Shutter release button/ On-off switch/Preview

AlSO lOOK FOr • Hasselblad H5D-50c • Phase 1 IQ250 digital back • At its price in India, it beats other equivalent systems by well over 60%

rear input dial

Sync socket Strap lug

rAW/function, exposure bracketing, AF area, and lock buttons

Dioptre adjustment ring

Auto exposure lock

Viewfinder

Front command dial

Exposure mode dial Front input dial Self-timer lamp/ remote control receiver

The camera is a solid hunk of magnesium alloy on an aluminium chassis, with no plastics visible on the outside. The well-rubberised grip is deep and wellcontoured, affording an excellent grip. Those with small hands will find it difficult to comfortably reach the controls at both the top and back simultaneously, though. While the camera is blocky, owing to the deep mirror well, the handling is surprisingly very DSLR-like. Better PhotograPhy

AF mode dial rubber eyecup

Still/movie switching dial The on/off lever around the shutter button usefully houses the DOF/digital preview function. Separate tripod mounts for both horizontal and vertical orientations ensure that you can make do with an inexpensive tripod head, and maintain the centre of gravity on a tripod. A row of buttons for less accessed controls lie recessed on the top left edge, to prevent accidentally pushing them during handheld vertical shooting.

3.2-inch, 1037k dot lcD

live View/ Delete button

4-way controller/ OK button

The rear of the 645Z shows a plethora of controls almost identical in placement and function to the older 645D, including the famous ‘green dot’ button, that offers immediate switching between modes. This button, and many other functions and behaviours, are superbly customisable, making the 645Z wonderfully intuitive to handle. The LCD shows shooting info, a range of easily accessible settings, and can be completely switched off. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

test S P Ec I F I cAT I O n S Model name

Pentax 645Z

MRP

Rs. 6,29,695 (body only)

Effective pixels

51.4MP, 8256 x 6192 pixels

Sensor size, type

43.8 x 32.8mm (4:3), CMOS, no anti-aliasing filter

ISO

Auto, 100-204800

Exposure Modes

P, A, S, M, Sensitivity priority, Shutter & Aperture priority, Bulb, Flash X-sync speed, USER1, USER2, USER3

Focusing type, modes Contrast Detect in Live View, TTL 27-point Phase Detect (25 cross-type, -3EV to 18EV) Spot, Select, Zone select, Expanded area AF (S, M, L), Auto (27 AF Points), AF-S, AF-C Metering

TTL open aperture metering using 86K pixel RGB sensor, Multi, Center-weighted, Spot

Shutterspeed range

30sec–1/4000sec, bulb

Exp. compensation

-/+5 EV (at 1/3 EV steps)

White balance

Auto WB, 11 Presets, CTE, Manual, Colour Temperature, 7-step Fine Adjustment on A-B or G-M axis, copy from previously shot image possible

Drive modes

Single, Continuous (H, L), Self-timer (12, 2sec), Remote control (immediately, 3 sec, continuous), Multi-exposure, Interval shooting, Interval composite movie, Mirror Lock-up Shooting

LCD

3.2-inch, tilting, 1037k dots

Viewﬁnder

Optical, 98% coverage

storage types

SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-Fi, FluCard compatible

Video

Yes, Full HD

Weather Sealing

Extreme weather, rain, dust

Dimensions, Weight

117 x 156 x 123mm, 1550g

Noise Test 645Z, is available as an accessory. The only serious lacuna with the system is the lack of a Tilt Shift adapter, vital for product and architecture photography. Third party TS adapters are available though, that need to be used with the older 67 lenses, owing to the larger image circles needed for any kind of tilting or shifting. And finally, consider this—for the price of a Hasselblad H5D-50c body (an identical sensor type and size), I could buy two 645Z bodies, and have enough left over for several lenses too. When a pro photographer thinks of buying medium format gear, the first thoughts are about recovering the investment. The 645Z cuts this short to a great extant. For those who are clear about going in for medium format, the 645Z is simply the best out there at this point. At the time of going to the press, Pentax India informed us that they are also currently offering early bird discounts to new buyers. Photographers, especially the ones who review cameras, are a sorry bunch because they are never satisfied, are they? In the spirit of innovation and cult cameras that Ricoh Pentax is known for... if only we could convince them to use this sensor, remove the mirror, use a ﬂatter body, develop a series a of primes, build adapters for the current line-up... and price it as effectively as the 645Z... Now perhaps that would be a choice worth mulling over and breaking the bank deposits for, wouldn’t it?.

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200 Noise characteristics are excellent, with amazing detail and very little difference visible between ISO 100 to 800. ISO 1600 to 6400 is correctable to near perfect levels with minimal noise reduction. Noise increases substantially at ISO 12,800, but colour noise can be reduced nicely to leave a wonderfully film-like grain structure. ISO 25,600 is best used in full size in B&W, or in colour with a 30% reduction in size. ISO 51,200 onwards needs progressive downsizing for printable results. Downsizing extremely high ISO images from the 645Z to a resolution of 16MP is quite revealing. Noise levels are easily 1.5 stops better than the Nikon or Canon flagship DSLRs.

FINALRATINGS Features

14/15

51.4MP, reasonably fast AF, unique ISO range

Performance

44/45

Superb dynamic range, very good high ISO performance, superb detail

Build Quality

19/20

Magnesium alloy, fully weather-sealed; can be ued in the rain (with weather-sealed lenses)

Ergonomics

13/15

Handgrip, DSLR-like handling, intuitive controls

Warranty & Support

4/5

Good service network

I honestly did not quite expect to use a medium format camera so easily for regular street shooting. Lens: DA 645 55mm f/2.8 Exposure: 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 25,600

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OVErAll 94% Who should buy it?

High-end pros, who want a versatile, high-resolution system for use in-studio or on-field.

Why?

The image quality, dynamic range, handling, weatherproofing and build, is superlative, and it easily belies the excellent value-for-money price tag in India.

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Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Updating a Legend

Ambarin Afsar reviews the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, the long due update of the classic EOS 7D, and finds out whether it is worthy enough of its history.

F Weightage oF PaRameteRs 5% 15% 15% 20%

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Features Performance Build Quality ergonomics Warranty & support Better PHOtOgraPHy

ive years is a long time in the making for an update of a ﬂagship APS-C camera. And when the successor finally arrives, it has big boots to fill, especially when it is the Canon EOS 7D’s boots we’re talking of. To give you some perspective, the 7D wasn’t just Canon’s first high-end pro APS-C DSLR, it was also undoubtedly its best. The 7D brought dual DIGIC4 image processor, a first for any EOS camera outside of the professional 1D series, it also featured pro-grade autofocus in an APS-C body. It was also one of the first DSLRs to feature 1080p video, a feature that is now commonplace. The 7D also had a whopping buffer depth of 130 JPEGs and 25 RAW files. But, a lot has changed this last half decade, not just for Canon, but for imaging technology in general. But does the upgrade reﬂect this?

Features While Nikon’s idea seems to be encouraging high-end APS-C users on to full frame cameras, Canon’s strategy has always been to offer a range of options. Proving this is the feature set of the 7D Mark II. The 20.2MP Dual-Pixel AF CMOS sensor is a variant of the design first seen in the 70D. The dual Digic 6 processors make a continuous frame of 10fps possible and pack in more power than the full frame 1D X. The 7D also has 65 AF points, all of them cross-type, and a 1,50,000-pixel RGB and infrared metering sensor. These two combine to give you the Intelligent Tracking and Recognition (iTR) system similar to the EOS 1D X. In fact, the new metering sensor even improves on those in the 5D Mark III and 1DX, which offer 1,00,000 pixels and lack infrared metering. While it is exciting to see technology filter down like this, it is ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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the camera records a good amount of information in shadow areas, in a strongly backlit situation. Working on the RaW files can help you recover significant detail. exposure: 1/250sec at f/10 (ISO 100)

confusing why Canon left out the 1D X’s ability to link spot metering to the selected AF point. If they’re giving the 7D Mark II broad advantages, why not the finer details? Coming back to the iTR focus tracking system, it has the potential to aid not just sports photography, but can also deal with focus shift created by reframing or by subject movement. Also, the 7D Mark II has more cross-type AF points than the 61-point, 41-cross-type systems of the 1D X and the 5D Mark III. Besides this, the 7D Mark II features a centre AF point capable of high-precision, dual cross-type focusing with f/2.8 and faster lenses. Additionally, the centre AF point is capable of focusing with lenses as slow as f/8, as well as down to -3EV, which was only possible on the 5D Mark III and the 1D-series (the 7D could only focus down to f/5.6). This means that the 7D Mark II will be an easy upgrade for supertelephoto and teleconverter 7D shooters, and that the centre point offers a 1EV advantage in

low light compared to both these cameras. Basically, this makes for a more robust AF system. It also includes orientation-sensitive AF point selection, allowing photographers to configure AF points depending on whether they’re shooting in the landscape or portrait format, which can be invaluable for portraitists and wedding photographers. But the biggest autofocus upgrade, perhaps, is the Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor which provides fast, smooth Live View focusing. This means big things for video and stills. The 7D used contrast-detect AF, which meant that it was slow while focusing on fast-moving subjects in Live View, and video recording required manual focusing. The 7D Mark II has the same fast and smooth video autofocus offered by the 70D. In fact, the 7D Mark II improves on this by offering the ability to adjust Movie Servo AF speed and senstivity. You can customise the speed of focus transitions between subjects, as well as how quickly the AF system

What’s in the box • Canon EOS 7D Mark II body • Battery • Charger • USB cable • Body cap • Camera strap • User guide with software • Camera manual 83

All photographs by Ambarin Afsar aung ua ja u stry2 02 01 31 5

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Extremely Fast Burst Shooting

Punchy Colours and a Fairly Good Metering System

It allows you to shoot at 10fps, which is just about 1fps below the pro Nikon D4’s 11fps. Add to this the camera’s phenomenal buffer and you have high-speed magic.

At 0EV and in the Program-shift mode, I just relied on what the camera’s metering told me. For punchier colours, I just shifted to the Portrait picture style.

aLso LooK FoR • Sony Alpha A77M2 • Samsung NX1 • Nikon D7100 • Pentax K-3

refocuses on different subjects. Another big feature is the addition of AF Lock, which was previously only found in Canon’s cinema line of cameras like the C100. The mode allows you to move seamlessly from continuous video AF to locked focus, and back to continuous AF, all during one clip. The possibilities offered by this option are amazing. Now, what the 7D Mark II lacks in terms of other upgrades is just about a few things that should have seemed obvious to Canon—an articulated LCD, especially considering the sports, action and wildlife-oriented target audience of this camera. Also, considering the wealth of AF options and a sophisticated

AF system, why is there no touchscreen capability? Instead of jogging the joystick, simply tapping on the screen to focus on your subject during video, and then letting the AF system take over would be such a breeze. While we’re at it, why are there no inbuilt WiFi-NFC capabilities and 4k video?

handling The 7D Mark II is built like a tank, and Canon says that it is four times more weathersealed than the 7D. It sure handled quite a few knocks, felt as solid and heavy as one of the newer full frame camera bodies. It sure handled quite a few knocks in extremely crowded places. My only gripe

P Lu s • Flicker detection matches cycle of lighting • Headphone jack • Dual slots for SD and CF cards • Inbuilt GPS minus • No focus peaking • Spot metering not linked to aF

eRgonomics Front

top

Rear Joystick and thumb switch

self-timer lamp, no aF-assist beam

mono mic aeL lock

comfortable grip

customisable multi-Fn button

Dial lock

DoF preview button

Lens

From the front, the 7D Mark II looks much like its predecessor, with the most prominent change being the large repositioned DOF preview button that is a lot easier to reach now, especially when using large lenses. Its magnesium alloy body is also weathersealed Better PhotograPhy

hot shoe

aF area button

A lock has been added to the mode dial, and a small protrusion in front of the hotshoe indicates a GPS module. Canon has also removed the Creative Auto program mode from the mode dial. The M-Fn button can be assigned to functions under Custom Controls.

button to give your images star ratings

Quick menu button

The button layout is almost identical to the 5D Mark III , except for the thumb switch around the joystick. You can assign this button to toggle between AF areas, freeing up the M-Fn button. The joystick can be set to switch between AF points, thus making for fast AF operations. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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Noise Test

s P ec i F i cat i o n s Model name

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

MrP

Rs. 1,28,795 (Body only) Rs. 1,50,795 (with an 18–135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens) Rs. 1,72,795 (with a 15–85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM lens)

Effective pixels

20.2MP, 5472 x 3648

sensor size, type

22.4 x 15mm, CMOS

Aspect ratio (w:h) 3:2 / 16:9 Focusing type, modes Contrast-detection AF system (Face+Tracking, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone-Single), One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF, Manual focus aF points

65 cross-type

Focal length multiplier 1.4x Metering

Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted average

Shutterspeed range

30sec–1/8000sec

Exp. compensation -/+3 EV (at 1/3 EV steps) IsO

Auto, 160–51200

White Balance

Auto WB, 6 Presets, Custom

Drive modes

Single, High-speed continuous, Low-speed continuous, Silent single, Silent continuou, 10sec self-timer/remote control, 2sec self-timer/remote control

Built-in flash

Pop-up, 11m at ISO 100

Flash modes

E-TTL II, Manual, wireless slave flash supported via built-in flash

LCD

3-inch, 1.04 million dots

Viewfinder

Yes

Image stabilisation

storage types

CF, SD, SDHC, SDXC

Wireless

Video

Yes, 1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50. 29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25 fps), 640 x 480 (29.97, 25 fps)

Battery

LP-E6N lithium-ion

Dimensions, Weight

149 x 112 x 78mm, 910g

would be with the extensive menu system. Unless you spend a lot of time exploring it, you are not likely to discover a wealth of AF finetuning adjustments. The good part about the 7D Mark II is the sheer number of customisable buttons and dials on the camera. You can assign the large rear dial to cycle through just about any variable, from AF points and modes to shutterspeeds, a feature that is lacking in its competitors.

Performance I was primarily testing the 7D Mark II with the 18–135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. And in terms of autofocus, there was just one instance that I found it hunting—when I zoomed into 135mm from 18mm for a ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

portrait. In all other situations, the autofocus performed admirably well. Once I had the customisation of the thumb switch and joystick for AF modes and AF points down pat, then focusing was fairly easy. The iTR system does a great job at identifying faces or even user-defined AF regions, but fails to track them fast enough. ‘Fast’ is also relative to the speed of the photographer and the subject. Personally, I found it a little laggy while tracking. The sensor is not that large an improvement from the 7D and not a reason for 7D users to upgrade. However, what you do get is better processed JPEG files. I found the dynamic range to be decent, with the ability to open up underexposed areas to a significant extent. But, it isn’t exactly class-leading performance. Perhaps, in all the hullabaloo about autofocus and speed, Canon forgot to pay attention to bringing image quality up to par as well.

iso 6400

iso 12,800

iso 25,600

iso 51,200

conclusion Priced at Rs. 1,28,795 for the body only, the 7D Mark II is a good option only if you have a Canon system and wish to upgrade from the 7D. It is clear that this camera is all about speed and autofocus. But, the competitive landscape is a whole lot different from five years ago. And for people looking for upgrades in every area, the 7D Mark II is going to disappoint. the camera does a great job of focusing in low light situations, given the -3eV sensitivity of the centre aF point. exposure: 1/80sec at f/5 (ISO 6400)

The 7D Mark II offers very little noise upto ISO 1600, and even ISO 3200 in some cases. It is only when you go beyond this that the limitations of an APS-C sensor strike you. With noise reduction switched to low, the camera does a fairly good job of processing JPEGs. There is some luminance noise, but I prefer it over clumps of colour noise.

FINALRATINGS Features

13/15

10fps, fast 65-point cross-type AF sensor, headphone jack, no WiFi, no 4k video

Performance

40/45

Good sensor but not state of the art, fast autofocus but tracking needs improvement

build Quality

19/20

Magnesium alloy, weathersealed body

ergonomics

12/15

Good grip, customisability, no touchscreen, complicated menu layout

Warranty & support

4/5

Excellent service network across the country

oVeRaLL 88% Who should buy it?

Those looking to shoot sports, action, wildlife or looking to upgrade their system.

Why? It is a pretty high-speed pro-grade APS-C body. But, if image quality and noise performance are what you’re looking for, then there are full frames available at this price point.

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Nikon 1 V3

Small Sharpshooter The Nikon 1 series has seen some standout mirrorless cameras. Does the new Nikon 1 V3 continue its predecessors’ legacy? Supriya Joshi finds out.

WEigHTAgE oF PArAMETErs

15% 20%

5% 30%

30%

Features Performance Build Quality ergonomics Warranty & support Better PhotograPhy

ow do you follow up an act that has already set a pretty high standard? Either you one up the former, or produce something which is at par with it. That’s the challenge set upon the Nikon 1 V3, the predecessor of the Nikon 1 V2, which was never brought out in India. Feature-packed and compact, the V3 promised to be fun.

Features Like the V2, the V3 also features a 1-inch CX sensor, but with no low-pass filter. In layman’s terms, this means that the camera should be able to produce more detail and sharpness. The sensor has also been bumped up from 14.2MP in the V2 to

18.4MP. A new Expeed 4A processor allows the camera to shoot 20fps RAW images in full-time continuous AF with subject tracking. Not only that, like the V1, you can also shoot RAW images at a speedy 60fps, with the focus locked on the first frame. The V3 uses a hybrid AF system, which combines 171 contrast and 105 phase detection areas, with the latter covering almost 100% of the frame. The V2, in comparison, had 135 contrast and 73 phase detection areas. The maximum sensitivity has also been increased from ISO 6400 to ISO 12,800. An important feature that the V3 loses out on is the electronic viewfinder that came to be a standard in the Nikon 1 V series. And it’s ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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The AF speed is blazing fast. You won’t miss a crucial moment because of it.

Handling The dimensions of the V3 more or less resemble that of a regular compact

camera. However, the body is made from magnesium alloy, so you are certainly not dealing with a lightweight. The new additions to the V3 are the twin command dials, one of which sits next to the lens in front of the camera. This system especially comes in handy while using the Manual mode, as each dial controls the aperture and shutterspeed settings respectively. The mode dial on the back of the camera also acts as an Fn button, if pressed. The handgrip is quite well-built and ergonomic. Another deviancy found in the V3 is that Nikon has switched the storage system from SD cards to microSD cards. This left me confused. For a camera offering such high frame rates, at least a UHS 1 card is required. Strangely, the card provided with the camera was a Class 6 one, which simply was not good enough. I shot several moments at 60fps, and it took forever to finish reading. I could still continue to make images while the card buffered, but if

Downloading the Wireless Mobile Utility app on your cellphone allows you to wirelessly connect to the camera and shoot images via the phone. You can be as discreet as you desire!

All photographs by Supriya Joshi

Exposure: 1/320sec at f/5 (ISO 800)

quite a significant loss, indeed. In their effort to make a more compact and pocketable camera, Nikon has deprived users of a very important feature. It’s not all hopeless, however. You can shell out an additional sum and buy a separate viewfinder, which sits on the accesory port. The video features of the V3 include 1080/60p Full HD. There is also the option to capture slow motion videos at 1200fps. The V3 comes with the 10–30mm f/3.55.6 kit lens. However, because of the 2.7x crop factor, it gives a roughly 27–80mm field of view, in 35mm parlance. The other features of the camera include in-built WiFi for image transfer and shooting, several automatic modes and a 3-inch 1037k dots touchscreen LCD screen, which tilts up about 170 degrees and down about 87 degrees.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Better PhotograPhy

test

Test shots

Plenty of Scope for Recovery

Shooting from the Hip

The JPGs off the camera produced good colour and skin tones. During RAW processing, a lot of highlights and shadow recovery was possible.

The tilting LCD screen meant that I did not have to reposition myself. I simply lowered the camera and pointed the screen up to make my frame.

P lU s • 60fps RAW shooting • Speedy AF • Useful tilting screen • WiFi connectivity

I switched off the camera during this time, it would only switch on after it finished buffering. The tilting screen came in handy while framing low or high angle shots, but I wished it tilted the whole 180 degrees, just to complete the whole selfie experience.

MinUs

• Lack of EVF • Uses microSD card • Long buffer speeds

ErgonoMics

Performance One of the shooting situations I put the V3 through was to shoot a very important day, my friend’s wedding. Of course, I had the Nikon D610 as my primary camera, but I decided to use the V3 as my backup camera, and I ended up using it quite a bit. First of all, the V3 is a fast camera, indeed. The AF speed was very quick and the accuracy was almost always on point. There was barely any hunting, even in low light situations. While the camera gives

Front

blazing fast 20fps and 60fps burst rates, strangely, you can only record 40 frames in RAW as well as the JPG mode. Ideally, the camera should allow for more frames to be captured in the JPG mode. The battery life was also quite good. The camera lasted the entire duration of continuos shooting during the wedding day, with more than enough to spare. Coupled with the FT1 adapter, you can use practically any F mount lens with the V3 for added versatility. The fast AF speed and the 2.7x longer zoom range would, on paper, make the perfect kit for a wildlife photographer. We tested out this theory as well and mounted the Nikkor 70– 300mm f/4.5-5.6 on the V3. Sadly, the theory only looks good on paper. Not providing an in-built EVF is a setback to those who would

Top Pop up flash

camera strap eyelet

Power zoom lens

Mode dial

Kit lens

lens release button

From the front, the V3 looks extremely similar to a compact camera. The magnesium alloy body feels sturdy, yet the camera is quite pocketable. The texturised grip is very helpful as well. Better PhotograPhy

• Sony Alpha A6000 • Sony RX100 III

rear Power / shutter release button

command dial

Textured body, handgrip

Also looK For

Accessory port

Video record button

Don’t be fooled by the section of the camera body which looks like a hot shoe. It will only accept proprietary accesories like the optional viewfinder. Speedlights and remote triggers can’t be used.

Flash pop-up switch

Tilting touchscreen

Menu button

Four-way controller

Quick Menu button

The back features the four way directional pad and scroll wheel to control various settings. There are two Fn buttons which are customisable, and an F button, which brings up a quick menu for key settings. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

test s P Ec i F i cAT i o n s Model name

Nikon 1 V3

MrP

Rs. 43,950 (with 10–30mm lens)

Effective pixels

18.4MP, 5232 x 3488

sensor size, type

13.2 x 8.8mm, CMOS

Aspect ratio (w:h) 3:2 / 16:9 Focusing type, modes Contrast Detect, Phase Detect, Multi-area, Center, Selective single-point, Tracking, Single, Continuous, Touch, Face Detection, Live View aF points

171

Focal length multiplier 2.7x Metering

Multi, Center-weighted, Spot

Shutterspeed range

30sec–1/16000sec

Exp. compensation -/+3 EV (at 1/3 EV steps) ISO

Auto, 160–12800

White Balance

Auto WB, 6 Presets, Custom White Balance

Drive modes

Single frame, Continuous, Selftimer, Delayed remote, Quick response remote, Interval timer

Built-in flash

Pop-up, 5m at ISO 100

Flash modes

Fill-flash, fill-flash w/slow sync, rear curtain sync, rear curtain sync w/slow sync, redeye reduction, redeye reduction w/ slow sync

LCD

3-inch tilting touchscreen, 10,37,000 dot

Viewfinder

None

Image stabilisation No storage types

microSD/SDHC/SDXC

Wireless

Buit-in with smartphone app for image transfer and shooting

Video

Yes, 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), High speed video at 120, 400 and 1200fps

Battery

EN-EL20a Lithium ion

Dimensions, Weight

111 x 65 x 33mm, 381g

Noise Test seriously consider using the V3 exclusively for wildlife photography. It was extremely impractical on field and near impossible to use without a tripod. Even with the EVF and triod, you would have to be extremely skilled or patient to make this system work for you. Even if you were to invest in the additional EVF, we also found that using the FT1 adapter only allowed you to use center point focusing, further adding to the shooting problems. On the other hand, the image quality provided by the camera is quite good. Straight from the camera, the colours in the JPGs are vibrant. There was a lot of scope of highlight and shadow recovey in the RAW files as well. The images are quite usable up to ISO 1600, after which the quality steadily drops. If you’re not intending to print them, you can push the ISO to 3200 in low light situations.

conclusion The bottomline is, the V3 is a good camera, with the best AF and frame rate of its class. For photographers stepping up from cellphone and compact camera photography, the V3 is a good choice. Professional photographers for whom speed is paramount should also consider this camera as their secondary body. Videographers will also enjoy using the V3 for its good video quality as well as for making unique slow-mo vidoes. There’s something for everyone!

iso 1600

iso 3200

iso 6400 The sensor of the V3 is pretty good for its size. The sharpness up to ISO 1600 is quite good, but compression artefacts and loss of detail steadily enters the frame soon after, but images at ISO 3200 are still usable for online uploads. RAW images have plenty of scope pull out shadow and highlight details and control over white balance and noise reduction. The exclusion of the anti-aliasing filter certainly bumped up the image quality, compared to its predecessors.

FINALRATINGS Features

25/30

RAW capture at 60fps, no EVF, Full HD video, 100% AF sensor coverage

Performance

25/30

Great quality in RAW, speedy AF, good battery life

Build Quality

18/20

Sturdy body with helpful tilting LCD screen

Ergonomics

14/15

Efficient dual command dials, superior handgrip

Warranty & support

4/5

Two-year warranty, wide service facilities

oVErAll 86% i shot this image via my phone using the Wireless Mobile Utility app. The camera itself looks unassuming, and shooting via the app allowed for more discretion. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Who should buy it? Photographers for whom speed is paramount and those graduating from cellphones.

Why?

No other camera in its category offers 60fps RAW shooting, which is a huge advantage. The missing EVF is unfortunate. It could have made for a very capable kit.

Value for Money Better PhotograPhy

TEST

ENDE

MM RECO

GoPro Hero4 Black

The Hero Complex

Besides creating an intense desire to jump out of airplanes, Aditya Nair finds out what the GoPro Hero4 Black has to offer us mere mortals.

he ﬁrst thing that hits you when you pick up the GoPro is an insane loss of control. I don’t mean that you start jumping off rooftops, sticking the GoPro in people’s face, or dropping it in washing machines. That comes later. If you are a someone who likes even a smidgen of control, for example, over composition or exposure, you are in for a surprise.

Features WEIGHTAGE OF PARAMETERS

15% 20%

5% 30% 30%

Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

During 1995, the idea of ‘Calm Technology’ was formulated. It was deﬁned roughly by these parameters: Technology should require the least of our attention; it should easily solve a problem; while remaining in the periphery of user attention. Basically, Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown were conceptualising what the GoPro ultimately did for photography. A three-button system is all you need to control it’s settings. But, once the GoPro starts recording, your job as a “photographer” is quickly reduced to avoiding the it’s ultra-wide Field of View (the lens is equivalent to about 15mm). You will

be surprised by how often stray shadows, ﬁngers, even entire body parts show up. The biggest improvement to the Hero4 Black is in the video frame rates, including 4k at 30fps. With Full HD and HD, you can go as high as 120fps for those fantastic slow motion action shots. There is also a WVGA (768 x 480px) mode that shoots at 240fps. Besides this, the camera retains its ability to shoot 12MP images. It also has the same Timelapse and Continuous Shooting (up to 30fps) modes as the Hero 3+ Black. Welcome additions are the Night Photo and Night Lapse modes which improve the GoPro’s oft-lamented low light abilities. These modes let you shoot at, and control slow shutterspeeds from 2sec–30sec. In the Night Lapse mode, you can set the interval times between 0.5sec and 60sec.

Handling Numerous accessories let you mount the GoPro in every imaginable way, including a Fetch mount, for dogs! And where there is no mount, you have the ﬂat and curved adhesive strips.

If you intend on using the fast frame rates, the high bitrates or 4k capabilities offered by the Hero4 Black, don’t forget to invest in a fast microSD card.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX • • • • • • • • •

Hero4 Black Standard housing Skeleton Door Curved and Flat Adhesive mounts Remote charger Lithium-ion battery USB Cables Quick Release Buckle 3-Way Pivot Arm JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

t e st

There’s an App for It!

The GoPro 3+ Black came with a WiFi-enabled Remote Control that was capable of triggering multiple GoPros. With the Hero4 Black, you need to purchase it as a separate accessory that costs Rs. 7080.

makes it easier to identify the portion of the clip you want to use, when editing. Additionally, I wish that the tiny screen on the front (from where you can change settings) was at least back-lit. It would have meant better visibility and less fumbling around. That said, the new menu design is a lot easier to use.

Performance

Since most cellphones today are f/2.2, some even faster, I was disappointed to

All photographs by Aditya Nair

The newly introduced QuikStart mode, let’s you start shooting as soon as the camera is switched on, using a predetermined mode.

The beauty of the GoPro is that it can be as discreet or attention grabbing as you want it to be. You have the option to turn off all LEDs making this tiny camera a voyeur’s dream. Conversely, if it is attention that you seek, mount it on your head and walk around capturing equal parts amusement and bewilderment of those around you. Then there is the housing—the reason GoPro has become genre-synonymous with adrenaline driven sports. The standard housing remains waterproof (up to 40m), dustproof and shockproof. Besides a design change in the Hero4s that make removing the battery easier, the overall dimensions of the camera remain the same, so it is still compatible with all older accessories. However, the battery itself is completely new, thus making your older spare batteries defunct. The new battery tops out at 1160mAh which is about 20mAh lesser than the earlier version. While this is not a huge difference, the GoPro’s poor battery life has always been problematic. On the video front, pressing the Settings button tags that part as a HiLight. This

The GoPro’s lack of an LCD or viewfinder that lets you compose your shots has always been an issue. The solution? A WiFi-enabled app that turns your smartphone into an LCD! There is quite a bit of lag to deal with, which makes it ineffective for shooting. It is still great for framing your shots especially, when the camera is perched at awkward angles. Additionally, you can change settings far more easily. Since it can be used to import media from the GoPro, I found it to be quite handy when I wanted to confirm a shot.

Ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Better PhotograPhy

TEST S P E C I F I CAT I O N S

First introduced in the Hero 3+, for video, Protune is now available for images as well.

Protune For a Bit More Control With Protune, you can change the metering, sharpness, white balance and exposure compensation. It also lets you set an ISO limit (upto 800). Mostly, it’s advantage is that it improves the image quality through its Colour function. This lets you choose between a ‘GoPro’ option, for images created by the camera’s default algorithms and ‘Flat’, for a more colour neutral look that is better for postprocessing. The latter also captures a bit more shadow and highlight detail, where the camera’s dynamic range is otherwise poor.

find that the lens still remains fixed at f/2.8. A faster lens would have been welcome and so would image stabilisation. There is also visible fringing in the images. While Protune helps, there is no significant improvement in image quality, which is unfortunate. The image quality is acceptable in good light. However, the low light quality left me seriously wanting. Additionally, instead of letting me set an ISO limit (100–800 for stills), I wish the camera let me choose the ISO. Often, despite choosing a limit of ISO 800, the camera shot images at lower ISOs (sometimes even ISO 100) resulting in slower shutterspeeds and completely blurring all the action. Shooting with this camera is like watching sausages being made. It’s messy. The number of junk images you end up with is incredible.

On the video front, the Hero4 Black captures data up to 60Mbps, which serious video fanatics will welcome. The Superview mode is pretty fun too. It takes the 4:3 aspect ratio and stretches it to 16:9, giving a wider FoV, for more immersive video.

Model name

GoPro Hero4 Black

MOP

Rs 43,900

Effective pixels

12MP

Max. resolution

Stills 4000 x 3000px Video 3840 x 2160px

Sensor size

1/2.3-inch

Max. Aperture

f/2.8 (Fixed)

Camera Modes

Single Photo, Burst mode, Timelapse, Night Lapse, Night Photo

Video Modes

4k up to 30fps, 2.7k up to 50fps 1440p up to 80fps 1080p up to 120fps 960p up to 120fps 720p up to 120fps WVGA up to 240fps

File format

JPEG, MP4

Storage types

microSD/microSDXC

Dimensions

60 x 40 x 20 mm

Conclusion Given the number of recently announced action cameras that are nipping at the heels of GoPro’s market, I assumed that there would be a drop in the Hero4 range’s pricing. That’s not the case. Instead, GoPro has upped its price and changed who its camera segments cater to. It would appear that the GoPro Hero4 Black (Rs. 43,900) is now being targeted at video professionals. On the other hand, the cheaper Hero4 Silver (Rs. 34,900) has all of the newly added photo functions, which is basically Protune, but 4k is limited to a quirky 15fps and Full HD to 60fps. If you want the slow motion that only 120fps delivers, you will have to drop the resolution to 720p. Additionally, the Silver, has another very important feature, an inbuilt LCD for viewing images and changing settings, which is a ﬁrst for GoPro. For me, the Hero4 is a good video upgrade but it isn’t signiﬁcant enough, in terms of image quality. That said, it still remains the best action camera out there. However, at least, from a photography standpoint, the competition is catching up fast.

Weight (inc. housing) 152g

P LU S • 60Mbps video bitrate • Protune for photos MINUS • Weak battery life • Still overheats

FINALRATINGS Features

27/30

Excellent video frame rates, an average f/2.8 lens, new night shooting modes, Superview

Performance

23/30

Good metering, average image quality, poor in low light, Auto WB isn’t always accurate

Build Quality

19/20

Exceptional, waterproof up to 40m, shockproof and dustproof

Ergonomics

13/15

Compact and lightweight, three function buttons, updated menu system

Warranty & Support

2/5

One year immediate replacement warranty, no camera service centres.

OVERALL 84% Who should buy it? Adventurists and extreme sports photographers whose primary goal is video.

Why? Some great video features, plus a legacy lineup of accessories make it the best go-to action camera for anyone looking to add to their video arsenal.

Value for Money BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

LIVE LIFE IN

OVERDRIVE

EXPERIENCE THE THRILLS AND CHALLENGES OF DRIVING

MERCEDES-BENZ’ FINEST SUVS IN BONE CHILLING WINTER CONDITIONS

FEBRUARY 6-8, 2015

DRIFT AND SLIDE TO HAVE IMMENSE FUN AS WE TAKE YOU DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICE! IN THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME LEARN TO DRIVE LIKE A RALLY CHAMPION

We have only 10 seats to offer, so rush to www.overdrive.in for more details Lubricant Partner

Hospitality Partner

India’s Largest Auto Media

Terms and conditions: *Registration is now open, Log on to: www.overdrive.in/winterdrive. Participants must be over the age of 18 and should posses a valid driving license. Hurry limited seats only. Organisers reserve the right to change or modify terms and conditions and route details. OVERDRIVE and Mercedes-Benz reserve the right to filter participation in the Winter Drive Experience.

TEST

DED MMEN RECO

Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO

Brilliance Personified D Shridhar Kunte takes a close look at the Olympus 40 -150 mm/2.8 PRO, the company’s attempt at serious optics, to find out what it has to offer.

uring the last couple of visits to the Olympus booth at the international trade shows, we kept hearing about the efforts being made to strengthen their lens line-up. We saw a big step in that direction with the new 40-150 mm f/2.8 PRO, during the Photokina 2014 show. This lens is an ideal companion for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and OM-D E-M1 cameras. Together with this lens, the cameras will offer resistance against dust and moisture, and work in sub zero temperatures as well.

Features WEIGHTAGE OF PARAMETERS 5% 15% 25%

20%

35%

Features Performance Build Quality Ergonomics Warranty & Support BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

The premium quality of the metal lens is easily appreciable when one picks it up for the first time. It boasts of the world’s first Dual VCM (Voice Coil Motor) autofocus mechanism. This motor drives the AF at fast speeds and is noiseless. This motor is similar in construction to the motors used for image stabilisation. The lens contains 16 elements arranged in 10 groups, which includes Olympus ZERO-coated HD, ED, EDA, and for the first time in a M.ZUIKO lens, a Super EDA glass element. Super EDA glass keeps chromatic aberration, ghosting and flare to a minimum.

In 35mm parlance, this lens offers an extremely versatile focal length of 80mm to 300mm, along with an excellent constant maximum aperture of f/2.8. There were two features that impressed me at the very first glance. The first is a constant close focus distance of 0.7metre (2.3 feet) at all focal lengths. The maximum magnification ratio is 1:2.3. The second is the lenshood design. Regular lenshoods need to be removed and reversed back onto the lens before the lens is packed into a bag. In the case of the 40-150, a simple twist allows it to collapse over the lens, making it easier and quicker. It becomes particularly useful while using a circular polarizer. Simply retract, adjust the polariser, and then push the hood forward before you shoot. S P E C I F I CAT I O N S Model name

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO

MRP

Rs. 1,05,000

Lens construction

16 elements/10 groups

Max. magniﬁcation

0.42X

Diaphragm blades

Filter diameter

77mm

Dimensions

79.4mm x 160mm

Weight

880gm

P LU S

• Image quality • Build quality • Lens hood design MINUS

• Price • Weight

There will always be a healthy level of interest for a practical zoom range with pro quality optics. This is a good approach to take for any company. JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

Exposure: 1/400 sec at f/6.3 (ISO 200)

Handling I tried this lens on both the OM-D E-M1 and the E-P3. Using this lens necessitates an electronic viewfinder, to steady the lens by holding it up, against the eye. The tripod collar rotates and can be fixed to any position on the barrel, for easy rotation on as tripod, from the horizontal to the vertical shooting positions. It also helps you shoot handheld without the collar getting in the way. Once you mount the lens on the camera, the collar cannot be removed. The lens is perfectly sealed against the elements with seals at 11 different locations. By default, the L-Fn switch on the lens barrel is set to stop focus. This button can be very easily reached with left hand thumb, but as soon as you start shooting vertically, it gets tough to reach. The zoom ring is large enough to grab and operate. The focusing ring is ahead of the zoom ring. Zoom as well as the focusing action takes place internally ensuring that the lens does not extend. The focus ring can be pulled back to switch from AF to MF.

Performance Lens balances well. The image sharpness even with the wide open aperture (f/2.8) is remarkable. And it improves as you JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

stop down. The focusing speed, even in low light is fast, and the focusing was spot on. Even at 100%, images display plenty of details with no trace of colour fringing. This performance was consistent throughout the entire focal length. The special elements did wonderful job in correcting chromatic aberration. I noticed the slightest hints of it only in images shot against the light. Light falloff is barely noticeable wide open, and by f/4, there is zero trace of it. Geometrical distortion is nonexistent in this lens. This lens has MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) tag and while shooting video I found the lens was completely noise-free during focusing.

Shridhar Kunte

The lens exhibits excellent sharpness, and colour contrast wide open, and it only improves when stopped down to mid-aperture ranges.

FINALRATINGS Features

18/20

Fast focusing speed, dual VCM motors, innovative lenshood, tripod collar

Performance

34/35

Sharpness, contrast, speed

Build Quality

24/25

Metal construction, Weather sealing

Ergonomics

13/15

Large and easy to grab zoom ring

Conclusion

Warranty & Support

The closest competition to this lens is the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8. In my opinion, the extra reach of the 40-150mm can prove very useful in many situations, such as sports, wildlife or portraiture. Despite the weight, the 40-150mm handles very well. Optically, the lens exceeded my expectation. It is also superbly designed. The lens is available at a MRP of Rs 1, 05,000, and is well worth the price. You can also buy a kit with an extremely useful 1.4x teleconverter by spending an additional 14,000/- rupees.

Replaceable in case of manufacturing defect for 3 years

3/5

OVERALL 92% Who should buy it? Those who want an extremely versatile zoom with great performance for stills and video.

Why?

The 40-150mm is designed extremely well, with an overall performance that is difficult to match in a zoom of this range.

Value for Money

Raj Lalwani BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

mi cr o test

Sirui N-2204X Carbon Fiber Tripod with K-20X Ball Head

Sony 64GB UHS-I SDXC Memory Card (Class 10/U3)

Dependable and Sturdy

The 4k Video Star

Natasha Desai discovers how unshakable the carbon fiber strength of the Sirui N-2204X is.

Ambarin Afsar tests the Sony 64GB Class 10 card and finds out that it is pretty fast indeed.

he Sirui N-220X tripod is extremely light to carry. Staying true to its carbon fiber construction, travelling photographers will find this to be a handy addition to their kit. The tripod comes in a padded bag that is pleasantly light. It comes with a load capacity of 15kg, which is good for larger DSLRs and heavy telephoto lenses. The tripod is constructed of eight layers of carbon fiber making the overall build extremely sturdy. For additional balance, there is a tripod hook for a weight bag. The split-center column is effective and ideal for low angle photographs. When fully extended, the legs are sturdy and come with a three position angle lock, ensuring that there is no movement. The bottommost leg sections have markings on them. The legs extend quickly and the feet of the tripod have retractable steel spikes that are handy when shooting outdoors. When transporting, the legs fold up to 180° with the ball head intact. I found this especially useful as I could quickly pack the tripod up without have to fiddle for too long. Yet another feature of the Sirui N-220X is that one of the legs unscrews to convert into a monopod. In addition, the center column can be attached to it with the ball head for more height. The K-20X ball head that came with the tripod has three adjustment knobs on it. The ball head lets you rotate the camera 360° on the tripod and the pan and tilt motion of the ball head is very smooth. The locking system keeps the camera firmly in position and comes with markings on it. Overall, my experience with the tripod was very good. It inspires confidence and is packed with features and convenience and is a good buy at its price point.

Better PhotograPhy

S p e c i f i cat i o n S • Product Name: Sirui N-2204X Carbon Fiber Tripod • MRP: Rs. 42850 • Load Capacity: 15kg • Max Height: 162.5cm • Max Height without column extended: 136cm • Min Height: 14.5cm • Retracted Height: 54cm • Folded Length: 47cm • Weight: 1.5kg

Product source: Foto Centre Trading Private Limited, Tel: +91 22 22700909 / 22701010 R at i n g

ith technology that can provide 4k video in DSLRs, there is a need for cards that offer read as well as write speeds that can keep up. Sony’s 64GB UHS-1 Class 10 SDXC memory card offers a maximum read speed of 95MB/s and a maximum write speed of 90MB/s. The card is also water, dust and X-ray proof, resistant to UV light, magnets and static, and is also capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. Users can also download a file rescue software that can help in case of accidental damage or deletion of RAWs, JPEGs and video. I tested the card with the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, a camera that offers a frame rate of 10fps. The card performed perfectly well when I was shooting in the Burst mode, and I had no trouble writing 50 consecutive RAW + Fine JPEGs. But, the camera also has a very large buffer, and so, all in all, my experience with the card was very smooth. I would recommend this card to anyone looking to shoot video intensively, or for anyone requiring fast frame rates. However, SanDisk has a 64GB card with the same read/write speeds and other specifications, available for about one thousand rupees lesser.

S p e c i f i cat i o n S • Product Name: Sony 64GB UHS-I SDXC Memory Card • MRP: Rs. 9942 • 64GB Storage Capacity • Class 10 / UHS-I / Speed Class U3 • Max. Read Speed: 95 MB/s • Max. Write Speed: 90 MB/s • Built-in Write Protect Switch

Product source: Sony India R at i n g

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Cellphone

POETIC STORYTELLING

Alina Rudya on how the Chernobyl disaster continues to shape her vision and her life OnePlus One: Hits all the right notes A showcase of the best travel photographs in Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Images

Editorial “Clean slates are not such a bad idea, afterall.”

Where the Wind Goes to Come Back This is a Brazilian phrase I learned from a Sebastião Salgado interview. Travelling to the Antartic and nearby regions, Salgado found vast flocks of giant albatrosses off the Falkland Islands. “Islands at the end of the world,” he called them. “Or as we say in Brazil, ‘where the wind goes to come back.’” I found it to be such a lovely phrase. It means that all things are cyclical, that nothing comes to an end, it just regenerates. The tide has to ebb in order to flow again, and similarly, our style, our vision, have to endure highs and lows, they need to be subjected to some soul-searching, some abject disenchantment, disillusionment or simply, boredom and emptiness in order to achieve absolute satisfaction, joy and happiness. The phrase tells us that clean slates, after all, are not such a bad idea. After all, what is more inviting than an empty page? Here’s to new journeys to the end of the world and back.

Ambarin Afsar

ambarin.afsar@betterphotography.in / Instagram: @batsaboutcats

Untitled

101

by Arati Kumar Rao On 9 December 2014, a cargo ship rammed an oil tanker in the Bangladeshi Sundarbans. Arati Kumar Rao documents the extent of the damage caused to natural and human life. Find out more in our next issue.

Amit Mehra speaks about the influence of Nadav Kander and Raghubir Singh on his work, along with the importance of having varied influencers Turn to page 105

Alina Rudya on how surviving the Chernobyl disaster continues to shape her life— ‘Poetic Storytelling’ Turn to page 106

Cover photograph by Alina Rudya

Arati Kumar Rao

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. mArCel ProUst Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic and essayist, and is also considered to be one of the greatest authors of all time. He is best known for his monumental novel In Search of Lost Time, published in seven parts. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Better PhotograPhy

test

OnePlus One 64GB Sandstone Black

There Can Only Be One Since its launch, the OnePlus One has become the most raved about phone in the market. Aditya Nair finds out why.

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A Plethora of Features Like the Find 7a, this phone has a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD screen that renders vibrant colours and beautifully contrasty images. However, I do dislike shooting with phones

of the phablet and wanna-be-a-phablet variety. In my opinion, a 4.7 to 5-inch screen is ideal for smartphones and I wish that was the case with the One. Other similar features include a 13MP rear camera, f/2 lens, 1/3.06-inch sensor, 4k video recording and the ability to shoot RAW. However, it lacks the 50MP interpolation mode of the Oppo Fine 7a. The phone also shoots Full HD video at 60fps and HD video up to 120fps and the ability to change video, including H.264 and MPEG-4 and audio codecs. You can change shooting modes by flicking the screen, in the native app. You can also restrict how many modes change, thus keeping only your favourites. As a result of the Dual LED flash, I no longer fear cellphone flash photography. That said, there is room for improvement,

The camera app lacks Exposure Compensation, which is troublesome given the camera’s tendency to overexpose images.

All Photographs by Aditya Nair

The Burst Mode lets you shoot up to 20 images, but not while shooting RAW. Additionally, the number of shots can only be controlled through the settings menu, before you shoot.

iven that I was pretty confident that the Xiaomi Mi3 would be my favourite phone of the year, the OnePlus One came as a welcome surprise. Mostly because Xiaomi has quickly grown to become the world’s third largest selling phone manufacturer and the hipster in me likes exclusivity. Additionally, unlike Xiaomi, the OnePlus can’t be accused of blatantly ripping off the iPhone’s UI. What the OnePlus One is extremely similar to, however, is the Oppo Find 7a. Both, in terms of looks and hardware specifications.

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103 especially, when you consider what the iPhone flash is capable of. But, as a rule, I think that cameraphone manufacturers should stop making phones with a single LED flash. Dual or nothing!

Shooting Experience

The six lens module used by the OnePlus’ camera is pretty effective at controlling flare and fringing. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Unlike, the Mi3, the OnePlus doesn’t give you full control over shutterspeed within the native camera app. Through the Slow shutterspeed option you can, however, control the range between 1/2sec and 8sec. While the ISO is limited to 1600, I found them to be useable. The image quality is pretty great when viewing RAWs. However, since most apps still don’t process RAWs yet, the in-phone JPEG quality still remains important. Comparing the DNGs to the in-camera JPEGs leaves a lot to be desired. The images are heavily processed for noise reduction and overexposed by at least one stop, in average contrast situations, suggesting that the JPEG engine is not up to speed. That said, this is the first RAW capable Android that I have tested. It remains to be seen if others show such disparity between RAW and JPEG files. I should also point out that the in-camera JPEGs are quite good when compared to most other Androids.

Its Achilles’ Heel The autofocus system was sluggish in daylight and slow at night. Additionally, the camera stops to refocus before every shot even if the subject is in focus. The native camera app doesn’t allow you to switch off the synthesised shutter sound, which is always annoying.

The One captures a good amount of detail in the JPEGs that is easily recoverable when you need it.

The Verdict While the hardware on the phone comes close to many of higher end cameraphones today, that can’t be said of the camera. This prevents me from calling this Rs. 21,999 phone, the best phone today. However, it comes excitingly close.

AT A GlAnCE SPeCifiCaTiOnS

13MP, f/2, 64GB inbuilt memory, 3GB RAM, Quadcore 2.5GHz processor, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Dual LED flash, CyanogenMod 11S, Rs. 21,999

whaT we like

Excellent hardware at a resonable price

whaT we diSlike

Autofocus lag, Needs more exposure control

why Buy iT?

Great specs, sleek design and a fantastic video/stills combo at an unbeatable price

FInAl RATInGS

84%

CaMeRa feaTuReS Timelapse, can change shooting modes by flicking the screen

21/25

iMaGe QualiTy RAW, Good image quality, acceptable in low light

26/30

VideO QualiTy 4k video, Full HD at 60fps, 720p at 120fps

14/15

handlinG Textured back cover makes it almost impossible to drop

12/15

SPeed & ReSPOnSiVeneSS No shutterlag, slow AF that needs to refocus

11/15

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Xiaomi Redmi Note

Worth Noting

Conchita Fernandes puts the Redmi Note to test and finds out what the fuss surrounding Xiaomi phones is all about.

were crisp and vibrant, and the focusing too performed quite well, under optimal lighting conditions. However, in low light there was a slight lag in the focusing, but nothing to be too concerned about. Also, when shooting at ISO 1600, which is the maximum, noise was present, but the images were usable.

Abundant Features

BANNED oR NoT BANNED?

At the time of review the 3G version of the Redmi Note was banned. However, the good news is that the 4G variant of the same phone is available, but at an increased cost of Rs. 9999. Better PhotograPhy

The Redmi Note certainly does not disappoint in its features. It has everything from a voice recognition shooting option to a Fast-motion feature when making videos. The phone also offers 1080p HD video recording and its 3100mAh battery too, was sufficient to keep the device running all day. Added to this, the 5.5-inch vibrant display made the shooting and editing of photographs an easy and fun process.

Efficient and Practical I really liked that the phone did not have any lag and was swift to respond. Additionally, it

Conchita Fernandes

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he first thing that I look for in I enjoyed a phone is its camera interface. shooting with I prefer simplicity rather than the phone’s having a cluttered interface with features that I know I am not voice recognition going to use. The Redmi Note fortunately software. did not disappoint in this aspect. In three seconds, I was able The Dynamic Note to compose Equipped with a 13MP rear camera, and shoot the Note was delightful to shoot with. photographs. The images and colours on the screen

I shot this photograph in the evening. Since the colours appeared a little muted on the phone, I used the Snapseed app to bring out the bright colours of the inflated toy.

never heated up, despite continuously shooting and editing images with it. I would recommend the phone to those on a strict budget, and who are also looking at cameras with good image quality. Priced at Rs. 8999, along with features that are sufficient to take care of most photographic challenges, the Redmi Note is definitely very economical.

AT A glANcE specificatioNs

13MP, Android 4.2.2 JDQ39, 5.5-inch display, Octa-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage (expandable up to 32GB), Rs. 8999

What We like

Good image quality and feature packed

What We dislike

Slippery and bulky to hold

Why buy it?

The phone’s camera interface is simple and fuss-free, and it’s quite affordable

FINAl RATINgS

85%

caMeRa featuRes Advanced shooting mode, 13MP, 5MP front camera

22/25

iMaGe Quality Very good sharpness and decent colour reproduction

27/30

Video Quality Good quality Full HD video at 30fps

12/15

haNdliNG Its smooth back cover made it a little slippery to hold

11/15

speed & RespoNsiVeNess Highly responsive and processes images quickly

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Cellphone Diaries

Lessons from my Favourite Photographer

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ne of my greatest influences since the past few years has been the work of Nadav Kander. Whether he is shooting stark landscapes or portraits, there is a simplicity and tranquillity that goes beyond subject and genre, until the point where the photograph is not just about the photographed, but also the photographer. In this otherwise chaotic world of imagery, when I see Nadav’s work, I feel a sense of quietude, a sense of peace and thairaav. While I have always admired his work, I have personally gravitated towards it only in the past two or three years, coincidentally, around the same time

when I started shooting with my cellphone. For me, his work defines the state of mind when on doesn’t have any intention of reaching a set destination… it is simply photography for the joy of it. Kander’s vision and thoughts, of course, are very different, as opposed to my other favourite, Raghubir Singh, who influenced me ever since I started photography. Inspiration and influences for any creative individual are always vital. There can be times when one’s work starts to look similar, but that’s a fine line one always has to dance through. If one’s influences are multiple and varied, the crossover of vision will bring us to the fore.

Constantly trying to walk on a tightrope between commercial and documentary photography, Amit describes himself saying, “I’m like an octopus who likes to deal with different things at the same time. You can call me a schizophrenic photographer.” The moments in this monthly diary are excerpts from his ongoing work titled ‘Roznaama’. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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ProFILE

Poetic Storytelling

Having survived the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, Alina Rudya talks to Conchita Fernandes about how the incident continues to shape her life.

Alina Rudya

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• When she was young, she wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic. • Her favourite authors are Ernest Hemingway, Haruki Murakami and Ivan Bunin. • She is currently studying visual communication, after which she wants to pursue a career in art direction. • She currently holds two Masters degrees in Political Science and Photography.

find Sarah here! • Instagram: @rrrudya • Blog: www. blueberriescherries. tumblr.com • Website: www.alinarudya.com B E t t E r P H o t o G r a P H y

fter settling down for the day, I was casually browsing through Burn Diary’s Instagram feed, when I stumbled upon Alina Rudya’s photographs. I was specifically drawn to her self-portrait. There was something morose yet dreamy about the image, which reminded me of Frida Kahlo’s

quote, “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” Before I knew it, I had entered Alina’s reality.

The radical Change Born in Ukraine, Alina is the daughter of a nuclear physicist father and a chemist mother. Her father was also an amateur

alina grew up surrounded by several Kiev and Zenit cameras and started making pictures at the age of 13. But it wasn’t until the age of 16 that she became passionate about it. ja N ua ry 2 0 1 5

ProFILE

She finds that she can express herself better when shooting in black and white, and uses this medium a lot when not shooting for instagram. however, when she does make use of the app, she likes to incorporate colour.

photographer. “He had many cameras and even built a darkroom in our bathroom. I think he must have taken over a thousand photographs of me.” This would be her beginning in photography. But not before a life altering change that left its imprints forever on her family and herself. She lived with her family in a small town called Pripyat, three kilometers away from Chernobyl, the site of the radioactive disaster. At the time, she was only a year

old, and following the disaster, she and her family were immediately evacuated. They moved to Kiev where Alina would spend her time there. Later, she would graduate from Budapest and eventually move to Berlin to study photography at the Lette-Verein school of Design.

Meeting a forgotten friend Later in 2011, when she was 26 years old, she visited Pripyat to immerse herself in her

Two years ago, alina had the opportunity to visit iceland and it was there that she made this photograph. She shot it at a northern town called akureyri, and was captivated by the huge dresses and how they appeared to escape and fly away to new adventures.

“i find cellphones very exciting because of the ability to shoot great pictures with such a tiny device. i like that it is compact, small and hardly noticeable, and that i can always keep it with me.”

as part of her education, she got to spend four months in new York, which she considers to be her best and most enlightening trip so far. She even shot a series called a dream They Live, where she highlighted the subject of loneliness in a big city. ja N ua ry 2 0 1 5

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alina prefers to match her expectations with her results and says, “if i want a picture to be grainy or blurry, it should be my artistic decision and not a technical failure.”

When asked about the incorporation of art in her work, alina is of the opinion that she became a photographer because she was too impatient to study painting. She likes getting fast results, which she has been able to do with cellphone photography and instagram.

B E t t E r P H o t o G r a P H y

hometown, which she unfortunately never had the opportunity to know. “In many respects, all my desires and passions sprung from the ruins of Chernobyl.” She documented her time in the ruins of the ghost town in the series Pripyat mon Amour, which also happens to be her most favourite project. She feels that it has helped her answer important questions about herself. “I took self-portraits in that abandoned town, in order to show who I am, where I come from and who I have lost.”

where there were no good schools or a viable market for it. But, I know now that if I lived in a different place, I would have probably pursued photography much earlier.”

Moments of doubt

a Little of everything

Going back to her days in Kiev, Alina always knew that she wanted to do something visual. She just wasn’t sure if photography was the answer. “At least not in Ukraine

Alina’s personality radiates out of every single of her images. You can see her love for art and shadows and even beautiful arrangements. She enjoys using artistic

Tips on Being a Better Photographer • Investing yourself in your Work: Whatever project you take up, always remember to research and prepare for it thoroughly. It’s like laying the foundation for a house.

• Having an open Mind: If you’re starting out, don’t restrict yourself to a particular genre. Try out everything. You can always narrow down your choices later.

• Extending your Knowledge: It is not enough to just study photography. To really make a difference in your images, immerse yourself in other art forms.

VSCO and Snapseed are the two apps that alina uses to edit her cellphone photographs. She mentions, “Snapseed is good for improving the contrast and making good black and whites. VSCO Cam has nice vintage filters, which i mostly use for my instagram uploads.”

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PROFILE

Photographers who are able to tell an engaging story in a single shot appeal to her. She considers James nachtwey and SebastiĂŁo Salgado to be good examples of such photographers.

methods when it comes to composition, and usage of light and colours. Alina is also a big fan of the American realist painter and printmaker, Edward Hopper, and loves how he has used light in his paintings. You can also find a little of everything in her Instagram feed. In a way, she has

created a beautiful cocktail of urbanscapes, portraits, architecture and street work, which eventually leaves you in a dreamy mood. With so many photographers strictly restricting themselves to a particular genre, I wondered if she ever felt the need to limit herself as well. To this she replies,

alina does not think that the device is important and feels that it should never come in between the photographer and his vision.

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inSTa fOLLOW nOW Iranian photographer Ako Salemi (@F64S125) makes poignant and sometimes cinematic photographs of Iran. Using his iPhone, he shoots black and white images of the streets, often leaving the viewer with a beautiful taste of the culture of the country. ja N ua ry 2 0 1 5

There is a lot of play of light and shadow in her photographs. She loves incorporating natural light in her everyday street shots. BEttER PhOtOgRaPhy

PROFILE

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alina does not like to overtly edit her cellphone photographs. She believes that a photo should remain a photo and not a digitally manipulated image.

She loves to travel and makes several images of her journey. She especially enjoys photographing people.

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“My Instagram feed is a platform for me to experiment and to express myself without any limits or regrets.” Even though she naturally finds herself drawn to topics involving loneliness and self-discovery, Alina has also shot several other personal projects with contrasting themes—like a day in the life of her 85-year-old grandfather in One Day, the transformation of a drag queen in About a Girl and her ongoing project on the stereotyping of Eastern European women in Big-City Girl .

On inspiration and Practice “Sometimes I walk on the street, spot a scene and think, ‘That could be a great scene for a movie.’” She finds herself attracted to movies with strong colours, camera angles or composition that emphasise the meaning of certain cinematic moments. “The greatest kisses do not always happen with a beautiful sunset in the background, but if, for an effect, a photographer or a cinematographer can make it happen, people will never forget the feeling they had the first time they saw it.”

apart from her dreamy romantic portraits, alina has also sought to create photographs that encompass a narrative.

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PROFILE

“To anyone starting out with photography, i would advise them to go out and shoot as much as they can. also, look at the works of the masters, be inspired and learn from their photographs.”

She mentions that there will be situations where because of certain limitations, a photographer may not be able to shoot the desired picture that he had in mind. nevertheless, you should go ahead and make the best of what you have.

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This photograph is part of her series called Small Man in a huge World and shows how small one person is in comparison to the big world. alina has done this by photographing lone figures in the midst of large wide landscapes. In an interview with Lomography Magazine, Alina had said, “Practice is key to better pictures, not just by shooting your food with a cellphone, but by carefully photographing your subjects and getting the best out of the situation.” This advice holds true,

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especially today, where photography is taken for granted. “How else can you hope to create something different from the ordinary?” she says, as thousands of her fans continue to tune in to her visual storytelling on Instagram.

BEttER PhOtOgRaPhy

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READERS’ GALLERY

Better Cellphone Photography’s took their smartphones out on an adventure for this month’s theme ‘Travel’.

Presented by

Honourable Mention

Wanderlust Anees K A, Bengaluru

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Winner

What made me shoot this: Most of us daydream about leaving our desk jobs and travelling and exploring the unexplored. What I learnt: The way the light fell and the objects in the frame interacted with each other had to be just right. I moved the chair around till I was happy with the overall composition. The hotel management were not pleased with the changes to their decor. Shot With: Apple iPhone 3GS

Smoke Break Sagarneel Biswas, Bengaluru What made me shoot this: While smoking is banned in Kolkata’s local train, this elderly gentleman couldn’t be bothered by such rules and went about enjoying his smoke. What I learnt: Photography has become more of a reflex for me. I have learnt to trust my instincts when it comes to compostion, geometry and the moment. I save the thinking for when I’m editing the image. Shot with: Google LG Nexus 4 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

At the Peak Jiten R Bhatt, Mangrol What made me shoot this: For me, the peacock atop the tree symbolised finding your way through obstacles that life sets up. What I learnt: There were a lot of stray leaves and branches that I had to avoid including in the frame. I looked around for the right vantage point that would allow me to include more of the sky. Shot with: Samsung Galaxy Grand 2

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hese ured on t To be featrticipate in our pages, paby logging on to s contests graphy.in/contest to betterpho exciting prizes! w and in

READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GALLERY

Honourable Mention

GRAND PRIZE The grand prize winner, gets a 6000mAh Godrej GP PowerBank, the perfect companion for cellphone and travel photographers.

Life of a Wanderer Abhijit Mondal, Kolkata

All the nominees will also be featured on, betterphotography.in. *Actual colour of the Powerbank may vary

Keepers of the Sand

Honourable Mention

What made me shoot this: Without ropes to tie the chair to the top of the rickshaw, the passenger was forced to hold on to it for the duration of his journey. To me it was a great example of the Indian jugaad mindset What I learnt: Conveying human emotions without including a face can be difficult but often I find that such images tell better stories. Shot With: Nokia Lumia 525

Honourable Mention

Suman Bhattacharjee, Kolkata What made me shoot this: The bamboo poles were erected on the beach to prevent erosion. They stood like beaten guardians, while battling the force of the waves. What I learnt: I wanted to cature the reflection of the poles in the receding waves as it gave showed lonliness. I got lucky and made the photo on the third try. Shot with: Samsung Galaxy S2

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BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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SHO OT ING T E CHNIQUE

BetterPictures

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On birthdays, children may go through a variety of emotions, from exhilaration to sombreness, and it is these expressions that make a difference between a mere competent picture and a memorable one.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Party Time! Raj Lalwani tells you seven unique ideas that will help you make your party photographs a lot more fun and interesting.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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ON ASSIGNMENT

TIPS AND TRICKS

Exploring the Self Self-portraits to reconnect with oneself

Ideas to photograph children, street murals and religious places

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SHO OT ING T E CHNIQUE

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hristmas is round the corner, everyone’s getting married and people are in a festive spirit with the new year in sight. Are you wondering how to make your Facebook albums of these crazy parties more fun? Read on.

Flash is Your Best Friend The light levels are low, everyone’s dancing around, LED lamps are forming ugly patches on skin, there are too many lights in the background and there’s an ugly shadow under one’s eyes. These are just some of the various reasons why flash, both on-camera as well as an external flashgun, are invaluable. A lot of people assume that a high ISO and a fast-aperture lens like a 50mm f/1.8 will suffice in low light, but remember that these techniques help you get in more light, but they do not affect the quality or direction of the light. A sound knowledge of the Night Portrait mode, Slow Sync flash and remote flash control are vital.

Tissues, Bottles, All Else If it is not an assignment, you may not want to get bogged down at a party by carrying a lot of equipment and light modifiers. Use

Raj Lalwani

all that’s around. Tissue paper, tablecloths, coloured bottles, especially those that have water or alcohol in them, can all make fantastic light modifiers. If you don’t have an external flashgun, the torch of your cameraphone can be a versatile enough light.

The closer you get, the more you can get your friends to react. It would be a good idea to shoot multiple frames at such a time.

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Raise that Glass If you are using a fast lens, focus on your subject and then, while keeping focus locked, bring a bottle or glass in front of the lens. The reflected and refracted light will make for gorgeous foreground bokeh.

Rajiv Kumar

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Raj Lalwani

Let there be an app or a look for each party. When you share the images on social media and when you print them (don’t forget to print them!), your friends would have fun anticipating what the pictures are eventually going to look like. BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Sho ot ing t echnique

Make as many frames as possible, but be extremely judicious while making an edit.

Raj Lalwani

Formality in Treatment

Process images of one party in a consistent way, by using the same action, preset or app.

But First, Let â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em Take a Selfie Group photo selfies are a rage and while one can understand practitioners getting a little tired of seeing them everywhere, they can be shot differently as well. Wait for a bunch of friends to point their front-facing camera to themselves and then photograph

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Even simple celebrations can make happy photos that portray relationships.

Shoot loose and edit tight. Make as many frames as possible. Group photos, both posed and spontaneous ones, have a nasty habit of going wrong only because one person in the group has his eyes shut or is caught mid yawn. But while selecting the final images, be strict. Since there may be a variation of shooting styles and techniques, the treatment can be cohesive.

If there are too many people dancing together, it may be a good idea to concentrate on one or two to make your frame simpler, and your timing, more effective.

Better PhotograPhy

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Sho ot ing t e chnique

Raj Lalwani

While your family or friends are busy taking a group selfie, capture the moments that lead up to a particular set of poses or expressions.

their various attempts and expressions as they get their pose right. Or, just walk behind them and shoot a Spot-metered frame of their cameraphone’s screen.

Ring Them In!

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid 1. Ghosting in the Frame Parties may have a lot of pointed light sources, which create flare. Avoid cheap UV filters and never forget the lens hood!

Ring flashes are serious tools for macro and portrait photography, but you can play with them during parties. Use a fisheye or a rectilinear ultrawide lens along with the flash. The flash’s round shape will appear within the frame. Now use this to form a fun, unusual circular frame around people! Since you are using a fisheye, you will need to go really, really close.

The Stills & Video Prank Try this. Make a bunch of friends pose and then pretend that you are struggling with the settings. In the meantime, press the Video Record button and get an outrageously funny video that has them standing and posing impatiently. Eventually, all the technical expertise in the world will fall flat if the expressions in the frame are boring. Love and empathy for the person you are photographing can make the simplest of frames memorable. And lastly, remember to have a good time… have fun technically by experimenting as much as possible, and have fun otherwise, and smile.

Start shooting well before the people come in. That’s the best time to understand the venue limitations and lighting challenges, as also to make pictures of the ambience and the decor.

3. Ghostly White Faces In group photos, the person closest to the lens may look blown out, especially if they are fair and wearing white. Use a -ve Flash Exposure Compensation value and diffuse the light with a handkerchief. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Raj Lalwani

2. Ghost-like Apparitions Don’t be scared of increasing the ISO. If you forget to do this, your camera will use too slow a shutterspeed that may make your subject a ghostlike blur.

Party pictures have gone from people posing for the photographer to everyone posing for themselves. An ironic shift, it may be, but the trend can itself be a photo opportunity like this one. Better PhotograPhy

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O n a S S I G nM E n T

In this double exposure I have combined my self-portrait with leaves, in order to create a sense of mystery.

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This was the ﬁrst photo of the series. This is the one that set the ball rolling.

Exploring the Self Ninjin Puntsag is a Mongolian photographer who works with sports horses, and spends a lot of time reconnecting with her own being through self-portraiture.

he idea of self-portraits occurred to me in 2006, while photography sparked an interest in me when I was 18. I was fascinated by a classmate’s B&W photos, but I didn’t start shooting until years later, and the interest lay dormant for a very long time. My first self-portraits were simply selfies, but soon, this wasn’t enough. The ego-pics soon turned into something that required more thought, planning and a proper camera.

me an artistic void that needed to be filled, and photography did that. It also allows me to overcome my introversion and is much easier than finding a model. I am both in front of and behind the camera, and I know exactly what pose or expression I need.

My Assignment Description

To express myself using portraiture

Duration

It is a 365-day project.

My Perspective Self-portraits became a great way to express myself. I used to paint and draw as a child, but eventually quit in my teens. It left within BETTEr PHOTOGraPHy

notes

Some of the photos required a certain amount of physical effort. Running to and from the camera to verify if the shot is fine is almost a sport. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

O n a S S I G nM E n T I was trying to create a dreamy look using ﬂowers and a reﬂection.

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BETTEr PHOTOGraPHy

o n a s s i g nm e n t

Easy Tips for Emphatic Self-portraits • Be Drawn to Simplicity: Try not to be attached to one particular style and use different techniques. For me, the pose depends on how the light paints the subject, and whether the contour of the body is in accordance with the mood, but above all, I am drawn to simplicity. • Use Natural Light: Play with shadows, and try using light from every angle. • Try Exaggerating Poses: Tensing the muscles and stretching will help you exaggerate the pose and emphasise form. I kept seeing 365-day projects and one day, I said, why not? I already take a lot of photographs of myself, why not turn this into an everyday habit?

The Process Fabrics frozen in mid-air are reminiscent of dance movements.

Most of the times, I don’t really plan the photo. Sometimes, I see patterns created by light and shadow and use them. Sometimes, it depends on the place I am at,

the mood I am in, the music and the images of other people who inspire me. I enjoy khoomii (overtone singing), morin khuur (traditional Mongolian violin) and music that is able to take one to faraway places. Sigur Rós, Sainkho Namtchylak, Altan Urag, Arga Bileg and Okna Tsahan Zam are a few of the artists that put me in a creative mood. I am also inspired by the wonderful photography of Francesca Woodman, Lauren Simonutti, Angela Bacon-Kidwell, Sally Mann and Vivian Maier. I usually shoot in confined spaces and try to create the illusion of a larger space. Props play an important role too—a floating piece of fabric creates something ethereal, flowers add a delicate

Music instruments add a special touch because they are very photogenic.

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Graphic lines and shapes can become the protagonists in some photos.

My Equipment When I got my first DSLR, I started to learn on my own how to use it. It continued on and off, with a 2 –year hiatus when I almost didn’t touch the camera. Now, I shoot with a Nikon D600 and a 50mm AF Nikkor f/1.4D lens. The postprocessing, which is basically conversion to black and white and adjusting the contrast, is done with Photoshop CS5. I also plan to make a few photos with film cameras. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

touch and so on. Melancholia, nostalgia, sadness and loneliness are the keywords for the images. But, basically, it is all improvisation. I keep shooting until I am satisfied with the result. I set the camera on a tripod and use a remote control. I end up shooting at home because it is private and I can concentrate better. If I am outdoors, I prefer quiet places without people passing by, so that I don’t feel selfconscious. I am also always on the prowl for textures, interesting shapes and light. A good image is one that after a single view makes you gasp in awe, and leaves a permanent indentation in your memory that serves as an inspiration… an image that makes you feel, and awakens in you the desire to create. I hope my photos evoke a similar response in the viewers, and I hope I am creating something that can be identified as mine. 100 per cent self-portraits—sometimes gloomy and a little on the dark side—a monochromatic

journey interrupted by whispers of colour from time to time. — As told to Ambarin Afsar To view more images by Ninjin, you can visit www.flickr.com/photos/nomadwoman

By staying still while you move only some parts of the body during a long exposure, you can achieve a degree of sharpness in the frame.

I like long exposures as they allow me to play with movement. Better PhotograPhy

Want to share your ideas and tips? Write to The Editor, Better Photography, Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, One Indiabulls Centre, Unit No 501, Fifth Floor, Tower I, Jupiter Textile Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road Mumbai-400 013, Maharashtra, India. Email: editor@betterphotography.in

Children are always the most comfortable when they are in their own environment. This is also a place where they will be themselves.

124 Dibyendu DeyChoudhury

Take permission first

phoTograph playful ChilDren

When you are approaching children, avoid giving them toffees or gifts. If the parents are around, they might find this gesture suspicious. Instead, approach the parents and seek their permission. This might make them less wary and more accepting of you.

Turn into a Child

Sometimes children find the most amusing companions to play with. Don’t miss out on photographing such moments.

always Be on your Toes Children are very unpredictable. Even before you realise it, they may sprint off to another spot. Learn to anticipate their actions. For instance, during a game of football, when you see that one of the players is approaching the goal post, switch to the Burst Mode on your camera and shoot away.

remember to Be respectful

Sutirtha Chatterjee

Children are quick to notice and will be the first ones to see you photographing them with your bulky DSLR. Don’t be secretive and appear like a stranger or even worse, a stalker. Approach them with a smile and engage yourself in their little games. This will help them open up to you and be more receptive to your picture-making process.

If you want to be respected, you have to earn it first. Don’t force your authority over children because this can put them off easily. Be a friend to them and talk to them gently. You will be surprised at how approachable children are when they realise that you can be their friend. Ja N Ua Ry 2 0 1 5

QuirKy Wall arT include a person Street murals offer great ways of creating unique juxtapositions with passers-by. Therefore, it will be worth your time to observe them and see how they interact with the artwork, or how their presence lends a different narrative to the mural.

Quick Tip When photographing strangers, always have a strong reason ready, especially for when they ask who you are and why you are shooting them.

using Colour Versus Black and White This is completely dependent on your aesthetic sense. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re confused, ask yourself what you want to convey through the image. Do you want to show moodiness, or maybe just focus on the drawing by stripping away all the colours? Or do you want to show how this wonderful piece of art stands out in the midst of dreariness?

including more of the surroundings will help you convey context.

Jackie

explore other points of View You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have to photograph street art from the other side of the road. Look for different angles, even if it means not being able to capture the entire painting.

When photographing street wall art, give it an urban perspective. Show how it has become a part of the buildings around it.

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BETTER PHOTOGRaPHy

Beverley Goodwin

Sometimes in the quest for attaining the perfect photograph, you need to invest time. patience is key here, as in this image, where the photographer waited for a man to enter the frame.

For instance, try shooting the mural through the bars or grills of a gate that is adjacent to it.

Dealing with Size

Quick Tip

Sometimes murals are quite massive. This will make it impossible for you to capture the entire thing in a single frame. The easiest solution would be to stitch different photographs that have been shot, while maintaining similar exposure settings in the camera. Alternatively, find a vantage point that allows you to capture the entire mural.

Use flash when shooting a backlit portrait. This will help you to get details on the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face.

overwhelming to photograph, especially if you have only a few hours to spend at the place. Ask yourself how you would want to best remember this place, or how could you best represent the place.

incorporate geometry and pattern Look up at the ceiling and observe the paintings or the various symmetrical panels

instead of making crowd shots of large congregations of devotees, look for smaller groups and focus on their activities.

phoTographing holy plaCeS observe the rules Most places of worship have a strict no photography policy. Visitors are either prohibited from making pictures or are allowed to do so only in specific areas within the edifice. If it is the latter, then make sure that you are discreet and do not disturb the devotees visiting the site. Also, avoid using your cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flash, as it is not only distracting but it can also harm the old walls of the structure.

Concentrate on one aspect Owing to its massive size, sites like the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa or the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, may be a little Better PhotograPhy

Ambarin Afsar

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Ambarin Afsar

that make the structure special. For instance, if you are visiting the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu, don’t forget to check the ceiling of its long corridor, which is filled with intricate and beautiful paintings. Alternatively, to show symmetry, you could also make photographs of the way the benches are arranged in a church.

Silently approach devotees in prayer. also, don’t spend too long making pictures of them. They might feel conscious or unable to pray.

Visiting at the right Time

Prayash Giria

a wide angle lens can be ideal to show the size of the structure.

Find out if the temple that you are visiting has a special puja scheduled for the day. This would give you the opportunity to observe the special activities and rituals, and maybe even interact with the devotees. This would make for a far better shooting experience then visiting the place on a slow or an inactive day.

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in the ParticipateContest’ on p Ti s r’ ‘Reade raphy.in/contests og betterphot a chance to be to win azine and in the mag featured citing prizes! win ex

READER’S Tip Making Colourful abstracts

Ramakant Sharda

Even though we have all grown up playing with soap bubbles, I bet that none of us have really paid attention to the beautiful colours produced by it. This photograph is an extreme close-up of a soap bubble, shot just before it could burst. The vibrant colours and patterns inspired me to create this image. I used a 100mm macro lens and an Elinchrom beauty dish to make this photograph. I set the camera on a tripod, focused manually and blew the bubble in a small plastic bowl. I waited for some time, and just when I knew that the bubble was about to burst, I captured the shot. There are a few tips and tricks to making such photographs. You need to ensure that you are in a cold room, because if the temperature is high, then the bubbles are more likely to burst quickly. An alternate technique is to use soap with glycerin to extend the lifespan of the bubbles. Also, use a narrow aperture like f/16 or higher to get a large depth of ﬁeld.

— ramakant Sharda using a good light source will ensure the vibrancy of the cosmic-looking colours on the surface of the bubble. Ja N Ua Ry 2 0 1 5

BETTER PHOTOGRaPHy

Oinam Anand

Pr OFI LE

Neeraj Priyadarshi

• He joined The Indian Express in 1991, where he is now the National Photo Editor. • Neeraj is inspired by Sally Mann and reveres her photography book What remains (2003). • He loves water in any form and aspires to have a house by a water body. • Also, he is keen on authoring books in the future.

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ShowCase One Step Ahead

Conchita Fernandes finds out what keeps the versatile and tenacious photojournalist Neeraj Priyadarshi grounded, while always being on top of his game.

eeraj grew up in a small village in Koilwar, an area in the Bhojpuri district of Bihar. Not far from where he stayed was a bridge. Trains that frequented the bridge would leave the young Neeraj fascinated and introspective. “Every time that I saw it, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. I felt a kind of certainty that this very train would take me on a journey, far away from my village.” Today, Neeraj Priyadarshi is one of the most prolific photojournalists of our time. During a free-wheeling chat with him, I found myself inspired by his vision.

True Calling Even as a child, he knew he was not meant for a run-of-the-mill profession. “I first

B E T T E r P H O T O G r A P H Y

considered a career in writing but my command over the language was not very good. I still felt a strong affinity towards finding something that would require more of my mind, soul and conscience,” he said. Then in 1988, during a French arts festival in Patna, Neeraj found his true calling. “The legendary Marc Riboud’s work were being exhibited, and I saw his image, The Painter of the Eiffel Tower. The spark was lit. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”

The Big Break All he needed now was a camera. His brother gifted him the Pentax ME with a 50mm f/1.2 lens. He went about making pictures of whatever he thought was interesting, but he found himself

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif greet each other during the oathtaking ceremony of the BJP led government in New delhi in 2014.

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GrEAT MASTErS

SPECIAL SHOWCASE

YOUr PICTUrES

Sebastião Salgado A look at the life of the famous photographer

Tamron Challenge 2014 A showcase of the winners of the nation-wide contest

A showcase of the PrOFILE best images sent by our readers

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And so, even in the midst of the tyranny of death, he felt that he was able to define himself as a photographer. Two essential qualities—focus and agility, enabled him to maneuver in between the atrocities he witnessed. But most importantly, he was able to maintain his composure in such a high stress situation. “I have always followed a simple philosophy—no image is greater than your life. Be cautious and smart and always put yourself first,” he said.

Then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is seen waiting to greet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, during a ceremonial welcome at the rashtrapati Bhavan in New delhi in 2013.

129 In 2010, during his first visit to New delhi, US President Barack Obama interacts with school children at the Mughal-era tomb of emperor Humayun.

being drawn toward street photography. Shortly, he began assisting Vikram Kumar, a freelance photographer in Patna. Here he learned all the nuances of darkroom processes and printing. Soon, freelance assignments began trickling in, and his first breakthrough came along. He was hired by Filmfare to photograph filmmaker Mukul Anand. An image from the day was chosen for a centrespread. “This was the true kickstart to my career in photography,” he said. He soon landed a job with The Indian Express, which he calls home, even to this day.

On His Feet

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All photographs by Neeraj Priyadarshi for The Indian Express

“For a photojournalist, the essence, the backbone and the validity of one’s work should be based entirely on research, discipline and study.”

Working on the field meant covering a range of events, each with their own set of challenges. One of Neeraj’s first assignments was covering the Bombay riots of 1992. “I was surrounded by a blanket of uncertainty. I was definitely scared,” he said. “I saw bodies around me, people running around frantically. Also, I did not have any transportation and felt exposed and at the mercy of the unfolding situations.” He was also asked to collect the body of a close friend from the mortuary of Sir J J Hospital. This left him feeling devastated, but this was no time for backing down. B E T T E r P H O T O G r A P H Y

Pr OFI LE

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Here is a photograph of Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali, after their wedding ceremony in Mumbai in 1995.

Going Unconventional However, not all assignments are of this nature. Many times, photographers cover standard, unremarkable events, like ribbon cutting ceremonies or peaceful rallies. But even then, Neeraj manages to create stunning frames out of these mundane situations. He believes that just because the

moment is unexceptional, doesn’t mean the image needs to be. “Photojournalism requires personality, attitude, strength and above all, a mind and soul that delves into a world that others are incapable of visualising,” he said. This thought is clear in his images. You won’t find him photographing two dignitaries in a

G A d G e TS & G e A r • His camera gear mainly consists of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, the Canon EOS 5D and his favourite, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. • He primarily uses the Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM, the Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lenses.

India’s flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is photographed during his morning riyaaz, at the Sanjay Gandhi National park in Mumbai in 1998. Better PhotograPhy

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PrOFILE

In 2002, on his 60th birthday, actor Amitabh Bachhan attended a photography exhibition on himself, at the Oxford bookstore in Mumbai.

handshake or embrace. Instead, he will find a way to visually represent the dignitaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political personality. Even in the event of a tragedy, he finds a way to subtly convey the unfortunate situation, thus creating a stronger impact. An example of his style would be a sensitive photograph he made during the 2008

bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. He photographed mannequins from an adjacent shopping mall that was also affected. They were lying lifeless in the midst of rubble. On closer inspection, you will notice two drops of human blood on one of the mannequinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands. It is this inclusion that makes the photograph speak volumes.

A daily-wage worker is seen manually cleaning an under construction railway site between Goregaon and Jogeshwari in Mumbai (2002). The impact of the image later had the HrC banning daily-wage workers in the railway sector of the city. On 17 October 1995, after spending 16 months in prison for the illegal possession of firearms, actor Sanjay dutt is released from Arthur Jail road in Mumbai.

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Pr ofi le

Finding the Moment

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The image shows eggs from a local poultry in Navapur, Maharashtra, being destroyed during a bird flu outbreak in India in 2006.

While his assignments take him all over the world, he emphasises that photographers don’t need to go so far for stories. “Stories don’t need to be sought out like treasures from faraway domains. It would be foolish to be enchanted by the prospect of

covering dangerous zones, while turning a blind eye to the situation unfolding right in front of home—in your city or state.”

Learning From the Best

A photograph of the winter fog and chill at a Tughlaq era monument, now more famously known as the deer Park in New delhi.

Even till date, the learning doesn’t end for Neeraj. “I never had the opportunity to

South America/ Colombia: This is a washing plant on a spur a strike, which results in a massacre. This arc by the Ciénaga massacre.

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PrOFILE

A mannequin from a handicrafts shop in a mall in Kabul has blood marks of victims of the 2008 bombing of the Indian embassy.

study photography, which has been one of the biggest regrets in my life. So, in a way, I am making up for this by constantly meeting photographers and learning about their life and work.” He also maintains a close association with Prashant Panjiar, who continues to mentor him. “He taught me the single most important lesson that I have always adhered to—discipline. To this day, I am very focused and particular about my work. I value people’s time and hold it to the utmost importance. I hate leaving people waiting. Prashant’s advice to me was to always complete a project and move on to the next, and never to leave anything incomplete.”

“I am fortunate to have supportive editors like rajkamal Jha and Unni rajan Shanker who have always stood by the New World of Possibilities saying ‘No words AThe changing face of photojournalism can match the in India excites Neeraj. “This is the age right image.’” of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the

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time of limitless possibilities. We have many talented photojournalists doing commendable work in the form of photo cooperatives, online blogs, photo festivals and exchanges. These have opened plenty of doors for our community. However, photographers need to remember one important thing. It is a piece of advice that the legendary James Nachtwey gave me years ago. He told me to always be honest with my subject and myself.” Before we concluded our interview, I asked Neeraj that apart from all the advice so far, what would he personally convey to novice photojournalists. “Always be a social animal,” he said. “Go out there and make friends with writers, painters, poets, filmmakers and those who colour the world with their honest expressions and dialogues. But most importantly, remember that photography is very personal. So don’t forget to fall in love with it.”

Burmese prodemocracy Leader Aung Saan Su Kyi, photographed at the Parliament house in New delhi, where she was invited by the Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar, during her visit to India in 2012.

133 during the Union elections of 2009, senior BJP leader and former deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani, is seen leaving in a helicopter to address a political rally in Katihar, Bihar.

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Sebastião Salgado Old Mission Church from the eastern foothills, Santa Barbara, 1876.

Ambarin Afsar leafs through Sebastião Salgado’s love letter to the planet and comes away amazed at the conviction and strength of his love.

hen I was a child, I’d spend all my time watching National Geographic, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet on TV. These were less incriminating than cartoon shows, especially when I was supposed to be studying for my final exams. In the bargain, I’d spend my afternoons immersed in the windblown white vistas of Antarctica, the sultry swamps of Louisiana, or the deep rainforests of South America, depending on the channel’s programming. It was here that my love for nature and all its creatures took root. When I opened Sebastiao Salgado’s Genesis, I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming wave of nostalgia and an

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intense love for the world we inhabit, which the book evoked in me.

32 Destinations and a Decade on the Road Salgado spent nearly a decade on what is undoubtedly one of the most monumental projects of his life—Genesis. He travelled far and wide, in search of the untouched regions of the planet, places that have remained unchanged for thousands of years and tribes that have held on to their ancestral way of life for centuries. In an interview, Benedikt Taschen asked Salgado what it was like spending practically 8 months a year on an average on the road, and in some cases such as Ethiopia, where there were no roads, miles and miles walking. Salgado corrected him

Like other ectothermal reptiles, the marine iguana must regulate its own body temperature: as soon as the sun rises, it lies flat, warming as much body area as possible until the temperature reaches 95.9° Fahrenheit; it then changes position to avoid overheating. The marine iguana needs a high body temperature in order to swim, to move about and to digest. Galápagos, Ecuador. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Images courtesy Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas images

Southern right whales, drawn to the Valdés Peninsula for the shelter provided by its two gulfs, often navigate with their tails upright in the water. After close observation, it is possible to predict when a whale will jump: a sudden and swift movement of the tail provides the burst of energy that enables the whale to project its massive body out of the water.

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gre at master s Chinstrap penguins on an iceberg located between the Zavodovski and Visokoi islands, South Sandwich Islands, November and December 2009.

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Typically, the women in the Zo’é village of Towari Ypy use the red fruit of the urucum to colour their bodies. It is a shrub originating from the tropical regions of the Americas and has long been used by American Indians as body paint, especially for the lips. Better PhotograPhy

saying, “You say there were no roads. There were roads, only made by human feet for 3000, 5000 years. Walking in these places gave me immense energy from the past.”

Almost Quitting Photography Much, much before the seeds for Genesis were sown, Salgado was working on Migrations in Rwanda. It was here that he

witnessed death in hundreds and thousands on a daily basis. He was so terribly affected by the brutality and violence around him that he started falling very ill. “I lost my faith in our species. I didn’t believe that it was possible for us to live any longer, and I started to be attacked by my own staphylococcus. I started to have infections everywhere.” He soon saw a doctor in Paris ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

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who told him, “Sebastião, you must stop. You’re heading directly towards death.”

The Momentous Event that Led to Genesis He decided to stop. He was really upset with photography and with the world and decided to return to the place that he was born— Brazil. His parents bequeathed him and his wife Léila, the farm that he grew up on. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

But when he reached there, he was stunned. The land that was filled with streams, ponds, trees, brooks and animals by the hundreds, now lay practically barren. “The land was as dead as I was. In the name of development, we had ruined everything around us. This is when Léila had a crazy idea, she said, ‘Why don’t you put back the rainforest that was here before? You say that you were born in paradise. Let’s build the paradise again.’” Together, they planted about 2.5 million trees of about 200 different species in order to rebuild the ecosystem. The farm has now become a private national park and Sebastião and Leila Salgado have created an instituion called Instituto Terra to look after it. “We gave the land back to nature, and life started to come back in an incredible way, along with my desire for photography. This time, my wish was not to photograph the one animal I had photographed all my life— us. I wished to photograph other animals, landscapes... I wanted to photograph us, but us from the beginning, the time we lived in equilibrium with nature.” The places that Salgado visited are not entirely unfamiliar to me, but the manner in which he combines textures with lifeforms, the manner in which he sees microcosms and macrocosms, makes one aware of a higher presence. Each image is a living, breathing organism on its own, and combined, Genesis is an experience to be slowly savoured, a journey that takes us to the heart of our planet and beyond. It shows us our place in the scheme of things, and it is a position of power—the ability to make change, and to preserve what is left of us.

Mursi and Surma women are the last women in the world to wear lip plates. No anthropologist has been able to explain with certainty the origin or the function of this practice. Some say that this mutilation, unaesthetic to the eyes of the slavers, was imposed by men to protect their women from slavers’ raids. Only women belonging to a high caste have the right to wear lip plates, which they display proudly when they walk around the village in the company of their husband and sons. Mursi village of Dargui in Mago National Park, near Jinka, Ethiopia.

“I discovered that I am part of all this, that I am part of the animals. That we are part of everything alive in the planet. We are part of this huge equilibrium.” Better PhotograPhy

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sPecial showcase

Tamron Challenge 2014

Celebrating the Photographers A culmination of the intense country-wide competition, here are the winners of the third edition of the Tamron Challenge.

rom Thrissur to Ichapur, Pune to Kanpur, the Tamron Challenge saw entries pour in from all over the country. This year, Tamron partnered with Better Photography to present one of the most unique competition in terms of its theme. Photographers had the liberty of submitting five best images of their choice which defined their style. The participants were judged on originality, genres and techniques attempted and improvement with progression of time. The next round consisted of portfolio review sessions for the shortlisted candidates.

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Jayanta Roy, Kolkata

Better PhotograPhy

Here they received constructive feedback from the judges and 20 more of their images were discussed. In this round, five candidates from six cities were shortlisted and presented with Tamron’s Photographer’s Vest. Finally, four winners are chosen based on the judging criteria. The lucky winners were given a choice of one Tamron lens from a selection of six. Additionally, they received a cash prize of Rs. 25,000, a portfolio review session from an accomplished photographer and a three month subscription of Better Photography. Along with this, they will set off on a mentored photo tour.

Jayanta Roy believes that the medium of B&W allows not only for effective documentation but for true expression. “Colour distracts us from the real feelings in an image,” he says. Jayanta will visit a place several times during different hours when shooting landscapes. A photography enthusiast, Jayanta’s aim is to further explore the medium and large format film photography.

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Ankit Nandwani, New Delhi

As a student in Berlin, Ankit Nandwani often roamed the streets at night, taking in the colours and sights. This manifested into a series of HDR images of the city by night. The commercial photographer also makes fine art images, and counts Steve McCurry, Tarun Khiwal and Tim Tadder as his biggest inspirations.

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sPecial showcase

Rajneesh Panwar, New Delhi

Rajneesh Panwar has always enjoyed capturing lines and geometric shapes in his photographs. In his words, he tries to capture the soul of the monument. Rajneesh was fascinated by the arts since he was a child. He is now all set to leave a career as a dentist to take up photography full-time.

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Judges This Year

Nitin Goyal, CEO, Tamron India says, “It is our endeavour to contribute to the photographic industry and to increase the skill-level of the photographers through activities such as this competition.” Better PhotograPhy

The competition played host to the following judges: Ashok Kandimalla, Consultant–IT and Photography, Eesh Dewan, Photography and Printing Consultant, K Madhavan Pillai, Chief Editor, Better Photography, Lenny Emanuel, Advertising Photographer, Ravi Dhingra, Independent Photographer and Photography Mentor, Rithwik V J, President, Photographic Society of Madras, S A Ramesh, Independent Photographer, Sanat Ghosh, Senior Advertising Photographer, Shyam Prasad, Director, Shoots and Shoots Academy and Vivek Muthuramalingam, Documentary Photographer. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5

Kasturi Mukherjee, Kolkata

Kasturi Mukherjee’s images are what she likes to call “soulful portraits”. The landscapes she chooses for these sessions reflect both her subject and her own moods. “I find human emotions to be like the ever-changing seasons. I want to capture all the subtleties in my photographs,” she says.

“In its third consecutive year, the competition has seen more professional and enthusiast photographers showing interest in the activity. They have also appreciated the overall format of this event.”

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A selection of some of the best images from the Indian mainstream media

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Hemant Padalkar, DNA

The Unmaking of a Giant A worker is seen dismantling the INS Vikrant, the Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. The photo is a sad reminder of the expiration of all things, no matter how majestic or significant.

The Crusader Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), protests outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Mumbai. The confused expression on the elderly ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face further adds to the bemusing situation unfolding in this moment. Levin Raju, DNA Better PhotograPhy

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Pradeep Kocharekar, The Indian Express

No Entry Shiv Sena and Congress MLAs try to stop Governor C Vidyasagar Rao from entering the Assembly in Mumbai. The outstretched arm of the officer against the barrage of news cameras draws the distinction between the media and the politicians.

All for Hygiene Ravi Kanojia, The Indian Express

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Widows from Vrindavan hold toilet pots at the International Toilet Festival to mark World Toilet Day on 19 November. The starburst effect adds to the overall joie de vivre mood of the photograph.

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YourPictures

This month we challenged our readers to photograph the streets in black and white. Here is a look at the best images from the contest. The Prize: Grand Prize Winner: The winning image gets the coveted Better Photography’s Collector’s Edition 12 Pocket Guide set, which are comprehensive guides on how to make the best pictures in every genre, ranging from sports, wildlife to festivals and colours.

Winner

To see all the nominees images for this contest, visit www.betterphotography.in

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Covered Faces rana Pandey, Kolkata “While framing this image, I waited for the woman to pass by so that the composition would look complete. However, I realised that the covered statues, in a way, speak of the situation of women’s rights in the country today.” Camera: Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR Aperture: f/3.2 Shutterspeed: 1/60sec ISO: 200

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Honourable Mention

Battle Stations Deepak Kumbhar, Kolhapur “I wanted to compose the frame such that it shows a riveting scene from a children’s game, but, only through body language. It was interesting to see the varying stances of the children in the background, and I loved how I could compose my shot so close to the boy throwing the ball.”

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Camera: Nikon D90 Aperture: f/9 Shutterspeed: 1/320sec ISO: 200

Honourable Mention

Drove of Horns Hitesh Solanki, Vadodara “It is not often that one gets surprised by a herd of cows moving towards them! The sheer endlessness of horns was fascinating. For me, the repetitive pattern coupled with the sunlight on the horns made the image come together harmoniously.” Camera: Nikon D90 Aperture: f/16 Shutterspeed: 1/125sec ISO: 640

BETTEr PHOTOGraPHy

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e in the Participat Contest’ on ures s ‘your Pict graphy.in/contest o t betterpho a chance to be e and to win e magazin h t in d e r featu g prizes! win excitin

Momentary Contemplation Mandar Parab, Mumbai “I made this picture at Chor Bazaar in Mumbai, which is a hub for antiques and rare artefacts. I spotted this gentleman, who seemed lost within himself. The dismantled mannequins looked on, creating an uncanny frame.” Camera: Nikon D90 Aperture: f/4.2 Shutterspeed: 1/50sec ISO: 400

Honourable Mention 149

Honourable Mention

Leap of Joy adithya anand, Chennai “I wanted to freeze the man’s motion just as he took off from the sand, to convey a sense of freedom. By using a wide angle lens, I was able to include the surroundings and get close to the action as well.” Camera: Nikon D7000 Aperture: f/8 Shutterspeed: 1/250sec ISO: 800

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BETTEr PHOTOGraPHy

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Photograph by: Arthur Barrett Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

British newsreel company Pathé had captured and recorded this moment on video. You can watch the fateful day uncovering on this link: bit.ly/1qz1CMk Better PhotograPhy

The Ultimate Sacrifice

he annals of the history of human rights movements are filled with stories of courageousness and selfless acts of defiance. The image above tells the story of Emily Davison, whose tragic death paved the way for the suffrage movement, which saw women fighting for the right to legally vote. A resident of London, Emily Davison joined the movement in 1906, and she and her fellow protesters were employing several guerrilla tactics to get their voices heard. On 4 June 1913, Davison sneaked into the Epsom Derby, where King George V’s horse, Anmer, was also to be part of the race. Press photographer Arthur Barrett had positioned himself near a sharp bend of the race track, where the speeding horses would naturally slow down and it would be easier for him to make photographs. As the race began, Anmer galloped down the track. Suddenly, Emily jumped on to the course in front of him, her hand reaching for his bridle. Instead of stopping, Anmer trampled over her, rendering her unconscious. Davison couldn’t recover from the injuries, and she passed away four days later. The photo of the moment was published in various newspapers, which, in turn, intensified the movement. Her obituary in The Seattle Star newspaper read, “She is the first woman to suffer violent death for the cause of women suffrage, but who can say she will be the last?” For years, it was believed that Davison’s death, an apparent suicide, was an act of martyrdom. However, recent studies of the image and videos from that day have shown that Emily wasn’t trying to kill herself for the cause... she was only trying to pin the suffrage flag on Anmer. ja n ua ry 2 0 1 5