Tag Archives: colors

Photography Tips: Fall Colors

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Fall Colors

We are arriving at the end of fall and it is a period of beautiful colors. This is just a reminder that this period comes only 1 time a year and one should take advantage of the seasonal colors to go out and take pictures.

For more Photos visit my gallery  http://photobyphm.smugmug.com/Nature/Seasons/26145461_J8nBB6#!i=2173490289&k=pdznfM8

Photography Tips: High ISO

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When teaching photography to beginners one of the hardest concepts to grasp is the relationship TV/AV/ISO and integrating the 3 into picture taking. What I try to convey is that photography is stopping the action and capturing the moment. If you do not capture that moment in focus, then you have a problem. There are other parameters such as exposure but that will be discussed at a later date. Enter ISO and pushing ISO sometimes to the max.

Gymnaestrada 2012, ISO 6400

Say ISO and the automatic knee jerk reaction is 200 or never above 800, 100,  or 1600. When I ask why,  the answer is “Because of noise”. Not anymore. Firstly cameras are now achieving higher usable ISO setting,  secondly, software is getting better reducing noise and lastly, noise is almost  imperceptible at the sizes most people are using to show their pictures.  So when faced with no chance of taking a sharp picture by keeping the ISO low or upping the ISO and knowing there may be some work afterwards, I never hesitate.

Cabaret Chiang Mai. ISO 6400

Get out and shoot. Practice and see how your camera handles ISO, so when the time comes you are comfortable with the situation.

Thaipusam Singapore 2012. ISO 5000

For more pictures, visit my gallery at: http://photobyphm.smugmug.com/galleries

Photography Tips for India

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Before my first trip to India, I looked on the web to find out what I should take and what it was like to be a travel photographer in India. I did not find much so I will try and share some of my experiences and how I am preparing for my next trip there in December.

General Photography Tips:

Pushkar Ladies

The Indian people are very nice and do not mind if you take their pictures. In fact I have had people come up to me and ask if I could take their picture. I was initially surprised but then got used to these requests.

On the other hand beware of “professionals models”, especially in Pushkar and Varanassi. It is amusing to see their pictures on many websites as typical Indians, when in fact they are not typical.

Early morning in Pune

It was my habit to get up before sunrise and try and capture early morning lifestyle. The light is softer ad there are less people on the streets.

Colors, colors and more colors. Somes of the cities in Brazil were colorful, but in India it was the clothing people were wearing, especially in Rajasthan.

Beware of your equipment. I was not worried about walking around with a camera (unlike Brazil, where it was downright dangerous) but do not leave it unattended on a table or on the floor, even for one second. Have a basic sense of security.

  • Do not leave equipment, passport or valuables in a hotel room, even if the hotel gives you a lock for the door. Bring your own lock or if you must leave things in the room use a Pac safe type of net and lock it onto something
  • Always have water with you.
  • I am a fan of GPS. I did not have one during my first trip but will take one this time. I know it is a gadget but many times I got off the train at some of the stops and just shot some pictures. It would have been nice to know where I actually was.
  • I have 2 backpacks with me / on me. A small North Face Tactic and 30L Arcteryxx Bora. The small North Face is for my camera, notebook, and lenses. When sleeping in the 2AC train compartment it is my pillow. I may use it when walking around an then leave the 30L in the hotel room locked up. I never leave anything with reception.
  • Tripod: I will probably take a Gorillapod and not a normal tripod. Last trip I had a “normal” tripod and I used it in Varanasi, Agra, Jodphur and Jaisalmer. This trip I am more interested in portraits, group shots and if I can find them, weddings.
  • First Aid Kit: One can easily buy antibiotics for Delhi Belly in India. They cost a couple of USD. I have a strip with me in any case. I also have Nurofen, Smecta, Immodium, lavender essential oil, betadin, band aids and ear plugs with me at all times.
  • Computers, Wifi and Backup: In 2009, Wireless Internet access was not too available. This has probably changed. Internet cafes are plentiful and early in the morning access was fast. Later in the day, less so and more crowded. I am taking my own notebook and an external USB disk drive. I bought an extra drive in India in 2009 and it was very reasonably priced and still works (Transcend). I lost my CF Card reader and was forced to buy a new one in India. It was cheap and worthless. I am bringing one with me and hoping not to lose it.

  • Pune Bike Man

    Lenses:  No advice here. It depends on your photo style. I will probably take 3 lenses with me. I have grown fond of my Canon 85mm 1.8 and may use this as my “walk-around” lens. It may require more footwork but one of my objectives is more “portrait” shots.

HDR Photography in Brazil

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Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

HDR reminds me of the saying. ” There are 3 topics one should avoid if one wants to avoid heated arguments; Politics, Religion and whether to buy a Canon or Nikon camera”.HDR has now become the fourth topic.

Rananna Art Exhibition

The problem is HDR can be used in various ways. When playing with HDR programs such as Photoshop or Photomatix, one can make some interesting effects. The more one plays, the more effects, the more effects the more one plays until the end result does not look like a real picture.

This is the point when “real photographers” point at that it is no longer a picture one is looking at but Photography Art or HDR ART.

Olinda, Brazil

When in Brazil I realized that I was not capturing the vivid colors I experiencing. The dynamic range of my camera was limited in what it was “seeing”, especially in stark brazilian sunshine. It was necessary to start shooting HDR in order to reproduce the scenes I was seeing. When processing the images my main objective was to emphasize the colors, not make photographic art. On first inspection one could comment that I exaggerated the colors. Maybe but maybe not. For a tourist visiting Brazil the scenes were amazing.

Salvador de Bahia

I would have liked to have had the new Canon 5D Mark III. It can shoot and process HDR in camera. This is a shameless plug since I do not have one but if Canon would give me one and a trip to Brazil I would use it to compare pictures.

Lighthouse Salvador de Bahia