Photography

Interesting article in the Net on Photography

Who hasn't fallen prey to the many charms of these shiny, sleek electronic devices called cameras? One click and you have a memory stored forever. Bewitched by the camera's charms, I decided it was time I stopped being an awed spectator and got where the action was. My plan was not to become a pro but to add a certain quality to the pictures I take and also gain some basic knowledge about photography. Determined, I called my colleague, Amrit Patki, a professional photographer with Digit and asked him for guidance. We decided to shoot on camera, the architectural marvel, the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus or erstwhile Victoria Terminus (VT station) in Mumbai. What was captivating about my subject was not just it's Victorian beauty but also the sheer liveliness of the place. Putting my Canon Powershot 4 mega pixel with 4x zoom capacity to test, I clicked three different shots from different angles and waited for expert advice. My first lesson Picture 1
	When shooting a picture horizontally or vertically, one should select a point of interest.
	Any shot taken should not have a central point as it disrupts the harmony of the picture, as was the case in this one.
	The top portion of the picture is interesting and hence would have been better if taken vertically.
	While clicking any shot, one should select a ¾ : ¼ ratio of any interesting point, which means that you should select either more of the sky or of the land depending on what brings more effectiveness to the picture.
Picture 2
	There is no focal point in this picture.
	The composition of the picture is incorrect.
	The branch could have been shot in a way that would have made the picture more interesting.
	This picture would have looked better if shot at a wider angle.
Picture 3
	The angle of the picture is incorrect.
	Ratio of the picture is not proportionate.
	Composition could have been a lot better
Here are a few more interesting points I learned about photography:
	A landscape picture gets more interesting when human figures or trees are used as the point of interest.
	The zoom lens of the camera should be adjusted as per requirements of the picture.
	A photograph should always be clicked from a side angle while maintaining balance of the frame.
	Best lighting time during winter is around 8 am to 11 am and between 4 pm and 5:30 pm. The timings change according to seasons.
	A lot of practice will ensure you have a steady hand while taking a shot, thereby enabling you to take that perfect picture.
After those tips, I decided to give my pictures another shot and put my learning to test. I was almost beaming at the results when Amrit casually suggested that perseverance was key. His comments on the pictures:
Picture 1 retaken
	Space on top would give breathing space to the object in focus, adding to its beauty.
	The picture by itself was a good one in terms of selection of the focal point.
	Improvement of the angle is seen here.
Picture 2 retaken
	Branches in the picture need better framing.
	Composition of the building is good though it would have been better if taken in a sitting position.
	A little more space on the right would have made the picture more interesting.
Picture 3 retaken
	Good picture.
	Focal point is much improved.
	Focal point is much improved.
As a professional photographer Amrit uses a Nikon D70 DSLR with 18-70 mm lens (wide lens) 6.2 mega pixel. He clicked a few shots with it and showed me the end results. I noted the difference between the pictures taken by his camera and mine. For one, they were of better clarity. The camera had modified lens unlike mine and clearly the pictures were of better quality.
My first lesson in photography was quite a learning experience. With more lessons in store, am hoping to know more about macro, shutter speed, aperture setting, et all. So join me on the road to exploration.