Monthly Archives: August 2010

Brewing a Series on Lenses

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I have wanted to feature an article on lenses for the longest time. But a topic like this requires me to check on my facts before posting, because I can’t just say something that I can’t back up. So, it’s taken so long to write one. I’ve always been good at research, but I just didn’t have the time.

Every newbie photographer needs to understand what different lens types are available out there. Otherwise, the world of lenses can be very overwhelming. Besides, you don’t want to end up with an expensive lens that doesn’t work too well with your camera, or at least, not for the purpose you intended to use it for. But there is so much to learn about lenses, so forgive for me for teasing you a bit, but I need to take the time to read up on related literature. :)

My vision for this series on lenses that I’m brewing is to shed some light on a couple of points:

  • Define terms used in photography websites and forums when they talk about lenses. Terms like focal length, etc.
  • Discuss the different types of lenses, and how (or where) they are normally used.
  • Pull from various resources to help you decide on what lens is best for the type of photography you do, or would like to do.

Now, because I am a Nikon user (my newbie photographer boyfriend too) I might reference and show photos of Nikon lenses more than the others. But, since I will endeavor to cover the basics of lenses, hopefully there will be much info here that will also be useful for shooters using Canon, and other camera brands.

I will also try to feature photos of a single subject, using the same camera body with different lenses. Right now, I only have a 50mm, 35-70mm, and 18-55mm, lenses available to me. I might be able to borrow two more, but I haven’t attempted to just yet. To be honest, I am so excited to get this project started. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to go to work so I can do these things. But I must work, because it pays for my play. :)

I hope you stay tuned and keep checking back on The Newbie Photographer. Also, if you have topics that you’d like me to cover, just drop me a note. It’s fun to learn about photography! (I haven’t forgotten about filters!) :)

(photo source: http://discount-slr-camera.com/)

Forums for Newbie Photographers

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In the Internet age, people tend to turn to their trusty search engines to seek out new information, and to further their learning. When I first thought about learning photography, whether digital or Lomography, I went to Google and Bing to see what I could find.

Boy, did that open up a can of worms. Haha! There are so many sites offering to give the newbie photographer all the information he/she needs to startup. There are sites to help you learn the basics of digital photography, and still those ready to jump in and help you make money from photography. The most useful of these sites seem to be those that are pretty interactive. One because you can actually post questions and someone in the know is bound to offer up an answer. Two because there’s not just one authority willing and able to provide you with what you need.

Yes, I’m referring to FORUMS as a resource for the newbie photographer.

I’m not here to tell you which forums to checkout, or which ones are more reliable than the others. I personally don’t hangout in just one forum; I find that most of my questions have already been asked and answered so there was really no need to sign up. Other forums have lessons and challenges, so you will definitely feel compelled to sign up. :)

Take my boyfriend as an example. That’s him on the photo, by the way. Like me, he’s also starting out in photography. He frequents a specific forum thread and diligently goes through their posts to find answers to his many questions. He also signed up to be able to share some of his shots. Forums are not only a source of information, but they are also a wonderful venue to receive comments and critiques for your photos. A word of caution though, you must be prepared for whatever feedback they’d dish out on your photo. After all, you invited it. Just bear in mind that it’s all in the hope that you will learn from the experience, and hopefully use it to improve on your photography skills.

Sometimes though, while browsing through forums, you may feel a little… lost. Veteran forum folks tend to use what looks like jargon to the newbie photographer. I’ve gathered some of the most common acronyms to help you along:

PP – Post processing (the boyfriend and I had to think about this, and it dawned on me while sitting in a cab one day)

SOOC – Straight Out Of Camera (no PP done maybe except for the watermark)

C&C, CC, CnC – Comments and Criticisms/Critiques (this is often mentioned after a user posts a sample shot, ie “Your C&Cs will be much appreciated”)

PS – PhotoShop (the software)

LR – LightRoom (also a software from Adobe)

EXIF – EXchangeable Image File format (as I understand it, this is the metadata/info stored in the image file itself)

These are but a few terms I’ve encountered on Photography forums. Now, you don’t have to be such a forum newbie as to post a question like, “Sorry, I’m a newbie and I don’t quite know what you meant by PP. Are you flipping me off?” Haha! :)

Okay, here’s the part where I share TWO very valuable photography forum finds:

This forum oh wait, I’m not sure if this site is classified as a forum. Anyway, it’s a membership site offering what seems to be a very comprehensive resource for photographers of all levels. But what I’m linking to here is their Glossary of Photography Terms. This page is free for all, no login or sign up required. Unlike my list above, these are terms used in photography, not just acronyms used in forums.

This second link IS a forum that I’ve found to be mentioned in many other photography blogs. It’s from the I Love Photography Forum, found at the very top of the Just Starting Out threads dedicated for the newbie photographer: What every aspiring photog should know I’ve found it to be very insightful, and encouraging.

Have fun exploring both sites, and I hope you learn something new.

If you have more photography forum lingo that you’d like to add to the above list, drop me a comment and I’ll add them up. Why don’t you go ahead and share with us the photography forums that you hang out in?

Lomo and Toy Camera Photography

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Two years ago, I had wanted to dabble into Lomography. Talking to my photographer hobbyist friends though, I was convinced that 1) lo-fi was the way to go, but 2) I’d be better off with a film SLR than a toy camera. And so our first foray to Hidalgo was not for a cheap plastic camera, but to find a good bargain on an old film SLR. Then there goes the rest of the story of my adventure into the fun world of photography.

Then a week or so ago, I found myself gravitating towards Lomography again. I was fascinated by the dreamy photos that Lomographers usually produced. But more than that, I was attracted to the process: point and shoot. Capture the moment. Don’t worry about how to take the shot, or what settings you’re supposed to use. No editing required or needed. There is a carefree sense to it since you won’t know how the shot went until after the film’s been processed. It would either make you be more careful with each shot, or if you were more like me, just be excited about how it would turn out. After all, lomo to me is about the here and now. The resulting photos will just be a wonderful way to commemorate those moments.

I found myself browsing through Lomography sites and flickr pools, until I focused on online toy camera shops and zeroed in on the perfect toy to start me off in another wonderful adventure. Before my birthday month ended, I dragged the boyfriend to Oh! Shoot for a belated happy birthday gift to myself: my Pink Dress Superheadz Super Fat Lens, Ultra Wide and Slim.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. What is Lomography?

I guess you can say that Lomography is a movement within photography and art circles that promotes the culture of snapshots. From the Lomography hub, it is said that Lomo started when two students discovered an old Russian camera which they had then used for this new style of experimental and artistic photography. Lomography as a brand came about, reproducing many lo-fi cameras of old for worldwide distribution, and coming up with new models too. Though digital cameras were already sprouting at the time, lomo lovers remained true to their love of film.

The ten golden rules of Lomography (before you react violently, “what? how could there be rules? Read first.)

  1. Take your camera everywhere you go
  2. Use it any time – day and night
  3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it
  4. Try the shot from the hip
  5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible
  6. Don’t think (william firebrace)
  7. Be fast
  8. You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film
  9. Afterwards either
  10. Don’t worry about any rules

While adopting the ten golden rules, lomographers the world over live by rule #10. And that’s what I love most about it.

As I read up on Lomo for this post, I came across this post from the Lomo Flickr pool discussion board. The post author, Gimel Vav, raises an interesting distinction between Lomography which is a brand, and toy camera photography as a whole. I think that’s what my friend Edsel tried to explain to me before. How certain renegade photographers preferred to use cheap plastic (hence the term toy) cameras to show that you didn’t need expensive, high-tech gear to produce quality images. There have been photographers doing that even before the term Lomography was coined.

But whatever you choose to believe, for me Lomo is just that – lo-fi photography. You deal with moments, there will always be light and composition considerations, but what’s important is that you take the shot.

So on the very hour I bought my Pink Dress, I got a Fuji Velvia 100 film (pricey), slapped it on and started shooting. I knew it was meant for bright light, being an ISO 100 film, but I didn’t care. I just snapped away. As a result, I didn’t get the full Velvia experience. None of the vibrant colors I have hoped to get. I’m not sure though if it was my error, or maybe the film was not processed correctly. Nonetheless, I am happy with the results. Truly, I am. I am even more motivated to keep on shooting with my toy camera.

Here were my first images (sorry I haven’t installed any image viewer plugins on this blog yet):

Going Digi

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Here’s an article by Dan Feildman that may help those still on the market for their first (or next) digital camera. Funny how he mentions the expense of film, when I just purchased a toy camera for some lomo fun of my own. Hehe. :)

Getting to Know Your Digital Camera

Photography is a beautiful art… simple in all its complexities and breathtaking in the results it produces. From preserving those priceless moments with your loved ones to creating exquisite works of art, the applications of photography are many. Once confined to bulky, expensive cameras and yards of film, photography has seen a new dawn with the advent of digital cameras. Swifter, a lot easier to use, and growing ever more compact with every passing day, digital cameras have indeed opened several avenues to the casual photographer as well as the seasoned expert. And now that you’ve decided to take the plunge with the digital brigade, your very first concern is choosing the best camera to suit your needs.

The multitude of models and makes that swarm the marketplace definitely don’t make your choice any easier so how do you decide which camera is the best for you? To start with, you first need to understand that every make of digital cameras is developed to cater to a certain set of needs. Hence, in order to determine which camera you need to buy, you first need to establish the purpose you’re going to use it for. A high speed camera which is developed in keeping with the interests of sports photographers will certainly not be a viable option for you, if all you’re going to use it for is the odd vacation photograph. Also, if you’re looking for more minute detailing in your photographs as well as a higher resolution, then the sleeker options that you find may not completely cater to your needs. This is because a majority of these models have been developed to ensure portability, and many include little more than the basic features.

Your second step would be to understand the world of digital photography. This would include familiarizing yourself with the most commonly used photography terms. For instance, you would need to know that an LCD is a screen attached to most cameras in addition to the viewfinder. This screen allows you to view your image before and immediately after you capture it, allowing to fine tune your focus and even re-capture the image if need be. However, several cameras are equipped only with the viewfinder, thus compelling you to hold the camera at an arm’s length while capturing the photograph. As one of the key requirements to a clear photograph is a steady and sure hand, without your face to rest the camera on, your image is at a higher risk of being distorted.

You must also learn to distinguish between an optical zoom and a digital zoom. An optical zoom functions like traditional cameras, magnifying the image you are shooting. A digital zoom enlarges the final image by doubling the size of the pixels, which may also lead to fuzzier images. Digital images are comprised of mega pixels which in turn determine the quality of the image. The higher the number of mega pixels, the clearer the image. You may also want to check if your camera comes along with a stand which is invaluable in ensuring a steady and clear picture.

Once you gather this basic information, you can then start looking around for models which catch your eye. Start making a shortlist, comparing and contrasting the different makes and strike those off that do not meet your budget or requirements or both! At this stage, you can also start referring to photography journals and magazines for expert reviews and advice, which will also enable you to learn about first hand experiences with some of the relatively unknown models, you may come across.

If you aren’t too comfortable with the notion of parting with your reliable old bulky camera, expense of film notwithstanding, but would still like the clarity that digital images offer, you can scan digital versions of your existing photographs and have them retouched with editing software or opt for an online photo service which will convert your film into digital reality. You can even use photo services to edit your photographs for minor glitches like red eye removal and adjusting the brightness and color.

Digital photography is a great way to explore your creativity, without worrying about how much you’re spending on developing the film you’ve shot and printing charges. You can easily transfer your images from the memory card or stick onto your laptop or computer and then email them to friends or even upload them onto online albums. The key to mastering your digital photography skills is to keep practicing whenever possible and soon, you’ll develop a style which is intrinsic to you and the envy of others!

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