EDITORIAL

A commitment
EDITOR / PUBLISHER
towards excellence
S
Trilok Desai
o what do you think makes for excellent work? Do you think it
GROUP HEAD
Bhavya Desai is putting in those extra hours, or the commitment to show up
to work every day even after you’ve faced a natural disaster?
DIRECTOR MARKETING
Aruna Desai Well, whatever your reasoning or ideology about excellence might be,
for us at AP it is all about going that extra mile.
SENIOR We take pride in doing things the way we do and that is exemplified
CORRESPONDENTS
Abhishek Desai in the issues we put out month after month. It is not about coming to
Fred Shippie work and just going through the day and putting together a magazine
Lester Ledesma just to fill its pages like others. It’s a commitment to make things
NEW DELHI BUREAU BHAVYA DESAI change, move things and break patterns. And in our efforts to achieve
Toprit Saifi those things we have constantly challenged ourselves on a regular
basis. And that is what excellence is for us.
EDITORIAL TEAM
For instance, while Mumbai was facing another unfortunate water-
Souradeep Roy
Mrinmoy Choudhury logging disaster, our team was out covering the Ganesh Visarjan for
the ‘Festivals of India’ section partnered by Canon. Yes, we could’ve
SPECIAL
covered the making of the idols before the festival got underway and
CORRESPONDENT
Lopamudra Ganguly (Delhi) easily passed it off as a festival. But in order to give our readers a
DESIGN
unique 360-degree view of the festival, we ensured that we cover the
Goraksh Kokate beauty of the festival, even under such circumstances. So a big shout
Rajendra Gaikwad out to my team for pushing themselves for this endevaour and the
MANAGER ADVERTISING result of which are really unique perspectives of the Ganesh Visarjan
Laila Rupawalla which you might not get to see often.
DY. MANAGER
So whatever may be your objective, whether related to
ADVERTISING photography or life, it’s important to push yourself to strive to achieve
Kora Ganguly that excellence so that you are able to stand apart from the crowd.
MARKETING EXECUTIVE
Ragini Desai So Until Next Time…..
Laukik Pawar
Happy Reading!!!!
COPY DESK
Sameer Gadkari
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Manoj Surve

Published by TRILOK DESAI on behalf of Special Audience Publications Pvt.

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Editor - TRILOK DESAI.
All material covered by copyright; No part of the contents of this journal may be
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Artistique roundup - KolKAtA Special Audience Publications Pvt. Ltd. and ASIAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND
How and 6 Portrait Lighting Camera buying 10 Tips for
when to use Patterns for every guide for professional
IMAGING is not responsible and liable for any comments and articles published by
Auto ISO photographer professionals photographers

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Cover Design: Goraksh Kokate

SEPTEMBER 2017 3
 Contents
•
News
Asian Photography: Hands-on with Sony A9
• Canon unveils the 85mm f/1.4L IS, its first 85mm
with stabilisation
• Nikon announces new full-frame DSLR Nikon
D850
• Canon M100: A mirrorless camera for those
graduating from smartphones
• Ricoh India launches PENTAX KP
18 Ask Your Expert
MeMory card shootout
Feature
feature
Artistique roundup - KolKAtA
I
n 2013, to celebrate World Photography
Day on 19th August, we instituted and
initiated the property ‘Artistique - an
exhibition and contest’. We came up with
this initiative to promote photography
as an art form. Four years and several
exhibitions across the country later, we
are the one of the biggest photography
exhibitions in the country. Last year we
exceeded our expectations by having
Raghu Rai on-board to exhibit with us.
This year, we wanted to do something
different. We decided to use our property
as a microphone and bring forward
one of the biggest social issues at this
time. A photography exhibition focussed
entirely on women empowerment. Our
focus this year, from exhibiting images
on women empowerment by renowned
photographers Ami Vitale and Nisha
Kutty to Artistique winners’ take on the
subject.
Last year, in Kolkata, as a part
of the initiative we had organised a
portfolio review session, along with
20 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
4 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
a photo collective Streets of Kolkata,
wherein renowned and professional
photographers reviewed portfolios for
attendees. The idea was to encourage
new and upcoming photographers to
shoot more, and guide them in the right
direction. This year however, we have
understood how important Artistique
has become and how exponentially it
has grown in such a short time. Thus,
we aiming to become the pedestal
of women empowerment to increase
awareness towards the issue. We
thought it to be our social and moral
responsibility to do our bit so that even
if one more person leaves the exhibition
hall more enlightened about women
empowerment and gender equality we
will have done our part. Over the six days
of the exhibition, hundreds of people
turned up, of all ages. Many let us know
how different our exhibition was and that
we were doing a good thing, instead of
just having pretty portraits or landscape
photographs that look pleasing to the
eye. While many could not turn up due to
the rains over the weekend, we hope to
see you all next year, or maybe in another
city this year!
The exhibiT
The Faces oF
empowermenT
Ami Vitale has photographed
women around the world, from Guinea
Bissau, Africa to Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She has captured the struggles and
empowerment of women in various
countries. The award-winning
photographer is showcasing a collection
of images shot by her of women from
around the world. The collection of
images speak about women, their rights
and their power. While some tell stories
of female circumsion, others tell the story
of fighting for vulnerable communities
suffering from climate change. Each of
these women have a story to tell, vastly
different from the other, but a common
SEPTEMBER 2017
12 festivals of iNdia
• Ganesh Chaturthi 31
special feature 43
Blast
From the
20
past
22 tips aNd techs
52 6 portrait lighting patterns for every
photographer
60 Rules of composition for better
pictures
68 10 tips for professional photographers
thread that unites them, is that they are
74 All about professional lighting
strong, empowered women. These are
the faces of empowerment.
Besides shooting stories revolving
around wildlife and conflict zones,
equipment
Vitale’s focus has also centered on
issues surrounding women, poverty and
health. She speaks about how women in
developing countries bear the greatest
burden as a result of climatic shifts.
“For example, women must walk farther
for water (some women walk up to 11
hours a day for poor quality water) or
76 How to review a camera
they must stay behind and care for their
children when floods force the men to
move and seek better resources.” Vitale
says that with effective programmes, a
real difference can be made to the lives
of these women. She is involved with a
group of scientists, writers, film-makers
and photographers dedicated to the women the tools to affect change are nisha KuTTy
78 DIY - Lightsphere
mission of raising awareness and funding some of the most effective programmes, Having come across photography
to help empower women and girls in because women reinvest those resources while studying in arts school, Nisha Kutty
emerging nations around the world. “We and share them with others.” is now one of India’s renowned female
recognise that programmes that give fashion photographers. She apprenticed
september 2017 21
www.asianphotographyindia.com

74
tips & techs Octaboxes also come in various sizes and are very suitable for
photographing people.

All About professionAl

stripbox- A stripbox is also a softbox but it is narrow and
TIPS & TECHS longer. They have less width but come in various lengths.
Stripboxes can hold both diffuser and grid at the open end

6 PORTRAIT LIGHTING
and provides better control over lighting than the softbox
or the octabox. It is used to cast a long thin lighting without
spreading much light to the sides.

lighting equipment
umbrella-Umbrellas present many choices when it comes
to shape, size, distribution. The big advantage of it is that it

PATTERNS FOR EVERY

can be set up quickly and doesn’t take up much space when
folded up.
A silver umbrella produces harder light and more contrast.

P
A white umbrella goes between your model and your flash,
hotography is all about your ability to judge and use softening it and producing a very diffused light that tends to

PHOTOGRAPHER
the light to your own advantage while taking pictures. illuminate your entire studio for soft, natural lighting. A silver
Now when we say light, it does not only mean the light umbrella with diffusing fabric is a mix of the two umbrellas,
coming from the sun, the window etc . These sources occur in with the silver side creating contrasty light and the diffuser
the nature and so they can be defined as natural continuous fabric softening everything.
sources of light. But apart from these natural sources of light, beauty dish-The beauty dish (or beauty bowl) is, as
we also have artificial lights. Artificial lights as you can guess its name suggests, aimed primarily at the beauty of picture
already are man-made sources of light which can be used at and thus essentially portraits, it produces a contrasting light
any given point of time. These lights are compact in size when and highlights the details of the skin and face. It’s often the

S
hooting portraits is the best part of compared to their output, easy to pack and carry and allow a modifier of choice for tight portraits in fashion photography
making images as I believe. The feel of host of different attachments also known as ‘Light modifiers’ and makeup photos. There are generally two kinds: one with
to attach and use. Artificial lights are in demand always and a silver interior and one with a white one. The silver gives a
portraits which give the exact definition
light manufacturing companies are putting out their best of the slightly harder light and contrast, and the white is softer. There
about a person. In classical portraiture there
line lights out for the consumers. are also various sizes in the market. A small disc inside the isolate a subject when using a flash.
are several things you need to control and
To give you all some more idea about these lights that dish reflects light back onto the dish surface, meaning there’s barn door- Barn Doors are light modifiers that shape and
think about to make a flattering portrait of
are used and the accessories, we have summed up the most no direct light on the subject. There will also be a beautiful direct light. They are flexible to use and can create focussed
your subjects, including lighting ratio, lighting
important ones for you. reflection in the eyes of your model. light. They also make a variety of shapes. Barn doors are fixed
pattern, facial view, and angle of view. If you
snoot-A snoot is a tube or similar object that fits over a onto the front of studio or theater lights. They have four hinged
you get to know these basics inside out, and
strobe Lights or studio fLash and if you intend to buy and use one extensively then its studio light or portable flash and allows the photographer to doors around the light source which can be used to narrow or
as with most things, then you can break the
Strobe lights or simply known as studio flash are the main recommended to find out the best money could buy. control the direction and radius of the light beam. These may widen the beam of light reaching the subject.
rules. Lighting up for the studio, especially
component for lighting. In fact, it is the part which creates be conical, cylindrical, or rectangular in shape. Snoots can grid- Grids are small metal rounded attachments which
when you are doing portraiture, the most
the powerful light when you press the shutter button of the Light modifiers fit on to the studio lights. Grid is used to shape the light
important part is the lighting which can also
A h b li h d li f l Light modifiers are as simple as they sound. They modify the according to the image. The grid usually comes in square and
be tricky to get right almost instantly. But if
incoming light and change the intensity and its throw. Light honeycomb patterns and have a specific angle to the grid
you can handle the lighting part correctly, modifiers are used when the incoming light is desired but which allows the light to change direction. Softboxes and strip
you can be sure to get some amazing results the amount of light reaching the subject is too much. In such lights can also be attached with grids, however those grids
straight out of the camera. situations the light modifiers come to play. There are many are made of black cloth and attach to the open end of the light
In this article we’re going to look at different types of light modifiers and each type of modifier is modifiers.
lighting patterns, what are those and why it is allotted to do a specific change to the incoming light. In the transmitters and receivers- Now imagine a room full
important, and how to use it. next few points we will tell you all about these different types of lights which need to go off at the same time. These lights
Lighting pattern can be defined as, how of light modifiers. can be connected to the camera using a sync cable and the
light and shadow play across the face to softbox- This is the most common light modifier. It is a flash will fire only when the camera fires. Now these lights

52
create different shapes. What shape is the square or rectangular box which attached itself to the light at come with a wireless receiving module built inside them and
shadow which is cast on the face. In simple one end and the other end can hold a translucent white cloth a transmitter or commonly known as trigger is included in
terms, there are four common portrait lighting which diffuses the incoming light and gives an even lighting. the set of lights. The transmitter has an hotshoe attachment
patterns, they are: Softboxes come in various sizes and shapes mainly square and sits on the camera hotshoe attachment. The trigger can
1.Split lighting or rectangular. The inner surface of the softbox is silvered to be configured to fire a specific set of lights without having
2. Loop lighting allow maximum reflection of the light inside. to attach the camera to any wires. The lights also can be
3. Rembrandt lighting octabox- Something very similar to a softbox but this configured into separate groups and channels to that one can
4. Butterfly lighting one comes in a octagonal shape. It has similar silvered choose to fire a set of lights among all the lights. Modern day
There are also ‘Broad’ and ‘Short’ lighting surface inside and the open side can hold a diffuser cloth. transmitters are very adaptive and universally work on many
which are more of a style, and can be used Octaboxes are very versatile and can be used for shooting different systems of light.
with most of the patterns above. Now let s oo s e y eas y S obes co e o d ee a u ac u e s inside studio. Can be used as a single source of light as well. TexT- MrinMoy Choudhury
us have a look at all the lighting patterns
individually.
62 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com september 2017 63

76
tips & techs always puts a lot of money on research
on development, it is imperative that the
new version of a camera will be better
than its predecessor. These are where
TIPS & TECHS reviews come in handy. Now everyone
has used the older version and know
the strengths and weaknesses. What
you need to do is to compare the two
cameras and see if these improvements
are worthwhile or not compared to the
increase in prices of the two models.
The first thing a photographer notices
when he or she holds the camera is how
it feels in the hand. This is an important
aspect but is quite subjective. One
photographer might like a heavier camera
and like the new grip, but another might
not. It is always good practise to mention
that the view in this part of the review are be used by many new buyers to make and lastly the image quality. The bars
of the photographers’ and might vary an informed decision. Hold absolutely for these cameras should not be set too
from person to person. The best way to no grudges, make sure you are in no high and people should not expect to get
go around this is to mention the exact way biased. The most important things DSLR like results from these cameras
weight and dimension in the review itself to test in a DSLR are ISO performance, and it is the reviewer’s job to make
so that the viewer or reader can judge if focussing speed, quality of the output them understand that as most people
it suits their needs for themselves. The in terms of colour and clarity, usability buying these cameras will not know the

How to
look of the camera is also subjective of the features, button placements and difference. 
but a good description of the button other advertised features that are new The most fun to review units are the
placement, viewfinder sizes, etc are compared to the older models or the action cameras. These cameras are built
helpful for people reading or watching competitors in the same price range. for taking photos of adventure activities
the review.  Most high end point and shoot cameras like surf boarding, cycling, swimming,
Next in line, and most importantly, will face the same litmus tests as the diving etc. These activities push the

review a
performance is everything. Test best DSLRs.  cameras to their limits and for adventure
everything from how long it takes for the The most important things to check loving photographers and videographers
camera to switch on to brightness of the in a low end point and shoot is the these are the best possible reviews
LcD screen. Everything in the camera camera’s build quality, its features that do do. Action cameras also require
needs to be experienced. It is important cater to amateur photographers, the extensive battery tests and this is why the

camera
to understand that reviewing is a difficult
job and what you say or experience will
ease of use - since mostly amateurs and
beginners will be using these cameras
reviewers need to pay special attention
to this aspect. 
While the importance of reviews are
immense, and most reviewers receive
the cameras before anyone in the market
does, there is a huge responsibility

T
on their shoulders. The camera
his month, as most articles reviewer’s job is to objectively review each extensively in different surroundings. manufacturers almost always listen to

60
are focussing on professional
photographers and their needs, it
would be foolish not to talk about how
professionals in the industry go about
reviewing cameras, be it high end DSLRs
or point and shoots or mirrorless cameras
or even phone cameras. Without further
ado, let’s get into the details.
We often get asked how we review
our cameras and what the benchmark
tests to review a camera should be. To
answer this question the first thing that
a reviewer needs to have is objectivity. A
and every single aspect of the camera in
terms of its looks, its build quality and
most importantly its performance. Any
bias towards the brand name or the
advertisement provider will prove to be
fateful. Just like news media, the reviews
need to be unhindered from any personal
biases or judgements. The best way to
do that is to not look at other reviews or
articles about the camera but to use it for
yourself.
A typical review will take at least
10 to 15 days with the camera used
But what test do we put it through? The what the reviewers think so that they
first thing we do is see what the camera can make improvements accordingly,
manufacturer is marketing the camera the buyers trust the reviewers to make
as. Is it an action-focussed camera? an informed decision and the industry
Does the company boast of the camera depends on their positive or negative
having lightning fast focussing? Find out reviews, it is important to review
what the USP of the product is. These are products without biases. Do not think
areas you need to be absolutely rigorous about what the manufacturers will do if
on. If they claim that the camera has a you give negative reviews, they depend
high burst mode, use it to shoot sports on you as much as you depend on them.
or wildlife and see if that really works with It is okay to put forth the issues with a
the focussing speed of the camera or not. camera as-is.
Since the camera manufacturer almost TexT- souradeep roy

90 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com september 2017 91

tips and techs They also change lenses on the field

TIPS & TECHS quite a lot and thus the sensor and

General practices every

lens mounts are prone to dust or sand
or water vapour etc. Any sand or mud

10 TIPS FOR Professional Photographer follows

on the lens contacts can mean disaster
for pros. A malfunctioning gear is the
last thing a professional wishes for and
should be avoided at all costs. Always
keep a cleaning kit with a hand pump,

PROFESSIONAL
It is a common misconception that the only difference between a professional photographer and an lens cleaner, and filter cleaner handy at
amateur photographer is that a pro gets paid for his or her photography services. There is however, home. After every assignment, make
a lot that goes into transitioning from an amateur to a professional which happens in the background sure to clean the lens contact, the top of
without everyone else’s knowledge. In this article we will discuss some general practices that pros the lens, blow the dust from every nook
and corner of the camera and clean the

PHOTOGRAPHERS
regularly execute apart from just taking good photographs.
have learnt to backup their work
regularly. After every assignment, even
before starting to sort or edit images, a
professional photographer will backup
the entire project on a hard drive or a
cloud drive. In this digital age, a virus
or a hard drive or any hardware failure
can lead to complete loss of data. It is
essential to learn to backup as frequently
as one can.
RegulaR geaR
maintenance and
viewfinder as well. Regularly doing so
will increase the longitivtiy of the camera
and will definitely save you time and
money in the long run. 
soRting images while
backing up
Sorting images is like keeping your
house clean. One might not understand
the point of the exercise until one loses
something and takes an hour to find. It is
just good practise to sort your images.
Some photographers prefer to sort their
images by date but some prefer to make
folders for every assignment. It is upto

M
any people start photography
as a hobby and as amateurs.
Some of them decide to take
their passion for the art of photography
this to the next level. They decide to
become professionals and make a career
out of it. However, there are some things
that every professional photographer
should be mindful of. In this article we
will take an in-depth look at that.
While one’s definition of professional
photographer might vary, here is how we
define it: Any individual who practices
photography seriously. It might or might
RegulaR data backups
It is absolutely important to backup
your data if you want to transition to a
professional photographer. Discipline
is a must when it comes to keeping
your data safe and secure and backing
up at regular intervals, preferably after
each and every assignment is a must.
In earlier days, when shooting film was
the norm, photographers used to have
tons of plastic boxes with film canisters
stored in them. They would have scans
to make copies and keep backups.
Professionals however, by experience,
seRvicing
Gear maintenance is another
important aspect of photography that
most of us hate to do but is a must.
Professional photographers have to
shoot in adverse conditions often and
many a times will get their gear dirty.
you to decide what works for you. If you
are shooting multiple assignments then like cameras and lenses. Since most of moisture. Professionals who have
sorting by date is fine as long as you can electronic lenses are kept in bags or extremely expensive cameras also invest
track the images down when needed. boxes by most amateurs, many cameras in camera storage boxes called dry
Every assignment should be separately are affected during monsoons because cabinets. These are quite expensive and
kept and no files should be deleted unless
the images are so shaky or under or over
exposed that they cannot be used. Many
photographers tend to delete the RAW
files once they have made a selection
and edited the RAW selection files. It
is best to keep everything as one never
knows when one might need them.
Buying solid state drives are the best
way to secure your data, however they
are an expensive affair. We find buying
1/2 TB hard drives every now and then

not be one’s primary profession or
source of income, but typically is. Now
that we have the definition in place, we
know that professional photographers
80
of film stored safe and would oftentimes is a better alternative. Cloud storage
open them to check if they were in good is another thing one might consider if
shape or not since there was no way they do not mind the yearly payments.
to duplicate the film rolls they would As a photographer, your images are
often keep multiple prints of the same everything and should be treated with

68
take photography seriously, and are very photograph as well. Fire hazards were utmost importance. 
their main enemy back then. But now
passionate about it. They typically have
we have moved on, and have learnt to pRotection of geaR
expensive professional cameras, often live with digital files where duplicating a duRing monsoons
more than one. To accompany these file is just a press of a button. Even then, Monsoon season calls for special
cameras are set of lenses, filters, flashes we find many photographers unwilling attention to be given to electronic gear
and other supplementary accessories.
But does simply owning such equipment
make you a professional photographer?
We think not. It takes a lot more than just
owning equipment to go from being an
amateur to a professional photographer.
Here are some of the things that a
one must keep in mind and mistakes
that one must avoid as a professional
photographer:

92 Photoscape
96 Photomontage 92 96
SEPTEMBER 2017 5
 Brought to you by

letters to editor
Readers’ Comments and Suggestions...

Send your letters at apindia.feedback@gmail.com

The Letter
of the month
will receive
1 Year
subscriptieosn)
(12 E-Issu

Dear Editor,
I am an avid reader of your magazine and have been reading the magazine since the past three years. I
haven’t written a letter to the magazine and this is my first time so I am hoping that I get featured in the
upcoming issue.
I saw the August 2017 issue on the stands and the cover really made it stand-out from the others. The
bright green image from Tarun Vishwa was striking and immediately caught my eye. Also I realised that over
the past few years AP hasn’t done many bolder and striking fashion covers and I wanted to mention that it
would be great if you guys could do more of those.
Shail Khan,
Mumbai

Dear Sahil,
I am happy that you’ve shared your first email with the magazine and also glad to learn about your thoughts
on the cover and the magazine. It’s always good to share your feedback with the magazine as a reader so
that it helps us get better in understanding what our readers are thinking.
Now coming to your letter and the cover image. Well ideally every year we usually focus on fashion as
a topic in the month of December since that is the time when all the calendars, fashion weeks and turn of
clothing lines usually takes place. But yes, you are right every once in a while we should break that mould
and that is exactly what we have done with the August 2017 issue.
We decided to do something different and it was the images from Tarun that really made our perspective
on the cover stand out. I always like popping colours and the moment I saw this option we knew this would
go on the cover. Thanks for sharing your feedback about the colour standing out on the stands. I do agree
and we will try and do more fashion than before.
 Brought to you by

letters to editor
Readers’ Comments and Suggestions...

Send your letters at apindia.feedback@gmail.com

The Letter
of the month
will receive
1 Year
Subscriptieosn)
(12 E-Issu

Hi,
I came across Asian Photography magazine recently when I saw the Artistique contest online and started
following the page on FB. I checked the issue on Magzter and read the first issue which was in Aug 2017.
Although I missed the deadline for the contest this year I wanted to mention that why doesn’t AP have a
longer or more contests year around so that people can participate in them? I also read the August issue
and liked the Shooting Festivals article since it was very timely. Was that intentional to have it at that time?
Abhishek Desai,
Ahmedabad

Dear Abhishek,
I am glad that you have read the first issue and liked it. More importantly I am happy that you have started
following our updates on social media and look forward to that part as well. As for the contests around the
year, we have been receiving requests about having contest more often in the past as well but we have not
been doing that is due to the strong focus an intent that we have on Artistique.
Right from the content and the initiative to the giveaways that we provide, it’s not possible for us to have
those resources on a regular basis. For instance, the giveaways for the winners is nearly 3 Lacs combined,
which itself is quiet substantial. Also since we feel that focussing one single event of such magnitude
takes a lot of planning it doesn’t leave us much time for the other things. I am not sure if you are aware but
Artistique is not only a contest, but also a travelling exhibit.
But point taken, we will look at the possibility of doing this for the future.

10 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 NEWS

Asian Photography: Hands-on with Sony A9

Building upon the ever-growing interest in adventure sports and wildlife photography, Sony
India recently introduced its new digital camera, the α9 (model ILCE-9). The camera is geared at
those interested in adventure sports and wildlife photography. According to Sony, this is the most
technologically advanced, innovative digital camera that Sony has ever created, and they say that
the new camera “offers a level of imaging performance that is simply unmatched by any camera
ever created – mirrorless, SLR or otherwise.” We had a chance to get our hands on the camera and
try it out, so let’s take a look at what’s new about this camera.

T
he new mirrorless camera
offers many impressive features
including high-speed, blackout-
free continuous shooting at up to 20fps,
60 AF/AE tracking calculations per
second, a maximum shutter speed of
up to 1/32,000 second and much more.
These are made possible by its 35mm full-
frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor,
which enables data speed processing at
up to 20x faster than previous Sony full-
frame mirrorless cameras. This sensor
is paired with a brand new, upgraded
BIONZ X processing engine and front-
end LSI that maximises its overall
performance, according to Sony.
Sony prides on the speed of the
α9, which is the the outcome of new
stacked 24.2 MP Exmor RS image
sensor, new BIONZ X processor and
front end LSI. Sony informed that the
α9 liberates processing power as its
new components allow faster AF/AE
calculation while also reducing EVF
display latency. The processor and front
end LSI are responsible for the larger
continuous shooting buffer therefore
allowing photographers to shoot at
a blazing 20 fps with continuous AF/
AE tracking for up to 362 JPEG or 241
RAW images. We tried the camera in
continuous shooting mode, and it gave
us quite an impressive output.
The camera also offers tracking
with an uninterrupted view with AF/AE
tracking calculation up to 60 times per
sec, regardless of shutter release and
frame capture. The camera was able to
track the live-action we were shooting
quite accurately.
It features 693 focal plane
phase detection AF points covering
approximately 93% of the frame. The Fast
Hybrid AF system – pairing the speed
and excellent tracking performance of
phase detection AF with the precision
of contrast AF – achieves approximately
25% faster performance when compared
with α7R II, ensuring all fast-moving
subjects are captured. As the camera is
aimed at wildlife photographers, it also
offers silent and vibration-free shooting
at speeds up to 1/32,000 sec. The
electronic shutter in the A9 operates
silently, without mechanical noise that
can be disruptive when shooting sports,
events or wildlife in a quiet environment.
Sony said that the fact that the electronic
shutter is vibration-free also minimises
the likelihood of vibration-induced blur,
further contributing to resolution and
image quality. The manufacturerer also
said that its maximum 1/32000 sec
speed exceeds the limits of mechanical
systems for vastly expanded exposure
freedom as well as the ability to maintain
shallow depth of field in bright conditions
without having to use ND filters.
The α9 is equipped with an 5-axis
image stabilisation system that provides
a shutter speed advantage of 5.0 steps.
The camera also shoots 4K
(3840x2160p) video recording. It uses
full pixel readout without pixel binning to
collect 6K of information, oversampling
it to produce high quality 4K footage
with exceptional detail and depth. The
extremely popular 35mm size recording
is also available in the α9.
The camera is available at Sony retail
outlets for `3,29,990. We will soon do a
full-length review of the camera in our
magazine. So, keep reading!

Canon unveils the 85mm f/1.4L IS, its first 85mm with stabilisation

C
anon has just officially announced
its new 85mm f/1.4L IS lens. It’s
Canon’s first ever 85mm lens to
offer image stabilization. The new lens
complements Canon’s 85mm lineup rather
than replace the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L
II. It’s still a top-of-the-line professional L
lens, but instead of a wider f/1.2 aperture,
you get four stops of stabilization and f/1.4.
On a Canon APS-C crop sensor camera,
this 85mm offers a 136mm equivalent
focal length. Size-wise, Air Sphere coating (ASC) for
this lens is longer than the reducing flare and ghosting,
85mm f/1.2 (4.1″/10.4cm an aspherical element for
versus 3.3″/8.38cm) but reducing aberrations and
lighter (2.09lbs/949.7g distortion, and a filter thread
versus 2.26lbs/1025g). of 77mm.
The lens features a The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4
9-blade rounded aperture, a dust- and L IS USM will be available in November
water-resistant build, a ring-type Ultrasonic 2017 with a price tag of $1,599. By
Motor (USM) for fast and accurate auto- comparison, the Canon 85mm f/1.2L II
focussing, full-time manual focus override, currently costs $1,899.

12 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 NEWS
Nikon announces new full-frame DSLR Nikon D850
N
ikon has recently announced
a new full-frame DSLR
camera, the Nikon D850. It’s a
45.7-megapixel full-frame DSLR camera
with an FX-format, back-side Illuminated
(BSI) CMOS sensor The D850 is capable
of a capture rate of up to 7 frames-per-
second (fps) or 9-fps with the optional
battery grip and EN-EL18a/b battery,
while offering a range of new features
requested by Nikon shooters around the
world.
The Nikon D850 is aimed as a serious
tool for every kind of photographer, and
the manufacturer says that it delivers
intense clarity and accurate skin tones
for portraits, with the added benefit
of low-light ability for weddings and
events. It is said to be versatile enough
to be used for landscapes and fine art
where broad dynamic range is critical,
for sports that require a high frame rate
and decisive AF, or for video creators
who want 4K UHD flexibility.
“The Nikon D850 is much more than
a camera, rather it’s a statement that
Nikon is continuing to listen to customer
needs, to innovate for the next 100
years, and bring to market a full-frame
DSLR that exceeds the expectations of
the professionals that rely on this caliber
of camera to make a living,” said Kosuke
Kawaura, Director of Marketing and
Planning, Nikon Inc.
“I have had the pleasure of putting
this camera through its paces, and
there is nothing like it. The Nikon D850
introduces a whole new generation
of photographers to medium format
quality; the resolution is out of this
world, and the tonality and range are
at a level I never thought possible from
a DSLR,” said Nikon Ambassador and
award-winning wedding photographer
Jerry Ghionis. The Nikon D850 is a
combination of resolution, dynamic
range, ISO and processing power. Nikon
informed that the 45.7-megapixel CMOS
sensor forgoes an optical low pass filter
(OLPF) to harness the sharpness of
NIKKOR lenses, with fidelity, tonality and
clarity. This is also Nikon’s first DSLR to
14 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
incorporate a BSI CMOS sensor, which
captures light more efficiently, resulting
in a wider dynamic range and low-noise
image capture.
The D850 is capable of shooting
up to 7 fps at full resolution, with full
AF/AE or 9 fps at full resolution with
the addition of an optional battery grip
(MB-D18) and EN-EL18a/b battery
(Buffer approximately 51 frames of
14-bit lossless RAW capture / 170
frames of 12-bit lossless). The D850
offers a wide ISO range from 64-25,600
(Expandable down to ISO 32, up to
102,400). The D850 uses the Nikon D5’s
153-point, Multi-Cam 20K AF system,
which features 99 cross type sensors, 15
of which are sensitive to f/8. The camera
has EXPEED 5, which Nikon informs
is their most powerful engine yet,
allowing for fast data readout and swift
image processing, improved low light
performance, high speed shooting, full-
frame 4K UHD video capture and greater
power efficiency for longer battery life.
The camera has a 3.2-in., high resolution
(2359k-dot) touchscreen LCD monitor.
The D850 offers the ability to operate
with an electronic shutter in Live View.
When in this mode, users can shoot in
complete silence. The electronic shutter
operates at up to 6 fps (AF/AE locked) at
full resolution, while an additional mode
enables 8.6-megapixel capture in DX
image area mode at up to 30 fps.
Like the D5 and D500, the D850 also
supports Radio-controlled Advanced
Wireless Lighting with the optional
SB-5000 Speedlight and WR-A10 and
WR-R10 accessories. Users can choose
from 3 sizes of RAW files to enhance
workflow, including Large (45.4-MP),
Medium (25.6-MP) and Small (11.4-MP).
Additionally, the D850 lets users batch
process RAW files in camera. It gives
users up to 1,840 shots at full resolution
or approximately 70 minutes of video on
a single charge. Users who opt for the
additional control and handling benefits
of the optional battery grip can expect
up to 5140 shots (CIPA standard).
For macro, product and landscape
photographers, there is a Focus Shift
Photography feature. This feature lets
the user automatically shoot up to 300
shots at adjustable focus step intervals
to infinity which can be assembled
into a focus-stacked image using third
party software. With the optional ES-2
Film Digitizing Adapter and compatible
Micro-NIKKOR lens, the camera is said
to enable super high-resolution digitising
of 35mm slides or negatives and
converts them in-camera to positives.
The camera is said to have a rugged and
weather-sealed magnesium alloy body.
It features built-in Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
for connectivity. The D850 features dual
memory card slots, XQD for high-speed
capture and transfer, as well as readily
available SD media.
The D850’s FX BSI CMOS sensor
allows 4K UHD output at a full-frame
width at 16:9. Creators can also capture
Full HD 1080p at up to 120 fps (4x or
5x) for slow-motion video capture. When
shooting Full HD or in Live View for stills,
focus peaking can be enabled which
highlights in-focus subjects in the frame
to ensure sharpness. Users can create
4K UHD time-lapse videos in-camera,
or can use the built in intervalometer
to capture images for an ultra-high
resolution 8K time lapse that can be
assembled in post for those who want
the ultimate in video quality.
The Nikon D850 will have a suggested
retail price (SRP) of $3,299.95, and will
be available in September 2017. The
MB-D18 Multi Power Battery Pack will
have an SRP of $399.95, while the ES-2
film digitalising adapter will have an SRP
of $149.95.
 NEWS
Canon M100:
A mirrorless camera for those graduating from smartphones
C
anon recently announced a new
mirrorless camera, the EOS M100.
The camera is designed to be “an
excellent choice for those looking to step
up from smartphone photography,” as
put forward by Canon.
Inside the M100 is a 24.2-megapixel
APS-C CMOS sensor backed by a DIGIC
7 image processor. It has a maximum
ISO of 25600 and a fastest continuous
shooting speed of 6.1 frames per second
(with AF fixed, or 4fps without). The
camera can also shoot 1080p video
at 60fps. The camera lacks a built-in
electronic viewfinder, so framing and
focusing are done through the 3-inch
1.04-million-dot tilting touchscreen on the
back. You can touch the screen to focus,
and transition the Dual Pixel CMOS AF
between subjects by simply tapping
them with your finger. For beginning
Ricoh India launches PENTAX KP
R
icoh India recently announced
the launch of its new digital
SLR camera - PENTAX KP. The
newly launched camera is a compact
DSLR which features a new-generation
APS-C sized CMOS image sensor
supported by approximately 24.32
effective megapixels and a sensitivity of
ISO 819200, a five-axis shake-reduction
system, an electronically controlled
shutter unit for shooting at 1/24000
second and an optical viewfinder with
nearly 100% field of view.
Ricoh informed that the PENTAX KP
is designed as a “high-performance,
high-resolution” model which expands
the scope of digital SLR photography,
from ordinary daily scenes to serious
outdoor shooting in demanding weather
conditions. Within its compact body
it features a new-generation CMOS
image sensor and a imaging engine to
deliver “extremely high-resolution, rich-
gradation images”. It also provides a
16 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
photographers, Creative Assist and Self
Portrait modes assist in stepping through
camera settings without technical know-
how. Instead of adjusting ISO, shutter
speed, and aperture, you can make a
scene brighter or make a background
blurrier. When shooting a selfie, a
Smooth Skin feature helps beautify your
complexion.
Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth wireless
connectivity allow the camera to remote
range of customisation features, such as
a grip replacement system to personalise
the camera’s grip to accommodate
the photographer’s shooting style or
a mounted lens, and a control panel
to allow a flexible panel layout to meet
the photographer’s preference. Ricoh
also informed that the camera assures
flexible, delay-free response to a wide
variety of scenes and subjects.
Commenting at the launch, Yuki
Uchida, VP & CMO, Ricoh India said,
“Ricoh is persistent in its effort to
leverage technology to design innovative
products that improves the quality of life.
The new DSLR reflects our engineering
expertise that weaves design, state-of-
the-art features in a compact body that
delivers the highest level of experience
to customers. Photography enthusiasts
will love the outstanding specifications
and customisable features of the camera
that can shoot great stills and video
clips.”
live-view, wireless data transfers, and
easy social photo sharing.
As with all the cameras in Canon’s EOS
M lineup so far, the M100 natively accepts
EF-M lenses but can also be used with
standard EF lenses if you utilise the $199
EF-EOS M Mount Adapter. Other features
of the M100 include Hybrid Auto (pulling
still photos from HD video), in-camera
RAW conversion, HDR Backlight Control
(exposure bracketing for correcting
backlit scenes), Bulb exposure mode, a
pop-up flash, and Creative Filters.
The Canon EOS M100 will be
available in white or black models starting
in October 2017 with a price tag of $600
when bundled with a 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3
IS STM lens, or $950 when bundled with
an EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens
and EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
lens.
The camera is dustproof, weather-
resistant and cold-proof (for temp. as
low as -10°C) and can capture high-
resolution Full HD movie clips in the
H-264 recording format with a range
of functional settings. It incorporates
a variety of customisation functions,
including Smart Function and control
panel customisation; and is equipped
with a 3.0-inch LCD monitor with a
vertical tilt function, a Real-time Scene
Analysis System and a High-speed
27-point autofocus system with the
SAFOX 11 module.
RICOH Pentax KP is available on
Ricoh India web store and Ricoh seller’s
networks at a MRP of `88584.
 AYE

Answered by
Send in your Questions to Bhavya Desai
ap.askyourexpert@gmail.com Editor, Asian Photography

I am a regular reader of your magazine and have Dear Shubham

been following your issue for almost a year now. I
am planning to buy a full frame camera and wanted
to know what DSLR I should buy. I shoot a lot
of wildlife and weddings and want a camera that
serves both purpose.
Shubham Sanyal,
West Bengal
We are glad to know that you follow our magazine
on a regular basis as we work hard to bring quality
content to our readers. As for the camera suggestion,
since you want to shoot wildlife and weddings you
will need a camera that is fast, responsive as well as
provides high quality photos for printing. Many big
DSLR manufacturers have DSLRs that have high
megapixel counts and provide amazing image qual-
ity. Cameras like 5D Mark IV, 1DX Mark II, Nikon
D5 etc can suit your needs well. If you are looking
for a more budget option the new 6D Mark II or the
upcoming D850 can be good too. However, if you are
planning to only shoot wildlife then going for a crop
sensor camera can be fruitful as the crop factor will
mean that your long lenses will have 1.6 times the
focal length.

Hello. I have been shooting with my DSLR for a

while now and I wish to purchase a new lens for
myself. I am currently using a Nikon D7200 body
and the kit lens which comes along with it. I shoot
almost everything. What lenses would you suggest?
Rahul Khairat
Nagpur

18 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Brought to you by

Dear Rahul,
If you have been using your DSLR body and lens
you will know why exactly you feel limited. Maybe
the maximum aperture or the optical quality of images.
When you are buying a lens, you should always
consider these few points like the maximum aperture
that the lens has and its optical status. Lenses with
better optics inside
will produce brilliant
images in sharpness
and contrast. Also the
size and weight will
also matter. Pro lenses
usually come heavy
and are not cheap.
If you wish to have
fixed focal length lens
it would be a wonder-
ful addition to your
kit as you already have a zoom lens. The other option
may be a wide-zoom lens which will allow you to
shoot wider than your kit lens. None of the less the
lens will add nothing to your images unless you make
them worth looking at. All the best.
Hi. I started to read your magazine recently, and I
really like the content that you guys put out. I have
just gotten very interested in street photography,
and started shooting a lot at night on the streets. The
shooting conditions are generally in low-light. I am
very confused about how I should get the correct
exposure settings. Should I focus on aperture and
can adjust either or all three of these and it will affect
your exposure. With each one of them, you will also
have to sacrifice something when adjusting the same.
It depends in what kind of a shot you want. When it
comes to low-light scenario, if you reduce the shutter
speed, chances are you will get a blurry or a hazy shot
because of camera shake. So adjusting the aperture to
the widest will be your best bet. But if you have a basic
lens, then you would not be able to go below certain
aperture settings, usually f/3.5-5.6. Then comes in ISO,
this will be very helpful, as increasing your ISO will
automatically light up your images. However, do this
tactfully, as with increased ISO, you are at the risk of
getting noise in your images, thus losing quality. If you
own a full-frame DSLR, then you can go up to a ISO
1600-2000 without much risk of noise, however in a
regular crop-sensor cameras, you will mostly probably
start getting noise beyond ISO800-1000. Ideally, if you
use a tripod, then you should be fine with long shutter
speeds. So evaluate all of these options, and accord-
ingly adjust your settings. Good luck!
www.asianphotographyindia.com
Join us on

shutter speed or adjust the ISO? January 2017

` 100 us$9

Dev Thakkar, THE QUESTION

Ahmedabad
OF THE
Vol. 29 - no.1

Daboo Ratnani:
The Man Behind
India’s Most-
29 Years of
Awaited Calendar Transition
Dear Dev MONTH WINS The
PRo-PRoFILE

h Creative
i
Trends and

AP
predictions
Thank you for writing to us, se i d
Mastermind for 2017
and we are glad we have a new 1 YEAR -Tim Tadder
e What is

ion
the future

Quest of imaging
Chasing Colours
reader like you, who appreciates technonogy
E-SUBSCRIPTION
Colours are not scary

of th e Month Shades of Grey beyond 2017?

our work. As far as your question Scenes with Silhouettes
th
(12 ISSUES)
is concerned, this is one of the
most common questions that most
amateur photographers have. Aperture, Shutter Speed,
Colours
of IndIa
A SAP MediA
PublicAtion
29
Anniversary

and ISO are the three things that decide exposure. You
 MeMory card shootout

Compact Flash (CF)

Memory Card Shootout
It is known that Compact Flash (CF) cards in a professional DSLR or high-end cameras is for its
increased processing power and capacity. As camera manufacturers move towards smaller and more
compact bodies the system has evolved in such a way that memory cards are said to be the lifeline
that holds the work that the photographer captures with his/her camera. The common things that one
looks out for while buying a memory card include technical information like card speed, tech support
and even the reputation of the brand. In this month’s Compact Flash shootout, we set aside some
of the best CF cards in the market. With the increase of the Megapixels in most of the cameras, the
storage capacity of the cards should automatically increase. Even though photographers prefer 16 or
32GB cards for storing their work; nowadays an increasing number of photographers are opting for
the 64 GB card. We asked each manufacturer to send in their best and fastest card options.

Contenders Parameters
• Kingston 64GB Ultimate 600x Compact Flash • Crystal Disk Mark 3.0.1
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB Compact Flash • Folder Test
• In-camera performance

T
he contenders in this month’s compact flash shootout
were Kingston and SanDisk. Kingston sent in their 64 GB
Ultimate 600x and SanDisk sent their SanDisk Extreme
PRO 64GB Compact Flash. Both these cards are designed for
devices that support the FAT32 file system. SanDisk comes
with an UDMA 7 (Ultra Direct Memory Access) technology,
which has now become a standard for the latest generation of
high-speed CF cards.
The Benchmark tests
The CF cards were put to test on various grounds, The Crystal
Disk Mark (version 3.0.1) test is used to verify the read and write
speeds of each card. The folder transfer test and in-camera
performance test. Each test is to put forward the logistics of
read, write speeds, performance and the price value each
competitor. The cards were tested using a card reader and a
computer which supports USB3.0.
Crystal Disk Mark 3.0.1
In the Crystal Disk Mark test, the cards by Kingston and
SanDisk and were put to the test for their read and write
speeds. Kingston clocked a read speed of 37.09MB/s and a
write speed of 26.83 MB/s, which we thought was good. Next
we had SanDisk Extreme Pro CF clocking a read speed of
36.58MB/s and the write speed of 27.17MB/s.

20 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Kingston SanDisk

Folder Transfer Test

In this test, we created a 2GB folder with files (Videos, Conclusion
Documents and Images). The main priority of this test was to SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash 64GB
record the time required to transfer the folder from the CF card SanDisk performed well
to the computer and from computer to CF card. The transfer throughout the shootout. In
of files from CF card to the computer was taken as read speed the CDM test, SanDisk CF
and from computer to CF card was noted as write speed. The Extreme Pro clocked a lower
Kingston CF card took 1 min 34 sec to write the data on the read speed of 36.58MB/s
card and took 1min 7seconds to read it from the card. The and the higher write speed
SanDisk card took 1minute 31 seconds to write on the card of 27.17MB/s. In the Folder
and 1minute 8seconds to read from the card. Transfer test, SanDisk
clocked 1 min 31 sec to
write on the card thus being
100
90 faster than the Kingston CF
80 card. But it took 1min 8 sec
70
to read from the card. SanDisk and Kingston both had a
60
50 Read (Seconds) tie in the in-camera performance test, with 3.9fps. At the
onds)
40
Write (Seconds)
price range of `82000, SanDisk costs much more than
onds)
30 Kingston, however, the performance is quite close to card,
20
10
thus scoring second place.
0
Kingston SanDisk

Kingston Ultimate 600x 64GB

Both cards performed very
In-Camera Performance closely in the shootout.
In this test we made Kingston performed
sure that the camera In Camera Performance Test (fps) averagely in the shootout.
used for all the cards 4.55 Kingston clocked a higher
was similar and on 4 read speed of 37.09MB/s, but
the same settings. 3.5 In Camera
Performance
a slightly lower write speed
3
The camera that 2.5 Test (fps) of 26.83 MB/s. In the folder
we chose was the 2
transfer Kingston CF card
1.5
Canon 7D Mark II, 1 took a little more time than
which was set to 0.5 the SanDisk card to write the
0
1/125s, Aperture 7.1 Kingston SanDisk data, clocking 1 min 34 sec,
and ISO 100 on a and was slightly faster than clocking 1min 7 sec to read
continuous shutter in manual mode. The process was followed it from the card. The in-camera performance test was very
by setting the stop clock to infinite, and as the shutter was competitive, with both cards scoring 3.9fps. The Kingston
released the clock timed the number of shots, on the basis of card costs `6800 and is cheaper than its competitor,
which we calculated the frames per second. To our surprise, yet kept up in the tests. Thus, the winner of the CF card
both cards scored the exact same frames per second, with Shootout this year is Kingston Ultimate 600x 64GB.
3.9fps, thus making it a tie.

september 2017 21
 Feature
Artistique
I
n 2013, to celebrate World Photography
Day on 19th August, we instituted and
initiated the property ‘Artistique - an
exhibition and contest’. We came up with
this initiative to promote photography
as an art form. Four years and several
exhibitions across the country later, we
are the one of the biggest photography
exhibitions in the country. Last year we
exceeded our expectations by having
Raghu Rai on-board to exhibit with us.
This year, we wanted to do something
different. We decided to use our property
as a microphone and bring forward
one of the biggest social issues at this
time. A photography exhibition focussed
entirely on women empowerment. Our
focus this year, from exhibiting images
on women empowerment by renowned
photographers Ami Vitale and Nisha
Kutty to Artistique winners’ take on the
subject.
Last year, in Kolkata, as a part
of the initiative we had organised a
portfolio review session, along with
22 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
a photo collective Streets of Kolkata,
wherein renowned and professional
photographers reviewed portfolios for
attendees. The idea was to encourage
new and upcoming photographers to
shoot more, and guide them in the right
direction. This year however, we have
understood how important Artistique
has become and how exponentially it
has grown in such a short time. Thus,
we aiming to become the pedestal
of women empowerment to increase
awareness towards the issue. We
thought it to be our social and moral
responsibility to do our bit so that even
if one more person leaves the exhibition
hall more enlightened about women
empowerment and gender equality we
will have done our part. Over the six days
of the exhibition, hundreds of people
turned up, of all ages. Many let us know
how different our exhibition was and that
we were doing a good thing, instead of
just having pretty portraits or landscape
photographs that look pleasing to the
eye. While many could not turn up due to
the rains over the weekend, we hope to
see you all next year, or maybe in another
city this year!
The exhibiT
The Faces oF
empowermenT
Ami Vitale has photographed
women around the world, from Guinea
Bissau, Africa to Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She has captured the struggles and
empowerment of women in various
countries. The award-winning
photographer is showcasing a collection
of images shot by her of women from
around the world. The collection of
images speak about women, their rights
and their power. While some tell stories
of female circumsion, others tell the story
of fighting for vulnerable communities
suffering from climate change. Each of
these women have a story to tell, vastly
different from the other, but a common
roundup - KolKAtA
thread that unites them, is that they are
strong, empowered women. These are
the faces of empowerment.
Besides shooting stories revolving
around wildlife and conflict zones,
Vitale’s focus has also centered on
issues surrounding women, poverty and
health. She speaks about how women in
developing countries bear the greatest
burden as a result of climatic shifts.
“For example, women must walk farther
for water (some women walk up to 11
hours a day for poor quality water) or
they must stay behind and care for their
children when floods force the men to
move and seek better resources.” Vitale
says that with effective programmes, a
real difference can be made to the lives
of these women. She is involved with a
group of scientists, writers, film-makers
and photographers dedicated to the women the tools to affect change are nisha KuTTy
mission of raising awareness and funding some of the most effective programmes, Having come across photography
to help empower women and girls in because women reinvest those resources while studying in arts school, Nisha Kutty
emerging nations around the world. “We and share them with others.” is now one of India’s renowned female
recognise that programmes that give fashion photographers. She apprenticed

september 2017 23
 with fine art photographer Beat Pressler
in Basel, Switzerland, and then went on
to shoot for various fashion magazines
and clients around the globe. Fashion
photography is her medium of storytelling.
Kutty likes to play with colour, and her
images have a very surrealistic and a
fantasy look to them. Kutty displayed
a collection of images with some latest
work and some archived images. Her
images are an amalgamation of various
different thoughts, concepts, stories and
ideas put together, but with a common
theme of nature that runs through them.
The conTesT
Like every year, Artistique was divided
into two parts, i.e. an exhibition and a
nationwide competition, organised by the
24 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
Asian Photography team and judged by
world renowned photographers and the
Editor of Asian photography magazine.
The photo contest which was announced
in May and invited entries from readers
around the country to kick-start the
process. Participants were required to
send in their photographs under three
different categories, Black and White,
Moments and Women at Work. We
received entries from photographers
all over India. It was a difficult judging
process to choose the best photograph
from the thousands of entries.
Competition Categories:
> Black and white
> moments (emotions)
> women at work
The winners
The winner for the Moments category
was Debasish Chakraborty and for the
Black and white category was Amit Vakil,
while the winner for the Women at Work
category is Prabha Jayesh. The winners
of the contest each are receiving prizes
worth almost `2 lakh in each category.
The winning images and the honorary
images were showcased in Kolkata,
and will be showcased in Mumbai in the
coming months. The honorary mentions
in the black and white category were
Debasish Chakraborty and Dipak
Kumbhar, in the Moments category
were Kunga Tashi and Raju Ghosh, and
Ashoke Kumar Ghosh and Sandipani
Chattopadhyay in the Women at Work
category.
The
winners
The jury for the contest this
year comprised of award-
winning photojournalist
and co-founder of Udaan
School of Photography
Arko Datta, renowned
photographer Jatin Kampani
with the group head of SAP
Magazines Bhavya Desai.
Photo: Amit VAkil

Photo: debAsish chAkrAborty

Photo: PrAbhA jAyesh

25
 honorary
menTion

Photo: debAsish chAkrAborty

Photo: diPAk kumbhAr

Photo: sAndiPAni chAttoPAdhyAy

26
 Photo: rAju ghosh

Photo: kungA tAshi

Photo: Ashok kumAr rAjughosh

27
 Jury special
menTions
Photo: shArAd PAtil

Photo: gufrAn khAn

Photo: soumitA chAkrAborty

Photo: sujAn sArkAr

Photo: Pinkesh bhAtiA

28 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Photo: subodh nAtu

Photo: biPin christiAn

Photo: sudiPtA chowdhury

Photo: sudiPtA chowdhury Photo: PAolo lommelli

september 2017 29
 FESTIVALS OF INDIA

Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Shutter Speed: 1/12 sec
Aperture value: f/4.0
ISO: 5000
Focal Length: 41.0 mm

32 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Partnered by

Shot with
Canon
EOS 7D Mark II
Specifications
 20MP Dual-Pixel AF CMOS Sensor
 10 fps continuous shooting with autofocus
 65 all cross-type autofocus sensor
 150,000 RGB + IR pixel metering sensor
 Dual Digic 6 processors
 Enhanced environmental sealing
 Compact Flash (UDMA) and SD (UHS-I)
slots
 USB 3.0
 Built-in GPS
 Larger-capacity LP-E6N battery
 Shutter speeds up to 1/8000th seconds
 Shutter rated to 200,000 cycles (vs
150,000 on 7D)

O
ne of the most widely celebrated
festivals in India, Ganesh
Chaturthi is a celebration of the
beloved Hindu elephant-god Ganesha.
While this festival is celebrated at many
places across the country, nothing
matches the uniqueness and the fervour
with which the festival is celebrated in

GANESH
Mumbai. This month, we take a look at
how Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in
the city of dreams - Mumbai.
While it is not known when exactly
the festival began, Ganesh Chaturthi is

CHATURTHI
said to have South Indian origins. Some
historical evidences suggest that Ganesh
Chaturthi had become a large public
celebration during the time of Shivaji,
after the Maratha-Mughal battles. It
PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

SEPTEMBER 2017 33
 was mostly celebrated in Pune, and
other areas in Maharashtra. However
it became a became a private family
celebration in Maharashtra during the
British Raj.
The festival was later again brought

PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

back to life, as it became a public event
in 1892 when Bhausaheb Laxman
Javale who was also known as Bhau
Rangari, organised the first sarvajanik
(public) Ganesha idol in Pune. These
efforts of organising a public Ganesh
Chaturthi celebration were praised
by Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Exif Info:
Tilak in Kesari, his newspaper. He then Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Shutter Speed: 1/320 sec
dedicated efforts to start an annual Aperture value: f/4.0
domestic festicva. In 1893, the Indian ISO: 800
freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak praised Focal Length: 70.0 mm
the celebration of Sarvajanik Ganesha
Utsav in his newspaper, Kesari. He then have recognised the Ganesha’s appeal purpose of standing up to British colonial
dedicated his efforts to start a large, as “the god for everybody”, and a god rule, by building unity at root level.
annual public event to celebrate the that bridged “the gap between Brahmins As the British Government had a rule
festival. The freedom fighter is said to and non-Brahmins”. This also served the banning gathering of multiple Hindus,

Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture value: f/2.8
ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm
PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

34 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Partnered by

PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture value: f/3.2
ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm
 PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY
Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture value: f/3.2
ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
Aperture value: f/3.5
ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

thus the festival became a revolt against
that and brought together Hindus.
However, today this has changed.
People from each and every religion is
seen participating in Ganesh Chaturthi
festivities. While it has undergone many
changes over the years, the essence
still remains the same. It is usually a
ten-day festival, starting on the fourth
day of Hindu luni-solar calendar month
Bhadrapada, this usually falls in the
months of August or September.
Preparations for the celebrations
begin weeks and months in advance.
While some get Ganpati at their private
residences, some apartment complexes
or some neighbourhoods contribute
and host Ganesh Chaturthi together.
These community Ganesh Chaturthis
are hosted at a local pandal (temporary
stage), which are funded by contributions
and donations done by local residents.
A big aspect of the festival revolves
around the Murti (idol). Idol making is an
art in itself and done with great passion,
fervour and concentration. Idol makers
have small workshops that are set-up in
different parts of the city, where one can
see how these idols are prepared, and
buy idols from these makers. There are
idols of varying sizes that one can find,
from smaller idols barely a couple of feet
high, to massive, mammoth idols that
even range as high as 50-60ft. One can
see different designs and styles of idols.
Designs ranging from classic idols with
traditional idols, to some more quirkier
ones. It is a trend to make idols relevant
to modern day social and/or political
issues, and this year one could see a
plethora of such idols in and around
Mumbai. Depending on the idol, the
pandals are elaborately decorated to
follow the same theme. The making of
the Murti in Maharashtra usually begins
with “Padya Pooja” or worshipping the
feet of Lord Ganesh. The Murtis are
brought to “Pandals” on the day or a day

36 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Partnered by

Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Shutter Speed: 1/64 sec
Aperture value: f/5.6
ISO: 6400
Focal Length: 24.0 mm
PHOTO: ABHISHEK DESAI

before the festival begins.

At home, the festival preparation
includes purchases such as Puja items or
accessories a few days in advance and
booking the Ganesh Murti as early as a
month beforehand (from local artisans).
The Murti is brought home either a day
before or on the day of the Ganesh
Chaturthi itself. Families decorate a
small, clean portion of the house with
flowers and other colourful items before
installing the idol. When the Murti is
PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

installed, it and its shrine are decorated

with flowers and other materials. On Exif Info:
the day of the festival, The ceremonial Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
installation of the clay Murti (idol) is done Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture value: f/3.2
ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm
Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
Aperture value: f/6.3
ISO: 6400
Focal Length: 39.0 mm
PHOTO: SOURADEEP ROY

along with chants of holy Mantras and different names around the country, but a semicircular shape. This sweet meal is
Pooja including Bhajans during a certain is considered to be Ganesha’s favourite called Nevri in Goa and is synonymous
auspicious period of the day. dish. A Modak is a dumpling made from with Ganesh festival amongst the Goans
The date for the festival is rice or wheat flour, stuffed with grated and the Konkani diaspora.
usually decided by the presence of coconut, jaggery, dried fruits and other Ganpati celebrations depend on the
Chaturthi Thithi. The festival is held condiments and steamed or fried. Another number of days one choses to host an
during “Bhadrapada Madyahanaa popular sweet dish is the Karanji, similar idol, while most private idols hosted
Purvabaddha”. If the Chaturthi Thiti begins to Modak in composition and taste but in at homes by families are for 11⁄2, 3
at night on previous day and gets over by
morning on next day then the next day
is observed as Vinayaka Chaturthi. In the
consecration ceremony, a priest performs
a Prana Pratishtha to invite Ganesha like
a guest. This is followed by the 16-step
Shodashopachara ritual, during which
coconut, jaggery, modaks, durva grass
and red hibiscus flowers are offered to
the idol. Depending on the region and
timezone, the ceremony commences with
hymns from the Rigveda, the Ganapati
Atharvashirsa, the Upanishads, and the
PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

Ganesha Stotra (prayer) from the Narada

Purana are chanted. In Maharashtra,
Exif Info:
Aartisare performed with friends and Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
family, typically in the morning and Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
evening. Aperture value: f/3.5
The primary sweet dish during the ISO: 4000
Focal Length: 50.0 mm
festival is Modak. It is known with various

38 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Partnered by

or 5 days, other more larger public

community idols celebrate it for 7 or
11 days. And then an important aspect
of festival takes place, the immersion
ceremony. This involves bringing the
Murti ceremoniously to a body of water
(such as a lake, river or the sea) for
immersion. Visarjan involves people
carrying out a procession from their
homes or public Mandals and heading
towards the sea. These processions
involve people indulging in revelry with
dance and music till they reach the water
body, where a final prayer takes place,
and then the idol is carried to the water,
where it is immersed.
While the festival is celebrated with
great fervour in Mumbai, it has had great
environmental impact on the city as well.
It is known to cause a large amount
of water and noise pollution. Visarjan
processions are extremely loud, with
these processions having either a live
band, or a DJ with loudspeakers blasting
music. The decibels of this music reach
beyond noise pollution norms, and
can be extremely dettering to animals,
children and the elderly. Pandals also
burst crackers, thus creating further noise
pollution, and waste on the streets. The
PHOTO: SOURADEEP ROY

Exif Info: biggest impact of the festival however

Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec is on the water bodies. Because idols
Aperture value: f/3.2 made of plaster of paris, was immersed
ISO: 4000 in the sea, often with the decorations like
Focal Length: 50.0 mm plastic etc, it has created a huge amount
of water pollution, affecting the marine
life on the coast of Mumbai. Beaches are
littered with a large amount of trash as
well. However, there is a good amount of
people who have now started adhering
to hosting clay idols, which dissolve in
the sea without causing damage to the
life. There are also many artificial ponds
created around the city, specifically
for the purpose of idol immersion. We
spoke to families this year and it was
heartening to see them host clay idols,
and carry out immersions in artificial
PHOTO: MRINMOY CHOUDHURY

ponds, or at buckets in homes.

The festival was truly celebrated with
Exif Info:
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II great enthusiasm, as always. Ganesha
Shutter Speed: 1/64 sec came to the city this year and showered
Aperture value: f/4.0 everyone with blessings, and he will
ISO: 4000 return again next year as well! Until then,
Focal Length: 50.0 mm
happy reading!
TEXT: ABHISHEK DESAI

SEPTEMBER 2017 39
 Photo feature

40 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Janmashtami
Janmashtami celebrates the earthly appearance of
Krishna, a Hindu god. One of the biggest religious festivals
in the world, it is said to be celebrated by approximately
nine hundred and thirty million people --and two million
in the US alone. Dahi Handi is a festive event and a team
sport during the Hindu festival Gokulashtami, which is
known as Krishna Janmashtami in the rest of the country,
and celebrates the birth of Krishna. Dahi is curd in Hindi
and Handi is an earthen pot. The sport of this festival is
based on the story of Krishna stealing curd and other
milk products because of his liking towards it and the
community hiding the curd in earthen pots in high places
away from his reach. The festivities include tying an
earthen pot full of curd from a high building and locals
trying to form a human pyramid to break the pot and
steal the curd. The terms govinda (also another name of
Krishna) or Govinda Pathak are used to refer to the people
who participate in forming this human pyramid. They
practice months ahead of the event. Many localities in
Mumbai and across Maharashtra hold competitions to see
who can hit the pot. Prizes as high as `12 lakhs are given
to the teams. While these events sometimes disrupt traffic
and has recently raised safety concerns, the people of the
city enjoy this sporting event a lot. We went out to capture
the celebration in the city, and here are some glimpses
from the festivities.
ImAGes: AbHIsHeK DesAI

september 2017 41
42 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
 BLAST
SPECIAL FEATURE

FROM THE
PAST
JULY 1997, Vol 9 No. 06
EDITORS N
AS P A
AND CO
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SEPTEMBER 2017 43
 9 7
19

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 9 7
19

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 9 7
19

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 9 7
19

50 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 TIPS & TECHS

6 PORTRAIT LIGHTING
PATTERNS FOR EVERY
PHOTOGRAPHER
S
hooting portraits is the best part of
making images. The feel of portraits
which give the exact definition about
a person. In classical portraiture there are
several things you need to control and think
about to make a flattering portrait of your
subjects, including lighting ratio, lighting
pattern, facial view, and angle of view. If you
you get to know these basics inside out, and
as with most things, then you can break the
rules. Lighting up for the studio, especially
when you are doing portraiture, the most
important part is the lighting which can also
be tricky to get right almost instantly. But if
you can handle the lighting part correctly,
you can be sure to get some amazing results
straight out of the camera.
In this article we’re going to look at
lighting patterns, what are those and why it is
important, and how to use it.
Lighting pattern can be defined as, how
light and shadow play across the face to
create different shapes. What shape is the
shadow which is cast on the face. In simple
terms, there are four common portrait lighting
patterns, they are:
1.Split lighting
2. Loop lighting
3. Rembrandt lighting
4. Butterfly lighting
There are also ‘Broad’ and ‘Short’ lighting
which are more of a style, and can be used
with most of the patterns above. Now let
us have a look at all the lighting patterns
individually.

52 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

september 2017 53
 1 Split lighting
Split lighting is exactly as the
name implies i.e. it splits the
face exactly into equal halves with one
side being in the light, and the other
in shadow. It is often used to create
dramatic images for things such as a
portrait of a musician or an artist. Split
lighting tends to be a more masculine
pattern and as such is usually more
appropriate or applicable on men than
it is for women. Keep in mind however,
there are no hard and fast rules and so
we suggest you use the information
we provide here as a starting point or
54 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
guideline. Until you learn this and can
do it even in your sleep, try to follow the
guideline whenever you’re not sure.
To achieve split lighting simply put the
light source 90 degrees to the left or right
of the subject, and possibly even slightly
behind their head. Where you place the
light in relation to the subject will depend
on the person’s face. Watch how the light
falls on them and adjust accordingly. In
true split lighting, the eye on the shadow
side of the face does pick up light in the
eye only. If by rotating their face a bit more
light falls on their cheek, it’s possible their
face just isn’t ideal for split lighting.
Any lighting pattern can be created
on any facial view. Just keep in mind that
your light source must follow the face
to maintain the lighting pattern. If they
turn their head the pattern will change.
So you can use that to your advantage
to easily adjust the pattern just by them
rotating their head a little.When you shoot
a subject directly or in a studio, their eyes
register the source of the incoming light. This
light reflects on the subject’s eyes and gets
registered in the camera as catch-light for the
eyes. Without a catch-light, the portraits will
look dull and lifeless. A proper catch-light will
immediately up the spirits of the portrait.
2 loop lighting
Loop lighting is made by creating
a small shadow of the subjects
noses on their cheeks. To create loop
lighting, the light source must be slightly
higher than eye level and about 30-45
degrees from the camera (depends on
the person, you have to learn how to
read people’s faces). In loop lighting the
shadow of the nose and that of the cheek
do not touch or overlap each other. Keep
the shadow small and slightly downward
pointing, but be aware of having your
light source too high which will create
odd shadows and cause loss of the

catch-lights. Loop lighting is probably and cheek do not touch, in Rembrandt

the most common or popular lighting lighting they do meet, which creates
pattern as it is easy to create and flatters that trapped little triangle of light in the
most people. middle. To create proper Rembrandt
lighting make sure the eye on the

3 RembRandt
lighting
Rembrandt lighting is named so
because Rembrandt the painter often
used this pattern of light in his paintings.
Rembrandt lighting is identified by the
triangle of light on the cheek. Unlike loop
lighting where the shadow of the nose
shadow side of the face has light in it and
has a catch light, otherwise the eye will
look dead and not have a nice sparkle.
Rembrandt lighting is more dramatic, so
like split lighting it creates more mood
and a darker feel to your image. Use it
appropriately.
To create Rembrandt lighting the

september 2017 55
 subject must turn slightly away from the
light. The light must be above the top of
their head so that the shadow from their
nose falls down towards the cheek. Not
every person’s face is ideal for creating
Rembrandt lighting. If they have high or
prominent cheek bones it will probably
work. If they have a small nose or flat
bridge of the nose, it may be difficult to
achieve. If you are using window light and
the window goes down to the floor, you
may have to block off the bottom portion
with a light cutter or card to achieve this
type of lighting.

4 butteRfly
lighting
Butterfly lighting is exactly
named for the butterfly shaped shadow
that is created under the nose by placing
the main light source above and directly
behind the camera. The photographer is
basically shooting underneath the light
source for this pattern. It is most often
used for glamour style shots and to
create shadows under the cheeks and
chin. It is also flattering for older subjects
as it emphasises wrinkles less than side
lighting. Butterfly lighting is created by
having the light source directly behind
the camera and slightly above eye or
head level of the subject (depends on the
person). It is sometimes supplemented
by placing a reflector directly under their
chin, with the subject themselves even
holding it. This pattern flatters subjects
with defined or prominent cheek bones
and a slim face. Someone with a round,
wide face would look better with loop or
even split to slim their face. This pattern is
tougher to create using window light or a
reflector alone and so a harder light source
like the sun or a flash is needed to produce
the more defined shadow under the nose.

56 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

57
 5 bRoad lighting
Broad lighting is not actually a
particular pattern, but a style of
lighting. Any of the following patterns of
light can be either broad or short ie. Loop,
Rembrandt, split. Broad lighting is when the
subject’s face is slightly turned away from
center, and the side of the face which is
toward the camera (is broader) is in the light.
This produces a larger area of light on the face,
and a shadow side which appears smaller.
Broad lighting is sometimes used for ‘High-
Key’ portraits. This type of lighting makes a
person’s face look broader or wider and hence
the name, and can be used on someone with
a very slim face to widen it. Most people
however want to look slimmer, not wider so
this type of lighting would not be appropriate
for someone who is heavier or round faced. To
create broad lighting the face is turned away
from the light source.

6 ShoRt lighting
Short lighting is the opposite of broad
lighting. Short lighting puts the side
turned towards the camera (that which appears
larger) in more shadow. It is often used for low
key, or darker portraits. It puts more of the face
in shadow, is more sculpting and adds three
dimensional qualities, and is slimming and
flattering for most people. In short lighting,
the face is turned towards the light source this
time. The part of the face that is turned away
from the camera receives most light on it and
the shadows are falling on the near side of the
face, closer to the camera. Simply put short
lighting has shadows on the largest part of the
face showing.
Once you learn how to recognize and
create each of the different lighting patterns
you can then start to learn how and when to
apply them. By studying your subject’s face
you will learn which lighting pattern will be best
for them, and for the type of portrait and mood
desired. Of course it is much easier to change
the lighting pattern if you can move the light
source. However if the main light source is the
sun, or a window, it will be a bit tougher to do
that. So what you will need to do instead of
moving the light, is to have the subject rotate
in respect to the light to change the direction it
falls on them. Or change your camera position.
Or change their position. So basically move
the things you can move in relation to the light,
if you cannot move the light source itself.
text: mrinmoy Choudhury

58 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

september 2017 59
 TIPS & TECHS

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september 2017 61
 W
henever we play any game, we
have to abide by a set of rules
intended to make the game
play challenging and easy to conduct.
Rules are a part of almost everything
and all it takes is a little cooperation
on our side. Be it following traffic rules
or just simple plain gully cricket. Rules
always makes things better if not
worse. Similarly as photographers or
someone who is just learning the art,
it’s necessary to remember and follow
some basic rules which will make the
entire learning process easier. For the
seasoned ones, following the rules hints
them towards being more confident. The
rules we are about to mention are the
simplest and the most basic rules you
can try to remember and follow during
shooting. Composing a photograph in
the right way is very necessary. This is person it is generally better to position
actually the most serious part of it. But him or her at the right or left third of the
why does composition play such an frame rather than directly in the middle.
important role?
the Golden ratio
compositional rules And now to confuse you even more,
You hear photographers talk about here is “the golden ratio”. While the rule
composition all the time, but what of thirds divides your scene into equal
exactly is composition and what does goes like this: the human eye tends to thirds, the golden ratio divides your
it have to do with the subject? Simply be more interested in images that are scene a little bit differently, into sections
put together, composition is the way divided into thirds, with the subject that are roughly 1:1.618. Unless you are
that elements are arranged in an image. falling at or along one of those divisions. a mathematical genius, you’ll probably
Composition includes all the elements Many DSLRs will actually give you a need to see this visually to understand
in a photo, not just the primary subject. visual grid in your viewfinder that you the difference.
The human eye tends to prefer images can use to practice this rule. If yours
that have a certain sense of order, while doesn’t, just use your eye to roughly
it tends to reject images that are chaotic divide your image with four lines into
or complex. That’s the basic difference nine equal-sized parts, then place your
between good composition and poor subject at the intersection of those lines.
composition, though it’s obviously a For example, when photographing a
lot more complicated than that when
you move past the basics. In order
to develop a good understanding of
what works and what doesn’t work in
photographic composition, it helps to
learn the “rules” and practice following
them. And there are a lot of rules.
You’ve probably heard of at least some
of them, but they are worth repeating.
Remembering, of course, that these are
really more guidelines than actual rules.

the rule of thirds

This is the king of compositional rules!
Any photographer who does more than
just take snapshots knows something
about the rule of thirds. The basic theory

62 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Golden trianGles
and spirals
So far we’ve just talked about the
perfect rectangle. But if your image
has diagonals, try composing it using
“golden triangles”. For this, divide your
image diagonally from corner to corner,
then draw a line from one of the other
corners until it meets the first line at
a 90 degree angle. Now place your
photograph’s elements so that they fall
within the resulting triangles.
The golden spiral, as you might
guess, is a compositional tool for use
with objects that have curving lines
rather than straight ones. This spiral
is drawn based on that complicated
series of rectangles we saw above, but
you can actually visualise this based on
nature’s nautilus shell, which matches
the golden spiral shape almost exactly.
If that seems a little too complicated to
you, just look for compositions where
there is a spiral that leads the eye to a
particular point in the image.
leavinG space
This rule incorporates two very similar
ideas which is breathing room and
implied movement. The leaving space
rule probably comes naturally to you,
but if you need a way to visualise it think
of your frame as a box and your subject
as something you’re going to be putting
inside of a box. To make your subject
comfortable, you need to give him a
bigger box that allows him some visual
freedom and/or freedom of movement. If
your subject is looking at something (even
something off-camera), make sure there
is some “white space” for him to look
into. (White space, of course, is not an
accurate term but a term used to describe
the space that surrounds your subject,
usually that part of the frame where there
isn’t anything happening). Likewise,
“implied motion” means that if your
subject is moving you will need to give
some space the subject can move into.
september 2017 63
 rule of odds
Moving on to some simpler ideas, the
rule of odds is somewhat related to the
rule of thirds. The eye tends to be more
comfortable with images that contain
an odd number of elements rather than
an even number. The reason for this is
that the human eye will naturally wander
towards the center of a group. If there’s
empty space there, then that’s where the
eye will fall. As a photographer, you want
your viewer to look at a subject, not at an
empty space which is distracting.

fill the frame

The rule of space may seem to
contradict this next rule, which is the
idea that you should fill the frame with
your subject. Filling the frame, of course,
is different than crowding the frame.
Crowding the frame means that you’re
breaking that rule of space and putting
your subject in a constricting box. The
“fill the frame” rule, on the other hand,
simply means that you’re looking for
distracting background elements and
cropping them out whenever you can.

Balance
Remember this especially when you are
using the rule of thirds or the golden ratio,
sometimes an image needs balance. A

photo with a large subject positioned

in the foreground at one of those sweet
spots may end up creating an image that
looks tilted, or too heavy on one side. You
can create some balance by including a
less important, smaller-appearing element
in the background.

lines
The first one is the rule of leading lines,
which says that the human eye is drawn
into a photo along lines, whether they are
curved, straight, diagonal or otherwise.
A line whether geometric or implied can
bring your viewer’s eye into an image
and take it wherever you want it to go. If
your image doesn’t have clear lines you
will need something else to let the viewer
know where to look, otherwise the eye
might just drift around the image without
ever landing on any one spot. Diagonal
lines in particular can be useful in
creating drama in your image. They can
also add a sense of depth, or a feeling
of infinity or endless space.

64 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

depth
Depth is closely related to
background, and is also dependent
on the type of image you’re trying to
capture. In a landscape, for example,
you typically want everything to
remain in focus. In a portrait, you
may want that background to
be out of focus. To isolate your
subject from his or her background,
use a wide aperture. To include
the background, use a smaller
one. Depth can also be shown
through other means. Including
something in the foreground, for
example, can add dimension to
an otherwise two-dimensional
appearing image. You can also
overlap certain elements. Since the
human eye is used to seeing closer
objects appear to overlap objects
that are at a distance, your viewer
will automatically interpret this
information as depth.

september 2017 65
66 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
patterns
Patterns appear everywhere, in both
man-made settings and in natural
ones. If you don’t notice patterns
all around you, then you’re not
looking hard enough. Patterns can
be very visually compelling because
it suggests harmony and things
that are harmonious and rhythmic
make us feel a sense or order or
peace. Pattern can become even
more compelling when you break the
rhythm, then the eye has a specific
focal point to fall upon, followed by a
return to that harmonic rhythm.

BackGround
This is one of those rules that
almost all beginning photographers
break. Sometimes we get so involved
in our subject that we do not pay
any attention to what’s going on
behind them. If the background is
busy and doesn’t add anything to
your composition, try using a wider
aperture so those distracting elements
will become a blur. Or you can just
try changing your angle. Instead of
shooting the subject with all those
beach-goers right behind her, angle
her so that she’s in front of the water
instead.
Not all backgrounds need to be
excluded, of course. Just make sure
you pay attention to them and ask
yourself whether they will contribute to
or detract from your final image. Your
answer will let you know whether you
should get rid of them or include them.
All these rules or ways of
compositions are tried and tested
forms. These simple rules will always
help you to obtain proper usable
images and also increase the number
of visually pleasing images that you
can take. However, photography
has always been about trying new
techniques and learning. Following
rules will be followed by breaking
them as breaking the compositional
rules will give you new possibilities of
making an image. So go ahead and
take your camera. Try using these tips
to get some beautiful images.
text- mrinmoy Choudhury

september 2017 67
 tips & techs

68 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 10 TIPS FOR
PROFESSIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHERS

M
any people start photography
as a hobby and as amateurs.
Some of them decide to take
their passion for the art of photography
to the next level. They decide to become
professionals and make a career out of
it. However, there are some things that
every professional photographer should
be mindful of. In this article we will take
an in-depth look at that.
While one’s definition of professional
photographer might vary, here is how we
define it: Any individual who practices
photography seriously. It might or might
not be one’s primary profession or
source of income, but typically is. Now
that we have the definition in place, we
know that professional photographers
take photography seriously, and are very
passionate about it. They typically have
expensive professional cameras, often
more than one. To accompany these
cameras are set of lenses, filters, flashes
and other supplementary accessories.
But does simply owning such equipment
make you a professional photographer?
We think not. It takes a lot more than just
owning equipment to go from being an
amateur to a professional photographer.
Here are some of the things that a
one must keep in mind and mistakes
that one must avoid as a professional
photographer:

september 2017 69
 1 be Honest about
your skiLL-set
Being a professional means
taking up challenges, and being able to
deliver a great set of images. But if you
are doubtful of taking up a task, then do
not do it. Sometimes you might get very
demanding clients, and you’re unsure
if you can turn it out, then it is best to
not take it up. Shoots require you to do
more than just click pictures. It requires
you to handle models, clients skillfully,
negotiate demands etc. However this
does not mean that you should be afraid
of taking up a challenge. It only means
that you should face this with confidence.
You should come across to your client
as a confident photographer that knows
what he/she is doing. While this does not
mean you bluff in meetings, it only means
knowing what you’re capable of and
accordingly making promises to clients
who are going to pay you.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate demands,
and this could be pay or timeline or other
nuances. Don’t take up tasks which you
will not be able to perform.

2 Have a workfLow
Nothing will establish you as
a professional photographer
better than good workflow. It is the mark
of an organised professional. A good
workflow will ease the pressure off of you.
Do realise that a professional shootout
includes everything from arranging a
shoot, actually shooting the image and
then post-processing the images. It is a
long process, that includes many steps,
but if you have a workflow in place, it will
ease things out. Of course, to establish
a workflow is not easy, and would not
happen until you do a few assignments.
There will be a few hit and miss cases,
but then you will get the hang of it, and
have a system in place.
time and effort. While they could be your
competition, you should focus on your
own business, and developing your own
creative style and perfecting it. Everyone
is on their own journey, and you should
be on your own. Comparing yourself
to other can be done in a positive way,
but remember that copying will lead to
nothing. If you are doing what another
photographer is doing, then what are
that chances that you will be hired by
clients? You will be hired only for what
unique creative talent you offer.
to make it profitable. Learn people skills,
be able to make presentations, indulge
in marketing, as these things are just as
important as photographic technicalities
as composition and exposure. Also,
learn how to budget your shoots, and
track your expenses and income.
5 Have a focus
Often many
photographers
professional
market
themselves as someone who can do all
kinds of photography. While it is smart
to expand a business, but it is also bad

3 Dont compare
yourseLf to
otHers
Comparing yourself to other photographer
while you are on your way to becoming
a professional photographer would be a
big mistake to make. Those professional
photographers are where they are
because they have put in hardwork,
4 Learn tHe business
Photography when you become
a professional photographer is a
business. Simply taking good pictures will
not cut it. You need to be able to manage
it as a business. It will most probably
be your primary source of income, and
if you continue to treat it as a hobby, it
will be detrimental. You have to be able
to be a jack of all trades and master of
none. If you specialise in something, and
be the best at that, there is nothing like it.
When you are practising photography as
a hobbyist, you will soon realise you have
a genre you really love and are good at.
Take that genre and run with it. Become
an expert of that genre, so that you
have a focus. It is good to experiment

70 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

with genres, but as a business it is
wise to establish yourself in one genre.
So whenever anyone talks about that
genre, you’re a name that pops up. This
helps establish yourself in the market
as someone to look out for, and you
become a professional photographer
who is sought after.
6 work on a strong
portfoLio
Focus on a genre brings us
to building a portfolio. Going from a
hobbyist to a professional, the one thing
that will help you is a strong portfolio. This
will and is your ultimate selling tool, till
until later when you have become deeply
established and have large assignments
and clients to your name. While you are
building a portfolio, it is important that
you focus on quality. Instead of having
hundreds of average images, focus on
a limited number of excellent images.
Take your time and sort your best work
out. A handy tip in this is focussing on
one genre, where the large part of your
work revolves around, and if you really
can master a secondary genre, you can
choose to include a couple of those as
well. This will give your client a hint of
your versatility. It is always not necessary
that you have a physical portfolio.
We are too far beyond now to rely on
hard copies, so make sure you have a
virtual portfolio or a website ready. You
could have a potential client across the
globe, and it would be easiest and most
professional to link them to your website
in minutes than sit and sort images out
to mail them. A strong portfolio will also
back you up when demand your price.
7 focus on a gooD
pricing structure
This brings us to pricing.
Your pricing structure will make a lot
of difference and decide as to where
you will be placed as a professional
photographer. A good pricing sturcture
will also decide how successful your
business is. The common trick with
many amateur photographer who have
recently turn professionals is to price
oneself lower than the competition, and
september 2017 71
 raise prices at a later point. But what this
essentially does is get you clients who
are looking for cheap photographers, not
necessarily talented ones. So when you
increase your cost at a later point, they will
look for another cheaper photographer.
You will also not be considered by clients
who are looking for quality, as they feel
someone who charges less fee offers
less quality. Thus creating a market
where talent is not appreciated. Thus it
is important to strategically price your
services.

8 outsource tasks
Many photographers are
obsessed with having full control
of everything. While it is a good thing to
oversee everything, remember that there
will be occassions when you will be piled
with work. In such situations, time will
mean everything to you, or else you will
have unfinished assignments or will have to like your work, and you will have do not ever be discouraged by a failed
to refuse work. It is okay to outsource critics from all directions. Some of these assignment. The next one will be your
certain tasks, like post-processing which critics will be positive and some will be chance to prove yourself and others
can take up hours of your time. There are negative. You should be able to handle wrong!
many professional artists and retouchers this criticism and put it to constructive
out there. Find one who understands
your photography, and one who your
work well with. Thus you can save that
use. Seeking approval from others is
not going to do you any good either. If
you believe in your work, you shouldn’t
10 be serious
Professional photography
is not a joke or a cakewalk.
time, and indulge in expanding your be worried about approval from others. Once you are asking for money for your
business by meeting newer clients and Focus on your own creativity and style, photographs, you have to be able to
bagging more assignments. and on improving yourself. You will be deliver. You have to be serious about
your harshest critic as well, but do not your business and your work. You have

9 Learn to HanDLe
criticism
It is very important to be able
to handle criticism. You should know
and accept that not everyone is going
be too hard on yourself. You will have
good days and bad. You will have good
work and some not so god work. You will
only perfect with time, and by learning
from your past errors. Most importantly,
to commit to the promised deadlines.
Sometimes you will have to be able to
go far and beyond to please your clients.
After all they are your customers. You
should learn to be humble, and not let your
ego of being a professional photographer
be your enemy, which is not uncommon
with photographers. This does not mean
bowing down to any ridiculous demands,
but keep your business as your focus and
not pleasing your ego. You should also
look into legal photography contracts so
that you are safeguarded, and protected
from troublesome clients that might be
unwilling to pay or file lawsuits.
These are just some of the tips that
will help you suceed as a professional
photographer. But you would not know
what it’s like until you make the transition
and live the truth yourself. So don’t be
afraid to take the plunge, if fear is the
only thing stopping you. Good luck!
text: abhishek desai

72 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 tips & techs

All About professionAl

lighting equipment
P
hotography is all about your ability to judge and use
the light to your own advantage while taking pictures.
Now when we say light, it does not only mean the light
coming from the sun, the window etc . These sources occur in
the nature and so they can be defined as natural continuous
sources of light. But apart from these natural sources of light,
we also have artificial lights. Artificial lights as you can guess
already are man-made sources of light which can be used at
any given point of time. These lights are compact in size when
compared to their output, easy to pack and carry and allow a
host of different attachments also known as ‘Light modifiers’
to attach and use. Artificial lights are in demand always and
light manufacturing companies are putting out their best of the
line lights out for the consumers.
To give you all some more idea about these lights that
are used and the accessories, we have summed up the most
important ones for you.

strobe Lights or studio fLash and if you intend to buy and use one extensively then its
Strobe lights or simply known as studio flash are the main recommended to find out the best money could buy.
component for lighting. In fact, it is the part which creates
the powerful light when you press the shutter button of the Light modifiers
A h b li h d li f l Light modifiers are as simple as they sound. They modify the
incoming light and change the intensity and its throw. Light
modifiers are used when the incoming light is desired but
the amount of light reaching the subject is too much. In such
situations the light modifiers come to play. There are many
different types of light modifiers and each type of modifier is
allotted to do a specific change to the incoming light. In the
next few points we will tell you all about these different types
of light modifiers.
softbox- This is the most common light modifier. It is a
square or rectangular box which attached itself to the light at
one end and the other end can hold a translucent white cloth
which diffuses the incoming light and gives an even lighting.
Softboxes come in various sizes and shapes mainly square
or rectangular. The inner surface of the softbox is silvered to
allow maximum reflection of the light inside.
octabox- Something very similar to a softbox but this
one comes in a octagonal shape. It has similar silvered
surface inside and the open side can hold a diffuser cloth.
Octaboxes are very versatile and can be used for shooting
s oo s e y eas y S obes co e o d ee a u ac u e s inside studio. Can be used as a single source of light as well.

74 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Octaboxes also come in various sizes and are very suitable for
photographing people.
stripbox- A stripbox is also a softbox but it is narrow and
longer. They have less width but come in various lengths.
Stripboxes can hold both diffuser and grid at the open end
and provides better control over lighting than the softbox
or the octabox. It is used to cast a long thin lighting without
spreading much light to the sides.
umbrella-Umbrellas present many choices when it comes
to shape, size, distribution. The big advantage of it is that it
can be set up quickly and doesn’t take up much space when
folded up.
A silver umbrella produces harder light and more contrast.
A white umbrella goes between your model and your flash,
softening it and producing a very diffused light that tends to
illuminate your entire studio for soft, natural lighting. A silver
umbrella with diffusing fabric is a mix of the two umbrellas,
with the silver side creating contrasty light and the diffuser
fabric softening everything.
beauty dish-The beauty dish (or beauty bowl) is, as
its name suggests, aimed primarily at the beauty of picture
and thus essentially portraits, it produces a contrasting light
and highlights the details of the skin and face. It’s often the
modifier of choice for tight portraits in fashion photography
and makeup photos. There are generally two kinds: one with
a silver interior and one with a white one. The silver gives a
slightly harder light and contrast, and the white is softer. There
are also various sizes in the market. A small disc inside the isolate a subject when using a flash.
dish reflects light back onto the dish surface, meaning there’s barn door- Barn Doors are light modifiers that shape and
no direct light on the subject. There will also be a beautiful direct light. They are flexible to use and can create focussed
reflection in the eyes of your model. light. They also make a variety of shapes. Barn doors are fixed
snoot-A snoot is a tube or similar object that fits over a onto the front of studio or theater lights. They have four hinged
studio light or portable flash and allows the photographer to doors around the light source which can be used to narrow or
control the direction and radius of the light beam. These may widen the beam of light reaching the subject.
be conical, cylindrical, or rectangular in shape. Snoots can grid- Grids are small metal rounded attachments which
fit on to the studio lights. Grid is used to shape the light
according to the image. The grid usually comes in square and
honeycomb patterns and have a specific angle to the grid
which allows the light to change direction. Softboxes and strip
lights can also be attached with grids, however those grids
are made of black cloth and attach to the open end of the light
modifiers.
transmitters and receivers- Now imagine a room full
of lights which need to go off at the same time. These lights
can be connected to the camera using a sync cable and the
flash will fire only when the camera fires. Now these lights
come with a wireless receiving module built inside them and
a transmitter or commonly known as trigger is included in
the set of lights. The transmitter has an hotshoe attachment
and sits on the camera hotshoe attachment. The trigger can
be configured to fire a specific set of lights without having
to attach the camera to any wires. The lights also can be
configured into separate groups and channels to that one can
choose to fire a set of lights among all the lights. Modern day
transmitters are very adaptive and universally work on many
different systems of light.
TexT- MrinMoy Choudhury

september 2017 75
 tips & techs
How to
review a
camera
T
his month, as most articles
are focussing on professional
photographers and their needs, it
would be foolish not to talk about how
professionals in the industry go about
reviewing cameras, be it high end DSLRs
or point and shoots or mirrorless cameras
or even phone cameras. Without further
ado, let’s get into the details.
We often get asked how we review
our cameras and what the benchmark
tests to review a camera should be. To
answer this question the first thing that
a reviewer needs to have is objectivity. A
76 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
reviewer’s job is to objectively review each
and every single aspect of the camera in
terms of its looks, its build quality and
most importantly its performance. Any
bias towards the brand name or the
advertisement provider will prove to be
fateful. Just like news media, the reviews
need to be unhindered from any personal
biases or judgements. The best way to
do that is to not look at other reviews or
articles about the camera but to use it for
yourself.
A typical review will take at least
10 to 15 days with the camera used
extensively in different surroundings.
But what test do we put it through? The
first thing we do is see what the camera
manufacturer is marketing the camera
as. Is it an action-focussed camera?
Does the company boast of the camera
having lightning fast focussing? Find out
what the USP of the product is. These are
areas you need to be absolutely rigorous
on. If they claim that the camera has a
high burst mode, use it to shoot sports
or wildlife and see if that really works with
the focussing speed of the camera or not.
Since the camera manufacturer almost
always puts a lot of money on research
on development, it is imperative that the
new version of a camera will be better
than its predecessor. These are where
reviews come in handy. Now everyone
has used the older version and know
the strengths and weaknesses. What
you need to do is to compare the two
cameras and see if these improvements
are worthwhile or not compared to the
increase in prices of the two models.
The first thing a photographer notices
when he or she holds the camera is how
it feels in the hand. This is an important
aspect but is quite subjective. One
photographer might like a heavier camera
and like the new grip, but another might
not. It is always good practise to mention
that the view in this part of the review are
of the photographers’ and might vary
from person to person. The best way to
go around this is to mention the exact
weight and dimension in the review itself
so that the viewer or reader can judge if
it suits their needs for themselves. The
look of the camera is also subjective
but a good description of the button
placement, viewfinder sizes, etc are
helpful for people reading or watching
the review.  Most high end point and shoot cameras
Next in line, and most importantly,
performance is everything. Test
everything from how long it takes for the
camera to switch on to brightness of the
LcD screen. Everything in the camera
needs to be experienced. It is important
to understand that reviewing is a difficult
job and what you say or experience will
be used by many new buyers to make
an informed decision. Hold absolutely
no grudges, make sure you are in no
way biased. The most important things
to test in a DSLR are ISO performance,
focussing speed, quality of the output
in terms of colour and clarity, usability
of the features, button placements and
other advertised features that are new
compared to the older models or the
competitors in the same price range.
will face the same litmus tests as the
best DSLRs.  cameras to their limits and for adventure
The most important things to check
in a low end point and shoot is the
camera’s build quality, its features that
cater to amateur photographers, the
ease of use - since mostly amateurs and
beginners will be using these cameras
and lastly the image quality. The bars
for these cameras should not be set
too high and people should not expect
to get DSLR like results from these
cameras. It is the reviewer’s job to make
them understand that as most people
buying these cameras will not know the
difference. 
The most fun to review units are the
action cameras. These cameras are built
for taking photos of adventure activities
like surf boarding, cycling, swimming,
diving etc. These activities push the
loving photographers and videographers
these are the best possible reviews to do.
Action cameras also require extensive
battery tests and this is why the reviewers
need to pay special attention to this
aspect. 
While the importance of reviews are
immense, and most reviewers receive
the cameras before anyone in the market
does, there is a huge responsibility
on their shoulders. The camera
manufacturers almost always listen to
what the reviewers think so that they
can make improvements accordingly,
the buyers trust the reviewers to make
an informed decision and the industry
depends on their positive or negative
reviews, it is important to review
products without biases. Do not think
about what the manufacturers will do if
you give negative reviews, they depend
on you as much as you depend on them.
It is okay to put forth the issues with a
camera as-is.
TexT- souradeep roy
september 2017 77
 tips and techs

DIY Lightsphere
We all despise light from a direct flash, no matter which end of the camera we are standing on. The
harsh shadows on the wall or the extremely lit up faces on the picture are not good to look at even
though we face such situation quite often. So what do you do if you do not have enough light to shoot
indoors and you are not carrying a diffuser? Make yourself a DIY lightsphere!

B
ecause of the minimal number
of things needed for this DIY it is
much easier to make it on the go
or at a venue. While it might not look very
professional it does get the job done,
which is the most important thing. Many
professionals also choose not to carry
different kinds of diffusers and bouncers
since these equipment take up a lot of
space in the camera bag which can be
utilised for other things. Before we get
into the ‘How’ lets discuss how it would
work. The bubbles in the bubble wrap
helps in diffusing the light and scattering
thus negating the bright focused light we
get from the external flash. If you choose
to use a paper, you might want to use a
longer paper as the more the distance of
the paper from the light source and the
bigger the surface area of the paper end
the more diffused the light would be.

What do you need?

• An external flash
• A long piece of bubble wrap
or white paper (depending on
how you want your light)
• Tape or velcro
• Scissors

Step 1
Place your flash on the bubble wrap or paper
and take measurements. It is usually 15cm x 38cm
for modern flashes unless you have a bulky old
vivitar flash (or something on similar lines). If you
do have an old and slightly larger flash make sure
the width of the paper covers more than half of the
sides of the flash. So the width will be more than
double the width of the flash.

78 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

Step 2
If you want to take both horizontal and vertical
photos with this flash make sure to turn the flash
head towards the ceiling and 90 degrees from the
flash attachment. If you intend to use the lightsphere
multiple times and not just throw it after one use, the
best thing to do is to buy velcro straps. If you are
using tape then hold one side of the bubble wrap
and fold the other half like this:

Step 3
Now tape the entire base so that it stays when
you use the flash like this. Make sure that the
bubbled side of the wrap is the inner side towards
the flash. The fold of the lightsphere needs to be
perpendicular to the flash as well:

With lightsphere Without lightsphere

TexT: SOURADeeP ROY

september 2017 79
 tips and techs

General practices every

Professional Photographer follows
It is a common misconception that the only difference between a professional photographer and an
amateur photographer is that a pro gets paid for his or her photography services. There is however,
a lot that goes into transitioning from an amateur to a professional which happens in the background
without everyone else’s knowledge. In this article we will discuss some general practices that pros
regularly execute apart from just taking good photographs.

have learnt to backup their work

regularly. After every assignment, even
before starting to sort or edit images, a
professional photographer will backup
the entire project on a hard drive or a
cloud drive. In this digital age, a virus
or a hard drive or any hardware failure
can lead to complete loss of data. It is
essential to learn to backup as frequently
as one can.

RegulaR geaR
maintenance and
seRvicing
Gear maintenance is another
important aspect of photography that
most of us hate to do but is a must.
Professional photographers have to
RegulaR data backups to make copies and keep backups. shoot in adverse conditions often and
It is absolutely important to backup Professionals however, by experience, many a times will get their gear dirty.
your data if you want to transition to a
professional photographer. Discipline
is a must when it comes to keeping
your data safe and secure and backing
up at regular intervals, preferably after
each and every assignment is a must.
In earlier days, when shooting film was
the norm, photographers used to have
tons of plastic boxes with film canisters
stored in them. They would have scans
of film stored safe and would oftentimes
open them to check if they were in good
shape or not since there was no way
to duplicate the film rolls they would
often keep multiple prints of the same
photograph as well. Fire hazards were
their main enemy back then. But now
we have moved on, and have learnt to
live with digital files where duplicating a
file is just a press of a button. Even then,
we find many photographers unwilling

80 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

They also change lenses on the field
quite a lot and thus the sensor and
lens mounts are prone to dust or sand
or water vapour etc. Any sand or mud
on the lens contacts can mean disaster
for pros. A malfunctioning gear is the
last thing a professional wishes for and
should be avoided at all costs. Always
keep a cleaning kit with a hand pump,
lens cleaner, and filter cleaner handy at
home. After every assignment, make
sure to clean the lens contact, the top of
the lens, blow the dust from every nook
and corner of the camera and clean the
viewfinder as well. Regularly doing so
will increase the longitivtiy of the camera
and will definitely save you time and
money in the long run. 

soRting images while

backing up
Sorting images is like keeping your
house clean. One might not understand
the point of the exercise until one loses
something and takes an hour to find. It is
just good practise to sort your images.
Some photographers prefer to sort their
images by date but some prefer to make
folders for every assignment. It is upto
you to decide what works for you. If you
are shooting multiple assignments then like cameras and lenses. Since most of moisture. Professionals who have
sorting by date is fine as long as you can electronic lenses are kept in bags or extremely expensive cameras also invest
track the images down when needed. boxes by most amateurs, many cameras in camera storage boxes called dry
Every assignment should be separately are affected during monsoons because cabinets. These are quite expensive and
kept and no files should be deleted unless
the images are so shaky or under or over
exposed that they cannot be used. Many
photographers tend to delete the RAW
files once they have made a selection
and edited the RAW selection files. It
is best to keep everything as one never
knows when one might need them.
Buying solid state drives are the best
way to secure your data, however they
are an expensive affair. We find buying
1/2 TB hard drives every now and then
is a better alternative. Cloud storage
is another thing one might consider if
they do not mind the yearly payments.
As a photographer, your images are
everything and should be treated with
utmost importance. 

pRotection of geaR
duRing monsoons
Monsoon season calls for special
attention to be given to electronic gear

september 2017 81

depending on their size and capacity the
prices will differ. If you are looking for an
easier fix, you can spend nominal money
and buy silica gel bags and keep them
in the camera box or bag that you use.
Silica gel soaks up moisture and will, to
some extent, prevent fungus to grow on
the lenses and sensor. One must always
dry their camera completely before
storing it in closed containers unless it is
a dry cabinet.
colouR calibRation
This is another small change in your
practise that can bring about a huge
difference in terms of result. We all edit
according to how our monitor shows
us. While some monitors are really good
82 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
at displaying colours and detail many
monitors will display incorrectly as they
may not have been calibrated. Colour
calibration is a method to ensure that
your monitor’s colours and blacks are
true and will appear similar in print as
it is on the monitor. Without calibration,
you will see a set of color in your
monitor but in print the colours will be,
even if slightly, different. If you have a
relatively expensive and recent monitor,
calibrating it once a month should be
fine but with older monitors it is best
to calibrate at least once a week. Many
professionals even calibrate every time
before sitting to edit a new batch of
photographs.  wants and the kind of work they like
sifting thRough old
images
We all like to move forward in life
and in our work as well. But sometimes,
looking back provides perspective
to see how to move ahead in future.
For professionals, who have already
mastered the techniques of photography,
looking back at their previous work is also
important as most photographers lean
from their mistakes. Many professionals
get similar assignments multiple times
and try to see what they did wrong
the last time. This helps them grow as
a photographer and also makes their
work grow. Sometimes a photographer’s
aesthetics develop over time and an
image he might have thought was good
might not seem all that good anymore.
he can choose to not have that image
on display on his or her website etc from
this experience. On the other hand, he
or she might suddenly fall in love with an
image he or she had previously shot but
not edited in all this time. Old images are
as important to a photographer as the
new ones. The bad ones will help you
grow, and the good ones will tell you
what you are doing right.  
updating website
oR online pResence
RegulaRly
A photographer, in recent times is
known through his online presence.
Every client googles a photographer
before giving them assignments. Having
an updated website or social media
presence is a must. You need to be
aware of what photographs your client
to have. Proper SEO (Search Engine
Optimisation) is also essential so that
they can find you out of hundreds of
people. Regularly check the background
data and see how many regular visitors
you get, from which region etc and work
on your content accordingly to get the
best results. 
We hope this article helps you take
the right step in the direction to become
a professional photographer from being
a semi pro or amateur. These practices
might not seem like much but will
definitely help you in the long run.
TexT: souradeep roy
 tips & techs

Camera W
e give out tips and techs
articles on camera buying
guides ever so often as the
market keeps changing drastically every
few months or so but for a professional

buying
photographer, the story is quite different.
He or she invests in cameras that are
high-end and do not change these
cameras as often. The shelf life of these
cameras are longer compared to the

guide for
low-end models as newer versions are
not made available as frequently. This
is one of the main reasons why this
camera buying guide will be drastically
different compared to other ones we

professionals
previously published.
Professionals can be very particular
about even very small features of their
cameras and can be quite fussy if they
do not have it all. Most amateurs use
only about half of what their camera has

83 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com september 2017 83

 to offer and do not go into the finer and
more advanced features. Professional
photographers on the other hand, need
to be thorough when buying a camera
as they use a lot more of the features
compared to amateurs.
While for amateurs the price of the
camera is a very important aspect,
professionals give more stress on the
final result that the camera provides
than the price. When reviewing high
end DSLRs we usually stress more on
the image quality and performance.
Even the image quality needs much
more scrutiny. The images should be
checked in a monitor that has been
colour corrected. Professional cameras
are completely different compared to the
amateur cameras. The first and foremost
thing to do even before you receive the
unit is to look for the online reviews for
these camera. If the cameras have not
been released yet then figure out if there
are rumours about these cameras, as
many a times these rumours prove to be
true. Sometimes the best features are
hidden somewhere in the function menu
and can be difficult to find. The looks
84 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
of the camera are quite important but
what matters most is the feel. Try to see
how the camera feels in your hand with
different lenses on. Many photographers
use huge lenses like 600mm/800mm
or more, which can completely change
the dynamics of the camera operating
position.
Once you are satisfied with the
looks the next thing one needs is
the handling. Photographers prefer
to upgrade to cameras made by the
same manufacturers as their previous
cameras as the user interface remains
similar thus making it easier to use,
faster to learn. While experts can adapt
to any camera with any user interface,
professionals prefer to stick to one
since adapting can take valuable time
that the professional might not have.
Handling is specially important when a
photographer is shooting something that
requires high level of skill and has to be
shot in an instant without do overs like
sports, wildlife etc. It is also important
for fashion and food photographers who
almost always work on a strict deadline.
These professionals, it is important to
understand, have used several different
cameras over the years and are easily
displeased by even the slightest
handling issues. So the cameras need
to be perfect when it is being designed
keeping this customer base in mind. 
The next most important point that
every professional needs to absolutely
check is image quality. Image quality
can be checked through softwares
or just by the photographer’s good
judgement. Many softwares will provide
data related to image quality and pixel
density and chromatic aberration
etc. These values mean a lot to a
professional who, suppose is shooting
for an advertisement campaign and
needs to buy or rent a good camera
and lens for it. While checking for image
quality it is best to colour correct your
monitor using softwares or hardware
like Spyder 3 or 4. Check the hardware
of the camera as well. See how fast the
focussing is and how many frames per
second the camera can shoot at RAW or
JPEG or RAW + JPEG modes and see
if these suit your needs. Check if there
are enough customisable buttons to suit
september 2017 84
your needs as you will eventually use
them in your professional life.  camera and quickly invests in three-four
Also check if the camera is well
built. Whether you are a photographer
who shoots indoors a lot or you are
a photographer who likes to shoot
outdoors, a well built camera is one
less headache. Specially when you are
spending a fortune to buy these cameras
it is best to have a good build quality.  When reading this article one will
There is one more thing that
many amateur photographers have in
common with a professional but for all
the wrong reasons - Choice of lenses.
An amateur photographer buys a
lenses without any judgement, thinking
that they need to cover a wide array of
focal lengths. A professional wants to
buy a camera which has a wide variety
of choices of lens so that they have
options to choose from and only have to
buy what they absolutely need.
notice that this guide does not focus
on ISO performance. The reason we
are not talking about ISO performance
is because most professionals will
eitherway opt for the top of the line
model and will get the best ISO
performance or will use fast lenses
instead. Amatures shoot at higher ISOs
much more than most professionals do
because they do not invest on good
lenses and really are not that bothered
about a little bit of noise.
We hope this article has covered
most of the points that a pro needs to
check before deciding on a camera
apart from the most conventional
pointers that amateurs check before
making a purchase. If we missed
anything that you always check before
buying a new DSLR then let us know
and we will include it when we write
about it next!
teXt: sOUrADeep rOY
september 2017 85
 tips & techs
How and When to
Use Auto ISO
H
ave you ever experienced
changing lighting during shooting
pictures? If you have ever shot
during sunrise or sunset, you will know
how light in that particular short period of
time, changes spontaneously producing
different colours and providing visual
effects to a photograph. Light is important
as a camera only reads information
coming in via light and converts them
to images. However with the changing
intensity of light the parameters of
exposure for the specific image changes
and so you have to keep changing the
settings for the correct exposure for the
image. While all this sounds great, it often
poses a problem even to professionals
who know exactly what to do.
If you often have found yourself
in the field working in fast-changing
lighting conditions, where a high
shutter speed is necessary to capture
moving subjects, constantly having
to monitor and change the ISO slows
down the process, and sometimes you
miss capturing a special moment. In
situations such as this, you can switch
your camera to Auto ISO. If shooting in
86 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com
Shutter Priority mode, you can set the
shutter speed to the minimum you need
to ensure sharp photos. The camera will
then pick an ISO to ensure it maintains
that shutter speed, no matter whatever
changes is happening with the light.
What is auto iso?
Auto ISO is a feature, common to most
digital cameras, that allows the camera to
automatically pick an ISO for each shot.
You can use Auto ISO in Manual, Aperture consider shooting in Manual mode which
Priority, or Shutter Priority mode, but it is allows you to set both shutter speed and
probably most useful when using Shutter aperture, letting the camera only pick
Priority mode. In Shutter Priority, you ISO as the third variable.
can pick the optimum shutter speed for
your subject, and let the camera pick the When not to
aperture and ISO. use auto iso
The default for shooting with a Auto ISO is typically not ideal for
combination of Shutter Priority and Auto some genres of photography that do
ISO is for the camera to choose the not involve capturing quick action, such
largest possible aperture first, and then as landscape, architecture, and other
increase ISO as necessary to maintain segments of photography where aperture
the desired shutter speed as light levels and depth of field are more important
drop. For most action photography, such than shutter speed. These types of
as wildlife and people, a shallow depth photography are often conducted in
of field is often desired, but if you need a low light, and if you are working with the
smaller aperture for more depth of field, camera set securely set on a tripod, you
don’t need to worry about having longer
exposure times. In such circumstances,
Auto ISO would try to pick a higher ISO
for the low light, introducing unnecessary
digital noise which compromises image
quality to a large extent.
Also, if you are shooting wildlife or
action (where you need shallow depth
of field) and working in extremely bright
conditions, keep an eye on your camera
settings, as the camera will select smaller
apertures to maintain your chosen
shutter speed if it has already selected
the camera’s lowest ISO setting. In
such circumstances, you might need to
increase your shutter speed to be able to
use larger apertures, or turn off Auto ISO
altogether.

Capturing aCtion:
perfeCt for auto iso
When you are trying to capture moving
subjects, especially when working in fast
changing or low light conditions, Auto
ISO can mean all the difference between
missing the shot and nailing it. If you
are shooting in Aperture priority mode,
you will need to select an aperture and
assuming that you have already chosen
the Auto-ISO, the camera will select the
best shutter speed depending on the
remaining values.

hoW to seleCt auto-

iso in your Camera
Most modern cameras like mirrorless
and DSLRs will have the option of
Auto-ISO. You can choose the Auto-
ISO function, switch it on and select
the lower vale and the highest value.
Suppose your camera supports native
ISO from 100 to upto 25600. So in this

september 2017 87
 What not to do
While using auto-iso
The most important thing to remember
while using Auto-ISO is to set the
upper and lower limit. The lower limit is
however common for most cameras but
setting the upper limit of the ISO count is
very important as the camera will select
the highest ISOs to maintain the shutter
speed. This will result in a lot of digital
noise in your images. If you know your
camera well then it is advisable to set the
maximum ISO to the limit where noise
isn’t still visible. Moreover at certain
situations, your camera will refuse to
shoot because either the settings are
too less for that specific situation. To our

case you can choose ISO 100 as the

base and say ISO 3200 as the upper
limit. The camera then will only pick
ISOs between the 100-3200 range
giving you the best settings for each
image you shoot. On some DSLRs,
you can also limit the shutter speeds
which result upon selection of Auto-
ISO function and also limit the lowest
shutter speed that the camera can
pick. So if you want don’t to go below
the shutter speed of 1/60th of a
second, you can instruct the camera
to do so. This will ensure that you can
shoot maximum images without shake
and not having to dial in the settings
every time you pick up the camera to
take a picture.

idea you can still continue shooting

while increasing the upper limit of
the ISO setting. You will end up with
a lot of noisy images but may be a
few images might just work with the
overall mood of the scene.
Auto ISO is avoided by many
photographers as they think it to be
an automatic selection of settings by
the camera which is true to an extent.
However in situations where the
subjects or the lighting is changing
continuously, the Auto-ISO function
can be really helpful in such shooting
conditions.
TexT- MrinMoy Choudhury

88 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

tips and techs

How to make a vintage style

Photograph on Photoshop
If you have scanned through your old family albums, chances are that you have seen images that were
taken on film and then printed on photosensitive paper. After some 50 years of storage, the colours
or the images tend to shift and give the photos a yellowish tint which would look like a filter applied
on any photo editing software. Earlier nothing much was possible digitally but at the present time,
digital interference can be seen at all steps of photography. If you wish to give a new image a vintage
look, you can do it very easily using Photoshop. Below we have explained a few steps to change your
images to give that vintage look and feel.

First you will need your favourite images that you wish to turn to vintage. You should have Adobe Photoshop installed.

Step 1
Open an image in the Photoshop
window. You can go to File>open>select
your image.

Step 2
Create a duplicate image from the main
image so that the main image remains
intact. In case you mess up in any one
of the steps. Press Ctrl+J and make a
duplicate layer of the same image.

september 2017 89
 Step 3
Desaturate the image from colours. You
can do this by adding an adjustment
layer. In the adjustment layer dialogue
box you can edit the colour information
corresponding to the black and white
image.

Step 4
Add a gradient map and open the gradient
map dialogue box. On the lower part of the
dialogue box you can see a slider. You need
to choose the brown and sepia tint that you
want on the image. First click on the left
slider and chose colour close to brown. The
red in the image which is the highlights will
be replaced by brown colour. Click the slider
on the right sidee and change the colour
to yellow. (We have used 58,41,11 for dark
tones and 241,231,209 RGB for yellow. You
can choose any colour.

Step 5
After setting the tones in the image, it’s time to give it a
vintage feel by adding Noise. Go to filter and then add
noise. In the add noise dialogue box, select the amount
of noise and be sure to check the Gaussian blur option.
This will make the noise more even in the image.

90 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

 Original Image

Final Image

Now the final image will be a noisy, close to black and white image with a slight sepia tone, mostly looking like a vintage photograph
from an old album. TexT: MrinMoy Choudhury

september 2017 91
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ISO: 250

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 PHOTO-MONTAGE

Photo
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Send your entry to asianphotographyindia@gmail.com and tell us why we should feature it

Egypt has one of the world’s oldest civilizations, which was strongly connected with other parts of the world.
Iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes,
Karnak and the Valley of the Kings reflect the legacy of Egypt and remain a significant focus of archaeological
study and popular interest worldwide. This year I visited Egypt and framed the majestic Cairo, Giza, Abu Simbel,
Luxor and Aswan. The photographs cover the historical, cultural and geographical dimensions of Egypt.

Dr. Sayan Bhattacharya

96 september 2017 www.asianphotographyindia.com

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