Basic DSLR Photography weekend

Basic DSLR Photography Weekend batch 59 started on the 9th of August 2014. Here are some of the pictures taken by the participants. The images stand as an testimony of their Photography learning at Ambitions 4 Photography Academy. Many of the participants bought their first Digital SLR only after joining the course. Well structured curriculum, friendly and approachable mentor who can make the participants understand the concepts easily, guided field-trips, review and feedback all delivered with at-most professionalism makes the programme a big hit among the participants. Ambitions 4 Photography Academy is very proud to have been a part of each participants Photographic journey.

How to shoot a ‘Zoom Burst’ ?

Truck on the highway – effect of Zoom Burst

Zoom burst is an effect created by shooting a picture while the zoom ring is rotated. This gives a feel of radial blur – the middle part of the frame is relatively sharp and clear whereas the edges of the frame will take the blurring effect.

1. This can be tried with both moving and still subjects. The still subject will give a feel of movement…!
2. You can choose to use this technic on some dynamic subjects like automobiles or any other action prompting subjects. You can also use this on people when you want to make a special emphasis on to an individual leaving others behind in blur.
3. Preferably use short zooms (18-55mm/24-70mm) for good effects of radial blur.
4. Use zooming in or zooming out action for not more than 10 to 15mm range ie.You can zoom in from 18mm to 35mm or 24mm to 40mm. This will maintain clarity and sharpness in the middle of the frame.
5. Use shutter speeds closer to 1/30, 1/45, 1/60 and rotate the zoom ring at variable speeds for getting a right effect.
6. Check for the ideal exposure before trying the actual ‘Zoom burst’. A shutter priority exposure mode will be a good choice.
7. Use AF servo in Canon or AFC in Nikon and continuous shooting mode for better results.
8. If the camera is on a stable base or tripod, it will prevent the unnecessary hand shake while shooting still subjects.
9. May be you can tilt the frame a bit for a dynamic feel.
10. Avoid plain and flat backgrounds. Backgrounds with good colours and patterns are most ideal for zoom burst shots

Interactive session on 360 degree Panorama

Mr. Stalin Ramesh - architectural photographer and alumni of Ambitions 4 Photography Academy, conducted an exclusive interactive and demo session on ‘360 degree Panorama VR’ for the Learners of Edexcel BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Photography on 21st March 2014

SPIRIT Island

This photo had quite an adventurous and interesting back story to it. Spirit Island is an amazing site to visit late in the afternoon and into evening when the light starts to get soft and casts long shadows over the emerald green Lake Maligne. The one important key to this adventure is to make sure to find the tiny campground near this island while it is still light outside, otherwise you may have to paddle all the way to the end of the super long 22km, 350ft deep, 1 degree above zero lake (most likely without the aid of sunlight) Which is exactly what we had to do soon after this photo was captured!

Equipment: Nikon D800, 12-24 Nikkor

CAVE Paradise

An unusual view of a sea cave at night from within. Shooting very complex in its execution, and 'needed the complete immersion of my body to the upper body and the tripod in salt water. A targeted adjustment of artificial light while I took with Remote Control + self-timer to 10 seconds. Light soft for not overdoing the texture of the cave. Surreal environment also in the lived reality.

Equipment: Nikon D3s Nikkor 14/24mm

LITTLE Thief

A little wild water vole eating my blackberries

Equipment: Canon 1DX Canon 300 f2.8 IS L MK2 + 1.4 extender

Photographing Landmarks

Finding the Perfect Angle in Photographing Landmarks?

World renowned tourist destinations are always going to be written about and discussed widely on the net; therefore, the images of these places are always going to be in popular demand too. The point  is, everyone else knows this and is out there shooting away to glory. But a particular place might take on different characteristics during the course of a day. An image taken during one of these times will look and feel completely different to an image taken at the other end of the day. It is worth doing some research of the place you are visiting to find out what the most suitable time is to go about shooting it. Maybe Summer? Autumn? During daylight or moonlight? There is precisely why  professional photographers spend days, or weeks, together  at a particular location. Precisely that is the reason why they try  to capture its many splendors, moods and personalities. But for the average traveler with the intentions of capturing memories of their big trip, it’s all about capturing their experience. Irrespective of what level your photography is at, with a little effort spent in research and planning, and a thoughtful approach to creating images, it is possible for anyone to take that one shot that stands out from the rest. And the answer is to simply  think outside the box!