There was a sinking feeling that befell photography lovers when Kodak filed for bankruptcy recently. TV channels and newspapers carried news stories about how a company founded by George Eastman in the late 19th century, which went on to dominate the photographic film business in the world, was on the verge of collapse. According to observers, Kodak is failing because they were not able to adapt to the digital world fast enough. While this could be true, the world softly sympathised with Kodak’s predicament in deep nostalgia looking back at all the wonderful ‘Kodak Moments’ the company has given to the world.
Those Kodak Moments are mostly remembered in black and white. When mankind set foot on the moon, Kodak was there to capture the moment; when great men like Martin Luther King Jr. and J.F. Kennedy rose and fell, Kodak was there to capture every moment; and all in black and white. Even though the world has gone digital in vivid colours, there is something about those ‘old’ photos that greatly fascinate us. All photo editing software have options of transforming photos to appear like they are from the yester years. But of all these, one stands out as the cheapest in terms of cost and easiest to use—Instant Retro.
Larger than life photos of small insects or objects never fail to fascinate us. They are not only fascinating to the viewers but rewarding to the photographers who have the patience and skill to capture such small subjects and reveal crisp details otherwise difficult to see with our naked eyes. The genre of photography that deals with such kind of photographs is known as macro photography. Macro photography is photography that captures images at 1x magnification and above. It also refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life size. Life size photograph is written as 1:1 and anything above that, say, twice the size of life size is written 1:2. This ratio is in relation to the photograph’s film plane size or image sensor plane.
Macro photography is not a difficult art to master. All you need is the right gear and basic knowledge on how to go about it. Without proper equipment, even with the best of knowledge the chore cannot be accomplished. Here are a few things that will enlighten you on this genre of photography.
Architecture photography of any kind is always mesmerizing. The breathtaking designs, magnificent structures and the effect of light on them are a menu every photography lover cannot be fed up with. And as the world progresses and technology takes us to another level, various architectural designs have emerged that have held the masses in awe. Even while this presents great opportunities for photographers to capture these designs in frozen frames, trying something different like abstract architecture will bury the monotony of steel and glass, steel and glass, steel and glass...
Abstract architecture can be created by computers to create illusions of all kinds. But there is a feel of human touch when that is captured by a camera. Abstract architecture can be described as a form of an architectural presentation that has an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation. In a layman’s language, it is where a small part of an architectural structure is captured to form the main composition rather than trying to capture a larger portion, if not the entire structure. If mastered, this form of photography is a great art. Here are a few tips that can help one in capturing great abstract architecture photos.
India’s first woman photojournalist, Homai Vyarwalla had witnessed and captured the pre and post independent India. Clad in a sari and equipped with a Rolliflex camera, she shot several historical events and personalities in an age when most women hardly stepped out of the house. Her pictures present a visual transformation of India from when it was ruled by the East India Company to a free sovereign nation.
Born in 1913 to a poor family in Navsari, a Mafussil town in Gujarat, Homai Vyarwalla was sent to Bombay by her parents for further studies. She completed her Honours from Bombay University and a Diploma in Art from J J School of Art. This was when Vyarwalla took to photography and stared learning the craft of taking pictures with the help of magazines like Popular Photography. In the following years, her love for photography was further supported and influenced by her photographer husband, Maneckshaw whom she married after a courtship of 15 years.
Read more: A tribute to legendary photographer Homai Vyarawalla
Photographing sand? Probably this would be the reaction of many after hearing of someone with his or her gear out in the desert or beach photographing sand. Many of us have visited beaches, walked on their white sands yet did not think great photos could come out of them and rather concentrated on the expanse of waters and the orange horizons. The truth is sand photography is one of the most rewarding forms of photography. Some of the best landscape or nature photographers have taken picturesque shots of sand dunes or desert sands, not forgetting the famous sandy beaches.
Photographing sand is not an easy task, even though it may sound easy. It involves hardships, technical difficulties and if you lack good artistic or photographic eye, disappointing results. One of the major problems one faces when photographing sand is exposure. This is because sand is often bright and reflects a lot, making the camera come up with wrong readings. Here is a brief on how you can shoot sand, overcoming exposure issues and making the best out of various sand forms.
Read more: Shooting Sand: The light and form of a sandy setting
