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By Anshum Mandore
03 March 2010
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Natural disasters leave a lasting imprint on all those affected by them and these families need all the support they can get to slowly get back to their normal lives. This is where photography can play a vital role where you, the photographer, can capture and accurately portray the devastation and the plight of the affected populous. Your photographs can go a long way to garner support for the relief work and help these people get back to normalcy. So in this article we will focus on how to document natural disasters in an ethical and sensitive manner.
Pictures that Reach Out:
When it comes to photographing natural disasters, the techniques, equipment or technicalities take a backseat. It does not really matter whether you are using a wide angle lens or if you are shooting with the right ISO settings. Your objective should be to take pictures that can make an impact on the viewers and urge them to extend their support to the victims. So focus on conveying the true feelings, emotions and the right scale of the incident in your photographs using whatever technical knowledge of photography you have.
Property Damage:
Perhaps the most telling images of any natural disaster are those of damaged and destroyed property. Buildings demolished by an earthquake, houses submerged under water by a flood or automobiles lodged high up in tree branches after a cyclone make for telling images of the aftermath. Try to capture these shots from various vantage points which also show the surroundings and help put things in perspective. Shoot wide, since zoomed in shots fail to convey a sense of location or scale. Wherever possible try to include people in your shots such as a family retrieving their belongings from a battered home, or someone driving around in a damaged automobile. But when doing so, be attuned to the heightened sensitivities of the people affected by the tragedy. Should you detect even a hint of discomfort, respect their wishes and discontinue your photography right away.
People:
Portraits of the victims can make for some really powerful and moving photographs. So try to capture their strong emotions through close shots. Once again however, bear in mind the heavy sense of loss and grief that is likely to be in the air and so be sensitive towards those around you. Also remember, that your objective of taking these photographs is to accurately portray the reality of the situation to the outside world. So try not to be too dramatic and instead focus on documenting all that you see.
While you capture the grief and loss in your portraits, do not shy away from portraying expressions of hope and the fighting spirit of the human race. An innocent toddler smiling in the midst of a calamity can be just as effective a photograph as an adult in tears. Another interesting subject to cover is the rescue effort. There’s something extremely inspiring and motivating about photographs of people helping other people. Capture scenes from the makeshift medical camps and places where clothing and rations are being distributed to the victims.
Flora & Fauna:
Photos of uprooted trees or perished animals may not attract sympathy from all. But they do convey a sense of the totality of the destruction. Try to include these amongst your subjects. Viewers are sure to feel a tug when they see images of pets in distress or livestock that has been abandoned or perished. Remember to always shoot these photos such that you show the destruction around them to give your viewers a sense of the situation. For example, a close shot of a drenched pet does not convey much, but the same shot with a submerged house or a damaged automobile in the background can effectively portray the gravity of the situation.
The Little Things that Matter:
In a natural disaster situation, often it is the spirit of the victims that takes the biggest hit. And there are always a number of small things that you can do to help lift their spirits while helping with the rescue and rehab efforts. For example photographer Sander-Martijn won over many hearts in Haiti, simply by using a portable Epson printer to present his subjects with on-the-spot prints (See our article here). Similarly you can think of other little things that you can do with your camera or even between your shots to relieve the victims of their grief, even if only momentarily.
Lastly and least likely, should you be in a situation where you have an opportunity to photograph a natural disaster while it is actually happening, before you pull out your camera, take measures to ensure your own safety and also help save other lives. After all, although a picture may be worth a thousand words, it definitely isn’t worth risking a life.
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By Anshum Mandore
10 February 2010
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Moving water has an ethereal property and waterfalls are amongst the most intriguing forms of moving water because of the effect they have on us. While some feel mesmerized by the strong and powerful current, others find calm and peace in the sound of the crashing surf and view of the foamy water. And it is this quality of this water body to evoke emotions which makes it an interesting subject for photography. After all, the objective of good photography is to recreate as close an experience to reality as possible. So here are a few pointers that will help you to achieve just that.
Freeze or Blur?
As with most moving subjects, flowing water presents you with two options. You can choose to shoot at a fast shutter speed and freeze the movement of the water wherein each tiny droplet will appear to be suspended in place; or you can showcase the flow by blurring the water using a long exposure. Many photographers opt for the latter. Shooting waterfalls with long exposures requires patience, skill and the right equipment. The obvious essentials are a camera with manual control and a tripod. In addition, having Polarizing and Neutral Density Filters may also prove quite helpful.
Technique:
The dipstick- This is also referred to as a ‘Control’ shot. Since exposure settings will play an important role in determining the end result, it is important to establish a starting point. To do this, all you have to do is to shoot a single frame of the waterfall on automatic mode and make note of the settings that your camera chose. The settings chosen by the camera will almost certainly freeze the water which is not the effect you were going for. But it will act as a handy reference point to start with.
Camera mode- Since shutter speed will be our primary control to achieve the desired effect, it is only logical that we shoot on Shutter Priority Mode and leave the rest to the camera. However the great thing about photographing waterfalls is that you get multiple opportunities for capturing the same shot, at least while the light and weather conditions remain the same. So if your experimental streak prompts you to shoot on manual mode go ahead and indulge in it. It may take a number of attempts on manual mode to get all controls right. But eventually you’ll be able to tweak the camera to get the perfect shot you were looking for.
Support- Long exposures will require the camera to be supported firmly. Camera shake can cause your photographs to look like a messy blurry mass of colours. So before you take the shot, support the camera firmly using a tripod or any of the other camera support options. Once you have this equipment, mount your camera on the tripod, set it to shutter priority mode, dial in the desired shutter speed and click.
When shooting waterfalls with long exposures during the daytime, sometimes you will end up with overexposed images. This might happen even if you are shooting on shutter priority mode to ensure smaller apertures. In such cases, you can try a few techniques to get around this problem.
Measures you can take to correctly expose your shots:
Watch the light- No rocket science here. Pick the right time of day when the natural outdoor light is not too bright and you’ll have plenty of flexibility to shoot at slower shutter speeds. The obvious times are just after sunrise or just before sunset. Also choosing a slightly overcast day is a smarter thing to do than selecting a bright sunny one. However if it is extremely cloudy, don’t risk getting caught in the rain unless you have the necessary equipment to protect your camera.
Cut light with filters- Polarizers not only give your deeper colours & cut reflections but can also reduce up to two stops of light. So by using a polarizer you can shoot at a shutter speed up to two stops slower than metered, without running the risk of overexposing the shot. Similarly Neutral Density filters can be employed for the sole purpose of cutting light and allowing longer exposures. Depending upon the strength, a Neutral Density filter can cut anywhere between 2 to 8 stops of light.
Smaller apertures- If nothing else works, switch your camera to Aperture Priority and dial in the smallest aperture possible. This will make the camera automatically select a longer exposure, although you would lose control on just how long. Regardless, this exposure is bound to be longer than your dipstick shot, thus yielding a fair amount of blur in the water.
ISO- Select the lowest ISO setting that your camera allows. Not only will this lessen the amount of light, but will also ensure that there is little or no noise (grain) in your shot.
A few other tips:
Bracket- Most modern cameras come with an automatic bracketing function which allows you to shoot consecutive frames that are automatically under or over exposed as compared to the metered or set exposure. Bracket your shots even if it needs to be done manually. Shooting this way ensures that at least one of a given set of bracketed exposures meets your requirement.
Watch the composition- Don’t get attached to a single vantage point. Move around and explore various locations and angles for the shot. If possible include a bit of the sky and at least one of the river-banks in the shot. This gives your shot a perspective.
Don’t obsess- Finally, on a more casual note, many photographers tend to get obsessed with a single technique of slow shutter speeds. But often a super fast shutter speed can also yield extremely interesting results, especially with raging water. Also, large apertures lead to shallow Depth of Field which can add a dreamy look to your photos. So don’t forget to experiment and try various settings.
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By Neeraja Kukday
09 February 2010
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With digital cameras becoming ubiquitous the art of self portraits is definitely turning into an ‘in’ thing. Of course there are major handicaps for shooting self portraits. First off you don’t actually see the photo until you have taken it (somewhat like film photography). Secondly you can never get the exact angle you want the first time around cause you have no screen to peer into. But despite the difficulties shooting self portraits can be a lot of fun. Not only does it satisfy your vanity but it also introduces you to a whole new genre of photography. You can try different angles, lightings and poses that others might not have patience for. So how do you start on this style of photography and what are the factors you need to work on? Well here are a few pointers to kick off the art of self portraits:
Focus:
Self portraits are all about trial and error so patience is the biggest part of shooting your own picture. Auto focus cameras can be useful in this kind of photography. But remember that if you decide to let the camera auto-focus on your face while using a wide aperture, more likely than not your nose will be the centre of attention for the picture. Not an exciting idea right? To prevent the camera focusing on your nose try using a smaller aperture. This can work wonders because smaller aperture means wider depth of field, thus making accurate focusing less critical. Another good idea for working on your poses between pictures, (if you are using a tripod) is to put a mirror behind the camera. This way you can see your reflection and make required adjustments to your poses without having to get up.
Use Self-timers:
Self timers can truly come in handy in these cases. This way you can simply mount your camera on a tripod and use the self-timer to trip the shutter after you get into position in front of the lens. Remember, however, that a self-timer gives you a very limited time to get in position (normally 10 seconds or less). So it will help if you already know where and how you are going to pose. For measuring the distance, simply keep a soft toy as a stand-in until you can be there, or mark your spot with a chalk. Of course, using a cable release or remote, if you have one, will be a much better idea. It will also help if your camera can delay the shutter a couple of seconds so you can hide the remote when you finish posing.
Photo by Jill Sheldekar
Use a mirror:
A mirror or some other reflective surface is another great way to take a self-portrait. Unfortunately in most cases, you will end up shooting the camera in the scene too. But you can solve this problem by using the camera as a prop. So try posing with the camera in different positions and remember to hold it away from your face. While using mirrors, be sure that your reflection is in focus because an infrared auto-focusing system will usually focus on glass if aimed into a mirror and at infinity if aimed at an angle. To solve this problem try focusing at an object which is at the same distance as your reflection, lock in the focus once you get this right and then simply take another picture with you in it.
Try different angles:
Your shadow makes for another great subject for self photographs. Shoot early in the day or late evenings, to give different auras to your shadow. To make these snaps more interesting experiment with backgrounds. Try different lightings, use a wall or water as the background or even shoot shadows on doors and such. Also remember self-portraits are about fun and you don’t have to focus only on your face. Try aiming the camera down your body from eye level. Take pictures of shoes, hands, nails and anything else you want to focus on. Finally even while taking pictures of your face try different angles, try the upside down look, the ones taken from the top and some from below your chin. Remember self portraits are about displaying your attitude. So go crazy and have fun!
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By Anshum Mandore
07 January 2010
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A silhouette is among the most impactful images that can be created using a camera. The term silhouette has been extended to describe the sight or image of a person, object or scene that is backlit and appears dark against a lighter background. In layman’s terms, a silhouette is a kind of photograph wherein the light from behind the subject is much brighter than the light from the front and hence only the outline of the subject is clearly visible without any features or details.
Photo by Anshum Mandore
In any well shot silhouette image, the subject can be easily identified from just the outline. To shoot such images, it is important to understand the concept of Dynamic Range because the ability to shoot good silhouettes depends on the Dynamic Range of the camera.
What is Dynamic Range?
Simply put, Dynamic Range is the ability of your camera to capture details in both, highlights and shadows (light and dark areas). The human eye is capable of extreme dynamic range and hence you are usually able to see your friend’s face clearly even in a bright background. But cameras have limited dynamic range and are normally only able to capture the details in the best lit areas of your composition. This is usually considered a weakness and there is currently a lot of ongoing R&D to design and manufacture cameras that are capable of Dynamic Range similar to the human eye. But when it comes to shooting silhouettes, this so called weakness works to the photographer’s advantage and makes it easier to get the perfect silhouette shot without having to make too many adjustments while taking the shot or during post processing.
Photo by Anshum Mandore
Technique:
Identify a good subject:
The first step is to identify a good subject for a silhouette. Subjects with distinctive shapes work best since their outlines are easy to identify. For example people, trees, figurines and flowers make good silhouette subjects. Square or round objects like a box or a ball on the other hand do not make for interesting silhouette photographs since they are the most common shapes we come across in our day to day lives and hence do not stand out as much.
Photo by Vidya Poyilath
Positioning the subject:
Position the subject in front of a light source so that the light from behind the subject is much stronger than from the front (the side which is facing the camera). The most ideal situation is when there is only a single light source which is positioned behind the subject.
Clutter free background:
Remove clutter and distracting objects from the frame. For a visually impactful silhouette shot, the subject should have as clean a background as possible.
Setting the exposure:
The trick now is to ignore your subject for a bit and adjust exposure on your camera for the light source in the background. Use aperture, shutter speed and ISO to make sure that it is neither overexposed (blown out) nor underexposed. This step will ensure that your subject is underexposed, since there is no direct light on it. This can also be achieved on automatic cameras. We will learn how to do that a little later in this article.
Photo by Vidya Poyilath
Adjusting focus:
Next, focus on the subject so that the outline is sharp. Remember to expose the background but focus on the subject. There are however, exceptions to this rule. For creative effect, some photographers occasionally choose to focus on an object in the background as well, to create a blurry silhouetted subject in the foreground.
Press your shutter release to capture the image. Review your photograph and adjust exposure if required before clicking again. Practice with different subjects, light intensities and aperture settings to get a variety of silhouettes, till you feel confident of having perfected it.
How to Shoot Silhouettes on Automatic Cameras:
It is easily possible to shoot silhouettes using automatic cameras like compacts, point and shoots and even your SLR on auto mode. What you have to do is trick the camera’s light meter. Most automatic cameras have a built-in light meter which takes a reading when the shutter release button is pressed half way. This meter reading remains in the camera’s memory till the time you lift your finger off the shutter release.
Photo by Vidya Poyilath
So the technique is simple; just point your camera at the background in a way that it fills the frame completely. Then press your shutter halfway and hold. This locks the meter reading to expose the image for the background. Now all you have to do is recompose the shot to include the subject you want silhouetted and press the shutter release all the way.
Similarly try locking exposure for different parts of the background and take several silhouette shots till you get the picture you were looking for. The downside to this technique is that most automatic cameras also lock focus along with the exposure when the shutter release is pressed halfway. So if your silhouette subject is too close to the camera, you may not be able to avoid blurry edges. Unfortunately the only way to avoid this is by focusing manually, if your camera allows it.
A few Do’s & Don’ts:
Make sure that your flash is turned off when shooting a silhouette. If you allow the flash to fire while attempting to capture a silhouette and if your subject is close enough you are likely to light the subject enough to reveal some details.
Don’t ever shoot directly into the daytime sun as this could cause permanent damage to the eyes. It is ok to shoot the sun when it is rising or just around sunset. If you must shoot a picture with the sun in the frame during the daytime, it is better to focus on a scene with the sun kept out. Once the shot is set up, the camera can be repositioned to include the sun by guessing its position. This may require several tries but will keep you out of harm’s way. Also try to hide the sun behind the subject in the shot
Silhouette photography is easy once you figure out just how your camera works. It can also help you understand a lot about lighting. So don’t hesitate to experiment with various angles and setups as in the end you will get it right.
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Quick Read:
- The term silhouette has been extended to describe the sight or image of a person, object or scene that is backlit and appears dark against a lighter background.
- Simply put, Dynamic Range is the ability of your camera to capture details in both, highlights and shadows (light and dark areas).
- The first step is to identify a good subject for a silhouette. Subjects with distinctive shapes work best since their outlines are easy to identify.
- Position the subject in front of a light source so that the light from behind the subject is much stronger than from the front (the side which is facing the camera).
- For a visually impactful silhouette shot, the subject should have as clean a background as possible.
- Use aperture, shutter speed and ISO to make sure that your subject is neither overexposed (blown out) nor underexposed.
- Remember to expose the background but focus on the subject.
- Try locking exposure for different parts of the background and take several silhouette shots till you get the picture you were looking for.
- Make sure that your flash is turned off when shooting a silhouette.
- Don’t ever shoot directly into the daytime sun as this could cause permanent damage to the eyes.
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By Anshum Mandore
30 December 2009
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Amongst the numerous benefits that the digital era has brought with it, the ability to easily edit and enhance photographs is perhaps the most noteworthy. What was previously a job best left for the experts can now be done by an eight year old who is familiar with photo-processing software, albeit to varying degrees of perfection. But is this a boon or a bane? There is no simple answer to this question. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that provided we know where to draw the line and the actual purpose for using the tools, there is world of joy waiting to be derived from editing and enhancing our digital photos. One such creative and ethically safe use of image editing and manipulation is creating a Photo Montage.
What is a Photo Montage?
A photo montage is a composite image created by the combination of several separate pictures. Often, the objective behind a montage is to create an attractive and artistic piece of work than a realistic looking image. Putting images together gives the work a sense of location and an emotional appeal which can prove instrumental to make an impact. Here we share some tips on creating an interesting photo montage.
Make a Diptych or Triptych:
A Diptych is a composite made up of two frames and a Triptych is made up of three frames. Such composites can be made in a number of ways:
Chop n Serve- This kind of montage consists of two or three frames made from sections of the same photo. Choose your subject well and you could end up with some pretty interesting and pleasing results. This technique works especially well if you only have a single subject in the photograph.
Near n Far- This kind of montage also consists of multiple frames made up from the same image. The difference however lies in each frame which brings you a little closer to the subject or takes you further away (zooming in or out). An image with a centred composition works rather well for this kind of montage.
Inward Looking:
Portraits or headshots of the same subject are best for inward looking montages. These usually consist of four frames laid out in a square pattern. In each frame, a portrait is laid out so that it is facing inward (towards the centre/opposite end of the square pattern). The result is a composite where the subject appears to be facing himself/herself in each frame. Don’t go looking for images facing the right way though. The horizontal flip function in most image editors comes in extremely handy here.
Common but different:
Creating this kind of montages is no rocket science and the results can be rather pleasing. They simply consist of multiple images that bear no relation to each other, yet somehow seem to sync harmoniously when placed side by side. Although unrelated, the images should share some commonality like shades of a common colour or similar compositions and so on. Such montages can consist of any number of images, but square patterns look especially nice. So four, nine or even sixteen frames can work really well for this montage. A Diptych can work as well.
Sequential:
Such montages usually tell a story by placing sequential images of an event or occurrence side by side. These can be created in many interesting ways and need not follow any particular rule as to number of images or shape other than following the same sequence of the event they represent.
Merge:
This one is a lot different from other photo montages and consists of a single frame. However that frame is itself a composite created by merging individual elements from various pictures, so that the result looks real but seems naturally impossible. The ability to merge images like this has been bestowed upon us by the age of digital photography. Such montages are easiest when created using image editors and hence require a degree of skill and know how.
Photo Courtesy Anshum Mandore
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