Keep it quiet, keep is simple

The day I bought my first Full Frame DSLR Canon 5D Mark II, for its unparalleled quality and dynamic range I promised myself never to buy any other format but Full Frame or larger possible sensor I can afford. I do not own any point & shoot, cropped or micro four third nor does it interest me.

For last few months I am into street photography; there were times when I felt that smaller and quieter camera could be the right choice for shots which I have to miss.

All thanks to a dear friend Subodh Sheety (http://subodhshetty.com/) who loaned and brought me Fujifilm X-E1 along with Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 and 60mm f/2.4. Holding it, I felt home; aperture and speed settings right on the place where and how it should be, small quiet and fast enough for candid shots. However, it was the quality, dynamic range and color depth which blown me.

On the streets of Dubai, well the UAE, you are always challenged with bright sunlight; this situation becomes tougher shooting people wearing bright white dress. However, X-E1 surprised me with its detailed highlights:

Can you shoot me? f/5.6 | 1/125 | ISO-200

My beautiful niece... f/2 | 1/60 | ISO-200

The area which literally blown me was perfect JPGs right out of the camera:

Perfect details right out of the camera. f/2.8 | 1/250 | ISO-200

When played with contrast results were amazing:

He was having tea, when asked can I shoot? Yes, with smile...
f/3.6 | 1/80 | ISO-200

Colors are not bad either:

Going down. f/5.6 | 1/125 | ISO-200

Fujicolor :). f/4 | 1/60 | ISO-200

Amazing Macros:

Vibrant. f/5.6 | 1/125 | ISO-320

Go green. f/2.8 | 1/125 | ISO-200

Moments which I would hate to miss:

There is a little child. f/5.6 | 1/80 | ISO-200

Oo its fun. f/5.6 | 1/125 | ISO-200

High ISO:

Calligrapher. f/2.0 | 1/30 | ISO-2000

Shop it. f/4.5 | 1/9 | ISO-800

With built in flash, bounced, loved this functionality:

My sweetheart, my daughter. f/2.4 | 1/60 | ISO-200

I have tried and tested Fuji X-E1 in almost every possible scenario I shoot. It impressed me immensely; however, one area that really sucks is post processing software support. I am forced to use Silkypix (SILLYPIX) due to lack of compatibility of CS5 to X-E1 native RAW format. When converted to DNG, file size become humongous. But thanks to its neat in camera JPG, one doesn't need processing at all.

On the street this camera is serious tool, did not miss one single shot whole time.

 

 

In search of Portrait

When people were willing but stun; Sun bright but was a relief.

I started 8:00 AM from Bur Dubai Abra station, Dubai, with the walk of an hour planned. It was bright and a pleasant morning (28 degree Celsius). I intended to make head-shots and wanted to make them up-close, and no monotone this time. I had Canon 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM on it; mounted Canon Video-Cam HF21 on the hot shoe, left Flash in the bag :(.

Photographing a common person up-close makes them stressed, stiff and stun; their smile painful and eyes wide open. Emotionally dumb and awestruck. A picture where only thing is a person's head, then that head must be shot well. I find it useful for untrained models to make them squint and look kinda up-to something. Bright Sun was blessing then. I didn't have to ask anyone to pose, Sun made if for me through out the walk. When it did not I struggle to make a good shot.

This walk was fun when most were ready with a nudge of camera, few posed without asking seeing Canon in my hands, a couple said weak no but with very little persuasion smiled for camera. I missed flash and a fellow photographer though...

All images were shot in AV mode, f/4 - f5.6, exposure compensation of 0 or +-1/3. ISO 100-200.

Pathan or Khan Sab as commonly addressed, favorite model of every photographer.

Mohammad Ali, this Abra driver makes a good model, always smiling and squinted. What would you do with the pictures you take?

Initially he resisted but agreed for a shot (burst :) )

Aaah, and the stiff one... stood like a soldier and left me wondering!

Ever ready for camera!

And again stiff one... depth and experience on the face made the pic for me...

Wide open and awe-struck

Happy to see you - very much ready and posed without asking

Jubilant one, was scaling the fish; when see the camera on his face shouted aaaaaawwwwwwww....

Could not convince him for face, shot his head from other angle

Surprised by the size of his hands

I have included few from the walk. Walk video:  http://youtu.be/1rbWThw_HMw

Enjoy... and happy shooting!

Photowalk Dubai, Why?

Photowalk Dubai... WHY? 

It has been more than a decade since I bought my first point and shoot digicam; full charged battery would last for 40-50 images, 1.6 mega pixels camera was point… wait… wait… wait… and then shoot. I pointed, waited, shot my first 10,000 worst pictures (still shooting bad though) for more than five years.

Switched to DSLR - remarkable Canon 20D, it was entirely different shooting machine. Fast, responsive, faster auto focus, high ISO, greater dynamic range, bright images, so forth and so on. I produced set of far worst 10,000 images next two years; images from point and shoot felt better in comparison to Canon 20D. Left me wondering and frustrated.

However, passion kept driving me insane, madness lead me to spend every fils saved replacing 20D; Canon 5DMkII was my new love, poured more money to buy lenses, lights and accessories. I updated my workflow as well; started shooting RAW and processing in Photoshop. In the course I tried and failed to learn from literature; watching training videos were not cool for my nature as well.

Early last year, March 2012, I joined EPyC, Emirates Photography Club on the meetup.com website. Attended 25+ meets, five photowalks and 20+ talks; however, felt something was missing.

I felt being morphed into the camera on Auto mode, continuously analyzing light, thinking what ISO would be best, f number, aperture setting, flash output would be, sometimes pressing my finger on imaginative shutter button; hence, frustrated, don’t know where to point and what to bring in and out of frame!

Later in 2012 I joined Photowalk Dubai (PWD) a new group on Facebook, formed by: Subodh Shetty and Anjum (OldFashioned AJ), Marian Pengyan Han joined recently. Creative, inspirational, dedicated, cool, awesome, appreciative are few layers of their composition. Without a doubt they are people to fall in love with immediately. 

Anjum (Old Fashioned AJ)

Since joining PWD, my images started to look lot less worst; to fellow members at least. Their feedback and thumb-up has molded confidence into my attire. My camera stopped humming and started singing heavy metal, PWD provoked and drove my passion to its limits. Last two months my cameras produced 15K exposures; hundreds of gigabytes are consumed on storage media. I am sweating, bleeding, sleeping, dreaming and living photography; my heart thumps and sounds like camera shutter.

It took me years to understand that camera is merely a tool; a disposable camera or a fancy DSLR wouldn’t make a snapshot or ‘the photograph’ neither does a technically perfect exposure. I know now, what’s the difference between ‘the photograph’ and snapshot. Composition and Emotion! Composition you learn with the time and emotion inside the photograph is purely luck. I consider myself lucky enough, finding emotions outside every image I share. PWD members are not miser at all when it comes to providing warm wishes, appreciation and loving response.

A smile of success (Subodh with Nikon D800)

Stimulate your passion... JOIN

Knocking blows

On the way, Dubai - Al Ain Road

Deserts are not most likely places to shoot in the summer, excruciatingly  hot, unbearably humid; virtually, it is the extension of the Sun. Ruthless sun doesn't like anyone stepping into it's domain; it blurs vision, draws out every drop of water from body, burns for the kill. 

It was particularly warm day, sun was bright and sky dull when I plan the shoot. Wind was dominant, wouldn't let sand rest too, knocking blow after blow; taking sand where it intended. Huge dunes were forming, smaller disappearing; wind continued creating, erasing and re-forming contours. 

Once my car was parked safely, I started walking into desert after crossing broken fences; immediately tasted crunchy sand in my mouth. I kept the camera lens covered and eyes shaded when possible. Climbing dunes while composing and capturing; every step was being sucked knee deep into soft sand. 

This very shot was captured at the beginning of 'golden hour'. Sun was at perfect position , or, rather I was. Breeze kept sand unease, flowing through the air; one such moment provided the opportunity to capture this moment.

Canon 5D MkII hand held, was set on Manual Mode, f10 - 1/160 - ISO 100; Canon EF 24-70 f2.8 was zoomed at its longest end. I exposed 250+ images that day, few came right straight out of the camera; whereas, mostly wrongly exposed and immediately deleted. After uploading this image to desktop and process into Camera RAW - tweaked color temperature a bit and convert to Black and White, re-sized, sharpen and framed.

Though this is not a perfect dune shot, the point being, get out and shoot when possible. One thing I have learnt from photography, the biggest opportunities always lies at or behind the door of challenge(s).