Photojourney

Looking for some hope ( still on body language)

2008-11-24T04:40:00.000-08:00

The other day i found myself grabbing a piece of paper , and drawing how i feel those days . Using a pen and a pencil and photoshop for coloring , i managed to get some of whats inside me , and push it out on a piece of paper .

Some times when things get real dark ..... the only thing u could hang onto is.... Hope .

El Gezira Club Session

2008-11-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

About 2 weeks ago i was asked to give an overview of photography session at the Gezira sporting club .

Personally i loved the idea because of 2 reasons : 1) I cant waste a chance to talk about photography . 2) To meet people who in the near future are gonna be my superiors when it comes to shooting pics .

So i started reading the basics once more ( which I have to thank them for making me revise ) , summarizing a lot of books , and putting together a presentation which i hope didnt confuse u people all that much .

We discussed :

1) Basics camera controls
2) Lenses
3) How to put together a pic : Composing with different lenses , Basics elements of design .

We still had two sections to go which were : Rules of composition , and LIGHT .

Maybe we could finishem in another session later on .

Btw u guys , for all of u whove been reading the presentation as i explained and noticed sum words that werent spelled right , dont worry , i know the right ones , i just dont believe in spelling , as long as it pronounces right , it works for me .

Anyways , was a great night u guys , dont forget the field trip next saturday .

Just remember to put together an idea log before u go , and decide what types of shots u wanna take , just so u wont be lost when u get there .

Any questions or remarks regarding the presentation , i will be glad if u leavem as comments here .

Thank u all for a great chance . Keep on shootin .

A warm cup of coffee with a mood ....

2008-10-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

The only thing better than a warm cup of coffee and a good read , is shooting them i guess ... I know this is another interruption in the middle of all the body language posts , but a lil change never hurt anybody .... The setup here was :

1) First the foreground :
the cup , and book . They set the color scheme for the whole scene , so knowing my cup was brown/ beige , i placed it on a reddish brown book .
2) The background :
a) and here u have to once again remember the color scheme in the pic (brown/ beige) , so any wooden object in the background was gonna work fine for this one ..
b) make sure that the part of the background against/behind the vapor of the cup has to be real dark , so the vapor would show .
3) Lighting :
I placed a lightbulb right behind the cup ( which u could notice by the shadows on the book ) . Now i did this for 2 reasons ,
a) it usually gives for a dramatic heroic feel to the subject ( my cup) , ie it help me set my MOOD
b) Its the best way to light the vapour ( from behind ) .
I also have to note that the fill light on the front of the cup and book were bouncing of the white walls of my corridor ( where i took this shot ) .

And thats about it ... until we meet later ... keep shootin ...

A lil break from all the body language posts

2008-10-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Thought id give u a lil break from all the body language posts , and talk a lil about having a vision . A unique personal goal or style that makes ur photography standout from the rest . Ur trademark , ur copyright , a way in which people will know U shot this , without having to see ur name on it .

I just have to point out that personal style or vision , isnt sumthing that comes overnight . But it will start appearing in ur work without u even noticing it after years of reading , trying new forms of photography and polishing urself as a photographer . I find it limiting that sum people will stick to one form of photography and leave out the rest under the claim that they "like it" . What theyre doing unconsciously is leaving out vast amounts of knowledge experience and ending up having a weaker personal style that comes out of inexperience and not the opposite.

I admit that after 4 years of shooting im still in search of a "personal style" , but in that search im always learning sumthing new and developing myself , so im in no hurry to end that anytime soon .

Body Language 5 : Hand to face Gestures

2008-10-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sooooo ! , were back on the same topic , BODY LANGUAGE and posing ur subjects ! Today were gonna be discussing HAND TO FACE GESTURES . Hand to face gestures are extremely useful when posing ur subjects as they can tell a great amount about the person . Lets take those 3 shots for example :

1) Shot one : when u have the index finger supporting ur face in that manner and ur middle finger rubbing ur lips or just across'em , that's indicative of a CRITICAL attitude . It means ure evaluating whats being heard and criticising it in ur mind . Now if i were to shoot sumone , that i know has a criticising personality , i am likely to shoot him posing that way . That way the viewers will get that impression when they see the pic . So i used this gesture to tell my viewers more about my subject , and that makes for a more successful portait.

2) Shot 2 : The hand on the cheek position . Ok now thats usually a negative gesture indicating BOREDOM
,DISINTEREST . Usually accompanied by sleepy facial expressions . Now if we were to look at Mr No face's face and see him looking upwards , smiling slightly with the angles of his mouth , that would indicate a DREAMY attitude .

3) Shot 3 : Rubbing ones chin , or holding it between ones thumb and index fingers , is a sign of DECISION MAKING . Its a pose most people make when theyre about to make a decision . If i were to shoot, say a leader , posing him that way would make him seem like a person more capable of making decisions .

More on this topic later , until then , enjoy .

Body language : part 4

2008-10-08T05:23:00.003-07:00

Now , firstly im sorry ive been a lil late to post , i apologise. But i still remember we were on the interesting and very imp topic of body language , so lets continue with that . Today were talking about some body gestures that are considered negative body language signs . So here goes :

Negative Body Language

Leaning back and looking down: Lack of confidence, aloof
Limp, weak handshake: Nervousness
Leaning in too close: Could be threatening
Weak, soft voice: Nervousness
Clearing throat, saying "um, uh," using overly complex sentences: Insecurity, nervousness
Dropping head and looking down: Untrustworthy
Staring at other person during silences: Increases tension
Maintaining eye contact too long (over 7-10 seconds): May cause anxiety or discomfort
Rigid, stooped posture, feet shuffling: Lack of confidence
Folded arms, crossed legs, picking lint off clothing: Disinterested, disagreement
Twiddling thumbs, drumming fingers: Not paying attention, anxiety
Clenching or wringing hands, playing with jewelry, sitting on edge of chair, jiggling foot: Stress, nervousness, anxiety
Rubbing hair or back of neck: Frustration
Touching your face: Nervousness, dishonesty

Got them from this link here .

I will have to point out sumthing though . Body language is read in clusters or groups , just like words only make context when theyre in sentences . So its a mistake to judge only one sign on its own . U must link several body gestures together to give a correct interpretation . Well discuss that in more detail later .

New Photoshoot

2008-10-05T03:37:00.000-07:00

I know its been a while since ive posted and i also know that were still on the topic of body language , but this is a break . A small slideshow of a recent photoshoot ive done . Enjoy

Body language : The NO FACE experiment

2008-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

So continuing the topic of body language , i thought we'd use a few examples to help get my point through . Were starting a new experiment called the 'NO FACE' experiment , just to show us how strong body language is . In the next series of pictures were posing a character without a face , yet his body will help tell us about how he feels . So lets get to it :

In this first example we have here .... how do u feel about the subject ? I feel like hes relaxed ... Hands crossed behind his head nice and wide , body straight , slightly extended , no .. no tension there at all .... mr no face is relaxed here ...

Ok now the next couple of pics are gonna have mr no face with his hands on his waist ( supposedly a gesture of readiness , or disapprovement ) yet theyre still gonna have a different emotion in each ..

Here mr no face is lookin straight at us in a Challenging fashion . He looks ready , and confident ....

Whereas here just by looking away (slightly upwards) and

pushing his chest forwards , mr no face gave us an impression of arrognace , or disconcern .

Thats bout it for today , more examples in later posts ... Keep shootin ....

Further looking into body language

2008-09-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

This image is an example of just how strong body language is . Its plain to see theres no "face" or facial expressions here at all in this pic , yet the pose tells a whole lot about the subject .

The general feel u get from the pic is that of CONFIDENCE , ASSERTIVENESS . Arms crossed on the chest can sometimes show confidence , other times defensiveness , but it shows more confidence here than defensiveness when it was combined with the subject sitting back in the chair, and crossing his legs in an authorative attitude .

Had the subject been sitting up straight, still with his arms across his chest , and had his legs not been crossed , the impression u wouldave got could prob have been defensiveness and lack of confidence , even with the face hidden .

The meaning of body language , and learning how to pose ur subject

2008-09-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

Body language is one of the strongest means of communication used by humans . Its what humans do as the talk and live , without realizing it in a lot of cases . As a photographer , i think its really helpfull to be aware of that language and use it intentionally in ur portrait , lifestyle , stock, or modelling shots to convey more about ur subject . Some poses have come to be standard in portrait and modelling pics , and people will just copy them without really realizing what they mean , which is a shame cause in a lot of situations the pose u choose to copy wont really be fitting ur subject or what ure trying to say about it . So in a series of posts were gonna try to tackle that problem , and explain a lil body language so we can spark that creativity bit in all of us .

Examples Of Body Language from this link.

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR	INTERPRETATION
Brisk, erect walk	Confidence
Standing with hands on hips	Readiness, aggression
Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly	Boredom
Sitting, legs apart	Open, relaxed
Arms crossed on chest	Defensiveness
Walking with hands in pockets, shoulders hunched	Dejection
Hand to cheek	Evaluation, thinking
Touching, slightly rubbing nose	Rejection, doubt, lying
Rubbing the eye	Doubt, disbelief
Hands clasped behind back	Anger, frustration, apprehension
Locked ankles	Apprehension
Head resting in hand, eyes downcast	Boredom
Rubbing hands	Anticipation
Sitting with hands clasped behind head, legs crossed	Confidence, superiority
Open palm	Sincerity, openness, innocence
Pinching bridge of nose, eyes closed	Negative evaluation
Tapping or drumming fingers	Impatience
Steepling fingers	Authoritative
Patting/fondling hair	Lack of self-confidence; insecurity
Tilted head	Interest
Stroking chin	Trying to make a decision
Looking down, face turned away	Disbelief
Biting nails	Insecurity, nervousness
Pulling or tugging at ear	Indecision

Well thats about it for this post , but wait for more examples , and info about the topic in later posts .

Quick note

2008-09-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

When shootin food , we wanna bring out texture . So backlighting jam , and other semi translucent foods , really helps bring out their nature . Also those highlights on the surface of jam are not a thing to be avoided , quite the opposite , it makes it look much tastier and more realistic.

Ramadan Kareem to all of u Guys

2008-09-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

May it be a blessed month for all of u guys . Make the best of it .

As we all know , now is a good chance to shoot some Food and Drink . Practice , practice, practice ! Remember when shootin food , go for color , texture , fancy plates , glasses , cool styling ,and ofcourse good lighting . Shoot simple , clean , shallow Dof pics .

The one up there , i used lighting from a window to light this glass full of colored ice ( colored the water light yellow with some acrylic colors before freezing it ) . Simple pic , but works .

Stock photography

2008-08-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

Now ive been meaning to talk about stock photography for a while now , and i found this post at Mr Rich leggs blog . It was a great podcast he did with the fellows at lightsource , i personally loved it . Also check out Mr Sean Locke's blog for more on stock photography .

Panoramics in the break ....

2008-08-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

By now u all know im a fan of panoramics . So i snapped a couple of shots durin the break . The second shot was a trick panoramic to achieve a cool effect . Had my cousins and i pose in different positions in different shots as i rotated the cam for a fun shot .

That sums up my shots for the vacation . Keep shooting , and peace out .

Food shots durin the break

2008-08-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

Well last post was the last part of the challenge technically . But i also managed to snap a couple of food pics . Also a couple of panoramics , but ull see those in the next post .

Fifth part of the challenge : Landscape

2008-08-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Fifth part of the challenge is landscape . Now we already discussed landscape before , so im not gonna say much . But this pic i took in HDR , actually both of them , just used a tripod ,
took the pics over the span of about half an hour or a lil more , took multiple exposures and combined them on a program named Photomatix , which is why u see the name all over the pics . Again i went for Hdr to spice up what was a pretty bland landscape .

Fourth part of the challenge : Portraits

2008-08-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

Portraits were the fourth part of the challenge . Now portraits are a huge topic to discuss and theres all sorts of portraits around ( aesthetic , environmental , etc etc ) .

When asked by my cousins to take portraits for "facebook" use . U immediately understand , they want sumthing thats : a) them , b) cool, c) or in a cool setting . So i tried to go for that .

Some people seem to think that a good portrait only has to focus on the face or the face and shoulders , but i believe in flexibility and there are a huge number of successful full body portraits out there . Thats why the first pic in the post was a full body shot .

Part 3 of the challenge : Modelling Shots

2008-08-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

Modelling shots where the third part of the challenge , and those are quite different from portraits . Portraits are usually more natural , and calm than modelling shots .

In modelling shots the photo has to have a certain "wow" effect and a sort of impressive feel .

When trying to bring out muscle in ur shots , always remember its not mass ure looking for , rather definition . Very thin people who are well defined appear much more massive in pictures than huge dudes with no definition . Again hard light aimed directionally at the model and rim lights also help "paint" the muscles .

Second part of the challenge : Sports shots

2008-08-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Having my cousins around , it was a good chance to take a couple of good sport shots . So we headed off to snap a couple of pics . When taking sports shots that aint on the field ( out of actual events ) its more like a modelling session , and so u have to find the best poses in action that help show movement . Poses taken from low angles , with the subject midair usually give a strong action effect .

Also unlike event shots , long lenses arent usually what ure looking for , in fact wide angles can be more useful , as is clear with this shot where i couldnt manage to fit both his legs in the frame . In this shot , i had my cousing jump off a small fence throwing the ball infront of him , as i slept on my back snapping several shots .

Also black and white can give u an impressive look .

U have to find good locations , the sky is always an impressive backdrop . When post processing , go for a look that has a high contrast between light and dark on the model , it gives a radical dramatic look .And what better way to achieve this effect than shooting in the hard light of the midday sun .

Back !

2008-08-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

ٍSo i just came back today from a really needed summer break . Thank God for a great couple of days , filled with lots of photos. Speakin of photos i challenged myself before i left to take certain shots , dont really know how i did , but here goes :

Under lifestyle :

First pic

Second pic :

Just a few goals before i leave ...

2008-08-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

My fam and i have been lucky enough to manage and clear up some space in our schedules for a short summer break . To me , its a great chance to do a lil shootin , but i dont wanna just go there and " hunt" for what i can find . I thought id set myself some goals and see how many i can achieve by the end of the break . So i challenged myself to come up with at least :

1) A good landscape shot .
2) Some lifestyle shots .
3) A good action or sports shot .
4) Some cool portraits .
5) A couple of modeling pics .

Theres 5 goals up there . I'll prob be gone for a week, well 4 days to be exact , lets see what happens by the end of that time period . Hope my plan works . See u all soon .

Still not photography ,....

2008-08-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

Just found the theme music/ soundtrack of the movie ( which i talked about before ) called KitKat . Its named Beskalia and composed by Rage7 Dawood . An amazing piece of music . Posted by a utube user named meroman32 .

Chase's Summary of an assignment

2008-08-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Just saw this great vid of Chase on strobist . Had to get it here . Loved how he ,in a couple of minutes , expalined the entire process of doing an assignment . Enjoy.

Spelling doesnt matter

2008-08-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Its just sumthing ive been sayin for a big while now . And im sure all of u guys noticed that i intentionally write my posts the way I think words should be written . Spelling doesnt matter . A lot of my frends and fam , and ofcourse parents , would argue otherwise , but it made no sense to me why a word like tomorrow cant be " tomorow " , or different cant be " diferent " . Anyways , i was thrilled to find this post on the yahoo website today which sez just the Same .....

Ever had that happen to u ?

2008-08-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

Ever woke up from sleep feeling like u miss someone badly . Someone u know is no longer there in ur life . Someone who has been separated from u by the factors of time , place or ... just ur stupid actions . U wake up and u feel like talking to this person , but u know for sure they wont hear u , cause they no longer exist for u , or u no longer exist for them . The REAL world separates u . Ever had that happen to u ? .... Well it happens to me , and i dont know why im writing this here but , somehow it feels like shouting ur thoughts off a mountain , into open space ..... its ..... Relieving ...

Just another reason to carry ur cam around more ..

2008-08-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

There are a billion reasons i can think of why u should carry ur cam with u more often . One of them is to practice ur PHOTOSHOP .

The other day i went out to shoot specifically to get some raw material for some ideas i had on photo shop . It was during a long shift i had at the hospital , thought id snap a couple of shots , to work on a lil when i went home .

Until later , keep shootin .

Mansiat el Set : Not photography related

2008-08-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Blogs are a fun place to be when ure on the net , u read all sorts of articles and stories , see into peoples lives and minds , plus u find really cool stuff all over the place .

My latest read was at Shayma Ashoor's blog , a series shes been working on called Mansiat el Set ( only for those who can read arabic ) . I personally enjoyed it immensely , and respect the reasearch she put into writing those pieces , plus im a big fan of Omo Kalthoum myself , so yea , im biased haha ...

Anyways .. heres the link , enjoy ... :)

Shooting interiors

2008-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

When shooting interiors :

1) Do ur best to read a lot about interior design , architecture and art movements , cause it not only helps u take better interior shots but it also does : a) Makes ur work more convincing in terms of design meaning if ur furniture is for example of the Baroque style , an abstract Picasso on the wall isnt really fitting , ud rather have a Vermeer or a Rembrandt on the wall ( cause theyre baroque too , same time periods , same style ) . b) Helps u rearrange ur interiors in an impressive way .

2) Remember ur aim is not to include the WHOLE interior , but rather use ur cam to frame a part of that interior that best describes the style , sort of summarize the place in a smart frame .

3) U want ur frame to have horizontals ( representing stability) , verticals ( representing elevation , grandeur ) , and diagonals ( which give still interiors the beautiful dynamic feel ) .

4) Ur 3 friends are STRUCTURE ( organizing the interior into a harmonious whole unit ) , LINE DYNAMICS ( we talked about that in point 3 ) , AND DEPTH OR PERSPECTIVE ( to give ur 2 dimentional frame a 3 dimentional look ) .

5) Symmetry at times maybe cool ( like in the pic above of my living room ) , at other times the rule of thirds applies , other times u may use leading lines .

6) At the expense of a little distortion, a wide angle lens , may be one of ur best tools when shooting interiors , esp tight ones . Others prefer to use a tilt shift lens to avoid leaning verticals , and too much distortion , then again u can do a lot of image post processing on photoshop after using a wideangle . Personally i love the distorted effect of the wide angle .

7) The way u wanna light ur pics is u wanna makem seem as natural as possible . I dont mean dont use accessory lighting , i just mean use it just so its not so awkwardly visible . When lighting interiors u have many options , u can :
a) Use natural light .
b) Use hidden flash units and totally block out interior lights ( turn em off) .
c) Combine a and b ( usually the flash will be used as fill light ) .
d) Light paint ( yes it can be used to achieve a "natural " feel , with a lil effort ofcourse ) .
e) Combining flash and exterior light with the interior lighting .

The advantages of using ONLY natural or flash is ofcourse u dont have to worry about different color temperatures , then again when combining them with interior lighting ( tungsten : red , or flourescent : sickly green ) there are several ways to get around that . Like shooting different frames at different color balance situations and combining them .

8) If u dont have a wide angle ( like myself ) u can shoot several frames and stitch them like the pic up there , panoramic interiors are cool , just watch out for the exposure and color balance of each shot .

Well thats all i can write for now , a whole lot more can be written about that topic , but maybe in later posts . Be safe , and keep shootin.

A lil summer spirit

2008-07-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

A song i like from the movie Surfs Up , really fresh , and the words are full of optimism. Song by Sugar ray , and clip by a youtube user called Helicalvortex .

Enjoy .

Not photography , but hey , its a good song .

Amusing : if ure a photographer

2008-07-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

As a photographer Ud either have to be extra stupid or extra smart if :

1) U try to take a macro shot of the horizon .
2) U've been tryin to take a wide angle zoom shot for a while now .
3) U manage to get an underexposed pic of the sun .
4) Every time u shoot jello its motion blurred .
5) Everytime u take a nighttime landscape u set ur flash to full power because its always too dark .
6) U've been trying to take a panoramic shot of a housefly for a really long time now .
7) U cant manage to put the film roll in ur new digital camera .
8) Everytime u pull ur memory card out of ur cam , u have to do it in the dark so the light wont burn it out .

Thats all i could think of now , until later , keep shootin ..

Nighttime panoramics....

2008-07-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Nighttime panoramics really have that unique ability of bringing out the beauty in urban landscape . On several of my night outings i make it a point to shoot a few of those , 2 of the pics here were taken on the previous CCC outing .

My advice to u : TRY THEM . Just use ur tripod to shoot several frames and stitch them on ur computer ( so many easy to use programs out there right now) . The trick is when u move ur cam make sure each frame has a common area with the one before it ( minimum 30 percent) for a good stitch . Enjoy ...

Nighttimes .....

2008-07-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

First day off i get since the beggining of the week ( the shifts at the hospital are hectic ! ) , thought id do a lil cleaning and tidying up to this pig sty i call my home . Started on that , but i found myself here writing a post on night shots .

Thats the theme of the next outing and was the topic of our last CCC meeting ( Mr Wally did a great job with his "light painting" presentation , it was very inspiring and full of ideas to try ) .

Thought id also do a quick review bout the things ure gonna need if ure shooting nighttimes :

1) The best time is right after sunset , when the sky isnt really black , but rather shades of blue and purple ...
2) Ur tripod is a must ( were doing long exposures ) .
3) Dont forget to clean ur lens nicely , cause all those lights can bring out those stains badly .
4) Keep ur iso as low as possible to minimize this grain .
5) Do a lot of exposure bracketing , and dont forget to try HDRIs .
6) In case u wanna do nightime portraits , or just use shallow dof on nearby dark objects , u may need a flashlight to help the cams autofocus system ( the cams autofocus system usually focuses on the brightest things in the frame) ..
7) For all of u who have star filters , WHAT ARE U WAITING FOR , now is the time to use'm !, for those who dont , really small f stops like f 20 and smaller can give a similar effect in some cases.
8) Nothing wrong with combining light painting , flash , and urban landscape all in the same frame , get creative !
9) Now that i mentioned urban landscape , try not to forget to snap some urban nightime panoramics .

The pic up there was taken from the Gamaa bridge in cairo by urs trully .

I suggest u try this place out for a lil inspiration , its an amazing blog full of urban nightime landscapes ..

POV ( point of view) photography ..

2008-07-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

Its basically strapping ur cam to the subject and triggering it with a remote device , its does amazing things when ure shooting action or sports photography .... Enjoy this nike vid POV style posted by a u tube user named Jr213g ...

Chase also has this cool link explaining how he does POV ....

Photoshop video tutorials

2008-07-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this link to some very useful photoshop tutorial videos .... Thought i had to share ......

http://pstutorialsblog.com/free-video-tutorials-from-watch-and-learn-photoshop/

Enjoy...

Article from shutterbug .. Shooting infrared

2008-07-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

A sweet article about shooting infrared from shutterbug. Heres a teaser :

Shooting infrared has the power to transform mundane subject matter into unforgettable images. Everyday scenes that you might walk by and never think of photographing take on a more dramatic look when seen in infrared .

Because the imaging sensors used in digital cameras are sensitive to more than visible light, some manufacturers place an infrared cutoff filter in front of the chip to block infrared light from striking it and causing color balance problems. This filter’s effectiveness varies from model to model, but some consumer digicams allow enough IR to pass through to permit, what techies would call, near infrared photography when an appropriate filter is placed in front of the lens.

When I get a new digital camera I give it the “remote control” test. One of the easiest ways to check if your digicam is capable of infrared capture by using filters is to point a TV remote control at the lens and take a picture or look at the image on the LCD panel. If you see a point of light, you’re ready to make IR digital images. All you need is the right filter to get started. If your digicam passes the TV remote control test and has a Black and White mode, you’ll be able see the infrared effect right before your eyes.

For More read the post at shutterbug.com

Watch out for those shaddows on the walls

2008-07-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of people complain of their subjects getting shaddows on the walls when they shootem ( esp with flash) . There are a lot of ways to avoid that ( flashing ur shaddow areas on the walls , or just bouncing ur flash off the ceiling or trying not to position ur light too low , avoid light colored walls , and a zillion other ways probably ) , but one of the simplest ways is just keeping ur subject a good distance away from the walls and not shooting with ur flash straight onto the subject . Flashing ur subject at an angle (i.e lighting in planes ) is always a great idea , plus it gives a more realistic 3d feel to ur shot .

Everybody stutters one way or the other .....

2008-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

A word of wisdom , from a rather old song which i still find inspiring ..( Scat man John couldnt complete a sentence without stuttering , ever since he was born . Its seriously amazing to think how very few people can sing this " impossible to sing without stuttering " song , yet he did it impressively)... "Everybody stutters one way or the other" .... Even the best photographers shoot bad pics , what really makes them the best is that those bad pics wont ever hold them back .

I also love it when he goes " but what u really dont know , im gonna tell u right now , is that the stutter and the scat are the same thing " ... True , sumtimes accidents and crazy thoughts can really be the peak of creativity , just dont be scared to experiment and do sumthing different .

This vids from u tube posted by a user named Xenoalien.... Enjoy....

Short advice ..... to take better pics ....

2008-06-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

When taking a pic :

@Always keep it as simple as possible ....

Dont worry about what others think ... ure a PHOTOGRAPHER .. !

2008-06-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

In a lot of cases to get the good shot , u have to dive down on ur belly or lay on ur back , or climb a tree , and i smile when i find photographer friends unwilling to do that . Never worry about what ud look like while shooting , never think about what "others" will think or say . Cause when u do :

a) Ure not using all ur options ( ure missing a lot of good angles) .
b) Ure distracted , so u use only a small percent of ur creative power .
c) It just shows u dont have the confidence to apply ur ideas .

Just be confident , and do ur thing ! ....

The Creative Gap : From Chase's blog

2008-06-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

Like a zillion other people , im a regular reader of Chase's blog , and like a zillion more , i just love his work .The other day i saw this rad post there bout what we call the "CREATIVE GAP " , and i just had to link to it . Heres a teaser :

Heres the question that started it all : "Your pictures are stunning. Mine are not. Not trying to oversimplify this, but how on earth do you do what you do with a camera? I desperately want to move my creativity forward, but it won't seem to budge."

Chases answer : The answer to the question above lies in what I call 'the creative gap.'
The term 'creative gap' is a way of describing the difference between what we as artists can visualize ourselves creating and what we actually create. Sometimes we nail it and the gap is nil. Other times, as you might imagine, there's a huge disparity and the gap is wide. Whether we lack vision, skills, timing, whatever - it can get frustrating to set out to create a masterpiece, and settling for a different kind of piece, if you know what I mean. You envision it like an Edward Weston, but what you get is more like an Edward Scissorhands.

The rest of the post and a great vid at

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2008/06/inspired-bychallenged-by-creative-gap.html

From Berts blog : Time to shoot ...

2008-06-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Was at Bert Stephani's blog a while ago , and loved his new post, a must read , heres a teaser :

" I get a lot of e-mails from people who like to find ways to become a better photographer. When I tell them that lots of practice is the key to improvement, many say “yeah, but I don’t have time for that”.

Bad news for those who seek an excuse for not improving , good news for someone who wants to grow as a photographer: EVERYONE HAS TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH !!!

Don’t panic if you don’t carry a camera or the situation doesn’t allow for photographing. Enter the concept of (what I call) ‘mental photography’, taking pictures in your head. When you see some nice light, a cool background or an exciting composition, try to imagine how to photograph it. It may sound like a silly idea but I just know that a lot of ‘mental photography’ allow me to develop some good reflexes. I have been doing certain actions, settings and technical solutions so many times in my fantasy that I don’t have to think about them anymore when actually shooting. It has become second nature. "

I LOVED THIS ... THE FULL POST AT http://bertstephani.com/blog/?p=75

Bouncing off some ideas : Getting creative with shallow DOF

2008-06-23T02:58:00.000-07:00

When we talk about shallow depth of field photos , most of us immediately remember those beautiful portraits with the subjects face sharply in focus against a colorful blurry background . But today were applying a new use for shallow DOF , with the human element out of focus , and in focus will be "something" we will use for "story telling" . So lets get creative . Below are three pics I took that have the very same out of focus background with urs truly sitting in the same position each time . So basically I fixed the background just to show u how flexible this technique is . All were gonna be changing is the foreground and notice how different each pic becomes .

In this first composition I placed a watch in focus in the foreground . The immediate effect is the "Waiting" story . Time becomes the subject here . We start thinking of , "whats he waiting for" , or maybe it’s a "too late" scenario . That’s not the end of creativity though , if we were to place urs truly sleeping on a bed , we get the different story of " late to wake up " . If we were to place urs truly on a desk with a pencil and paper ud get the effect of " no time for this tough exam " . Go as creative as u want !

In this second piece here , is a tiny very unattractive consumer "point and shoot" cam in focus . Now the story is totally different than the previous pic . Now its more like " is he a photographer , maybe a beginner ? " . If I had maybe layed the cam on its back with it turned of it could maybe have sent the message of " no inspiration " . Wanna get creative ? Lets make urs truly hand someone some money " still in the background " , and the cam still in focus , now the story is " Cams are expensive " . Or maybe lets make the out of focus area in the pic someone posing for a portrait with urs truly shooting him with his pro cam , now the story becomes " this cam is as good as a pro cam " . See how rich this technique can get ?

In the third and last pic here , we have a bunch of pills in focus . So the story is " addiction " maybe or "sickness" , maybe or "depression" . Now lets get creative , give me a bunch of weights in the background and a couple of dumbbells and a gym suit , and now the story is " steroids " . Make me sit on a dinner table and eat something in the background and the story is " food supplements " …

There, ! Ive bounced off some ideas for u . Go crazy ! .

Full Frame Sensors continuing the sensor discussion

2008-06-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

I was at this forum and saw this post about full frame sensors , and thought since were discussing sensors id summarize this pretty long ( yet informative ) post for all u guys .

Heres the question that started the thread :

@ hi there. i'm trying to understand why people are so crazy about full frame. the biggest advantage of it that i see is the ability to get wider.

conversely, i know that the edges of a lens are where it performs the worst optically, so if you can eliminate that area, it seems beneficial to me.

And those were the replies :

@ Well, a bigger sensor means bigger photosites, so lower noise for the same resolution and/or higher resolution. It also means you can use older lenses the way they were designed - a 50mm acts like a 50mm, not a 75mm.

@ Shallower depth of field. A full frame sensor is capable of the equivalent of one and a half stops (for a given field of view) shallower DOF compared to a crop sensor.

@ For me, I want the larger file sizes to work with, and the ability to use my wide-angle lenses to their fullest potential.

@ If you can't perceive what a 12-24 lens gets you with a crop sensor cam, then you don't need or want full frame. Super wide is super wide, whatever the camera. I've shot stuff with the Sigma 12-24 on 35mm film that gets you places where no crop sensor camera can even go near.

@ Some of the more dramatic landscapes require a wide angle. If you ever need to stitch an image for creative reasons, the FF sensor gives you more image to use, so you need to stitch less.

@ FF is a step towards medium format without the hefty price tag of film or a digital back.

@ the biggest advantage of the FF is the fact that you get shallower depth of fields with your wide apertures. for example on a medium format@80mm f4 possibly gives you similar DOF as you would get 50mm@2.8 on a D3. You probably go to f1.4 on your D200 to get the same DOF.

@ Until the smaller sensors - like the 4/3 system - can produce very low noise images at high ISO's like the the full frame (35mm size) sensors from Canon and Nikon - they will always be relegated to consumer cameras and will never be taken seriously by professionals.

@ For me, in order of importance, why I LOVE full-frame.
1. Lower noise than same generation cropped sensor.
2. Shallower DOF.
3. Same angle of view as 35mm film.

And ofcourse , last but not least , the comment which i LOVED THE MOST , and for me was the MOST EDUCATED, MOST INFORMATIVE --->

@ Chicks love FF!

I couldnt stop after reading that one , i laughed for a pretty long while ! hehehehe ...

SENSORS continuation ..

2008-06-10T03:33:00.000-07:00

Every place has to have this photographer whos always out there , keen on spreading the knowledge and making sure the photo " illeteracy" (if i may ) , becomes less and less each day . Over here , it Mr Tony Marcel , whom i cant thank enough for his newsletters and emails . The piece down here is from an email he sent to u where he literally summarized photography in general . Enjoy . Its pretty long but its worth it .

Sensor types

Fujifilm's SuperCCDs use a honeycomb layout for photodiodes and the color-filter layer.

Start shopping for a digital SLR and you quickly find yourself entangled in a rat's nest of claims about sensor types and sizes, not to mention an entire alphabet of acronyms. Here's a breakdown of the basic sensor types.

CCD (charged-coupled device)
Currently the most common type of digital SLR sensor. Almost every dSLR manufacturer offers at least one CCD-based model.
Pros: Traditionally, the highest image quality, pixel for pixel. Current sensors include innovative chip architectures designed to enhance dynamic range or speed.
Cons: Most expensive. Most power-hungry.

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The CMOS sensor used in Canon's Digital Rebel XT.

CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Initial implementations took advantage of CMOS' on-chip electronics to make cheap but noisy sensors. Stripping off the extra circuits increased each pixel's light-collecting area, thereby boosting sensitivity and quality to surpass that of many CCDs.
Pros: Theoretically, lower production cost. Uses less power than CCD.
Cons: CMOS sensors tend to be bigger than their CCD equivalents, resulting in larger cameras.

The bottom line on sensor types
Ignore the theoretical claims and judge the cameras, not the sensor types. We've seen great photos--and crummy ones, too--from digital SLRs with every technology.

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Sensor sizes

Nearly all digital SLR sensors are much bigger--and consequently much more expensive--than the thumbnail-size imagers in point-and-shoot digicams. Current digital SLR models use these sensor sizes.

Four Thirds
The specified sensor size for the Four Thirds format, an open digital SLR standard created by Olympus and Kodak.
Dimensions: 17.3mm by 13mm
Example cameras: All Olympus, Panasonic dSLRs

APS
A loose term for imagers that are approximately the size of the APS-C or APS-H film formats. Most digital SLRs use this size.
Dimensions: Varies, APS-C (ranges from about 14mm by 21mm to 16mm by 24mm), APS-H (28.7mmx19.1mm).
Example cameras: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, Nikon D80, Sony Alpha DSLR-A350, Canon EOS-1D Mark III

35mm-film format
Often called full-frame, to indicate that the sensor is the same size as a standard frame on a roll of 35mm film. Sensors this big are very expensive to build, but they eliminate the so-called focal-length magnification factor (see page 4 for more on this).
Dimensions: 24mm by 36mm
Example cameras: EOS-1Ds Mark III, Canon EOS 5D, Nikon D3

This image shows the actual sizes of the sensors used in digital cameras, from the tiny chips in compact cameras to the large, 35mm-film-size sensors in some high-end digital SLRs.

Geek note
Larger sensors are the secret to why 10 megapixels from a digital SLR beat 10 megapixels from a consumer digicam. To spread the same number of pixels over a larger sensor area, the pixels (technically, photosites containing diodes) must be bigger. These bigger photosites gather more light, so they produce less-noisy images, capture greater dynamic range, and perform much better at high ISO settings.

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So what sensor resolution do I need?

The short answer
Any current dSLR has sufficient resolution to handle Web or newspaper reproduction. For magazines and large print sizes (16x20 inches and greater), especially where you'll be cropping for detail, 8 megapixels is a good starting point. Fine-art landscape photographers and others seeking maximum detail should consider 10-megapixel-plus digital SLRs.

The long answer
Do the math. For example, let's say you're making an 8x10-inch print on an inkjet printer.
Step 1: Figure out the required output resolution.
Our inkjet printer produces best results at a resolution of 240 pixels per inch or greater.

Step 2: Multiply the required output resolution by the linear dimensions of your final print.
8 inches x 240 pixels per inch = 1,920 pixels required for the vertical dimension
10 inches x 240 pixels per inch = 2,400 pixels required for the horizontal dimension

Step 3: Multiply vertical by horizontal.
1,920 x 2,400 = 4,608,000, or 4.6 megapixels, is our minimum required resolution.

Step 4: Accommodate some overhead for cropping.
If you think you'll usually crop out about 30 percent of a photo, add 30 percent more pixels to the minimum required resolution.
4.6 megapixels x 1.3 = 5.9 megapixels

Keep in mind:
The math outlined above isn't written in stone; you can usually get good large prints even when you scale an image's resolution up in a program such as Photoshop.

What about dust?

Every time you change the lens, you run the risk of dust getting on the sensor, which at best can result in bad pixels you'll need to retouch out of your photos and at worst can muck up your camera's insides. Unless you shoot in very dusty, sandy, or otherwise particulate-heavy environments, and if you take reasonable care when you swap lenses, dust shouldn't be a huge worry; most cameras include a combination of antidust technologies, such as vibrating the sensor on startup to dislodge particles. If you are partial to shooting around dirt and sand, then you may want to search for discussions about the efficacy of various systems. Some sites, such as Chasseur d'Images, ran comparative tests in 2007 and concluded that Olympus had the only decent performance in this area. However, a year (or more) is a long time in a camera product cycle, and the results may have changed with subsequent generations of cameras.

HDRI IMAGING

2008-06-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Photo by Stuck in Customs

Hay u all , its been a while since ive posted.. Sorry for that .... So anyways the other day , we were at the CCC meeting discussing some photos when the subject of HDRI ( high dynamic range imaging ) came up ., and i thought lets make a post bout that .

So heres the basic wikipedia definition :

high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) : is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques.

So heres a summary on the technique in a very simplified way and im posting a link for a HDRI forum in case u guys want more details :

1) The trick is , in a busy scene , there is no universal perfect exposure , there will always be a part which is darker( underexposed) and a part which is brighter ( overexposed) .

2) U set ur cam on ur tripod and prepare to take like 4 to 6 pictures of the same scene, but with a different exposure setting each time ( underexposed , overexposed ) .

3) Using a computer program , u combine the different pics , to obtain a universal perfect exposure for every subject in the scene ( some programs will do this part for u and even adjust the tonalities) .

Thats as basic as it gets .

The link to the forum .

Photo by Stuck in Customs

Not photo related ( my fav movie scene )

2008-05-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ok this is not at all photo related , so if u dont feel like watching the vid u dont have to . Oh and its also in arabic so u have to understand that prob .

Below is what i consider one of the best written , best acted , best directed movie scenes in the history of egyptian cinema , not to mention the music ( soundtrack if u may ). Its from a movie called Kitkat ( named after of one of the poorest slum areas in egypt ) , and the movie tells the story of a blind man named el Sheikh Hosney . Yet there is a strong symbolism carried within the scenes and characters of the movie . The clip is from youtube uploaded by a user called EKNOWLEDGER .

A lot of people miss the symbolism in this scene . But i loved one of the readers comments to this vid on youtube , very very true , very artistic vision to the depth of this scene. Heres the comment by a user called AMRVAMP ---> مشهد فى قمة الجمال و الإتقان , حوار رائع و مؤثر و موسيقى جميلة.
البيت فى القصة هو مصر , و (مجاهد) هو صديق الأب الجيل القديم الذى حارب فى أكتوبر و إنتصر.

Some of the things i love about this scene:

a) The man ( am Megahed) whos lived all his life selling fool ( beans) , died doing what he lived all his life doing .
b) His cart that carried him during his life ( by carrying what he sold ) also carried him during his death . ( Symbolism ? )
c) When am Megahed died , the only person ( or the first person ) to realize it , was Sheikh Hosney , the blind man . ( Symbolism ? )
d) In the music Notice how the church organs come in at min 3 :45 right about the time he accepts the fact that am Megahed is dead and starts preparing to move his body , notice how at 3 : 50 the music starts changing to a peaceful serene tune as if saying , its ok hes in a better place now . Notice how near the end of the clip the music stops , and all u hear is birds chirping and pigeon sounds , as if its the peace of accepting reality or maybe the sounds ud hear at a graveyard.
e) How he moves between the narrow buildings and sinks in as if sinking deep in a grave .
f) How he covers am Megahed with his shawl , how its black , how his dress is white ,( symbolism ?) , life and death ? , right and wrong ? , angels and graves ? ..... SYMBOLISM... !

Either way symbolism or no symbolism , its an amazing piece of work . I just felt like i had to share this with u .

The "festival" , thinking the total opposite

2008-05-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

About a week ago this celebration was held in a place here called Korba , so i had to be there to sort of "capture the moment " .

Ofcourse we all know that when it comes to festivals and crowded open places , a wide angle would be ur best friend . I unfortunately , didnt have that best friend with me . I had to think different . I took a few "normal" shots to capture the spirit of the event , but i wasnt happy .

Then i thought im going for the total opposite of the mood we have here . Im shooting faces in this carnival that have nothing to do with the "festive , happy " mood . So i challenged myself , and started hunting .

Full frame digital cam sensors

2008-05-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

This is the first post following the moment of silence . Its been a tough week for my friend , may God be with her , and rest her fathers soul in peace and forgive him .

A couple of days ago , a photographer friend and i were discussing different wide angle shots , and the topic of full frame sensors came up and how that reflected on ur wideangle photography , so i thought id talk a bit about that .

So i went surfin a bit and found this simple post on LeggNets digital capture ( another blog that ive become addicted to) , so heres a teaser , and the rest is there ---->

In digital cameras there is a sensor in place where the film used to be in film cameras. The light passing through the camera's lens projects the image onto this sensor which then captures it digitally and records the image to memory. These sensors vary in size in both the number of pixels they contain (megapixels) and their physical dimension. Most digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras bear a strong physical resemblance to the 35mm SLR's we shot in decades past. But a difference between many of these cameras is the size of their sensor.

The rest is HERE .
Photo and teaser are from LeggNets digital capture .

A moment of silence

2008-05-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday , a good friend of mine lost her father . May this blog have a moment of silence . I shall not be posting for a week in remembrance of this good man .

Worst thing about such shocks in life, is that it never waits for u . Ure expected to go back to work , resume ur life normally after such an experience , and thats extremely hard . The world doesnt wait for anyone , but this blog will . It will pause for a while .....

I just hope that everytime anyone of u logs on , and finds this blog in a halt , that he remembers this man , and prays for him , and for my friend , and for his family .

Thank u all .

Not photo related : Random thoughts ...

2008-05-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Random thoughts :

@ I think its great being an elephant . U can be as overweight as u want , everybody else is ..
@ The best thing about living under water , is that u can never slide and fall down . Thats why its rare to see fish with broken necks or ribs ...
@ I wonder what a giraffe's definition of tall is ....

Not photo related

2008-05-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ok , by now u all know that every once in a while i get sidetracked and write some not photo related posts . So .. here it goes

@ Try ur best not to judge people , cause at some point in ur life ur gonna wish people wouldnt judge u .

Desert Scapes

2008-05-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our camera club had this assignment about shooting desert scapes , so i thought it would be a good occasion to talk a lil about that . Its a pretty tricky area this desert scape or scenery thing in general , cause :

a) Just like still life , its really hard to compose and put a sense of life in .
b) Its been done over and over , so topping whats been done is hard .
c) U find urself standing in the middle of the desert wandering , with no particular theme or idea in mind .

So here are a few ideas u can use when ure stuck in the middle of no where and expected to take competition quality pics of a barren landscape ... Just some things ive noticed by experience ..

a) Keep an open eye for shapes and patterns created by the sand and rocks , like the patterns created by the wind when it blows on sand dunes , shaddows , light .
b) Look for strange shaped rocks , or lonely trees , or dead tree trunks , to put in the foreground.
c) Try to have a foreground and background to give a sense of distance in ur picture , the foreground like i said in b , can be a rock or a tree or a person , or an animal , which brings us to d .
d) Look for desert life , small lizards , even insects , those always make for interesting shots , and give a strong sense of life in the pics .
e) Shooting at the magical times (sunrise , sunset) always works for scenery , they bring out texture and distance , and shaddows, but dont limit urself .
f) Always try something different , crazy , be creative , dont worry about rules for a while ,dont even worry about shooting the best pic or a good pic for that matter , sometimes loosening up may be ur best way out of a mental block .
g) Move around a lot , scout the place from different angles ,views .
h) Infrared . Shoot in infrared or convert it to infrared on photoshop . Infrared can turn the most normal of pics into very impressive shots , esp if there are trees or bushes or interestings clouds in the scene .
i) Panoramics . A panoramic is always interesting to the eye , it could be a good way to escape hours of searching for the perfect composition . And photo stitching software has made it much easier to make those now . Below is a panoramic i took a coupla days ago .
j) The sky can sometimes make all the difference in ur desert life pics esp if there are interesting cloud patterns .

The pics in this post i just took a couple of days ago on a trip to a mountain/ beach area , best thing about beaches is that sometimes when u give ur back to the sea , u have ur desert scape waiting right for ya ... :)

Neutral density ( ND) filters

2008-05-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

A lil more about Neutral density filters "BrO" , im glad u asked . I was actually planning on writing a post on that . Heres the wikipedia definition ...

In photography and optics, a neutral density filter or ND filter is a "grey" filter. An ideal neutral density filter reduces light of all wavelengths or colors equally. The purpose of standard photographic neutral density filters is to allow the photographer greater flexibility to change the aperture or exposure time, allowing for more control, particularly in extreme circumstances. For example, on a very bright day, one might wish to photograph a waterfall at a slow shutter speed to create a deliberate motion blur effect. In order to do this, one would need a shutter speed on the order of tenths of a second. There might be so much light that even at minimum film speed and a minimum aperture such as f/32, the corresponding shutter speed would still be too fast. In this situation, by applying an appropriate neutral density filter one or more stops can be taken out of the exposure, allowing a slow shutter speed and more pleasing effect.

GRADUATED ND FILTER : A graduated ND filter is similar except the intensity varies across the surface of the filter. This is useful when one region of the image is bright and the rest is not, as in a picture of a sunset.

That was the wikipedia definition , but in the simplest of meanings an ND filter is like the sunglasses u wear but for the camera , they just allow less light to enter ur cam ..

For more on that visit wikipedia .

Longer exposures during day

2008-05-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

A quick post , stuff u prob know , but a reminder ... A relative of mine asked me how to take longer exposure pics ( half a second to slightly longer ) in the day .

So here are a few useful tips :

a) Smallest aperture possible .
b) Lowest iso/ film sensitivity possible .
c) Neutral density (ND) filters .
d) Dont pick an extremely bright day , a cloudy one will be good .
e) Go somewhere where there is easily noticable motion blur , like a highway or beside running water which will still look blurred at slightly faster shutter speeds .

Joe's Photoshoot

2008-05-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

So last Sat i had a photoshoot with a friend of mine . Hes a doctor so the main theme was supposed to be something revolving around that .

Equipment :

1) Camera : A panasonic lumix fz20 .
2) Location : hospital ward ( will easily provide nice smooth leading lines ) .
3) Lighting : hospital ward windows on a sunny day ( i still dont have any additional lighting equipment , still saving for that ! ) .

Theme one : ( First pic up there )

A sort of doctor in control theme . Thought id give him the " I OWN THIS PLACE " look in one of the pics . I had the window as the main light and the light colored walls reflect light as fill . I intended a good contrast ratio between dark and light ( or main and fill ) to provide a sort of dramatic lighting effect . The tilt was put there to add a lil dynamic edge to the pic .

Theme two :

A fun pic , still tellin hes a doctor , yet in a playfull manner . In this case making it nice and bright would nicely serve the mood .

Theme 3 :

Totally different from the previous 2 . I thought id move away from my normal flow of ideas and do something unlike the previous themes . Just give him an album cover sort of pic , aimed mainly at the aesthetic portrait side . U know , a pic hed enjoy watching cause he looks good in . High key was my best friend here , i had him wear his white coat , stand beside the almost white colored wall which was brightly lit by the windows , and then i set my cam to a slightly overexpose the pic ( u know , big aperture , slower shutter speed ) . His skin is kinda dark colored so this helped achieve a nice contrast to bring his face out in the almost totally prevailent white .

Photoshoot surprises :

1) The original locations were cancelled due to the heavy hospital flow .
2) A couple of his friends comin to the shoot , they were being noisy , but i got them to nicely listen by shooting a couple of quick frames for them too ( u know the safe portrait style , headshots shallow DOF , just to get my photoshoot undercontrol, thats the one down there ) .

Conclusion :

Satisfied friend , and lots of fun in only a 20 min photoshoot .

Lessons learned :

1) Always be flexible .
2) Have several themes and backup themes set before a shoot , but also go with the flow , and make the best out of the available environment , it doesnt always have to work like the themes .
3) A lil more props and some extra lighting wouldave added a whole lot more to the shoot , but until then im gonna have to do with what ive got .

Not photo related : Random thoughts

2008-05-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

I know this is supposed to be a place to learn photography , but everyonce in a while i get some thoughts that want to come out , Just short random thoughts . So forgive me for that ....

@ Its really hard to be a racist , if ure a zebra ....
@ Worst thing about motorbikes is that u cant drivem in reverse gear...

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 3

2008-05-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Dont u feel working on an assignment , makes u do works that satisfy the editors standards not urs..

My job is to shoot a good picture considering the basics in photography like lighting, composition & image quality, respect the basics & satisfy your client too.

Now that weve brought editors up , tell us a lil about ur experience with them , what they want in a pic , and how do foriegn mag editors differ from local ones .

Well it’s not the editors’ choice as much as yours, when you’re shooting for a fashion magazine then it’s different than shooting for a furniture one, yet if they gave you some special instructions then you should put it in respect but if not then you should care about what type of photography you’ll do.

I didn’t realize much differences in working with foreign editors than Egyptians cause I used to work with professional editors & magazines in Egypt that’s is regionally or internationally published.

I heard u were lately interested in shooting models and fashion , even did a lil sleuthing , and found out u wanna assist a foriegn photographer ... Great step to make it into a new world , but i have to ask , arent there any good photographers to assist in egypt in the field of modelling... share ur thoughts please.

That’s right, let us talk frankly here:

First, I like to do fashion photography because the space in creativity particularly in this type of photography is endless & I believe i will perfectly use this space & get scores.

Secondly, because it’s almost a one man show job in Egypt then it’s hard to find someone who can take you beside & give you experience & at the end it will also be uncompleted learning because in countries like UK, Italy or France it’s more likely a team work & huge facilities.

Look what those people are doing when it’s getting to fashion…,

- Art directors.

- Hair stylist.

- Make up stylist.

- Accessories & wearing stylist beside a huge studio facilities, so at the end you’ll find yourself getting a perfect experience by doing such work which is very rare to find it here in Egypt.

Ur studio ... everybody keeps askin the question of what they need to put together a functional studio ... tell us a lil bout that ,

Yes ahmed, thank God it’s complete now.

The idea came to me when I started to have some professional work that required lighting equipments, I looked for places to rent such equipments from but was shocked that it’s not available, you have to have your own equipment & work with.

My studio now is not only for me, it’s also available for those photographers who need a place & equipment to use, I invite them to come & do their professional shootings for some fees & I guess it’s only me & another studio offering such facilities in Egypt.

Currently available with the following:

1-Shooting area: 4,80cm x 3,70cm
(extendable till 4,80 x 7,40).
2-Hight: 2,70cm.
3-Floors: non solid to reduce shocking.
4-Equipments: Three strobes flashes (300 watts) per each.
- Three softboxes (70x100cm).
5- One bathroom.

# Ok... its been great talking bout the technical and business side of it , tell us a bit bout ur experience with exhibitions , how they affect u , ur work, i know u have an upcoming exhibit in Nepal , a sort of international exhibit... whats the story.....

For me exhibitions are a chance for showing my own artistic & non commercial styles of photos which I like to take for myself also it’s a chance to meet people face to face & hear their comments about your work.

In Nepal exhibitons I was selected among a group of Egyptian photographers to show our work over there.

I was firstly recommended by Samah El laithy (photographer) to Prof, Nagla Samir (professor of visual artists in the faculty of aplied arts) & the exhibition’s currator who then selected three of my works to participate.

The exhibition titled IMAGES OF EGYPT & I got an appreciation certificate for the first time from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.

# Any upcoming news or surprises ...? :)

Coming soon is a guide book I just finished shooting about Cairo for a Dubai based magazine which I hope it will get acceptance because I did a lot of efforts to show Cairo in it’s best form.

# Its been a great interview Sherif , hoping u the best of luck in ur future as a pro photographer , Thank You ...

At the end I would like to thank you for such interview & wish you best of luck, yet I can’t finish this without thanking some others whom i really appreciate their support.

Special thanks to:

-Shermeen Guirguis.

-Hany Morcos.

-Tarek Zaied.

- Sherif Tamim.

-Dalia Galal.

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 2

2008-04-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ur documentary shots are impressive , whats ur standard "bag" of equipment when u go out on the streets , to take those beautiful shots...?

I do it with my DSLR camera while using a tele zoom lens for people or wide angle for general shots like streets or buildings.

How do u manage to shoot people in the street smoothly without any troubles , tell us ur experience there , cause sometimes (and this happened to me personally) , u can meet one or 2 people who arent happy about it....

Well if you’re shooting with a big camera like SLRs you’ll certainly face a lot of problems but if it’s a small one then it’s much easier, my advice to those who are using big noticed cameras is to use tele zoom lenses & do the shot quickly to avoid others sensitivity & their feeling of being in spot.

Tell us how its different , shooting for a magazine , than when ure out shooting for fun , i assume theres pressure .

Well it’s not a matter of pressure, it’s a matter of meeting your client needs because you’ll be paid & getting the best shot because your name will be on it.

Frankly each photo i take i do it with professionalism & not fun because I might use it commercially after that.

Shooting editorials has certain requirements , i assume , cause u have page layouts to consider , like when ure shooting a mag cover for example , u have to leave enough space, consider color choices , because u have to take in account the headlines , and all the writing that goes on the picture..... tell us more about that from ur experience.....

That’s for sure ahmed, if you’re working with a magazine then you should know the magazine’s art director requirements in your shot first then you put your special sense to it & do it with several shots to let him choose from.

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 1

2008-04-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

A while back ive been lucky enough to get the chance to interview one talented artist , Sherif Karas . And now ive finally got the chance to post the interview , so enjoy ....

# So tell us Sherif how it all started, how u and photography came to know each other , when the love began...?

Since my childhood, my dad had this hobby too, he owned an old Zenit SLR traditional camera with a basic & wide angle lenses + a tripod.

Of course i realized that it was much complicated than other point & shoot cameras that i was used to see with our friends & since i didn’t like complications at all i only started to use this camera at the age of 16.

There are really two main things that pushed me towards photography:

First was that i feel like i really have a lot of imagination & a good eye to select the right scene . You can consider that genetic or a way of raising (more or less) since my father & uncle are both painters & designers too . So my eyes got used to see alot of art in a very young age whether from my family or from works of others which my dad has always taken me to see.

Unfortunately i don’t have the gift of painting so that’s why i’ve headed to photography as a means to bring out my ideas.

Second because i really loved to study cinematography & i found that it was pretty basic to start from photography since it really intensify all in a shot.

# Great thats as far as the emotions part goes, now how did u start proffesionally , i notice u do a lot of editorials , tell us how u made ur self noticable to the magazines out there , did u mail them ? Connections ? how did that come about..?

At first, my intentions were to practice photography as an art & nothing else . So i took this thing seriously in the year 2005 when i bought myself a 3.2 megapixel camera & decided to make an exhibition to see others’ feedback.

In November 2005 i’ve held my first exhibition at Elsawy culture wheel under the name (A taste from Egypt) where i’ve tried to present some faces & places that still preserve their genuine Egyptian look.

Right after the exhibition i’ve been interviewed by Egypttoday magazine in an article considering photographers in Egypt & i then found my name among those giants of photography in Egypt & categorized as one who represents a new school of photography . http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6341

Shooting high key using windows

2008-04-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

Its a simple trick , just place the subject infront of a window on a sunny day and slow down ur shutter speed a lil ( anywhere between 1/40 to 1/10 at 2.8 depending on the brightness outside ) overexposing ur background ( window ) which will look white in the photo , then use flash to nicely expose ur subject . Again the flash strength will depend on ur external brightness and aperture size . This pic is a quick demonstration of the technique on my cousin :) ...

Integrity and predictability by Tammy Cravit

2008-04-13T01:28:00.000-07:00

A good read from Tammys blog , heres a teaser :

So, take a look at your portfolio and marketing materials. Are they fully communicating the range of what you can -- and want to -- do? Are they communicating areas of work which you don't want to do, but which you included because someone told you that you have to? Are they showing the types of work and assignments you really want to land? If not, what can you do to make sure that your samples speak with integrity about what you're about and what kind of work and style you want to be doing? What can you change to make it better?

For the full article check http://nicepicslady.blogspot.com/2008/02/integrity-and-predictability.html

selflearning

2008-04-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Dan Heller said:

1:Painting by the Numbers

I am asked the following question far too often:
"What were your camera settings when you took that picture? It would really help me to know that, because I'm a beginner."
This reminds me of the story where Ansel Adams was teaching a photo workshop in Yosemite National Park, and a student raised his hand. "What was the aperture setting and shutter speed on that photo?", asked the student as he pointed to a classic black and white print of Half Dome. Ansel replied without batting an eyelash, "f64 at 2 seconds." This prompted another student to do the same, "And what about that photo?" Again, he quickly replied, "f32 at 1 second." This goes on and on, while the students scribble in their notebooks the technical information they were told, as if the magician were giving away secrets. Finally, someone
asked, "How do you remember all that information?" This time, the answer was more direct, "I don't. I'm making it up." The pencils stopped. He continued, "beginners always wonder about this information, but it's meaningless. When we get to learning how to shoot, it won't even occur to you to ask such questions."
http://www.danheller.com/tech-intro.html

Some awesome photo courses

2008-04-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

News news news ... For all of u living in dubai , or going there anytime around May . Checkout these photocourses by some pretty famous photographers ....

http://www.gulfphotoplus.com/gppnew/Main.php?Show=N&PH=All&Lev=%3C+Show+All+Levels+%3E&EventID=18&Page=ScheduleLayoutOrder.php&SS=

Once again , not photo related

2008-03-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

Im sorry for this other post that isnt photo related ... And once more , if u dont wanna read it feel free not to . But like i said in the previous post , im reminding myself .

@ Guilt : is probably the worst of feelings . Its like an evil soul that possesses u , and no force in the world can exorcise it . It follows u in ur sleep , when ure awake , in ur work , when u eat , when u deal with people . And u find urself escaping urself and avoiding it as much as possible . U rush off to work hoping the noise will rid u of ur demon thats come to possess u so badly , u wake up at 3 in the night and run out of ur home after guilt has suffocated u to near death when u tried to sleep after days of escaping ur bed . U can no longer eat , and feel like vomiting if u put as much as a spoonfull in ur mouth , u feel like vomiting because ure so disgusted of who u are and what uve become ,it makes u nauseous .

U find urself wishing u can escape this body and soul which have become too polluted to live in , ure wishing u can turn back time , ure wishing u can go back to the old body that hasnt suffered the grasp of ur demonish guilt . U can no longer look in the mirror , u reach the point where u nearly forget what u look like . People try to talk to u , but all u see are ghosts and demons of guilt in their faces , every where u turn its ghosts and demons , u need an exorcism but u know for sure ure not getting one till the day u leave this world .

Guilt , is a horrible feeling , and the worst part is .... u dont know when it will strike . U may live the biggest part of ur life doing things that u dont feel guilty for or about , and suddenly a small situation triggers feelings of guilt that u thought u never had , and every small invisible detail to u that never seemed to matter , and that u thought will never bother u , is haunting u mercilessly . At all costs , try to avoid guilt , cause if u keep knocking on the devils door long enough , someones bound to answer .

@ Feeling like ur the lowest form of life on earth , and hating oneself beyond description , may not be a healthy place to be , but its certainly a good place to start if u decide to go on a journey of self correction and improvement . A journey by which u hope , u can exorcise ur most destructive feelings of guilt .

Once again , im done..... for .

Not photo related....

2008-03-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

This post is not photo related so feel free not to read it ... Just some things i learn as the school of life teaches me . This is gonna be short , but maybe of value , its nothing new just thought id remind myself of it ...

@ Lying : the problem with lying that most people fail to notice is that it immediately takes away any past , future or present credibility concerning u and anything that has to do with u . Its just like a drop of paint in clear water , once in there , all the water goes murky even the purest most clear part of it .

@ Facing situations : failing to face situations and assume responsibility for ur actions will usually end u up in a chain reaction of lies . It usually begins with a harmless seeming lie , then u have to keep it up and so the chain of little lies pile up until u end up with something hugely bad , even if for good intentions .

@ Forgiveness : dont expect it . Second chances are the rarest thing ive come across in life , esp if after lies . Then again , maybe some things arent forgivable , maybe I dont deserve forgiveness . No , not maybe ... Surely.....

@ Sometimes , a shock is the best way life can make u clear up ur act .

Im done ..... for ....

Using beauty Masks on Photoshop 2

2008-03-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Second part of the previously posted video by Chad West ... It works nicely if u open ur photoshop and work alongside with the video step by step ...

For Chads Channel on Youtube check http://www.youtube.com/user/stilldescending

Using beauty Masks on Photoshop

2008-03-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

A 2 part video on how to apply Masks on photoshop By Chad West. Be sure to watch both parts. Also a good idea to open ur photoshop and work alongside with the video step by step , makes the steps really stick up in ur head ..

For Chads Channel on Youtube , check http://www.youtube.com/user/stilldescending

Words of Wisdom

2008-03-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

U know i love THIS place ..... Found those pieces of wisdom in a sweet article over there which are very true when it comes to photography :

# Respect yourself and your time
# You don’t need to be an expert, just perceived as one
# No one cares about you, they only care about what you’re going to give them
# Give them a reason to care about you
# You don’t need to justify your art to anyone!
# Write down all of your thoughts, everything!
# Doubting yourself is natural, just don’t let it control you
# Fear the known
# Confidence is key
# State your fee, then shut your mouth; don’t justify anything

The rest of this article over at http://photobusinesseducation.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/things-i-wished-i-would-have-been-told/

Time Gate Through Ancient Egypt : Exhibit at Diwan Bookstore

2008-03-10T05:18:00.009-07:00

From the talented photographers who brought us The Moments of life Exhibit , TIME GATE THROUGH ANCIENT EGYPT , their new exhibit , be sure to check that out .....

	Time Gate Through Ancient Egypt بوابة عبر زمن مصر القديمة

	Photography Exhibition "A MUST SEEEEE"
	Diwan Library - Heliopolis - Sponsored by MESHKAT


Start Time:	Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:00pm
End Time:	Monday, March 24, 2008 at 11:00pm
Location:	Diwan Library (2 Weeks)
Street:	105, Abu Bakr El Seddiq St. Heliopolis
City/Town:	Cairo, Egypt
	View Map Google MapQuest Microsoft Yahoo

Contact Info
Phone:	20226908184
Email:	info@diwanegypt.com

بوابة عبر زمن مصر القديمة معرض تصوير Time Gate Through Ancient Egypt Photography Exhibition If you wanna take a ride through Ancient Egypt, this Exhibition is a MUST SEE... It'll Start on Monday 10th March till Monday 24th March which means that the Exhibition is for 2 Weeks... The Participants are: 1. Ahmed Abou Hendia 2. Ahmed Magdy 3. Hana Moro 4. Marwa Samy 5. Mohamed El-Tamamy 6. Passainte Assem 7. Sara Yehia WAITING FOR YOU ALLLLLLLLLL & YOUR FRIENDS... DON'T MISS IT ;)...

2008-03-07T22:51:00.006-08:00

Image noise can compromise the level of detail in your digital or film photos, and so reducing this noise can greatly enhance your final image or print. The problem is that most techniques to reduce or remove noise always end up softening the image as well. Some softening may be acceptable for images consisting primarily of smooth water or skies, but foliage in landscapes can suffer with even conservative attempts to reduce noise.

read it all : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/noise-reduction.htm

Create amazing psychedelic art in Photoshop

2008-03-07T22:51:00.005-08:00

Rob Carissimo reveals how to layer and blend images in Photoshop to create a hazy, dreamlike effect that’s straight from 60s California.

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/index.cfm?featureID=1686

66 Faces of Photography

2008-03-07T22:51:00.004-08:00

By Brian Auer • January 9th, 2008

What a great project this has been! Back in December, Martin and I asked you to participate in a project termed “Shoot Yourself.” We’ve had some great participation and I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of new faces in this faceless world of the Web.
So here are all of the project entries, organized randomly. Additionally, the randomness will update every few minutes so don’t be surprised if these are out of order the next time you come back! I hope this works in the feed, but if you’re not seeing any photos just come on over to the site. I did this to give everybody that participated an equal chance at getting some exposure. So enjoy! And there’s more

See'm all : http://blog.epicedits.com/2008/01/09/66-faces-of-photography/

CONVERTING A COLOR PHOTO INTO BLACK & WHITE

2008-03-07T22:51:00.003-08:00

Converting a digital color photo into black and white goes beyond simply desaturating the colors, and can be made to mimic any of a wide range of looks created by using color filters in black and white film photography. Conversion which does not take into account an image's color and subject of interest can dilute the artistic message, and may create an image which appears washed out or lacks tonal range. This section provides a background on using color filters, and outlines several different black and white conversion techniques-- comparing each in terms of their flexibility and ease of use.

read it akk : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/color-black-white.htm

Details of the April CCC desert trip with the South Africa Camera Club

2008-03-06T17:05:00.001-08:00

Got that from the CC group page on FB ....

Below are the dates for the planned desert trip with the photographers from South Africa. Unfortunately it begins on a Sunday because of their schedule.

Here is the planned tour: These are days 4 to 6 for the group from South Africa.

Day 4 - Sunday April 20 - Travel to Dakhla by mini-van, met by Bedouins, sleep in tents in White Desert. Photograph Black Desert on the way to White Desert.

Day 5 - Monday April 21 - Visit Dakhla Oasis and various places of interests - choice of sleeping in hotel in Dakhla or back in tents with Bedouins

Day 6 - Tuesday April 22 - Early morning photography, then leave for Luxor, arriving Luxor late-afternoon - those traveling back to Egypt can either catch the night train back, or stay another day at their own cost and travel back when they want to. We can organize an extra day in Luxor but people will need to carry their own costs for that. It would be nice to be in Luxor as well with the group from South Africa.

CCC March 7th outing .. SPORTS SHOOTING

2008-03-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

A map for the Maadi Sports Shoot outing tomorrow at 2 pm .....

From the event page ---->

Attached is a map of the location where the outing will take place on Friday afternoon. As you know the outing is 'sports photography' and there will be a number of rugby matches being played at this venue, apparently starting around 1.30pm with the main match at around 6pm. The name of the place is Victory College Field.

The directions to get there by car, is to take the Corniche, and turn into Maadi at the TGI Fridays restaurant. Go over the bridge, to Midan Bur Sa'id, then take Sharia Bur Sa'id. Go over the traintracks and the field will be on the left of Road 216. The gate or door will either be on Road 216, or sometimes they have that one closed and the door is on the road that runs paralel to the train tracks.

From the El Maadi Metro station, take a taxi to Sharia Bur Sa'id and just ask for Victory College. Should be LE3 or so.

Pascal Meunier , enjoy the art .......

2008-03-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while i just post a link where ud go watch some works and enjoy , just as a rest from all the technical articles ...... Enjoy this place ...

CCC Meeting..thursday 6th March..

2008-03-04T04:34:00.000-08:00


	CCC Meeting..thursday 6th March..
	Monthly Meeting
	Cairo Camera Club
	Meetings - Club/Group Meeting


Date:	Thursday, March 6, 2008
Time:	7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	CIC(Contemporary Image Collective)
Street:	20 Safeya Zaghloul Street, off Kasr El Einy st., Monira
City/Town:	Cairo, Egypt

Dear All, I want to remind you to bring the CD for April competition,the theme is "ON THE WATERS EDGE"... Also our next outing will be a sports related outing so we're going to the rugby Egyptian finals at Victoria college in Maadi at 2:00 pm on Friday..

We'll post a map later. C u later:)

4 Steps for Choosing Your Next Lens

2008-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

Sweet article about buying a new lens .....what lens and how to choose it ... this is just a teaser ....

1. Explore Your Needs?

Here are a bunch of gut feelings you may have that drive you for a new lens.

My lenses are not fast enough - I miss great shots in dark places.
My lenses take too long to focus - I miss all those great action shots
My lenses don't have enough focal length / are not wide enough - I wish I could shoot from further away or I wish I could squeeze more into the frame.

2. Research

I started by googling "Nikon portrait lens". I got back a bunch of links that really helped me focus on my options. (Image by borghetti)

This link from wlcastleman.com was a great help as it showed some of the more common options for portraiture lenses.

3. Consult

I rang the phone of every photographer I know either amateur or pro and asked about their first hand experience with the mentioned lenses. Nothing beats hearing first hand. I asked:
- Are they fast?
- Are they sharp
- Are they fun to work with? (Totally subjective, still very important).
- What a comfy working distance?
- Anything else?

4. Decide

For the full article visit
http://www.diyphotography.net/4-steps-for-choosing-your-next-lens

DYNAMIC RANGE

2008-02-26T14:10:00.002-08:00

As we look around a scene, the irises within our eyes can adjust to changing conditions as we focus on regions of varying brightness—both extending the dynamic range where we can discern detail, and improving the local contrast

read it all : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/techniques_dynamic-range.htm

DEPTH OF FIELD

2008-02-26T14:10:00.001-08:00

Our eyes can choose to have any particular object in perfect focus, whereas a lens has to choose a specific focal point and what photographers call a “depth of field,” or the distance around the focal plane which still appears to be in sharp focus.

read it all : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/techniques_depth-of-field.htm

FIELD OF VIEW

2008-02-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

By looking around a scene, we are able to encompass a broader field of view than may be possible with a given lens. To mimic this behaviour, and to enhance image detail, one could point the camera in several adjacent directions for each exposure. These could then be combined digitally in a way that accounts for lens distortion and perspective— producing a single, seamless image. This is technique is also referred to as photo stitching or a digital panorama.

read it all : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/techniques_field-of-view.htm

PHOTOSHOP : CURVES

2008-02-22T08:47:00.001-08:00

The Photoshop curves tool is perhaps the most powerful and flexible image transformation, yet it may also be one of the most intimidating. Since photographers effectively paint with light, curves is central to their practice because it affects light's two primary influences: tones and contrast. Tonal curves are also what give different film types their unique character, so understanding how they work allows one to mimic any film-- without ever having to retake the photograph.

learn more at http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/photoshop-curves.htm

Using "Levels" in Photoshop

2008-02-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Levels is a tool in image editing programs (such as Photoshop) which can move and stretch the brightness levels of an image histogram. It has the power to adjust brightness, contrast, and tonal range by specifying the location of complete black, complete white, and midtones in a histogram. Since every photo's histogram is unique, there is no single way to adjust the levels for all your photos. A proper understanding of how to adjust the levels of an image histogram will help you better represent tones in the final image.

Wanna know more ? ........ http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/levels.htm

Some cool pics from over at Vertus

2008-02-21T16:01:00.001-08:00

So i found those sweet pics on a blog called Vertus fluid mask , and thought maybe id share them with u guys .... Just for ur viewing pleasure , no techniques here ....

Sometimes they can be funny, sometimes thought provoking, other times they just mess with your mind. They’ll always take your breath away though and make you wonder at the skills of the people that created them. The following images are our favourite Photoshopped images. If you’ve seen better we’d love to hear from you.

Pics from Vertus fluid mask blog .

My personal favourite Photographer

2008-02-21T15:15:00.001-08:00

This is my first time to post a link to some photographer's work ...

but this is no ordinary photographer ..

His name is Rarindra Prakarsa .. A semipro photographer from Jakarta, Indonesia

his game is photography .. but this is no ordinary photography .. it's magic .. his work is almost music .. colours, lighting and story ... all working in a tremendous harmony to make each photo a masterpiece ... and every and each photo is a whole world ... something out of this tired old planet ...

The most amazing thing is .. he is not using professional models (as far as I could see) .. his subjects are the poor people he meets on his quest .. and his theatre is the nature of his poor country .. yet no fancy photographer with expensive studio equipment and beautiful hot models can do what he can ...

sorry for the long speech ... please check his work here :

http://photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=2231437&include=all

these are some of his work:

LOCAL CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT

2008-02-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Local contrast enhancement attempts to increase the appearance of large-scale light-dark transitions, similar to how sharpening with an "unsharp mask" increases the appearance of small-scale edges. Good local contrast gives an image its "pop" and creates a three-dimensional effect-- mimicking the look naturally created by high-end camera lenses. Local contrast enhancement is also useful for minimizing the effect of haze, lens flare, or the dull look created by taking a photograph through a dirty window.

High Local Contrast

High Resolution

Both Qualities

How to get that result ? check it here : http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/local-contrast-enhancement.htm

News News News : Nours Photo Course

2008-02-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

So i got this on my mail . Anyone interested in learning more bout photography and living in cairo may find this useful ...

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the EECA, the owner of " Marsam Al Qalaa "
We are pleased to announce our new photography course that starts 15 March 2008

Instructor : Architect and Photographer Nour El Refai

Duration : 6 Sessions and 2 Fieldtrips

Fees : 600 L.E.

Place : Marsam Al-Qalaa, (10, Darb Al-Labbanah, Citadel Square, behind
El Sultan Hassan mosque, Cairo)

Find attached all the details of the course

Limited to 20 participants
To register for the course call : 0101204597

Thanks
EECA Team

Map for the Sat CCC outing by mr Farouk Moussa

2008-02-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Mr Farouk Moussa a member of the CCC kindly went through the trouble of giving us a nice labelled map to the Sat group outing at the Waraa Island in the nile in Embaba . In case u guys find this hard to see , just click the pic for a larger version . ... Basically if ure taking the subway / metro , u take metro shobra , and go down at Koleyet el Zeraaa Station and follow that red line i guess . Hoping u enjoy the shooting trip ... Heres the original email :

Dear friends

pls. find attached a simple map for the location of geziret el warrak as i promised,

hope to be fine for forward by you to all ccc members

my best regards

farouk moussa

feero1@hotmail.com
010 10 72 481

CAIRO CAMERA CLUB (CCC at CIC)

CIC (Contemporary Image Collective)
20 Safeya Zaghloul Street, Monira, Cairo
3 minutes walk from the Saad Zaghloul metro station near Garden City.
Off Kasr El Einy st.

THANK U MR FAROUK ...

A lil more watching , a lil less reading

2008-02-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

For all those of u who grew up in cities , or just anyone who enjoys the urban lanscape , this is a great place to enjoy the beauty of urban life ....Enjoy Jimmies works at CORNERSHOTS.com ....

Talent Spot : SARA YEHIA

2008-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since weve had a talent spot post , but ure gonna have to excuse me , i havent exactly had a lot of time to scout lately . But were here and were back , introducing a talented young artist . U may have seen some of her works if uve attended the moments of life exhibit .

Sara Yehia :

i wasnt lucky enough to attend the moments of life exhibit , and when i was told about Sara by my friend and blogmate Ali Aboujazia i didnt know she was the one exhibiting at the moments of life but her works immediately caught my eye .

The colors , the moods , the ideas . They have this sad streak , and a prevailent romantic air to most of them . Im usually left looking into her works and not just looking at them , and my brain wanders off .

Still young and has a lot more to give , heres the link to this talented artist SARA YEHIA .

Damon Winter's site , enjoy the art ....

2008-02-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

For those of u who arent in the mood to read tonight , and just wanna watch some sweet photography , heres a place to feast ur eyes ....

Damon Winters site .....

enjoy ..... :)

Ed Mc Culloch's phone convo with Chase Jarvis

2008-02-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

A place i love is Ed McCulloch's blog , his posts are short and straight to the point and always worth the read .... Its like a daily read for me , and i think it should be for u guys too ..... A small teaser here ... :

-February 2007- Notes form Chase’s phone call-

Stay in tune to what’s happening in the world of photography
Stay up to date on current technology
Stay away from negative things and people
Do what you say your going to do; appointments, email, phone calls
Always under promise and over deliver

The full post at Mc Culloch's blog .....

Dg 28 : Loosing Bad Background

2008-02-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

U know i love a place called dg28 . A great place to learn a couple of cool photo tricks .... heres a teaser trailer :

When you have to walk through one of the most impressive buildings in central London, out of the back door to where they keep the broken furniture and litter bins to shoot your picture... you feel a little hard done by!

Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Metropolitan Police explosive ordnance disposal teams gathered at the National Army Museum to show off their toys and to announce to the world that there is now a formal educational qualification on offer for bomb disposal. The outside yard set aside for them was not a photographer's idea of a great location so I instantly started to go through the range of "tricks" that you pick up through a career for getting rid of awful or unhelpful backgrounds.

My first idea was to frame so tightly on a young disposal officer that there would be no real background at all. Secondly I tried using the ground as my backdrop by looking down at another kevlar clad soldier working on a practice mine. My third stab at it was to use a very long lens (70-200 f2.8 with a 1.4x converter) wide open to throw the background out of focus on a shot of a Royal Naval diver in his dry suit and underwater breathing apparatus. Each of these images worked, but I wanted drama so I settled on shooting an Engineer with his remote controlled robot from below using a winter sky as my backdrop.

This was just a teaser , the Rest of the article at dg 28 ....

Sweet article from strobist : One Minute lighting tip

2008-02-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since ive posted something from Strobist
( THE MAN ) , but just saw this cool post there and thought id point u guys to it ..Smart lighting .... :) Check this teaser out :

Quick, what color is the tile that this Turkish candy is sitting on?

If you said green, you should probably hit the jump to learn about how lighting on two planes gives you more control over your photos.

________________

First things first: The tile that the candy on is actually black.

Second, let's walk through the light reader Nionyn used for the shot and see what's what.

The main light is a gridded Vivitar 283, coming in from front camera left.

Rest of the article at Strobist .

Briefing on the CCC February 2008 meeting

2008-02-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

So i just joined the CCC ( Cairo Camera Club) , and attended the monthly meeting ( the 14th of Feb 2008 ) . For those of u who are yet to join , or those members who missed the meeting , heres a lil briefing .

Im gonna lay down what we did yesterday in short , but first lets say the highlight of the meeting was guest photographer Vivian Ronay , who started the meeting off by a short presentation on documentary editorial photography namely her work in Petra , Jordan . Not only was it a display of works , but a quite informative review on how and why u can edit ur pics before theyre sent over to magazine editors ...

She stressed points like enivronment , portraits , group portraits , history , and namely pics that tell stories . Her personal process of editing is done mainly by pinning a lot of small prints on a big bulletin board and looking over them to see which one catches the eye and tells the story better . After we were done with that she got to comment and give her opinion about several photos of the group members which i personally found very educative .

Afterwards CDs were presented by group members containing their works from the previous Zoo outing . Next outing shall be Sat the 23 of February at the Waraa Island in Embaba . More details on the facebook group page .

Group members were also asked to submit works under the title "EGYPT FOR ME " or " MY EGYPT" , and the winning works will get to be displayed at the Camera Club in Australia .

DAY FOR NIGHT : Assignment by Mr John Harrington

2008-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Just in case u people forgot , ASSIGNMENT CONSTRUCT , is a place u should visit regularly . Another assignment by mr John here , remember to visit the link for the full Concept , pre , post production and results parts of the assignment...

Assignment:

When we arrived, the roadway section we were working in was newly painted with a wonderful double yellow line. This was to be an evening shot, but it was actually shot at 1pm, in the middle of the day.

An on-site generator provided the power, and stopping down to F22 at 250th at iso 50 gave us three-stops below sunny-16, so we were, essentially, at dusk. The entire shoot took less than 30 minutes, including wardrobe change from white jacket to blue, and client review of the finished images.

Full post at ASSIGNMENT CONSTRUCT .

2008 Sakia Contest Report

2008-02-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

I know this was supposed to be posted about a month ago , but hay , its better late than never .. So a couple of days ago we posted the link for the winners in the Sakia contest which took place in January , and i was lucky enough to attend . Thought id post some works i liked in the event , which didnt win , but deserved definite recognition ... Now as i said i couldnt manage to get the names of all the contestants , but those i managed to meet i wrote a lil bout them , at least so u guys would know their names .

Khaled Zohny : Accidentally met him as i commented loudly on one of his works ( am i glad im a loud talker haha ) , and i got to discuss his works with him . Uve prob seen one of his pics in the winners gallery , but i chose to display his non winning pic here , which i personally think deserved to win . A very clever pic for a very commonly shot subject , which are the Giza pyramids , and a totally new vision and approach . Using a CTO filter he managed to give the pyramids a a greyish brown cloudy mysterious appearance . A strong sense of greatness and magic radiated from this pic . Seen here on the right .

His deviant art link is very impressive , please make sure u check it out.

Nour El Refai : Pro photographer Nour ( interview ) , also did very well , winning more than one prize , and here i show him standing beside 2 of his pics ( the bottom pics on the right ) . His pic of the Soffy Dancer ( last pic on the bottom ) was more than stunning , very colorfull , full of motion , yet the face is clearly in focus showing a great deal of expressions . A new approach to a once again , commonly shot subject .

Mahmoud Saad : A persistant shooter, who shoots even when driving ( literally! ) , always upto something , always thinking . If u go to a contest or a group exhibit ure very likely to come across one of Mahmouds works . Always active .... His pic is the one on the bottom right , the girl on the stairway .

Hesham El Tamamy : Mr Tamamys works are stunning to say the least , and u will see him in the winners section . An artist at heart no doubt.

Khaled Morsi : a well known artist, here in egypt , displays his beautiful abstract works , seen here on the right ... Unfortunately havent got the chance to talk to him in person.

Some works i enjoyed but didnt display as pics here were for Mohammed El Tamamy ( also an author of this blog ), and a talented young man named Ali Hazzaa, ( with works like Faithless Cairo , and Love which i personally thought were well thought of ) he has great ideas , still needs to read a bit , and work on his technique, but hes on it .......

Below are some of the works i loved , yet never got to meet their creators , thought id just show them down here :

CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE AFRICAN CUP PEOPLE !

2008-02-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT !!!! EGYPT WON THE AFRICAN CUP , FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW ..... enjoy the links and the pics ! ....

Some of the pics i really enjoyed ....

Defending champions Egypt took aim at a sixth African crown on Thursday when they defeated Côte d'Ivoire 4-1 in the semi-finals to set-up a final showdown on Sunday against Cameroon.
Cameroon, the four-time champions, earlier edged hosts Ghana 1-0 in the other semi-final in Accra. Sunday's final will be a rematch of the teams opening Group C clash here which the Pharoahs won 4-2.Rest of article Article and photos from Fifa.com

More pics at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7237530.stm

BBC player ratings for the final match in which we beat cameroon 1-0 .....

This is a good chance to enjoy some decent sport photography shots , make sure u visit the links guys ...

Pics from BBC Sport and FIFA .com ... enjoy

NEWS: Sakia Exhibit on the 11th ..

2008-02-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Got this on my email from Mr Tony Marcel ,... An exhibit in Cairo, Egypt at the Sakia u guys , and the people exhibiting are GOOD , i'll tell u that much .... Don't miss --->

Dear friends......

At last some action.....lets shake the stagnant blood in our viens and go to El Sawy to pay a visit our friends.......Enjoy.....

Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular DETAILS. Heraclitus (544 BC - 483 BC )

You are cordially invited to a Photography exhibition " DETAILS".

Location: Sakiet Al Sawy (Al Sawy culture wheel) in Zamalek- El Hekmah hall

Date and Time: Monday, February 11th, 2008; 6:30 – 10:00 PM

Come and enjoy the diversity of visions!

Doaa Shaarawy
Monir Elshazly
Hala Al Hawary
Elham Mohamed (ELEL)
Amira Abdelkhalek
Nermine Rageh
Sally Rageh
Mohanad Elkholy

Photojourney

Looking for some hope ( still on body language)

El Gezira Club Session

A warm cup of coffee with a mood ....

A lil break from all the body language posts

Body Language 5 : Hand to face Gestures

Body language : part 4

New Photoshoot

Body language : The NO FACE experiment

Further looking into body language

The meaning of body language , and learning how to pose ur subject

Quick note

Ramadan Kareem to all of u Guys

Stock photography

More photoshop links

Panoramics in the break ....

Food shots durin the break

Fifth part of the challenge : Landscape

Fourth part of the challenge : Portraits

Part 3 of the challenge : Modelling Shots

Second part of the challenge : Sports shots

Back !

Just a few goals before i leave ...

Still not photography ,....

Chase's Summary of an assignment

Spelling doesnt matter

Ever had that happen to u ?

Just another reason to carry ur cam around more ..

Mansiat el Set : Not photography related

Shooting interiors

A lil summer spirit

Amusing : if ure a photographer

Nighttime panoramics....

Nighttimes .....

POV ( point of view) photography ..

Photoshop video tutorials

Article from shutterbug .. Shooting infrared

Watch out for those shaddows on the walls

Everybody stutters one way or the other .....

Short advice ..... to take better pics ....

Dont worry about what others think ... ure a PHOTOGRAPHER .. !

The Creative Gap : From Chase's blog

From Berts blog : Time to shoot ...

Bouncing off some ideas : Getting creative with shallow DOF

Full Frame Sensors continuing the sensor discussion

SENSORS continuation ..

Sensor types

Sensor sizes

So what sensor resolution do I need?

What about dust?

HDRI IMAGING

Not photo related ( my fav movie scene )

The "festival" , thinking the total opposite

Full frame digital cam sensors

A moment of silence

Not photo related : Random thoughts ...

Not photo related

Desert Scapes

Neutral density ( ND) filters

Longer exposures during day

Joe's Photoshoot

Not photo related : Random thoughts

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 3

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 2

Interview with Sherif Karas Part 1

Shooting high key using windows

Integrity and predictability by Tammy Cravit

selflearning

Some awesome photo courses

Once again , not photo related

Not photo related....

Using beauty Masks on Photoshop 2

Using beauty Masks on Photoshop

Words of Wisdom

Time Gate Through Ancient Egypt : Exhibit at Diwan Bookstore

Create amazing psychedelic art in Photoshop

66 Faces of Photography

CONVERTING A COLOR PHOTO INTO BLACK & WHITE

Details of the April CCC desert trip with the South Africa Camera Club

CCC March 7th outing .. SPORTS SHOOTING