I am a wedding photographer. On a recent assignment I forgot to carry extra batteries for my flashgun and had to then shoot without flash. Obviously, the flash-less pictures look very different. I am in a fix.
Name withheld on request.
Write down 1000 times…”I shall not forget to carry extra batteries”.
It is very difficult to prescribe a remedy as you have not sent us any sample pictures. Moreover, different pictures may require different approaches to edit them. I suggest you approach a professional Photoshop specialist who may be able to help you.
So that in future you do not repeat the same blunder, I suggest you make a list of the items you should always carry, and stick one copy of the list on your cupboard ,and the other in your camera bag. And yes, don’t forget my first-line instruction to you.
Canon S95 or Canon G12?
Can you help me decide between the Canon PowerShot S95 and the PowerShot G12?
Anand Talwar, Dehradoon
Both the Canon models you mention are very similar in features and image quality. I believe they both use the same sensor. The S95 is shirt pocketable whereas the G12, being larger and heavier (401g Vs. 195g), will not fit comfortably in a shirt pocket. The G12 has a swivel LCD which is very useful for very low-level and high level shots. The G12 also has a slightly better focal range (28-140mm equivalent, verses 28-105mm equivalent of the S95). Having said that, the S95 is ‘faster’ at the 28mm end (f/2 vs f/2.8) and slightly ‘slower’ at the telephoto end. So if you prefer shooting in low light without flash, the S95 will offer you a 1-stop advantage. The maximum shutter speed of the S95 is 1/1600sec but that for the G12 is 1/4000sec. The G12 offers a ‘hot-shoe’ for Canon’s dedicated flash; the S95 doesn’t.
If I had to choose, I would opt for the G12, which also has a better build quality.
White, Black, or Gray?
I wish to start taking professional-looking portraits (as a hobby). I have the required studio lights but am not sure whether I should buy a white backdrop, gray or black. Can you guide me?
Rakesh Chauhan, Mumbai
Certainly. Go ahead and buy the white backdrop.
If you control the amount of light falling on the white backdrop, you can make it appear any shade of gray or even black! Here’s the trick.
Keep your white backdrop quite well away from the subject. After lighting up the subject as required:
For white background
Light up your white backdrop evenly. I suggest one light on each side of the backdrop as shown here. Set your camera’s shutter speed to say, 1/30sec; aperture as indicated by the strength of the studio flash. Don’t worry about subject movement due to the slow shutter speed; there won’t be any.
Tip: The illumination on the backdrop should not be more than 1.5 f-stop as compared to the illumination on the model or you are likely to get flare in your photos.
Tip: The illumination on the backdrop should not be more than 1.5 f-stop as compared to the illumination on the model or you are likely to get flare in your photos.
For gray background
Just turn off the two lights on the white backdrop. Keep the light at the subject position as it is. Set your shutter speed to 1/30sec.
For black background
Increase your camera’s x-sync speed to its maximum (this is generally 1/250sec in most modern D-SLRs). The illumination on the subject will not change because of this (illumination is controlled by the light/s at the subject position), but the backdrop will be very much underexposed and become black.
Note: If you are using a leaf-shutter camera, you can increase the shutter speed to 1/500sec (the maximum on a leaf-shutter model).
Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D?
I plan to buy a D-SLR now but am highly confused between Nikon D7000 and Canon 60D. Which one has a better image quality? Which one is more advanced? Is Nikon better or Canon?
Kinshuk Saxena, via email
Both the models – the Canon 60D and the Nikon D7000 – are equally good. You would not be in a position to identify from prints as to which camera has made which print. So go ahead and buy the one that suits your pocket. Ideally, you should go to a shop where you can handle both the models and decide which fits better in your hands, and which interface you like more. Also check out whether the manufacturer has lenses of the focal lengths you may require in the future.
Please note that it is not “an advanced camera” that makes good pictures; good pictures depend on the photographer’s skill and knowledge of the subject.
You ask which make is ‘better’. Better in what sense? Better in terms of build quality, reliability, lenses they offer, value for money, image quality, or is there some other criteria you have in mind? Generally speaking, there are certain Canon models I would prefer over Nikon, and there are certain Nikon models I would prefer over Canon. As far as image quality is concerned, that depends a lot on the photographer.
‘Graduated’ Neutral Density Filter
I understand an ND filter is recommended for landscape photography. What sort of ND filter should I buy? My photographs often have a wide range of light levels.
Bipin Kapadia, via E-mail
An ND filter is a light-reducing filter used when the lighting conditions are too bright (that causes overexposure even when you use the narrowest available aperture combined with the highest shutter speed) or when you intentionally wish to reduce the light for achieving a creative effect (for example, when you want to use a very slow shutter speed to create an effect of flowing water).
What you are referring to is a Graduated Neutral Density filter. This filter, by virtue of its design, and when used the way it is intended to be used, creates a gradually darkening sky.
When buying Graduated ND filters, one should remember not to buy the circular ones because the demarcation line always runs through the center. If you purchase the square or rectangular shaped ones, then you can adjust its height in relation to the scene so that the gradation does not necessarily start at the center of the frame.
