Digital imaging offers us some amazing facilities which we did not have in the film era. We often get carried away using these new ‘toys’, and then, we tend to over-use them or use them in an inappropriate manner. Take for example, the facility to ‘sharpen’ a not-so-sharp image in Photoshop. Before we proceed, let me remind you that there is really no way to sharpen a photo … [Read more...]
How Steady Are Your Hands?
The ‘best lens’ in the world (if there was any such thing) would no longer be the best if your shooting techniques are poor.There can be several reasons for your pictures not being sharp – poor focussing, poor lens contrast, poor lens resolution, subject movement, and camera movement. The biggest culprit is often the camera movement during ex-posure. Camera movements … [Read more...]
The Diver
Smart Photography reader Manoj Tilak from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, has sent us this photo of a young lad diving in to the water. The photo was shot at Shipra river, Ramghat, Ujjain. It is a very nice picture; the subject is positioned as per the rule of the thirds, the clouds in the background are great, the sunset is good, and the exposure is perfect for this silhouette. So, … [Read more...]
The Bugs
Smart Photography reader John Philips seems to have an eye for insects and creepy crawlies. Here is his excellent picture of two bugs. The image is very sharp; the lighting is great; the composition is, unusual. There is an expanse of negative space at the left, which, in this particular case, looks very nice. Original Image Edited Image So, could this … [Read more...]
The Landscape
This lush-green picture comes from Manish Moothedath. It’s a nice scene, taken from a high viewpoint.Could this picture be improved? What would I have done if I were you? Observe the atmospheric haze. This natural phenomenon is responsible for loss of contrast, which in turn, makes an image look dull. Original Image Edited Image Observe also that though the … [Read more...]