BLUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Useful Tips for Bokeh Photography

1. Bokeh simply means Blur in Japanese language.
2. A Bokeh can be good as well as bad caused by chromatic aberrations or the Len’s Aperture shapes.
3. The Number of Aperture or Shape of the blades defines the Nature of bokeh. For Example: an 8 Blade diaphragm will produce a Polygonal bokeh.
4. Every lens can’t be perfect all the way, but there is a spot at which the lens can attain its best focus called as Circle of Confusion (COC).
5. Using this COC the depth of field for an image can easily measured.
6. Back-lit Background works great in producing pleasing Bokeh’s.
7. Looks for Highlights in the scene, basically Highlights with interluding shadows are the ones which get transformed into Pleasing Bokeh’s.
8. Trying to maintain a equidistant between the camera and the subject comparing to the subject and the Background, will logically produce great results.
9. Bokeh need not be round or spherical in shape, any blurred out background is also termed as Bokeh.
10. The Larger the aperture better the Bokeh.
11. In Minolta and Sony they manufacture a special lens with smooth trans focus + an apodization filter to create a Pleasing bokeh, making them one of its kind in the Market.
12. By Placing a simple shape cut out from a card in front of the lenses creates your own shape of Bokeh.
13. The Spherical aberration + Chromatic aberration at times can cause very displeasing bokeh shapes and color.
14. Using extension tubes in macro photography can give great results of Bokeh.
15. When not sure about the bokeh you will achieve, try viewing the scene with eyes crossed, you will love what you see.

10 Soulful Documentary Photography Stories

Story about an AIDS patient. Her name is Julie. Dancy Padilla captured Julie’s life from 1993 to Prepare for

the end of Life. This particular story is really touch my soul.

Dijbouti by Marcus Bleasdale

This story about children how suffering for food and households in urban areas like Dijbouti City, Sankal, Assamo, and Beyadde). Captured by Marcus Bleasdale.

The Lonely Mother by Altaf Qadri

This story is about Mughil, a Kashmiri Woman. Her only son Nazir Ahmad Teli, a teacher by profession, had left for school in 1991. She never saw him again. Enforced disappearance is one of the most harrowing consequences of the armed conflict in Kashmir. Captured by Altaf Qadri.

Cocaine True, Cocaine Blue by Eugene Richards

This is ia compelling story of three communities blighted by drugs and isolation. Eugene Richards captured this story in East New York, North Philadelphia, and the Red Hook housing projects in Brookly, New York. Open the website and click on the galleries, you can find this gallery in Eugene’s website.

The Eyes of war by Martin Roemers

BENU SEN

Benu Sen, The Legend of Indian Photography

If life is a collage of fleeting moments, Benu Sen’s camera has trapped them in myriad tones and hues. Be it his monochromes with alluring play of light and shade, or his poignant candid shots – Benu Sen has proved his métier in varied domains of photography.

Mr. Benu Sen (1932) served as Secretary General, Federation of Indian Photography and President of Photographic Association of Dum Dum was the living legend in the field of International Pictorial Photography. His contribution both as individual artist and as a promoter for the development of Indian Photography is perhaps exceeds that of any Indian Photographer.

Trained to be a ground engineer, Benu Sen’s alliance with the viewfinder happened by a sheer play of chance. It was August 15, 1954, when Sen accompanied a camera-lugging friend to an Independence Day celebration. The device sparked off his curiosity and he was keen to have a look at the new equipment with his friend, who however turned down the request on the ground that his tampering might damage the camera. That came as a blow to his pride which took him the very next day to a junk market in Kolkata – to look for lenses, tin and other scrap materials to assemble his very own camera. The success of this attempt triggered a spurt of diverse experimentation in camera mechanics and darkroom techniques. Not surprisingly, engineering took a backseat.

He was the 3rd man in the world to have received the rare honour of ‘Master of Photography’ (M.F.I.A.P.) from the Federation International de L’Art Photographique, a body under the recognition of UNESCO. He was conferred the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (F.R.P.S.) in 1975, EFIAP in 1960, ESFIAP in 1972 and number Honorary fellowships like Hon F.J.I.A.P. (Japan), F.N.P.A.S. (Sri Lanka), Hon. F.P.B.S. (Bangladesh), Hon. F.P.A.D (India),Hon. F.C.O.S (Romania), Hon. P.A.B, Hon. S.O.P etc. for his contribution to pictorial photography.

In 1957, Benu Sen, along with a like-minded friends, established the Photographic Association of Dumdum (PAD) to practice, propagate and discuss the nuances of this art form. Another remarkable contribution of Sen is his initiative in setting up a state-of-the-art photography department in the Indian Museum Kolkata. Established in 1963, it was the first of this kind in India.

However, the most notable milestone for this septuagenarian photo artist was perhaps the starting of free photographic courses under the wings of PAD. Since the launch of the course in 1969, PAD has blossomed into a full-fledged institute for systematic schooling in photography, totally free of cost. With an expert faculty, all of whom are engaged voluntarily, it offers a one-year certificate course and a subsequent two-year diploma to aspirants, irrespective of age and academic qualifications. Many of his students are well placed in senior level positions in the Government Establishments (Including Rashtrapati Bhawan, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Defense,, Department of Culture, Department of Science & technology etc.), public sector and autonomous organizations, private sectors and individual entrepreneurship.

His other remarkable contribution to photography are the BS4 formula, an extra ordinary fine grain developer for tropical countries., Tonorama and macro pictography. He introduced colour photogram and colour separation from Black & White Negatives in India.

He has organized seven (7) International Photographic Conferences, twelve (12) All India Seminars, forty eight (48) international Salons and several local exhibitions to promote and propagate photography throughout the world. He organized a number of Solo Exhibitions and Group Shows. He presented a number of papers and published a number of articles, delivered T.V & Radio talks on photography. He was former Vice President and founder member of India International Photographic Council, New Delhi and Former Vice President, Calcutta Photo Club Coordination Center. He has served as Jury of selection in a number of International Salons both in India and abroad during the last 50 years. He has written a few books as well. One of the most valuable publications was “Art of Photography” in 1979. He is co-author of the most important book “Experimental Photography” and “Learn Photography”. Benu Sen’s finesse is all-encompassing, spanning the range of photo-journalism, architectural photography, portraits and the subtleties of pictorialism – according to him an ionic status in the glossy world of Photography. But his most enduring legacy will perhaps be in pioneering efforts in opening up new vistas in photography for the generation after us.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ITS ROOTS

The history of photography has roots in remote antiquity with the discovery of the principle of the camera obscura and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. As far as is known, nobody thought of bringing these two phenomena together to capture camera images in permanent form until around 1800, when thomas wedgewood made the first reliably documented although unsuccessful attempt. In the mid-1820s, nicephore nipce succeeded, but several days of exposure in the camera were required and the earliest results were very crude. Niépce's associate louis dagurre went on to develop the dagurrrerotypeprocess, the first publicly announced photographic process, which required only minutes of exposure in the camera and produced clear, finely detailed results. It was commercially introduced in 1839, a date generally accepted as the birth year of practical photography.

The metal-based daguerreotype process soon had some competition from the paper-based calotype negative and salt print processes invented by Henry Fox Talbot. Subsequent innovations reduced the required camera exposure time from minutes to seconds and eventually to a small fraction of a second; introduced new photographic media which were more economical, sensitive or convenient, including roll films for casual use by amateurs; and made it possible to take pictures in natural color as well as in black and white.

The commercial introduction of computer-based electronic digital cameras in the 1990s soon revolutionized photography. During the first decade of the 21st century, traditional film-based photochemical methods were increasingly marginalized as the practical advantages of the new technology became widely appreciated and the image quality of moderately priced digital cameras was continually improved.

When I clicked it!!

BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS

CIRIL JAZBEC


 “Do everything for what you dream or think that is in your strengths! There are hiding geniality, strength and magic in the courage.” – Ciril Jazbec

David Lindsey Wade 


 David Lindsey Wade made a few important choices during his prime teen rebellious years. Raised by a pair of artist, his way of challenging his parents (who were already a bit off the grid) was to embrace his attraction to speed and excitement through his passion for machines.

Senol Zorlu. 


 egofoto.net presents selected photographers by Senol Zorlu. The focus liew on potraying people, places and their cultures. egofoto is an independent and headstrong project. The photos display the expression of a personal view of people and instances.

Lee Towndrow 

Lee Towndrow was a designer upon starting out. Made album covers. Was moved by kissing robots to become flame*artist. Built a darkroom, made bread (the kind you eat). Moved to Buenos Aires to try to grow up. Learned Spanish, loved, lost. Worked with great artists. Became a photographer.

Lyndon Wade

 Lyndon Wade’s Vibrant compositions often depict subjects in a kind of suspended animation; their halted motion suggests a larger narrative in the space of a single incident.

Why Buy Photo Editing Software?

 

The days of retake after retake are over with the continuing evolution of photo editing software. The minor errors that would’ve sent your pictures to the trash bin in the past can be fixed with a few clicks of the mouse using one of the applications in this category. There are going to be some times when a photo is too damaged to fix, but those are going to be few and far between if you have photo editing software to back you up. The amount of pictures you’re going to get rid of or have to retake will decrease dramatically, which means you will be able save those precious moments that would’ve otherwise been lost.

Photo editing software involves a degree of a learning, but that’s to be expected when you’re dealing with software that has so many useful functions. Fortunately, there are applications with streamlined feature sets, built-in tutorials and easy-to-follow directions for those of us who don't have a lot of experience with such capable products. Whether you choose one or the other depends greatly on what you need your photo editing software to do and your level of experience. Here, you will find software packages that will meet the needs of the seasoned professionals while gently ushering new users through the process.

Photo Editing Software: What to Look For

There is no limit to what you can do with photo editing software. Any error one of your photos might have can be fixed with a few clicks of your mouse. You don’t even have to hire someone to edit your photos for you. A lot of these programs are intuitive enough that even the newest user can be taking advantage of it in short order. You might run into a learning curve with some of these programs, but it won’t be hard to find the help you need to get going. When you get moving, you’re going to wonder why you didn’t have photo editing software in your life before. Equally important, veteran hobbyists and enthusiasts will find the applications to be fully customizable to meet their more demanding needs.