Tuesday, 17 September 2013

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.

Epitome of good photography

Mecca at Night during Haj, Saudi Arabia

Photograph by Thomas J. Abercrombie, National Geographic
A quarter million Muslims jam Haram Mosque in the holy city of Mecca to pay homage to Allah. Those in the center (blurred in this time exposure) circle the black-draped Kaaba, most sacred of Islamic shrines. Muslims believe the Prophet Abraham—like Muhammad a messenger of God—and his son Ishmael built the first structure here.
                                                       

Camels Crossing the Sahara

Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic
Scorching sun casts long shadows as camels cross the salt flats of Lake Assal, Djibouti, one of the lowest places on Earth at 512 feet below sea level.



Cowboys Branding Cattle, Montana

Photograph by Sam Abell, National Geographic
Montana cowboys brand and castrate their livestock—a familiar yearly ritual in cattle country.

Tail of Plane in Flight

Photograph by Bruce Dale, National Geographic
A 23-second exposure in a camera mounted in the tail of a Lockheed TriStar jet captures the lights of the airport runway and the city beyond.

Lion in the Kalahari Desert

Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic
A lion patrols the dry Nossob riverbed, center of a vast refuge for big game. Here South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is joined by a fenceless border with Botswana’s larger Gemsbok National Park, representing an African trend toward transnational parks allowing wildlife free rein in their natural ecosystem.




Do Not Be Trigger Happy

"Do not be trigger happy," Swapan Mukherjee says. With a career spinning over 60 years and having dabbled in various genres of photography , 'Been There Done That' could well be his middle name. Here is an interview of Swapan Mukherjee.

It is a way of life. To give your all to photography one has to lead a solitary existence to ensure complete immersion in your objective. Of course this does not happen when you are shooting hardcore advertising, or commercial projects as more often then you have to compromise to meet another person's criteria. This frustration has been gnawing at me for a long time.
Providence came to my rescue, when due to circumstances, which had nothing to do with me, I was overnight without a studio! Looking back I realized that it could not have happened at a better time as I was already feeling like a prisoner, held between the four walls of a studio. I was drawn to photography to enable me to record life around me. Working in the studio denied me this. I used to feel as if the whole world was passing by me.
Like many successful photographers abroad I decided to work from home, instead of looking for another studio. It took me a while to adjust to the idea. For the first few months while watering the plants in my little balcony garden I would see my neighbours getting into their cars and rushing off to work. I had nowhere to go. Felt like as if I was unemployed! However, looking at the positive side I realized that not having to commute I had gained more than three hours everyday, without the frustration and aggravation of commuting. Besides, I did not have all those high studio overheads anymore. So, I could pick and choose assignments. I also had time to indulge in art photography.
When did you stumble upon the fact that photography is the thing meant for you?
Swapan MukherjeeLike I mentioned earlier I have always been fascinated by life around me. Returning from our morning walks to the nearby village as a kid I would often paint the scenes which had moved me. However, painting was a slow process and often I would forget the details like were there cows and a dog in front of the women carrying loads of firewood, or just the dog. It was about this time I stumbled upon a photography book by Kodak of Rochester. It was indeed a revelation for me. I think it was my fourteenth birthday when I became the proud owner of an Ensign Ful-Vue box camera. Even today I am happiest photographing the 'slice of life' kind of photography.
How was your experience in doing your first professional assignment?
If shooting model portfolios, and getting paid for them do not count then I think it must be the hair style shoot I did for a PR agency which handled the hair-care products of Elizabeth Schwarzkopf in UK. The Director of the PR agency had seen some of my model pictures, and I guess she liked them enough to book me for a full day shoot. It was not much different than shooting the model portfolios, except that the hair-styles and accessories had to be just right.
However, my first still-life shoot was for a well known women's magazine. The Art Director had called up the studio where I was working as an assistant for an urgent shoot of a clay casserol dish but my boss, Peter Lloyd was away. The Art Director said, "Swapan you do it"! Rushing to the nearby Covent Garden market I went and bought enough fresh vegetables, which I could think of would go into a casserrol recipe, I did the shot. Years later when I had my own studio in London's Pimlico district the Art Director would come to me quite often for shoots.
Swapan MukherjeeOne thing about photography that keeps you going?
Curiosity and the urge to create. Photography also helps to reach out to fellow human beings. Instant viewing in digital photography makes it that much easier.
Tell us about any interesting experiences that you have had while shooting.
Using dry ice for shooting ice-creams was never heard of before we embarked upon the Vadilal Ice-cream campaigns, which branded me as a food photographer. From studying chemistry at Delhi University I was aware of the benefits of dry ice, which is nothing but solidified carbon dioxide gas, which does not have a liquid stage so no mopping up to do. Now everybody, including ad-film makers, use it.
Another incident happened while I was in Hong Kong. I saw this Chinese family from Beijing being photographed by the street photographer, who had his Canon DSLR and an Epson printer on a chair on the promenade. After taking some pot shots of the photographer, I took some candid shots of the family members. While showing the pictures to them the father was doing his usual number of why did I not ask before shooting to which I had explained that if I had done so the pictures would not have the spontaneity. The funny thing was the daughters and the mother liked some of the pictures so much that they wanted some prints! The street photographer obliged with his Epson printer.
What equipment do you use nowadays?
On rare occassions when I shoot on film I use Pentax for 35mm, Bronica for medium format and Toyo for 4 X 5. An odd ball in the choice of equipment but I like to keep my life simple. For digital I use a Canon EOS 40D, while the earlier 20D is for back up. As I do more of location photography I have avoided going for digital backs as they are very cumbersome to use and makes you sometime forget the real purpose of you being there behind the camera!
Swapan MukherjeeDo you recommend or are you in support of digital retouching?
To enhance an image digital retouching is a boon but should not be used to salvage shoddy workmanship and mistakes. Over retouching models' faces on magazine covers which make the skin look more like POP is certainly very poor workmanship.
This applies to commercial work but photo-journalism is different, where the objective is to record truth, so enhancing images have to be judiciously executed. Altering contrast, brightness and over all colour cast is fine but actual content of the images should be left untouched. However, personal and art photography allow to let loose your imagination with digital manipulation.
Has your work been featured in exhibitions and what is your take on art and fine art photography?
When I was living in London I used to be a regular exhibitor. However, my most memorable one was my first one man show, called, "Some Moments Preserved", which was an exhibition of my black & white street photography of London in the late 60s and 70s. Four of my colour images depicting the English way of life of the same period were awarded a bronze medal each for the symposium, "The World and its People", organized by Kodak of Rochester, and was held at the World Trade Centre. Some of these black and white prints, which I had printed for exhibitions, will be included at the auction being conducted by Bloomsberry Auctions in November. Some of my art photography are currently featured in the Saatchi Gallery, U.K., which is online. I have also exhibited in the various Exhibit-As, organized by the Advertising and Industrial Photographers' Association and later the Photographers' Guild of India, and a group show of some of the Powai photographers in Mumbai.
Swapan MukherjeeI do dream of a day when I can make a decent living out of my art photography. I think the reason I had taken up photography so many years ago was simply to feed my creative urges. Unfortunately, in India you cannot live on art photography alone as it has yet to catch on like in the West. Some of those few photographers in India who are into art photography are very promising but most are either copying some established artists of bygone eras, or are lost in convoluted ideas and motives. The maxim, "Less is more" certainly holds true in art photography. It is foolhardy to try to make photographs look like paintings.
Any advice for budding photographers?
Be true to yourself, have faith in your ability and persevere. You will get there one day. Look around and observe. Keep your imagination alive and shoot whenever you can.



Reference:- Asian Photography

Click and capture

I do not have a professional camera. And yes, I have hardly done photography in my life.(giggles) But , strange, when i was told by my teacher to decide a theme for my blog , it was the first thing in my mind.
I still remember, the very first time i took DSLR in my hands, i had no clue how it worked. Infact, i was all set to click and capture ,and the lens cover was still on. It was hillarious. It was like you go to eat chinese and you don't even know how to hold chopsticks.

Next time i was more professional at using the camera. Gradually, i learnt photography is a strong vision.
You do it, you learn it.

Photography is sometimes a moment of embarrassment but a lifetime of pleasure. I would share an incident here. There was a"chat- wala" and he had a very interesting" larri". It looked so colorful and very fascinating.
And yes,i captured it. It was really a beautiful portrait. But seeing someone clicking picture of a "chat-wala" was funny for others.

Whenever you feel like capturing a moment, just click!!