Is photojournalism really neutral?

Many photojournalists pride themselves on delivering a neutral account of the events unfolding on the ground, but there have been numerous discussions as to how this is impossible. Every photojournalists are individuals with their own inherent beliefs, which affects the way they select their viewpoint or frame their composition.

This video takes it a step further by examining how photographs can exaggerate the situation through selective portrayal of the situation, and how the presence of journalists alone can change the scene and behaviour of the subjects.

An interview with Mary Ellen Mark

Mary Ellen Mark is one of my favourite photographers. Her photographs are starkly beautiful and peer deep into the souls of the subject; they make you want to keep staring and examining the depth of the photos. In this short video, she spoke about her way of photography and how she worked, which was seriously candid, humble and pensive.

Seriously, do not miss this 3:45min video for anything in the world. Your point of view may just be totally changed…

I hate camera straps

Let's get this out of the way for once and for all - the traditional camera strap doesn't work most of the time. It is made to be worn around your neck with the camera in front of you, and probably designed by a chiropractor, because that's who you'll be visiting if you use it for long periods of time. Given that a mobile phone can be a weighty pendulum on a lanyard, who actually wants to hang a heavy DSLR around your neck the whole day?

Some people actually sling it over one shoulder, only to see the camera crash to the floor when one is momentarily distracted. I find the traditional camera strap very useful when I wrap it around my hands when shooting, but never for carrying the camera around hands-free.

There are a couple of different variant designs on the camera strap in the past years, and two of the most interesting ones are the Y-Strap and R-Strap. Both straps run diagonally down your body supported by one shoulder, and the camera rests on the opposite hip. The weight is on the shoulder and not on the neck, which makes for comfortable wear for longer periods. The camera slides up smoothly along the strap to your face, guided by the length of the strap.

So if you're not happy with the traditional camera strap and want an alternative option, check out the Y-strap and the R-Strap. I like the fact that you're not advertising a huge DSLR on your chest that screams "I'm a photographer!', which means you can probably get closer to your subject without them noticing. Just watch out when you walk past tables - you definitely don't want your precious lens or camera meeting the corner of some sturdy benches!

The Y-strap

The R-strap

The quiet zen of photography

For some people like David Spielman, photography is a therapeutic process, offering your mind a sea of calm amongst the rush of our daily lives. And to that intent, David prefers to shoot rangefinders and still uses film, because he likes the process of picture creation that way. For most of us using electronic DSLRs, computers and mobile phones everyday, you might find beauty and peace within the mechanical cameras and the tactile feel of film.

Slow down, see and observe, and then click off a frame.

Enjoy this short video clip!

Getting bored? Try HDR photography!

Bored with whatever you've been shooting? Perhaps its time to try out HDR photography! In case you haven't already heard, HDR stands for "High Dynamic Range". In simple layman talk, that means that you're capturing details in both the brightest (highlight) areas of the photo, as well as darkest (shadow) area of the photo. The end result can be spectacular like this...
 

HDR photography works by combining multiple exposures of the same scene into one single image, allowing the software to extract data from the various exposures and combining them into your final photo. To do that effectively, you should shoot the same scene at least three times - once at your normal exposure, once over-expose and once under-exposed.

Normal exposure

Over-exposed (2-stops) 
 

Under-exposed (2-stops)

HDR software then allows you to combine the sequence of shots automatically to generate the final HDR image. You should probably use a tripod to ensure that all three images are similar for easy matching. The thing about HDR photography is that much of the process is done post-exposure in your computer, but it is not as easy as it seems. There are many adjustments in the software that you can explore, and many of them will process the HDR image differently. You'd need to explore the software thoroughly to be good in HDR photography.

I've posted a link to a video which explains HDR photography and the software adjustments necessary for a good HDR processing. Have fun!
  

Photographers and Apple iPad - perfect partership

With the Apple iPad shipping worldwide, many photographers are scrambling to get their hands so that they can share their portfolio of works with everyone on the gorgeous 10" screen. But there's more to using the iPad as an electronic portfolio, as Jesse Rosten discovered. Did you know that you can shoot and transfer your files wirelessly to the iPad?

All it takes is an Apple iPad (obviously), a DSLR, an Eye-Fi card and an app called ShutterSnitch (US$8). Jesse Rosten shares the exact method on how to set-up your DSLR to transfer your photos wirelessly to your iPad as you shoot. It's great for viewing your photos on a huge screen compared to squinting at a small LCD behind the camera. And it's especially good if you're a commercial photographer who needs to show the client (and art director) as the shoot goes on, without having them stand behind you to check the shots.

The above is a video clip by Jesse Rosten showing how the wireless setup works. For the details on setting up the wireless transmission of images, visit his website at http://jesserosten.com/2010/wireless-tethering-to-ipad

Sneak peak at Photoshop CS5 new features

For a digital photographer, having good Adobe Photoshop knowledge is an essential skill set to improving the images post-exposure. And nothing even comes close to Adobe when it comes to digital imaging software, with incredible tools on hand to tackle every conceivable problem. And talking about "conceivable problem", you've got to give it to the Adobe guys to think of "every conceivable problem", because they seem to be able to conjure up new tools when you think that the current version of Photoshop is as powerful as it can get!

So with Adobe Photoshop CS5 launching round the corner on 12th April (that's next Monday), what can we expect from Adobe this time around. Well, Adobe has been teasing photographers with sneak previews of some new features, and they look pretty neat. I'll definitely look forward to the Content-Aware Fill as a key motivation for upgrade, seeing how much time it'll save me from cloning (watch the video - this new technology makes the Healing Brush look so yesterday!).

The Puppet Warp tool (strange name eh?) also looks fascinating, and you'd might think it's a trivial tool by watching the first half of the video. But keep on watching, and you'd start to realize the potential of the Puppet Warp tool for photographers and designers alike.

P.S: My friend just notified me of a spoof on the Content-Aware Fill feature. It's pretty hilarious, but not related to photography so I'm not putting up a direct link. If you're open for a good laugh, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ScWu7pG7r0

Annie Leibovitz - prima donna or talent supremo?

Annie Leibovitz has a reputation of being a difficult photographer to work with – both as an assistant and as a client. If you are her assistant, you’d better be fast on your feet and mind, and be as much of a perfectionist as she is, or risk being railed at.

If you are her client, Annie will not yell (at you). But you just might, when you see the bills that she chalks up per assignment. Being the perfectionist that she is, Annie Leibovitz has unfortunately gained the reputation of a budget buster by insisting on the best for every shoot.

In this video you can see the locations and equipment she brings for an otherwise low-budget editorial shoot for Vogue magazine. And as Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine puts it aptly, that Annie “drives them crazy” since “budget is not something entirely in Anna’s consciousness”.

But Anna concludes that “but it’s worth it because at the end of the day, she gives you an image that nobody else can.” That’s Annie Leibovitz for you!

All-terrain light stand

Light stands are great – in the studio. In the outdoor conditions, they struggle to cope with uneven grounds. Strobe-enthusiast Reuben Krabbe found a neat way to modify a standard light-stand to work on uneven grounds such as slopes or stairs.

The modification is simple – Reuben removes the rivet from one of the legs with a drill, creates a series of holes in that leg and installs a clip to hold the leg into the new hole position. The end result (after 5 minutes of work) is a light stand with a leg that moves independently to adapt to any ground terrain!

Confessions of a photographer

Check out this hilarious clip by photographer Joe McNally as he confesses to "Father Bob Krist" about the "sins" he committed in 2009! I'm equally guilty as Joe McNally when it comes to some of the "sins"... time to repent in 2010!

Canon and Nikon = Romeo and Juliet?

Oh boy... this is good... someone just made a video about the "Romeo and Juliet" story of a pair star-crossed lovers. Both are photographers, but he is a Canon guy and she's a Nikon gal! Don't take it seriously, but its quite a laugh hearing the "hatred" and "differences" of both camps. Every brand fanatic should watch this and have a good laugh at themselves!

How tough is your lens?

Boredom is dangerous, because a bored photographer decided to try smashing his (already non-functioning) Canon lens to see how fragile the lens is. Amazingly, the lens is one tough cookie! Kids, do not try this at home…

Will I buy your camera after watching your TVC?

If you buy a Porsche 911 Turbo, you wouldn't use it only to buy groceries from the supermarket, would you? It is a fantastic machine to drive around in, so you'd probably enjoy the handling experience or the sheer acceleration (under safe conditions) or on the track!

If that was so easy to understand, why is it that many top honchos in multi-national companies fail to realize that television commercials are the best way to stir your emotions, or to set the fire in your loins burning? Why do some companies make TV commercials which do little more than communicate their product advantages? The combination of sound and vision is a lethal weapon in creating emotions that would bring consumers to your product, no matter how rational they are or how resistant they want to be. Leave your specifications to the print advertisement! I want to be stirred by your television commercial... entertain me!

Leica just did.

Amazing wildlife photos and experience

National Geographic has always been synonymous with great travel and wildlife photography, and this short video about the adventures of a wildlife photographer with National Geographic encompasses everything romantic about the life of the contributing photographers!

"Adventures, excitement. A Jedi craves not these things." said Yoda. Obviously the National Geographic photographers are low in the Force quotient!