Hey folks. So, I took up photography a year and a half back… Sorry. Bought a DSLR a year and a half back, thanks to recommendations from a host of friends. Must say, it’s been an enlightening journey thus far, and I can today truly be termed as a serious amateur photographer. Umm. yea. No more.
As an amateur with no formal training I have relied as most would on luck and plain instinct. Have seen and read tutorials more than I have practiced the skill, I have always found it difficult to use functions instinctly what I would have read. It is usually a hindsight realisation of what I should have done and therefore, more often than not find myself waiting for a déjà vu moment to perfect my imperfect capture the next time. Luckily I have gotten better with time. Enough to break a few myths and share what would be the 5 most important points for those digital camera users who are planning to take the wonderful leap to an entry level DSLR.
1.Lenses are more important than the DSLR itself
Only a matter of time before we go from your kit lens to a host of lenses.. choose wisely. Do not spend too much time on looking for a DSLR. Spend more time trying to figure what you enjoy shooting and therefore the lenses you will use. Lenses play a far greater role in getting a great pic than your DSLR itself.
2. Party room, landscape, buildings , portraits : Different Lenses
Every different shot will need a different lens. You may need a walk around lens for general use. But, if you want a buying your DSLR to capture pics like in the travel brochure, the answer is different lenses. I have a lot of friends who shift to a DSLR and try their first shots at home in the evening with their family. Their first shots are as hazy with their kit lens as their digi cams and they wonder why their hand shakes so much. Probably the getting used to or the fact that the DSLR is too sensitive. Rubbish. It’s the lens. Shots
Lenses will make all the difference
taken in homes and parties which have dim lighting require a lens with a high aperture value, so that your shutter speed is still high and your photo is crystal clear … Did I just speak Greek ? This brings me to my next point – Learning a new language.
3. Learning starts… again 🙁
Photography speak in the beginning can be quite intimidating. Almost like a new language. However, look around enough and you will realize that help is at an arms length. From free ebooks, to free videos and hacked tutorials to actual classes and workshops. You can take whatever route you want, but basic techniques of exposure involving shutter, aperture and ISO are a must. There is no going to level next and figuring out yourself is going to take a lot of time and tons of missed opportunities. Investment of time In training will be crucial.
4. Oh, and there is the investment of course
Time will not be the only investment you make. Serious photography means you will be buying a heck of a lot of things as your progress. Lenses are expensive, and as the lenses get bulkier and heavier, you will need better tripods , and gimbal heads and sandbags and monopods and camera bags and… Well the list goes on and on. If the idea of buying a DSLR camera was to take it on holidays, there will come a time when you will postpone a holiday because you need to invest in a lens that will help you take relevant pictures in that holiday. Yea. true. Also, a word of advice. DO NOT SHY away from second hand lenses. The world is full of photographers like yourselves and me who keep on moving to level next. Almost every photographer keeps his equipment as spic and span as a Parsi who looks after his car. So, go ahead and pick up second hand lenses without fear… But after duly checking it of course.
5. A weighty issue indeed
My final tip. Get used to carrying a big brick on your back. As you gradually move from being an enthusiastto a amateur and then a professional, you will need to carry your bag around all the time. The thought of going from using a digital camera that fits into your pocket before taking off on a holiday to having a separate 5 kg bag is unnerving to most. But, one needs to get over the fact quickly. Soon, you will be traversing miles with that load on your back… Trust me, it will only get heavier with time but you will never regret a single moment.
So there it is folks, 5 checks before you take the leap to a DSLR. The golden rule of photography: If you are shifting to a DSLR because you are going for a holiday – Don’t. If your doing it for the sheer love of photography – hit the websites now for research.
MSD does the impossible once again as he takes 16 runs off a single over in a low scoring game to beat SL in the final of the tri series championship in WI.
One finds inspiration in many places. One finds inspiration at any age too.
Squirrels playing, a family of parakeets whizz past, the Koels nibble on fruits, magpie robins keep themselves busy all day… just how far does the average suburban Mumbaikar need to travel to see this. A few kms at least I would think. I get to see this from my house. No kidding straight out of the window! Welcome to Hiranandani, Powai folks. Sadly, this is also thethe last year when i can continue to pursue the incredible past time of what I term as arm chair birding.
Early morning cycling is great fun. While it burns the kilos ( at least I hope it does), it also gives me the chance to scream my guts out at errant drivers, BPO cars, pedestrians, transport vehicles, autowallahs and motorcycle riders. No one is spared as I take on the role of the holier than thou vigilante spewing venom on every mistake I see people make.
4 am starts. 5 am line up. 6 am checkin to office. 10 am checkout. 2 pm line up again. 7 hr drives on rocky roads. Imagine a life where every strategy starts with Telia and ends with well Paazahar. What’s that you say ?
For most safari and wildlife tourists or enthusiasts the few days they spend in the jungle are a bliss. 4 am mornings are supposed to refresh you. The sight of dawn in the jungle just revs up your brain with a plethora of ideas. Sightings of the Tiger and Birds of prey literally send a thousand tingling sensations to your brain. Like a recent ad goes: ALIVE IS AWESOME. Indeed.
So , how do 2 companies that shaped an entire industry manage to go kaput in 2 years. Clearly Nokia and Blackberry rode the wave and fell hard. But just as you thought they had it in them to face the best in the world and resurrect from the brink, they unleash unpardonable ads. Ones that do no justice to their brands, their partner’s brands or just the wonderful products that they have just introduced. Begs the question – What are their marketers thinking ?
Birding. Funny that i didnt know that was even a word till 6 months ago. Bird watching- funnier that the word holds no relevance for the feathered species.
Birders will tell you that Navi Mumbai, Sewri , Uran and the Karnala bird sanctuary are havens for our ilk. Thing is for an aspiring / novice enthusiast there is no informed way to find out. For Navi Mumbai I had to ask my colleague who lives there to nose around, which he bless his soul willingly did.
“Kaun jeeta” – Probably the most commonly question asked minutes after the match… for years the answer I most expected to hear is – India. But when the urban youth asks this question, India is most definitely not what he is expecting. What he expects is Man United, Arsenal, Barc… Oh you get the drift. The world order is changing swiftly and Cricket is no longer the only match on the tube. Player stats, goals, assists and transfers are discussed and debated with gusto and 90 minutes of time is all that young India has to invest in sport.
Legendary partnerships have been the mainstay of Mythology as well as Hollywood /Bollywood, even sport. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Batman & Robin, Agents J & K (MIB – remember), Karan- Arjun , Sachin & Sehwag Pappu and Yadav, Sathish & Nigam Eh wait! What did I just say! Let me explain. Lets’ rewind then to the jungles of Madhya Pradesh where dynamic duos like Pappu & Yadav set out every day to grant the wish of every tourist.
to a amateur and then a professional, you will need to carry your bag around all the time. The thought of going from using a digital camera that fits into your pocket before taking off on a holiday to having a separate 5 kg bag is unnerving to most. But, one needs to get over the fact quickly. Soon, you will be traversing miles with that load on your back… Trust me, it will only get heavier with time but you will never regret a single moment.
