Beautiful night sky colors

Captured this image late in the evening from Hosabettu Beach located in the west coast of Karnataka, India. It was a perfect evening during just before Christmas, with clear sky. I captured few time lapse videos of the sunset and have been experimenting with low light photography. 

In the background of this image on top is the dark sky just after sunset with starts and planets that are visible. What I love here is the different colors from orange to blue and then the gradual darkness as you see high above. If you look into the source of light then you will find two of them - one is the natural sunset and the other is from the port nearby which is to the left.

In the middle is the Arabian sea to the right and seashore to the left. Those bright light in the sea are from small fishing boats and the ship that are waiting in queue to enter the New Mangalore Port. To the left is the famous Panambur Beach, search lights from coast guard  and also the street light . You can also see the sea waves (seen as just a layer of water because of long exposure). 

In the foreground is the reflection of night sky and also the star/planet. Captured this image almost 30 to 45 mins after sunset. With no one in the beach after sunset, it was the perfect time to capture a photo of this kind. Used my tripod to capture this image in low light and long exposure photo, to avoid any blurring of image.

Camera: Nikon D600 Lens: Nikon 14-24mm FX lens (wide angle)

Settings: Tripod, 14 mm, 30 sec, f/20, ISO 2000

Surathkal Light house late in the evening

Even though I work in Bangalore as of this writing, I visit Surathkal (my home town) atleast once in every 1 or 2 months. I have seen people visiting this place in the evening as there is famous temple and a light house. But after sunset at around 7-8 pm you will hardly find anyone there. Even though I spent most of time time here in this place, I did not ever stay back after 7pm. Recently, I have been to this place with my Nikon D600 camera and a tripod along with Nikon lens. It was too perfect for me with clear sky and for me to experiment with low light photography. I had to wait for almost an hour to capture this with no one around, just the beam of light from light house. Also, I'm lucky enough to capture shooting star in the same image. I had captured this at around a distance of 500-750 meters from light house. Below is the image and camera settings that I have used to capture this low light photo of night sky along with the light house.

Camera: Nikon D600

Lens: Nikon 50mm FX prime lens 1.4D

Camera Settings: Exposure 30 secs, f/5, 50mm, IS0 800, No flash, Used Tripod.

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Photography tutorial App - Right Click

Having high end camera and 'Automatic' mode isn't enough for you to get excellent images. 'Manual' mode in the camera allows you to adjust settings (shutter speed, Aperture and ISO) to capture the perfect moment perfectly. 'Right Click' Android App allows you visually understand & experience the various aspects of photography and how they effect your photograph on your smart phone. 'View Mode' option in the app, you can see the various effects Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO have over the image.

Features:

View Mode : To experience and visually understand factors that effect the photographs, be it the ambient environment or the confusing functions on your camera screen.

Read Mode : For textual understanding of the factors effecting the photograph.

Photography Styles : For understanding the factors that makes different genres of photography appealing.

Download here: Right Click

How are ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture related ?

Here it is: the one chart you’ll ever need to understand shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. It will help you to create better black and white photos, it helps to explain why your lenses are more important than your camera, how to get the most of them, etc. If you don’t understand any of this, take a look at our guide to terminology [Link below]. Or…take it with you.This chart will help you with the dark art of metering and shooting out in the field, like at pop culture events.

Source: The Photographer

Wooden camera portraits by Afghan Photographers

Reminding us that early cameras were photochemical and shutterless, Kabul is home to two lone holdouts who still practice the 75-year-old art of wooden camera photography. Due to a ban on picture-taking by the Taliban, and then an influx of cheap digital cameras, the number of practitioners of kamra-e-faoree has steadily dwindled. But thanks to the Afghan Box Camera Project, the legacy left by these artisans is being preserved -- not least in the video above. Discover how it all works and then leave the faux-vintage to the hipsters. Check out this interesting video.

Source: Engadget

How to do Levitation Photography

Not sure if you are crazy enough to try this. Well, I am. Some thing interesting and just for fun. Check out this funny video and you too can try this. The website below “yowayowa” is a Japanese term meaning "weak" or "feeble." Natsumi Hayashi shares some of her photos on her website. Her work involves "Levitation Photography", which is basically shots that make the subject look like they are floating in mid air.

More pic on http://yowayowacamera.com/

Source: DigitalRev TV, yowayowa

Google+ Photographer’s Conference

Designed to help you further develop your Google+ networking abilities and refine your photography talents, this this history-making conference will be powered by Google's Hangout (web conferencing) technology and the G+ platform to offer a collaborative mix of photography, social media, branding and networking sessions that will teach you how take full advantage of what's happening now and what’s to come on Google+. The informative sessions will be taught by the best Google+ photographers, top photography instructors and some of the geniuses of social media. This is the first ever Google+ Photographer’s Conference on May 22-23, 2012 at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Volcano Tungurahua in Ecuador

The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador has some of the most amazing, terrifying eruptions in the world. This one, from 2006, shows molten lava streaming down the sides of the mountain while ash spews into the night sky. Volcano Tungurahua sometimes erupts spectacularly. Pictured above, molten rock so hot it glows visibly pours down the sides of the 5,000-meter high Tungurahua, while a cloud of dark ash is seen being ejected toward the left. Wispy white clouds flow around the lava-lit peak, while a star-lit sky shines in the distance. Located in Ecuador, Tungurahua has become active roughly every 90 years for the last 1,300 years

Source: NASA

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography

The National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography spells out the basics of fine photography—whether you are using a digital SLR or a film camera—as well as more advanced techniques for the amateur photographer. From the top twelve color moves to creative gift ideas to quality camera phone photography, this guide will not only inspire you but also arm you with the practical know-how to get great images. It is the indispensable reference for photographers everywhere. Straightforward and entertaining, this is the ultimate source for people seeking real how-to advice from the editors and photographers of National Geographic. It is carefully designed to lead the amateur photographer to better pictures and is comprehensive in scope, explaining the entire process from choosing a camera to taking the pictures to printing, scanning, and archiving the images.

You can view and purchase it here:

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography from Flipkart.com

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography from Amazon

Robert Doisneau – Street Photographer

Robert Doisneau was known for his modest, playful, and ironic images of amusing juxtapositions, mingling social classes, and eccentrics in contemporary Paris streets and cafes. Doisneau's work gives unusual prominence and dignity to children's street culture; returning again and again to the theme of children at play in the city, unfettered by parents. His work treats their play with seriousness and respect. Doisneau worked at Rapho until the outbreak of World War II, whereupon he was drafted into the French army as both a soldier and photographer. Some of Doisneau's most memorable photographs were taken after the war. He returned to freelance photography and sold photographs to Life and other international magazines. He briefly joined the Alliance Photo Agency but rejoined the Rapho agency in 1946 and remained with them throughout his working life, despite receiving an invitation from Henri Cartier-Bresson to join Magnum Photos. His photographs never ridiculed the subjects; thus he refused to photograph women whose heads had been shaved as punishment for sleeping with Germans. In 1950 he created his most recognizable work for Life – Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville), a photo of a couple kissing in the busy streets of Paris, which became an internationally recognized symbol of young love in Paris.

deviantART– Community of Artists and Art Lovers

If you are an artist, photographer or a designer then here is the online community where you can share your work to gather ideas and get yourself inspired, you can even make money out of your work. There are millions of visitors and this is one place where you can share all your work, all of them for free. Below are some of the features of deviantART.

• Explore over 100 million original works of art.
  
• Exhibit your artwork to an audience of over 12 million members.
  
• Set up a profile, create galleries, and build a fan base.
  
• Communicate, collaborate and learn from artists from over 190 countries.
  
• Make money selling your art in the deviantART Shop.

Visit my deviantART  account http://ravindrajoisa.deviantart.com/
Check out the video below:

How It's Made - Canon 500mm f/4 L Lens

You might be using various lenses for your DSLR cameras. The number of lenses that are available in the market are too many and is very easy to use. The best of best images can be shot using these lenses, but do you know how these lenses are made. Check out the video below where is shows how Canon 500mm f/4 L Lens are made.

Source: PetaPixel

Instagram for Photo Sharing

Instagram – A beautiful way to share photos. It's fast, free and fun! 



Pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects to breathe a new life into your mobile photos. Transform everyday moments into works of art you'll want to share with friends and family.



Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see - and follow your friends' photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you'll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.



Features
:

☆ 100% free custom designed filters and borders
☆ Lux works its magic by making your photos more vibrant and brings out details in your photos you couldn't see before
☆ Instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare (Flickr coming very soon)
☆ Interact with friends through giving & receiving likes and comments
☆ Works with Android versions 2.2 and above that support OpenGL ES 2
☆ Full front & back camera support

☆ And much much more.

Update: Facebook acquires Instagram

Download from your App Store today.

Source: Google Play

Canon EOS 60Da - DSLR for astronomy

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today introduced the EOS 60Da Digital SLR Camera, a long-awaited successor to the EOS 20Da that is optimized for astrophotography. This DSLR caters to astronomers and hobbyists who enjoy capturing the beauty of the night sky by offering a modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity.

The Canon EOS 60Da camera packs a powerful 18-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C) that produces sharp and high-contrast images of astronomical objects, a major enhancement over the EOS 20Da model's 8.2-megapixel sensor. The improved infrared-blocking filter is a modification suited specifically toward astronomy enthusiasts to achieve a hydrogen-alpha light sensitivity that is approximately three times higher than that of a normal Canon DSLR camera. This produces a 20-percent higher transmittance of Hydrogen Alpha line, or Hα wavelength, allowing astronomers to capture crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

The estimated retail price is $1,499.00 and it is expected to be available this month.

Source: Canon

Christian Ziegler - National Geographic Photographer

Christian Ziegler, a tropical biologist turned photojournalist, specializing in tropical ecosystems has worked extensively in rain forests around the world  for  the last 15 years. Several research projects and his fascination for nature photography brought him to the tropical forests of Asia, Africa and Central America during his studies. Christian lived in Thailand where he worked as a free lance photographer for the WWF (World Wide Found for Nature). The year after Christian spent four months in the Ivory Cost of West Africa visiting both the Savannah and the rain forest. Since 1998, Christian has been working primarily in Panama, on Barro Colorado Island, a field station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). After finishing his graduate work in 2000, his focus changed solely to the field of nature photography and journalism. He spent 15 month of fieldwork doing the photography for his picture book on the ecology of tropical rain forest “A magic Web”, which was published by Oxford University Press in November 2002.
In April 2002 Christian was appointed ‘associate for communication’ by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Over the years Christian won several international recognized awards, such as the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year (category 'behavior of all other animals' in 2005). He has completed dozens of magazine assignments, 8 of them for National Geographic Magazine covering topics ranging from ocelots ,tree frogs and monkeys to bats, deception in animals, visitors to a flowering rain forest tree, and orchids. Christian is interested in showing species in their ecosystem context, and sharing interesting behaviors. Christians work is published internationally in magazines such as the National Geographic Magazine, GEO, Smithsonian Magazine, BBC Wildlife Magazine and Natural History. Next to his magazine work, he thinks it important to work with conservation groups, such as WWF and others. Christian is a founding fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers .

Checkout this Photos here: [Link]

Source: National Geographic

Lightbox Photo Sharing

Lightbox is a community of people from around the world sharing their unique experiences through photography. Lightbox is available on Google Chrome Store which can be installed in your Chrome browser or you can downloaded it for free on your Android device.

Following are some of the features:
Create a Timeline of your Photos:
All the photos you upload are automatically turned into a timeline of postcards on Lightbox.com. You can keep these photos private or selectively share them with friends, family, or the entire Lightbox community.

Publish your own Tumblr-Like Photo Blog:
Photos you share publicly will also get posted to your very own Lightbox website that other people can follow. You just focus on taking photos, and we'll automatically create an attractive website for you.

Example: http://ravindrajoisa.lightbox.com/

Top features in Photoshop CS6

Here is a list with some of the favorite features that you may like in Photoshop CS6:

1. Crop tool –  Cropping an image has been the same without any enhancement for a long time now. CS6 crop is non disruptive, it will not throw away data after cropping, you can always go back. Even after cropping, you can get the cropped image back and then edit. You can use the classic crop tool as well in the new CS6 if you are used to the older version.

2. Filters – Blur gallery now has 3 different types - Field, Iris and Tilt blur. You have great control over the blur and you can edit your photos which can't be captured photographically like focusing on more than one object at the same time.

3. Adaptive Wide Angle - Instead of cropping and do lens correction go for adaptive wide angle filter. Example is if you have a photo with too many buildings which appear curved because of the wide angle lens used, Photoshop CS6 allows you to adjust manually by drawing lines and edit the image and make it look much better.

4. Video Editing - You can edit videos using Photoshop but using CS6 it is much more streamlined. You can go to timeline and select the right layer and then add effects to your video. This can be done to the objects in the timeline. You don’t have to be a video editor to do this.

5. Content Aware Patch - This feature helps in a great way when it comes to editing your image at the edges. Usually in older versions, when we try to edit image at the edges; it used to leave white patch. This is not the case with the CS6.

6. Content Aware Move – This is a new feature in CS6. If an object in your image is in one corner and you want to drag that object then this tool is very helpful as it will recreate a background which looks so real.
Check out this video by Terry White:

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta

The world’s best digital image editing software is about to get even better. Photoshop CS6 beta is now available as a free download from Adobe Labs in English and Japanese.

Here are some of the Photoshop CS6 Highlights:

Content-Aware Patch — Patch images with greater control using the newest member of the Content-Aware family of technologies. Choose the sample area you want to use to create your patch, and then watch Content-Aware Patch magically blend pixels for a stunning result.
Blazingly fast performance and a modern UI — Experience unprecedented performance with the Mercury Graphics Engine, which gives you near-instant results when you edit with key tools such as Liquify, Puppet Warp, and Crop. Plus, a refined, fresh, and elegant Photoshop interface features dark background options that make your images pop.
New and re-engineered design tools — Create superior designs fast. Get consistent formatting with type styles, create and apply custom strokes and dashed lines to shapes, quickly search layers, and much more.

Download Link: Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta

Canon announces EOS 5D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body)
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III rumors about which I had updated a few days back [More new Canon DSLRs soon] is now official. Positioned between the extremely popular EOS 5D Mark II and Canon's top-of-the-line professional EOS-1D X model, the EOS 5D Mark III delivers superb image quality, thanks to a new 22.3-megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, a high-performance DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processor, a 61-point High Density Reticular Autofocus (AF) System and six frames-per-second (fps) continuous shooting speed.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III key specifications

• 22MP full frame CMOS sensor
• ISO 100-25600 standard, 50-102,800 expanded
• 6 fps continuous shooting
• Shutter rated to 150,000 frames
• 1080p30 video recording, stereo sound via external mic
• 61 point AF system
• 63 zone iFCL metering system
• 100% viewfinder coverage
• 1040k dot 3:2 LCD
• Dual card slots for CF and SD

[Read More]

Picnik will be closing

Back in 2010, I had written an article on Google acquiring Picnik, the online photo editing tool in another blog of mine—Ravi’s Blog. And its hardly 2 years after acquisition of Picnik by Google and they wants to close Picnik.  This is one of the products which Google has and will be closing in recent times. Picnik will be closed on 19th of April 2012. Some of  the best features which were meant for premium users are now made free till the closing date. Premium users who had updated their subscription will get their entire money back. For those who were using Picnik, you don’t have to be sad as Picnik will now be embedded into Google+ where you can find many of your favorite Picnik effects. You can edit your photo that is uploaded on Google+ by clicking on “Creative Kit” under each uploaded photo.