APN published some great articles, tutorials, tips & techniques, creative ideas and image galleries in 2012.

A great number of these posts were and still are adored and appreciated by readers. The articles received a warm welcome and a huge fellow readership on social media as well.

APN thanks all the readers for their love and extended support. And presents the Best Of 2012 as the grand opening for a great photographing year ahead.

1. 4 Killer Composition Tips For Awesome Photographs: Want to impress your audience with remarkable photographs? What better than diving straight to the heart of the art  —  the composition. Check out this article and get your hands on the killer composition techniques to make an indelible mark with your photographs.
2. Bokeh Effect — 4 Things You Need To Create That Soft Dreamy Photograph: Bokeh is undoubtedly photographer’s best friend.  That soft dreamy bokehlicious effect can entice anyone to pick up the camera and add that little magic to the photographs. All you need to know is the four simple things covered in this article.
3. How To “Work A Shot” To Get The Composition You Want: Great photographers sweat the details to make an impression with their photographs. The masters of photography work the shot to get that final capture. It is the key to composing the ultimate shots. So don’t forget to check out this nifty piece of advice — work your shots.
   
4. 10 Things You Didn’t Know Your Digital SLR Could Do: As beginners, amateurs and professional photographers we are well versed with the camera dials, modes, controls and functions that we frequently use. However there are some hidden features and functions in your DSLR that can make photographing an unusual experience for you. What are these features? Check out this post to find out some awesome DSLR features.
5. Creative Camera Controls — Using The Bulb Mode To Get Awesome Night Shots: Are you planning to take long exposure shots and your camera’s shutter speed cannot go any slower? Don’t worry! Time to check out the camera manual to see if your camera features a BULB mode. Turn on the bulb mode and depress the shutter for as long as you want. The bulb mode allows you to get creative; especially with night or low-light shots.
6. Which Lens Should You Buy: One of the most common questions among the photographers is “Which lens should I buy“. We have tried to simplify it here.
   
7. 31 Cute, Awesome And Adorable Pics Of Newborns: Babies are cute enough to attract people towards them. However capturing them demands some experience and a little inspiration. This gallery post is the perfect place to get started with photographing the new born babies.
8. Thoughtful Composition — 11 Simple Exercises For Creating Order From Chaos: Learning composition tips and techniques are essential for photographers. So we have made it simple for you. Just follow these simple exercises and you are sure to nail the composition.
9. 15 Spellbinding Examples Of Golden Hour Photography: The naturally soft light, low angle, saturated colors, unusual color cast and dramatic lighting effects is what sets the golden hour apart for photography. It is no surprise that most of the award wining photographs happen during this magical hour of the day. This post thus lists a few examples of golden hour photography.
10. 7 Steps To Get Creative With Artistic Lens Flare: Photographers can get creative with just about anything; even with the optical flaws and camera limitations. Lens flare is one such example. Check out how you can make the most it — the optical flaw called the lens flare.
    
11. 30 Stunning Examples Of Surreal Photography: Shallow DOF, reflections, smoke, fog, textures, shadows, etc add an element of mystery and surrealism to the photographs. These photos look more like a painting than a camera-shot picture and transform you to the world of imaginations. This post is a compilation of the photographs which give you a chance to dive into the unrealistic, imaginative world of surreal photography.

BTW, which one would you like to add to the list?

Every photographer needs to post process the images; if not always at least on the occasional basis. I am sure they must be using Gamma Correction while correcting exposure of an image in Adobe Photoshop.

Gamma is widely used but rarely understood concept in photo capturing. Technically, it is defined as the relation between a pixel’s numerical value (which is combination of red, green and blue values) and it’s actual luminance (or brightness). Gamma has nothing to do with the photographic process, but it’s badly needed while capturing (in camera) and seeing an image on the screen (to bridge the gap between what a human eye perceive and what the camera captures).

There’s a huge difference between the way camera sees and captures the scene and the way human eyes see and perceive the scene. Logically, twice the number of photons (light rays) hitting the sensor produce twice the signal resulting in twice the brightness.

But the human eyes see twice the light just a little brighter. This is because eye’s sensitivity is greater in darkness than in brightness. While we can still see things in complete darkness, we cannot see in too much of bright light focused at one place. This is where gamma encoding and gamma correction comes into play.

Gamma encoding is a process of encoding the highlights, shadows and mid tones in an image in such a way so that it looks real to human eyes when viewed on the computer screen.

Gamma encoding renders the tones more effectively in an image. If an image is not gamma encoded, the tonal range in it would not be displayed as real shades in the scenes.

When the RAW data is converted to JPEG or TIFF, either in-camera or in RAW editor, gamma encoding is applied to the image to adjust the luminance level as perceived by human eyes. It thus adds a bit more brightness (in layman terms) in under exposed part of the image.

When this image is displayed on computer monitors, the graphic card of the monitor applies gamma correction to the image so that the scene looks almost exactly as it would have appeared to naked eye.

After gamma correction when the human eyes view the image on the computer screen, it looks quite similar to the real scene; with the luminance rendered as per the standard encoding gamma of 1/2.2. The graphical representation for the same is given below.

Gamma encoding and gamma correction is mostly taken care of by either your camera or the RAW editor. However, you can take control of it in Adobe Photoshop with its Gamma Correction feature [Image > Adjustments > Exposure…. Gamma encoding].

This feature comes in handy for redistributing the tonal range of the image uniformly. It thus results in making effective use of bit depth; which otherwise uses more bits to record highlights and lesser bits for shadows.

Technicality of gamma correction and gamma encoding can get quite confusing and is out of the scope of this article. This was just an attempt to convey what gamma encoding and gamma correction is and how it can help improve the images captured by you.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 loads several new features for photographers and graphic designers. The very first thing you’ll notice is its dark grey interface; which gives the feel of Adobe Lightroom 4.

The crop functionality has been improved to enhance the cropping speed. Now moving the crop tool while cropping, moves the background image and not the cropping frame any more.

Despite new additions, one of the major drawbacks is that, some features like Lighting Effects Filter works only if your computer supports high speed graphics.

Here are some of the newest features in Adobe Photoshop CS6 which photographers may find handy while processing the images in the digital darkroom.

Here goes the first…

1. Mini Bridge [Browse The Images With A Difference]

• Browse: Mini Bridge lets you browse image files on your hard drive and allows to view the responsive preview of image files under the folders.
• Sort: In Adobe Photoshop CS6, you can sort images by file-name, type, date created and modified, size, label, rating, width, height.
• Filter: You can filter images by rejected items, unrated items, star rated items, labeled and unlabeled items.
• Search: You can also search image files within Mini Bridge on your entire computer or current folder.

2. Layers [Better Layer Management]

• Search: The search feature makes layer searching all the more quick and easy. You can search layers by kind, name, effect (layer style), mode, attribute & color.
• Filter: You can also apply search filters to find the layers. Adobe Photoshop CS6 enables you to filter the layers as pixel layer, adjustment layer, type layer, shape layer & smart object. You can also turn layer filtering ON/OFF.
• Lock: The layer lock now features the ability to lock transparent pixels, lock image pixels, lock position and of course lock all.

3. Color Lookup [Recolor Your Images In A Click]

Color Lookup is an interesting feature added to the Adjustments Panel in Photoshop CS6. The Color Lookup Adjustment Layer enables you to play around with different “looks” by shifting the colors. This feature remaps all the original colors of the image to the other specific colors from a lookup table or profiles. These profiles simply remap the original colors of image to other colors. You can learn more about this feature here.

4. Properties Panel — To Speed Up The Photographic Workflow

Adobe Photoshop CS6 features the properties panel which allows you to view the properties of certain types of layers. This panel presents a quick overview of the adjustments layer and the mask properties applied to a specific layers. And allows you to fine-tune the effects from the panel itself.

5. Adding Lighting Effects Can’t Get Simpler Than This

Adobe Photoshop CS6 comes with a new filter effect called the Lighting Effects. You can access it here: Filter > Render > Lighting Effects. This filter adds an oval shaped geometrical grid over the photograph which allows you to control the intensity and range of light. The central point on the grid allows you to control the intensity of the light source, the top pointer represents the light source, and left, right and bottom pointers allow you to increase or decrease the range of light. You can refer this video for giving this effect a try.

6. Blur — Get More Creative With Blur Effects

There are three types of the blur effects that have been introduced in CS6 — Field Blur, Iris Blur and Tilt-Shift Blur.

• Field Blur: Field blur allows you to blur the image around any random point you select. You can increase and reduce the intensity of the blur. You can place as many points as you want on your image to blur different areas of the image with different values.
  
• Iris Blur: Keeping the center of the image sharp, you can blur the rest of the image in the circular fashion by employing Iris Blur.
  
• Tilt-Shift Blur: You can get creative with your images by applying the tilt shift blur. When you select Filter > Blur > Titl-Shift Blur, it places a rotatable horizontal grid on the photograph. The part of the image featuring in the middle grid remains sharp while the portion of the image on other planes is blurred to replicate the tilt-shift effect. This effect comes out nicely on landscape photographs.
  

7. Liquify [Creative After-Effect]

The Filter menu has yet another interesting tool to get your creativity rolling in. The Liquify tool as the name suggests allows you to replicate the effect of spilled water or a view through the water as in the image given below.

8. Content Aware Move Tool

Content aware fill in CS5 comes in quite handy to remove distracting elements off the composition and Photoshop CS6’s content aware move tool takes this functionality a step further. Now you can move and replace the elements to a better position in the photograph. Watch this tool in action here.

Which one is your favorite feature?

Professional portrait photographers employ a number of techniques to create flattering portraits — using a diffusion filter or a soft focus filter being one of them.

Diffusion filter is a photography filter which sits right on the top of your lens and scatters the light entering the camera. It is made up of a translucent photographic film, which actually does the trick.

Photographers use it to add various effects; especially portrait photographers use it to reduce unflattering skin blemishes. It is thus also known as the soft focus filter.

However this effect cannot be achieved simply by defocusing the subject to a smaller degree. This is because even when you use a diffusion filter the focus remains sharp. It is just diffuses the strong light without affecting the sharpness and the contrast. And is thus different from the out-of-focus effect. Let’s talk about the effects of a diffusion filter here.

Effects of A Diffusion Filter

1. Eliminates Skin Blemish: A diffusion filter reduces minute details in the scene. As a results it softens the wrinkles, rashes and minor skin defects. It is thus used in wedding photography to give soft, romantic & delicate look to wedding portraits.
2. Adds A Dreamlike Haze: The softfocus filter (to an extent) softens the subject and the background; giving it a dreamy look almost like shallow DOF and complimentary bokehs (rarely).
3. Changes The Color Tints: Some filters can change the overall tint of the skin tones. For example, the Tiffen gold diffusion filters adds a warm glow to the skin.
4. Softens Shadows: Diffusion filter also softens the harsh shadows in the scene.

You can easily find a number of diffusion filters. However their degree of softening the subject varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The diffusion filters come in variety of sizes, so make sure you check out the size of your lens prior to buying one. Let’s check out a sample image to see how a diffusion filter works.

Before Diffusion Filter

After Applying Diffusion Filter

This effect can be achieved by smearing petroleum jelly on a UV filter or shooting through a nylon stocking. You can also replicate this effect in post production by applying “Gaussian Blur” in Photoshop.

Practically you can take care of such issues during post-processing as does the before and after effect in the above picture. Personally I try to stay from optics which may degrade or alter the quality of the image. But when it’s about correcting the light, it has to be done on-scene (like employing a GND or a CPL). That’s because it’s almost impossible to fix lighting during post-processing. But when it comes to the effects of diffusion etc. you can always do it during the post-production (and revert back if you like). What do you do to achieve this effect?

Lens correction is a tool in various photo editing software tools that majorly corrects lens induced distortions like vignetting, barrel distortion and chromatic aberration. Lets see what do these terms mean, why do these distortions occur and how we can fix or reduce them. Lens distortion occurs in every lens. There’s no lens which has no distortion. A clear understanding of the various distortions and how to correct or minimize them is key to getting realistic pictures. While we are at it, it must be noted that some lenses like the fish-eye lenses have geometric distortion that you cannot do away with. Even though you can work hard of correcting such geometrical aberrations, some people buy fish-eye lenses for the (geometric distortion) effect that they impart to the picture.

Lens Vignetting

Vignetting is the fall off in light intensity at the edges and corners of a photograph. It usually happens with wide angle, macro and long telephoto lenses. These lenses contain multiple lens elements. When light travels towards the sensor through multiple lens elements, each lens element refracts the light towards the center of the lens, hence making the light rays narrower as they reach the sensor. Eventually, more intense light rays reach around the center of the sensor, and less intense at the edges and corners. Vignetting is more pronounced at the longer length of the lens than at the wide range.

Optical vignetting can be corrected in Adobe Lightroom 4 by following the steps below:

1. Import the photo into the Adobe Lightroom 4.
2. Go to “Develop” module.
3. Open the “Lens Correction” panel.
4. In the “Lens Vignetting” section, slide the sliders for “Amount” and “Midpoint” to adjust vignetting. A positive value reduces the vignetting.

If you want to induce or exaggerate the vignette effect, you can go to the effects panel and change the Amount slider.

Geometric Distortion

It refers to the conversion of straight lines into curve lines near the edges, when camera is placed at extreme angle to the subject. Apart from this, with round glass elements in the lens, light bends inwards near the edges of the lens and hence it makes straight paths curved.

Barrel distortion can be corrected in Adobe Lightroom 4 by following the steps below:

1. Import the image into Adobe Lightroom.
2. Go to “Develop” module.
3. Open “Lens Corrections” tab.
4. Use the sliders to adjust “Distortion”, “Vertical”, “Horizontal”, “Rotate” and “Scale”. The literal values in the above figure may not work for you.

Chromatic Aberration

It is also known as achromatism or chromatic distortion. It refers to the presence of unusual colors at many high contrast places in the image. This happens due to the failure of lens to focus all colors (from the scene) at single convergence point. Thus, we see unexpected colors along the boundaries that separate dark and bright parts of the image. This happens because lens has a different refractive index (ability to bend light rays) for different wavelength of light (colors). The refractive index decreases with increasing wavelength, hence each color in spectrum cannot be focussed at a single point on sensor.

Adobe Lightroom 4 has one click method to reduce the color fringes in the image. It can be done by following the steps below:

1. Import the image into Adobe Lightroom.
2. Go to “Develop” module.
3. Open “Lens Corrections” tab.
4. Select “Highlight Edges” or “All Edges” under “Defringe” drop-down menu.

This can be better adjusted in Adobe Camera Raw 6.0, by following the steps below:

1. Open the image in Adobe Camera Raw 6.0.
2. On the right hand side, go to “Lens Correction” tab.
3. Under “Chromatic Aberration”, move the sliders to adjust the fringes.

There are other ways as well to adjust the above three effects. Many new cameras have this post processing tool built-in. However the above mentioned photo editing tools are the most widely used by photographers. How do you take care of such distortions?

Here’s a mega collection of Lightroom presets for portraits. If you are looking forward to compile an album of wedding photographs or planning to showcase the family portraits, it is a great idea to add a “WOW” factor to your images with these quick and smart Lightroom presets.

Want to add that vintage look or just the dash of the retro style — these presets will help you achieve the effect you are looking for! Just get your hands on your favorite presets and get ready to impress the viewers with the little pop that these presets add to your image.

1. BDP Glamor Look
   
2. 300 V1 (2)
   
3. 300 V2 (2)
   
4. 4600-K
   
5. 4800-K
   
6. 5000-K
   
7. 5200-K
   
8. 5400-K
   
9. 5600-K
   
10. 5800-K
    
11. A Color Boost
    
12. AH Vanity Fair (3)
    
13. AH Vanity Fair (2)
    
14. Allen Portrait Vintage
    
15. Auto
    
16. Auto Fix All Purpose
    
17. Autumn (Pretty Presets)
    
18. Clarity+10
    
19. Clarity+20
    
20. Clarity+30
    
21. Clarity 0
    
22. Clarity -10
    
23. Clarity -20
    
24. Clarity -30
    
25. Clarity -40
    
26. Col Color Infrared
    
27. Col Cross Process (a)
    
28. Col Cross Process Alan’s Custom
    
29. Col Cross Process (b)
    
30. Col Cross Process Blue Green
    
31. Col Cross Process (c)
    
32. Col Cross Process (d)
    
33. Col Cross Processed
    
34. Col Cross Process Matrix Style
    
35. Col Cross Process Red
    
36. Col Deviant
    
37. Col Deviant (2)
    
38. Col Dragan (1)
    
39. Col Dragan (2)
    
40. Col Dragan (4)
    
41. Col Dragan (5)
    
42. Col Dragan (6)
    
43. Col Fried Eggs
    
44. Col Hamburg’s Funky Twist
    
45. Col High Key
    
46. Col High Key (1)
    
47. Col Indian Summer
    
48. Col Lab Style
    
49. Col Lomo With Velvia
    
50. Col Nikonians – Mode Illa
    
51. Color Optimum
    
52. Color Pop
    
53. Color Pop (2)
    
54. Color Pop Pretty Presets
    
55. Col Strong Velvia
    
56. Col Tico Hamburg’s Funky Twist
    
57. Col Traits NB 3
    
58. Col Twisty Fries
    
59. Col Vibrance Of Blurry Images
    
60. Copper Skin
    
61. Creamy Vintage II
    
62. Cross Process Cyan
    
63. Desaturate Me
    
64. Fashion Darlings Chiffon
    
65. Fashion Darlings (Velvet)
    
66. FixelPix Summer Final
    
67. FlixelPix Dramatic Color
    
68. Graduated ND .5 Stop (Large)
    
69. Graduated ND .5-Stop (Small)
    
70. Hawaii Five O – Light
    
71. Hawaii Five O – Medium
    
72. Hawaii Five O – Strong
    
73. Highlight Recovery 20
    
74. IR Colour – 1
    
75. Is This The One – 1
    
76. Is This The One (Neutral)
    
77. Mad-dash
    
78. Matt’s 300 Look Soft
    
79. Matt’s 300 Look Strong
    
80. Matt’s Edge Look (Hard Edge)
    
81. Matt’s Edge Look (Soft-Edge)
    
82. Matt’s Wedding Fantasy
    
83. Movie Looks Blue Dawn
    
84. PH Vintage – IV
    
85. PH Vintage – V
    
86. PH Vintage – VI
    
87. Post Sun flare {RAW-Pretty-Preset}
    
88. Post Warm Sun {RAW-Pretty-Preset}
    
89. Quick & Beauty (1)
    
90. Quick & Beauty (2)
    
91. Quick & Beauty (3)
    
92. Raw Color Everyday
    
93. Raw Color Everyday (Lighten)
    
94. Raw Color (2)
    
95. Raw Color (3)
    
96. Raw Color (4)
    
97. Retro Vintage (2)
    
98. Retro Black
    
99. Retro Lila Style
    
100. Retro Red
     
101. Retro Sepia Dreams
     
102. Retro Vintage (1)
     
103. Retro Vintage Look
     
104. Rockwell Warm
     
105. Silver Lining Pretty Presets
     
106. Stellar Guru Greengold
     
107. Summer Haze
     
108. Sunset Senior Portrait
     
109. Tinting Brown
     
110. Tonality Y
     
111. Tonality YP
     
112. Toners B&W Infrared
     
113. Toners Light Mocha
     
114. Twilight (Lite)
     
115. Twilight (Medium)
     
116. Twilight (Strong)
     
117. Ultimate Fighter (Lite)
     
118. Ultimate Fighter (Medium)
     
119. Vignette 5 Extreme
     
120. Vintage Aged
     
121. Vintage Grandma Lemonade
     
122. Vintage Instax (Dark)
     
123. Vintage Muted
     
124. Vintage Antique
     
125. Vintage Brighten
     
126. Vintage Classic Muted
     
127. Vintage Fairytale Dark Edge
     
128. Vintage Instax
     
129. Vintage Portrait Pop
     
130. Vintage Pow
     
131. Vintage Retro Warm
     
132. Vintage Sunkissed
     
133. Warm Toner
     
134. Wedding Fairytale
     
135. Wedding Look
     
136. Wedding Look Bright
     

Contre-Jour is the French word which means ‘against daylight‘. It refers to the scenario when a photographer takes the shot of the subject placed right in front of the light source. Mostly photographers use daylight usually at morning or evening which allows them to naturally place the subject against the sun-light. The final images that you get using this technique are completely dark with a lot of highlights formed by the light source behind it. This effect is also known as the silhouettes.

How To Achieve Contre-Jour?

1. Place the subject directly against the light source. Sun-light would be a good choice of light source for the attaining this effect if you are just getting started.
2. Look into the viewfinder to align and compose the shot.
3. The subject may not appear silhouetted in the viewfinder. That’s because the eye has a higher dynamic range than a DSLR.
4. Try setting the aperture smaller, around f/8, this will help in achieving sharp focus.
5. You are ready to take the shot.

The thing to keep in mind is that you have to expose for the highlights. If you expose for shadows or use a fill-light, it will kill the so-called Contre-Jour effect.

Here are few images illustrating this effect:

The people in this image have not been placed right in front of the light source, however the angle from which the shot was taken created the silhouette effect.

The shadows of the people in this image state the position of the light source. All people have been under-exposed for creating beautiful contre-jour effect.

Feel free to submit your contre-jour/silhouette photographs to our Flickr Group.

Modern DSLRs have made our life much easier. Most of the manual tasks including a few post-processing effects are now achieved during the shoot itself. One such very important mechanism is auto focus. We see through viewfinder and press shutter release button, the camera automatically focuses on the very first object placed or moving in front of the camera. Have you ever wondered how does camera automatically focus on the subject? Let us take a leap into the optical world and see how actually does a camera auto-focus by itself on the desired subject.

In camera, basically there are two sort of auto-focus mechanism:

• Active Auto Focus
• Passive Auto Focus

Active Auto Focus

Many cameras have active auto focus system, wherein they project electromagnetic waves (such as ultrasonic, visible light or infrared light) onto the subject and record the time of received reflected waves. On the basis of delay noticed between the transmitting and receiving of projected rays, camera mechanism calculates the distance between the camera lens and the subject. And thus it uses this information about the distance to move the lens (forward or backward) of the camera to correctly focus on the subject. This mechanism can calculate the distance between the camera and subject even in complete darkness. However it is not so precise because the camera knows how far is the subject from the camera, but it doesn’t know in which direction the subject is. It can’t focus if the subject is too closely placed such as in macro shots.

• Assist Lamp Auto Focus

  Assist Lamp AF is also distance based and in many cameras it also uses flash light of the camera to reflect light off the subject and calculates the delay in return to estimate the subject’s distance. The disadvantage of this is that if the user overrides the flash settings in a flash operation mode, it also disables the flash used for distance calculation, and it doesn’t work anymore.

• Hologram Auto Focus Laser

  It puts some laser patterns on the subject and reads it to calculate distance. This technology is used in 2003 in Sony Cyber-Shot F707, F717, F828.

Passive Auto Focus

Unlike the active auto focus mechanism, the passive AF is not distance based. It uses electronic analysis in the camera itself to determine whether the camera has focused correctly on an object or not. It basically has two types:

1. Contrast Detection
2. Phase Detection

• Contrast Detection

  It works on the principle that light rays from blurred object are less dense (i.e. have less contrast/subject information) than those reflected off sharp focused object. When the camera tries to focus on an object, it keeps shifting the lens back and front till it gets the peak contrast. The light-intensity (contrast) between adjacent pixels on sensor increases with correct focus. Contrast detection needs some light (and contrast in subject) to work and it cannot work in low contrast situation as in the case of plain scenes like a plain blue sky. Contrast based AF is usually considered accurate, but is slower than phase detection, which we will read about next.

• Phase Detection

  The TTL image (light beams) of an object is split into two separate images with the help of two different micro lenses. Two split images are made to converge onto the auto-focus sensor from the sides of micro lenses. Two different images then fall on two different auto focus sensor. The camera has a pair of auto focus sensors for each auto focus point that you see in the viewfinder. The two images should fall on the center of the auto focus sensor.
  If it doesn’t fall on the center of the AF sensor, the camera keeps tuning the lens back and front till the two images fall on the exact center of the AF sensor. This mechanism can even estimate the degree of focus of an object that has been achieved and its direction. Even this mechanism needs some light to work. Phase detection works faster than the contrast detection auto focus system, but compromises accuracy in favor of speed.

Hybrid Auto Focus

This is achieved by combining the active and passive auto focus to speed up the process and improve the auto focus function. Many cameras of Fujifilm Finepix series and Nikon 1 series use the hybrid auto focus mechanism.

Artificial Intelligence Servo

Auto focus modes in some Canon DSLRs and auto focus continuous (AF-C) in Nikon and Pentax, can predict the future position of moving objects by analyzing their speed and acceleration data. It thus can shoot moving objects with predicted action to a higher degree.

Trap Focus

Trap focus is the focus priority mode in some cameras which can shoot moving objects as soon as they come in the focus plane of the lens (camera) set by user. In many other cameras it is called catch-in focus.

If the camera has active auto focus system, it can be used in darkness as well. During the night many find manual focus easier and beneficial as at night the eyes can see better than camera.

However in adequate light, it is always recommended to use auto focus if the camera has a passive auto-focus system. It is also suggested to use manual focus if you are shooting through a net or something else, where very first object is not actually the desired focused object.

An understanding of the AF system of your camera often comes in handy when in tricky-to-focus scenes. Once you know these, you will be in a better position to understand when to use auto focus and when to focus manually.

Framing the shot in still photography is as important as composing the scene. While composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements to fill the photographic frame in an attractive manner, framing the shot means adding an element of interest to your images — the frame itself.

Shooting through the window, doors, archways, spiral staircases are some of the tried and tested ways for framing the shots. You can however employ your creative ideas to compose the shots with a difference. Look out for natural frames, compose around the water splashes, shoot through the crowd of people, use the hands, legs or shoulders or simply compose the shots around the design principles (like selective focus, differential contrast, negative space, etc).

Framing does add an extra dimension to your photograph. It attracts the viewers attention towards the center of the interest and saves the viewers eyes from wandering out of the frame. But that doesn’t mean that we always need to have a complete frame around the subject. Incomplete frames are more intriguing and leave space for viewers to weave the story around the capture. It all depends on your perspective to make a difference to your images by introducing the frames. Here are some common as well as not so common ways of framing the shots.

1. Employ blur as a frame

Employing shallow depth of field to give the selective focus effect can also work great to add a frame to your image. This technique leads the viewer’s eye to the elements that are in sharp focus and the blur acts as the frame.

2. Balance

Balancing the scene can also be a great way to frame the shot. Placing the subject in the center with symmetric background helps in leading the eyes to the center of interest.

3. Negative Space

Negative space can also be used as the most thought out idea for framing the shot. The human mind negates the space around the subject which works best in pulling the eyes towards the positive space —  the space occupied by the subject itself. So in this case even when there is no physical frame around the subject, the subject still stands as framed.

4. Colors and Textures

Ever tried using the colors and textures to act as the frame. Take the inspiration from the following image.

5. Use Your Hands

You can also use your hands to frame yourself. That gives a sort of caring appeal and hence reflects romanticism.

6. Shoot Through Windows

Try to shoot through the windows (not Microsoft Windows) to add frames to your photos.

7. Shoot Through The Doors

Try to shoot through the doors to add frames to your photos. This directs the viewers’ eye to the focal point.

8. Shoot Through Branches

Shoot through the overhanging branches and see how framing effect adds to your shots.

9. Look Around For Naturally Existing Frames

Look for natural frames before you take a shot. The elements to frame the subject are present all around us, we simply need to look and think out of the box.

10. Photoshop It

One traditional way of framing is to put the photo in a wooden frame. Now a days such effects can be added by software itself, which adds a frame (textured or plane) of different colors all around the perimeter of the photo. You don’t need to add four sided frames always, many a times two sided frames work great.

11. Be Experimental

Use your creativity to create frames in the shot. Try to implement every idea that pops up in your mind, because ideas are worth spreading — what better way than communicating it through your image.

Framing effectively helps in cropping the unwanted elements. Try different angles, shoot through overhanging branches, through windows and doors, use people, shoulders, head, legs. But before taking a shot ask yourself whether framing will add to your image or will distract the viewer from the center of interest?

Here the thing to remember is that framing is as important as the composition is. So pick up your camera and get ready to frame the shots and don’t forget to share them with us…

Choosing a compact camera can be a challenge. The camera manufacturers play safe on point and shoot cameras by providing all the fancy features and bells & whistles. But what really matters is the image quality. If you are able to get high quality images in the auto modes and get a little bit of control over aperture and shutter speed, you are good to explore the creative possibilities with your point and shoot. Canon Powershot S110’s black and white mode for instance and the ability to shoot RAW makes it a desirable secondary camera even for the professionals. Nikon P7100 on the other hand is a true compact that neatly packs the features of DSLRs like exposure modes (P, S, A, M), exposure bracketing, virtual horizon and support for external speed-lights. However the point and shoots with DSLR like capabilities cost a little higher as compared to the basic ones. The camera recommendations don’t always work the same for everyone. Different people have different needs and demands, one working best for someone, won’t necessarily work best for another. Here are 7 noteworthy compact cameras of 2012; some very basic and others with the powerful features of DSLR in nifty packs.

1. Canon PowerShot SX260 HS

   Canon PowerShot SX260 is a 12.1MP camera powered by DIGIC 5 image processor. It provides a 20x zoom on its 25mm wide angle lens and offers the frame rate of 10 fps at continuous shooting mode. You can view the shot as you compose on a 3 inch display. Its optical image stabilization lets you shoot crisp and sharp images even while moving. It effectively reduces the vibrations and shakes produced by hands. With this camera, you can also shoot 1080 HD video with stereo sound by just pressing a dedicated movie button. The camera also features a GPS tracker which helps you tag the shooting location while shooting the images. You can get this camera here for $265 approx.

   

2. Fujifilm FinePix AX300

   Fujifilm FinePix AX300 is a 14 MP camera with 5x optical zoom through a wide angle zoom lens plus 6.7 times the digital. The camera captures the scene onto a 1/2.3 inch CCD sensor. You can see the view on 2.7 inch color TFT LCD monitor. Functionally it has 6 scene auto recognition modes, which offers face and blink detection; smile and shoot mode; auto red-eye removal; image stabilization and i-flash capability. The camera can also capture the motion panorama and auto stitch it. You can also record 720p HD video and take its output in NTSC/PAL. It is powered by AA batteries and supports high speed USB 2.0. It also makes browsing through the photos fairly easy with its searching function. You can get it here for $82.29. Check it out here!

   

3. Nikon COOLPIX S6200

   The camera lets you record 720p HD videos with optical zoom and stereo sound in just one touch. It supports 10x optical zoom. Its vibration reduction produces sharp photos and movies. The photo is exposed on 16 effective megapixel CCD sensor. It has 20 scene modes which makes shooting with point and shoot all the more simple and easy. You can get this basic compact here for around $139.

   

4. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V

   Sony Cybershot DSC HX10V is a 18.2 MP with Exmor R CMOS sensor for superior low-light performance. This camera offers a 16x optical zoom. You can defocus the background like a DSLR with this camera. The camera also features high speed AF and a 3 inch LCD which comes in handy for composing the shot. This compact camera by Sony costs you $298 approx. Get it here.

   

5. Sony DSC-RX100

   Launched in Photokina 2012, this 20.2 MP camera is capable of shooting extremely low light shots on its Exmor CMOS sensor. It lets you zoom the scene 3.6 times through its bright F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens. You can also shoot 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record. You can see the view on 3 inch Xtra fine LCD display with bright whites and true blacks. This ultra-slim 213g, sophisticated aluminum body camera will cost you around $648. Check it out here.

   

6. Nikon Coolpix P7000

   This 10.1 megapixel camera has a 1/1.7 inch CCD sensor and offers 7.1x optical zoom on Nikkor ED wide angle zoom lens. You can see the view on 3 inch ultra high resolution clear color display with 921,000 dots. Recording 720p HD video with stereo sound has been made easy with mic input jack and HDMI output. It has dial controls for key functions such as ISO, white balance, bracketing, exposure compensation and more. The camera uses SD/SDHC memory cards for recording the images. You have to pay $339 approx for this camera. Check out the specs and offers here.

   

7. Canon Powershot S110

   Canon Powershot S110 is a 12MP camera which costs you around $446.95. This compact camera has a 24-120mm lens which is equivalent to 35mm. It can auto focus the subject for you through the lens and the good thing is that it also allows you to focus manually. The camera features a 3 inch TFT LCD screen containing 461,000 dots and 100% coverage. The lens operates in the aperture range of f/2.0 (maximum) at wide angle and f/5.9 (maximum) at telephoto. To freeze the action of moving subjects, the camera allows a fast shutter speed of 1/2000 sec and improves low light performance with ISO ranging between ISO 80 – ISO 12800. In high burst mode, the camera shoots 10 HQ shots/sec. The best feature of this camera is that allows you to shoot RAW.

   

Which one are you planning to pick up for the upcoming festive season?

Photography is like painting with light on a photosensitive canvas. How about painting something in the absence of adequate amount of light? Sounds challenging right! Humans have always been doing challenging tasks, and shooting in night no more remains a challenge now. While fighting with challenges occurring in low light situations as in night, photographers have discovered a lot of ways to have optimal exposure even at night. An old adage says, “problems are opportunities” that is why we call them challenges and not obstacles. Despite many challenges in night photography, there are certain “effects” those can be obtained only in night photography. Let us talk about few challenges one has to encounter while shooting at night.

1. Camera Shakes

   Due to the low ambient light, the camera goes for a slower shutter-speed. This increases chances of movement in the scene thereby causing blur. As even a small shake of the camera can produce noticeable blur while long exposure. There are two things you can do to avoid blur. First you must use a tripod. Second you can use a shutter release cable. This allows the shutter to be pressed without causing even the lowest possible vibration to the camera.

2. Noise (ISO)

   The low ambient light also necessitates the use of high ISO. But high ISO induces noise in the shot and also results in loss of detail. Again two things come to the rescue. Shoot at a lower ISO. This requires you to go for a slower shutter-speed and thus warrants the use of a tripod. Another thing you can do it to invest in a high-end camera body (almost always the latest). This by no means is practical, but the newest cameras almost always have better low-light/high-ISO performance.

3. Shadows

   To have the subject lit, we use artificial lights or flash lights, and a possible negative impact of this can be a shadow of subject behind it. Such situations require some expert lighting skills. Almost always to know the right use of flash and use multiple sources of light if possible. For a stationary subject you can try shooting the same scene multiple times with lighting from different angles and then merge the shots to get a final. This way the shadows will be less noticeable around the subject.

4. Improper Focus

   Attaining the right focus is another challenge in low-light situations. To overcome this challenge of improper focusing, you can use manual focus. Focus-assist lights can help in this situation but their reach is limited. You may want to use a artificial light to focus and then lock the focus. Once you are ready for the shot, you can switch off the light.

5. Under Exposure

   Under-exposure due to low-light is caused mainly because of two factors:

   1. The camera hitting its limits within the exposure triangle: The camera tries its best to get the right exposure. But sometimes it can just max out its limits. For example a camera with a max shutter-speed of 30sec limited to ISO1600 combined with a lens of f/3.5 scene will underexpose a scene that requires a larger aperture, slower shutter-speed or a higher ISO. This forces you to go into manual exposure.
   2. Human error in exposure when in full-manual mode: If your camera is under-exposing because of the reason above and you have chosen to go full manual; you may just nail the shot given that you are able to dial in the right settings and go with the bulb-mode. This allows you to surpass the camera’s exposure limits and keep the shutter open as long as required. But the right result will depend on quite some experimentation and your particular preference of exposure/image-feel.

6. White Balance

   The camera automatically adjusts and compensates for the light temperature. Most of the times white balance of the camera is set to auto by default, and it gives good results. But during night, the temperature of light varies a lot depending on the light source. Your best bet is to shoot RAW so that you can correct white-balance post-shoot.

Always shoot in RAW during night, as this offers control over various factors in the image data during post processing. This gives you a second chance to correct the mistakes that occur while night shoot.

9 Creative Shots You Can Take At Night

The results from night photography are so beautiful because there are some effects that can only be achieved during the night. These effects are not visible to bare eyes and can only be had with a camera.

1. Car headlights (long exposure – motion capture): Go to a height from where you can see a busy road and shoot the moving car lights at a slow shutter-speed (possibly in the range of several second for the light to travel the path and a smaller aperture for a greater depth-of-field).
   
2. Neon lights: Shoot stationary or moving neon lights and catch some interesting effects.
   
3. Fireworks: During the night, the camera has the ability to see beyond the limits of the human eyes. Given that you get a good exposure, the fireworks will look way different in photographs than they would to the human eye.
   
4. Star trails: This takes painstakingly long times and patience and demands hours of patience. But the creative satisfaction you enjoy is second to none.
   
5. Bokeh: Background lights during night, can be kept out of focus by keeping a wide aperture. And this creates beautiful the bokeh effect.
   
6. Night portraits with moon in the shot: Try to shoot portraits with moon in the shot. You can get some great silhouettes and unusual, interesting tones in the scene.
   
7. Moonlit Landscape and buildings: Shoot buildings and landscape scenes under moon light and have a refreshing and cooling emotional appeal in your shots.
   
8. Photograph the Moon: Photograph moon itself is very interesting. You will need a good telephoto or astro lens for this.
   
9. Try light painting: Light painting is done at long exposure (slow shutter-speed or in the bulb mode) by moving the source of light to painting the scene. Due to the high intensity of the light source, it is captured by the camera while the person or object used to move the light source is no captured.
   

Night photography remains challenging but an extremely creative realm of photography and very satisfying. Much of the challenge comes due to the absence of light. And it is due to the ambient light and longer shutter-speeds that you get all these awesomely creative results.

Have you ever picked up your camera and went out on city streets to explore the wonderful opportunity of photographing people and events — with no specific plan in mind? If not, this is the right time to do it. Photographing on street is a fun in itself. Even when you don’t have absolute control over composition, lighting and posing, you can still get some amazing & interesting shots. The best part of street photography is perhaps the ability to unfold unique stories. And here we have some of the awesome stories to share with you in form of these interesting street photographs. It was quite amazing to discover that rangefinder photographers love to capture all that rush, activities and madness going on the streets. Check them out here!

1. Cycle Rider
   
2. Urban Shelters
   
3. Street Lights
   
4. Street Shooting
   
5. Cigar Humor
   
6. Mardi Gras
   
7. Daniel Devenport
   
8. Girl Waking Man
   
9. Waiting For The Tram
   
10. See The Contrast
    
11. Band Of Brothers
    
12. Dear Dog
    
13. I Am Not Perfect, But Neither Are You
    
14. Levitating Monk
    
15. Waiting For The Last Tramway
    
16. Behind You
    
17. The Family Outing
    
18. Side By Side In The Rain
    
19. Simon Cowell’s Got Talent
    
20. Reflections
    
21. Elderly Woman’s Hands
    
22. Vespa Scooter
    
23. San Francisco
    
24. New World
    
25. Devil
    
26. Night Stroll
    
27. Raindrops Keep Falling
    
28. Der Innovative Mobilist
    
29. Solo
    
30. Some Days Last Longer Than Needed
    

Hope you liked the images. We also have an awesome collection of enthralling street photographs here. Check them out as well and don’t forget to share your Flickr links in comments.

Composition is the key element of the photography. Apart from practicing technical controls of the camera to achieve various effects, one has to learn to compose a scene before taking shots. Composing a scene means arranging different visual elements in the field of view for the shooting purpose, so that we have the desired placement of various elements in the final photograph. Experts who practiced arts centuries ago, realized few factors as strong guidelines for the composition of visual art. Let us take a trip to an inspirational journey of “Rule of thirds” and “Golden Ratio” since their birth till date via their different states of evolution throughout history.

Its better to know the basics of “Rule of Thirds” and “Golden Ratio” here before knowing why are they so pleasing to human eyes.

How Was The Golden Ratio Discovered?

Golden ratio is a mathematical constant equals to 1.618 discovered by an Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci around 1200 AD. It is the ratio of two division of one sole unit in such a proportion that the ratio of larger part to the smaller is accurately equal to the ratio of the sum of larger and smaller part of the unit concerned to the larger part. He found that the golden ratio has existed in nature since the beginning; that is why it is also known as the “divine proportion”. It’s all around us, let us find the golden ratio or the divine proportion in human body for instance.

Golden Ratio In Nature

Why is the golden ratio aesthetically pleasing to human eye? Because the golden ratio is so abundantly visible in nature. The rhythmic pumping of ventricles in the human heart is at the golden ratio to one complete pumping cycle of all four chambers of the heart.

You must have noticed many times that the length of the legs (waist to foot) to the whole human body is at golden ratio. Even the length of your fingers and palm is in golden ratio. The length of face to the width of face, length of front left handed teeth (incisor) is to the left handed canine teeth, from waist to knee and knee to foot, are all in golden ratio. Moreover snail shell (golden spiral), division of pitch of DNA spiral diameter are all proportionate in the golden ratio. Golden spirals, triangles and other such geometrical shapes are all the derivations of golden ratio.

Application Of Golden Ratio

It is very significant and highly applicable in modern technological construction today. It is greatly implemented in architectures, web designing, logo designing, etc. Many great companies like Apple, and other Fortune 500, even sales companies are implementing the concept of golden ratio. Because it has existed in the nature in a divine manner, we the humans have subconsciously gotten used to it.

Rule Of Thirds? Or Is It An Expanded Form of Golden Ratio?

Rule of thirds is the another important rule of photography composition, which cannot be left in sands. When we expand the golden ratio division of the frame from all of its four sides, what we come up with is somewhat similar to rule of third known as Fibonacci grid. Is there really a noticeable difference between the two? How does it matter if you place the subject in either of the two? In the image below golden ratio from all four sides are shown in green lines and rule of thirds in red lines, where as the blue rectangle reflects the difference between the two. Thus, it can be seen as a natural advancement of golden ratio, however it has its own incredible history.

In the book “Remarks on Rural Scenery”, author John Thomas Smith in 1797 quoted a work by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1783, and discussed the balance of shadows and highlights in the painting. Joshua believed the distribution of warm colors to cold colors in the painting or any other work of art, should be done in the proportion of two-third or one-third of the entire frame. Smith then expanded the idea and named it “the rule of thirds”. Both rules divide the frame into 9 parts, the only difference is that in the rule of thirds, the frame is divided into 9 equal parts. Thus it may be considered another ratio derived from the golden ratio.

Which Is The Best Rule?

• Portrait Photography: The application of golden rule in composing a photography scene is best implemented when shooting portraits. Place the subject (or the most interested area) on the lines dividing the frame into golden ratio either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. You will see this in many portrait photos. The face of the subject in a portrait is usually placed in the golden spiral which is again a derivative of golden ratio.

• Landscape Photography: When shooting landscapes/natural scenery, it is preferable to fill one-third of the full frame with land, one-third with water and remaining one-third with the sky. When placing a subject in landscape photography, power points (intersection points) can be used to place most interested area of the photo, and vertical lines can be used to have 2nd most interesting realm of the scene. If there are only two elements (or planes like sky and land), place the more important (or the subject) in the 2/3 and the rest in 1/3rd of the frame.

Sun at Center (Cropped Image)

Sun Placed at Golden Ratio

While we are talking about these two rules let’s remember the thumb-rule: the rules are meant to be broken. A rule lets you play safe but ultimately it’s your own experience and creativity that will set your work apart.

In-spite of having an eternal history of existence of golden ratio in the nature justifying that the implementation of these rules are attractive to the human eyes, you can yourself check the two photographs above and submit your comments as to why the second one is more alluring to your sub-conscious. Or is it at all? Rule-of-thirds or the golden ratio? Is one even distinguishable from the other?

Photokina 2012 had it all to impress the photography enthusiasts. Be it a line-up of full frame cameras or talk about the surprising compacts, Photokina 2012 introduced some of the most interesting cameras of the time. While Nikon (with D600), Canon (with EOS 6D) and Sony (for Alpha SLT A99) had made way for a perfect promotion strategy (by launching their cameras just a few days before the show), the announcement of Panasonic GH3, Hassleblad Lunar and full-frame range-finders by Leica were the real show stoppers. That’s not all. A pair of cameras in the Olympus PEN series, mirrorless lenses by Panasonic and Olympus and Fujifilm’s stylish XF1 also make up for the key highlights of the grand event — Photokina 2012 (Cologne, Germany, 18th – 23rd September 2012). And here we have handpicked some of the remarkable cameras from the event.

1. Nikon D600

   Nikon D600 — an FX camera in the DSLR packet was purposely launched on 13th September to steal the show. This 24.3 MP camera smartly loads in a number of features for serious enthusiasts and amateurs, who aspire to hold a full-frame camera in their hands. So here we have Nikon D600 powered by EXPEED 3 processor with 100% frame coverage, 5.5 fps in burst mode, 39 auto focus points, ISO 100-6400, expandable to 25600 with promises for amazing low light performance and high color depth. The best thing is that D600 is the first ever Nikon FX launched in the consumer range — economic and lightweight. And now let’s dive into the details of the Canon EOS 6D — another promising full-frame camera in the economic range. You can get D600 camera body for $2,096.95.

2. Canon EOS 6D

   Just like Nikon, Canon  is also set to offer lightest and smallest 35mm full frame DSLR. Canon EOS 6D is promptly promoted as a best economic alternative to Canon EOS 5D Mark III. On a 20.2 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, Canon EOS 6D features 11 point AF array and an ISO in the range of 100-25600. It’s 63 zone dual layer iFCL metering sensor and 14-bit analogue to digital conversion system is all set to give a surreal feel to your images like almost all the Canons. It has built in Wi-Fi 2 and GPS3 module, which easily scores over the optional Wi-Fi support offered by D600. Nevertheless, it can be a good deal for Canon lovers at $ 2,099 for a full-frame professional system.

3. Nikon Coolpix P7700

   From a premiering consumer FX to compacts, Nikon is all set to entice its customers. The other smashing hit from the Nikon’s store is Nikon Coolpix P7700. For great snap shooters, Nikon introduces a 12.76 MP compact camera with 6mm – 42.8mm, 7.1 x optical zoom inbuilt Nikkor VR lens. Nikon is all set to redefine crisp and sharp hand held shooting with the key features like lens-shift vibration reduction system, ISO ranging from 80-1600 with ISO 3200 at full stop and support for semi-auto modes (P/S/A/M) with AE/AF lock. Along with it, P7700 is designed to offer 1/3 EV steps within+/- 3EV and AE bracketing up to 5 shots. It processes images with EXPEED C2 engine and has support for SDHC/SDXC and Hi-speed USB, through which you can transfer enhanced NRW (RAW) files. This compact camera is priced at $499 approx. You can also connect an external remote cord, microphone and GPS (GP-1) to record the location on the move. What else one needs from a handy compact?

   

4. Sony Alpha SLT-A99

   In the full-frame flurry at Photokina 2012, Sony also revealed its Alpha SLT A99. Sony’s latest 35mm full frame camera features 24.3 megapixel CMOS sensor. It is the same sensor that fits in Nikon D600 body. Other than the full frame advantage, Sony SLT A99 comes packed with dual AF system with 102 AF points, ISO (100 – 25,600) expandable from 50 to 102, 400, superior processing — 14 frames per second in burst mode and 1080p video shooting capability. The camera also features dual memory card slot for SD and SD/MS along with individual slots for headphone and microphone input. Unlike Nikon D600 and Canon EOS 6D it is a bit on the pricier side. You will have to spend $2,798 to experiment with Sony’s excellence at making the pictures which speak for themselves.

5. Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX1

   Sony makes up for the second round of applause with its full-frame compact camera — Cybershot DSC-RX1. Sony Cybershot DSC-RX1 is a 24 megapixel 35 mm full-frame sensor camera with Carl Zeiss Sonnar T 35mm F2 prime lens. The key features of this camera includes a processing speed of 5fps in burst mode, retention of RAW information with 14 bit analogue to digital conversion, efficient video capabilities with 1080p videos in AVCHD format recordable at 25p/50p/60p, better low light performance with ISO sensitivity of 100 to 25,600. This compact camera is all set to make capturing images all the more easy. The camera offers the feasibility of customizing the functions of five buttons on the camera. It also features a dedicated aperture ring to control exposure under various situation. The shutter button also supports bulb mode and has threaded cable release socket. This small yet effective compact camera is priced on the higher end though. You will have to spend something like $2,798 to hold Cybershot RX1 in your hands. Get it here.

   

6. Leica M

   Talking about the full-frame cameras how can we miss out on Leica’s latest M. Leica introduces the first ever full frame range-finder with Leica M. Leica M is an exclusive range-finder which features 24 megapixel full frame sensor. Priced at $6,950, the camera is one out of the bunch to assure high quality images. This range finder goes to the end of providing features like focus peaking (so that you can see the entire area of the scene in focus on real time basis), 10x magnification and an exclusive port for connecting external EVF (Electronic Viewfinder). And the camera’s ability to record HD videos is like the cherry on the top. Get it here.

7. Leica M-E

   Leica has made a smart move by announcing a host of cameras at Photokina 2012. The other remarkable camera from Leica is Leica M-E. Leica M-E is a perfect camera for people starting range finder photography. It has 18 megapixel CCD sensor in full 35mm format. It allows you to set the focus manually and the shutter speed is usually set as per the manual focus, though it can also be set manually. It has a mechanical shutter action, yet it is not audible and hence makes it a quiet capturing device. It doesn’t have low pass filter like Nikon D800E, so the final images are supposed to have a natural visual impact. You can get this one for $5,450, again on the pricier end just like Leica M.

8. Leica M9

   Leica released M9 for photographers who sweat for finest details. Leica M9 is the smallest full frame camera with 18 megapixel CCD image sensor which is equivalent to 35 mm film format. It gives you four-way switch and dial controls to work in conjunction with few functions. You can view the image in 2.5 inch monitor. It also has quick control “Set” button to set White Balance, Exposure Correction, Exposure Bracketing, Resolution, Image Compression and other customizable user profiles. The solid make of the camera gives it a truly professional look. The 139 x 37 x 80 mm camera’s full metal housing has been made up of high-tensile magnesium allow and solid brass has been used in top deck and bottom plate. Leica frequently releases firmware updates for M9. You can buy it for $6,995 or view this link for special discount offers.
   

9. Canon S110 Compact

   Canon has a good deal for compact camera market as well. Canon S110 is launched to give stiff competition to Nikon P7700. Canon S110 is a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor. It has 24mm lens (just like previous Canon compacts) with f/2.0 and 5x zoom. To reduce the chances of getting the blurry images, Canon implements a 4 stop intelligent image stabilization mechanism in its latest consumer compact. Canon S110 offer you the ability to capture full HD movie, shoot in RAW and share images wirelessly. With all these features, S110 comes for a price tag of $449.99.

10. Fujifilm X-E1

    Fujifilm X-E1 had been a star at Photokina 2012. This 16 megapixel compact camera offers a smart deal for photography enthusiasts at $1,399 . It is a compact camera with a hub of features like film simulation, multiple exposure,  panoramic shooting, auto-bracketing and HD video recording.

11. Fujifilm XF1

    The stylish looks of Fujifilm XF1 makes it a rock star for the show. This 12 megapixel compact camera has 2/3 type sensor. It has a 25-100mm lens with f1.8 – f4.9. The camera also makes provision for mitigating the shakes with its’ optical image stabilization technology. For the first time we had noticed a camera with various ISO modes such as SN (where camera would keep the ISO high and noise as low as it can), DR (where the camera keeps the ISO prioritized to dynamic-range of the scene) and HR (where resolution will have the top-most priority). It features a high speed EXR processing engine which reads the CMOS in quick time, starts it up in as fast as 0.55 secs, acquires focus within 0.16 secs and gets ready for the next shot just within 0.8 secs. And you can get this one for $499.95 approx. Check out here.

These are just the highlights. There are a lot many cameras that made to Photokina 2012. Which one is your pick?

Black and white photography is classic. And toning and tinting the black and white images; sometimes for archival and other times for creative effects has been there right from traditional times. Just like Sepia, duotone has also gained a firm ground for itself among the classic photographers. But that’s not it. The twist to the story is that these effects add drama and new story to the images.

This is what I realized when took up to split toning for the first time. And after trying duotone, I was again amazed by the results. So I thought to share bits of knowledge and how to about Duotone here.

Duotone is quite similar to black and white. It is a picture in two tones or colors. Thus, it has two distinct tones other than the usual blacks and whites. It can have blue and black, blue and orange, and so on. Earlier blue, yellow, brown and red were used in duotones.

However this effect cannot be achieved in-camera. It needs some darkroom techniques to accomplish the task. Duotone images are yielded by adding one or two colors to the black and white images. So we will have to start with converting colored image to black & white. You can try one of these techniques to convert your images to black & white and then you can go about toning the images to achieve the duotone effect. So, without wasting much time, let’s get to steps for creating beautiful duotone images in Photoshop.

How To: Converting An Image To Duotone In Adobe Photoshop

Here is the step by step guide to create duotone images in Photoshop:

1. Open the image in Photoshop and go to Image > Mode > Grayscale. Make sure 8-bit/Channel is checked.
   
2. Go to Image > Mode > Duotone.
   
3. This will open up Duotone Options dialog box, where you will be making the choice of tones to transform your image. So make sure you select Preview to view the changes with each selection of tones.
4. In the Duotone Options window, select Duotone from the Type drop-down (as shown below).
   
5. By default, the first color may be black. You can change it to whatever you like; you can go in for one of the primaries R, G, B or any custom color. Click on the black box and pick the color from the ink color dialog.
   
6. Next, you need to choose the second tone. Click on the colored box next to Ink 2 to select the colors from Color Libraries. Select an ink from Book dropdown.
   [Note: To create highly saturated colors, select darkest inks at the top and lightest at the bottom].
7. Once you are satisfied with the tones, click on the Curve box located to the left of the colorbox in the Duotone options window itself. Adjust the duotone curve for each ink color to alter the way color is distributed in highlight and shadows. Set overprint colors, if required.
   
8. Click OK to see the final image — a beautiful duotone image.

Here is the before and after effect of duotoning.

Before: This is a grayscale image you can start with.

After: This is the final effect that is achieved through duotone.

How about trying it out? Choose one of your images, fire up Photoshop and delve yourself into this unusual style of coloring the images in two tones.