Digital Photography : Lessons Learnt (Part 1)

  • The mega-pixels(mp) in a camera do not mean a thing. ( So please don’t go running after after the new 8mp cameras that are coming out ). Good lens and large CCD/CMOS sensor make all the difference. A 1mp camera with large sensor size can take better pics then 5mp camera with smaller sensor size.
  • When it comes to talking colorful pics, Canon and kodak just kick ass. For everything else there is Nikon. Few of the pics I took using canon S400 are way more colorful then most of my pics from my current nikon camera.
  • Above rule applies when it comes to contrast of pics as well.
  • If you are using linux, consider using Imagemagick for post-picture modifications ( run ‘display image.jpg’ ). Few of the features/filters in imagemagick beat gimp hollow.
  • If are give your photos out for printing, remember that all of them use 2×3 (8″x12″ or 12″x18″) ratio as opposed to 3×4 ratio that we are used to ( 600×800 or 1024×768 ). So crop your pics accordingly before you give them out for printing, else the the printer guy will decide to crop it to his likes.
  • You can order prints online in India at Kodakexpress. If you are from bangalore, then don’t look anywhere else other then Whizz on Dickenson Road.
  • Some photos I managed to click this week :


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    16 Comments

    1. tariquesani · March 20, 2004

      Did you play with the in camera contrast and saturation on 5700?

      The end results will vary a lot depending on the intial setting – On Nikon the contrast as well as Saturation are on the lower side

    2. yellosonja · March 20, 2004

      oye, thanks a lot for your tips. 😉

    3. admin · March 20, 2004

      Did that and I am still not happy. I havent played with saturation, but the contrast was still not good enough

    4. tariquesani · March 20, 2004

      Upping the contrast alone without upping the saturation does not give you the range of colours.

      Also I have found that it is better to take color photographs and then convert to BW using the channel mixer rather than just simple desaturation which gives a very flat look, In camera desauration suffers from the same flaw.

    5. kewldeaf · March 20, 2004

      Awesome

      Turning from security expert to full time photographer huh ?
      Awesome Pics. You are on way to become modern day M.S Satyu

    6. mannu · March 20, 2004

      You are a d00d.

    7. admin · March 20, 2004

      Upping the contrast alone without upping the saturation does not give you the range of colours.

      I do not like upping the saturation. the photo does not look natural anymore

      Also I have found that it is better to take color photographs and then convert to BW using the channel mixer rather than just simple desaturation which gives a very flat look .

      Agree totally. took few pics using default greyscale on the cam and all of them sucked.

    8. ravi · March 20, 2004

      > You can order prints online in India at Kodakexpress

      Kodaxexperss India *bites* ass. I wouldn’t touch it again with a 400 km long bargepole. One bad experience is enough for me, thanks 🙂

    9. chaitrasuresh · March 21, 2004

      Nice photos!! Liked ’em 🙂

    10. inthing · March 22, 2004

      black-white pix

      the beauty of black and white pix unleashed !

    11. tictactoe10 · March 22, 2004

      Photos !!

      Nice pics, especially the new user pic 😉 It is very apt for an adept photographer

    12. admin · March 22, 2004

      Re: black-white pix

      Indeed.

      Wish my camera did better colors

    13. serendipiteous · March 26, 2004

      Just a wanderer.
      I love your pictures.
      Scrolled around to your website.

      http://www.kalyanvarma.net/photography/bangalore/Desaturated/tn/dscn2556.jpg.html was mindblowing.My absolute favouite.

      Just HAD to let you know:)

      Cheers!

    14. admin · March 26, 2004

      Thanks for the compliment. Still working on pics.. hope new ones will come soon.

    15. birdonthewire · March 31, 2004

      Very nice photographs. Reminded me of a tip about photography I had read somewhere. Almost always put the central character in the left one third, or right one third of the frame, never in the center.

      No idea if that principle is really true, but I think in this case, that is what enhances the effect of both the photos.