Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

Dear PSMites,
I take this opportunity in bringing the second edition our news letter Lens Light. It is indeed a great moment for all of us. We have received a record breaking No. of entries for the National Salon 2010 nearly 2800 entries this year. The mammoth task of Judging all the entries was done in two days and this year the results of the Salon has been declared four days ahead. It is really a herculean task accomplished by this present team. Hats off. The Exhibition at the Lalith Kala Akademi during 19th October to 24th October 2010 is no doubt going to be a feast for our eyes. The quality of photographs which have come from different parts of the country is really stunning. I am very glad to see some of our PSM members winning prizes and Honourable mentions in the ensuing Salon 2010 thus portraying to the world that we are second to none in the field of photography. My hearty congratulations to all the prize winners. At this juncture I would like to invite all our PSM members to come forward and volunteer during the

Ed Verosky is a professional photographer and author based in New York. In this article, Verosky explains how to create portraits using natural and ambient light only. To learn more about achieving great lighting in any situation, check out Veroskys popular eBook, 100% Reliable Flash Photography. Note: this post contains one image with very mild nudity. For me, using flash can be the most efficient way to create a high-quality portrait. Theres nothing like it for an editorial shoot when you need that combination of full lighting control, minimal shooting time, and predictable results. Sure, you have to know what youre doing to make it come together like that. But that ability comes with knowledge and experience. Mastering flash, means mastering your light in any situation. Sometimes, however, there is beautiful light to be found, just waiting there for you to use it. Natural and constant ambient light can be your best friends if you have a little time and flexibility with the environment and your subject. Constant light, as opposed to flash/strobe lighting, will allow you to see and adjust its effect on your subject and the environment in real-time. This is a great way to learn about lighting placement and this knowledge and experience will certainly carry over into your flash portraiture. As I like to say, "light is light," meaning the principles of lighting a subject and their environment are essentially the same whether the light source is a quick "flash" or a constant illumination. The main difference is that the

Salon days in full strength and make it a grand success. It is our PSM Thank you. S. VIVEKANAND - President PSM

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

flash is capable of producing a more intense light but with too short of a duration for the photographer to see the effects of its position on the subject in realtime. With constant lighting, you can casually move the lights and your subject around and know instantly how the changes will affect the portrait youre making. With a few test shots to check exposure, youre good to go. Lighting Setups: Natural Light. Window light as just about the most beautiful light you can find when the conditions are right. It can serve as a huge softbox and be manipulated with any combination of window dressings such as blinds and curtains. Simply place your subject nearby the window and let the light create much of the portraits drama. I like to position the subject so that there is plenty of shadow to one side, providing many options for classic portraiture looks.
Setup consisting of two household lamps, minus the lamp shades. Kicker is behind Kelly and main lamp is almost directly in front of her, just to camera right. ISO 800, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec.

Camera Settings My general advice for any indoor shooting is to think "fast and wide." Your initial camera settings should be a balance of the highest ISO possible that will still provide acceptable noise levels for your purposes, the widest aperture your lens will allow, and the fastest workable shutter speed. Of course, each of these controls are interrelated and integral to overall exposure, so youll have to make some adjustments, and concessions, for the environment youre working in and the effect youre trying to achieve in your shots. Fortunately, most DSLRs are now capable of low noise even when using high ISO speeds, so most room lighting and even low natural light wont be a problem for you. But even if your camera happens to produce lots of noise at higher ISOs, that isnt necessarily a big concern. Either leave the noise as is, or bring some of it down in post-processing using your choice of available noise reduction techniques. Many photographers are actually artificially adding noise BACK into their images in order to reproduce the look of film, or otherwise reduce the super-clean, slick, digital look coming out of the camera. Simple advice: Dont worry about the noise unless it gets in the way of the image youre trying to create. Another thing that will really help with achieving beautiful portraits in lower lighting situations is a fast lens. By "fast" were referring to a lens with a wide aperture of at least f/2.8. The wider the aperture, the more light the lens allows to pass through in a given unit of time. This will give you more freedom with your ISO settings (as they wont have to be so high to

Window light narrowed with curtains. ISO 800, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/80 sec.

Household Lights. You can also make great use of simple household lamps. I like to remove the shades off the room lights and utilize them as bare bulb light sources. To start off, just position the main light in front and to one side of your subject, preferably several inches higher than her head. This will give you a classic lighting pattern to work with. A second light may be placed farther back from the subject and serve as a back light or kicker which will add dimension.
Ernest Hemingway: "Good pictures, what camera do you use?" Irving Penn: "What typewriter do you use?" Words to remember when you're faced with equipmentenvy.

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

compensate for less light coming in through the lens), and faster shutter speeds (as they wont have to be so low to compensate for less light coming in through the lens). Lenses with wider apertures also have the capability of shallow depth-of-field, which can greatly add to the interest and mystique of your portraiture. Shutter speed is an important consideration not just because of its effect on overall exposure, but also because of potential blur with lower speeds. As with ISO however, the effect of supposedly less-thanoptimal shutter speeds is what you make it. You might find an occasional blurry image makes a rather artistic statement. Every portrait doesnt have to be sharp as a tack. might also want to try your cameras Manual mode to maintain full control of your settings. If your lighting conditions are going to be fairly static, Id recommend it. Also, you will most likely benefit from shooting in your cameras RAW (NEF) format so critical adjustments, like white balance, exposure, and contrast can be made easily and with minimal loss of information in post-processing. Although white balance settings arent actually imposed on the RAW file, you can set WB as you wish during shooting in order to get an idea of what the final image might look like. Plus, a chosen WB setting will tell your RAW conversion/processing software what color temperature and tint settings to best start off with for each image.

Another household light bulb setup, featuring Chris. Bare household light bulb off to camera left illuminating her on one side and the background at the same time. Main light is coming in from camera right. ISO 800, 85mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec.

Window light illuminates Satu. ISO 800, 50mm, f/4, 1/200 sec.

So, with those factors in mind, you might want to try the following exposure combination as a starting point and adjust according to your needs: Camera Mode: Aperture Priority Aperture: f/2.8 (or the widest possible for your lens) ISO: 800 Shutter Speed (target): 1/100 sec. or higher. In Aperture Priority mode, your camera will automatically set the shutter speed for you while you control everything else. Youll have to pay attention to your shutter speed to make sure it isnt falling so low as to create unwanted blurring. Again, these are just starting points. With a stationary pose and a steady hand, Ive managed hand-held shutter speeds as low as 1/15 sec. to produce good results. You

Post-Processing Aside from the creative post-processing possible with your ambient light images, there are some things you might want to address in initial post: White Balance: Not all light sources produce the same color temperatures. Despite what they look like to our eyes, the camera will record various types of household lighting (florescent, tungsten, daylight balanced) and natural light (sunset, cloudy, shade) as producing different color casts. So, if you are shooting a portrait using a bright tungsten light as your subjects main light, but you have a strong window light coming through in the background, you might have an undesirable color mix to deal with. Fortunately, you can correct these types of color mismatches in post-processing by making a general white balance setting choice in your software, and

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

selectively altering the offending colors in specific parts of the image. If this isnt something youd like to worry about, then dont. The colors might be acceptable just the way they are. If not, you always have artistic color altering effects and even black and white conversion options. So, its all good. Noise Issues: I personally like a little noise in my images most of the time. But if you had to use very high ISO settings to get your shots, and have the need to bring some of the noise down, there are a number of good built-in, stand-alone, and plug-in software options to handle this. I will occasionally use the noise reduction tools in Lightroom or my Noise Ninja plug-in in Photoshop, for example. Natural and ambient light photography indoors can be a great way to learn the finer points of lighting your portraits. The actual experience for you and your subject is also worlds apart from the strobe and studio effect of working with flash. Unlike outdoor shooting, indoor work without flash can introduce problems having to do with lower lighting situations. Using some to of the advice above, you should be able to handle the challenges of low-light portraiture and come away with great-looking images. For Fanthome every photograph is a deliberate and often an emotionally charged reaction. He is a photographer of the old school, believing that every photograph carries with it a responsibility, not to the viewer, but to the moment being captured. His first photographs came off a Zenith 122 in 1999 while he was still an undergraduate at St. Stephens College. travelling the world and capturing it in his camera since 1999.

Monthly Meetings

Every Month PSM holds Monthly meeting with a presentation by an eminent personality in the field of Photography

Since then, he has travelled to over 25 countries

spread over 5 continents, capturing images all over the globe, from New Zealand to Alaska. His Presentation was well received. The July 210 Monthly Competition had a Theme: Architecture. Apart from his Guest lecture the entries of the July competition was Judged by: Andr J Fanthome and he chose the winner.

17th July 2010

PSM was lucky to have a very famous Personality in the Field of Photography Mr. Andr Jeanpierre Fanthome. National Academy Award winning photographer Andr Jeanpierre Fanthome, has been

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2 21st August, 2010

The August meeting had medical Doctor with a professional Passion for Photography. Dr. Srinivasan Periathiruvadi spent his school days in the port town of Tuticorin. He is a postgraduate in Medicine and started his hobby of photography with a Agfa Camera on 120 mm film at the age of 12. He is an inquisitive learner and during those days spent hours every week in a small studio learning the art of printing photographs and processing. He believes that the best way to learn photography is to be with people who can teach you, criticize you and occasionally appreciate your images! But most importantly, one needs a supporting family. A keen traveler, he currently spends 25% of his time every month in the nature. Ask him the reason he will come up with the answer Time is short, I started late. He travels very often across India and to abroad for photography. He posts his images at www.natureimages.in
The Q & A in Progress

Dr. P.Srinivasans Presentation

The August Monthly Competition Had the theme Wild Life. The entries were judged by Dr. P. Srinivasan. Apart from being an avid wildlife photographer and a senior member of PSM; he has travelled very widely all across the globe and have some very stunning images in his collection. Dr. P. Srinivasan judged the entries and chose the winner. Certificate of Merit for the Madras Day winners were also distributed.
The Madras Day Certificates are being distributed

Our PSM President welcomes the gathering

The Madras Day Certificates are being distributed

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

5th August 2010
Mr. N.P.Satsangi, B.Sc.,BE(Mech),MIE,AIIPC,AFIAP,FFIP hosted a Photographic exhibition titled Kashmir and Leh Ladhak at the gallery of the Photographic Society of Madras from 5th August to 8th August 2010. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. D. Krishnan , Chief Photo Editor, The Hindu.

18th September 2010

The monthly meeting for September was held on 18th September 2010 and the Chief Guest was Mr. Yannick Cormier.

He was born in 1975 in France. In the early 2000s he worked in the studio Astre in Paris parallel to his photographic studies in CIFAP After years of worked as an assistant for Patrick Swirc, William Klein and many others for magazines such as Vogue, Flair, Elle, Vanity Fair ..., He began a career as a documentary photographer. From 2003 to 2005 he teamed up with the agency Wostokpress and was sent to India as a correspondent. In 2007 he founded the agency Trikaya Photos in India. Since 2009, he worked on the conflict in the region of Kashmir and the problem of addiction in Kolkata. His photography is an aesthetic testament of traditions that are endangered in modern India. These images have been published in various international magazines (OjodePez, Courrier international ). He also Judged the best Photographs of the Monthly contest for September where the theme was Environment (Anything related to our environment; it can be nature, civic or anything).

Mr. D. Krishnan , Chief Photo Editor, The Hindu Lit the lamp to inaugurate the exhibition.

The Chief Guests address

Another milestone achievements:

in

PSMs

ALL INDIA SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY 2010 The Photographic Society of Madras (PSM) will be conducting the All India Salon of Photography 2010 from 19th to 24th October 2010 at Lalit Kala Akademi, Greams Road, Chennai.

The Chief Guest signs the Vistors Book and Mrs. Satsangi and PSM President are also seen in the Photograph.

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

The sections for the salon are, 1. MONOCHROME, 2. TRAVEL, 3. NATURE, 4. POWER OF WOMEN, 5. MOTION, 6. SILHOUETTE 7. A SPECIAL CATEGORY: MOBILE PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY titled PICTURE BY MOBILE The salon is open to all Indian Nationals. The total prize money offered will be Rs.1.57 lakhs. There will be three cash prizes per section, Rs.10,000, Rs.7,500 and Rs.5,000 respectively for the First, Second and Third places. Apart from these prizes, certificates of Honorable Mentions will be awarded in each section. JUDGES: Mr. T.N.A. Perumal - Wildlife Photographer, Bangalore Mr. Madhu Sarkar - Academician, Kolkatta Mr. David de Souza - Freelance Photographer, Mumbai Mr. Ashok Kandimalla - Photography Column writer and Academician, Hyderabad ORGANISING COMMITTEE: Mr. Ganesan Pajanissamy - Chairman Mr. S.Vivekanand -Co-Chairman Mr. Rithwik V.J. - Secretary Mr. B.Ramanakumar - Treasurer SALON CALENDAR Last date for receiving entries - 6th SEPTEMBER 2010 Judging Dates - 24, 25 & 26 SEPTEMBER 2010 Exhibition Dates: 19 24th OCTOBER 2010 Return of entries with the Electronic Catalog of the Salon -2010 by 30th NOVEMBER 2010. In addition to this all Accepted Entries will receive a coffee table book.

Report for the Month:

Nikon D7000 Preview

September 2010

Preview based on a pre-production Nikon D7000

Stop the rumor mill - the D95 D7000 is here! The much-anticipated successor to the D90 new DSLR isn't quite what a lot of internet pundits expected, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot to get excited about if you're a D90 user impatient for an upgrade. In fact, that's exactly what the D7000 is - an upgrade option for D90 and D5000 users, which occupies a new position in Nikon's DSLR lineup, between the D90 and D300S. Although ergonomically, the D7000 is a very close match for the D90, its overall 'feel' is considerably more serious, thanks to a magnesium alloy body shell and thicker rubber coating on the hand grip and rear of the camera. In terms of its specification, the D7000 actually outguns the D300S in many respects, and at 16.2Mp it offers the second highest resolution of any Nikon DSLR, behind only the 24Mp D3X. All of these pixels are packed onto a newly developed CMOS sensor, which is almost certainly the same or very similar to that in the Sony Alpha SLT-A55. As well as extra resolution, the new sensor also offers a higher 'standard' ISO span of 100-6400, expandable up to the equivalent of ISO 25,600. The D7000's AF and metering systems are also new, and represent a significant upgrade to those used in the D90. The new camera boasts a 39-point AF array with 9 cross-type AF points and works in collaboration with a new 2016-pixel RGB metering sensor to allow 3D AF tracking (essentially tracking by subject color, explained here). Other changes include the same combined live view/movie switch control as the recently announced D3100, and a significantly upgraded movie specification, up to 'full HD' - 1920x1080 resolution at 24fps. Unlike the D90, the D7000 can also maintain AF during live view and movie shooting, thanks to its AF-F ('full time') AF mode. D90 owners have been waiting for a replacement camera for a while, and although the D90 isn't set for retirement quite yet, the D7000 certainly represents a

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

compelling upgrade. We've been using a preproduction D7000 for a few days - just long enough to compile our impressions into a 7-page hands-on preview article. Read on for an in-depth look at Nikon's newest DSLR... Nikon D7000 Key Features 16.2MP CMOS sensor 1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600) 39-point AF system with 3D tracking 2016 pixel metering sensor Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids metering + focus accuracy Twin SD card slots 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen New Live View/movie shooting switch Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes Up to 6fps continuous shooting Lockable shooting mode dial Built-in intervalometer Electronic virtual horizon Shutter tested to 150K actuations

EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM High-performance L-series super-telephoto lens, with 4 stop Image Stabilizer with 3 modes ideal for all types of action photography. The EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM delivers outstanding image quality in a robust lightweight construction.

New Products from Canon:

Extender EF 1.4x III Ideal for press, sports and nature photography, this compact extender increases the focal length of Canon L-series telephoto or telephoto zoom lens by a factor of 1.4x, with higher AF accuracy and improved communication between camera and lens.

EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM A versatile fisheye zoom lens offering a choice of full frame or circular image. The EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM is part of Canons high performance L series lenses and delivers fantastic image quality, even with such a wide angle view.

Extender EF 2x III Ideal for press, sports and nature photography, the extender increases the focal length of Canon L-series telephoto or telephoto zoom lens by a factor of 2x, with higher AF accuracy and improved communication
betweencameraandlens

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is part of Canons prestigious L series offering performance excellence with a versatile zoom range and superb image quality in a robust and compact design

In the maternity hospital a father of a newly born child is busy photographing his offspring. His furious activity attracts attention of a nurse. Is that your first baby - she asks compassionately. No was the answer my third, but its my first camera.

Photographic Society of Madras

News Letter Vol 2

Stranger: "That is beautiful child you have there." Mother: "That's nothing. You should see his photograph."

PSM Interview in Jaya TV 22 September 2010

WHAT IS A PORTRAIT ? A portrait is defined as a likeness of a person, especially of the persons face. Simply that. But, the word in general use has deeper connotations. A photographic portrait is understood to be a good quality image that not only captures a persons physical likeness on film or on a digital camera's sensor, but also something of the persons character, generally in a manner that is attractive and pleasing to the subject. CHARACTER REVELATION A good portrait will contain at least one element that reveals the subjects personality, attitude, unique mannerisms or any of the other features or traits that form the individual nature of the person. It will tell us something about the subject. You may have heard someone remark that a particular photographer really captured their father or child, for example, in a picture. They are referring in part to the image being a true physical likeness, but what they are really saying is that the image also reveals a significant, identifiable part of the subjects character. The portrait photographer who has never previously met the subject therefore has quite a challenge.

In yet an another milestone the President of PSM Mr. S. Vivekanand was invited by Jaya TV to participate in a 'live' TV programme ie. 'Dial Jaya TV' show on 22.09.2010 from 12.00 to 12.30 pm. There were many callers asking their doubts about photography and the future prospects in this field. The show had really boosted PSM's image among the public. There were calls even after the show and the word has spread about PSM activities. Many mails seem to be flooding the inbox of the President after the Jaya TV show. Here is one of the 'proof of the pudding'.

Subject: Hi i am an amateur photographer in California Date: 22nd September, 2010 Hi I am an amateur photographer in California but born in India. I saw your show on JAYA TV this morning and loved your inspiring words. Its very hard explaining to my parents that i want to pursue photography and not biology. And now that I have taped your show I am going to share it with them. Thanks! Sincerely Pavithra