SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI AUGUST 21, 2011

TIMES REVIEW | TECHTONIC

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August 19 was World Photography Day. TOI marks the occasion by showcasing some cutting-edge technology as significant as the shift from film to digital that promises to revolutionize your cameras and how you use them

ZOOM
INTO THE FUTURE
Mihir Patkar

The perfect shot

Mastering modern photography has as much to do with getting the basics right as manoeuvering digital tools
Javed Anwer

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he message behind World Photography Day, celebrated on August 19, is to place more emphasis on the art, rather than the technology And yet, innova. tions in the field are so rapid that its hard to ignore them. In the near future, you might be able to click full-colour photos in complete darkness; get your

hands on the worlds first open-source camera; and even be able to take pictures without having to bother about focusing because the camera will let you decide that once you see the image. And, scientists across the world are already working to make these wonderful things happen

Click Now, Focus Later

How many times have you fiddled around with the focus on your digicam, and in that split second, missed the magical moment? Its a high bar to clear when a technology is compared to something as significant as the shift from film to digital. But one look at Lytros upcoming camera and you will want to believe they can walk the walk just as well as they talk the talk. The American company has developed a light field camera that will let you click photos first and focus later. Lytro is introducing Camera 3.0, a breakthrough that lets you nail your shot every time and never miss a moment, said CEO and founder Dr Ren Ng. Essentially, this new technology features an innovative image sensor that captures the colour, intensity and direction of every light ray . Powerful software within the camera then processes the picture into a light field image file. Anyone can interact with this image, without needing special software just click any part of the photo and it will focus on that. This breakthrough technology will make conventional digital cameras obsolete. It has to be seen to be believed, said investor anderstwhile co-founder of Netscape, Marc Andreessen. And, yes, the company does offer this in an online photo gallery atwww.lytro.com/picture_gallery Dr . Ng adds that they will start selling the camera later this year.

CUSTOM-MADE: Marc Levoy, professor of computer science, with the open source camera

here are two types of people you find behind cameras. The first typeand easily the majorityis made up of those who are content with just pushing the button. You will find these camera operators at parties, picnics and on holidays with a digital camera around their neck, clicking away like there was no tomorrow. Chances are, of the hundreds of pictures they have clicked, around 20 might turn out photoalbumworthy and by sheer accident too. The second type are those who are nothing like the first. Theyre what we call photographers. So how does one graduate from being a camera operator into a photographer? Well, the route is not simple, but it isnt terribly difficult either. It requires practice, patience, an eye for detail and aesthetics, some good professional advice and yes, if you have the right tools, that will help too.

FotoFlexer will do the job satisfactorily, and without any fuss. Photoscape: Adobe Photoshop is expensive, and Gimp, although free, is not all that easy to use. Well, try Photoscape. Its intuitive, fast and has almost all the features that an amateur photographer will require. You can get it from www.photoscape.org. Picturenaut: Almost all image-editing software, online or offline, allows a photographer to apply effects like sepia and saturation. But HDR (High Dynamic Range) the effect that makes colours pop out and simulates dynamic lighting is difficult to achieve, especially if you are not very well-versed with photography Pictrenaut attempts to sim. plify the process. Download it from www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut.

Getting started
Though better equipment almost always gives you better results, you dont need expensive cameras, lens or software for great digital photos. What you really require is a firm foundation in the basic concepts and rules of photography School of light: Whether youre a novice or even someone who has ventured beyond Auto mode, w w w. d i g i t a l - p h o t o g r a p h y school.com has something for every photo enthusiast. For easy navigation, the site is divided into three sections. One deals with cameras and equipment,the second offers tips and guides and the third comprises post-production tricks. In other words, how to digitally enhance your photos. The best thing about this resource is that it is light on jargon. The language is simple and the guides are written for beginners. Listen to Ken: Ken Rockwell is a pro photographer and he dispenses his frank and often brazen insights on photography at www.kenrockwell.com. The reason he features here is because of the way in which he demystifies photography simply and peppered with a healthy dose of humour. For example, he has a chapter called FART for Fantastic Photos. Of course, FART stands for Feel, Ask, Refine and Take. But its not all ha-ha and chuckles with Ken. His tips on how to take good photographs are full of (mostly) brilliant insight, laid bare in an easy-to-understand language. The website is free to use, though Rockwell does welcome donations.

Frankencamera
Meanwhile, in Stanford University, USA, a group of technologists is working on something they like to call the Frankencamera! While the name sounds monstrous, the project is actually quite cool. Basically, you can add or remove parts from the camera at will, and even download apps on it for more functionality and cool features. Researchers Marc Levoy and Andrew Adams cobbled together parts from different gadgets a sensor from a phone, off-the-shelf lenses, etc to create the worlds first open-source camera. It is made in a way that you can customize the gizmo to your liking. Feel like attaching two flashes for better lighting? Done. Want to pair it up with your mobile phone? Thats possible too. From focus and exposure to shutter speed and filters, virtually all of the features of the device are at the command of software that can be created or customised by the end user. To take full advantage of this, the user would simply need to download apps on to his camera, much like one does on phones today . The breakthroughs of the Frankencamera may sound a bit geeky but they are revolutionary It boasts , . extended, real-time dynamic range, whereby every pixel of an image is optimally lit. On the video front, low-resolution clips are composited with high-resolution images for better quality And the camera can . continuously communicate with computers, using their processing power for better results on the device you hold in your hand. Levoy is currently putting in place the funding and arrangements to mass manufacture the camera, hopefully keeping costs below $1,000.

Let There Be Night

Photography literally means capturing light, which is why clicking a picture at night is virtually impossible unless aided by a strong flash strobe. And, of course, theres night vision, but who wants to see everything in hues of green? However, if a group of Japanese researchers have their way, you could be shooting full-colour images in pitch dark by the end of this year. Boffins at Japans National Institute of Advanced Industrial Scienceand Technology recently demonstrated a new camera that bounces infrared light (invisible to the naked eye) off objects and, using complicated algorithms, sees this illumination to render red, blue and green colours the three essential bandIN AND OUT OF FOCUS: The Lytro camera senses light from widths needed for full-colour photography. Currently, the team is working on using longall directions in your photo, so you can focus on any zoom lenses with this unique technology to aid in part of the image by just clicking on it. In a party like everything from security solutions to wildlife phothis one (1), you could simply shoot your picture and, tography. But the makers say that they are also later, click to focus on the girl (2), the man with the dog looking to make a commercial product available be(3) or the tattoo artist in the background (4) fore the New Year.

Just Concepts, But Just So Cool!

he concept stage of any product is perhaps the most exciting. Unshackled from the burden of technical feasibility, its where inventors and technologists freely dream of the future. Some of these go on to change the way we live, while others never go beyond the scratch pad. But all of them are worth a look.

WVIL (Concept)
The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show featured a demonstration of what seemed like miraculous technology that would revolutionize cameras until it turned out to be nothing more than a hoax. Still, the concept of the Wireless Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (WVIL) is exciting. Imagine

if the lens of your normal digital camera could be detached and placed anywhere in a room, but you still see what the lens sees on the cameras screen, no matter where you are. Thats the basic idea behind the WVIL. So, you could potentially take one or more lenses for your WVIL camera, place them in different parts of the party, and start clicking away from a comfortable chair, while getting unimaginable shots. Thought up by US-based design group Artefact, the WVIL is one of those technologies that we cant wait to see.

camera strap and connecting it to the device. Several technologists have poked holes in Jies initial design, which directly connects the strap to the cameras power port and makes it unfeasible to have a back-up battery in the camera. Still, its a very cool concept.

Tools of the trade

For post-production in digital photography, most professionals turn to Adobe Photoshop. Those that prefer the free alternative, stick to Gimp. These are essential tools. But theyre not the only ones. Here are a few other free online and offline tools that you might want to consider Pixlr.com: If you have ever used Photoshop, you will feel right at the home with Pixlr a versatile online photo editor with powerful photo retouching and editing features. It even supports layers; particularly handy if you need to work on your pictures, but dont have access to your own PC. FotoFlexer.com: It may not be as feature-packed as Pixlr. On the other hand, its also simpler to use. If you are just looking to add an effect or two,

2Duo
A winning concept in the recent Spark Awards design competition, the 2Duo camera by Ahlim Son puts two lenses and two screens in a single device. Basically, either side of the camera can act as a lens or as a screen, and whats more, it can flip up and be rotated however you want. So potentially, you could take photos of two completely different scenes at the same time. And, of course, taking self-portraits will be as easy, since you would be able to see yourself in the LiveView screen as the photo is clicked.

Share and learn

Once you have shot your pictures, and perhaps even edited them on your PC, you might want to put them up for some critical approval. Social networking sites are good places to show off your improved photo skills to friends and relatives, but for true evaluation, you might want to consider resources such as Flickr. It boasts hundreds of user groups based on camera type, photography styles, and even regions. Choose a few that interest you. Closer to home, the forum at www.jjmehta.com is another place you might want to consider.

Solar Camera Strap

Designer Weng Jie seems to have gotten tired of his cameras battery dying out and decided to utilize the camera strap to do something about it. The Solar Camera Strap is exactly what the name suggests: Putting solar film across a standard

SMART MONEY

Discipline will make you wealthy

Its not how much you make, but how you manage it, says financial planner Gaurav Mashruwala
hen we had featured Lakshmanan Ramanathan (33) in 2007, his total wealth was Rs 32 lakh and outstanding liability was Rs 6 lakh. Today, his assets are valued at almost Rs 57 lakh and the liability is zero. Getting out of loans is the biggest relief, says Lakshmanan our advice precisely. Lakshmanan is from the south. His father was a professor and his mother is a home-maker. He used to see his mother writing a budget. He picked up that habit and followed it until some time back.

4 lakh each for husband and wife and Rs 2 lakh for the child. Life cover for Lakshmanan should be Rs 50 lakh through a term plan. PLANNING FOR FINANCIAL GOALS Daughters education: Because the couple is living frugally, they are able to fund their daughters education. In case of any financial turbulences, they can consider liquidating investments in direct equity, equity fund and debt fund to tide over the lean period. Daughters marriage: After contingency fund and insurance arrangements are made, start a systematic investment plan of Rs 5,000 every month in an equity index fund. Invest the amount for about three years. After that, leave that corpus untouched until marriage. Further, every year, on the daughters birthday, purchase small gold coins. These will be useful to make jewelry at the time of her marriage. Retirement planning: Adopt a two-prone strategy. Continue in-

PLANNERS EYE
This couples net worth has grown over the last four years at an annualized rate of 22%. This increase has happened because of focused savings, paying off debt and investing regularly. Discipline in any walk of life makes a mediocre person yield superlative achievements. Wealth creation is no exception. They created wealth and generated high returns because they have remained fiscally disciplined.

This pratice has been the couples secret to wealth creation. He lives in New Delhi with his wife Nidhya and four-year-old daughter Lakshmishree. WHAT IS THE COUPLE SAVING FOR? (1) They need about Rs 1 lakh every year for their daughters education for the next 20 years; (2) After 20 years, they want Rs 1.80 lakh for her marriage; (3) At the time of retirement after 25 years, they need a corpus which can generate about Rs 1.50 lakh per year. They will review these goals keeping in mind inflation.

WHERE ARE THEY TODAY? Cash flow: Total monthly inflow is Rs 63,500 from all sources. Against this, the monthly outflow is Rs 44,000. Outflow includes routine household expenses, insurance premium, taxes, mandatory savings etc. Net worth: Value of all the assets is Rs 57 lakh. This includes house and jewelry as well. Couple is now completely debt-free. Contingency fund: Against monthly mandatory expense of Rs 37,000, the balance in the savings bank is only Rs 2,000. This is less than a weeks mandatory expenses. Health & life insurance: Total health cover of the family is Rs 4 lakh. This is provided by the employer. Total life cover is about Rs 3.85 lakh.

FISCAL ANALYSIS: Couple is living frugally They are spending . much less then their income. Contingency fund is very less. Health and life insurance is insufficient. Assets for investments are skewed in favor of illiquid plot of land. With some realignment of assets they will be able to achieve most of their goals. WAY AHEAD Contingency fund: Slowly, over a period of six-eight months, build up a corpus of Rs 1.10 lakh for contingencies. Keep Rs 15,000 cash at home and the rest in the bank, linked to a fixed deposit. Health & life insurance: After creating a contingency fund, use surplus funds available to enhance health and life insurance cover. Health cover should ideally be Rs

Savings & investments: Balance in savings bank account Rs 2,000. Market value of direct equity Rs 5,000, equity mutual fund Rs 20,000, debt mutual fund Rs 12,000. They have bonds worth Rs 20,000. Balance in EPF/PPF is 8,500. They also own a plot of land worth Rs 15 lakh.

vesting in EPF/PPF to accumulate corpus. Also invest Rs 7,500 every month in an equity mutual fund. Increase this amount by 10% every year. Parents: The couple wishes to support their parents -- more a desire than a need. Bonuses received from the employer should be kept aside for this. (To be featured in this column, write to moneymakeover @indiatimes.com)