Photography as a hobby!
According to Wikipedia - Photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving pictures by recording radiation on a radiation-sensitive medium, such as a photographic film, or an electronic sensor. Light patterns reflected or emitted from objects activate a sensitive chemical or electronic sensor during a timed exposure, usually through a photographic lens in a device known as a camera that also stores the resulting information chemically or electronically. Photography has many uses for business, science, art, and pleasure.
Photography as a hobby used to sound boring and dull to me as an activity, but the end result the photographs always used to appeal as it'd to anybody. And then i really didn't have even fair idea about how to capture or compose a snap. To top it all I didn't have a digi cam to take a plunge!
One thing I don't like is to be a brick in the wall in whatever I take an interest in. If i plunge seriously into any field i make sure I improve or my skill does, else leave it to the better people; so this apprehension that I'm just another amateur used to demotivate me as well, and it still does although to a lesser extent now.
All the clicking I'd done as a kid and youngster was more or less - point and say go..click! But in those pictures taken, it always used to be either the people in the family or friends or the landscape clicked bluntly without any thought going behind it which were the highlights. This is so superficial which I've come to realize now, that you would not like to have a real look at those snaps later sans for the nostalgic memories it'd instigate years later. :)
But as I started taking a liking to it, I became more aware of the wonderful and creative world which lies behind it. This got me seriously interested after one of my friends had bought an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cam and was trying to learn by experimenting and through net tutorials; and some of his snaps used to come out really good - courtesy 50% the camera and remaining his composition. This gave my interest a shot in the arm to go for a new camera, as at home we did not have one for a long time. The previous one we'd was the old styled film roll camera and was not working.
I'd one of my family friends coming from US and lo this was the chance to get one and Dad was ready to pay for it within a budget of 25K. Did not want to invest in something high end upfront, as it should be even fit to be used by the family. So after some research settled for the Canon SX-10IS - the USP of which was the optical zoom and the SLR like capabilities. Was happy to get a prosumer like this, albeit not having much idea of exposure and other settings which i took some time to learn.
This camera is a really good one for a serious amateur and a real good value for money from the Canon stable. It has got the wide-angle and telephoto lens integrated into one single fixed one. But, later you discover that the unchangeable lens and the sensor are the only constraints when you move up the ladder of your hobby; but that's after you get a stronghold on photography which sure takes time.
After getting started I was mostly on auto-mode and the scn, portrait, landscape etc...which are preset by default. This is purely to learn the art of composition and also because the technicalities of the camera are little confusing initially. Once after getting some idea and hands-on composition, then is the time to play with the ISO, WB etc..to put in simple words the basic adjustments you could make in the camera settings.
Now, my camera's optical zoom of 20x gave me good chance to try out capturing distant things as birds, which gave a great boost to the motivation levels as I could capture some unique and lovely birds which I/We hardly notice in daily life.
This eventually brings you to a stage wherein the admiration and respect towards nature increases manifold, as the variety and versatility is like an ocean waiting to be discovered and sailed by each sailor (in the context, the photographer). And it really proves an ideal vent out for all the stresses associated with living in a city if you're looking for stress-bursting.
Now, I'm a person who goes for a lot of trips - being a travel and adventure buff (whenever my wallet supports), so places and opportunities for clicking were aplenty. I started experimenting with the macro, super macro, exposure levels, WB to give my pics a variety and tweak in comparison to my previous pics. As monotony is just bad for the photographic spirit as it turns out in any other field; and you got to scratch your creativity quotient to beat the mediocrity every now and then. But, the real eye-opener and learning rather i'd say understanding of the basics of photography which might be a,b,c,d...for a professional, came through a workshop i attended of acclaimed Photographer - Kalyan Varma (BBC and NGC Photographer). Actually he charges 3k for a day's course, but i was real lucky as the employee welfare group in my office called Syntillations along with the photography club called Photologic sponsored this absolutely free for the enthusiasts. I came to meet fellow photographers in the office as well and got many doubts n queries sorted from Kalyan. Most importantly i came to know of the importance of the aperture mode through this workshop along with few photo shop fundas.
Kalyan had told that, it is always a good idea to do a coffee-table book of your snaps; and I've been pondering over this. This gives you a physical copy of your snaps put into a professional record format as well as gives a good perspective of where you stand as a photographer (provided you've some good ones, as you're shelling something for it!). And anything which can tell a story through the medium of a book, gives such a good feeling and satisfaction.
Ok, now for the further plans on the photography front - apart from the coffee book, have an SLR next on my list.
Photography as a hobby used to sound boring and dull to me as an activity, but the end result the photographs always used to appeal as it'd to anybody. And then i really didn't have even fair idea about how to capture or compose a snap. To top it all I didn't have a digi cam to take a plunge!
One thing I don't like is to be a brick in the wall in whatever I take an interest in. If i plunge seriously into any field i make sure I improve or my skill does, else leave it to the better people; so this apprehension that I'm just another amateur used to demotivate me as well, and it still does although to a lesser extent now.
All the clicking I'd done as a kid and youngster was more or less - point and say go..click! But in those pictures taken, it always used to be either the people in the family or friends or the landscape clicked bluntly without any thought going behind it which were the highlights. This is so superficial which I've come to realize now, that you would not like to have a real look at those snaps later sans for the nostalgic memories it'd instigate years later. :)
But as I started taking a liking to it, I became more aware of the wonderful and creative world which lies behind it. This got me seriously interested after one of my friends had bought an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cam and was trying to learn by experimenting and through net tutorials; and some of his snaps used to come out really good - courtesy 50% the camera and remaining his composition. This gave my interest a shot in the arm to go for a new camera, as at home we did not have one for a long time. The previous one we'd was the old styled film roll camera and was not working.
I'd one of my family friends coming from US and lo this was the chance to get one and Dad was ready to pay for it within a budget of 25K. Did not want to invest in something high end upfront, as it should be even fit to be used by the family. So after some research settled for the Canon SX-10IS - the USP of which was the optical zoom and the SLR like capabilities. Was happy to get a prosumer like this, albeit not having much idea of exposure and other settings which i took some time to learn.
This camera is a really good one for a serious amateur and a real good value for money from the Canon stable. It has got the wide-angle and telephoto lens integrated into one single fixed one. But, later you discover that the unchangeable lens and the sensor are the only constraints when you move up the ladder of your hobby; but that's after you get a stronghold on photography which sure takes time.
After getting started I was mostly on auto-mode and the scn, portrait, landscape etc...which are preset by default. This is purely to learn the art of composition and also because the technicalities of the camera are little confusing initially. Once after getting some idea and hands-on composition, then is the time to play with the ISO, WB etc..to put in simple words the basic adjustments you could make in the camera settings.
Now, my camera's optical zoom of 20x gave me good chance to try out capturing distant things as birds, which gave a great boost to the motivation levels as I could capture some unique and lovely birds which I/We hardly notice in daily life.
This eventually brings you to a stage wherein the admiration and respect towards nature increases manifold, as the variety and versatility is like an ocean waiting to be discovered and sailed by each sailor (in the context, the photographer). And it really proves an ideal vent out for all the stresses associated with living in a city if you're looking for stress-bursting.
Now, I'm a person who goes for a lot of trips - being a travel and adventure buff (whenever my wallet supports), so places and opportunities for clicking were aplenty. I started experimenting with the macro, super macro, exposure levels, WB to give my pics a variety and tweak in comparison to my previous pics. As monotony is just bad for the photographic spirit as it turns out in any other field; and you got to scratch your creativity quotient to beat the mediocrity every now and then. But, the real eye-opener and learning rather i'd say understanding of the basics of photography which might be a,b,c,d...for a professional, came through a workshop i attended of acclaimed Photographer - Kalyan Varma (BBC and NGC Photographer). Actually he charges 3k for a day's course, but i was real lucky as the employee welfare group in my office called Syntillations along with the photography club called Photologic sponsored this absolutely free for the enthusiasts. I came to meet fellow photographers in the office as well and got many doubts n queries sorted from Kalyan. Most importantly i came to know of the importance of the aperture mode through this workshop along with few photo shop fundas.
Kalyan had told that, it is always a good idea to do a coffee-table book of your snaps; and I've been pondering over this. This gives you a physical copy of your snaps put into a professional record format as well as gives a good perspective of where you stand as a photographer (provided you've some good ones, as you're shelling something for it!). And anything which can tell a story through the medium of a book, gives such a good feeling and satisfaction.
Ok, now for the further plans on the photography front - apart from the coffee book, have an SLR next on my list.
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