Oil and water

Oil and water

Setup for Oil and water:

Setting up to capture oil emulsified in the water certainly is fun and creative. With a simple setup explained below gives the opportunity for capturing infinite combinations of colors and patters at home. The philosophy of shoot is similar shooting smoke from scent-stick.

• In a glass bowl/dish, mix equal amount of water and oil
• Keep the bowl/dish at some height. 
• Keep a colorful paper/design with bright colors in the space between the bowl and table
• Use flash to light the background i.e.the colorful paper
• Shoot from top, perpendicular to the plane of the liquid to use least depth of field and maximum shutter speed. Higher depth of field may be avoided.

Tips for better results:

• Use a dedicated macro lens and accessories
• Clean the glassware before use
• Use bright multi-colored paper / design for background. I used magenta bottle for some photos.
• Try different backgrounds
• Keep the water/oil mixture stirring periodically
• Use a strong daylight - setup should be near a window
• Shoot handheld, tripod might be irritating to handle since need to change the composition and place of interest frequently
• However, take advantage of both.
• Try using design on the glassware as well instead of simple plan glass
• As always shoot RAW and edit them

Try to shoot from angles

"Oil in water" is different than "bubble of oils in water"

Try glassware with designs

Saturday Photohunt : Rocks

Saturday Photohunt : Rocks

Collection of textures found on rocks:

Visiting a beach for sand patterns

Visiting Bhatye beach for sand patterns

In my earlier post, I posted some snaps of textures I observed at Bhatye beach near Ratnagiri. In this post, I am presenting elusive sand patterns seen at the same place.

Camera: Nikon D7000

Lens: Nikkor 105 Micro f2.8, VR IF-ED

Flash: SB-900

Location: Bhatye beach, Ratnagiri (MH)

Visiting a beach for new textures and patterns

Visiting a beach for new textures and patterns

One evening I planned to visit the calm, clean, and famous beach in Ratnagiri - Bhatye beach. I thought to have some photos for a blog-post on places-to-visit-near Ratnagiri. During the photography session at Bhatye beach, I realized the opportunity to photograph some new textures and patterns, which could be found exclusively at a typical clean beach. Here are some selective photos:

NOTE:   Double click to see sharper image.
Due to some reason, images are seen blurry.

Construction stone

Some interesting structure created by some marine insect

Another view

Removal is good !

Typical red-stone from Konkan area. Take 100 pictures, there will be hundred different patterns

Sea water, wind and the light creates the magic by adding tints to the original red color

Bottle green color due to algae, could be a good texture for cotton Sari

My favorite - a sea shell, again that cyan-green combination, lustrous texture, curvy lines add to the beauty

Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Nikkor 105 Micro f2.8, VR IF-ED
Flash: SB-900
Location: Bhatye beach, Ratnagiri (MH)

Butterflies spotted (October 2013)

Butterflies spotted (October 2013)

October month is nearly the end for the butterfly photography. After October, a few common butterflies are on the wing. Fortunately I was at my farm house near Ratnagiri (MH), a place surrounded by greenery, suitable for semi-wild life like butterflies, birds, many mammals and sometime a panther too. 

I had free time for a week or so. I took that opportunity to shoot some butterflies around the place I could find an early morning. Morning time from 8 AM till noon is good for butterfly watch. Morning of a butterfly starts with energy gathering activities e.g basking, nectoring etc. Noon time activities are associated generally with mating eg. courtship, chasing, mud puddling etc. Although the count of butterflies was low, I was lucky to get some descent photos of some good specimens. Below are the photographs of the few, I missed some species like Plum Judy, Common wanderer, Common Hedge Blue.

Pea blue

Golden Angle, a skipper type butterfly. It is a fast flier, very active in the morning. Visits plenty of flowers back to back and takes rest in between for some time.

Scales of Golden Angle

Dark Grass Blue

Small Grass Yellow

Mating of Chestnut Bob

Water Snow Flat

Place: Punas, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Camera: Nikon D7000

Lens: Nikkor 105 mm macro, f2.8, VR, IF-ED

Flash: Nikon SB-900

Fern patterns

Fern patterns

Texture and patterns has topped the list of my photography subjects. And happened due to a single reason, end of season. Around Mumbai, for butterfly, flowers, and macro photography, season ends around December. After that, its like famine in the photo world for macro photographers. In Cotigao, I started capturing textures and then realized that pattern photography is twin of texture photography. Here is some of initial work about this form at Brick making site at Vangani, some new patterns discovered from older photo albums.

Here are two photographs of fern pattern I took in local nursery ( I don't know the species, sorry for that :-) ). First one is my favorite mainly because of the back-lit conditions. Here light reveals not only 3D embossed impression but also the texture of the fern leaves. Second one I took just after gardener watered the plants. Looking for more patterns this rainy season. Rain has already started around Mumbai, its time to go out !

Forms of photography

Forms of photography :

Photography is art, science, and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film, or electronically by means of an image sensor. - Wiki

For every click there must be a purpose and this purpose defines the forms of the photography. Even a casual photograph of particular moment has a purpose - to store the moment. Based on purpose, photography can take following basic forms:

Portrait / Model /glamour: 

A portrait is a close-up image of any living entity- may be human, mammal like tiger and even a bird close-up. When the use of portrait is to be made for commercial use, specially for portfolio for acting and modelling, its called as glamour photography. Extensive use of artificial light, appropriate make-up, selected costume and telephoto lens (100 mm - 300 mm focal length) are the features of accessories for a normal portrait shoot. Many new compositions, poses, digital effects are seen in portrait photography - result of the market demand. To make advertise impressive and unique innovative attempts are practiced. However  in my view, when a female model is involved many photographers do not innovate. A common practice is to make photo hot and spicy asking model to ware less clothes. Such images, frequently shot for making wallpapers, are even unfocused, and shot hurriedly. A beginner can shoot great portrait if simple tips like - golden rule (1/3rd rule), composition, breathing space , focus - are followed. 

Landscape / Nature:

 

To travel to scenic places and to shoot scenery are inseparable  One loves to capture giant nature canvas involving natural elements such as complex skies, deep woods, flowing water and what not ! A rookie and conventional way people take photograph of landscape having no perspective, often people sharing large space. Additionally  the low end cameras are not capable of capturing the dynamic range of the colors. It happens often at a place one love the surroundings and fails to get right result. There can be two reasons for such failure - technical and psychological. Although the scene is eye catching, camera fails to acquire what needs to be. One needs camera with low light performance (High ISO), high dynamic range acquisition (bracketing capability for HDR - click here for some sunning HDR images), sharp and wide angle lens, a good tripod. The best time to acquire good landscapes is dusk and dawn and can be extended for one or two hours in morning depending on season and geography. 

Macro:

A different world altogether - often unseen due to limitation of human vision. Special macro accessories (lens with 1:1 ratio, flash etc) reveal stunning images. Butterflies, Insects, flowers are common objects recorded. Colors and features of the object grabs the attention of onlooker. Play with depth of field using low f-number lenses creates stunning pictures. For research work and detailed study microscope attachments or 5:1 macro lenses are also used.

Action / sports:

Images of live event are considered under this genre  and involves shooting: Sports events, fashion shows, Dance performance etc. Fast focusing camera (Usually with large sensors professional camera with very good low light performance)  and fast telephoto lenses (low f-number usually f2.8 and vibration reduction / optical stabilization  are essential gears. Primary reasons being banned use of flash and requirement of high shutter speed to freeze action. Telephoto lens enables to take portrait images without disturbing the performer or audience. Key cameraman skills expected are mastery on camera operation, study of the object behavior, knowledge about the content, moral values. 

Documentary:

Event/news coverage, images for articles, documentation in the field for environmental study, awareness programs, legal requirements and many such purposes can be categorized as documentary photography. These images have power to create history through its content. Famous phrase - A picture says thousand words - perhaps written after looking at the impact created by pictures of war, famines, agitations etc.

Candid / Paparazzi / street:

Any photo without any preparation, adjustments, direction is called candid. Relates it-self largely with travel photography. Without letting know to the subject that its being photographed brings out natural expressions and actions which creates impact. It showcases the environment  situation of markets, villages, people at common places. For shooting portraits telephoto lens is used and wide angle lens otherwise. 

Product / Table top – food, still life: 

Purpose is often to advertise the product or sometimes macro photography. Artificial lighting showcases talent and inventiveness of the photographer.


These forms can be achieved in numerous manners, which largely depends on the way technology or light is used creatively to capture the image. Read here about some remarkable photo-techniques.

Macro photography (Texture and pattern) at a brick making site

Macro photography (Texture and pattern) at a brick making site

These are some of the images of textures and patterns I have taken on a brick making site, near Vangani village.Captions are enough to explain the images. If required please post your questions in comment, I will happy to reply!

Note: Single click to view in full screen mode.

Bricks ready to go to market. Heat treatment cures and harden the bricks.

Pattern emerging from bricks kept for sun-drying.