Black & White with a point and shoot camera

Photography is more about the person behind the camera than the camera itself. With the right techniques anyone can excel in photography even without high end DSLR cameras available today. Imagination is the only key to success. However a high-end camera can make the difference from a professional point of view. But the ground rules remain the same for photography at all levels. 

1. Shoot in RAW- Shooting in RAW format allows post production work to be easy and stores a various combinations from which the image can be processed. This will allow a multiplicity of options for the image. However most point and shoot cameras do not have the option to take the image in RAW format. 
2. Shoot in Colour- Shoot in color and do your conversion to black and white later on your computer. While most digital cameras offer you the option to shoot in Black and White, shooting the image in colour will offer you more control over the end results if you have the color data to work with in your conversion. on your computer.
3. Low ISO- Shoot with the lowest possible ISO possible. It is important in black and white where detail is of high prominence because Black and white photographs pay attention to details and it is reduce the noise by lowering the ISO. 
4. Contrast- Shooting for Black and White in low contrast situations has its advantage. So an dark or overcast day can be a great time to shoot out door shots. Ironically this is a ‘poor light’ situation for colour photographers, but it can work miracles for Black & White photograhy. 
5. Composition- Framing is penultimate for black and white photography. Framing and attention to detail differentiates a good photograph from a great photograph. Most of the general tips on how to compose or frame a good shot apply just as well to black and white photography as they do when shooting in color. Training yourself to look at shapes, tones and textures in your frame as points of interest in Black & white will be a great advantage.

Black & White Photography

Monochrome, or black-and-white photography dominated for decades, due to its lower cost and its "classic" photographic look. Black and white photography is a branch which can be traced back to the very origins of photography.  It is important to note that some monochromatic pictures are not always pure blacks and whites, but also contain other hues depending on the process. The cyanotype process produces an image of blue and white for example. 

The albumen process, first used more than 150 years ago, produces brown tones. Certain labs process true black and white film and use actual black and white process paper. Black and white photography focuses more on light intensity and contrast than color photography. When color is stripped away details of objects become more prominent to the eye and different parts of a scene can become more important than in a color image. Although colour photography and digital photography pushed black and white photography to the background, it still have its own patron audience and enthusiasts.  However, there are a few items that can really help the impact of a black and white photograph.

• Wide Range of Tones- Having a wide range of shades of black/grey and white can help add a strong sense of depth to your black and white images. Images that are literally only black and white (or close to it) create an almost illustration effect, like an ink pen drawing without shading.
• Contrast- Because black and white depends on shading to help show boundaries between items, good contrast between objects (via color or lighting) is a great help in creating a strong black and white image. While we usually try to find colors that do not clash with one another in color photography, clashing colors can help create contrast when captured as black and white.
• Good Lighting- Good lighting is an almost universal need in photography. With black and white photography it can be even more important as a slight shadow becomes a charcoal grey over whatever is in it. With black and white photography it can be much more difficult to recover details in shadow after capture than with color film.

(Compiled from the web)

Basics of Photojournalism

Photojournalism is a branch of photography however it differs from regular photography on a number of levels. Photojournalism is story/event centric while photography is image centric. Photojournalism always intent to tell a story or convey a concept may it be a sports event, a fire or an award ceremony. The most important element of photojournalism could be condensed into one word, “faces.” Photo editors love to see people’s faces for the news. Facial expressions help to tell a photo’s story and convey emotion. Photojournalism is a merger of photography and written language into a coherent communication medium.

Ethics

Ethics is the most important element that separates photojournalists with photographers, while photographers can manipulate the event or image, a photojournalist is supposed to stick by the rules and give a representation of what he see with his eyes. The audience must be able to trust that the image they see is a true representation of reality. A photojournalist must never interfere with a situation. He/She can never direct or pose their subjects, unless the situation calls for a portrait.

Post-Production Ethics

During post production manipulation of photos is forbidden. Post-production work should focus on correcting color problems, exposure and latitude problems, and slight sharpness problems. Though cropping is allowed any other form of manipulation is indeed forbidden.

Communication skills

Without compassion and trust, one cannot relate to their subjects. To excel as a photojournalist one must convince people to allow you to document their lives, to give you access to their story. Stories are never born in editing rooms or press conferences, they come from people. To be  with them a photojournalist must convince them and be one among them.

Elements/Layers

Every image has many layers to it a politician addressing the crowd shows the politician, however the layers are the crowd, security guards and visual elements in the image. The elements don’t necessarily have to be on a large scale even elements and details that are minimal can influence the content and the theme of the photograph.

Emotion

The most important element of telling stories is emotion. The photojournalist has to be an expert at reading and more importantly anticipating facial expressions. Emotions are the driving factor that induces narrativity in photojournalism. The right emotion in the photograph can drive the story successfully. A deep understanding of semiotics can be of great help for photojournalists. 

Essential tips for Amateur Photographers

Photography is not just an art or science, beyond certain guidelines it is the way how one perceives the world around. So I believe, some tips which I can provide will be of help to photography enthusiasts. Beyond the basic science and epistemology, photography is an art of perception. So as any arts it is a personalized application of knowledge. Here are some basic tips that can ensure each click is not worthy to be deleted.

1. Use the camera to visualize- By the time you hold a camera, ensure that whatever you see to be clicked is seen through your view finder than the LCD monitor. You will find a great difference and improvement (unless under certain circumstances where focusing through view finder is difficult) when you try to use the viewfinder instead of the LCD
2. Be brave to explore- Photography is a choice to explore beyond the ways one is used to perceive reality. Always try to find a different angle and to explore all possibilites of understanding and recreating the subject. A low level or high level angle or something different from the way one is used to view the subject can make a lot of difference. After all it is all about a different perspective. Camera is not an instrument, it is just a device like spectacles.
3. Innovate and learn- Digital photography reduced cost of photography to a huge magnitude. One need not print each click that has been made. Now none has to limit the number of clicks to 12-36. This gives ample room for experimentation in digital photography. Try clicking from different angles and frames and experiment to understand. Evaluate each image and learn from the basics.
4. Visualize and imagine- Always visualize the final output and understand the subject to get into the subject. Pay attention to light, subject, movements, details and composition.
5. Its not about the subject- Always pay attention to the output photograph as a whole than just the subject. Look into the subject, composition, objects, background, 4 corners of the image and the story the image can convey before pressing the shutter release button. Paying attention before clicking is an integral aspect of photography.

Zoom effect in photographs

Zoom effect in photographs are one of the most fascinating and easiest effects to create. The advantage about this effect is that it can be created easily and faster than creating the same effect with a photo-editing software. The resultant photograph will have a distinct image that it make you feel the photograph comes to life when you keep looking at it rocking your head.

Zoom effects can also be used to super-highlight a subject as well as to separate an individual mood from the theme of a group.

To produce the zoom effect

• Keep the Camera steady- as you will be using a slow shutter speed any movement of the camera will significantly impact your shot. A tripod can be used to eliminate any shake to the camera thereby making the photograph more detailed. A still surface can also be used to stabilize the camera. 
• Use a longer shutter speed- A longer shutter speed allows time to create the zoom effect however problems with using longer shutter speeds is that more light is captured making the photograph over exposed. Using a larger aperture (the larger the number the smaller the hole that lets light in) in bright situations will make it possible to use long shutter speeds without over exposing your image. 
• Zoom out of the subject slowly without de-stabilizing the camera. Always work on smooth zooming to get smooth motion lines in your photograph.
• Pause mid-zoom - another technique to experiment is to pause your zooming either at the start, end or during the procedure (while the shutter is still open). This will mean that what your camera sees at the point when you pause your zoom will be stronger and hopefully clearer in your shot.
• Fire your Flash – This produces a strange effect where in the object is focused at one point, leaving motion lines throughout the image. You can do this with virtually any light. Fire it during your long exposure and you’ll freeze part of the image while still getting movement behind and around it.
• Reverse the Zoom – zooming in on a subject can give a different result than zooming out, especially if your subject is moving and depending upon whether you pause at the beginning and or end of the zoom. Experiment with both.
• Partial Zoom – for zoom lenses with very wide focal lengths zoom effect can be too devastating. So then it is advisable to zoom on smaller ranges. If you have a 18-200mm try zooming from 18-100mm or from 80-200mm or even smaller ranges.

Panning in Photography

Panning is the horizontal movement of a camera as it scans a moving subject. Panning creates the feeling of motion and speed without blurring the main subject while rest of the background will be blurred. Panning requires a steady hand and a relatively slow shutter speed. The shutter speed depends also on the speed of the subject. For instance a race car or a jet requires slower shutter speed to capture them sharp and crisp say 1/40 - 1/60 of a second. Keep in mind that the faster your shutter speed is the easier it will be to keep your subject crisp. 

• Make sure your subject remains in the same portion of the frame during the entire exposure. Position yourself in a place where your view of the subject will not be obstructed by anyone or anything else. Also consider the background of your shot. While it will be blurred if there are distracting shapes or colors it could prove to be distracting.
• Track the subject smoothly with your camera. For extra support of your camera if you’re using a longer lens or are feeling a little jittery you might like to use a monopod or tripod with a swivelling head. Positioning parallel with the subject produces best effects.
• Use Auto focus function if the object can be focused or set your camera on pre-focus, anticipating the distance from the subject.
• Continue to pan with the subject, even after you’ve heard the shot is complete. This smooth follow through will ensure the motion blur is smooth from start to finish in your shot. Do not tap the shutter release, release as gently as possible to reduce camera shake. 
• Use a tripod to get better and sharper photographs, they not only provide a stable platform but makes tracking the subject smoother as well. Tripods can be of extreme use especially during clicking moving subjects at low light situations and night. It helps to gain a crispier image and to expose under longer shutter speeds above 1 second.

~Hari Bhagirath Photography 

Vertical framing & Horizontal framing

Photographs can be taken either vertically or horizontally, (tilted shots will be discussed later) Horizontal photographs are wider than they are tall. Vertical photographs are photographs that are taller than they are wide. In photojournalism it is almost mandatory that photographs must be vertical or horizontal given a few exceptions. 

HORIZONTAL FRAMES

Horizontal photographs is the most common photographic orientation. Horizontal images are roughly the same format as how we see the world and have some distinct properties. Horizontal frames can depict a wider perspective. Horizontal images are best used

• When the subject is horizontal
• When your subject is wider than it is tall
• When the subject moves horizontally
• When subject crosses from one side-side of the frame

A horizontal format in conjunction with the rule of thirds visually allows the subject room to continue moving. This will amplify the sense of motion in the image. This also helps to superimpose on the gaze of the subject, giving completeness to the image. Horizontal frames are also used to photograph landscapes giving them depth and detail.

VERTICAL FRAMES

Vertical photographs are taken by tilting the camera sideways. Vertical framing reduces the room and gives intense focus on the subject. Vertical images attempt to imitate the brain's natural selective focus ability. Vertical images are best used

• When the subject is vertical
• When height need to be depicted
• When depicting vertical motion of the subject
• While depicting the gaze (look) of the object either up or down
• Vertical images can be used to focus a viewer's attention

Portraits and single objects are usually taken in vertical frames as they be combined with either the rule of thirds or centering to intensify impact. This helps to focus the depth of the portrait and to superimpose the subject.