Pics Can Talk

Hi I'm in Singapore at the moment. 

This afternoon I was sitting in my hotel room when I looked out the window and saw a beautiful sight, Singapore at Dusk.

So, I took out my little Panasonic Lumix FX7 and took 3 bracketed shots = +1 & 0 & -1 (yes, it's a feature built-into even basic digital cameras).

This was the result after I combined the 3 shots into an HDR image...

What do you think?

Okay, this technique may sometimes look similar to the dodge and burn technique which I had been showing, but only because the dodge and burn techniques may be used to turn out pictures like these.  HDR when you use a software like Photomatix to create, becomes a more "automated" technique whereby your control over the photo, becomes a matter of sliding tabs and determining the extent of your HDR effect.

The examples which I have in this gallery combines the wonderful effect of HDR along with a bit of dodge and burn to perfect the final effects.  Afterall, even if you go through an automated car wash, you gotta get your hands dirty by wiping it down at the end...

Check it out here

I've just posted some new shots in the Dodge & Burn section of my photo gallery.  A couple more people shots.  If you want to see how I've used it to bring out certain shots, go there and have a look.  The theory may be quite straightforward but it takes a good eye to see what you need to be dodging and burning for, to get the best effect.

Flickr Galleries : Dodge & Burn

In the March issue of Click! Magazine, I will be highlighting about the use of dodge and burn for digital enhancements.  This will be an interesting article which highlights a very contemporary technique of dodging and burning to create a unique editing of different exposure levels.

In the tutorial, I have included a step-by-step technique of how to adjust your settings and useful tips to start you off. 

Do pick up your copy and enjoy reading and learning!

- Kenji

Hi Welcome to Pics Can Talk!

This is my new blog site which I have created to be dedicated to stuffs about photography, photo-editing, manipulating images and creative designs.

The contents on this blog has come and will be coming from several avenues, through my career as well as my hobbies and works which I had created just for fun.

I hope you learn something from here and have fun while you are at it. 

Enjoy! 

Digital noise or the grainy texture you sometimes get on your image has long been the woes of many budding photographers. It results in less than pleasing pictures of speckled images rather than the silky smooth ones that you would most of the time, like to see. Little do some photographers of the digital era know, that at once in analog photography, the equivalent phenomenon, called film grain had such a following that it warranted its own field of interpretation.

Here is a picture of an old man on the street. Not only does converting the picture to black and white gives a “raw” feel to the scene, the effects of film grain helps to emphasis the old man’s desolation.

WHAT IS FILM GRAIN?

In analog or film photography, film grain is a speckled texture you see on the surface of your picture. This is created by clumps of silver halide which are the light sensitive components on your film. Faster films, which are identified by their higher ISO range (ie ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600) are more sensitive to light and form larger silver clumps resulting in a grainier image.

WHAT IS DIGITAL NOISE?

In digital photography, Digital Noise is the digital equivalent to Film Grain but how they are created is different. The image sensor in a digital camera (CCD or CMOS) converts light into digital information which is stored in the camera’s memory card. Photoelectrons are produced when light hits each individual photosite or pixel on the image sensor. Free electrons are sometimes produced from the heat of the photosites and contaminate the neighboring sensor thus creating digital noise. In the situation of low-lighting, these photosites are affected by electrical signals during the long exposure timing.

Although the effect of digital noise from digital cameras is similar when viewed on a small print, photography purists never regard these two as the same. In fact, digital noise is shunned by many photographers who see this as a poor result of image processing by their digital camera.

Here are a set of pictures with high level of grain effects. The effect of grain adds to the mood to the pictures.

WHY DOES MY CONSUMER DIGITAL CAMERA SUFFER MORE FROM DIGITAL NOISE THAN A DIGITAL SLR CAMERA?

Consumer digital cameras have a smaller image sensor to convert light into digital information. This means that the photosites on the sensor are closer to each other increasing the occurrence of free electrons. A DSLR has a bigger image sensor with more space in between photosites. This lends to a cleaner and smoother looking image.

This is also another element to consider when you are looking at the latest 8MP digital camera that fits in your front pocket. It does not necessarily mean better quality images but perhaps just higher resolution ones. It may do just as well to get a high quality 3.2MP digital camera with a better output, if you are just going to end up mostly printing 4R prints and the occasional 8R. But, image sensors on digital cameras are improving greatly and I could be proven wrong with many of the new digicam in the market nowadays. Do consider all elements when getting your next digital camera.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF FILM GRAIN ON AN IMAGE?

Black and White films in analog photography are the fastest ranging up to ISO1600 and ISO3200. At this level, grain is extremely high. One of the effects it has on the picture is creating a picture that has a lot of mood and atmosphere. This sometimes helps to improve a scene that is otherwise lacking in interesting features.

Grain in a black and white picture also results in a punchier and sometimes a more dramatic picture as it as a shallower contrast range and outlines are more clearly defined. Bear in mind faster films are also less saturated and are not as sharp.

Faster films or ISO setting allows you to use a faster shutter speed setting in many situations where lighting is low and using your camera’s flash will kill the ambience of the scene.

It is still best to set your camera on the lowest ISO setting most of the time and then add the effect of grain into your picture as you see fit. At least this way, you can adjust any changes that have been applied to your image.

It’s near impossible to say you can go through images which you have just downloaded from your digital camera and every picture is good enough not to require the slightest adjustments. Professional photographers are notorious for taking large quantity of shots and then using just a few perfect ones and more often than never, ending with slight touches of adjustments here and there.

For this purpose, some basic photo adjusting skill and a good eye for a potentially good picture are required. As we have looked at correcting your images in terms of contrast, brightness and toning adjustments in previous issues, this month we will look at compositional adjustments.

CROPPING

Cropping is a method of adjustment which you could be using less as you gradually become better at composing your picture at the point of taking your photograph. This means you should gradually master the skill of knowing what should go in or out of your picture at the point of pressing the shutter button.

Cropping adjustments help to result in defining compositional rules, such as the Rules of Thirds. Another important use of cropping is really to reduce the amount of clutter or empty space in a picture to give it more “focus” in directing the viewer’s eyes towards the main focal point of your image.

BEFORE

Although the image above is perfectly fine as a snapshot of your subjects in their surrounding, it can be improved as a portrait by cropping out distracting elements surrounding the focal point of your image.

AFTER

By cropping out the distracting plants on the right side of the picture and the empty space on the left side of your subject, you have effectively brought the focus strongly on your subjects.

BEFORE

This image of our Prime Minister’s office was taken perfectly symmetrical but suffers from poor composition. The empty space at the bottom of the picture does not contribute in any way to the aesthetics of the picture.

AFTER

Cropping away the empty space greatly improves the composition of the image. Stronger emphasis is given to the centre of the building. Leaving behind a small part of the path helps to lead the eye of the viewer into the picture.

PERSPECTIVE CORRECTION

The problem of distorted perspective is most common in architectural photography. This happens when you are taking a picture of a building from a low angle. Exaggerated perspectives are sometimes done on purpose (this is done by using a wide angle lens and shooting from very near the structure).

The perspective of this building was purposely exaggerated to accentuate the grand façade of the building.

However, if the distortion is slight but clear enough to be noticeable, the building may seem to be leaning backwards. If the edges of the building are close to the edge of your image, the distortion would be emphasized more in relation.

Some digital cameras come with a built-in perspective correction feature. It is still better to correct perspectives on your computer which allows for a better control of the correction and final image quality.

BEFORE

The distorted perspective of this image shows this building, especially the clock tower on the right, leaning backwards.

AFTER

After perspective adjustment, the entire building should look perfectly upright. This creates a more pleasing final composition.

CORRECTING YOUR HORIZON

Holding your camera straight and perfectly horizontal is seldom an issue if you have both feet planted on a flat surface and two hands to correctly hold your camera. If the situation you are in is contrary to the above or if you are so intently focused on your subject that you fail to shoot a perfectly horizontal horizon; your picture may seem to slope to one side. Your viewer’s attention to detail may be quite acute to notice such imperfections.

BEFORE

In this picture, although the line of the horizon is not clearly seen, the sloped horizon is evident from looking at the slanted structures in the picture.

AFTER

Adjust the horizon level of your picture using the structures in your picture as a guide. In this example, the minaret of the mosque serves this purpose)

Note: It’s also quite acceptable at times to shoot with unique angles to give your picture a sense of motion and dynamism. No harm in being creative and trying this out.

Interesting Fact

Lines in an image sometimes create interesting optical illusions. At times, you may not even realize the first time you look at an image. Take note of this the next time you come across similar images.

Take some time to look through your images and see how each of these can be improved by making the above compositional adjustments. You would be surprised as some of these adjustments are minor but makes for a great improvement in the final outcome of your image.