Another round of fake tilt-shifts

Tilt shift photography is usually done by using a special tilt lens that moves across two axis with respect to the image sensor. These lenses are very expensive and are used by professionals to capture accurate images of tall buildings coz they provide perspective control. Now people use the same principles to have a bit of fun and create images that look like pictures of scale models and dioramas.

In my case I’ve used Photoscape to create the effect but it can be done via Photoshop as well. Here’s a page with some of the most beautiful examples of tilt shift photography. I hope to keep doing it till I get some really decent shots.

Stop motion video with Nikon D60

Last weekend on the drive to Fahaheel for the Enthiran movie, I was in the backseat of my friend’s car trying to get some decent long exposure shots of traffic lights. Unfortunately due to a weak tripod/mounting area most of the frames were badly shaken up and unusable. I didn’t want all those shots to go to waste so I used the Stopmotion editor in my camera to make a short film.

If you’re not familiar with the process here’s a summary on what to do;

In ‘Retouch Menu’ select ‘Stopmotion movie’. Select start frame and end frame and then save movie. The camera processes the frames and generates an AVI file as output. The stopmotion editor has a limit of 100 frames so I was only able to make a short video and I set the FPS to 6 so the clip has a duration under 17 seconds. In future I might combine two or three clips using Virtuaub or other video editors and see if I can make a short stopmotion movie.

A couple of the frames that were decent and without shakes.

Nikon ViewNX 2

I just downloaded Nikon’s latest version of its photo processing software. Its called the ViewNX 2 and from the first glance its noticeably different from the previous version. One of the new things I noticed was the Video Editor function, I think its becoming an unavoidable option since the new crop of DSLRs offer HD video recording.

Geo-tagging also makes an appearance in the new version. For cameras without the GPS module you can use this option to tag your photos with the geographical location of the photo. As for the other controls like WB, exposure setting and color curves, they seem to be almost the same as the previous version. I haven’t gone thru all the menus yet but other than the couple of things I’ve already mentioned there aren’t too many new features on this software.

Download ViewNX2 from here [link]

Stereoscopic cameras

I was doing some searching on what people were doing with their Nikon FM10s and I came across this site which modifies cameras to make them 3D or stereoscopic cameras! The picture above is that of a modified Nikon FM10, I have the standard ‘normal’ version and this looks crazy and cool!

3D concepts Film Cameras [link]

CowboyStudio NPT-04 Cactus V4 Flash Triggers – First Impression and Review

I got these babies on Thursday but since it was the start of the weekend I got caught up with other stuff and couldn’t take them out to try some Strobist shots. Basically the V4 is a wireless flash triger and receiver set. It allows you to use off-camera flash techniques and give your photos a new look. Theres a whole website dedicated to it, you can read about it here [link]

These sets are commonly called ‘E-bay’ triggers or Chinese Triggers coz they’re mostly made in China and cheaper than pro-grade brands. I bought mine from Amazon for 6.4 KD and the additional receiver cost another 4.5 KD. The total cost including shipping was 17 KD. This is much cheaper than a Pocket Wizard set which would have cost at least 65 KD. Now on to the review

Whats in the box:
Well this is probably the most basic camera accessory I’ve purchased, the packaging couldn’t get simpler than this and they didnt even include a booklet or usage instructions. The box contains 1 transmitter, 1 receiver and a PC sync cord. The white box you see is the additional receiver that I bought.

Setup:
You remove the hotshoe flash cover on your camera and slide in the transmitter and use the adjustment screw to secure the set to your camera. There are 2 DIP switches on the transmitter which operates in binar mode so you get 4 possible channels to choose from. Theres also a Test button which sends a test signal to the receivers on that channel  and the LEDs flash so you know if they’re getting a signal. Use the same combination channel on all your receivers and you’re all set. The recivers use 2 AAA batteries each while the transmitter comes with a built-in battery. On the receivers you’ll find the same 4 channel selecter and a power toggle switch. They can be mounted onto a tripod or a light pole and the other end has a hotshoe which can accomodate any flash module. I have a Nikon SB600 and a National PE 201M and they fit like a glove.

Range:
From online reviews I’ve seen people use them from as far as 10 meters but I didnt go that far. What I did find out that you dont have to be in ‘Line-of-sight’ for it it to work since the FM signals can travel easily in your room. I managed to trigger the flash while we were in two separate rooms.

Experiments:
I just shot two sets to see how well they light up different areas and they performed better than I expected.

What I like:
Amazing value for money
Easy to set up and use
Good range
4 channels (so you dont interfere with other photographers who may be using the same setup nearby)

What I don’t like:
Cheap quality, one of the battery doors sometimes feels a little shaky and you have to jiggle it

Cowboy Studio website [link]

Cowboy Studio NPT-04 on Amazon [link]

EYE FOR LIFE – Photography Courses, Kuwait

AYMSTRONG will host its second patch of photography courses with the professional Mark Gillett from the UK. The name of the course is EYE FOR LIFE MKII, due to its richness in life matters coaching and creativity enhancing practices.

Courses Available:

- Two weeks course  (Reg price: 245 KD / Students Price: 190 KD).

-Two days course “Landscapes and Portraits” (80 KD).

-One day course ” Landscapes Only” (45 KD).

One day course “Portraits Only” (45 KD).

Aymstrong.com [link]

LCDs as a backdrop for action figure photography

I was trying out using my LCD Tv as a backdrop for some shots and in my experience it was a hit and miss but there are some guys on Flickr who take some great shots using this setup. Like this guy, Bleau Aquino [Link]

And this is the setup

F/A 18 Complete!

This past weekend I finally completed my Hornet project. It was a fun learning experience from both a mechanical and artistic perspective. I’m glad its over now Hope you enjoy the pictures. You may also download and use the poster that I’ve made.

WIP posted on my thread at Fichtenfoo.com [link]

Click to download wallpaper

64 years of Freedom – aw what the fuck do you know?

You know something? I hate it when some people tell me “you probably don’t know about freedom or what it means to India since you were born and raised abroad”. And my reply? Screw you pal, I know a hell of a lot more about freedom than you coz I’ve spent more time outside my hometown than you and I know what its like to live as an outsider in a different community and not have the same freedoms that they enjoy.

When I go back home I’m not identified by my Civil ID number or by my ethnic group or nationality, heck I don’t even have to carry any ID cards just to walk around town. I’m called by my own name and not referred to as the foreigner or expat. I can do what ever I want (provided its legal and acceptable to decent society) and not be judged based on my nationality.

I respect and appreciate the fact that I can criticize and comment on the elected government, that I can say that a party or a politician has fucked up and don’t have to worry that the secret police will land at my house to haul my ass off to jail. I appreciate the freedom to enjoy the kind of music and movies that I like. I appreciate the freedom that I have to change jobs or stay jobless for as long as I want without being deported.   I appreciate the freedom to have a couple of drinks or drink myself silly coz its my money and my liver, why do you care? There’s a lot of stuff that I love about being in a free country and to appreciate that you have to experience the opposite.And one more thing, the person who asked me this question wasn’t even born before 1947 and he thinks he knows a hell of a lot about freedom.

Where boats go to die – Doha port

This weekend a friend of mine and I headed out to Doha peninsula to try our luck shooting some of the abandoned boats in that area. Once again we were foiled by less than perfect weather and to overcome this setback I ended up modifying whatever pictures looked acceptable. Its easy to blame the weather for bad photographs

If you’re interested in going there its best to check out the place at sunset, we went there at dawn and there wasn’t anything special. Here’s the GPS coordinates to the area.

N 29.387335
E 47.838421