Camera Infia: June 2016

Home Archives for June 2016

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Photoshop CC Shortcut Cheat Sheet

So our friend at Make a Website Hub decided to gave us the ultimate cheat sheet for our beloved program Adobe Photoshop CC. I can assure any of you that after you master this cheat sheet, you can conquer anything in photoshop world.

I hope this cheat sheet will be helpful for you guys who are struggling with photoshop shortcut. I know there's like a bunch of words and keys combination but after you get all this, you'll be like Mozart playing piano, but instead of piano, you'll use computer keyboard instead.

About the Author:
Handoko Rama is a freelance photographer and cinematographer. Living in the island of paradise, Bali. Where everyday feels like holiday for him. Currently pursuing his dream job with Nat Geo and also reaching maximum level for his World of Warcraft Character.
portfolio: www.mibpictures.com

Stop! Full Frame Camera is Not Always The Right Choice!

Handoko Rama 7:14 AM

Stop! Don't spent your money just yet! I know how a full frame camera seems to be the ultimate camera, but I could assure you that Full Frame might not be the answer for your prayer.

Throughout my photography career, I have used a lot of cameras. Be that Canon to Nikon, Crop to Full Frame and other. I always thought about buying a Full Frame camera since I rent it a lot for my project, but here's why I've choose not to:

1. Do you accept credit card?
Expensive.. Full frame camera is hitting your wallet hard. Not just the camera body, but also the lens is way more expensive.

2. Animal Shooter
The crop factor in Crop Sensor camera help you in taking animal portrait. Animal photographer love their crop sensor camera. With crop sensor you can make a 200mm lens into a 300mm lens. More suitable to shoot birds or predator alike.

3. Do you even lift, bro?
Not only the gigantic size of a Full Frame camera, it's also heavier than Crop Sensor camera. If you are travelling to a far place and going to carry your camera for hours, get ready to get a neck or shoulder massage afterward.

4. Burst? What burst?
Larger sensor in Full Frame camera is not really suitable for a sport photography. The large sensor meant that more data need to be save into the memory card, resulting in a fewer burst shot than Crop Sensor camera.

Are you going to reconsider buying a full frame camera now? Because I recommend you to do that. Think about what kind of photography area are you getting into before choosing Full Frame. If you are more into animal and sport photography, I wouldn't recommend a full frame camera

*all images are copyright to their respective owner

Software Monday: 3 VS 3.. The Pros and Cons of Photoshop

Handoko Rama 6:46 AM

After you bought your camera, you realize that you also need to get a software to edit your photo. No, you can't use Paint. Silly you. Unlike in the old days of photography where camera use film, now with digital imaging we can easily edit our photo the way we want it and thus came the words "We fix it later in post." which mean you fix your crappy photo later with your favorite software.

Today on Software Monday, I will explain the pros and cons of using Photoshop. We all know what Photoshop is so let's get deeper inside the software who changes the Photography industry.

Photoshop, The Image Manipulator.

Remember that image of a man with a dog body? It's funny right? Well that's photoshop I tell you. I will briefly explain why the features in photoshop will help you out in the photography game. Remember that the more natural the photo looks the better.

Pros:

1. More tools, more power!
Tools play a huge part in photoshop. Every tools represent a crucial point it comes to photo editing. With the given tools in photoshop you can slightly change or even change the whole images in the process.

2. Let's get that pimple out of the way..
When you are faces with a model, remember that every model in magazine is not how they actually look. Some of them are actually fatter or have freckles or something else. With photoshop you can fix (or manipulate) your photos to make your model more slimmer, cleaning pimples, growing a tiny bit of hair lines and so on.

3. I want to see what I want to see.
Sometime when you are taking a picture of a scenery, you realize that there's no cloud or the composition is just not right. With photoshop you can change every photo or images like how you imagine it would be. Although, I wouldn't recommend a lot of retouching, that's mean you are fake bro.

Cons:

1. Uhh.. Can I get a discount?
It's freaking expensive.. Okay I might be overreacting but It's still not cheap. Now with Photoshop CC where you need to basically pay monthly fee for the software, it's getting way more expensive for a developing country.

2. I will add rainbow and unicorn and pegasus and..
Sometimes our creativity just burst out of nowhere and we start to destroy our photo. No, putting a dinosaur in your model photo is not a good idea. We need to remind our self not to retouch too much.

3. I fix it later with photoshop.
Photoshop might be good as an editing software, but sometime we have forgotten than we can't always rely to a software. Using software as the main key of photography is always wrong. Skill comes first and software is only for slight retouching.

Well now you know the pros and cons of having Photoshop in your photography game. You can purchase Adobe Photoshop CC in adobe website for 15 US$ monthly price. Thank you and happy shooting!

*all images are copyright to their respective owner.

Why My Camera is The Best Camera Ever.

rotp.friends 4:34 AM

Before you criticize my post by just reading the title, I want you to stay with me for a few moment of your lives and read this.

Back when I finished High school, I realize that my dream as a photographer won’t come true unless I do something about it. So I did. I was only 18th at that time, young and full of spirit to begin my own journey in the industry of photography.

As a normal teenager, I don’t have that much money to begin with. I can’t even afford a camera. Fortunately, my sister gave me her DSLR camera. It’s a Nikon D5000, manufacture back on 2009. For some people, D5000 is a crappy entry level camera. But not for me. For me D5000 is a brick of gold, a precious one.

With my sister DSLR camera around I get to see all the setting and control in the camera itself. It was difficult at first just by reading and touching without shooting any object. So I said in my mind “Fuck it! I just got and shoot than!”. So I pack my camera plus a Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens to my really normal camera bag and go around Bali and take a whole bunch of photos.

I have circle Kuta, Legian and Seminyak area. Hoping that everything I’ve learned is useful. After about 5 hours of normal journey, I went back home. Very eager to edit my first photo. I plug the SD card to my laptop and open the file. It was shit.. I shit you not, that’s what I said. My photos is horrible, very amateurish. I deleted everything.. Literally everything.

“Not good enough” I said in my mind. I am very desperate because of the photos I produced..

After a lot of research of why my photos is bad and learning about

exposure and a lot more things. I decided that now I am ready to shoot again. I get in contact with a model agency and agree to take free photos of their cat walk practice. I came and sat in the middle of their catwalk session. I take a bunch of photos and saw everything through the live preview and everything looks fine.. Until I went home..

Some of them are okay, but a lot looks horrible. I think and think and think and finally get a solution. Maybe is wasn’t me that bad, but the camera. So I asked my dad for a new camera which he didn’t want to buy one for me. So I am stuck with my crappy D5000.

But one day everything is change. My cousin who work for a magazine told me that the best camera in the world is the one that you can afford. That hit me hard. I look at my camera and promise to get better. So I did. I learned from my mistake and get better every time. Every photo shoot teach me to become much better than before.

Tindal Family Photo Shoot

Family Fun Time in Bedugul

Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo

My Parent amused by what I have achieved and grant me a new camera body. It’s a Nikon D7100. I still use my D5000 as a back up camera. I’ve never goes to a photo shoot without it.

I realize that every camera and lens will be the best one if we know how to use their full potential. I myself was astonished by what my camera can achieve.

Remember that every camera need a good photographer to release the shutter button.

About the Author:
Handoko Rama is a freelance photographer and cinematographer. Living his live in the island of Bali where everyday feels like holiday for him. Currently pursuing his dream job with Nat Geo and also reaching maximum level for his World of Warcraft Character.
portfolio: www.mibpictures.com

How to Choose The Right Camera For You?

rotp.friends 11:06 PM

Have you ever goes to a local camera shop and look at all of their collection of camera. You spent one maybe two hours deciding which camera to buy, which lenses and blah blah blah. After all that long search you finally go home with empty hand because you are not sure yet.

Well I am here to help you find the right camera for your career or hobby. So stay with me for a few minutes and I can guarantee you, after all you read all this, you will know exactly what you want!

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) Camera or The King of The Jungle

The camera that suits every need.. DSLR Camera is the camera that are being used by professional photographer or photojournalist. DSLR gone way back with all new improvement from film to digital.

Why DSLR? If you want to start a career in photography, I recommend you to go all the way to DSLR. The perk of using a DSLR Camera is the power to change lens. Example, today you need to shoot a model portrait. So you will use your 50mm lens and the next day you need to shoot from far distance for a wildlife photo shoot, you change your lens to a telephoto lens (200mm and up).
Durability also play a huge part in DSLR camera. New DSLR Camera tend to have what they call ‘Weather Proof’. Weather Proof protect your camera from all kind of situation in the field like rain, wind and so on.

Film making? No problem! DSLR camera got you cover! Most new DSLR camera now have video recording, not to mention that a lot of movie director and also Youtuber use DSLR camera as their main weapon.

For me personally I love DSLR camera. I’ve been on a lot of photo shoot and short film shooting and I always use DSLR. What they lack is their huge size and sometime heavy.
My DSLR Recommendation: Nikon D3300 or Canon EOS Rebel T5i is for a beginner who want to get into DSLR. Both are pretty affordable and not as expensive as the other.
Is DSLR camera too heavy for you? Well let’s go to the next shall we?

Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras or The Rising Star

The rising star.. Mirrorless camera hit the camera market hard and everyone starting to buy one, even professional photographer. As they have the power of DSLR camera and compact size. Mirrorless camera let the user to use Auto, semi Automatic, Manual and Program mode just like DSLR Camera.

A lot of blog writer use this camera as they normal in size and easy to bring anywhere. Food blogger love Mirrorless camera. Mirrorless camera also have a very unique design that really catch our eyes.
Mirrorless Camera can also change lens but with normaler sensor size thus differentiate their lens and DSLR lens. Now days we can use DSLR lens on Mirrorless camera with a specific adaptor for each model.

The normal size of this type of camera is because they don’t have optical viewfinder like DSLR have, thus making their size much more like a compact camera.

Optical viewfinders found in DSLR cameras use a system of mirrors and pentaprism to allow you to view the scene that will be photographed. Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras do not have a mirror system. They have a electronic viewfinder instead.

Mirrorless also have a larger viewfinder than a compact cameras but normaler than DSLR Cameras.
However, the new Sony A7 have caught my eyes with their low noise in high iso setting. Sony currently hold the Mirrorless market with their superb camera power.

My recommendation: Olympus E-PL 5 or Nikon 1 J4 for your mirrorless starter. But if you feel confident, you can also choose Sony A7 my personal favorite.

Trying to find something more compact? Well let’s move to the next one.

Compact Digital Camera or Point and Shoot Camera

Look at your subject and press the shutter. Compact Camera is a normal digital camera that your family probably already own but forget where they put it.

Compact Camera is very reliable in a lot of family situation. My dad love Compact Camera because of their normal size and easy to use. While most compact camera doesn’t have any manual setting, some have that features now like the Panasonic ZS100 which have a long zoom and manual control.
Some professional photographer also carry a compact camera for back up so they won’t miss the golden moment when they shoot
.
Compact Camera are design for those who want to shoot casually for family trip, gathering and family photo. Personally, I use compact camera as a back up and it comes in a when there’s something wrong with my camera so I rarely use my compact camera
.
My recommendation: Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 for casual use or Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 for more control.
Too compact for you? Don’t worry! I’ve got your back.

Bridge Compact Digital Cameras or The Fusion of DSLR and Compact

Fusion Ha! Bridge Digital Camera is what happen when a DSLR make love to a Compact Camera. It have the sleek design of DSLR and control while the compact of a Compact Camera.

Bridge Digital Camera is one step on top than a Compact Camera. More control on camera exposure and you can also go fully manual on this camera.

Also equipped with larger and longer zoom, the Bridge Camera can toppled the compact camera easily. Like the compact camera, the lens on Bridge camera cannot be change. Sux isn’t it? But all of that are paid by their long 40x zoom.

Bridge camera is good for photographer who want’s more control for their camera that they don’t get from compact camera but normaler than DSLR Camera.

Also, Bridge Camera will have normaler sensor and normaler lens compare to DSLR camera. Some have the body of a normaler DSLR camera and some have the body of a bigger compact camera.
My recommendation: Nikon COOLPIX P340 or the Panasonic FZ200

Well that’s all the type of Camera we have right now in the modern days! I hope that after reading this you’ll know which camera suit you the best. Thank you for reading and keep hunting (with you camera of course).