Sumit Kumar Bhalotia Protrait Photography

1. Photography is hard but just because you’re not getting up at 4am to go shoot the sunrise doesn’t mean you’re a bad photographer… or person
Some people enjoy getting up at 4am, I don’t. That’s not my thing. I don’t like getting up early but that doesn’t mean that I am not working hard to create good pictures. I just don’t do it at 4am. Be realistic about how much time and effort you invest into your photography. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. No one became an expert over night. If you are forcing yourself to do things you don’t want to do, chances are that you will quickly jump ship.
Be good to yourself, be good to your camera.

2. Not everyone likes what you do, that’s fine because you probably don’t like everything that everyone else does either
Everyone wants to please. But you can’t please everyone, and this is fine because you are going to see a lot of pictures that don’t please you either. Take criticism from those who know what they are talking about and ignore the others. The others are probably also those people taking some pictures you find horrendously ugly. But hey, everyone has their own style and this is why photography is an art and not a science.

3. No one will spend more time looking at your pictures than you, you’re the one who must like them
I used to take suggestions from people on how to frame or retouch a picture. How should I adjust this picture? What should I do different? I thought that being open to feedback was good but I quickly realized that I didn’t like the result. There’s nothing worse than being stuck with a photo that you don’t like just because you thought you should listen to someone else.

4. Your inspiration is your best friend. If you don’t have one, get one.
Listen to your inspiration, such as, what you enjoy photographing. Maybe it is the sunrise at 4am, maybe it’s bridges with graffiti, maybe it’s fruit stands in Asia, or naked models wearing nothing more than glasses. Listen to your inspiration and focus on them because that will take you further, a lot further than making yourself take pictures of things you don’t like or find ugly.

5. Answer the questions you’re asking yourself, not the ones people are asking you
When I first started my 365 photography project, I received a lot of questions about why I was doing the project, why always me, why not other people, why always levitating or dancing. I thought it was important to have answers to those questions and lost time and energy which I could have used to answer more important questions: How should I be framing? What is good composition? Where is a good location? How can I stop this back pain?
After about a year of doing my project I didn’t get any more questions about the ‘why’ of my project. I had just become good enough at my self-portraits so that people stopped second guessing what I’m doing and why. Which now leaves me with a lot more time for photography, and my back pain treatment.

6. Someone will tell you to stop photographing. Don’t listen.
Someone, somewhere along the way, will tell you to stop photographing. Maybe it’s your mother who thinks you’re wasting your time. Or some security guard who’s telling you that it’s forbidden to photograph here. Or a friend telling you that you should do landscape photography because that’s so pretty or wedding photography because that’s where you can really make money. Just don’t listen. Be adventurous and brave. Do your own thing and once again listen to what inspires you!

7. Stuck? Take a break.
Everyone has bad days including photographers. Inspiration gone? Stuck in a rut? Give yourself a break. Go for a run, eat something really fatty, and indulge yourself. Then maybe, just maybe, your creativity will indulge you back.

8. Get better photo composition through art history
Go to a museum, buy an art history book, find someone who is an art history fan and get private lessons. Classical paintings are the best way to learn about balance, lighting, settings, composition, etc.

9. Someone already did what you’re doing and they probably did it a lot better. But that doesn’t mean that one day you can’t do better than that
sad truth but it’s the truth. Someone already did what you’re doing and they probably did it for a lot longer than you. Which means they probably did it better. But just because what they did is better than what you’re doing now doesn’t mean that one day you can’t/won’t exceed what they did. Focus on your own progress not on the gap between you and others.

10. Don’t underestimate post-processing in today’s photography
I’m sorry but I have never heard of a camera that automatically boosts orange tones, and then blurs out everything except for the 4th quadrant. Today post-processing is a part of photography, a very important part. Most likely the photos that you enjoy looking at are heavily post-processed, so get on the train! One must be well acquainted with Photoshop in today’s world!

11. That idea you have is good but it might not be what you need just now
I had this idea for a dance pose that I carried around for year with me. I just hadn’t found the right time or the right location for a photo. And then one day, as I was annoyed that my photography wasn’t going well, I pulled this dance pose out of my memory and it turned out quite well. Give things time. Your idea might be great but it might not be quite ready to put it into action just yet.

Monochrome Photography by SUMIT KUMAR BHALOTIA

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To be a good photographer we need to learn new things. Thanks to digital technology, monochrome photography is easier than ever before. Check out these six black and white photography tips for getting great results.

1. Shoot raw and JPEG

The best monochrome conversions are made by editing raw files which have the full colour information, but if you shoot raw and JPEG files simultaneously and set the camera to its monochrome Picture Style/Picture Control/Film Simulation mode you get an indication of how the image will look in black and white.

As many photographers struggle to visualise a scene in black and white, these monochrome modes are an invaluable tool that will help with composition and scene assessment.

Many cameras are also capable of producing decent in-camera monochrome images these days and it’s worth experimenting with image parameters (usually contrast, sharpness, filter effects and toning) to find a look that you like.

Because compact system cameras and compact cameras show the scene seen by the sensor with camera settings applied, users of these cameras are able to preview the monochrome image in the electronic viewfinder or on rear screen before taking the shot.

DSLR users can also do this if they activate their camera’s live view system, but the usually slower responses mean that many will find it preferable or check the image on the screen post-capture.

2. Look for contrast, shape and texture

The complimentary and opposing colours that bring a colour image to life are all reduced to black and white or shades of grey in a monochrome image and you have to look for tonal contrast to make a shot stand out.

In colour photography, for example, your eye would immediately be drawn to a red object on a green background, but in monochrome photography these two areas are likely to have the same brightness, so the image looks flat and dull straight from the camera.

Fortunately, it’s possible to work adjust the brightness of these two colours separately to introduce some contrast (see Take control for more information). However, a good starting point is to look for scenes with tonal contrast.

There are always exceptions, but as a general rule look for scenes that contain some strong blacks and whites.

This can be achieved by the light or by the brightness (or tone) of the objects in the scene as well as the exposure settings that you use.

The brightness of the bark of a silver birch tree for example, could inject some contrast (and interest) in to a woodland scene.

Setting the exposure for these brighter areas also makes the shadows darker, so the highlights stand out even more.

Look for shapes, patterns and textures in a scene and move around to find the best composition.

3. Try long exposure

Long exposure shots can work really well in monochrome photography, especially where there’s moving water or clouds.

During the exposure the highlights of the water, for example, are recorded across a wider area than they would with a short exposure and this can help enhance tonal contrast.

The blurring of the movement also adds textural contrast with any solid objects in the frame.

If necessary, use a neutral density filter such as Lee Filters’ Big Stopper or Little Stopper to reduce exposure and extend shutter speed (by 10 and 4 stops respectively).

Naturally, when exposures extend beyond about 1/60 sec a tripod is required to keep the camera still and avoid blurring.

It’s also advisable to use a remote release and mirror lock-up to minimise vibration and produce super-sharp images.

4. Use filters

Graduated neutral density (AKA ND grad) and polarising filters are just as useful in monochrome photography as they are in colour.

In fact, because they manipulate image contrast they are arguably more useful.

An ND grad is helpful when you want to retain detail in a bright sky while a polarising filter can be used to reduce reflections and boost contrast.

Alternatively, consider taking two or more shots with different exposures to create a high dynamic range (HDR) composite.

Don’t be afraid to use a ND grad with a standard neural density filter if the sky is brighter than the foreground in a long exposure shot.

Coloured filters, which are an essential tool for monochrome film photographers, can also be useful for manipulating contrast in digital images.

They work by darkening objects of their opposite colour while lightening objects of their own.

An orange filter, for example, will darken the blue of the sky while a green one will lighten foliage.

5. Take control

Although coloured filters can still be used to manipulate contrast when shooting digital black and white images, it’s more common to save this work until the processing stage.

Until a few years ago Photoshop’s Channel Mixer was the preferred means of turning colour images monochrome, but now Adobe Camera Raw has more powerful tools (in the HSL/Grayscale tab) that allow you to adjust the brightness of eight individual colours that make up the image.

It’s possible to adjust one of these colours to make it anything from white to black with the sliding control.

However, it’s important to keep an eye on the whole image when adjusting a particular colour as subtle gradations can become unnatural looking.

And adjusting the brightness of a red or pink shirt with the red sliding control, for instance, will have an impact on the model’s skin, especially the lips.

The Levels and Curves controls can also be used to manipulate tonal range and contrast, but the HSL/Grayscale controls allow you to create separation between objects of the same brightness but with different colours.

6. Dodge and burn

Dodging and burning is a technique that comes from the traditional darkroom and is usually used to burn in or darken highlights and hold back (brighten) shadows.

Photoshop’s Dodge and Burn tools allow a level of control that film photographers could only dream of because you can target the highlights, shadows or mid-tones with both.

This means that you can use the Burn tool to darken highlights when they are too bright, or the Dodge tool to brighten them to increase local contrast.

It’s a great way of giving a sense of greater sharpness and enhancing texture.

Plus, because you can set the opacity of the tools, you can build up their effect gradually so the impact is subtle and there are no hard edges.

Abstract photography Tips and tricks by Sumit Kumar Bhalotia

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Abstract photography is one of the most popular types of photography there is -quite possibly the most popular. After all, who doesn’t like photos of pretty wildflowers, rushing streams and mountainsides awash are the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn?

However, no matter how much you love a certain subject or scene, after a while you start to run out of ideas on how to photograph it in ways that don’t look just like every other photo you’ve made of that subject. Creating abstract nature photographs of these same old places and things is a great way to revitalize and add interest to your nature photography.

If you’re looking for photography techniques that will breathe new life into your images, look no further than your own backyard. Today, I’m going to share some of my tips and techniques how to create abstract photography to capture the beauty of nature in a way that will have audiences saying, “I love it!”

More often than not, that statement is followed shortly by, “But what is it?” Aside from the intrigue and mystery of the images themselves, the other great things about capturing abstract nature photographs are that it’s fun, rewarding, and perhaps best of all, doesn’t require any specialized gear.

1. Hunt for shapes, patterns and textures.

Nature is full of interesting shapes, patterns and textures that can be used to make abstract photos. Plants make outstanding subjects for abstract photographs because they often have all three.

I look forward to the early spring arrival of the false hellebore, shown in the image above, more than even my favourite wildflowers due to the vibrant green and wonderful patterns of the leaves. Like fingerprints, no two plants are alike, and I never get bored of photographing them.

During winter (possibly being my favourite time of year to photograph), I’m always on the lookout for ice. The ice forming along the banks of a swiftly flowing stream is a treasure trove of great patterns and texture.

2. Get in close.

As simple as it sounds, close-ups of some of your favourite flowers and plants can give you great results if abstract style nature photos are what you’re after.

An extreme close-up of a red rose turns an everyday flower photograph into an abstract image, rich in light and shadow.

3. Look for water, reflections and flow.

Reflections on water are an excellent source for abstract images. The reflection of brilliant white birch trees and golden fall foliage, interspersed with evergreen, on the surface of a small New Hampshire lake resulted in a photo with a great abstract, impressionist quality.

“Fallen leaves floating on the surface of a stream or bubbles circling in the currents captured with a long exposure are another great way to use water along with motion to give a decidedly abstract quality to the final photograph.”

Use camera movement and manipulation: 3 different techniques

Now we’re going to get really creative and adventurous with our camera and lenses.

In normal nature photography having your camera securely mounted on a tripod in order to get the sharpest possible photos is the norm. What I’m about to share is going to throw that right out the window.

One of the most creative ways to take abstract photos in nature is with camera manipulation or movement during exposure. Swinging, panning, tilting and zooming as you press the shutter are all tricks I use regularly when I’m in an abstract state of mind.

A few words of caution before we begin: Some of the techniques I’m about to share is not for the faint of heart. If you’re not careful you may very well end up watching your camera sail off into the woods or over the bank into a river. So be very careful.

1. Zoom it:

Compose your photo as you normally would, and then just zoom the lens as you press the shutter. Depending on the lighting conditions you may need to stop the lens down to a smaller aperture to allow for a longer shutter speed for the zoom effect you want. Also, experiment with zooming speed and direction.

2. Swing it:

In this next photo, I made sure my camera was SECURELY mounted on my tripod, which I then double and triple checked. Then, I picked the tripod up by the end of the legs and proceeded to swing my camera out over a fast running stream. Holding the ends of the tripod legs in one hand and a remote shutter release in the other I was able to press the shutter button on the remote just as the camera was swinging out over the water. I had to do this several times; adjusting camera settings as well as my swinging speed before I got a photo I was happy with.

3. Pan side-to-side and up and down.

Panning is moving the camera side to side, and tilting is moving the camera up and down.

 As with the other camera movement techniques, you’ll need to experiment with camera settings and the speed with which you pan or tilt the camera. Also, unlike swinging your camera by the tripod, with panning and tilting you can have the camera securely on a tripod, on nice firm ground. Or, you can hold it in both hands as you move the camera.

Best tips for wedding photography by sumit kumar bhalotia

Wedding tips by Sumit Kumar Bhalotia

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It’s a question that’s been asked a few times in our forums over the last few months so while I’m not a Pro Wedding Photographer I thought it was time to share a few tips on the topic of Wedding Photography.

I’ll leave the technical tips of photographing a wedding to the pros – but as someone who has been asked to photograph numerous friends and family weddings – here are a few suggestions.

Wedding Photography Tips

1. Create a ‘Shot List’

One of the most helpful tips I’ve been given about Wedding Photography is to get the couple to think ahead about the shots that they’d like you to capture on the day and compile a list so that you can check them off. This is particularly helpful in the family shots. There’s nothing worse than getting the photos back and realizing you didn’t photograph the happy couple with grandma!

2. Wedding Photography Family Photo Coordinator

I find the family photo part of the day can be quite stressful. People are going everywhere, you’re unaware of the different family dynamics at play and people are in a ‘festive spirit’ (and have often been drinking a few spirits) to the point where it can be quite chaotic. Get the couple to nominate a family member (or one for each side of the family) who can be the ‘director’ of the shoot. They can round everyone up, help get them in the shot and keep things moving so that the couple can get back to the party.

3. Scout the Location

Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day. While I’m sure most Pros don’t do this – I find it really helpful to know where we’re going, have an idea of a few positions for shots and to know how the light might come into play. On one or two weddings I even visited locations with the couples and took a few test shots (these made nice ‘engagement photos’).

4. In Wedding Photography Preparation is Key

So much can go wrong on the day – so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what’s happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony where you’ll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony etc

5. Set expectations with the Couple

Show them your work/style. Find out what they are wanting to achieve, how many shots they want, what key things they want to be recorded, how the shots will be used (print etc). If you’re charging them for the event, make sure you have the agreement of price in place up front.

6. Turn off the sound on your Camera

Beeps during speeches, the kiss and vows don’t add to the event. Switch off sound before hand and keep it off.

7. Shoot the small details

Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings, menus etc – these help give the end album an extra dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine in a news stand for a little inspiration.

8. Use Two Cameras

Beg, borrow, hire or steal an extra camera for the day – set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide angle lens (great for candid shots and in tight spaces (particularly before the ceremony in the preparation stage of the day) and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200 mm if you can get your hands on one – I use a 70-200mm).

9. Consider a Second Wedding Photographer

Having a second backup photographer can be a great strategy. It means less moving around during ceremony and speeches, allows for one to capture the formal shots and the other to get candid shots. It also takes a little pressure off you being ‘the one’ to have to get every shot!

10. Be Bold but Not Obtrusive

Timidity won’t get you ‘the shot’ – sometimes you need to be bold to capture a moment. However timing is everything and thinking ahead to get in the right position for key moments are important so as not to disrupt the event. In a ceremony I try to move around at least 4-5 times but try to time this to coincide with songs, sermons or longer readings. During the formal shots be bold, know what you want and ask for it from the couple and their party. You’re driving the show at this point of the day and need to keep things moving.

11. Learn how to Use Diffused Light

The ability to bounce a flash or to diffuse it is key. You’ll find that in many churches that light is very low. If you’re allowed to use a flash (and some churches don’t allow it) think about whether bouncing the flash will work (remember if you bounce off a colored surface it will add a colored cast to the picture) or whether you might want to buy a flash diffuser to soften the light. If you can’t use a flash you’ll need to either use a fast lens at wide apertures and/or bump up the ISO. A lens with image stabilization might also help. Learn more about Using Flash Diffusers and Reflectors.

12. Shoot in RAW

I know that many readers feel that they don’t have the time for shooting in RAW (due to extra processing) but a wedding is one time that it can be particularly useful as it gives so much more flexibility to manipulate shots after taking them. Weddings can present photographers with tricky lighting which result in the need to manipulate exposure and white balance after the fact – RAW will help with this considerably.

13. Display Your Shots at the Reception

One of the great things about digital photography is the immediacy of it as a medium. One of the fun things I’ve seen more and more photographers doing recently is taking a computer to the reception, uploading shots taken earlier in the day and letting them rotate as a slideshow during the evening. This adds a fun element to the night.

14. Consider Your Backgrounds

One of the challenges of weddings is that there are often people going everywhere – including the backgrounds of your shots. Particularly with the formal shots scope out the area where they’ll be taken ahead of time looking for good backgrounds. Ideally you will be wanted uncluttered areas and shaded spots out of direct sunlight where there’s unlikely to be a wandering great aunt wander into the back of the shot. Read more on getting backgrounds right.

15. Don’t Discard Your ‘Mistakes’

The temptation with digital is to check images as you go and to delete those that don’t work immediately. The problem with this is that you might just be getting rid of some of the more interesting and use able images. Keep in mind that images can be cropped or manipulated later to give you some more arty/abstract looking shots that can add real interest to the end album.

16. Change Your Perspective

Get a little creative with your shots. While the majority of the images in the end album will probably be fairly ‘normal’ or formal poses – make sure you mix things up a little by taking shots from down low, up high, at wide angles etc.

17. Wedding Group Shots

One thing that I’ve done at every wedding that I’ve photographed is attempt to photograph everyone who is in attendance in the one shot. The way I’ve done this is to arrange for a place that I can get up high above everyone straight after the ceremony. This might mean getting tall ladder, using a balcony or even climbing on a roof. The beauty of getting up high is that you get everyone’s face in it and can fit a lot of people in the one shot. The key is to be able to get everyone to the place you want them to stand quickly and to be ready to get the shot without having everyone stand around for too long. I found the best way to get everyone to the spot is to get the bride and groom there and to have a couple of helpers to herd everyone in that direction. Read more on how to take Group Photos.

18. Fill Flash

When shooting outside after a ceremony or during the posed shots you’ll probably want to keep your flash attached to give a little fill in flash. I tend to dial it back a little (a stop or two) so that shots are not blown out – but particularly in backlit or midday shooting conditions where there can be a lot of shadow, fill in flash is a must. Read more about using Fill Flash.

19. Continuous Shooting Mode

Having the ability to shoot a lot of images fast is very handy on a wedding day so switch your camera to continuous shooting mode and use it. Sometimes it’s the shot you take a second after the formal or posed shot when everyone is relaxing that really captures the moment!

20. Expect the Unexpected

One more piece of advice that someone gave me on my own wedding day. ‘Things will Go Wrong – But They Can be the Best Parts of the Day’. In every wedding that I’ve participated in something tends to go wrong with the day. The best man can’t find the ring, the rain pours down just as the ceremony ends, the groom forgets to do up his fly, the flower girl decides to sit down in the middle of the aisle or the bride can’t remember her vows….

These moments can feel a little panicky at the time – but it’s these moments that can actually make a day and give the bride and groom memories. Attempt to capture them and you could end up with some fun images that sum up the day really well.

I still remember the first wedding I photographed where the bride and grooms car crashed into a Tram on the way to the park where we were going to take photos. The bride was in tears, the groom stressed out – but after we’d all calmed down people began to see some of the funny side of the moment and we even took a couple of shots before driving on to the park. They were among everyone’s favorites.

21. Have Fun

Weddings are about celebrating – they should be fun. The more fun you have as the photographer the more relaxed those you are photographing will be. Perhaps the best way to loosen people up is to smile as the photographer (warning: I always come home from photographing weddings with sore jaws and cheeks because of of my smiling strategy).