Photography.com.my

These days, it is a common sight to have people with their DSLR cameras snapping away at shopping malls, events or just around restaurants and cafes. The affordability of such devices have allowed just about anyone to indulge in this age old hobby which in the past were restricted to expensive gadgets and pricing.

So what is photography really? To some it is a form of art while to others, it is merely a way of capturing moments which you want to remember for life. To a certain extent, it is considered to be a science as it can be very technical. On the other side of the spectrum, it could just be something you do out of a gut feeling and a lot of creativity so it is more an art form. Some people make a living being photographers while some use it for their own personal purposes.
Photography can be casual as well as very serious. Casual is where it can be carried out without much hassle. All you need is a camera (digital these days) and you can start snapping away. For the more serious photographers, there would be more involved that include getting the settings right, both on the camera and off, using the appropriate lighting and of course in post-production too.

Different types of photography
Depending on what your interests are, there are many types of photography. This will influence what type of photos you will produce a the end of the day.

For starters, the easiest form of photography would be in the travel area. Travel photographers are those who likes to travel and capturing the places of interests and attractions. It takes practice to master your shots as different places would require different techniques.

Photojournalism is the type where you make a career out of it. These are the people you see with their extra big and long lenses around sporting events, press conferences and such events. Usually you need a professional certificate to embark into this.

Studio Photography are basically a type of service where you engage a studio for your shots. Wedding and bridal houses are those who employ studio photographers. Other similar services include model shots, children photography, family shots and such all of which require respective sets of skills and techniques. Glamour photography are those that involve more sexy pictures that include pornography, which to the photographers are a form of art.

Macrophotography and microphotography are those that you take images which are done at close range. Both would need  very advanced equipments as they are very close to the image. Micro involves extremely small objects and are usually practiced in the more scientific industries.

The Digital SLR Cameras
Digital SLR cameras are pretty much the norm these days. This is due to the more affordable equipments due to the high demand and the need for more high-end photography not provided in the standard digital cameras. The Digital SLR camera is basically the digital version of the SLR or single-lens reflex cameras known in the past to be the tool of the trade of the professionals.

SLRs are cameras that use a rotating mirror which projects a reflection of the image onto the focusing screen. The image will then be captured after the shutter opens which is when you press the snapping button. In the past, what you get is what you snapped and with digital technology today, you can now check the quality and delete the image if  you do not like them. The first SLR was first produced in 1935 called the GOMZ Sport. Demand for good quality shots emerged and it became the de facto standard for photography throughout to today.

DSLRs have become pretty much the standard today among the professionals and the amateurs alike where they are given more manual control to photography although another criticism was that it takes away the ‘candidness’ of the image.

What makes a great photo?
It is extremely easy to take photos. Use a camera and snap, snap and snap. But what makes your photography a great one which will get people talking about. Here are some tips. First of all, composition is important. A great photo is one which is very well composed. If you are those who like to take a single object, like a bird on a tree or a person performing religious rites, then you must ensure that the accompanying objects support your object. Avoid them being distractions.
Exposure is something that you get only once, and they usually happens at the specific time of the picture taken. Ensure that you get the right exposure because post-editing will not revive that which was missed. If you fail to capture the appropriate exposure, the moment is loss.

Emotions and feelings are important. A great photo will invoke people to take note. This is the candidness that has been talked about all the time. If the sunset is so beautiful, think for a while before you snap, what would you feel when you see this picture? Just a plain sunset, or one of the best pictures ever? On top of that, always try to tell a story with your photo.

What do I do with old photos?
Our parents and their parents never had the luxury of digital cameras. Some were considered to be lucky if they actually could afford a family portrait. Hence photographs in the past were very precious items. Unlike today, where one can thousands of pictures in a small SD card. So what do we actually do with the photos which seemed to be fading as years go by. Why do we want to do that? Its because like it or not, photos will fade and water and other elements could deteriorate their conditions further.

First of all, we can restore them.  We are not referring to the scientific and chemical way of doing that. Restoring photos today can be done through software and applications like Adobe Photoshop and Elements could help you do that like a professional. As you can adjust brightness, colour and such, you could do wonders with old photos using such software.
Once you have scanned the old photos and then storing (or printing) them in your hard drive, ensure that you keep the originals in albums. The best way to keep your old photos are to use pocket type albums (Mylar) . This is because the stick on covers would damage the photos after a period of time. Avoid direct sunlight and keep them organized on the shelf or in boxes.