Pentax K10D adapting for external flash(Digital camera)

             Your Pentax K10D is more than three years old. For an upcoming celebration, you buy an external fl ash card. Unfortunately, it does not work.
             In the early K10Ds from Pentax, the built-in fl ash support does not allow the use of external fl ash cards. The manufacturer corrected this problem with fi rmware version 1.1 in 2007. Pentax now off ers fi rmware version 1.31 that naturally contains the changes of the previous updates. Download the new fi rmware and unzip it on your PC.
              Insert an SD storage card in your card reader and format it for the update procedure. The card must be of minimum 32 MB capacity. Copy the fi rmware data ‘fwdc162b.bin’ directly in the root directory of the card. Insert the SD card in the camera and switch it on. Keep the menu button pressed and follow the instructions on the camera display, till the message ‘Complete’ is seen.

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Find the right settings for studio shooting(Digital photography)

           You can set up a small studio with just a few simple tools. But the studio alone does not ensure good photos.
           Ideally, you should photograph manually and deactivate automatic ISO. Select the minimum ISO value provided by the camera, e.g. ISO 100. Since you often work with fl ash, set the shortest possible fl ash synchronization time and select an equal or longer shutter time. Then defi ne an optimum aperture for portraits, which is mostly ‘f/8’ or ‘f/11’. Now regulate the fl ash intensity till the photos are optimally lit. A few test snaps are necessary for this. Moreover, you can also set the while balance manually.

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Selecting the optimum resolution for your pictures(Digital photography)

              The latest digital cameras often have a resolution of more than 10 megapixels. However, the higher the megapixels, the bigger is the size of image files. Since you do not want to take large format prints of your photos, you have reduced the camera resolution by half.
              If you work with reduced resolution, you are economizing at the wrong end. This is because the resolution not only influences the image format and thus the largest possible print size, but also fundamentally the picture quality. Photo sensors are designed for the maximum resolution and deliver optimum results in this setting. When you reduce the number of pixels, the camera downscales the image, which leads to loss of detail, particularly since the computing power of a full-fl edged PC is available for the camera.
               Bear in mind that you can always reduce the size of images if required, but you cannot increase them. Many photos profit from it when you selectively cut them in an image editing software. When you are in a difficult spot and have to zoom out only a small section, you will be thankful for every megapixel in the photo. Since even such an image should have a printable resolution after it is cut, you should not limit yourself to just half of the available pixels right from the start. Today, it is much easier than ever to have storage space in the form of memory cards as well as hard disk space.

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Displaying photos edited on a PC on a camera(Panasonic Lumix)

            You can take pictures from the camera and see them on the PC. The reverse is not true with your Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1: if you fi ll the memory card with photos from the PC and insert them in the camera, it does not display these pictures.
            Like all other cameras, Lumix DMC-G1 also expects a specifi c fi le structure on the data carrier. This can be compared to the hard disk of your computer: if you move the System32 folder from the Windows directory to another location in the folder structure, Windows will stop working. The operating system is designed for this fi xed folder structure.
            For the Panasonic camera to find the image fi les, it needs the ‘107_PANA’ sub folder, which is in the ‘DCIM’ folder. Along with ‘DCIM’, the folders ‘MISC’ and ‘PRIVATE’ must also be present at the lowest folder level. It is important that all names be written in the upper case.

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Tripod for pictures from the worm’s eye view(Photography)

           Changing the perspective can transform uninteresting objects into interesting subjects for photography. This is the reason you want to take more snaps from the worm’s eye view with your amateur DSLR camera. But your tripod cannot be adjusted low enough.

           You can use simple tools such as a sack the size of your palm filled with beans. The camera can be put up on that and can be adjusted reasonably well. But obviously, the more professional solution would be a special tripod, but that’s too heavy on your pocket.
            A good compromise is the Cullmann Nanomax 250. The stable camera stand offers two leg angle settings; one for normal use, and one for close-to-ground positions. It makes it possible to take snaps from a deep angle. For repro and close-up photos, you can turn the central pillar of the Nanomax tripod and clamp it from below. The fi xed head can accommodate cameras of up to 3 kg, so there is enough reserve weight if you are using your amateur DSLR with lens, which can be fi tted on the tripod head using a quick-change plate in no time.
            Since the Cullmann stand is not as stable as professional tripods, you should, as far as possible, take a snap with the self timer or remote control release after aligning the camera to the subject. This prevents the camera from shaking. You will get extremely sharp photos if you also activate the mirror lockup feature in the camera. The shutter then opens with a delay, so that the body vibrations die away due to the tipping up of the mirror.

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Take into account the focal length extension factor when buying a lens(Digital camera)

             You were extremely happy when you got a good bargain on eBay. But you are now disappointed after some of the pictures with your new 18 mm lens. Instead of the expected eff ect of an extreme wide angle, the lens barrel is making subjects appear very plain and undistorted. What is wrong?
             Most of the image sensors in digital cameras are considerably smaller than the 35 mm format in analog cameras, which are rectangular and 24 x 36 mm in size. It is established as a fixed standard for comparison, with which the impression of different focal lengths can be described. Digital SLRs mostly use a so-called APS-C sensor (Advanced Photo System Classic) with page lengths of approximately 16 x 24 mm. As a result of this smaller sensor, the same lens, unlike a 35 mm sensor, maps only a smaller section of the subject projected through it. This is called focal length extension. This image circle factor is 1.5 in most SLRs, 1.6 in Canon and 2.0 in Olympus. When a 50 mm lens is used, the photogenic focal length is thus actually 75 mm in most cases and in case of Olympus, 100 mm. The focal length extension is a blessing for Tele-fans, but the situation is diff erent when it comes to the wide angle area. From your 18 mm extreme wide angle, an Olympus DSLR gives a standard focal length of 36 mm with a correspondingly good image mapping. For the desired wide angle effect, you need a DSLR lens with extremely short focal lengths. Their technical composition is, however, quite complex and are accordingly expensive.

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How to clean the image sensor of a DSLR camera?(Professional tip)

             When photos from a DSLR camera appear with black spots, cleaning the sensor of the camera can be really helpful. It’s a tricky operation, but absolutely worthwhile.
             The vacation was great, and your camera captured some memorable moments. However, random black spots appearing on the bright blue sky can be irritating to look at, and cannot be removed other than processing them on a PC. If, this is the case, you can take it for granted that there are dust particles on the image sensor of your DSLR.
              Modern cameras are equipped with a sensor-cleaning mechanism, but many older models aren't. Dust particles usually enter the camera when one is changing the lens. When you take pictures, they are deposited on the sensor or, to be precise, on the low pass fi lter lying in front of it. This is why these disturbing spots aren't really prominent on every picture. The longer the focal length and smaller the aperture, the more clearly visible these particles tend to be.
              If you can't clean the sensor, you can use alternate methods to get better pictures. Use the aperture priority given in the camera for photographing most of the sky and select a bigger aperture, say 1:4 or 1:5.6. In doing so your chances of ignoring these spots are higher. You can even clear the spots using clone stamp while editing the image on a PC. If these options don’t sound like the ultimately solution, then cleaning the sensor certainly would. While this task can be handed over to a photo studio or camera manufacturer, it costs a minimum sum and a couple of days to do it on your own.
PREPARE WELL: You need a cleaning kit and a mini-blower. The camera battery must be charged completely. Shooting a test photo will show you where the dirt is. Shoot a white screen using aperture priority, the smallest aperture (1:22 or 1:32), longer focal length, and keep the focus to infinity, with the screen only a few centimeters away. Then, arrange for an automatic tonal value correction in image editing. SUPPORT THE CAMERA: Mount the camera on a tripod so that both your hands are available during work. Use caution and clean the entire body from outside before removing the lens. Also, ensure that the place you’re doing the cleaning should be properly lit up and tools are ready. You don’t want to waste time because the camera is extremely susceptible to dust when the reflector and lock have been opened.
CLEAN THE REFLECTOR CASE: It makes sense to remove all the dust from the reflector case, so that it doesn't settle back on the sensor after you've cleaned it. Clean the reflector and the focusing screen using the blower. Carefully push the reflector up and use the blower to clean the lower part of the reflector glass and also the exposed shutter curtain.
PREPARE THE SPATULA: In the kit, you’ll also find 100 poly knit one-time use wipers. At the time of delivery, the cleaning spatula is already wrapped up completely with a cloth. For later use, wrap the spatula with a new cloth and fi x it using an adhesive tape. Ensure that the base is absolutely clean and the top of the wrapped spatula does not come in contact with anything.
ACTIVATE THE INSPECTION MODE: Access the camera menu and go to system settings (screw-wrench symbol). If there are only seven or fewer points mentioned here, go to ‘Menu selection’ and select ‘Detailed’. Now scroll down to the ‘Inspection’ point and confirm with ‘OK’. Now when you press the shutter release button, the reflector is folded up and the lock is opened. However, the sensor remains closed.
APPLY THE SOLUTION: Open the lock and clean the sensor a few times using the blower to remove the coarse dust. Now, put three to four drops of the ‘Eclipse’ cleaning solution on the wrapped spatula. The solution has toxic and pure Methanol, which evaporates very quickly and without leaving any residue. Quickly go over to step 7 before the spatula dries.
WET CLEANING OF SENSOR: Now, using the spatula, wipe from top left to right by gently pressing the sensor. Begin from the left-hand-side with the spatula in an inclined position. It should be pointed vertically on the sensor to the right-handside edge. Now, take the spatula below, incline it in the other direction and repeat the procedure by keeping the mirror inverted. Close the camera.
RESULTS: It is recommended that you shoot a test photo just like you did in step 1. If, even now, the spots are clearly visible, you need to repeat the process with a fresh, clean cloth. In our case, the cleaning of a very dirty sensor was a successful in the fi rst attempt, but results will of course vary.

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Copy mist and fog effects with the correct settings(Digital photography)

            The photos should appear mystical, but the result is dull and grey: Foggy landscape shots are not made by press and hold and release.
            With low under exposure, landscape shots in fog appear bleak. Therefore, it should preferably be slightly overexposed. For that move the camera exposure correction for example around an aperture in the [+] direction. If you shoot in the manual mode, open the aperture or extend the exposure time. Shortly before sunrise or early in the morning are good for fog shots. Sunrays passing through clouds create a mysterious and mystical mood. It highlights the contours of objects like trees.

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Shake free photographs without a tripod(Accessories)

            A tripod is essential for many interesting shots. All the same you don’t like dragging a heavy tripod in your holidays. Is there an alternative?
            Actually a tripod weighing a few kilos can be a burden even for a backpacker. Building a makeshift tripod at the holiday spot is an alternative. Use a cloth bag or a paper bag fi lled with sand. Dried beans or lentils are lighter and also suitable. The camera can be placed on this sack and aligned. Additionally, activate the self timer in the camera. This has an advantage, avoiding a blurred shot by manual trigger. Lean against the wall or fi nd a place to support your arm for not very long exposure times. There are railings and walls. A monopod off ers a good compromise between weight and stability. These telescopic rods can screwed on to tripod sockets. Choose a quick fastening clamp for the telescope mechanism.

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Underexposed or dull pictures(Photo Tip of the Month)

            It’s a common sight when you’re at the beach, the sun is nowhere to be see due to the overcast. When taking pictures in this scenario, the pictures ought to be less vibrant and feeble. Also, due to the lack of sunshine, the gleaming white wave crests disappear and give a uniformed grey appearance.

Problem: Due to the lack of vibrancy, the pictures appear fl at and the brightness and shine is missing too. A quick glance at the histogram reveals that at the right-hand side curve, there’s almost no tonal value. This means that pure white is missing from the picture.
Solution: Leverage on the tools built into the camera. Adjusting the shutter speed infl uences the tonal value distribution. First review the tonal value distribution immediately after an exposure with the help of the histogram on display. In many cameras this feature is built-in, and using this you can estimate the distribution even before the exposure. Ensure that the curve extends over the entire width of the tonal range.
Correcting on PC: For adjusting the brightness in Photoshop, go to Picture | Adjust | Tonal Value. Drag the slide bar to the left, upto the fi rst visible value, and you’ll notice the dark areas becoming firmer. Now you can adjust the mid-tones to optimize the areas that need correction. Use the preview function to view the results before applying the changes. If you’d also like to fi x the dull blue skies, you can use selective color correction. Push F7 for the colors palette and use the black and white round symbol to highlight the adjustment layer. From colors, consecutively select blue, cyan and white tones and adjust the depth of the sky as you want. To make the greens more vibrant, use the adjustment layer ‘color tone/saturation’. While these tips will bring about vibrancy in your pictures, to avoid making them appear unnatural, refrain from going overboard.

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Intentionally adding motion blur for image effect(Photography)

            Objects, which dynamically shoot through the image in real, look completely static, as if they were frozen, in a picture. Thus, pictures never reproduce the original atmosphere.
            In case of moving objects, photography faces a principle-specific problem: it can only produce a short snapshot per image. Nothing can move. And yet, one can make the image look more dynamic with just a few clicks. What is essential is the correct adjustment of blur: it tricks our brain and it seems as if there is motion. This effect can actually also be more interesting than a normal image. For this, set your camera to a longer exposure time so that it does not freeze the moment, but captures the motion of objects on the sensor. The captured object then leaves behind a trail which stand out from the normal sharp, unmoved image elements.
             The time presetting mode ‘Tv’ is well suited for this application. You can preset the exposure time and the camera automatically selects the suitable aperture. A time of 1/8 or 1/15 second is a good starting value when there is a good amount of daylight. On the contrary, a small aperture ensures a wider depth of fi eld. Make sure to use a tripod to avoid shakes. The advantage of using a tripod is that you can get good results even when you use simple lenses, since the F-number is completely irrelevant due to a long exposure time. Even image defects are not visible in the blur.

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Optimizing and retouching baby portraits(Photography)

            The photo looked rather brilliant on the camera display, but you were in for a disappointment on the PC. The background was not blur enough and diverted from the subject. In addition, the eyes glowed much more in real life.
THE PROBLEM: Baby photos are often snapshots. It is not really a time for a well thought-out set structure, illumination, etc. And even a large aperture is not suffi cient in a camera having an APSC sensor in order to get a completely blurred background of a close-up shot.

PHOTOGRAPHING DIFFERENTLY: A bigger blur in the background can be achieved if the baby is photographed at a longer distance and with a light tele-focal length. However, the photo situation does not permit this in most cases. Another problem - the bigger the focal length, the greater must be the shutter speed. In case of indoor shots, you must ensure additional lighting if you do not wish to fl ash in the baby’s eyes. However, it quickly spoils the daylight mood.
OPTIMIZING ON THE PC: Selecting the background takes up maximum time during image editing, especially if harsh edges are not available due to the narrow focus range just like in this case. You can make the basic choice with the magic wand, which you can then extend with a lasso by keeping the [Alt] key pressed. Do not waste your time on single strands of hair; you can do that later using a Layer Mask. Select ‘Select | Feather’ and a radius of 3 to 5 pixels. If you have the option, make the background blur with ‘Filter | Blur’ by using ‘Reduce depth sharpness’ repeatedly. Even ‘Gaussian Blur’ works well. Optimize the brightness, colors and contrast using ‘Image | Adjustments | Levels’. It is best if you make the correction in an Adjustment Layer; you can thus adjust the values later on. You can now touch up minor fl aws in the skin with the Stamp tool. You can simulate extremely clear skin this way. Duplicate the background layer, select ‘Filter | Blur | Make matter’ with values around ‘5’. Leave out the eyes and mouth with a Layer Mask. You can control the eff ect using the Layer Opacity. Finally, allow the baby’s eyes to sparkle. Select the eyes using the Lasso and Feather and increase the highlights and midtones using ‘Levels’.

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Photos with mosaic effect, interesting patterns(Photography)

            The subject is primarily interesting and is suitable as a starting point for a photo book. However, something isn’t right with the perspective and that ‘something special’ is missing.
THE PROBLEM: The example image is fascinating due to the vivid colors, but its perspective is distorted. Unavoidably, taking the picture from another perspective was not possible.
PHOTOGRAPHING DIFFERENTLY: A polarizing fi lter could have increased the color saturation level. Balancing the perspective distortion is possible only with an expensive tilt-shift lens.
OPTIMIZING ON THE PC: Mosaic eff ect can be used as the cover page of a photo book. Before that, the photo has to be color corrected. Move the sign with the Photoshop function ‘Reduce glare’. In the example, a value of ‘-35’ for the vertical perspective leads to the desired alignment. After rotating it by a few degrees, further adjust the section with the ‘Crop’ tool. Make the colors more vibrant with ‘Picture | Adjust | Tonal correction’. For ‘Tonal inclination’, enter ‘30’ and ‘240’ as minimum and maximum values and to darken, enter a value between the two values ‘0,87’ in the fi eld. Through ‘Selective color correction’, specifi cally emphasize important colors for eff ective results. Depending on the subject ‘+30’ is a good approximate value. In the example image, it is worthwhile to intensify the shades of cyan, blue and red. Duplicate the corrected layers. As a fi lling method, select ‘Overlap [‘ and click ‘Filter | Pixilation fi lter | Mosaic eff ect’; experiment with diff erent cell sizes. A good result will be achieved if the layer is reduced in size before rasterizing. The mosaic appears exceedingly large if it is enlarged later. Additionally, it can be moved a little to intensify the eff ect. The mosaic eff ect is often weak on images with a large homogeneous surface. Duplicate the mosaic layer and use it on the new layer ‘Filter | Stylize fi lter | Find contours’. Select ‘Soft light’ with an ‘Opacity’ of ‘33 %’ as layer fi ll. Places that are too dark due to a high contrast can be lightened again in the fi rst layer with the dodge tool.

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