Ready to Serve!!

A Vacation In Banglore

2011-01-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

photos with ordinary old digital camera

2009-05-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

ant on lemon leave

insect on leave

home made orange juice

a water drop emerging

a lemon flower

a huge water drop

a tomato!!

Sports Photography -1

2009-05-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

First Tips

Successful sports photography can be achieved with basic point and shoot cameras, but the most reliable results will consistently come from single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.

Single lens reflex cameras generally cost more, but provide you with more control over the settings, allowing you to be more effective in shooting sports. That flexibility is crucial in helping you cope with the challenges of sports and action photography. You will see that as we progress in this tutorial. Many of the desired options discussed will be found predominantly in single lens reflex cameras. However, if you are going to "tackle" the subject with a point and shoot, you will also find a few handy pointers here.

Know your subject

So – you want to take pictures of your kids playing sports. How old are they? How big are they? How fast are they? Is it a fast sport, or something slower like baseball? Are they on the field with a bunch of other kids in a relatively small area (American football), or more spread out and isolated (baseball)?

If your players are small, you may have to kneel to get down to their eye level. If you don't you may find that you've taken rather silly shots of the tops of their heads, especially when they're close. Wildlife photographers generally use the same mantra – get up or down to their eye level.

There is a built in bonus in shooting the smaller players. To get to their eye level you can assume a seated position, which provides added steadiness to your grip on the camera and lens.

Taking good pictures

Advanced amateurs with SLR's will have plenty of features available, both in their cameras and their lenses. At the end of this article I will go into detail on some of those features, and I strongly suggest you dig up your manuals to follow along.

It may be painful at first, but I would suggest not using the program (also known as fully automatic) modes. If you have shutter or aperture priority modes, I would suggest learning how they work in general, and how to use them when shooting various types of subjects. Consider this to be much like learning to drive a standard shift car before taking advantage of an automatic transmission.

Shutter priority means that you pick the shutter speed and let the camera figure out what aperture it should use. Aperture priority is the converse – you pick the aperture and let the camera pick the shutter speed.

I tend to use Aperture priority, but lots of folks use shutter priority. Whatever works for you is OK.

Apertures like f/2.8 and f/4 will not only result in faster shutter speeds, but will isolate your subject from the rest of the objects in the picture due to their shallower depth of field. But you'll have to keep an eye on the shutter speed.

For small kids 1/125s or 1/250s may be fine. For larger, faster kids, and faster athletes in general, 1/250 is often the absolute minimum, and 1/500 is great if you can get it. If you can get 1/1000 you'll freeze them like stone.

Freezing them like a stone will only be achieved if you're smoothly panning (following their side to side movement) as you track them across the field, court, pool, etc.

Avoid sudden movements.

Settings

If your camera is capable, I'd suggest these settings:

• Continuous servo autofocus
• Lock the center focus sensor
• Center-weighted metering
• Aperture priority (usually wide open)

• Possibly some negative exposure value (EV) to avoid blowing out white jerseys. Hopefully not more than -1.0.

5 fantastic macro photos{3}

2009-05-01T05:25:00.001-07:00

5 fantastic macro photos[2}

2009-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

5 fantastic macro photos{1}

2009-05-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

5 Situations When Manual Focus is Better than Auto Focus Read more: "5 Situations When Manual Focus is Better than Auto Focus" -

2009-05-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

Digital Cameras present photographers with an ever increasing array of Automatic and Semi Automatic shooting modes. Most of these center around different ways of exposing your shots - however many cameras also give options for different focusing modes (auto, continuous focusing for moving subjects and manual).

It’s no wonder then that many photographers never make use of their camera and lens’ ability to focus manually. In fact this week I spoke with one DSLR owner recently who hadn’t even noticed the manual/auto focus switch on the side of his lens

When is Manual Focus Better than Auto Focus?

Let me start by saying there is no right or wrong time to use either manual or auto focusing - both can produce great results in almost all circumstances - however there are a few times when you might find it easier to switch to manual focusing:

1. Macro Work

When doing macro photography I almost exclusively switch to manual focusing.

The narrow depth of field in these shots mean that you need to be incredibly precise with focusing and being just a smidgeon out or having your camera choose to focus on the wrong part of your subject can completely ruin a shot.

To use it you’ll also probably want to use a tripod to eliminate any movement of the camera which can make focusing either in manual or auto mode frustrating.

Manual focusing puts the control completely in your hands when shooting in this very precise setting.

2. Low Light

Shooting in dimly lit environments can be difficult for some cameras and lenses when it comes to focusing.

You’ll know when your camera is struggling in Auto mode when every time you go to take a shot the lens will whirl from one end of it’s focusing options to the other and back again before deciding on where to focus.

This can really lengthen your shooting process and make taking quick candid shots quite frustrating.

Switch to manual mode and you can quickly find your focusing point and get the shot you’re after.

3. Portraits

When shooting portraits focus needs to be precise.

The majority of your shots of people will need to have their eyes in perfect focus (although in the example to the left it’s the lips) and so switching to manual focus will give you complete control to enable this to save you from having to line up the focusing points on your camera on the eyes, press halfway down and then frame your shot.

Manual focusing in portrait work helps to ensure the viewer of the image is drawn to the part of the face that you want them to notice.

4. Shooting Through Glass/Wire Fences

If you’ve ever shot through anything like a window or a mess/wire fence you’ll know how cameras will often get confused on where to focus your shot.

Whether it’s shooting out of a plane window, taking a shot of an image at a museum or photographing animals through fences at the zoo - you might find your camera is confused.

Manual focusing will avoid this completely and allow you to get things just right - focusing upon the subject behind that glass or fence. If you do this in conjunction with a large aperture (which decreases depth of field) and get in close to the fence or glass you might well eliminate it completely from being noticeable in your shot.

5. Action Photography

Shooting fast moving subjects (like racing cars, planes, bikes, running animals etc) can be a frustrating experience when shooting with auto focus.

Even the continuous focusing modes can get left behind or confusing if you’re not panning with your subject smoothly.

One way to overcome this is to switch to manual focusing and pre focus on a point that the subject will move through - and shooting at that point. You need to get your timing just right - but you’ll find that it’ll often give better results than relying upon auto focus modes (particularly if you shoot in continuous shooting/burst mode).

Homework

Shooting in manual focus mode is a skill that you need to learn and practice. While you will have more time to get it right when shooting still objects - it can become more difficult when shooting moving subjects - so practice.

This week set aside an hour or two with your camera to shoot only in manual focus mode. Practice on a variety of subjects including some moving ones. While your practice session might not produce great results the skill that you learn will be useful to have.

Macro Photography Tips

2009-05-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

Much has been written on the topic of Macro photography for those photographers fortunate enough to own a DSLR with macro lenses - but what about if you own a compact point and shoot camera? Can you get great macro shots too?

While the results achievable with a point and shoot camera in macro mode probably won’t compare with a DSLR with a purpose built macro lens I’ve still seen some remarkably good shots with compact cameras (all three shots in this post were taken with compact cameras). Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of yours:

Select Macro Mode - this is a fairly obvious first step but I’m always surprised by how many digital camera owners haven’t explored the shooting modes that their camera has. Macro mode is generally symbolized with a little flower and when selected it will tell your camera that you want to focus on a subject closer to your lens than normal (the minimum distance allowed will vary from camera to camera - consult your instruction manual to find yours). Macro mode will also usually tell your camera to choose a large aperture so that your subject is in focus but the background is not.

Use a Tripod - in macro photography a tripod can be particularly useful, even if you’re just shooting with a compact camera. Keeping your camera still not only improves your shots (getting rid of camera shake) but it allows you to play around with different settings without losing your composition.

Aperture - once in macro mode some cameras will not allow you to make many other adjustments but if you are able to play with your aperture settings it can be well worthwhile to do so. As we’ve covered in our Aperture tutorials, the main thing that aperture impacts is the depth of field of your shots. Choose a small aperture (big number) if you want a large depth of field with everything in focus or a large aperture if you just want your main subject in focus. In macro photography you’ll probably want a shallow depth of field so select the largest aperture available.

Focusing - I find that in macro photography it is helpful to have full control over focusing - especially when you have shallow depth of fields where it is all the more important to make sure the right part of your shot is in focus. If your camera allows manual focusing select this option and manually focus on the part of our subject that is the main point of interest.

Composition - remember some of the basic rules of composition like the Rule of Thirds. Make sure your image has a main point of interest and place that focal point in a smart position in your image in order to draw the eye of your viewer. Try to select a non cluttered or simple background for your main subject so as it doesn’t compete with it visually.

Flash - in many macro shots having some artificial light is important. The challenge with compact cameras is that most give you limited control of your flash. As a result choosing a good time of day when there is plenty of available light is probably your best bet. If you do need more light check to see if your camera allows you to pull back the level that your flash fires at. Alternatively you might like to try diffusing it in some way (tissue paper or cellotape over the flash for example). Another option might be to use some other source of artificial light or to invest in a reflector to help make the most of available light. Experiment with different methods of lighting your subject.

Take Your Shot - once you have your shot lined up and in focus take your shot. Make sure once you’ve taken it to take a good look at it on your LCD, zooming in to make sure that your focusing is sharp. Try shooting at slightly different apertures, with different compositions and focusing on different points of your subject to see what works best.

Macro Lens Attachments - some compact cameras actually have accessories available to help with macro/close up photography. These will enable you to enlarge your subject and/or decrease your minimum focal length. These might be worth investing in if you intend on doing a lot of macro work.

Self Timer - (this point was added as a result of comments below - thanks team!) when using my DSLR for Macro work I tend to use a shutter cable releas and tripod to make sure my shots are completely still (to eliminate the small amount of camera shake from pressing the shutter). Most compact cameras don’t have cable releases but a simple way around this is to use your camera’s self timer on it’s shortest time setting which will similarly mean you have no movement of your camera when taking your shot (if you’re taking notice of the ‘use a tripod’ tip above).

PS: I’ve used the term ‘macro photography fairly loosely here. Technically ‘macro photography’ is actually when you produce an image where your subject is captured on your image sensor at life size (or bigger) with a 1:1 ratio.

In the case of most (all?) compact cameras this is not achieved and in fact ‘close up’ photography would be a better description. However as most manufacturers call their close up mode ‘macro mode’ I’ve used the term for the purposes of this article.

10 Fantastic HDR Pictures

2009-04-27T04:03:00.000-07:00

Applied carefully, High Dynamic Range-technique (HDR) can create incredibly beautiful pictures which blur our sense of the difference between reality and illusion. In graphics HDR imaging is a set of techniques that allow a far greater dynamic range of exposures than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to the deepest shadows. This is usually achieved by modifying photos with image processing software for tone-mapping. And the results can be really incredible; in fact, many artists and designers come up with some pretty fancy results.

This post covers 10 extremely beautiful and perfectly executed HDR-pictures. Some of them might look surreal, too colorful, even magic or fake, but they are not — keep in mind that they’ve all been developed out of usual photos, and not a single image is an illustration.

Please notice:
the selection isn’t supposed to be complete which is why we encourage you to post links to further excellent HDR images in the comments to this post;
there is no ranking, all pictures have been selected due to their outstanding quality and excellent execution;
you can explore further works of the designers and photographers we’ve featured below by browsing through their sets on Flickr;
all screenshots are clickable and lead to the pages from which they’ve been taken;

Top 10 HDR Tips

2009-04-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

HDR photography is slightly different from traditional single-exposure photography, and I will try to impart the top 10 things to keep in mind during the shooting phase. In other words, the technical issues / obstacles you might face when capturing auto-bracket shots. In no particular order:

10 - ALWAYS make sure the ISO on your camera is set to as low as possible given the lighting situation. For example, 100 in bright daylight and up to 400 (maximum) if hand-held. If you have a tripod, then this does not affect you - keep the ISO as low as possible. This is because the HDR process exacerbates the amount noise in the RAW images to the point that the merged image becomes useless. I would say anything above ISO 400 would yield a merged image that is too noisy.

9 - Always shoot in RAW. HDR or no HDR, this is the best way to go if you intend to post process your shot, auto-bracketed or single. Remember that raw preserves much more detail per pixel that you can try to extract during post processing yielding higher quality images.

8 - If you don’t have a tripod, it’s ok! You can still do an auto-bracketed shot IF your camera has the feature built in. If you are afraid of moving too much or if your camera’s FPS is too slow, don’t worry - HDR merging software like Photomatix has a good “align” feature. If this doesn’t work, you can still manually align the images in Adobe Photoshop. If all else fails, you can always do a single-exposure HDR (click the link to read more).

7 - Watch out for moving objects - usually moving objects (cars, people, birds) will look pretty bad when in an auto-bracketed set of shots. They will look like ghosts that you will probably need to clone out. I try to avoid this as much as possible - by waiting until the people are out of a shot, or if they seem to be able to stay in a certain position for about 1 second.

6 - Use continuous (high, if possible) burst to reduce the chances of camera shake and object movement - even if you have a tripod. What’s good about continuous burst is that it will usually stop taking exposures once the bracketed shots are done.

5 - If you have access to a tripod, use timer setting - this virtually removes the chances of any shake due to pressing the shutter release. The timer (on higher end cameras) on auto-bracketing mode will fire the sequence of bracketed shots automatically - so there is no need to press the shutter for each exposure. Another positive factor when you do this, is that during merging, you do not have to align the images making it a much faster merging process.

4 - When shooting cars or shiny surfaces, the most impactful HDR shots usually happen with medium to dark colored surfaces, because the reflections will be made that much more clear, as opposed to a yellow or white car - which tend to look dull and flat when processed in HDR. Obviously some exceptions apply - this is a generalistic rule.

3 - Remember, you can HDR anything! Something that doesn’t look like it would look good in single exposure photography - may end up looking like an absolute gem after HDR processing! Think mundane objects such as broken down cars or structures, dull and cloudy days, your messy garage — just be creative.

2 - Remember, not all images will benefit from the HDR process. Anything that is rather flat in dynamic range - meaning not much contrast between the darks and the lights in the scene, would probably not end up looking good after HDR processing. In scenes where there are a lot of contrast (bright sky and a dark tunnel, for example) - HDR will be an excellent tool to bring out the details in the sky and also the dark tunnel.

1 - Have fun! Remember if you’re not having fun, chances are you won’t learn anything new - or won’t even want to. So, why not enjoy the whole process from the shoot to the post processing while you’re at it? =)

Also, don’t get discouraged - it takes 10-15 HDR shots to start to get the feel of what settings work best - both for you and for the shot. I know I had some REALLY bad HDR images in the beginning, and almost felt like I had to give it up, but I just kept playing and testing images, until I found my own style.

F inal Thoughts

2009-04-22T03:45:00.001-07:00

Final Thoughts

Most digital cameras, even the consumer point-and-shoot models, have a tremendous amount of functionality built into them. By applying a little ingenuity and creativity, you can take shots that will make viewers ask, "So what kind of camera do you have?"

You can tell them the answer, but inside, you'll know it's not the camera responsible for those great pictures. It's the photographer.

10. Slow Motion Water

2009-04-22T03:44:00.002-07:00

10. Slow Motion Water

I come from a family where it's darn hard to impress them with my artsy pictures. One of the few exceptions happened recently when my sister commented that a series of water shots I had shown her looked like paintings. That was close enough to a compliment for me.

What she was responding to was one of my favorite types of photographs: slow motion water. These images are created by finding a nice composition with running water, then forcing the camera's shutter to stay open for a second or two, creating a soft, flowing effect of the water while all the other elements in the scene stay nice and sharp.

You can create a painterly effect with moving water by mounting your camera on a tripod and slowing the shutter to an exposure of 1 second or longer. (Canon PowerShot G2, Aperture priority set to f-8, shutter speed 1 second, polarizer filter, UltraPod II tripod)	Figure 7a.
	Figure 7b.

You'll need a tripod to steady the camera during the long exposure, and you probably should use the self timer to trip the shutter. If you camera has an aperture priority setting, use it and set the aperture to f-8, f-11, or f-16 if possible. This will give you greater depth of field and cause the shutter to slow down.

Ideally, you'll want an exposure of one second or longer to create the flowing effect of the water. That means you probably will want to look for streams and waterfalls that are in the shade instead of the bright sunlight.

Another trick is to use your sunglasses over the lens to darken the scene and create even a longer exposure. Plus you get the added bonus of eliminating distracting reflections from your composition.

9: Self Timer Fun

2009-04-22T03:44:00.001-07:00

9: Self Timer Fun

Now that you have your UltraPod in hand, you can explore another under-used feature found on almost every digital camera: the self timer. This function delays the firing of the shutter (after the button has been pushed) for up to 10 seconds, fixing one of the age old problems in photography: the missing photographer.

Hey, just because you've been donned as the creative historian in your clan, that doesn't mean that your shining face should be absent from every frame of the family's pictorial accounting. You could hand your trusty digicam over to strangers while you jump in the shot, but then you take the chance of them dropping, or even worse, running off with your camera.

Instead, attach your UltraPod, line up the shot, activate the self timer, and get in the picture. This is usually a good time to turn on the flash to ensure even exposure of everyone in the composition (but remember that 10 foot flash range limit!). Also, make sure the focusing sensor is aimed at a person in the group and not the distant background, or you'll get very sharp trees and fuzzy family members.

Self timers are good for other situations, too. Are you interested in making long exposures of cars driving over the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk? Once again, secure your camera on a tripod, then trip the shutter using the self timer. By doing so, you prevent accidental jarring of the camera as you initiate the exposure.

8: Tolerable Tripod

2009-04-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

8: Tolerable Tripod

I once overheard someone say, "He must be a real photographer because he's using a tripod." Well, whether or not you use a tripod has nothing to do with you being a true photographer. For certain types of shots though, these three-legged supports can be very useful.

The problem is tripods are a pain in the butt to carry around. They are bulky, unwieldily, and sometimes downright frustrating. Does the phrase "necessary evil" come to mind?

For digital shooters there's good news: the UltraPod II by Pedco. This compact, versatile, ingenious device fits in your back pocket and enables you to steady your camera in a variety of situations. You can open the legs and set it on any reasonable flat surface such as a tabletop or a boulder in the middle of nowhere. But you can also employ its Velcro strap and attach your camera to an available pole or tree limb.

Figure 6. The UltraPod II is lightweight and affordable (less than $20 typically).

You might not need a tripod that often, but when you do, nothing else will work. Save yourself the pain and money of a big heavy lug of a pod, and check out the svelte UltraPod. Yes, then you too can be a real photographer

6: Massive Media card &7: High Rez All the Way

2009-04-22T03:42:00.002-07:00

6: Massive Media Card

When you're figuring out the budget for your next digital camera, make sure you factor in the purchase of an additional memory card. Why? Because the cards included with your new high-tech wonder toy are about as satisfying as an airline bag of peanuts when you're dying of hunger.

If you have a 3 megapixel camera, get at least a 256MB card, 512MBs for 4 megapixel models, and 1GB for for 6 megapixels and up.

That way you'll never miss another shot because your memory card is full.

7: High Rez All the Way

One of the most important reasons for packing a massive memory card is to enable you to shoot at your camera's highest resolution. If you paid a premium price for a 6 megapixel digicam, then get your money's worth and shoot at 6 megapixels. And while you're at it, shoot at your camera's highest quality compression setting too.

Why not squeeze more images on your memory card by shooting a lower resolution and low quality compression settings? Because you never know when you're going to capture the next great image of the 21st century. And if you take a beautiful picture at the low 640 x 480 resolution, that means you can only make a print about the size of a credit card, not exactly the right dimensions for hanging in the museum.

On the other hand, if you recorded the image at 2272 x 1704 (4 megapixels) or larger, then you can make a lovely 8- x 10-inch photo-quality print suitable for framing or even for gracing the cover of Time magazine. And just in case you were able to get as close to the action as you had liked, having those extra pixels enables you to crop your image and still have enough resolution to make a decent sized print.

The point is, if you have enough memory (and you know you should), then there's no reason to shoot at lower resolution and risk missing the opportunity to show off your work in a big way.

5. Horizon Line Mayhem

2009-04-22T03:42:00.001-07:00

5. Horizon Line Mayhem

For some mysterious reason, most human beings have a hard time holding the camera level when using the LCD monitors on their digicams. The result can be cockeyed sunsets, lopsided landscapes, and tilted towers.

Part of the problem is that your camera's optics introduce distortion when rendering broad panoramas on tiny, two-inch screens. Those trees may be standing straight when you look at them with the naked eye, but they seem to be bowing inward on your camera's monitor. No wonder photographers become disoriented when lining up their shots.

Figure 5. How do you square up an image in the LCD viewfinder so it appears "level" when you view it later on the computer? Look for nature's horizontal lines and use them as guides. Sometimes you can use the line where the sky meets the ocean, other times you can use a strip of land as your level. In this case I used the shoreline of a mountain lake to help me align this composition. (Canon PowerShot G2, Aperture Priority exposure set to f-8, polarizer filter)

What can you do? Well, there's no silver bullet to solve all of your horizon line problems, but you can make improvements by keeping a few things in mind.

First of all, be aware that it's important to capture your images as level as possible. If you're having difficulty framing the scene to your liking, then take your best shot at a straight picture, reposition the camera slightly, take another picture, and then maybe one more with another adjustment. Chances are very good that one of the images will "feel right" when you review them on the computer. Simply discard the others once you find the perfectly aligned image.

If you practice level framing of your shots, over time the process will become more natural, and your percentage of level horizon lines will increase dramatically.

4. Macro Mode Madness

2009-04-22T03:41:00.004-07:00

4. Macro Mode Madness

Remember as a kid discovering the whole new world beneath your feet while playing on the grass? When you got very close to the ground, you could see an entire community of creatures that you never knew existed.

These days, you might not want to lie on your belly in the backyard, but if you activate the close up mode on your digital camera and begin to explore your world in finer detail, you'll be rewarded with fresh new images unlike anything you've ever shot before.

Even the simplest object takes on new fascination in macro mode. And the best part is that it's so easy to do with digital cameras.

Figure 4. Nature looks much different, and sometimes more compelling, at close range. (Canon PowerShot G2, Programmed exposure, spot meter, Close Up mode, flash off)

Just look for the close up or macro mode icon, which is usually a flower symbol, turn it on, and get as close to an object as your camera will allow. Once you've found something to your liking, hold the shutter button down halfway to allow the camera to focus. When the confirmation light gives you the go ahead, press the shutter down the rest of the way to record the image.

Keep in mind that you have very shallow depth of field when using the close up mode, so focus on the part of the subject that's most important to you, and let the rest of the image go soft.

2009-04-22T03:41:00.003-07:00

3. Outdoor Portraits That Shine

One of the great hidden features on digital cameras is the fill flash or flash on mode. By taking control of the flash so it goes on when you want it to, not when the camera deems it appropriate, you've just taken an important step toward capturing great outdoor portraits.

In flash on mode, the camera exposes for the background first, then adds just enough flash to illuminate your portrait subject. The result is a professional looking picture where everything in the composition looks good. Wedding photographers have been using this technique for years.

Figure 3. By placing the subjects in the open shade beneath a tree and turning on the fill flash, both the boys and the background are properly exposed. (Canon PowerShot G2, 1/250th at f-4, flash on)

After you get the hang of using the flash outdoors, try a couple variations on this theme by positioning the subject so the sun illuminates the hair from the side or the back, often referred to as rim lighting. Another good technique is to put the model in the shade under a tree, then use the flash to illuminate the subject. This keeps the model comfortable and cool with no squinty eyes from the harsh sun, and this often results in a more relaxed looking portrait.

Remember, though, that most built-in camera flashes only have a range of 10 feet (or even less!), so make sure you don't stand too far away when using fill flash outdoors.

2009-04-22T03:41:00.001-07:00

2: Sunglasses Polarizer

If you really want to add some punch to your images, then get your hands on a polarizing filter. A polarizer is the one filter every photographer should have handy for landscapes and general outdoor shooting. By reducing glare and unwanted reflections, polarized shots have richer, more saturated colors, especially in the sky.

What's that you say? Your digital camera can't accommodate filters. Don't despair. I've been using this trick for years with my point-and-shoot cameras. If you have a pair of quality sunglasses, then simply take them off and use them as your polarizing filter. Place the glasses as close to the camera lens as possible, then check their position in the LCD viewfinder to make sure you don't have the rims in the shot.

If your camera doesn't accept filters, then you can still achieve the effects of a polarizer by placing your sunglasses over the lens. Figure 2a is shot normally without any filtration. Figure 2b is shot during the same session, but with sunglasses placed over the lens. Notice the enhanced colors and deeper sky tones. (Canon PowerShot S200, Program mode)	Figure 2a.
	Figure 2b.

For the best effect, position yourself so the sun is over either your right or left shoulder. The polarizing effect is strongest when the light source is at a 90-degree angle from the subject.

Top Ten Digital Photography Tips

2009-04-22T03:39:00.000-07:00

1. Warm Up Those Tones

Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you're not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is auto, which is fine for most snapshots, but tends to be a bit on the "cool" side.

When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. That's right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.

Figure 1a is shot outdoors in a mountain environment with the white balance set to auto. Figure 1b shows warmer tones thanks to using the "cloudy" setting and a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses over the front lens. (Canon PowerShot S200, Program mode)	Figure 1a.
	Figure 1b.

If you don't believe me, then do a test. Take a few outdoor shots with the white balance on auto, then take the same picture again with the setting on cloudy. Upload the images to your computer and look at them side by side. My guess is that you'll like the warmer image better.

OLED

2009-03-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

We give you overview for the organic light emitting technology!

OLED Organic light emitting diodes displays are considered as the screens of the future.

What is OLED?

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. The "organic" in OLED refers to organic material. Carbon is the basis of all organic matter. Examples of carbon-based substances include sugar, wood and the majority of plastics. The "LED" stands for "Light Emitting Diode" and describes the process of converting electric energy into light. There are two types of OLEDs small molecule OLED and polymer OLED. Sony uses the small molecule type because it has a longer lifespan.

What's so great about OLED?

Blazing fast response times, wide viewing angles, exceptional color reproduction, outstanding Contrast levels, and high Brightness. The nature of its technology lends itself to extremely thin and lightweight designs along with the ability to use it in a variety of different applications. OLED is the holy grail of TV Display technologies!

How does OLED work?

A Layer of organic material is sandwiched between two conductors (an anode and a cathode), which in turn are sandwiched between a glass top plate (seal) and a glass bottom plate (substrate). When electric Current is applied to the two conductors, a bright, electro-luminescent light is produced directly from the organic material.

How is color created?

OLED has more control over color expression because it only expresses pure colors when an electric Current stimulates the relevant Pixels. The OLED primary color matrix is arranged in red, green, and blue Pixels, which are mounted directly to a printed circuit board. Each individual OLED element is housed in a special "micro-cavity" structure designed to greatly reduce ambient light interference that also works to improve overall color Contrast.

The thickness of the organic Layer is adjusted to produce the strongest light for each of the colors " red, green and blue - used to render the color picture. The three colors are further refined by a color filter, which purifies each color without the need for a polarizer, rendering outstanding color purity.

Windows 7 in 2009? Be careful what you wish for

2008-10-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

Take it as a sign that Windows Vista failed to capture the imagination of Windows users, or take it as a sign that sensationalism sells. Either way, the rumor mill is heating up with claims that the successor to Windows Vista—currently dubbed Windows 7—could be released as early as next year, as opposed to sometime in 2010, as currently expected.
he scuttlebutt (condensed): some users have seen early builds of Windows 7, including a poster at Neowin. Ars Technica has also seen an older build, as we told you about more than a month ago. A more recent build was reportedly described as Milestone 1. APC Magazine claims to have seen a roadmap which puts M2 in an April/May timeframe, and a M3 in the third quarter of this year. All of this points to a late 2009 release, they say, which is indicated by this "road map."

Arguing about whether or not Windows 7 will ship in late 2009 is pointless. No one can predict the future, and Microsoft's own history shows that its roadmaps and predictions are not to be trusted. A more interesting question is: should Microsoft be aiming for late 2009? Should the company be aiming at a date, or should it be aiming at an experience? To be sure, a software company can't develop without some kind of general timeframe. The question is what's most important: the date or the product?

Best Free hosting i have found ever..

2008-10-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

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Test a cell phone before you buy

2008-10-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

Choosing a phone is certainly a big headache for many people, and the fact that there is little standard user interface doesn’t really help. One solution is to read reviews and look over tons of photos that show what the user interface looks like.That may lead to confusion as all have different reviews.We don’t know about the person who is writing that review.The other solution is look and feel the interface yourself i.e Tryphone.

Tryphone provides the ultimate assist in purchasing a new mobile phone, allowing for test drives of different models on their site through a virtual interactive design. Clicking on buttons gives a sense of the user interface and functionality, just choose which phone you’d like to try from their surprisingly well-stocked inventory. Also featuring reviews and side-by-side comparisons, it’s a good way to educate yourself before making a purchase.

Adsense

2008-09-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Were there is a will, there is a way. If you have a will to make money then turn to Google, they will provide you the best way to get it.

It is Adsense, the safest, secure and easy way to monetize what you have on the Internet like website, blog…

Do you get newspapers for just 2 rupees, how do the channels” survive”, you know it that’s by advertisements being broadcast on their channel, newspapers. Now, you can also provide ads to your favorite costumers where the difference is that, if they want, they would get in to it. That makes ads on internet different from the ordinary adsAdsense works on CPC (cost per click) system i.e., if anyone clicks on the ads placed on your site or blog, you well get paid, and as visitors increase Google will pay you much”
Whenever your account reaches 100$, Google will send it to you by check.

Get started
First of all, we should log into www.adsense.cm and sign up there.
Complete necessary steps and submit your site / blog for a review.
Then, Google will send you a mail confirmation on whether your site is approved or not.
It’s easy to get the approval and if your site is approved once your 1st part is finished off and the 2nd part is to place the ads on your site
You can decide whether image ads or text ads or both on you r blog.

Note: You cannot choose ads which are to be displayed on the site, but you can restrict certain ads from competitors and what you only want to do is to allocate place for ads on your blog/site and Google will decide which ads are to be placed on your site according to site/bog’s content

As visitors increases, the earnings will be increasing and finally Google will pays you the sum when it reaches 100$
Important notes
Do not try to cheat Google by self-clicking or asking friends to click on the ads, because they will track it and they will disable your account.

cheapest rocket in the world

2008-07-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

“”””””5 4 3 2 1 0 THE rocket propelled to the air with” white borders” in the blue sky of infinity which is launched from station ………..””””” the news we are seeing in medias nowadays about the rocket launching from here and there.

Don’t you have a dream to make such a rocket in your life without much cost!!!

If there is a dream around you then read the article otherwise don’t”t

BUT THERE WILL BE NO ONE WHO HAD MADE A ROCKET WITH THEIR HANDS…….
Lets make such a “”rocket”” which can move from one place to another place .basically it is a good idea to have a rocket with you which can move independently after applying a certain force to it.

Let’s begin to prepare the “rocket”
REQUIREMENTS
· One empty refill of a ball point pen
· A match box
· A candle
· Matchsticks
First of all take the refill and remove the nib which should not have any ink in it. the nib should be made up of metal other than plastic. Then take a piece of paper and roll it very tightly order to go into nib .insert the paper roll into the nib and clean it .then remove it.
Then take one or two matchsticks, remove the powder which is present on its end and keep it in safe place .carefully insert the powder into the nib upto 3/4th size of the nib. Let the remaining areas as like it. Then take the matchsticks which are free from powdery substance, shape it in order to go into the neck of nib (1/4th remaining space in the nib)
Insert the matchstick into the nib and make sure there is no gap left between the nib and the inserted matchstick .here we are ready with the ROCKET
LAUNCHING
Catch at the end of the matchstick as shown in the figure and keep the metal part under the candle and count 1 2 3…there rocket will propels from the matchstick individually at a range of about 20-25 meters.
PRECAUTIONS
· Powder should not be wet
· No gaps b/n matchstick and metal nib
· Flame should reach to all parts of the nib otherwise may explode
· The ball should be there on the nib otherwise it a may explode and causes injury

make your water rocket now!!

2008-07-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

STEPS

Prepare two 1250 ml PET bottles.
Cut one of the bottles into three parts. Please keep the bottles top and middle section.
Stick the bottles top into the other PET bottle’s bottom part.
Stick the first bottle’s middle section into the second bottle’s top part. (Please use the insulating tape.)
Cut four acrylic boards as the four "wings" of the rocket.
Pour about 200 ml Water into the bottle.
Cap the rocket into the inflater ready to launch.
Put the rocket into the launch pad.
Pump the air into the bottle.
Make sure the atmospheric pressure in the bottle is about 70~75 percent.
JET SET GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

tips

The smaller the nozzle of the rocket, the less drag at take off and the longer it can sustain flight, but a bigger nozzle lets the water out faster, thus making it go higher and faster, but will loose all of its water faster.

warning

Do not pump too much air into the bottle.
Stay away from the rocket when pumping air and after pumping air

Requirements

Two 1250 ml PET bottles
An Inflater
Four acrylic boards
Tape

BIODEGRADATION

2008-07-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms. The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management and environmental remediation (bioremediation). Organic material can be degraded aerobically, with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen. A term related to biodegradation is biomineralisation, in which organic matter is converted into minerals. Biosurfactant, an extracellular surfactant secreted by microorganism enhances the biodegradation process.
Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms. Some microorganisms have the astonishing, naturally occurring, microbial catabolic diversity to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorina biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals. Major methodological breakthroughs in microbial biodegradation have enabled detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms providing unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of microorganisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Financial Assistance

2008-07-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

In law, financial assistance refers to assistance given by a company for the purchase of its own shares or the shares of its holdi

ng companies. In many jurisdictions such assistance is prohibited or restricted by law. For example all EU member states are required to prohibit financial assistance by public companies, although some members go further, for example, France, Belgium and The Netherlands prohibit financial assistance by all companies. Where such assistance is given in breach of applicable law it will render the relevant transaction void and may constitute a criminal offence.
The assistance can be of a variety of different types. The most common type of assistance is a financial guarantee for a loan and/or third party security to allow a borrower to borrow money to buy shares which is routinely given (to the extent legally possible) after a leveraged buyout in support of the new owner's acquisition debt. It would also normally include a gift or loan from the company or any other act which reduces the net assets of the company to a material extent where this is done for the purpose of the acquisition of shares in itself or its parent.
The rationale for such laws is purely economic; it is based upon the premise that if a company supports the purchase of its own shares, it causes a de facto diminution in the company's value. Concerns have also been expressed that such financial assistance artificially inflates a share's price above its market level.
Although the authorities are unclear, it seems that financial assistance may also have been a crime under the English common law prior to its codification by statute. If that is correct, then laws against financial assistance may be much more prevalent than is normally assumed, and would also apply in many of the English speaking Commonwealth countries.
Laws against financial assistance are sometimes controversial because of the difficulties they can cause in the context of a leveraged buyout, and some jurisdictions which have enacted them have later repealed them.Some jurisdictions provide for so-called "whitewash" procedures, whereby the shareholders can authorise transactions that would otherwise be void for financial assistance. Most jurisdictions which prohibit financial assistance permit the company to purchase its own shares and hold them in treasury, and the company can then issue them again on terms that would have been prohibited if they had sought to provide financial assistance in an equivalent manner for a third party purchase

2008-06-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

World Health Organization
The manner in which the WHO has recognized and dealt with 'drug abuse' over the years reflects a continuing struggle to reconcile conflicting historical, political, social, cultural, and medical viewpoints.
In its early reports, the WHO Expert Committee on Addiction-Producing Drugs used the terms 'abuse' and 'addiction' interchangeably. Beginning in 1950s, attempts were made to distinguish between scientific and emotionally-charged terminology. However, the term 'abuse' was still inserted into definitions of addiction and dependency.
In 1957, while not explicitly saying that 'drug abuse' was synonymous with 'addiction', the committee first attempted to clarify existing definitions of addiction and habituation as had been in common parlance since at least 1931:
Drug addiction is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by the repeated consumption of a drug (natural or synthetic). Its characteristics include:

(1) an overpowering desire or need (compulsion) to continue taking the drug and to obtain it by any means;

(ii) a tendency to increase the dose;

(iii) a psychic (psychological) and generally a physical dependence on the effects of the drug; and

(iv) detrimental effects on the individual and on society.
Drug habituation (habit) is a condition resulting from the repeated consumption of a drug. Its characteristics include

(i) a desire (but not a compulsion) to continue taking the drug for the sense of improved well-being which it engenders;

(ii) little or no tendency to increase the dose;

(iii) some degree of psychic dependence on the effect of the drug, but absence of physical dependence and hence of an abstinence syndrome , and

(iv) detrimental effects, if any, primarily on the individual.
In 1964, a new WHO committee found these definitions to be inadequate, and suggested using the blanket term 'drug dependence':
The definition of addiction gained some acceptance, but confusion in the use of the terms addiction and habituation and misuse of the former continued. Further, the list of drugs abused increased in number and diversity. These difficulties have become increasingly apparent and various attempts have been made to find a term that could be applied to drug abuse generally. The component in common appears to be dependence, whether psychic or physical or both. Hence, use of the term 'drug dependence', with a modifying phase linking it to a particular drug type in order to differentiate one class of drugs from another, had been given most careful consideration. The Expert Committee recommends substitution of the term 'drug dependence' for the terms 'drug addiction' and 'drug habituation'.

Effects of global warming on India

2008-06-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

will india.........
The effects of global warming on India vary from the submergence of low-lying islands and coastal lands to the melting of glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, threatening the volumetric flo w rate of many of the most important rivers of India and South Asia. In India, such effects are projected to impact millions of lives. As a result of ongoing climate change, the climate of India has become increasingly volatile over the past several decades; this trend is expected to continue

Effects
Several effects of global warming, including steady sea level rise increased cyclonic activity, and changes in ambient temperature and precipitation patterns, have impacted or are projected to impact India. Ongoing sea level rises have submerged several low-lying islands in the Sundarbans, displacing thousands of people.Temperature rises on the Tibetan Plateau, which are causing Himalayan glaciers to retreat, may reduce the flow rate of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, and other major rivers; hundreds of thousands of farmers depend on these rivers. According to a 2007 World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF) report, the Indus River may run dry for the same reason.
Environmental
Increased landslides and flooding are projected to impact such states as Assam.Ecological disasters, such as a 1998 coral bleaching event that killed off more than 70% of corals in the reef ecosystems off Lakshadweep and the Andamans, and was brought on by elevated ocean temperatures tied to global warming, are also projected to become increasingly common.
Economic
The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research has reported that, if the predictions relating to global warming made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change come to fruition, climate-related factors could cause India's GDP to decline by up to 9%; contributing to this would be shifting growing seasons for major crops such as rice, production of which could fall by 40%. Around seven million people are projected to be displaced due to, among other factors, submersion of parts of Mumbai and Chennai, if global temperatures were to rise by a mere 2 °C (3.6 °F).
Villagers in India's North Easter state of Meghalaya are also concerned that rising sea levels will submerge neighbouring low-lying Bangladesh, resulting in an influx of refugees into Meghalaya—which has few resources to handle such a situation.

2008-06-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breathdue to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be made with chest X-rays and a CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:
blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

be more... coming .......................