powerslave
12-24-2008, 01:17 PM
First of all, thanks Sunny. This is a good thing. I hope it gets to see a wider audience, and I think it will because it will offer the world what no other forum offers in specific - Colors from the beautiful land of India, something which the rest of the world truly admires and gets intrigued by.
For me, its been really a short journey, so far. I do not have tens of years of experience with the camera as do most people on such forums. My love for photography was first born when my dad used to try to teach me "some" thing about Apertures and f-numbers and shutter speeds and ISO speeds and depth of field and multiple exposures! Of course I had no clue what was going on except that his enthusiasm in explaining this to a 5 year old kid was more than infectious.
The very first shots I've taken were on my dad's Nikon FE (I think it was badged different in India, here's the photo, maybe you could correct me).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2788183112/
One of these days I'll ask dad to show me the ones I've taken, cos I sure as hell don't remember which ones I took.
In the past 5~7 years, I was yearning for a camera to twiddle with, a digital of course. But due to lack of "support" from parents(<insert smiley here>) I was forced, painfully to wait till I could afford one with my own money. The funny part is, after getting to US, dad sent me the money for one <insert smiley here>. On rides, I used to borrow my friend's Canon A510 which I must say is probably the reason why I'm a Canon fan(~boy even <insert smiley here>).
The first thing I did after I got to the US was to buy a camera. I had to think it through. I knew I was going to buy a DSLR in the near future, and so I had to make a hard choice. Even though I could afford to buy a DSLR, I had to think about whether I would be able to carry it around. I was in a new country, and this time was important in my life. I didn't want to miss out on events and places because the "DSLR was too big to carry around everywhere I went". This was the major reason why I chose to make the hard choice of buying a simple point and shoot AND make it one that would complement my DSLR. That is, as compact as possible (and cheap). And that meant the Canon Powershot A570IS which at $160 (damn that sounds expensive compared to the $100 for A590IS currently), was the cheapest Canon digicam with PASM and IS. No brainer for me really. This choice really paid off. I took over thousands of pictures only within a few months.
Then something magical happened, I started receiving compliments from people. It feels GREAT to know that there are people out there who enjoy something they see in a photo as much as you do. In no way does this mean
that under-appreciated photos aren't good. I started flickring. I started taking more and more photos. By March 08, the itch to get a better camera became irresistible, and I went for one of the best purchases I've ever made. The XTi body only + the nifty fifty (50mm f/1,8II). I needed this asap as I was coming to India and wanted to capture my precious time with my family.
I was waiting for the budget 18-55IS lens to come, but it wasn't in stock anywhere for at least 3~4 months after that, so had to make do with a portrait lens. The 18-55IS was gifted to me by a special friend (<insert smiley here>) once I returned to US in August 08. Yeah. I was having fun.
The town of Clemson, South Carolina, is a very scenic, albeit a little limited place, since I don't have a car. It's got a lake at walking distance, a botanical garden at a slightly longer walking distance and some of the most beautiful sunsets I've EVER seen in my life. Especially in springtime (its approaching soon woohoo <insert smiley here>).
Then towards the end of my semester I was accepted to shoot for the university's newspaper. I got to handle expensive equipment here, and also lot of photo opportunities like sports, indoor portraiture etc. I'll have a lot more to report once the semester gets underway again.
Recently I was contemplating the 70-200 f/4L non-IS as I was getting it at $420 (which is 30% off!) brand new. But I made a wiser choice and went for a 430EX II, BG-E3 battery grip, the EF-S 55-250IS and extra accessories to go with it.
Enough blabbering, but damn, I always start doing that when anyone even remotely talks about photography. <insert smiley here> And anyway, rule 1 says
* Provide as much details as possible to create a good connect with other Photographers
So there. <insert smiley here>
Recent projects: Shot for a couple issues of the Tiger newspaper, http://www.thetigernews.com/, some basketball games, some building shots, some studio concept shots etc. Many more to come.
You've seen all my public shots already, so here's some again <insert smiley here>
First two shots are with my trusty old A570IS.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2453996068_d8b63e0758.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2453996068/)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2267835115_3b50389624.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2267835115/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2595717131_bc34a2fe02.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2595717131/)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/3049978784/sizes/m/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/3049978784/)
Equipment: Canon powershot A570IS, Canon 400D/XTi, Nikon FE(film), Canon 50mm f/1.8II, EF-S 18-55IS, EF-S 55-250IS, Speedlite 430EX II, BG-E3 vertical grip. I get to play around with quite a bit of expensive L lenses and Nikon pro-body + lenses. Plus my roommate has the Tamron 28-75, Canon 10-22, so I use those a bit too. My next purchase is probably a telephoto prime.
Favourite Subjects (of Photography): Nature, roommates <insert smiley here>, cars and bikes, sports, architecture, urban, abstract, sky, sunsets, everyday life and almost anything and everything.
Favourite Photographers: Mostly flickr users such as vonvonvon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonvonvon/), Rochelle Haisley (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenolivemama/) and tons of others, you can check my favorites in flickr. I tend to HATE "brand name" pro photographer. Many such pro photogs seem like a classic case of 'Emperor's new clothes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor%27s_New_Clothes)' to me, but that just might be the rebel in me, (no pun intended).
Enough!
Cheers!
For me, its been really a short journey, so far. I do not have tens of years of experience with the camera as do most people on such forums. My love for photography was first born when my dad used to try to teach me "some" thing about Apertures and f-numbers and shutter speeds and ISO speeds and depth of field and multiple exposures! Of course I had no clue what was going on except that his enthusiasm in explaining this to a 5 year old kid was more than infectious.
The very first shots I've taken were on my dad's Nikon FE (I think it was badged different in India, here's the photo, maybe you could correct me).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2788183112/
One of these days I'll ask dad to show me the ones I've taken, cos I sure as hell don't remember which ones I took.
In the past 5~7 years, I was yearning for a camera to twiddle with, a digital of course. But due to lack of "support" from parents(<insert smiley here>) I was forced, painfully to wait till I could afford one with my own money. The funny part is, after getting to US, dad sent me the money for one <insert smiley here>. On rides, I used to borrow my friend's Canon A510 which I must say is probably the reason why I'm a Canon fan(~boy even <insert smiley here>).
The first thing I did after I got to the US was to buy a camera. I had to think it through. I knew I was going to buy a DSLR in the near future, and so I had to make a hard choice. Even though I could afford to buy a DSLR, I had to think about whether I would be able to carry it around. I was in a new country, and this time was important in my life. I didn't want to miss out on events and places because the "DSLR was too big to carry around everywhere I went". This was the major reason why I chose to make the hard choice of buying a simple point and shoot AND make it one that would complement my DSLR. That is, as compact as possible (and cheap). And that meant the Canon Powershot A570IS which at $160 (damn that sounds expensive compared to the $100 for A590IS currently), was the cheapest Canon digicam with PASM and IS. No brainer for me really. This choice really paid off. I took over thousands of pictures only within a few months.
Then something magical happened, I started receiving compliments from people. It feels GREAT to know that there are people out there who enjoy something they see in a photo as much as you do. In no way does this mean
that under-appreciated photos aren't good. I started flickring. I started taking more and more photos. By March 08, the itch to get a better camera became irresistible, and I went for one of the best purchases I've ever made. The XTi body only + the nifty fifty (50mm f/1,8II). I needed this asap as I was coming to India and wanted to capture my precious time with my family.
I was waiting for the budget 18-55IS lens to come, but it wasn't in stock anywhere for at least 3~4 months after that, so had to make do with a portrait lens. The 18-55IS was gifted to me by a special friend (<insert smiley here>) once I returned to US in August 08. Yeah. I was having fun.
The town of Clemson, South Carolina, is a very scenic, albeit a little limited place, since I don't have a car. It's got a lake at walking distance, a botanical garden at a slightly longer walking distance and some of the most beautiful sunsets I've EVER seen in my life. Especially in springtime (its approaching soon woohoo <insert smiley here>).
Then towards the end of my semester I was accepted to shoot for the university's newspaper. I got to handle expensive equipment here, and also lot of photo opportunities like sports, indoor portraiture etc. I'll have a lot more to report once the semester gets underway again.
Recently I was contemplating the 70-200 f/4L non-IS as I was getting it at $420 (which is 30% off!) brand new. But I made a wiser choice and went for a 430EX II, BG-E3 battery grip, the EF-S 55-250IS and extra accessories to go with it.
Enough blabbering, but damn, I always start doing that when anyone even remotely talks about photography. <insert smiley here> And anyway, rule 1 says
* Provide as much details as possible to create a good connect with other Photographers
So there. <insert smiley here>
Recent projects: Shot for a couple issues of the Tiger newspaper, http://www.thetigernews.com/, some basketball games, some building shots, some studio concept shots etc. Many more to come.
You've seen all my public shots already, so here's some again <insert smiley here>
First two shots are with my trusty old A570IS.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2453996068_d8b63e0758.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2453996068/)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2267835115_3b50389624.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2267835115/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2595717131_bc34a2fe02.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/2595717131/)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/3049978784/sizes/m/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/garagenoise/3049978784/)
Equipment: Canon powershot A570IS, Canon 400D/XTi, Nikon FE(film), Canon 50mm f/1.8II, EF-S 18-55IS, EF-S 55-250IS, Speedlite 430EX II, BG-E3 vertical grip. I get to play around with quite a bit of expensive L lenses and Nikon pro-body + lenses. Plus my roommate has the Tamron 28-75, Canon 10-22, so I use those a bit too. My next purchase is probably a telephoto prime.
Favourite Subjects (of Photography): Nature, roommates <insert smiley here>, cars and bikes, sports, architecture, urban, abstract, sky, sunsets, everyday life and almost anything and everything.
Favourite Photographers: Mostly flickr users such as vonvonvon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonvonvon/), Rochelle Haisley (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenolivemama/) and tons of others, you can check my favorites in flickr. I tend to HATE "brand name" pro photographer. Many such pro photogs seem like a classic case of 'Emperor's new clothes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor%27s_New_Clothes)' to me, but that just might be the rebel in me, (no pun intended).
Enough!
Cheers!