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V O L U M E 2 0 I S S U E 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

CEO-NEWS AND GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chief Human Resources Officer, Network18 GET PUBLISHED IN BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
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January 2017

70 114
SnapShots GearGuide CellphonePhotography
22 Industry Voice
Gaurav Ghavri, Product 24 test
Sony RX 1 R II
50 test
Google Pixel
Head, Camera Division, The only full frame
Panasonic India. compact in the world Stellar image quality
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52 Samsung Galaxy
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The best phone to come
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ON THE COVER 32 Fuji lmX-Pro2


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www.betterphotography.in
WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY? WE LET THE MASTERS ANSWER PROFILE: MICHAEL CHVEZ GWEN COYNE'S STUDY OF INNOCENCE

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EXCLUSIVE TESTS
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Vincent Peters, Jyoti Bhatt, Karen Knorr,
proves itself
58
Roger Ballen, Q Sakamaki, Rajesh Bedi,
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cellPhone Profile

PHOTOGRAPH: VINCENT PETERS


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Vincent Peters show, In the Light, Germany) her daughters
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InFocus

120 132
ShowCase BetterPictures PhotoFinish
64 sPeciAl feAture
Through Their Eyes 114 Announcing
the Nominees of 170 storY BehinD the Picture
Into the Jaws of Death
Offbeat, noteworthy WPOY 2016 -17
quotes on photography
by famous people
120 Michael Chvez
Profile

70 shooting technique
What is Photography?
A Peruvian journey of
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10 iconic imagemakers
present us with their
exclusive outlook on
the question
132 A Vignette of thoughts
The Need for a
Visual Diary
Richard Koci Hernandez Jamie Livingstons Photo
Q. Sakamaki of the Day series
Roger Ballen
Laura Letinsky
Jyoti Bhatt
Karen Knorr
Rajesh Bedi
Vincent Peters
Anna Fox
Sunil Gupta
Arko Datta
Feedback
Send your suggestions, thoughts, and feedback letters to...
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Every month, the Letter of the Month will win a special gift from

Prabuddhas yet, they dont get the respect they deserve.


book, Edge Although, the photographers condemned
of Faith is a and protested against this act, it is sad
how media people are treated all over
noteworthy the world. I am alarmed at the way we as
ruminative students are taught about honest reporting
document of a and photojournalism, yet at the same time
lived experience. our mentors are scrutinised and attacked
for doing something what they believe in.
Masoomi Jain, Mumbai

Organising Photo Webinars


Since a while, I have been enjoying
the monthly webinars that are being
organised by Better Photography and
Shooting on the Edge The story on Adobe India. Apart from being an avid
I was thrilled to see Prabuddha Dasguptas Prabuddha Dasgupta reader of BP, I always felt the need for
appeared in the December
image as the cover and his story in the 2016 issue of Better practical knowledge, especially when
Great Masters section of Better Photographys Photography, and we talk about the aesthetics of various
December 2016 issue. As an amateur documented a timeless photography genres.
fine art and fashion photographer, I have journey of faith, memory With the new webinar series, BP
and loss.
learned a lot by observing his work and has successfully tried to bridge the gap
reading his books. All his photographs between the theory and practicalities
possess raw emotions and a surreal quality, of photography by involving some of
10 with a hidden meaning that makes the the masters around the country. I was
viewer desire for more. particularly excited for Manish Mamtanis
When I saw the cover on the stands, webinar on astrophotography, which
I was stunned by the sheer brilliance of was incredible to listen to. It was great to
the picture, and when I read more about interact with the mentor and learn more
his book, Edge of Faith, I was moved by about the genre in an affordable way from
this powerful world of memory, faith a trustworthy source.
and melancholy that he created through Mahesh Shantarams Vikas Kamani, Pune
his images. More than the black and white photographs were
visuals, what really inspired me are the showcased in the Highlighting a Social
stories that give us a sneak peak into the December 2016 issue of I was very moved after reading Mahesh
Better Photography, and
quietude of his subjects life, and slowly highlighted the stories of Shantarams photofeature, The African
draws us into it. everyday prejudice and Portraits in the December 2016. The feature
Prasanth Rodrigues, Bengaluru racism faced by African documents the lives of African students
students and migrants and migrants in India, throws light on
in India.
Immoral Use of Power
I have been following the case of assault
on prominent Indian photojournalists like
Atul Kamble outside the Bombay House
since it was featured in Better Photographys
December 2016 issue.
I am mass media student who plans to
get into journalism, and this news was
a rather discouraging one. Considering
that the photographers and reporters
were assaulted when they were simply
doing their job, is highly disturbing
and unacceptable.
It is upsetting that in a democratic
country like India, photojournalists play
a great role in relaying information and

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
Twitter: twitter.com/betterphoto
Facebook: facebook.com/betterphotography
Youtube: youtube.com/betterphotoindia FIND US ONLINE!
Website: betterphotography.in

Questioning Photojournalistic Ethics


News images shape our culture in ways both With great power comes great responsibility,
profound and deep. Those who lived through responsible photojournalism means adherence to We believe that the
the Bhopal gas tragedy (1984) or even Gujarat a standard of ethics. joy of a family photo
riots(2002) cannot help but remember the searing Even with a set code of ethics and rules, is in displaying
photographs that have come to symbolise these we come across so many cases, which are it. To make your
disturbing events in the history of India a girl child borderline challenging. As photography evolves
special memories
being buried by her father in Bhopal, the crying so will the rules, but at the same time we as
stand out, this
and pleading man during the riots in Godhra and so imagemakers tend to forget basic humanity
and sensitivity to get that perfect photograph. Letter of the
on. These photos have woven themselves into the
collective memory of more than one generation. This has increased considerably with a hike in Month wins a
There are some who would even say that the number of photographers around. special Photo Frame
mounting weight of evidence was the primary cause I agree ethics in journalism is a very subjective from Red Moments!
for public opinion to shift against these events. field, but it is about time that we become
Then hence effected an end to the respective conscious of our actions as photojournalists.
episodes. To borrow a phrase from pop culture, Samira Khaitan, Boston

Mahesh the issue of racism and prejudice in where we used to fret over photo critiques
Shantarams India. As a documentary photographer, with our professors, and they used to
work involves I found his use of personal and subjective simply tell us the issues with our images.
documentary photo series to study But Roy took it to the next level, by literally
a deep human complex systems, very interesting. punching holes and making those frames
interaction, Moreover, the style of shooting and useless. His method can be labelled as
and strikes a use of light painting not only adds to the cruel and merciless, but it did help in
12
perfect balance creative side of this project, it also adds to producing some of the iconic pictures of
the social and humanist point of view. For a the Great Depression, 1929.
between fine nation that was considered as warm and Urvashi Pandit, Ahmedabad
art and social welcoming, it is a shame that people are
documentation. ill treated and discriminated on the basis
of their caste, creed and colour. I hope his
project succeeds in breaking stereotypes
and portray the students and migrants a
part of our country.
Shrey Basu, Udaipur

Merciless Photo Editing


While going through the December 2016 146

issue of Better Photography, I was surprised


by this collage of photos with blackened
circles on them. I initially thought that
A Brutal Punch
Image Source:

it was a printing glitch, but the more I Library of Congress

A Brutal Punch,
A
Written by: fter serving in the US infantry in WWI, Roy Emerson Stryker studied economics
Sainethra Hariharan and followed the footsteps of his favourite economist Rexford Tugwell.

began read about them, I couldnt stop appeared in the


He became a part of Tugwells brainchild, Resettlement Administration (RA)
as the head of its Information Division. Due to several criticisms, the RA came
back as the Farm Security Administration to improve the condition of the rural

December 2016 issue


society during the Great Depression in the late 1930s. As its director, Stryker played a huge

and think about the ruthless Roy Stryker


role in portraying the challenges of rural poverty through his documentary photography
movement. He assembled some of the best photographers which included Dorothea

of Better Photography
Lange, Arthur Rothstein, Walker Evans and John Vachon, amongst others to portray the
extent of economic disaster. Though he had a clear vision, he was criticised for his heavy

and punchholes created by him in the


handed editing method, which involved destroying negatives by punching holes into them.

and talked about Roy


Usually photographers used a hole punch to indicate a selected frame but Stryker, used it
to kill the images he disliked. In some negatives the holes were clipped at the borders while
in some he seemed almost wrathful by punching the faces or necks. Although he was not

negatives. The piece, A Brutal Punch, Better PhotograPhy


a photographer, in the end Stryker had the final say. Ruthless as he was, he was known for
producing some of the greatest photographs of the Great Depression.

decemBer 2016
Strykers ruthless way of
reminded me of my photo school days photo editing.
Story Behind the Picture_SH_Roy Stryker.indd 146 21-11-2016 13:06:45

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
Snap Shots
w h aT s n e w
Kashmir Photographer Loses Eye to Pellet Gun
Fujilm X-a10
R

Image courtesy the Associated Press


ecently, two photojournalists
The camera features a 16.3MP
APS-C sensor, full-HD video
Muzamil Mattoo working with Kashmir
recording, and an ISO range Reader and Xuhaib Maqbool Humzah, were
of 200-6400 (expandable hit by pellets, while covering an anti-Hindu
to 25,600). The screen flips protest in the Rainawari area of Srinagar.
to 180, which activates the
cameras eye-detection AF. The X-A10 will come Xuhaib ended up losing vision in his left
along with the XC1650mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS II lens, eye, as a result of being shot by a soldier.
and will retail for USD 499 (approximately According to him, the officials mistook him
Rs. 33,900).
for a protester and began firing their guns
sealife DC2000 nonstop. I raised my camera to reveal my imposing curfews. Neither the people nor
The DC2000 comes with identity to the soldier, who had his gun the Indian army wholly believes the media,
a 1-inch back illuminated pointed at me and, I even told him that as they are viewed as entities who are hiding
20MP Sony CMOS I wasnt a protester. I want to ask the officer the truth. As a result, the army ends up
sensor, shoots
JPEG+RAW images
the reason behind why he fired a gun in getting physical with the local journalists,
and full HD videos, my direction. I was simply doing my job, for entering the restricted area.
and features four underwater camera modes. he said. In the past, the pellets, used for the Since the attack, Xuhaib has undergone
It also includes a built-in flash and a 3-inch purpose of dispersing crowds, have in fact several eye surgeries, and is currently
920k dot rear LCD, and is waterproof to up
to 200ft. The camera is priced at USD 700 severely injured thousands of Kashmiris. recovering. The Supreme Court has issued
(approx. Rs. 47,500). Journalists too, have been caught in the a notice to the Government, calling for
14 crossfire, as protesters clash with police, a ban on the use of pellet guns by the
laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D and the authorities try to regain control by security forces.
The 12mm manual focus
lens is designed for full
frame cameras and has a
122 angle of view, with a
minimum focusing distance
of 18cm, and an aperture
The Wildlife India Photography Awards 2017
that ranges from f/2.8 to f/22. The lens will be
made available for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A,
Sony E and Pentax K mounts, and will cost
U nder the aegis of the Wildlife India
Forum, a special symposium to
be held in Bengaluru in March 2017,
these awards. Proceeds from the sale of
this book will be donated to an on-field
conservation effort. The top two winners
between USD 949 (approx. Rs. 64,400) to USD Better Photography initiates an annual award will get to attend a seven-day masterclass
979 (approx. Rs. 66,400),
for wildlife photography enthusiasts. With in Kenya. A special category in WIPA 2017
nocturnus 50mm f/0.95 II a specific agenda to foster is the Emerging Photographer
The manual focus lens education and conservation in Award, based on portfolio
features an aperture Indian wildlife, the entries are submissions. The awards are
range from f/0.95 to
f/22, and is compatible
limited to photographs made partnered by Toehold, HP
with Sony E-mount within the country. The awards and the Kenya Tourism Board.
cameras. It has a are also associated with the Read more about the Wildlife
minimum focusing distance of 50cm and a 45 Best of Indian Wildlife 2017, Masterclass in Kenya on page
angle of view. The lens retails for 2,999 euros
(approx Rs. 2.1 lakhs). a coffeetable book that will 35, WIPA on page 38, and of the
feature the best images from Wildlife India Forum on page 119.

You can look at a picture for a week and never


think of it again. You can also look at a picture for
a second and think of it all your life.
JOan MIr (1893-1983)
Joan Mir was a renowned Spanish artist, known for his sculptures, paintings and pottery. His work imbibes surrealism, and is described to be a
recreation of the childlike. Mir exhibited a strong love of drawing at an early age. His artistic career may be characterised as one of persistent
experimentation and a lifelong flirtation with non-objectivity. His signature biomorphic forms, and semi-abstracted objects are expressed in multiple
media, from engravings to large installations. He was also named the Doctor Honoris Causa, by the University of Barcelona, for his influence on art.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
s naPs hots

w h aT s n e w
Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Unveiled
OnePlus 3T
The phone sports a 5.5-inch display
and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon
N ational Geographic recently unveiled
the winners of its Nature Photographer
of the Year Contest 2016. Greg Lacoeur won
821 processor, 6GB RAM and 64GB of
internal storage. It has a 16MP front the grand prize and first place in the Action
and rear camera with f/2 aperture, category, for his photograph Sardine Run.
RAW shooting capabilities (only rear
camera), and can record 4k video. The image was shot underwater and shows

Varun Aditya
Its priced at Rs. 29,999. a shoal of sardines being intercepted by
predators.
Vivo Xplay 6 Varun Aditya won the first prize in the
It features a 5.5-inch display and is
powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon
Animal Portraits category, for his picture of a into the rainforest, he said. Vadim Balakin
820 processor. The phone features a green vine snake, Dragging You Deep into the placed first in the Environmental Issues
dual camera setup on its rear (12MP Woods. He also won a cash prize of USD 2500 category for his image Life and Death, and
and 5MP cameras), along with a dual (approx. Rs. 1.69 lakhs). I shot the image Jacob Kapetein placed first in the Landscape
LED flash and a 16MP front camera
with f/2 aperture. The phone has been
at Amboli, during a blissful morning stroll category for his photograph Struggle of life.
priced at CNY 4498 (approx. Rs. 44,000).

DJI Phantom 4 Pro and Inspire 2


The Phantom 4
Pro sports a 1-inch
Photographer Rodney Smith Passes Away at 68
20MP CMOS sensor
and features a
mechanical shutter.
N ew York-based photographer Rodney
Smith, passed away on 5 December
2016, at his home. Smith was known for
It can record 4k 60p
video at 100mbps.
the whimsical themes he employed in
16 his photographs, and his work was often
It has a maximum
speed of 45 mph compared to Belgian surrealist Ren
and can fly for up Magritte. He spoke of his images as...
to 30 minutes. It retails for USD 1500 (approx.
Rs. 1 lakh). Whereas, the Inspire 2 features the
I perceive my pictures as playing with time
CineCore 2.0a new image processing system, and space. But mostly, I see my pictures
which enables users to record 5.2k video at as funny and, to use the most vulgar
4.2Gbps for CinemaDNG RAW video capture. expression from the 21st-century art world,

Rodney Smith
It retails for USD 3000 (approx. Rs. 2 lakhs).
beautiful and romantic. Smith rarely gave
The Karma Grip advance thought to the images he wanted
The Karma Grip is a handle with to make... Letting them take shape gradually.
gimbal stabiliser. The Grip is ready to
use with the Hero4 and Hero5, but a
harness retailing for USD 30 (approx.
Rs. 2000) is required for it. Since it
connects directly to the cameras A New Online Wedding Photography Course Announced
W
USB-C and Micro-HDMI ports on edding photographer Arjun Kartha, firm their footing in the wedding industry,
its side, the two are completely
integrated to give you control from recently announced the beginning as well as students and amateurs wanting to
the handle. There are buttons on of what is supposedly Indias first online learn about wedding photography.
the handle for power and to aid in changing the wedding photography course called the For Rs. 5000 (exclusive of taxes),
shooting modes. Also, the gimbal can be removed
AKP e-Bootcamp. participants will receive a Full HD video
for mounting on other Karma products. It retails
for USD 300 (approx. Rs. 20,000). The two-day intensive crash course is containing a comprehensive crash
aimed at photographers who are keen to course on wedding photography, a mix of

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
e V e n Ts

18 December 2016-14 January


some Portraits
PhotoInk, new Delhi

P r O Ta l K
TIME Reveals its Instagram Photographer of 2016
Drawn from the archives
of Pablo Bartholomew,
Madan Mahatta,
scrim is a piece of
translucent fabric used
to diffuse and soften
B rooklyn-based
documentary
photographer Ruddy Roye,
Ketaki Sheth, Richard the light. It could be
Bartholomew, Ram a reflector with a was recently announced as
Rahman, Sadanand translucent panel. It is TIME magazines Instagram
Menon and Sooni usually held together Photographer of the
Taraporevala, the on some sort of frame
exhibition, spanning Year 2016.
that defuses the light
over 40 years, revolves Four years ago, struck
hitting the subject.
around remembrance
by the lack of visibility
and celebration... about
the blurred space of certain communities,
between life and art notably that of African

Ruddy Roye
artists photographing
other artists.
Americans, Ruddy set up
an Instagram account, in
10 December 2016-20 January
order to give a platform to
Time & Tide the several neglected voices. His poignant revealing story to tell... Before anything,
Tasveer art Gallery, Bengaluru
portraits of everyday people, as well as before language, we see. And if I can make
those living in the borderline of society you think about a particular subject matter
Karan Kapoor

have raised important issues pertaining before you even start to talk about it, then
to race, gender, politics, art and culture. thats my aim. My aim is to change your
Almost every photograph has a deep and thought process, he said.
The exhibition features
photographs from two
different bodies of work Call for entries
18 by Karan Kapoor. One of
them is from the 1980s, entry Fee: Free
of older Anglo-Indians, website: www.gopc.olympus-global.com
since the end of the Deadline: 10 January
British era. The other
set captures the last of
Portuguese Goa, and Istanbul Photo awards
brings alive the modern The Competition: Sponsored by Turkish Airlines and
culture of Goan Catholics supported by the Turkish Prime Ministrys Promotion
and other communities. Fund, the international news contest aims at bringing
in the most important stories and photographs from
12-14 January, 19-21 January around the world.
Photo Tour with Categories: News-Single, News-Story, Sports-Single,
Better Photography Sports-Story, Portrait-Single, Portrait-Story, Nature
Bharatpur, Varanasi and Environment-Single, Nature and Environment-
send in your entries national Photography awards Story
K Madhavan Pillai

to the Olympus Global The Competition: The awards, now in its sixth edition,
Prize: The grand prize winner will receive USD
Open Photo Contest, focuses on promoting Indias art, culture, heritage and
8000 (approx. Rs. 5.4 lakhs), while the second
and win cash prizes of society, through the medium of photography.
up to rs. 5.8 lakhs! and third prize winner will each receive USD 5000
Categories: Skilled India (professional photographers)
(approx. Rs. 3.3 lakhs) and USD 3000 (approx.
and Swacch Bharat (amateur photographers).
The three-day Prize: The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award Rs. 2 lakhs), respectively.
photo tour will take entry Fee: Free
will receive a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh.
participants through website: www.istanbulphotoawards.com
the undiscovered lanes The Professional and Amateur Photographer of the
Year will receive Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 75,000, respectively. Deadline: 31 January
and ghats of Varanasi,
where participants will entry Fee: Free
get to practice their website: www.photodivision.gov.in 2017 Zeiss Photography award
street photography Deadline: 10 January The Competition: The contest, run jointly by ZEISS and
skills. There will the World Photography Organisation, the competition
also be interactive Olympus Global Open Photo Contest 2016-17 is open to photographers from across the globe.
critique sessions and Theme: Seeing Beyond
The Competition: The contest aims at connecting
presentations at the Prize: The grand prize winner will receive Zeiss lenses
photographers worldwide. Each entrant may submit up
end of the day. The
to five photographs in each category. worth 12,000 Euros (approx. Rs. 8.6 lakhs), as well
cost of the tour ranges
from Rs. 23,000 to Categories: Power of Life, Connections to Cherish, as 3000 Euros (approx. Rs. 2.1 lakhs) to pursue a
Rs. 25,000. For more Places that Inspire, Perspectives Often Missed photography project of their choice.
details and to register, Prize: The grand prize winner will receive an Olympus entry Fee: Free
email at workshops@ OM-D E-M1 Mark II, M Zuiko Digital ED 1240mm f/2.8 website: www.zeiss.co.uk
betterphotography.in PRO and 1 million JPY (approx. Rs. 5.8 lakhs). Deadline: 7 February

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
e V e n Ts

26-28 January
sky, earth and water
Gokarna

P r O Ta l K

Gobo is something
Iconic Photos of Muhammad Ali Up For Auction
Organised by Darter
Photography, the
landscape photography
that is used to block
unwanted or stray
light from falling onto a
N eil Leifer, renowned American
photographer and filmmaker, is
putting up his photography collection
workshop is a great way subject. It is a physical
to get an all-round 360 for sale. While a large portion of the
stencil or template
in-depth understanding of
that is placed inside or photographs are images that he has shot
photographing landscapes, over his lifetime, the others are those
in the front of a light
The three-day workshop
is priced at Rs. 18,850.
source, to control the acquired by him from other photographers.
For more details and to shape of the emitted Amongst the plethora of pictures up for
register, visit www.darter.in light. often, a reflector
(using the black side) sale is Leifers famous photographer of the
2 February-5 February can serve a dual heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad
Indian art Fair purpose and act as a Ali, where he is standing triumphantly

Neil Leifer
nsIC exhibition Complex, new Delhi gobo as well. over Sonny Liston. The bidding of the
photograph will begin at USD 160,000
(approx. Rs. 1 crore). However, the people winning bid to reach USD 600,000 (approx.
at Guernseys Auction are expecting the Rs. 4 crore).

Representing the
continents vast diversity,
Photographer David Hamilton Commits Suicide
the Indian Art Fair
features exquisite work
in photography, paintings,
P rominent
British fashion
photographer David
the most plausible reason of death to
be suicide.
Hamilton, who was known for his nude
sculptures and many
20 other visual art forms. Hamilton, was found images of underage girls, hit the headlines
Exhibiting alleries will be dead in his Paris recently after former child models said he
presenting their art works
to the entire art fraternity. apartment. He was had raped them. Prior to his death, he had
found unresponsive threatened to sue his accusers, saying that
27 February-4 March
in his home by a he had been cleared for abuse. Despite the
wild riches of the
neighbour who alerted the emergency questionable nature of his photographs, his
lower himalaya
Jim Corbett national Park, services. It was reported that a bottle of work has been widely published in fashion
Uttarakhand medication was found nearby, making magazines and displayed at galleries.
Sachin Rai

Organised by Toehold, the


USD 1 Billion Getty Images Lawsuit Finally Ends
wildlife photography tour
is a grand photographic
voyage into the lush Jim
W hat had become one of the most
publicised lawsuit cases in the past
few months, between Getty Images and
charging licensing fees for the use of
her photographs without her consent.
However, Getty vigorously defended their
Corbett National Park.
Participants will be treated celebrated photographer Carol Highsmith, position based on the fact that Highsmith
to daily insightful sessions
has finally ended with Getty winning had placed her work in the public domain,
on photography, and
natural history. The cost the case. and thereby had no reason to sue them.
of the tour is Rs. 56,400. Highsmith had earlier filed a The lawsuit was immediately dismissed.
For more information, visit
USD 1 billion lawsuit against Getty The two parties are said to have settled
www.toehold.in.
Images, claiming that they were some other claims outside of the court.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
s naPs hots

I n D U sT ry VO I C e

In the next year, our primary focus will be


Ricoh Launches a New Photo Management Service
on our new 4K range of pro camcorders.
Recently, the entry-
K eenai is Ricohs latest offering on the
photo storage and management service
arena. The platform will allow users to
uploaded. But, there is a limit for videos, set
at 300 15-minute videos per month.
The service is available for iOS, Android,
segment of DSLR
cameras has seen a upload and store their images and videos, Windows Phone, macOS and Windows
growth and remains to be sync the content with multiple devices, users. It also allows for a direct photo and
the most popular among
and share it with others, including 360 video transfer from the Toshiba FlashAir
young professionals and
photography enthusiasts, panoramas. The pictures (JPEG and RAW and other WiFi enabled cameras. The service
with a lot of first-time files), will be stored in its original resolution, costs USD 5 (approx. Rs. 399 ) for a month to
buyers entering the and an unlimited number of them can be USD 49 (approx. Rs. 3,324) for a year.
Gaurav Ghavri market. There is sales
Product head, Camera Division, consistency in more
Panasonic India
professional cameras,
as pro buyers are increasing and photographers
are becoming more sophisticated. DSLR camera
users have really evolved and know what they want
Oldest Nikon Camera Sold For a Whopping Price
to buy. Panasonic is considered as a pioneer in
4k videos.
This year, our main focus is our new 4k range of
R ecently, the oldest
surviving Nikon
camera sold for a
The camera belonged to
Tad Sato, a Japanese camera
collector. The auctions
pro camcorders. Our mission is to build on the staggering USD 406,000 description stated, The offered
niche category in India, as the segment interested
(approx. Rs. 2.7 crores), camera is one of two cameras
in these cameras are quite small. The demand for
4K is increasing, and for us the UX 90 and UX 180 at the WestLitch made in April 1948 and the
are an important 4K range. Photographica auction in third of all Nikon production
Technology is something that is evolving on Austria. The camera is said to be the third cameras. It comes with the original early
a daily basis. The company is soon planning to
launch 6k mirrorless cameras. Available for the
Nikon body ever produced, and over the Nikkor-H 2/5cm no.70811 lens (this is the
22 international market, the device will be able to years since its manufacture, took on the 11th lens made, with matching Nikon cap)
record 6K at 30 frames per second and 4K at name Nikon 1. and is still in fantastic original condition.
60 frames per second, making it the worlds first
6K-capable consumer-oriented camera.

VLC Media Player Now Supports 360 Videos


as told to sakshi Parikh

Facebook Sued Over V ideoLan recently teamed up with


Giroptic to launch VLC 360, which

Removal of EXIF Data supports 360 photographs and videos.


The new feature enables the display of 360

R ainer Steuloff, a Berlin-based


photographer and a member of
Freelens (a German photographers
media with three modes, namely, Zoom,
Little Planet and Reverse Little Planet, via
a mouse and keyboard. The company has
Xbox One and iOS and Android devices.
There is also a possibility that the feature
association), sued Facebook for removing plans to make the feature available for the will support virtual reality headsets.
the EXIF data in photographs, after it has
been uploaded to the site. According to
Steuloff, the act is in violation of German
Copyright Law. Relonch: A Camera with Photo Editing Features
In a ruling, earlier last year, the court
agreed with Steuloff. Surprisingly,
Facebook has kept awfully quiet about the
R elonch is a new camera and photo
editing service, where for just USD 99
(approx. Rs. 6,715), users shoot photographs
the company will offer a 4G connection to
enable a transfer of the images you shot to its
own server. Here, based on its own AI, it will
issue, and a lack of dialogue from their end and have them edited via the service. select the best photographs from the ones
for more than six months since the ruling, There is a catch though. The camera does you have shot and will edit them accordingly.
has resulted in the judgement being final. not feature the followinga screen, a flash, The processed photographs will be then
However, the ruling is only restricted an SD card option, and features only one transferred back to you the next day, via a
to Germany. If Facebook fails to fix the shooting mode, along with a shutter button. mobile app.
problem, they can face fines of up to 250,000 Called the Relonch 291, the camera is The service is however still in its beta
euros. Its highly unlikely that the social supposedly based off of Samsung Galaxys testing phase. How good will the service
media giant will make the change only for NX technology, and comes with a 20MP be, and whether it will be made available
Germany. If it does rectify the problem, it APS-C camera, along with a fixed prime globally, will only be known when it
will have to be done globally. lens. Since the camera lacks a storage option, launches some time this year.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
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GearGuide
te
test
st

HOW WE TEST
product categorisation
We first segregate products
into categories for the purpose
of equitability in testing.
The DSLR is divided into
entry-level, semi-professional
and professional categories.
For compacts, we distinguish
between advanced and basic
compact cameras. Similarly, we
also test consumer and pro
lenses, ashguns, printers, and
other photographic accessories
and gear.

The process
We primarily test for features,
performance, build, ergonomics,
warranty and support. While this
remains constant, the weightage
we give to these parameter
differs from category to
category, because different
types of consumers have diverse
expectations from products.

Final ratings
Under each main parameter,
24 Sony RX1R II
we list out hundreds of individual

The Pocketable Powerhouse


variables (for eg. colour accuracy
for individual colours in different
lighting, individual features,
dynamic range, center-to-edge
definition, light falloff, etc) against
which we either give points
or simply mark yes or no. The Sony RX1R II is the worlds smallest full frame camera. How big are
Thus, we arrive at a score for
that parameter, and then, the final the compromises with this tiny marvel? Raj Lalwani investigates.

T
score, denoted as a percentage.
Additionally, based on the current he day I first used the Sony RX1R size of the camera, makes the RX1R II the
pricing of a product, a star II, my friend had bought the ultimate stealth camera.
rating for Value for Money is
considered. Value for Money does
iPhone 7 Plus. Pricey products The RX1R II is the worlds first camera
not affect the final percentage, both, but the first thing that to have an optional low-pass filter.
because prices for products I actually noticed was that the While some cameras do away with the
change constantly. full frame RX1R II was actually smaller (in LPF to maximise detail, the cost of that
our seals of approval width and height) than the phone! is visible moire while photographing
Any product that scores 80% intricate repeating patterns, something
or higher in individual tests gets
WEIgHTagE oF Features one may come across very frequently in
BP Recommendeda seal
paramETErs In fact, RX1R II is like a tiny version of fashion, for instance. This camera allows
of approval from our team.
In comparison tests, we also tag the already small A7R II. The same 42MP you three optionsOff, Weak and Strong,
products as BP Best Performer sensor (as compared to the predecessors to choose between varying levels of detail
5% 15%
and BP Best Value for Money.
15% 24MP) is complemented by a Zeiss Sonar versus moire. This is fantastic innovation.
Bp Excellence awards f/2 lens. The AF system is also borrowed
20% 45%
At the end of the calendar year, from the A7R II with a phase detect system Handling
the highest rated products in
that has as many as 399 points. The camera The RX1R II is incredibly tiny, and
each category automatically
win the Better Photography has a leaf shutter, which allows the even after using it for almost a month,
Features
Excellence Award. This is
Performance flash to sync at really fast shutterspeeds, I continued to marvel at how Sony has
Better Photographys recognition allowing you to use the external flashgun stacked in a full frame sensor in a body
Build Quality
of the very best products
ergonomics to completely overpower daylight for this compact. Significantly, over the
launched in the course of the
Warranty & portrait work. It also makes operation previous iteration, there are certain design
year, and the companies that
support
made them. completely silent, which, considering the changes that do facilitate the photographic

Better PhotograPhy Ja n Ua ry 2 0 1 7
test test
Fuji filmX-Pro2 Sony A6300 test
We review the rangefinder Small with blazing fast AF, Sonys
flagships second iteration top- of- the- line APS-C ILC tested

32 40
process. The camera now has a built-in camera you support with your left
2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder, as palm, below the lens. Though the size
compared to its predecessor, which was an of the camera may encourage you for
LCD-only camera and needed you to buy a the same, I just wouldnt recommend
separate viewfinder. one-handed operation while using the
This completely transforms the RX1R II. The body is rock solid, but is
photographic experience, and goes a not weathersealed. The top panel and
long way in appealing to the kind of lens design are excellent, manual dials
photographer whod aspire to use an RX with just the right amount of tension, and
series camera. The other big upgrade is the a lens with carefully built focusing and
fact that the LCD now tilts, which, coupled aperture rings. It is the back of the camera
with the much improved AF system and that is thus a little surprising, almost like
the EVF, makes it far more intuitive for a different designer worked on the same.
a photographer who wishes to compose The back buttons are quite flimsy, and one
from a waist level perspective. There is, can mistakenly press one button, while
however, no touchscreen. intending to use another. The focus mode
What the design additions mean switch at the front is problematic too, as it
The rX1r II is one
though is that there is no on-camera flash is a little too firm, and not easy to navigate of the best low light
anymore. While I personally use the with ones thumb. I often found myself cameras in the market.
onboard flash a lot, it was a tradeoff that unable to move it, or ended up moving it It deals with articial
light in an efcient,
is understandable, simply because of how by two steps instead of one. natural way and the
much the EVF and tilting LCD improve colour rendition, even
the cameras handling. performance. at super high Isos, is
There is barely any grip to speak The RX1R II is incredibly good... for one extremely consistent.
exposure: 1/100sec at f/2
of. Because of this, this is actually a hour. Thats usually when the battery (ISO 12,800) 25

All photographs by Raj Lalwani

Ja n Ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
test

Better PhotograPhy novemBer 2016


test

27

The lens deals with haze,


stray light and are-prone
situations efciently,
and maintains good
microcontrast even in
challenging conditions.
exposure: 1/60sec,
at f/2 (ISO 6400)

novemBer 2016 Better PhotograPhy


gets over and you have to connect the It almost makes me wonder... does There are no half
aLso LooK For measures with a camera
camera to a charging device, which takes the RX1R II really need to be this small?
like this. Its design
Leica Q way too much time to charge the battery. A slightly larger size would only have
quirks will either get
Fujifilm X100 The battery is rated at 220 shots, but often, made the camera ergonomically better, your wrong side or its
Ricoh GR II
one could manage only 120 in real world and would definitely have been able to form factor and quality
use, especially when the refresh rate of accommodate a larger battery. The camera will make you want to
take it everywhere.
the EVF is optimised so that the viewing would still have remained exceptionally exposure: 1/60sec at f/2
experience isnt jerky. small, by full frame camera standards. (ISO 6400)

ErgonomIcs
Front Top rear
EVF
control dial
shutter release button aperture ring

Hot shoe

Function EV control Dial Four-way controller


aF Illuminator
dial 1228k dot, 3-inch
Lens aF/mF mode button
rear tilting LcD

The camera is almost shaped like a bar of soap, and the The dials of the camera are excellent, and provide the The lack of a thumb grip is disappointing. Sony makes an
lack of a proper grip is a little disappointing. The metal right amount of control for a serious photographer. attachable thumb grip which is not only expensive, but
body feels extremely solid though. The focus switch is a The menus are not well planned, which is why the also blocks essential functions. Almost every button can
little too tight and difficult to operate. amount of external control that is provided is invaluable. be customised to a large degree.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
test
s p Ec I F I caT I o n s

model name
mrP
Sony RX1R II
Rs 2,59,990
Noise Test
effective pixels 42.4MP, 7952 x 5304 pixels
sensor size, type 35.9 x 24.0mm, Exmor R CMOS it is tack sharp. There is no perceptible
recording formats Stills: RAW, JPEG fringing and flare control is excellent.
Movie: XAVC S, AVCHD format
Ver. 2.0 compatible, MP4
In low light, the RX1R II is one of the best
cameras I have ever used. Sure, it may not Iso 12800
Focusing system Fast Hybrid AF with 399 phase-
and modes detection AF points, Single-shot be f/1.4 and I would actually recommend
AF, Continuous AF, Direct a shutterspeed of at least 1/100sec to get a
Manual Focus, Manual Focus
sharp photo (and not 1/40sec, considering
metering 1200-zone evaluative, Multi the large megapixel count). Despite these
Pattern, Center Weighted, Spot
constraints, the image quality at ISO
Shutterspeed range Auto: 1/4000 to 30 sec., Manual:
1/4000 to 30 sec. (1/3 or 1/2EV 12,800 is stunning, and ISO 25,600, when
Iso 16000
steps), Bulb slightly downsized, gives fantastic prints
Colour space Adobe RGB, sRGB as well.
ISO Auto, 1001,02,400 Shot to shot time is quite acceptable if
Viewfinder 0.39-type EVF, 100% you are shooting compressed RAW, and
extremely swift while shooting JPEGs.
LCD 3-inch, 1228k dots, TIlt LCD
The JPEG engine is way superior to the
Other Features Enlarged display mode, Auto
Orientation, Slide Show, old RX1, and takes inspiration from the Iso 32000
Panorama scrolling, Auto A7R II, ensuring extremely high detail
Review, Wifi, PC Remote
retention without any oversharpening.
Control, Auto Object Framing
Wake up time after a considerable amount
White Balance Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy,
Incandescent, Fluorescent: of inactivity is slow. The time the camera
warm, cool, daylight white takes to play back images, too, especially
Battery Lithium-ion while jumping to 100% view, is way too
Iso 64000
Dimension 113 x 65 x 72mm slow, even while shooting JPEGs.
30 Luminance noise is slightly visible at ISO 800, but the
Weight 507g file quality is incredibly good, all the way up to ISO
conclusion 12,800. The fact that this is coupled with a resolution
Sony usually brings its products rather as high as 42MP makes the RX1R II one of the best low
But the battery aside, this is a huge promptly to India, so one can only hope light cameras. The files respond rather well to pushing
as well, and an ISO 6400 shot shows the same amount
upgrade. With an AF system thats similar that the delay with this camera is a one-off of noise as an ISO 1600 shot thats been pushed by two
to the A7R II, focusing has become way aberration. That said, it still remains a stops. This is useful while dealing with overtly tricky
faster, and only slows down slightly when completely unique camera, especially as lighting where one may want to save the highlights and
shooting in really low light. The only thing its closest competitor, the Leica Q isnt process for the shadows.

that hinders AF is the lens design, which officially available in India.


is a unit-driven design, which basically
means that the entire lens seems to drive
A full frame camera that is smaller
than even an iPhone remains a novelty
FINALRATINGS
back and forth as opposed to the FE lenses, and while that brings its own fair share of Features 17/20
Phase detect AF system, variable low
where a smaller group of optical elements compromises, one cannot help deny the pass filter
handle the focusing job. This does fact that the RX1R II is rather attractive.
performance 37/40
hamper the speed when comparing Especially so because of its stellar image Incredible sensor, fast AF, poor battery life,
AF speed to the fastest lenses in the FE quality, courtesy what is the worlds best slow wake up time

system, but it remains extremely accurate, sensor today and an excellent lens. Build Quality 13/15
which is crucial for a camera of this Its battery continues to be its make- Not weathersealed but sturdy body

nature. Eye AF and Face Detection work break factor, as you need to ask yourself Ergonomics 17/20
Fiddly buttons at the back, excellent lend and
beautifully as well, and it is remarkable as if you are ready to invest in and carry
dial design
to how much progress Sony has made over around several extra batteries, at least
one generation. four or five on a holiday, and even more
Warranty & support 3/5
Two years warranty, wide service network
The sensor is excellent, arguably, the if on assignment. This, at a time when
best in the world. At 42MP and the option
of switching off the low-pass filter, the
amount of detail resolved by the Zeiss
airline regulations around the world are
getting tighter.
But if you are willing to work with
oVEraLL 87%
Who should buy it? Those who like the 35mm focal
lens is rather difficult to match. The lens this constraint, and are the kind of length and need the ultimate in image quality.
does show some weaknesses wide open, photographer who seeks a small, discreet Why? The size may suggest that this is a street camera, but
towards the corners, especially when camera that works magic in the toughest it isnt. It is more for a careful photographer who is willing to
take time and effort to gain the benefits of the sensor.
compared to the Leica Q or some of the of light conditions, the RX1R II is
high-end FE lenses, but in the centre, astonishingly good. Value for money
Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
tEst

it may take to pull it up and move it isnt the feature of including a small electronic
a problem. In digital, ISO is something feed within the optical viewfinder, to
one may change ever so slightly after confirm focus. When I wasnt using the OVF,
every frame, and the X-Pro2 slows down however, I missed the X-T1 (or now, its new
the process. update, the X-T2). The X-Pro2s EVF is a little
In fact, for quick shooting, I would smaller and has lesser eye relief (16mm), as
strongly recommend the use of Auto ISO, compared to the X-T2 (23mm). This may be
so that one can completely bypass the use an issue for those who wear glasses.
of this dial. The downside with Auto ISO Its the addition of a new joystick that
implementation is that since one can only completely elevates the experience of using
set one minimum shutterspeed, zoom this camera. Not only does it allow you to
The dynamic range
lens users may find that problematic. traverse through the large number of AF and exposure latitude
But interestingly, one can save three points extremely quickly, it also allows you in RAW files is as good
different Auto ISO preferences, and then to use the four buttons that would earlier as weve seen in the
use any of the Fn buttons to switch between be used to move the AF point to customise APS-C world. This was a
photo that was actually
them. This is rather useful, while quickly other camera functions. So now, there silhouetted, deliberately
shifting from outdoors to indoors, while are as many as six different customisable underexposed drastically
shooting a wedding for instance, or while functions, courtesy which, I rarely even to preserve the
highlights, and the
photographing a stationary subject and then entered the Q button Quick Menu.
shadow detail one could
quickly photographing a live street moment. retrieve took the tonality
The Hybrid (both optical and electronic) Performance and the moment to a
Viewfinder has always been the Pros The X-Pro1 had set the benchmark for whole new level.
Exposure: 1/125sec at f/13
strength over the T series, and it now gains what one can expect from an APS-C sensor (ISO 200)

All photographs by Raj Lalwani

f E b r ua ry 2 0 1 6
tEst

The Electronic Shutter


back in 2012, and while the X-Pro2 does not high ISO quality, giving the X-Pro2 a minute option makes operation
34 P lu S
shatter the glass ceiling, it nudges it higher, edge over other 24MP cameras, while silent, and as long as
Excellent sensor by just a bit. The detail advantage that one shooting at ISOs above 3200. one does not push files
Joystick for enjoys courtesy the X-Trans technology The JPEG engine of the Fuji cameras has too much in post, it
selecting af point does not hamper image
and its peculiar colour filter array, is clearly always earned praise, but I have a few mixed quality. The Classic
Great ergonomics
visible, especially while using edge-to-edge thoughts about, after using the X-Pro2. Chrome Film Simulation
minuS sharp optics like the 35mm f/2 we tested The manner in which Adobe Camera with its subdued colour
the camera with. The slight resolution RAW interprets Fuji RAW files has seen and deeper shadows
awkward IsO dial could make sense of this
bump (from 16MP in all previous Fuji a sea of change in the past few years, and psychedelic scene and not
average video
Inefficient af cameras to 24MP in this one) adds that little so, now, finally, I do see a lot of perceptible make it too garish.
tracking Exposure: 1/60sec at f/4
bit extra, to keep the sensor competitive advantages in shooting RAW. The latitude (ISO 8000)
amongst its various 24MP peers from other in the files is excellent, and ACR also allows
manufacturers. It doesnt seem to affect the you to choose the Film Simulation mode
ERgonomiCS
Rear
Front Top Rear metering mode command
Self-timer Aperture ring Selection dial
Shutter-release oVF
indicator
button Camera strap
eyelet
Exposure
Compensation
dial

lens release Shutterspeed


Focus mode dial lCD Four-way
button Hot shoe
lens selector controller
The front of the camera is a reminiscent of a rangefinder. The new ISO dial isnt very well thought out, and tends to One feature I sorely missed from the X-T series is the
Both buttons at the front can be customised to access a be rather cumbersome while changing settings on the fly. tilting LCD. The button placement at the back is intuitive
variety of key shooting functions. The grip is more secure The Exposure Compensation dial now adds an extra stop and the buttons, quite large. Weather sealing has also
than the X-Pro1. There is no built-in flash. of control on each side, from -3 to +3EV. been improved around each of these buttons.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
tEst

S P EC i F i CAT i o n S

Model name Fujifilm X-Pro2 Noise Test


MRP Rs. 1,47,999
Effective pixels 24.3 megapixels extremely fast with the 35mm f/2, and the AF
Max. resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels system does not hunt, even while shooting
sensor size, type 23.6mm x 15.6mm(APS-C) in drastically low light. Think ISO 12,800,
X-Trans CMOS III f/2 and 1/30sec kind of situations. It is the
Lens 35mm improvement in this sphere that makes me
iSo 1600
Aspect ratio (w:h) 3:2 personally comfortable in using the X-Pro2
as an assignment camera, instead of a DSLR.
Focusing modes Single AF/Continuous AF/M
Only certain kind of assignments
Metering Multi/Spot/Average/
though, this is still no sports or wildlife
Center Weighted
camera, but thats obviously not its target
frame rate 8fps (with continuous AF)
audience. What I do imply by my last
Video Full HD 1920 x 1080 60p/50p/ iSo 3200
statement though is that AF tracking
30p/25 / 24p and HD 1280 x
continues to be the Achilles heel of this
720 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
camera, especially considering the rapid
shutterspeed range Bulb, 4sec1/8000sec)
strides made in this aspect by some other
Exp. compensation -5.0EV - +5.0EV, 1/3EV step
mirrorless manufacturers.
Colour space sRGB, Adobe RGB
IsO Auto, ISO 10051,200 Conclusion iSo 6400
White balance Automatic Scene Recognition, There is a certain dichotomy to using the
Color Temperature, X-Pro2 that you are bound to feel if you
Custom, Fine, Fluorescent have used the previous X-series cameras.
(Cool White), Fluorescent
The sentimentality of the old is very
(Daylight), Fluorescent
much intact, but this is a camera that is
(Warm White), Incandescent,
Shade, Underwater astonishingly more polished. It feels like a iSo 12800
familiar comforting world, and yet, a whole The X-Pro2 has excellent control over noise
Drive modes Single Tracking, Continuous
36 new universe. Gone is the temperamental upto ISO 6400. ISO 12,800 is usable, with careful
Built-in flash No
nature of not knowing how the camera is postprocessing. With this camera, one can set
External flash Yes noise reduction in JPEGs to -5, though one still cant
going to respond to a certain situation, its
Flash modes Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction completely switch it off. The RAW files do seem to be
even funny that one tended to romanticise a little cooked at settings above 3200, but there are
Commander, Forced On,
the problems of the X-Pro1 as quirks. definite advantages to shooting RAW.
Forced On/Red-eye Reduction,
The APS-C world is rather rich now, with
Rear Curtain Sync/Red-eye
Reduction, Rear Sync, cameras that do outperform the new Fuji in
low light quality (D500), AF speed (D500, 7D
Slow Sync/Red-eye Reduction,
Suppressed Flash Mark II) and video (A6500). That said, image FINALRATINGS
quality is where the Fujifilm X-Pro2 does
LCD size 3-inch Features 18/20
LCD dots 1.62 million dots shine, almost matching the Nikon in its high Greatly improved AF system, 24MP,
ISO performance, and beating it (and the X-Trans sensor, dual card slots
Viewfinder Yes, OVF/EVF
rest) in detail, colour and tonal control. Performance 38/40
File format Still: RAW, JPEG, Video: H.264 Reliable and efficient AF, one of the best
As one needs to constantly reiterate, and
storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC card APS-C sensors today
its easy enough to lose sight of goalposts
Dimensions 140.5mm x 82.8mm x 45.9mm, in this technology-obsessed world that is
Build Quality 14/15
Built very solidly, improved weathersealing as
Weight 495g often reduced to simplistic on-paper one compared to its predecessor
upmanship, the X-Pro2 is a camera designed Ergonomics 18/20
after shooting, allowing you to get the for a certain kind of photographer, one who Intuitive use of the retro design, with the
exception of the ISO dial
quintessential look that these modes give, identifies with the rangefinderesque nature
even while shooting RAW. That said, one of a camera like this. Someone, whod have Warranty & Support 3/5
Three-year warranty, 200 service centres
needs to admire Fuji for the way they allow rather used a Leica M6 than a Nikon F6... around the country
you to customise the precise look you want, A camera is as good as the pictures it
while shooting JPEG. Every Film Simulation
mode can be customised with drastic shifts
of the tonal curve (-2 to +5, more than earlier
makes, the pictures it makes, as good as
the way we see, and the way we see, often
influenced, dependent and even inspired
oVERAll 91%
Who should buy it? Street and documentary
cameras), Grain Effect and saturation. by what we see through. The X-Pro2 isnt photographers, wedding photographers.

Having seen a host of gradual perfect yet, but it is a camera that feels right, Why? The X-Pro2 combines excellent analoguesque handling
with refined technology that is now a lot more reliable in
improvements in the AF of recent Fuji as it takes the sentimentality one has always
dealing with dynamic shooting situations.
models, the X-Pro2 actually surprised me by felt with the X cameras, and now, cloaks it
how much better it is! Focus acquisition is with purpose. Value for money
Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
test

D
MM ENDE
RECO

The Balancing Act


Sony Alpha 6300

40

The Sony Alpha 6300 promises to be a strong contender. Conchita Fernandes puts it to
the test and finds out if it lives up to it.

S
ince its launch in 2014, the Sony The increase in the number of points gives
Alpha 6000 has been a favourite a wider coverage for the camera to track
in the companys APS-C lineup. subjects moving across the sensors range.
It provided great specs all- The cameras viewnder has also been
round, that too, at an affordable improved from a 1.44M-dot OLED to a
price point. However, earlier this year, 2.36M-dot OLED, giving a 1024 x 768 pixel
the company launched its much-awaited resolution, and features an ISO range of
successor, the Sony Alpha 6300, which 100-51,200an increase from the 25,600
WEigHTagE OF promised to be as spectacular as its older limit on the a6000. However, the a6300
PaRamETERS sibling. Lets nd out whats different in sports the same 3-inch 921k dot tilting LCD,
the camera. and continues to miss a touchscreen.
5% 30% In the video recording arena, the
15% Features a6300 can now shoot 4K video at 30p.
The a6300 features a 24MP APS-C CMOS Moreover, to help with manual focus in
20% 30% sensor and has a continuous shooting the video mode, the camera provides focus WHaTS in THE BOX
rate of 11fps, which was also present in its peaking, and users can also employ Auto
predecessor. However, where it signicantly ISO and exposure compensation in the sony Alpha 6300
Features 1650mm lens
Performance differs is in its whopping 425 Phase manual exposure mode. These features Battery
Build Quality Detection AF points, an increase from make the a6300 a very exible and dynamic UsB cable
ergonomics the 179 points in the a6000. In addition to camera to record videos and movies. Lens cap
Warranty & this, it also has 169 contrast-detect points, Sony has also added an external mic input, Body cap
support Camera strap
from the mere 25 points in the a6000. which was previously absent in the a6000.

BETTEr PHOTOGraPHy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
test

Additionally, Continuous AF is available in great that there are quite a few options
the video mode, and the ISO limit is set at that can be customised and tailored to
25,600. Theres also a built-in microphone your preferences.
socket. Additionally, the camera features The a6300 features quite a sensitive EVF,
WiFi with NFC, and comes with a 16-50mm and even a slight movement in front of it
f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. would result in the blanking out of the LCD
monitor. The EVF comes with a rubber
Handling padding around it, which kept most of the
The a6300 features a dust and moisture light out, especially when shooting during
resistant magnesium alloy body. The overall bright sunny days. However, for the most
design and layout of the cameras controls part, I resorted to using the EVF instead of
are very similar to the a6000. The top of the the camera screen, the latter being a little
camera features two dialsthe mode dial cumbersome to view on bright days.
and the primary command dial, which can The cameras screen tilts upwards and
be customised to control either aperture or downwards. However, the downward tilt
shutterspeed. There are also cutomisable extends beyond the bottom of the camera.
buttons located on the rear and the top This can be a little problematic when the
portion of the camera camera is mounted on certain tripods.
The cameras There is also a dial (customisable too) Moreover, the size of the camera and
tilting LCD allowed me located on the back of the camera which its kit lens made it the least intimidating
to be discreet while lets you change the shooting mode, the ISO device. In the past, whenever I would set aLSO LOOK FOR
photographing this scene
and Exposure. Considering that the a6300s out with a DLSR or a camera with a zoom
from a lower height. Canon eOs 750D
Exposure: 1/1000sec at f/11 features a similar exhaustive settings lens, I realised that people would be quite
Nikon D5500
(ISO 800) and control menu as its predecessor, its vary of my presence. But apart from the
41

All images by Conchita Fernandes

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
te st

P Lu S few occasional looks and glances, the a6300 The one that I reached out for the most The cameras
allowed me to merge quite comfortably in was the Flexible Spot AF option, for added customisable buttons can
Fast AF be programmed for easy
Vibrant stills a crowd. precision. Then again, even if you leave it access to the frequently
42 4k video up to the camera to choose the AF point used settings of your
Performance for you, it will not disappoint. However, its choice. in my case, it was
minuS Exposure Compensation.
Although it is too minor of a difference speediness diminishes slightly in low light
Exposure: 1/3200sec at f/9
No touchscreen to be noticed, Sony claims that the a6300 conditions. The camera appears to take (ISO 1000)
exhaustive menu is faster by 0.05 seconds than the a6000. a second longer to lock on the subject.
Regardless, the cameras AF system But overall, it wasnt problematic.
continues with the tradition of being The a6300 also did a good job
very fast. The camera gives you a variety in maintaining the noise levels.
of AF control options to choose from. Although there is visible noise after
ERgOnOmiCS
Front Top Rear
iR receiver EVF
Strap eyelet mode dial
aF-assist lamp movie button

Custom button

Customisable
Handgrip Electronic button
Power zoom multi-interface shoe Control dial High resolution
viewfinder
kit lens tilting LCD screen
The camera body is lightweight, but sturdy. I was quite There is a mode dial, along with a customisable Like the rest of the camera, the rear is also quite
happy with its compact size, as it made it easy to dial beside it (for aperture and shutterspeed), identical to the a6300. The camera features an
travel around with. Moreover, the slightly pronounced and a custom button to perform several functions. improved 2.36M-dot OLED EVF, but retains the same
textured grip on the right made the camera extremely The multi-interface shoe can be used to attach an 3-inch tilting 921 dot, non-touchscreen LCD. The dial on
comfortable to hold. external flash unit or a microphone. the rear is customisable too.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
test

S P EC i F i CaT i O n S
Noise Test
Model name Sony Alpha 6300
MrP Rs. 74,990 with kit lens
effective pixels 24.2MP
sensor size, type 23.5 x 15.6 mm, APS-C ISO 3200, the images are still usable.
Processor Bionz X Moreover, the colours rendered by the
iSO 800
Focusing modes Automatic AF, Single-shot AF, camera are rich and vibrant. But the real
Continuous AF, Direct Manual star is the a6300s video recording option.
Focus, Manual Focus
You can make use of the cameras several
AF points 425
phase detection AF points, which ensures
Metering Multi-segment, Centre- that it very rarely has to hunt for subjects
weighted, Spot
in the frame, thus making for smooth
shutterspeed range 301/4000sec, Bulb
video recording. Also, you can use the iSO 1600
exp. compensation +/- 5EV(1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps
continuous AF option in this mode.
selectable)
Colour space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Conclusion
IsO Auto, 10051,200
There is no doubt that the a6300 is at the
White balance Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy,
front of its class with its fast AF speed,
Incandescent, Warm White,
Cool White, Day White, superior image and video recording
iSO 3200
Daylight, Flash, C.Temp./ capabilities. However, I have a few things
Filter, Custom to nitpick with the camera. There is a
Built-in flash Yes difference of over Rs. 20,000 between the
Flash modes Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, a6000 and a6300. At Rs. 74,990, I would
Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye have expected the a6300 to feature a
reduction (On/Off selectable),
Hi-speed sync 3, Wireless 3
touchscreen (Sony has added it in the
a6500). It would have been nice to adjust iSO 6400
LCD size TFT LCD, 3-inch
my focus points via the screen, than using
LCD dots 9,21,600 dots The camera performs well through its ISO
the dial pad to move the points around.
Viewfinder Yes sensitivity range. The noise levels become quite 43
Moreover, a touchscreen would have made
visible after ISO 1600. Nevertheless, even at ISO
File format JPEG, RAW, MP4, AVCHD it so much easier, I think, to toggle through 3200, the photographs are usable. Of course, at
Live View Yes the cameras extensive menu option. At the ISO 6400, the noise levels are considerably high.
self-timer 2sec, 10sec, 5sec, continuous same time, browsing through the cameras But even then, the images at this ISO can be used
self-timer, bracketing self-timer for smaller prints.
menu can be tiresome, and a compression
storage types SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick of its menu options would be a welcome
Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
change. Moreover, the lens options
Battery NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery
and USB charger
available for the a6300 is still quite limited.
But if youre okay with using just the kit
FINALRATINGS
Dimensions, Weight 120 x 66.9 x 48.8 mm, 361g
lens, then this is as good as it gets. Features 27/30
Inbuilt WiFi, NFC, manual video control, high
res EVF, 425 phase detection points, 4k video

Performance 27/30
Stunning video, average battery life, excellent
AF performance and image quality

Build Quality 17/20


Compact and sturdy

Ergonomics 13/15
High res EVF, over sensitive eye sensor, good
grip, exhaustive menu options

Warranty & Support 3/5


Two year warranty, widespread service network

it was a little hard to


OVERaLL 87%
get an image in focus, Who should buy it? Anyone who is keen on getting the
especially in low light. best of both worlds, stills and videos... And anyone interested
in shooting action with a high performance camera.
The cameras aF struggled
a little here, more so
since there was so much Why? It provides excellent image quality at lower and higher
ISOs, along with 4k recording without an external recorder.
of activity taking place.
Exposure: 1/250sec at f/3.5
(ISO 6400) Value for money

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
TEST

DED
ECOMMEN
R

HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR

Quintessential Workhorse
K Madhavan Pillai tests the full-frame HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR,
and find out if it is indeed the workhorse that Pentaxians need.

O
ver the past couple of years, Shift. The WR notation indicates that the
44 P LU S
manufacturers have clearly 24-70mm is heavily sealed against dust and
put their best foot forward, moisture, and can withstand splashes or Optical performance
releasing excellent lenses in light rain... again an exceptionally useful Handling
Price
this focal range. The Pentax K-1, feature, considering that the K1 is similarly
that I tested in the November 2016 issue, weatherproofed as well. MINUS
quite exceeded my expectations as Pentaxs The 24-70mm does not come with
very first full-frame DSLR. The new HD image stabilisation, unlike lenses from Size
Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR other manufacturers, and it does not
is intended to match up to it. In this regard, need it. Pentax DSLRs, including the K-1,
like the K-1, it is an important release that have very effectively stabilised sensors,
will go on to shape consumer expectations making absolutely any lens mounted on
from Pentax. it a stabilised lens. The filter thread of the
24-70mm is a rather large 82mm. A petal
Features shaped hood comes with the lens.
The optical assembly of the lens is rather The 24-70mm equates to 37-107mm
complex (as is wont to be in lenses in this on APS-C sensor cameras, and the lens
category), with 17 elements in 12 groups. compatible with previous APS-C sensor
WEIGHTAGE OF There are three aspherical, three extra Pentax DSLRs released across the last
PARAMETERS low dispersion and one Anomalous few years.
Dispersion glass element. The lens also
5% features a High Definition (HD) multi- S P E C I F I CAT I O N S
20%
15% coating, and a Super-Protect (SP) coating
Model name HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm
35% on the front element to repel water, grease f/2.8 ED SDM WR
25% and dirt. The diaphragm has nine blades to MRP Rs. 93,000
improve bokeh. Lens construction 17 elements in 12 groups
AF is achieved with a Supersonic
Features Closest focusing distance 0.38m (0.20x magnication)
Performance Direct Motor (SDM), for fast, silent focus.
Diaphragm blades 9
Build Quality The closest focusing distance is a useful
Max. Aperture f/2.8
Ergonomics 0.38m (a magnification of 0.20x). The
Warranty & Filter diameter 82mm
lens is equipped with a useful full-time
Support Dimensions, Weight 88.5 x 109.5mm, 812g
MF override function called Quick

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
K Madhavan Pillai

Handling excellent level of consistent sharpness for The versatility of a


The lens is substantially built, and a lens in its category, center to edge, right good 24-70mm is rather
enjoyable. It was raining
agreeably weighty. It balances well on from f/2.8 onwards and all the way to f/11.
and the lens was fully
the K-1 and feels quite comfortable in the This is its strongest quality and one that drenched when I got
hand, with the fingers easily adjusting to Pentax users will find appealing. this photograph.
the positions of the textured zoom and I noticed slight fringing at the edges Exposure: 1/80sec at f/11
(ISO 4000)
focus rings. Operationally, this is a rather across focal lengths and apertures, but
straightforward lens. The wide zoom ring
is smooth and rotates with a slight heft.
nothing that cant be corrected in post,
or in-camera with JPEGs. As with other
FINALRATINGS
The focus ring can be adjusted with a similar lenses, flare and distortion were Features 17/20
Weather resistance, silent motor, f/2.8
finger and works quite well to override AF well controlled across the range.
for minute adjustments, especially useful Performance 32/35
Consistent shaprness, fast and quiet AF, good
at closer focus distances. The distance Conclusion control over flare and distortion
scale is under a clear plastic window, gives Other things being equal with lenses of Build Quality 21/25
distances in both feet and meters, but does other manufacturers, there are still four Metal / polycarponate build, sturdy
not have any DOF scale. compelling reasons for a Pentax user to buy Ergonomics 14/15
this lens. Firstly, it is home-grown Pentax Excellent overall handling
Performance glass, and perfectly suited to the K-1s high Warranty & Support 4/5
Having experienced previous Pentax resolution sensor. Secondly, it is consistently Three years warranty, wide service network

lenses, the absolutely silent focusing came and usefully sharp and very competitively

OVERALL 88%
as a pleasant surprise. A large part of the so. Thirdly, the lens comes with a level of
AF performance depends on the camera. weathersealing that other manufacturers do
With the K-1, AF is sufficiently quick and not offer, including its ability to withstand
does not hunt about. Though not the rain. And finally, at Rs. 93,000, it is the lowest Who should buy it? Any Pentaxian on an upgrade
fastest in its class, you wont miss your shot. priced among other proprietary lenses in path, looking for a go-to lens, especially with the K-1.
Optically, the lens does extremely well its class. If you own the K-1, or any APS-C
Why? Optically, the lens holds its own. The build and
too, even in comparison to other marquee DSLR from Pentax and are considering an handling are excellent. It comes with a three year warranty.
lenses. While it still does not compare to upgrade, you simply cant go wrong with the
the many primes Ive tested, it produce an Pentax 24-70mm f/2.8.
Value for Money

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
Cellphone

VIGNETTES OF INNOCENCE
Gwen Coyne takes us through her daughters kaleidoscopic
life, filled with assorted snippets evocative of her.
Editorial
At home, the How I Overcame My Indifference Towards Photography
camera was
given so much One of my most favourite photographs from when I was young, was a picture that my father
had shot. In it, I was sitting quite proudly in the midst of all my toys, which he had carefully
misplaced
arranged around me. My face had this playful grin, as my toy train choo-chooed on the track.
importance This was one of the very few instances where my father photographed me.
that only an In the Fernandes household, unfortunately, the camera was given so much misplaced
important importance, that it would only be unearthed from under a pile of clothes in the cupboard
occasion like during birthdays and festivals. After all, it was an expensive device, and not to be tampered with. Even thinking about
taking it out on holiday trips would illicit questions like What if it gets stolen, or damaged? After a while, the camera
Christmas or completely ceased to make an appearance from the cupboard, and that was the end of it.
a birthday Its a little disappointing to see the large gaps staring back at me, from what was supposed to be pictures of my
could justify its childhood. There were barely any photographs from when I was 10 to 17, with the exception of a few pictures from
removal from my 13th birthday. It was also disheartening that I couldnt recollect what I looked like at the time. I remember these
years as being particularly difficult, where I struggled with my appearance in the midst of a somewhat conservative
under a stack family. I noticed the odd absence of fathers in the family photos of my friends, and I realised that it was because the
of clothes in fathers were always behind the camera. In my case, my whole family was absent along with me. Yet, I couldnt help but
the cupboard. wonder if it was me who was hiding from the camera in my house, or my fathers lack of enthusiasm. While my friends
carried their cameras on school trips, I preferred to absorb with my eyes. It just didnt matter. It was when I began
working, that my forced indifference became prominent, and was often perceived as a lack of interest.
But I have found my path now. It appears that I had an opposite reaction to my parents indifference. Their lack of
interest opened my eyes to how important it is to have something physical to hold on to... A photograph representative
of a good time... Because memories do fade. A photograph is something I can hold on to.

49

Conchita Fernandes
Instagram: @schmoochita

Greta and Tatou,


le Chat
by Gwen Coyne
Gwens own
undocumented childhood
has been the catalyst and
influence in her approach
towards photographing
her daughter, Greta.
She gives us a glimpse
into the various snippets
she has recorded so far.

in this issue, we test two of


the current biggest flagships,
the samsung Galaxy s7 edge
and the Google Pixel
Turn to page 52 and 54

Cover photograph by
Gwen Coyne

The more opinions you have, the less you see.


wim wenders (1945)
Wenders is a German filmmaker, known for his groundbreaking work in cinema, with movies like Wings of Desire and Buena Vista Social Club.
Alongside filmmaking, Wenders also works with the still image, photographing landscapes and exploring themes of memory, time, loss and nostalgia.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
TEST

d
MM ende
Reco

Google pixel Xl

perfection
in pixels
With the much anticipated Google Pixel XL
in her hands, Natasha Desai finds out how
serious Google is about their photography.

W
hen you know theres a The primary camera has come out the
phone coming out from highest on DxOMarks bench test, and
Google, its bound to while the outcomes are usually different in
generate interest. What I the real world, this time, however, I think I
wasnt prepared for was how agree with DxO.
I would end up thinking about this new kid Getting right into it... This is probably the
50 on the premium block. fastest phone right now. There is the least
amount of lag when shooting or using the
Stunning Image Quality device, which makes shooting with it a joy.
Googles Pixel XL is a direct competitor to The JPEGs provide a great amount of
the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and the Samsung detail in the shadows and highlights with
Galaxy S7 Edge. It is a tad behind when it ease. Textures show up well and look rich. When viewed on the
The white balance comes to specs on paper... For instance, it The phone performs beautifully in all cellphone screen, the
of the phone tends to has a f/2 aperture as opposed to Apples kinds of lighting situations too. In harsh colours seemed a little
produce warmer images, oversaturated. But on a
f/1.8 and Samsungs f/1.7 offerings. All three light, there is enough of detail in the shadow
as compared to the computer screen, they
iPhones slightly washed have stuck to a modest 12MP, but have well and brightly lit areas of the image to bring looked rich and vibrant
out ones. proved their worth. out with ease. In difcult lighting situations in every picture.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
All photographs by Natasha Desai

51

too, the phone does a pretty good job of own and iPhone 7 Plus is fantastic. When it The phone does a good
retaining details. Its low light performance, comes down to it, the image quality from job of handling flare, and
purple fringing is not
however, is probably not as good as the all three phones is so good that its really a
visible in most cases.
iPhone or Samsung. And, this is probably matter of preference. While you may feel With regards to AF, the
due to the lack of OIS. But, if you look at the you want a dual lens system, the lack of it Pixel excels. It locks on
images on their own, theyre still very good. is not a hindrance as such. At Rs. 67,000 for to the subject accurately
and shoots lightning fast.
With the lens blur feature on the Pixel, 32GB, the Google Pixel provides the best
I dont think I have ever
the Portrait Mode on the iPhone and performance. If youre feeling the lack of missed a moment that
Selective Focus on the Samsung, all three space, lets not forget that Google is offering I was trying to shoot
phones offer a way to blur the background full resolution photo and video backup with the phone, due to
AF lag.
behind your subject. At the moment, for as long as you have the phone. If youre
the iPhone seems to be winning in that looking to upgrade or get serious about
regard. With its dual lens, it is able to your photography, this phone is it.
handle the distance between the subject
AT A glAnce
and background far better than the Pixel
specifications 5.5-inch, 12.3MP f/2 rear camera, 8MP front camera, Snapdragon 821, 4GB
XL, which does have a little trouble if parts RAM, 32GB at Rs. 67,000.
of the subject are too close to any part of what we like Vibrant colours, good flare control, good low light performance
the background. The front camera on the what we dislike No RAW, no manual control
other hand, gives far better results than why buy it? A great premium phone with a fast camera, good hardware and excellent
the iPhone. Its a wider, brighter lens and image quality. Google Assistant is an added bonus.

captures much more detail. FInAl RATIngS 90%


caMeRa featuRes 12MP camera 23/25
You Wont Regret It iMaGe Quality Good low light and colours 28/30
Ultimately, the image quality produced
Video Quality 4K at 30 fps, 1080p 30/60/120 fps, 720p at 30/60/240fps 13/15
by the Google Pixel is probably the best
in cellphones at the moment. At the same handlinG Sleek, easy to shoot with one hand 12/15
time, the Samsung S7 Edge is holding its speed & ResponsiVeness Speedy phone 14/15

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
test

d
MMende
Reco

samsung Galaxy s7 edge

an elegant
Photograph by Conchita Fernandes

option...
Samsungs Galaxy S7 Edge is a formidable
contender in the premium cameraphone
segment, as Natasha Desai finds out.

T
he previous flagship from A Beautiful Phone
Samsung, the S6 and S6 Edge, was The best thing about the Samsung S7
met with much fondness here at Edge is how beautifully crafted it is. It is
Shot at night through BP. With the S7 Edge, Samsung truly a premium phone, the metal finish colour reproduction
the netting at a fair, has gone from a 16MP to a 12MP and curved glass looking even more was vibrant and rich,
I was very impressed and denitely better
phone, much like the Google Pixel XL and sophisticated and better than the S6 Edge.
with the colours and than the iPhone 7 Plus.
52 the iPhone 7 Plus, its direct competitors in Viewing photos and videos on its screen is a
details that the phone But, the google Pixels
was able to retain. this class. true joy. It did take me a while to get used to colours were better.
All photographs by Natasha Desai

BetteR PHOtOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
test

53

handling a curved screen. Cropping can be A Premium Buy I went straight to the
difficult if youre not careful. There wasnt too much to complain about camera from the lock
screen. Thanks to the
the S6 Edge and it is the same with the S7
speedy AF, I was able to
Some Improvements Edges camera. The cameraphone is the capture this moment as
The f/1.7 lens along with the Dual Pixel best that Samsung has made to date and at the truck passed by me.
sensor, makes for a brighter camera than the Rs. 50,900 for 32GB (expandable memory),
S6 Edge. Low light images are of a far better the phone is a titan in its own right, along
quality than the S6 Edge. With the S7 Edge, with the Google Pixel XL and the iPhone
the AF tracking is fast and there was very 7 Plus. As Id mentioned in the Pixels review,
little hunting in low light. There is some the image quality from all three phones is
amount of grain, but details are far better fantastic. While I think the Pixel is a better
than the previous iteration. Low light images buy over the Samsung, the S7 Edge is
are much better than the Google Pixel. undoubtedly a great phone to shoot with.
However, ISO is capped at 800, like the S6
AT A glAnce
Edge. A higher limit is definitely possible,
specifications 5.1-inch, 12MP f/1.7 rear camera, 5MP f/1.7 front camera, 4k video, 4GB
while maintaining details as well. RAM, 32GB expandable up to 256GB
The other area where the S7 Edge seems what we like Improved JPEG quality, good low light performance
to have improved to a certain extent is the what we dislike ISO capping at 800, soft-ish details in images
unnecessary softening that the S6 Edge why buy it? A beautifully crafted premium phone, with a fast camera and improved
would do. Details are good and images are image quality.

pretty sharp. It performs well in difficult FInAl RATIngS 87%


lighting situations, and dynamic range is caMeRa featuRes 12MP camera, manual control, f/1.7 lens 23/25
good too. Welcome additions to this flagship
iMaGe Quality Great AF and pleasing colour reproduction 26/30
are a MicroSD slot and water resistance, and
Video Quality 4K at 30 fps 13/15
an interesting feature is the motion capture
panorama. AF mode and meter mode handlinG Sleek, but curved edge can get in the way of shooting 11/15
selection have been added too. speed & ResponsiVeness Speedy with very little lag 14/15

ja n u r ay 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
TEST

ED
COMMEND
RE

Kenko REAL PRO 180 sheye, 0.4x superwide, 7x telephoto lens/monocular lenses

54

A Pocketful of Add Ons


Natasha Desai tests Kenkos REAL PRO 180 fisheye, 0.4x superwide, 7x
telephoto lens/monocular lenses for an interesting cellphone experience.

T
he previous issue of correctable. Of course, it offers the great
Better Photography saw us review opportunity to use that distortion in an
Kenkos wide and macro lens interesting way and experiment with the
unit with satisfying results. such a wide angle.
This month, we review the three Surprisingly, for a lens that is this
other cellphone lens offerings from wide, the vignetting remains at an almost
Kenko, a 7x telephoto lens, a fisheye lens negligible amount. What it does tend to
and a superwide one. All three, like the do is smudge the corners to some extent.
macro-wide lens are clipped on to the While it does exist, it gets exacerbated if
back of the cellphone. the lens is not clipped on or positioned
properly. This is a problem that all the
WEIGHTAGE OF A Superwide Sight lens clips face, despite the rubber grip
PARAMETERS The superwide lens presents a much being pretty solid. Hand movement or
wider view than what the iPhone 6s a slight knock can displace the lens and
native lens unit offers. I tried out the distort the view, if youre not careful.
30% lens on the sweeping vista by the sea,
40% where a wide angle lens would give me A Complete Warp
a sweeping view of the water and the The fisheye lens is probably one of
30%
shore. Apart from regular horizontal the most interesting lenses out there.
wide photographs, I tried the lens out in While there are some cellphone lenses
Features the portrait orientation to great effect. that give you fisheye-like results, Kenkos
Ease of Use
While straight lines are bound to get optics give you a great distorted frame
Performance
very curved with this lens, it is easily that can be great fun to shoot with.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
55

Straight lines like the horizon are going in low light, is when staying still becomes This is a cropped
to appear almost completely warped most important. Low light images on the version of the image
and curved. Working with curved lines fisheye dont always translate well, as taken with the superwide.
Distortion was easily
however make for fun pictures, as they dark skies dont look that good. To change correctable and I was
bend naturally with the curve that the things up a bit, I snapped on the fisheye able to get a good amount
optics bring to the photograph. lens on to the front camera, which gave of the foreground without
The fisheye makes for a great lens me some extremely fun-looking self- having to change my point
of view.
to shoot interesting portraits with. portraits. You do have to make sure that
Remaining steady is crucial... But for the you keep yourself positioned towards the
most part, images in good light turn out center of the frame and that the lens itself
to be crisp and clear. When indoors and is a little away from you for better results.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
Close Encounters that Kenko has put out for cellphones. Top: The telephoto
From all the cellphone lenses that Ive used While India is starting to sit up and image can get skewed if
one is not careful about
so far, Kenkos telephoto is probably the take interest in cellphone photography,
how the lens is placed on
most cumbersome one to use. While it is accessories such as lenses still have a the cellphone camera.
understandably just out quite a bit, getting long way to go, in terms of awareness and Left: There is good
it fixed on properly is a task. The 7x tele acceptance as well. amount of detail visible
in the subjects when shot
view undoubtedly brings you close to the At Rs. 4990 for the superwide and fisheye with the fisheye lens.
action at hand. However, remaining steady and Rs. 5990 for the telephoto, the lenses
is crucial as even a slight shake, while are by any means affordable. The wide
normally acceptable, is exaggerated and and macro unit too is priced at Rs. 3990.
shots get blurry very easily. Overall, if one is considering buying the
I was able to shoot a variety of moving entire range for a variety of focal lengths,
objects with the lens. Kids on cycles I see very little use for the superwide
seemed to be a recurring theme of what lens and there is an adequately wide lens
I was photographing, and with great results. that you get along with a macro lens.
But all things considered, I was able to pan Apart from that, the telephoto affords the
and get the moving cyclist pretty sharp. opportunity for photographers to get so
The cool thing about this lens is that it
allows you to adjust the focus manually,
much closer to their subjects; something
that cellphone photographers often try to FINALRATINGS
resulting in pretty good bokeh at night do without spooking their subjects into Features 26/30
Different fields of view for your cellphone
for a cellphone camera and add-on lens. reacting weirdly.
The bokeh in the center is perfectly formed, At the time of writing, the Kenko lenses Ease of Use 26/30
Easy to carry but adjustment can be
while it does gets unevenly shaped as you were not available in Mumbai yet, but were a problem
move towards the edges of the frame. set to come out by the end of December.
Performance 35/40
I am definitely a fan of the lenses and Clear and crisp images with good detail
In Conclusion consider the entire set well worth the buy
Having experienced shooting with all five
lensesa telephoto, a fisheye, a superwide
and a wide-macro two-in-one lens, I find
and effort. Theyre also compatible with
a wide variety of phones, unlike the Zeiss
mobile lenses that are currently restricted
OVERALL 87%
myself impressed with the quality of lenses to the iPhones. Value for Money

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
PRoFILe

58

Vignettes of Innocence
Conchita Fernandes takes a look at Gwen Coynes compelling narratives of
her daughter, that are filled with sparkling moments from her childhood.

O
ur memories age just as we do. Yet, our memories have tried to break
Gwen Coyne
She is a graphic designer With each passing year they away from the moulds of our thoughts,
and manages a digital lose their veracity, resulting in to pave the way for a more physical
marketing team. the loss of tiny slivers of details. representation of past encounters...
Her favourite movie and But soon, our senses take over, Poetry, music, painting, photography...
book is Andrei Rublev
by Andrei Tarkovsky and smoothening and embellishing, filling in Things that we can hold on to and feel.
Nausea by Jean-Paul the fractures. No wonder that, sometimes, Gwen Coyne takes us on one such visual
Sartre, respectively. our memories turn out to be better versions journey, to preserve a version of her
of reality. daughters incredible childhood.

B e T T e R P H o T o g R A P H y JA N uA Ry 2 0 1 7
PRoFILe

Breathing Life into Memories to evoke a fantastical sense of childhood,


I remember my childhood being Gwen mentions.
magical and intense, she said. This was Her photographs of Greta are a pleasant
one of the several aspects which stirred and unexpected detour to what one would
her to create a photographic memoir of expect from the chronicles of a child.
her daughter. At the same time, it was They arent your standard family album The best advice
spurred by another event, one that took pictures. Greta is unposed and left to react that she received was
What drew Gwen during a workshop she
towards photography place during her childhood. Most of the and interact with her surroundings, while took with David Alan
was the immediacy and images I have from my own childhood are Gwen lingers close, ready to press the HarveyYou dont
flexibility of the medium in my memories, as my parents camera shutter when the moment presents itself. have to go anywhere.
for journaling. Today, she You should stay in the
was stolen when I was little. Maybe these Her vision entails creating a version
employs the same thought same place. There is
while documenting undocumented early years influenced my of Gretas childhood that is distinct from no excuse. You have
her daughter. approach to photographing hera desire reality, and so you are presented with a to finish.

59

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60

B e T T e R P H o T o g R A P H y decemBeR 2016
PROFILE

For Gwen, it has never colourless, yet dynamic glimpse into the fragile health. She has asthma and I never She hopes that over
been about documenting little girls life. We get to see the various know when a mild cold will turn into an time, the series of short
specifics. It is about qualities that lends Greta her lively and emergency. With my photographs, I want stories of her daughter
collecting unposed spirited personality, something that Gwen to record moments that will help me will form a more
snippets that capture comprehensive portrait
Greta as she is. is keen on recording and preserving. remember a space and time in between of her early years,
The photographs also have a healing and these periods of intensity, Gwen says. leaving room for her
invigorating aura around them, and was One of these photographs was made imagination and memory
to fill in the gaps. 61
a means for Gwen to cope with Gretas around the time when Greta first started

She took up cellphone


photography after the
birth of Greta, as a
means of documenting
her life. Toting around
a film or DSLR camera
wasnt practical with a
baby. Moreover, I didnt
have time for processing For Gwen, Gretas
photos on a laptop or in best attributes entails
the darkroom. The phone her healthy disregard for
was more convenient authority and a need to
and allowed for a less do things her own way.
invasive and more She mentions, She is
immediate response still relatively uninhibited
to what was going on in the way she thinks
around me, she said. and behaves.

decemBeR 2016 BEttER PhOtOgRaPhy


PROFILE

62

When it comes to walking, and remains to be one of Gwens interested in being photographed, which
sharing work online, most favourite images. Sunlight was I respect. But for the most part, she enjoys
Gwen alternates between illuminating her in the shape of a spotlight, the attention, she said.
being very selective and
wanting to share a daily throwing her father, who was walking
journal. She mentions beside her, into the shadows. She was Juggling Motherhood and a Career
how she tends to be frequently very ill in her early years, and Very often, Gwens hectic work schedule
self-critical, even running I find the image symbolic of her struggle and leaves very little time for herself and her
the danger of analysis
paralysis. In order to perseverance, Gwen recounts. family. Balancing work and family is not
get past a creative block, easy, and very often I find myself quite
it sometimes helps when Gretas Interaction with the Camera exhausted. Moreover, I cant help but
I post more liberally.
Since her birth, Gretas reaction to feel guilty sometimes, taking the time
But more often than not,
I prefer to remain silent the camera has continued to evolve. I need to pursue my personal interests,
until I figure out what From regarding the device as an extension she says. But Greta makes it all worth it. FInD GWen HeRe!
I want to say. of her mother, she is gradually becoming Fortunately, what gives me joy outside
more conscious of Gwens focus on of work is the time I get to spend with my Instagram:
@gwencoyne
her. She makes it clear when she is not family, she mentions. Whether its a trip to

BEttER PhOtOgRaPhy ja n ua Ry 2 0 1 7
PROFILE

I want to the park or the beach, or even setting up a


take pictures playdate with one of Gretas friends, Gwen
that tell their own makes sure that weekends are almost always
storiesthat reserved for Greta.
become something in Gwens images embody all the qualities
themselves. In that that make motherhood special, and will
respect, any subject mature and become stronger as the years
has photographic go by. I am in fact reminded of something
potential for me. that Virginia Woolf had once said, I can
only note that the past is beautiful, because
one never realises an emotion at the time.
It expands later, and thus we dont have
complete emotions about the present, only
about the past. What a wonderful way to
look at why we photograph... While some
of us do it to remember, others do it to
discover themselves.

63

(top): She is of the


opinion that if you focus
on something thats
personally important
to you, and wait until
what you see inspires
you, your photographs
will automatically imbibe
your thoughts.
(bottom): When asked
how her vision has evolved
in the six years that she
has been photographing
her daughter, Gwen
responds, I think I must
be growing with her,
because my camera
seems to be getting
smaller every year!

ja n ua Ry 2 0 1 7 BEttER PhOtOgRaPhy
BetterPictures
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

Through Their Eyes


Sainethra Hariharan gathers the thoughts of some of the greatest photographers,
authors and thinkers to present a compendium of ideas about photography.

The problem is Im not a good When I was on trips I used to put


photographer. To be perfectly honest, Polaroids in a container with sea water,
sand and pebbles. Id swirl it all around
Im too shy. Not aggressive enough. Well, Im
to get scratches. Its this random element
not aggressive at all. I just loved to see
that I call the drip. Its the drip
wonderfully dressed women, which might splash onto the other side
and I still do. Thats all there is to it. of the canvas when youre working on
- Bill Cunningham a painting and make you think that
was an iconic American street and fashion photographer from New York, is good, possibly leading you to
64 known for the candid nature of his photography.
explore other things. My whole life is
spent in search of the drip;
Essentially what photography is...
it can change everything.
is life lit up. - David Bailey
- Sam Abell is an English fashion and portrait photographer whose fashion work and
is a teacher, artist, and a photographer. He has worked for National Geographic celebrity portraiture are known for its stark backgrounds and dramatic lighting.
as a contract and staff photographer for 33 years.

A photographer went to a socialite party


This attraction of mine to
in New York. As he entered the front door,
the camera and the graphic
the host said I love your pictures - theyre
product was a blind but passionate
wonderful; you must have a
response to something I could not
really analyse or describe.
fantastic camera. He said nothing
until dinner was finished, then: That was
I knew I had to do it.
a wonderful dinner; you must have
- Walker Evans
was a photographer, best known for his contribution towards documenting the
a terrific stove.
effects of the Great Depression, and later, his street photographs. - Sam Haskins
was a British photographer best known for his contribution to nude photography
and in-camera image montage. He is best known for his book Five Girls.
Taking pictures is
savoring life intensely, To me photography must suggest,
every hundredth of a second. not insist or explain.
- Marc Riboud - Brassa
was a celebrated French photojournalist who captured moments of grace even in was a HungarianFrench photographer, sculptor, writer, and filmmaker who rose
the most frightening situations around the world. to international fame in France in the 20th century.

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

I realised fairly When I first became interested in photography, I thought


early there was it was the whole cheese. My idea was to have it
no contradiction
recognised as one of the fine arts. Today I dont give a hoot in
between sadness
hell about that. The mission of photography is to explain
or poverty,
and colour. man to man and each man to himself.
- Raghubir Singh - Edward Steichen
is known as one of the first photographers to was a American photographer, painter, and a curator. He was the first curator of photographs at the Museum
insist on the use of colour at a time when colour of Modern Art in New York in 1953.
photography was still widely disconsidered.

To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing


An image should them as they never see themselves, by having
not be an end in knowledge of them that they can never
itself. Every image have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically
is a process to possessed. Just as a camera is a sublimation of the gun,
the larger goal of to photograph someone is a subliminal murder - a soft
sharpening murder, appropriate to a sad, frightened time. 65

your vision. - Susan Sontag


was an American writer, filmmaker, teacher, and political activist. Her stories and essays have appeared in
- Dinesh Khanna newspapers, magazines and literary publications all over the world.
is an Indian photographer, known for his notable
work in the areas of food, still life, people, and
interiors for the past 25 years.
Only in the moment of spotting an image, am I truly alive.
I make a photograph and
...what I try to
the photograph makes me.
do is a good
- Amit Mehra
bad picture. describes himself as walking the tightrope between commercial and documentary photography. In the field for
over 25 years, he is the first in India to publish a book of cellphone photographs, called Roznama.
- Helmut Newton
was a prolific, widely imitated fashion
photographer whos provocative, erotically charged
black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue To talk about photos rather than making them seems
and other publications. idiotic to me. Its as though I went on and on about a
woman I adored instead of making love to her.

I gaze at the sunset -Jacques Henri Lartigue


was a French photographer and painter, known for his photographs of automobile races, planes, and
with the woman Parisian female fashion models.

I love and think


F8 at 1/250. You cannot depend on your eyes if your
imagination is out of focus.
- From a Canon Advertisement
Not a quote, but a copy of an advertisement for the - Mark Twain
Canon EOS 40D. You know youre a camera geek was an American writer, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer, known for the classic American novels
if you think this is funny! The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A dventures of Huckleberry Finn.

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
s p e c i a l f e at u r e

I was inventing a language I am no longer a prisoner


for people to see the everyday things of the viewfinder.
that I also see.
- Alice Wingwall
- Francesca Woodman is a unique American photographer who is known
was an American photographer, best known for her black and white pictures for creating compelling visual art in spite of losing her vision.
featuring either herself or nude or blurred female models.

Im not an artist. An artist makes an


There are no bad pictures;
object. Me, I work in history,
thats just how
your face looks sometimes. Im a storyteller.
- Abraham Lincoln - Sebastio Salgado
was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the is a Brazilian social documentary photographer, photojournalist, and
United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. philanthropist, who spreads his message throuigh the medium .

When I go to a situation, Taking pictures is like tiptoeing


I see something interesting, and I into the kitchen late at night and
see the enormity and the size of it, stealing Oreo cookies.
and the complexity of it, and I say - Diane Arbus
66
was a photographer noted for photographs of marginalised people, whose
Yes God, youve shown me this but
normality was perceived by the general populace as ugly or surreal.
its not enough for me. So he
says Alright. Then I keep walking, then
The photograph that hitherto had
he shows me something more complex
and bigger. I say Yes God, Its nice. But the power of a thousand words now

its still not enough for me. needs a thousand words to


So I go on and on and I dont accept it, be intelligible.
and then he knows this child of his is very - Bandeep Singh
is the Photo Editor at Fortune India. A self-taught photographer, he has worked
demanding and restless. And then he as the Photo Editor of India Today in the past.
opens up and shows me something I have
never experienced before. Then I take People have been taught to imitate and
a picture and say explore work that is out there, which is
Thank you God. great as a starting point. But it cannot

- Raghu Rai also be the end point.


is celebrated Indian photographer and photojournalist, who has been awarded What is the purpose in studying the works
the Padma Shri in 1972 for his contributuion to photojournalism.
of other photographers, when in the end,
you miss the point
The eye should learn to listen in your own project?
before it looks
- Sunil Gupta
- Robert Frank is an Indian born Canadian artist, writer, and photographer best known for
is an American photographer and documentary filmmaker, best known for his photographing LGBT Indians since the 1980s. He is one of the pioneers of
fresh and nuanced outsiders view of American society in his photographs. using the medium for gay rights activism.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
s p e c i a l f e at u r e

A photograph never Cinema makes people lazy. They expect to be given all the
grows old. You and information. But for me, question marks are the
I change, people punctuation of life.
change all through the - Abbas Kiarostami
was a multi-award-winning Iranian director, screenwriter, photographer, and film producer. A delicate
months and years but fabulist of human nature, he said this with reference to his love for the still image and its effect on his cinema.
a photograph
always remains Photographers tend not to photograph what they cant
the same. How nice see, which is the very reason one should
to look at a photograph try to attempt it. Otherwise were going to
of mother or father go on forever just photographing more faces and
taken many years more rooms and more places. Photography has to
ago. You see them as transcend description. It has to go beyond description
to bring insight into the subject, or reveal the subject,
you remember them.
not as it looks, but how does it feel?
But as people live on,
- Duane Michals
they change is an American photographer known for his innovative use of photo-sequences and for often incorporating
completely. text to examine emotion and philosophy. 67

That is why I think


a photograph
can be kind.
- Albert Einstein
was a German-born theoretical physicist
known for the general theory of relativity. He is
considered as one of the pillars of modern physics.

To me, photography
is an art of
observation.
Its about finding
something interesting
in an ordinary place
Ive found it has little to
do with the things you
see and everything to do
with the way you
see them.
- Elliott Erwitt
is a documentary photographer known for his - Eastman Kodaks Camera Poster, 1889
black and white candid shots of ironic situations In todays digital environment, the humourous irony is obvious in the line immediately below the
within everyday settings. famous Kodak slogan. Today, we press the button, do the rest, and mostly all by ourselves.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
love putting up images and looking at them
sho ot Ing t eChnIQue

a powerful tool to form public opinion while


also providing an objective representation of
the moment close your eyes turn your eyeballs
basking in its aura hour after hour after hour
seduction cuckoldry and proposition to
question understandings wrought through
the senses and more photography is magic
they make the world and the people around
us something to collect to archive to take
home to remember pose and counterpoise
photographys promiscuity making me a

What is
prude dancing the pole now am facing those
recorded realities again but in the form of two

Photography
dimensional images and without a camera it is
like the sensation of being plunged like Alice try
70

to surpass the superficial layer of the image to


try
Weand
let thecapture what is invisible therefore also
masters answer.
discovering myself in the process all it takes is a
gentle tap on a backlit screen and poof time stops
it has had a great influence on my personal life
and taught me to be patient and humble you
find all of it again wanted or unwanted in your
pictures photography seemed like a crucial
medium to counter colonial narratives which
live on even in our own countries where to be
gay remains illegal photography is a language
for story tellers the camera in the hands of
one is a powerful tool I dont think I could
have imagined living my life any other way
Better PhotograPhy
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Richard Koci Hernandez It is emotion, story and memory.

Richard Koci
Hernandez
spent over 20
years working as a
photojournalist, and
is now an Assistant
Professor for New
Media at the Graduate
School of Journalism
at UC Berkeley.
He was one of the
earliest adopters and
proponents of the 71
cameraphone, where
he continues to explore
and experiment with
the fine line dividing
reality and the abstract.
Often, he finds creative
ways to merge the two.

Photography is the greatest magic trick of all A delicate dance


encompassing
time, and most of us dont even notice it! pedestrians, cars,
motorbikes and bicycles,
Nothing can ever take the place of my Today, the photograph has taken on a on an intersection near
first magic trickthe time I made my first new life. Its no longer bound by archaic the banks of Hoan Kiem
Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam.
photograph, which I instantly shared definitions, such as the quality of paper it
with the world, via social media. It is quite is printed on, or the prestige of the gallery
amazing to see how this act of wizardry is or museum it hangs in. It harbours an
unwittingly performed everyday, hundreds ubiquitous digital presence, with dynamic,
of millions of times. And it does not mobile, sharable, and likeable qualities.
require any effort at all... All it takes is a It also lives oninside and outside the
gentle tap on a backlit screen, and poof! device, where it continually conjures
Time stops. Yet, we barely take notice of emotions, stories and memories, each time
this truly transformative and powerful act. that its viewed.

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All photographs by Richard Koci Hernandez


I am also interested in the photographs where we are transported to another time A moment of solace
multifaceted nature, a quality that can have and place. As viewers, we share in the for two Hanoi Police
officers on the banks
good and bad consequences. One must photographers private joy. The images we
of the Hon Kiem Lake.
not forget that while it can be a powerful see on social media often thrill us and stir The lake is located in
weapon to wield against injustice, a picture us into action like never before. I believe the historical center
can also take on a rather diabolical role. its our duty to embrace what we have, the of Hanoi. It is one of
the major scenic spots
Regardless, more people are making use promise of photography, as it exists now.
in the city, and serves
of the device than before, to tell personal This is our time. Lets continue to find as a focal point for its
and local stories, at times even highlighting our voice, our perspective, our stories public life.
important social issues. This, to me, is a and style, and harness the technology that
very significant shift in the nature and frames our experiences.
purpose of an image. But nothing is as exciting and enduring
Backed by the sheer number of as its ability to tell stories. To literally
photographs we make each day, we stop time, preserve a moment and hold
have no doubt entered a new epoch it for eternity in the mind of the viewer...
in our relationship with the image. Now thats powerful stuff.
Smartphones have ushered in a golden I see that the true storytelling potential
age for photography. The world is in our of any image sits in the heart and mind of
pocket... Always on, always ready. the viewer or the receiver, not the giver, not
Today, when viewing a photograph, we the photographer. Photography provides
Window reflection,
Downtown San have the sensation of being plunged like the ingredients for a sumptuous meal, but
Francisco, 2015. Alicedown the rabbit holeinto a dream the viewer is the one to craft it.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Q. Sakamaki I dont like my photography to be defined as

Q. Sakamaki
is a Japanese-born,
New York-based
photographer who has
photographed major
war zones, earthquakes
and everything in
between. He has been
the recipient of several
international awards,
which include winning
the first prize in the
World Press Photos
People in the News
category (2007), as well
as two Overseas Press
Club awards. He is a
member of the photo
agency Redux Pictures.

Left: 11 March, 2016,


Fukushima, Japan.
On the 5th anniversary
of the tsunami that hit
Ukedo, a clock with the
frozen or tsunami-hit
time still remains at an
abandoned school.
Right: 11 March, 2015,
Fukushima, Japan.
A cordoned-off,
damaged passageway.

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photo-documentary, or photojournalism, or personal. It always overlaps.


Many people say about photojournalism, We have to
be very objective. Of course I understand this, but we
are always behind the scenes. We always have our own
idea, our own identity.
I have been working as a photo-documentarist way of documentation, as employed by forensic
for decades, where the emphasis has always photographers. Moreover, through such views,
been on photographing the moment as it is. I also look for metaphors of my own identity or
This is true, and I have even followed it. But in one that is related to my thoughts.
the recent years, Ive also realised that it is not However, this does not mean that
enough, that photography is much more than documentarists shouldnt be objective. The key
merely capturing the scenes in front of us. is to find a balance between retaining their
When I photograph, I try to surpass the identity in their pictures, while also providing
superficial layer of the image, to try and capture an objective representation of the moment.
what is invisible, therefore also discovering By employing such an approach, I would like to
myself in the process. This should be an explore myself, as well as what humans are and
important practice for photo-documentarists where we are heading in the future. This is the
and photojournalists... To not emulate the sterile core of my philosophy.

75

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All photographs by Q. Sakamaki


Part of my aim
is to combine my
own identity with
so-called photo
documentary
and even
photojournalism.
I would like to
get to a point
which I havent
reached yet.

77

Uighurs (an ethnic


Chinese community),
with their donkey carts,
wait for customers at
the Melikawat Ancient
Ruins, in the southern
suburb of Hotan, China.
Uighurs are economically
marginalised in
this region.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Roger Ballen The pictures that leave you feeling theres

Roger Ballen
has lived and worked
in South Africa for
over three decades.
Although he was
shooting for over 30
years, he was a geologist
before becoming a
photographer. His work
is often described as
dark and challenges
us to confront the
78 inner recesses of our
mind, while being in
a genre of its own.
He believes that the
best images leave you in
silent contemplation.

Waif, 2012 from


the book Theatre of
Apparitions. In this
series of images, Ballen,
inspired by the drawings
on the windows of a
womens prison, started
experimenting with
spray paints on glass
and then drawing on
it with a sharp object
to let in natural light.
These images are very
primitivethey feel like
they came from caves.
They have a primordial
effect on people and
register deep inside
their subconscious as
something they feel
familiar with.Roger
Ballen, about Theatre of
Apparitions in a feature
with The Guardian.

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something mysterious about whats out there, have done their job.

79

All photographs by Roger Ballen

An assignment that I often give students is this Boarding House, 2008


from the book Boarding
Close your eyes, turn your eyeballs around, House. It is difficult to
explain this place except
photograph what you see. that I think it exists in
some way or another in
People who know me, and follow my work, are the surface, whilst in photography I try to most peoples mind.
familiar with the fact that I am both a geologist come into contact with my own interior and
and a photographer. In both fields I have spent manifest its being through the photographic
my time trying to peer into an ambiguous dark image. I make photographs to define the
interior. In geology it has been my goal to try person that is referred to as Roger Ballen.
to find an orebody, the treasure underneath It is my hope, in turn, that my photographs

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81

Take Off, 2012, from will allow viewers to expand their knowledge Its taken me almost 50 years to arrive at the
the book Asylum of the of their core psyches. While some have tried point where I can say that photography can exist
Birds. In this series,
Ballen makes images to define what I do in terms of documentary outside of a formula. I go to a shoot with a quiet
in a house in a suburb practice, my work is fundamentally mind and leave with a quiet mind. I would like
of Johannesburg, with psychological and focuses on key aspects of to see myself like a sleeping cat that is awakened
its inhabitants and the the human conditionnamely our inability to by the passing of a mouse, once I arrive at my
omnipresent birds.
He has created each control chaos, the future, and to resolve our own destination I become alert.
frame in this theatre- identity. In part, my work has reflected on the Beyond the image though, there is the dark
like interior. relationships between human and animal which side which is the chamber of the brain where
I believe is fundamentally hostile. But, even the indefinable lurks. Photography, for me, is
that is the simplest of descriptions since I have the pursuit to answer the question: what is the
taken so many thousands of photographs in my mind? We dont have a clue. And the picture as
life, and each has multiple meanings. I often an entity contains the same enigma, the enigma
state, though, that, if you can actually explain a that is the mind. Linked to our curiosity about
picture by using words, with a more appropriate death, it is one of those concepts that cannot
Twirling Wires, 2001
from the book Shadow word other than enigma, then its probably a be realised. For me, it is photography that gives
Chamber. He explores the bad photograph. The goal is to create work that form and shape to the subconsciousyet the
interactions of people exists on the same plane as that enigma, and that result is an apparition, like a mirage. And that
with strange objects,
is when one achieves ones goal. is why I have called my most recent series The
animals in unsettling
rooms with etchings Recently, a journalist called the meaning Theatre of Apparitions in homage to the eternally
and drawings. behind my images an indefinable truth. absurd drama of illusion played out in the mind.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Laura Letinsky Photography is a promiscuous medium, it

Laura Letinsky
is best known for her
exquisitely composed
still life photographs,
fused with ambiguity
and seeking influence
from 17th century
Dutch Flemish
paintings. Her work
never shows the human
subject, yet the notion
of people is ever present
82 in Letinskys visual
narrative, which speaks
of temporality, fragility,
potential, and decay.

Untitled, (Laura and


Eric), Venus Inferred
1995. The image
embodies a need to
display the unspeakable
elements in being in love
and in a relationship.
The everyday, the
unnoticed becomes a
studied existence.

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feeds off of itself and it is kind of interchangeable.

I love photography, but


I also really hate it. I am
so subject to the desire
of it, and how
photography engenders
consumerism in
our culture.
Dont look now. Dont look away. Who you 83
lookin at? In love and all Ive got is a
photograph. A picture is whats left of a
look, the stare you were too bashful for,
and really couldnt anyway because we are
subject to double vision. Seeing isnt flat
except for in rare, sometimes unfortunate
conditions, or monstrous, like Cyclops
whose world is maybe flat but never still.
My body perambulates alongside other
bodies, buildings, and things. Seeing is not
touching but is from the same part of the
brain. Seeing, touching, tasting are in the
deceived, believed St Thomas Aquinas,
whose Truth was in Gods whisperings
even while Catholicisms Latin fell on
illiterate ears guaranteeing not love, but
the visual supreme.
Platos dancing shadows, the mistaken
emissions of those not yet dazzled by
the beautiful and just and good is, wrote
Sontag, fancy. Unaccustomed to the dark,
or from darkness to the days excess of
light? Mama told me not to look into the
eyes of the sun. Even when the moon is
blocking out almost all but a tiny sliver of
the sun its still bright enough to carve out
pieces of your retina but too small to cause
pain. Pictures need more pictures, like
wishes and fishes and candies and parties
must be pictured. Preciousness availed?

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fr a me t he s ta r

84

Better PhotograPhy
fr a me t he s ta r

Demanded? Revealed? A revelation?... possible through ubiquity and repetition Untitled 23, from the All photographs by Laura Letinsky
Facebook, Youtube, Instagram; trust me that, like words, when seen or said often series The Dog and the
Wolf, 2009. The delicacy
(can you?). enough, becomes believable, despite
of Lauras compositions
Poise, and counterpoise, photographys experience being to the contrary. is heightened by her
promiscuity making me a prude dancing Words are thought to be substitutes for careful creation and
the pole. Seduction, cuckoldry, and what is not present, making language the positioning of shadows,
to beget a sense of
proposition to question understandings marking of a rupture, the gap between
three dimensionality.
wrought through the senses and more. the thing and the pointing to the thing.
Experience now remembered, pictures Always pointing elsewhere in time and
Untitled 47, from the material and pictorial tensions whispering experience, words, like pictures, are
series Ill Form and Void of the pang between what was and what reminders of what is not there or here.
Full, 2013. Despite the is. My pictures mash-up, high to low, They are what remains, the This-has-
use of cutouts from her
previous photographs domestic to the public, personal to social, been, as Barthes wrote.
and elsewhere, Laura is, when photographed, rendered as Present, so near yet so far, an all-at-once
says, the term collage photograph, no more, no less than object trace of what was, both a disturbance
isnt applicable to this
and image, a still life. and a salve that so perfectly serves the
series as the pictures
are made in my studio, Photographys power pretends a circuitry of want never-sated. For pictures
and not as flat scenes. singularity, an authority that is only as for things.

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Jyoti Bhatt Often, we dont see... but it is through

Jyoti Bhatt
is a painter, printmaker
and photographer who
lives in Gujarat. He has
studied at the Faculty
of Fine Arts in Baroda,
and at the Pratt
Institute in New York
where he was made a
Fulbright Fellow. While
he was a painter for a
major part of his life, he
86 turned to photography
and printmaking,
with which he began
preserving the
vanishing folk art of
rural India. His work is
held by 26 major public
collections like MoMA,
New York, British
Museum and more.

All photography by Jyoti Bhatt courtesy Tasveer

Untitled, 1969,
Vintage silver
gelatin print.

There was nothing I could do about my concern


for preservation, but I continued making photographic
records of the art forms and art traditions that
were still alive. This was in keeping with the ideas of
Professor K G Subramanyan, who had coined
the term Living Traditions.
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photography that we truly learn how to see.

87

Photo-collage, 1972, Photography has so many different experiencing and perhaps understanding Gujarat, 1978, Vintage
Vintage silver uses and varieties of forms. But, as a a bit of the real Indian Culture, it also silver gelatin print
gelatin print. The bride from Rathwa
painter, I would like to employ itand gave me the satisfaction of having done my
(a tribal community)
have at times tried to use itin place of social responsibility. watched her family
my brushes and etching needle as the The great musician, late Pundit members dancing.
special kind of device for making images... Kumar Gandharva had once said that a
Images that are possible to create by using Raga died after he sang it. But, the same
the chemical attributes of light, as well as Raga was reborn, every time he sang it.
the optical and technical characteristics of Similarly, the actual visual realities that
a still camera and an enlarger. I had faced and recorded with my camera
However, photography also has the a few decades ago were in the three
unique potential for recording the dimensional spaces. Now, I am facing
visuality of the activity happening around those recorded realities again, but in the
us. So, for several, mainly pragmatic form of two dimensional images and,
reasons, most of my photographic work without a camera.
was focused on documenting the living So, I am now allowing the painter and
(but, unfortunately, also vanishing) printmaker in me to take over and use
traditions of making and living with editing software such as Photoshop for the
visual art forms, mainly in rural Indias purpose of recreating my documentation
villages and tribal regions. Though this photographs into a different form
gave me the immense pleasure of seeing, graphic visual images.

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Rajasthan, Silver
gelatin print, 1988.

Black Light,
Vintage silver gelatin
print, 1978.

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It is possible
to maintain the
visual characters
of photographic
prints, but
I allow my
painter and
printmaker self
to indulge freely
and keep away
from one more
label; namely
a purist.

89

All photography by Jyoti Bhatt, courtesy Tasveer

Three Harijan girls,


Kutch, Gujarat.
Silver gelatin print, 1979.

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Karen Knorr Photography is a visual methodology, which

Karen Knorr
is an American who
was born in Germany,
and was raised in San
Juan Puerto Rico in
the 1960s. She has
taught and lectured
at The University
of Westminster,
Goldsmiths College,
Harvard and The
Art Institute of
90 Chicago. Karen Knorr
is Professor of
Photography at the
University for the
Creative Arts at
Farnham, Surrey.

The Joy of Ahimsa,


I have always initiated each project based on Takhat Vilas,
my understanding of the historical and political Mehrangarh Fort Palace,
Jodhpur, Archival
contexts of what Im photographing. pigment print, 2011.

Photography for me is art and a personal We are all a product of history and
journey... It is much like a voyage of its discontents. My work, India Song
discovery and a path of critical enquiry. references the Ramayana and Panchatantra
It is also an ethical position that one takes in order to highlight the eternal,
as a photographer, in relation to the world. irreconcilable conflicts between human
Photographers have a responsibility and non-human life... between nature
Since the 13th of to engage with audiences beyond their and civilisation. It aims to celebrate
December, Karen circumscribed communities of class, Indian cultural heritage, and not only the
Knorrs India Song
gender, and race. To be a photographer is buildings but the landscape, the flora and
has been on view at
the Collateral event, an ethical position that constantly strives the fauna of this extraordinary country.
hosted by Tasveer, to take into account the other. I believe Animal life is as important to me as is
as part of the Kochi that we as photographers, have a duty human life.
Biennale. A selection
of her work can be
to think critically with others, beyond In our lifetime, were all guardians of
seen at Passage personal expression or even art for the worlds heritage, which belongs to
Malabar, Fort Kochi, arts sake. Art is not a religion or dogma everyone. I have always tried to use what
until the 29th of with answers, but at its best, it explores the I learned from conceptual art to create a
March, 2017.
ambiguities of existence and being. new critical documentary style, using the

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allows me to understand and learn about the world that surrounds me.

91

Top: Temple Servant,


aesthetics of fine art print photography
Amber Fort, Jaipur,
Archival pigment with a deconstructive, often humorous
print, 2014 textual strategy. I feel that it is an
Bottom Right: The optimistic approach to impermanence.
Lions Saviour,
Zanana, Dungarpur The photographers I admire the most
Palace, Dungarpur, were and are activists, striving to change
Archival pigment the world and its prejudices, showing us
All photography by Karen Knorr courtesy Tasveer

print, 2015. the everyday in a new way. This is always


conceptual, working through the process
of making material or immaterial work.
Being a fine art photographer in the
UK, although quite difficult financially,
is still a great privilege. One should
never take for granted the freedom that
one has to explore and research how
the world becomes meaningful. In this
sense, I think photography can occupy
two worlds and be both philosophical
and spiritual.

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All the work I have


made considers fine
art culture and its
relationship to power.
There are negative
and positive effects
to the way power
intertwines with art,
and uses aesthetics
to legitimise
its narrative.

92

The Joy of Ahimsa,


Takhat Vilas,
Mehrangarh Fort Palace,
Jodhpur, Archival
pigment print, 2011.

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Rajesh Bedi An image that makes you think, which drives

Rajesh Bedi
is one of Indias
foremost wildlife
photographer, whose
love for the animals
he photographs comes
from within a deep
need for conservation.
He was awarded the
Lifetime Achievement
Award in the Third
National Photo
94 Awards in 2012,
and the Wildlife
Photographer of the
of the Year awards in
1986 by the British
Natural History
Museum and BBC
Worldwide, amongst
other accolades.

In a world where conservation is important and we are


losing more and more forest cover, these images (wildlife
photographs) become even more essential.
For me, photography is a powerful pleasure when I am able to capture rare
medium, with which I can express my moments in nature and share them with
artistic, creative thoughts in a visual format. people. I am fortunate that my passion and
The cameras and lenses are essential tools commitment to my work, over the last five
for me, just as brushes and paints are for a decades have been recognised, awarded
painter. As a wildlife photographer, I have and published all over the world, in several
learned a lot from my profession. It has prestigious publications. I feel humbled
had a great influence on my personal life and honoured that during the length of my
and taught me to be patient and humble. career, I have been the first to reveal some
Moving away from the stereotype of simply unknown aspects of animal behaviour.
recording pictures, I find myself always I often find myself missing working
trying to capture small details, or action, or with old film cameras, which requires far
the dramatic play of light, which I find are more personal involvement and effort
normally missed out. I find great joy and to portray ones vision. The concept of

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you, and makes you admire its content, is a good image.

95

Top Left: The Indian


or the Bengal fox feeding
her three young close to
her den, in the thorny
open area of the Rann
of Kutch.
Top Right: The Golden
Langurs, one of the most
endangered primate
species of India are
found in a small region
of Western Assam and
in the neighbouring
foothills of Bhutan.

photography has been revolutionalised by misrepresent. As a professional, I feel A bathing tigress eyes
a honey bee passing
digital imaging, which has its own benefits. the genuineness of the images should by her.
With software, one can do wonders with be maintained, no matter what the cost.
their images. I believe that one should not To me, photography is the most trusted
take liberty with changing or modifying and authentic medium to document and
the content of the pictures to deceive and transform your personal vision.

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96
All photographs by Rajesh Bedi

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Wildlife
photography is my
first love. I enjoy it,
and it is something
I find peace in.

97

The elephants
trunk is a fascinating,
expressive, almost alien
feature, which offers
endless opportunities
for captivating pictures.
The fusion of the nose
and upper lip, the
elephants trunk is a
most versatile tool
used for breathing,
smelling, touching,
grasping and the
production of a wide
variety of sounds. It is
probably the most
extraordinary body part
in the animal kingdom.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Vincent Peters You learn about yourself through your

Vincent Peters
was born in Germany
in 1969. He is a
photographer and
filmmaker who began
shooting, while on a
trip to Thailand in
the 80s. As a fashion,
beauty and celebrity
photographer since
1990, he has been
featured in and
98 has contributed
to every major
fashion magazine.

Emma Watson
London, 2015
from the book
Personal Photo

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work... what you think is beautiful comes from an intuitive place.


My world is always shot on set. My pictures are
prearranged and cinematic. But, its my world and there
is something in there that Id like to share.
Photography is a way to put yourself in Understanding something means
context to the world around you, a way comparing and putting it into context.
to put yourself in perspective. Its a way Photographs can do that. They make the
to understand and deal with the complex world and the people around us something
world around us, since we reduce it to to collect, to archive, to take home, to
the certain frames that we choose, which remember, and to reduce in a way that life
become symbolic for the rest. becomes more comprehensive.

99

Charlize Theron
New York, 2008

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100

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For me, its the only way to communicate around me a poetry. Every artist fears being
what I see. To show things I cant put in misunderstood, but the joy and need to
words or music, or gestures, or other ways share is something that we all see.
of communication. For me, what remains A photograph is never just a picture, its
is the light between us, the memory I can all the pictures youve seen, books youve
keep and share. It shows me a way to see read, movies and music you remember,
the world in a different, more articulate travel youve done, people youve met and
way, to see light and movement, faces, moments youve forgotten. You find all of it
textures, reflections after the rain... I see again, wanted or unwanted, in your pictures.

Penlope Cruz,
Madrid, 2015
from the book
Personal Photo.

101

All photographs by Vincent Peters which were a part of the exhibition In the Light at the IMMAGIS Gallery

Emma Watson
London, 2015.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Anna Fox Photography helped me to articulate things

Anna Fox
is the Head of the
B.A. degree in
Photography at the
University College
of the Creative Arts,
Farnham. She co-wrote
with Dr Deepak John
Mathews, a Masters
level photography
course for the National
Institute of Design in
102 Ahmedabad. She first
gained attention with
her 1988 documentary
study of London office
life in the mid-1980s,
Work Stations: Office
Life in London and is
perhaps best known for
her Zwarte Piet series.

Left: Sinta Klaas


Festival, From
the series Zwarte Piet,
Amsterdam, 1996
Right: Baul Devotee,
Kenduli, 2016.

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that I thought or felt, but definitely couldnt say.


I used photography to discover something, and
often what I discovered was a surprise.
Photography is the most amazing medium of all art forms. Probably the most stunning
in the world. It talks to people from every thing about photography is its ability to
class and religionit has no boundaries, it capture time. Despite all the dialogue around
is a multifaceted art form. Photography is a distrusting the truth in photography, it is
language for storytellers; it is drawing with this powerful illusory quality, of being able
light; it is a science and a craft, as well as an to replicate reality, that renders the medium
art. Photography is alive in art, in commerce so magnificent.
and in the family albumnever has there been Photography is magic. I have loved it since
a medium that touches and can be touched I was a teenager and it has given me a voice.
by so many people; it is the most democratic I love speaking with it.

103

All photography by Anna Fox, courtesy Tasveer

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104

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I constantly
try to question
and rework my
approach to
documentary
storytelling,
and frequently
decide to take
on very different
approaches and
very different
styles or ways
of working.

105

Family, from the


series Resort 1, 2011.

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Sunil Gupta In the camera, I found a way to connect with

Sunil Gupta
By making deeply
personal, yet
provocative work, Sunil
Gupta has carefully
tread the treacherous
waters of what is
acceptable and not.
His contribution to the
Indian gay narrative is
something that all
future generations can
106 look at, examine and
compare, with their
personal stories.

Hauz Khas,
Exiles, 1986.

One of my motives behind making art is to push


the boundaries, not just the aesthetic ones, but
the political ones as well.
At its purely basic level, photography, as Europes imperialist projects around the
we know it, is the result of an objective globe, and its scientific need to catalogue
mechanical means of reproducing an and document everything that could be
image from the real world thats been used photographed, including humans and the
by artists for centuries. As a means of fixing natural world.
an image using photo chemical processes, Despite that history, photography has
its origins lie in the 19th century, in France played a leading role in highlighting
and England. After gaining popularity, the human condition and drawing our Untitled, The New Pre-
Raphaelites, 2009.
it travelled far and wide, coinciding with attention to the plight of othersas in

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people and get out of the routine and monotony of life.

107

All photography by Sunil Gupta

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109

documenting the consequences of wars colonialism in my later art education, Bikram from
or natural disasters. It has also been a tool in the early 1980s. Photography seemed Mr Malhotras Party
(2007-ongoing).
for social justice, whether it was recording a crucial medium to counter colonial
life in urban slums or the hidden private narratives. I became part of the black arts
spaces of families. movement in Britain, which lobbied for
For me, it has always been a tool for the right of Asians and blacks to have
making visible what mainstream society access to the arts, and to have a say in their
would rather not see. In that sense, Ive own definitions.
primarily been motivated by the potential For more than a century, colonisers
of cultural activism fostered by the had been using photography against
medium. As a migrant of Indian origin, their native subjects, it was time to
who came to live in Canada in 1969, wrest control of the medium back from
post Woodstock and Stonewall, I soon them. A cooperative agency was formed,
found my gay identity within nascent gay Autograph-ABP, which lives on to this day.
liberation movements that were springing My photography work became
up on campuses around North America. immersed in exploring my gay and Indian
I picked up the camera to document this identities, whilst trying to lobby for space
moment, and this primary motivation has within which queer and South Asian
been with me throughout my professional voices could be heardto counter the
Top to bottom:
life. Fine art came later. mainstream colonial narratives which live
Candolim-Goa, Miami, Goa
and Mexico City from Love The Indian part of my identity also on, even in our own countries, where to be
and Light (2004-2009). came later, when I encountered post- gay remains illegal.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
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Arko Datta You need to constantly ask yourself

Arko Datta
is a renowned
photojournalist, who
has covered stories in
conflict regions like
Iraq, Afghanistan
and Kashmir, and
has also documented
the devastation of the
tsunami in 2004, for
which he was awarded
the World Press Photo
110 of the Year in 2005.

During the period


of religious violence
in Gujarat, an Indian
Muslim begs nearby
police to rescue him.
He was stranded in his
house surrounded by
Hindu rioters. This image
became the face of the
communal bloodshed
that took place in
the state.

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what you are saying and why you are saying it.

111

The most important tenet in photojournalism Eight-year-old


Mir was injured in the
is the credibility one should possess. It is South Asian earthquake
that devastated the
our responsibility to always tell the story region on 8 October,
dispassionately and objectively. 2005. Doctors treat
his head injuries in a
town near the Line of
If I were not a photographer I would have creative. It can be a personal and intimate Control, in Indian-
been envious of anyone with a camera expression and it can morph into a administered Kashmir.
hanging from their shoulder. For me, powerful tool to form public opinion,
photography has never been a career at the same time. And thats where my
but an integral part of my identity, my transition into becoming a photojournalist
life I started early, well before I could comes in, because the camera in the hands
sort out algebra. For a large part of my of one is a powerful tool. But, with great
journey with photography, I never worried power comes a sense of responsibility for
about what lies ahead. I just soaked in the photographer. Not just to oneself, or
the moment and enjoyed the sheer joy of to the organisation that one is with, but,
making pictures. towards the society that one is living in.
What attracted me towards photography Looking back, I am happy with my tryst
was that it combined fine art, with with photography. I dont think I could
relevance. It is technical, as well as have lived my life in any other way...

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112

A U.S. soldier and


Iraqi policeman search
a room, as an Iraqi
child sleeps on the
bed, in Tikrit, 180kms
northwest of Baghdad,
Iraq. They were
looking for Saddam
Hussain loyalists, and
detained four people
for questioning in
that period.

Eight-year-old
Praveen, died when a fire
swept through a school
in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
His father drops a bar
of chocolate onto his
body at a burial ground.
Around 90 children died in
the fire.

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An old Kashmiri woman


sits next to the rubble of
a house, destroyed in an
earthquake in Dildar, a
village located near the
Line of Control, in Indian-
administered Kashmir.

All photographs by Arko Datta/REUTERS


An Indian woman
mourns the death of her
relative, whose hand
is seen in the frame.
He was killed in the 2004
tsunami that struck the
southern part of India.

113

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
ShowCase
W P OY 2 0 16 -1 7 NOMINEE S

WPOY 2016-17 Nominees


We have returned with Indias biggest wedding photography awards, the Canon Better
Photography Wedding Photographer of the Year 2016-17.

T
his year, the Canon Better Photography career and growth. This, for us, singularly, is the most
Wedding Photographer of the Year 2016- gratifying aspect of these awards, and it sees us select
17 awards received a staggering 24,785 our judging panel with care.
entries, from across 281 cities and towns While wedding photography is now a genre in its
in India. The contest was open for entries own right, it is composed of skills taken from a variety
from 30 June-14 October, and the submissions were of other genres of photography as well. Portraiture.
made online, via the Better Photography Wedding Photojournalism. Street. Still Life. We have on board
Photographer of the Year Awards website. panelists across these genres as well. Yet, if we ask
the questions Who sees these photographs first,
Our Diverse Judging Panel with a Surprise! and decides whether the most relevant moments
Our esteemed panel of 71 judges, some of whom have been captured or not? The answers are plain.
are from across the globe, comprise senior Of our 71 panelists on the jury, 30 judges are very
photographers, national photo editors as well as special to us. They are avid photographers, but with
particularly exceptional judges an important distinction. They are the mothers of
Better Photographys Chief Editor, K Madhavan Pillai, grooms and fathers of brides. They are to-be-married
114 shares his thoughts on our choice of keeping the or newly married couples, judging as a single unit,
judging panel diverse. More than the giving away he said. Without further ado, heres a look at those
of the awards and the final ceremonies, the awards who made it to the list of the top six nominees from presents

bestowed have the power to impact a photographers each category.

WEDDING
BRIDE & GROOM PORTRAITURE PHOTOGRAPHER
OF TH E Y E A R 2 0 16

Nominees:
AVINASH ROCHE
Udupi
GAURAV MADAN
Mumbai
KINJAL MAJITHIA
Mumbai
RISHIKA DAS
Kolkata
SHAMMIULLA SAYYED
Panaji
SOMBIT DEY
Kolkata
Gaurav Madan Avinash Roche

Rishika Das Shammiulla Sayyed

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
PROFILE A VIGNETTE OF THOUGHTS
Michael Robinson Chvez The Need for a Visual Diary W P OY 2 0 16 -1 7 NOMINEE S
A journey to find his roots in Exploring what compels us to
the Peruvian landscape photograph our everyday

120 132
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Nominees:
ANOOP KRISHNA
Thrissur
NITIN DANGWAL
Panchkula
RADHIKA PANDIT
Ahmedabad
RAJSHEKAR REDDY
Bengaluru
SATYA POOJARY
Mumbai
SRI MUTNURI
Hyderabad

Anoop Krishna Sri Mutnuri

115

presents
Rajshekar Reddy Nitin Dangwal

WEDDING
EMOTIONS PHOTOGRAPHER
OF TH E Y E A R 2 0 16

Nominees:
ANAND PAPANNA
Bengaluru
CHETNA SARIN
New Delhi
KARAN SIDHU
Gurgaon
PRAKASH PARMAR
Anand
SANDIP KUMAR MOJIDRA
Surat
VIVEK KRISHNAN
Bengaluru
Prakash Parmar Chetna Sarin

Sandip Kumar Mojidra Anand Papanna

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
W P OY 2 0 16 -1 7 NOMINEE S

presents

WEDDING
BEHIND THE SCENES OR OFFBEAT PHOTOGRAPHER
OF TH E Y E A R 2 0 16

Nominees:
ATUL RAVAL
Rajkot
CHANDNI DUAA
Ahmedabad
CHETNA SARIN
New Delhi
KAUSTAV SARKAR
Chandannagar
RADHIKA PANDIT
Ahmedabad
SHRADDHA RATHI
Ahmedabad

Shraddha Rathi Atul Raval

116

Kaustav Sarkar Chetna Sarin presents

WEDDING
FINER WEDDING DETAILS OR STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER
OF TH E Y E A R 2 0 16

Nominees:
ABHIMANYU SHARMA
Gurgaon
ANILL PATIL
Nashik
BHAVEN JANI
New Delhi
JOHN MATHAI
Changanassery
MEHUL JOSHI
Jamnagar
PRAVEEN PADMANABAN
Chennai
Bhaven Jani

Abhimanyu Sharma Praveen Padmanaban

BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
W P OY 2 0 16 -1 7 NOMINEE S

presents

WEDDING
PHOTOSERIES ON A SINGLE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
OF TH E Y E A R 2 0 16

Nominees:
ABHIMANYU SHARMA
Gurgaon
ABHISHEK SCARIYA
Bengaluru
KARAN SIDHU
Gurgaon
PRABAKARAN K
Bengaluru
PRAMOD MITTA
Mumbai
PRAVEEN PADMANABAN
Chennai

117

Pramod Mitta
Praveen Padmanaban

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Grand Prizes CANON EOS 5D MARK III DSLR KIT (with EF 24105mm f/4L IS USM Lens)
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III features a newly designed 22.3MP ...an excellent integration of still and video... The camera represents
CMOS sensor, a Canon DIGIC 5+ Image Processor, and a shooting new technologies that will define the EOS system in the coming
performance of up to 6fps, to provide exceptional clarity and future.
sharpness. The camera also introduces a fast 61-point AF system Shridhar Kunte
to the lineup, and performs great at high ISOs. MRP Rs. 2,49,995 Deputy EditorTechnical, Better Photography

BENQ SW2700PT 27-inch High Gamut QHD Photographers LED Monitor


I was particularly impressed by its features and useful
touches... like the low reflectance of the screen without The BenQ SW2700PT features a 27-inch monitor that directly targets
affecting the high level of perceivable detail. With its design the discerning professional photographer. It has a true 10-bit display,
and ergonomics, its a good investment. which ensures that tonal gradations and colour transition is smooth,
and offers 109 pixels per inch for stunning clarity. Users can also
Raj Lalwani
shuffle between a set of preset buttons. MRP Rs. 75,000
Assistant Editor, Better Photography

ELINCHROM D-LITE FX 2 KIT with Two Digital Flash Heads & Accessories
The Elinchrom D-Lite FX 2 is a semi-professional and easy-to-use It is an incredible piece of equipment to have as part of your
unit which features an intelligent pre-flash detector system. Its
also compatible with many light shapers and features a power photography gear, and gives you just the right amount of output.
auto-dump, which automatically adjusts the flash power when Shashi Nair
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ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD Complete One Year Membership Plan


The Adobe Creative Cloud offers an entire collection of 20+ desktop
There was a time where creative professionals were and mobile apps, including Premier Pro, After Effects and Audition.
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MANFROTTO MK190XPRO3-BHQ2 3-Section Tripod & XPRO Ball Head


I am very happy to have it as part of my equipment
The Manfrotto MK190XPRO3-BHQ2 tripod offers a 90 column system, arsenal as it is a stable and strong tripod and works well
along with a Qucik Power Lock system, and an XPRO ball head for
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Category Prizes CANON PIXMA G1000 Ink-tank Based Photo Quality Printer
Compact and well-designed, the G1000 comes The Canon Pixma G1000 is a 4-colour A4 printer integrated with a
with a set of ink bottles for its tanks, making it flatbed scanner, and is the first from Canon to incorporate refillable ink
affordable for homes and small photographic tanks. Users can enjoy a high yield of up to 7000 pages, without having
businesses alike. The quality is commendable. to worry about running low on ink. MRP Rs. 9595
K Madhavan Pillai
Chief Editor, Better Photography

BENQ BL2420PT 23.8-inch Professional Qhd Designer Led Monitor


The BenQ BL2420PT features a 23.8-inch monitor that targets professionals The BL2420PT is a good choice for the
in video editing and graphic arts. It has an 8-bit display and features the Auto- commercial and more demanding user.
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ELINCHROM D-LITE FX ONE KIT with Two Digital Flash Heads & Accessories
The FX One is incredible and has an
extremely fast recycling time. Its easy to The Elinchrom D-Lite FX One is an entry level easy-to-use unit, ideal for any beginner interested in
carry around and does not require too flash photography. It delivers twice the power of speed lights and has a power range of 100W to
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Lightroom is my go to software for batch
The Adobe Creative Cloud for photography gives you access to Lightroom CC and processing, and Photoshop CC gives me
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your desktop and mobile devices. Users will have their own portfolio website. A yearly
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membership of the plan costs Rs. 8112. Sakshi Parikh
Features Writer, Better Photography

MANFROTTO PIXI EVO 2-Section Mini Tripod


The PIXI EVO is a sturdy and lightweight aluminum tripod that tilts to a full
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Reviewer, Amateur Photographer magazine JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
Latest from the
auto worLd with
a singLe touch
Profi le

On the altiplano, or high


plain, between Cusco and
Puno, Peru, passengers
wait anxiously while their
broken-down locomotive
gets repaired, 1997.

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
Profile

Michael Robinson Chvez takes Sakshi Parikh on an exciting journey of self-discovery,


where he revisits his Peruvian roots and talks about the path to good photojournalism.

121

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
Pr ofi le

Top: First rain of


the season, Amazon,
2000; Bottom:
The Polsova family
lives in a dilapidated
settlement outside
the town of Huncovce,
Slovakia, 2004.

C
hvez walked through the pedestrians took their lives in their hands,
airport doors at Lima and as they sprinted across the potholed streets.
stepped into the Third World Peru, in 1988, was a country on the brink;
of Peru. Traffic laws seemed the local currency had the value of confetti
a matter of opinion, hawkers and civil war was raging. For an 18-year-
barked their offers through scratchy old with Peruvian roots, who grew up in
speakers perched on fruit stands, and the manicured suburbs of California, it

Better PhotograPhy ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7
Profile

was beyond eye-opening. The trip was saw Chvez immerse himself in the art A vase of flowers is
planned to reconnect with his mothers of black-and-white film and darkroom all that remains on the
smoke-stained walls
family. Over the next three months, he printing, through a stint at photo school.
of the Samarahs living
would discover Peru steeped in culture and His love for photography became more room. Jenin, West
tradition, quite unlike his life back home. structured when his brother gifted him Bank, 2002.
Oddly though, he realised that he never Magnums In Our Time. While school taught
felt more at home than in Peru. The camera me the techniques, the book inspired me,
that Chvez had borrowed from a friend, in and strengthened my decision of becoming
hindsight, became a constant companion. a photojournalist, he says.
Every time I In a way I was making up for lost time. The next decade saw Chvez taking
I wandered around like a backpacker, up assignments with the Associated
photograph Peru, walking in rusty bylanes with my cousins, Press, The Boston Globe, the Los Angeles
I keep getting learning Spanish on the streets and getting Times, The Washington Post and so on.
attracted to the to know this side of me that I ignored for the Working with photo agencies and big
soul of the place. major part of my early years, says Chvez. metropolitan dailies gave him several
opportunities to shoot in different
Its like having a Finding a Visual Connect countries,thereby cementing his love
love affair with It was in fact the seduction of Peru and a for travel. Chvezs style of documenting
the country. deepening interest in photography that has always been an honest and a

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
Pr ofi le

sensitive one, which clearly reflects in his


assignments and also in his personal work.

On Photojournalistic Ethics
Chvez finds himself in the pursuit of
dignifying his subjects, as they manage to
survive with the bare minimum. He does all
this while being fair, honest and merciless
in his documentation. It is important
to me that I dont make a victim of my
subjects. In fact, having gone through so
much, they are not victims, but survivors.
They are stronger than all of us. But as a
photojournalist, it is my moral obligation
that they come to no harm because of my
need to produce a story, Chvez says.
He deeply feels that one should
constantly avoid looking at the broader
picture, and instead look at educating and
inspiring people through photographs.
I believe that photographers should aim
at documenting an honest story rather than
focusing on a single image, he says.
While covering the Californian drought,
124 for instance, he made sure that he did
not photograph the political scenario
in that area, as reporters were already
doing that. On the other hand, Chvez
aimed at making the story about the
individual farmers struggling to live
their lives and attain some normalcy.
The story, written by Pulitzer Prize winner,
Diana Marcum, along with Chvezs
photographs, generated a lot of awareness
amongst readers. They also received
several donations for the farmers and
their families.

Seeing Things Differently


Through all his assignments, his love for
Peru kept calling him back. He showcases
this affection in his book, Awaiting the
Rain, a collection of photographs made in
Peru over a span of 10 years. Despite the
people being extremely colourful and
energetic, the country inspired Chvez to
employ the black and white aesthetic as
a reminder of the drab grey surrounding,
with an incessantly overcast sky. The title
is melancholic yet hopeful, as it talks
about the hardships of the locals and the
prosperous future of the nation.
The country has changed considerably
since that first visit, but I am still under
her spell. I travel to the Andean nation just

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Workers weed an almond


orchard outside Huron.
Wages for workers have
plummeted. Huron,
California, 2014.

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A resident looks out of the
window of the bus as he
waits to start his journey,
Cusco, Peru, 1997.
Pr ofi le

Top to bottom: Riot


police, La Gamarra
district, Lima, Peru,
2000; Children play on
the ruined carcass of
the Palestinian Radio
building, Gaza, 2002;
A Gori boy parades
around in tank googles
given to him by an
personnel carrier.
Georgia, 2008.

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about every year. The economy is booming I think my daughter will teach me how to see Members of Al Aqsa
and the old mantra of Peruvians being more things differently, Chvez says. Martyr Brigade march
through the streets
accustomed to catastrophe than success is When asked what advice hed like to impart
of Jabalya, one of
taking on water, he says. Chvez discovered to younger photographers, he mentioned the Gazas many refugee
his voice in Peru, which extended to his words of another renowned photojournalist, camps, 2004.
life in photography. His evolution as a Ron Haviv... You need to think of what
photojournalist has not ended. images are going to be important in the
The birth of Olivia changed things for longer run. What are our children going to
me. As a father, it is my responsibilty to be find when they look at the photographs that
there for her. Assignments in conflict zones we have made? As imagemakers, we are social
have taken on a distinct level of aversion. messengers and it is a responsibility we must
Luckily, I can choose my own assignments. not forget.

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The wall separating the
West Bank from Israel
reaches a height of 8
meters and construction
of new Jewish settlements
at its base has begun.
Eastern Jerusalem, 2004

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Michael Robinson Chvez is a photographer at The Washington Post and a working photojournalist. He is two-time winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Award and has
covered assignments in around 60 countries like the Egyptian revolution and the US led invasion of Iraq. You can see his work on his website www.robinsonChvez.com.

ja n ua ry 2 0 1 7 Better PhotograPhy
A VIgneTTe of THougHTS
The Need for a Visual Diary
Natasha Desai wonders about the personal significance of a visual diary, as she navigates
through the Polaroids of Jamie Livingston, who made a picture every day, for 18 years.

J
amie Livingston discovered quite technique? Or was it just to hold on to Jamie made around
casually that he had shot Polaroids certain memories? 6500 images over
every single day for a few weeks in As a filmmaker, photographer and 18 years. While
1979. And then, just like that, he kept circus performer, Jamies photographs some are missing,
most of them are
at it for 18 years. Almost everyday, were made with a joie de vivre that is hard intact in four large
Jamie framed and shot photographs of his to miss... You can see the excitement and suitcases kept safely
rather fun life, immortalised as snapshots love for his life in New York, his work and by, Hugh Crawford.
The dates on the
Jamie Livingston from a Polaroid SX-70. his need to experience life. His carefully
images have been
I stumbled across his images quite composed shots ranged from little delights added for context
accidently and found myself lost almost and important sports wins, to portraits of and are not part of
immediately in the vast online archive; lovers and quiet moments alone, taken with the original prints.
carefully maintained by his friend Hugh a self-timer. And then there was the mystery
Crawford and helped by Betsy Reid, Jamies of certain frames, the significance of which
wife, in setting up. With each frame came only Jamie would have known. I soon came
the overwhelming realisation that I was to regard him as someone I knew with a
If he shot two or
viewing anothers life, the way he saw it, familiar intimacy.
three images, the first
most of which was well before my time. Along the way, I came across Jamies one would always be
What made Jamie document his life so photos of his trips to the hospital. He battled his Photo of the Day.
intensely and diligently? As a person who cancer in the midst of his life, documenting This held true even if he
Jamies photographs came across an exciting
feature friends, family finds it difficult to shoot continuously it just as he did any other day. He did not moment or subject, later
and from time to time, everyday, I wonderedabout what drove hide his illness, nor did he exaggerate it. in the day. He would
132 interesting personalities him. Was it a want or a need to leave a As I watched his hair get thinner, I also date the pictures with
too, like artist and sex an official looking stamp
educator Annie Sprinkle, legacy behind? Or was it something as watched him get married, in what seemed
that Hugh had gifted to
in the image below. simple as improving ones aesthetic or like a warm and quiet ceremony. him as a joke.
All photographs by Jamie Livingston, courtesy Hugh Crawford, www.photooftheday.hughcrawford.com

7 Mar, 1993 13 Apr, 1992

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As a person who finds it diffcult to shoot
continuously everyday, I wondered about
what drove him.
natasha Desai

2 Apr, 1980

133

21 Mar, 1981 31 Dec, 1991

10 Jan, 1994 30 Jan, 1989 14 Feb, 1980

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s P e c i a l f e at u r e

8 Feb, 1993 9 Feb, 1993 10 Feb, 1993

14 Feb, 1993 15 Feb, 1993 16 Feb, 1993

20 Feb, 1993 21 Feb, 1993 22 Feb, 1993

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s P e c i a l f e at u r e

11 Feb, 1993 12 Feb, 1993 13 Feb, 1993

17 Feb, 1993 18 Feb, 1993 19 Feb, 1993

23 Feb, 1993 24 Feb, 1993 25 Feb, 1993

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s P e c i a l f e at u r e

17 Oct, 1997 18 Oct, 1997 19 Oct, 1997

21 Oct, 1997

20 Oct, 1997 22 Oct, 1997

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s P e c i a l f e at u r e

Jamie was like The last picture was made on the 25th of came across his photographs? Did he
a shepherd. October, 1997, the day that Jamie turned 41. think his frames would touch people so
As the numbness set in, almost as if I had intensely, long after his untimely demise?
He would gather experienced a personal loss, I looked for Probably not. All he did was pick a moment
his friends solace. Reading the comments that people that would be his ideal Photo of the Day.
together and had left under the photographs on the In these seemingly random singular acts,
throw orphan website, I realised that the lives he touched Jamie carved out a map of his life. A life that
were many, even 20 years after he was became a part of my own, one little white
parties for those
gone. A young man discovered Polaroids of frame at a time.
whose family lived himself as a baby and his mother, who died even in death, Jamie
wanted his Photo of the
far away. when he was a child. Countless people are On a journey to discover her personal, visual Day. The camera on its
Hugh Crawford brought comfort and happiness, by simply voice, Natasha Desai shares her inspiration tripod, was set up on a
viewing a picture made on their birthday. here, with you. You can find her photos at www. bookshelf. At his behest,
Did Jamie ever imagine he would instagram.com/curlsb4swine and you can write to the shutter was released
moments after he
leave such an impression on those who her at natasha.desai@betterphotography.in was gone.

23 Oct, 1997

24 Oct, 1997 25 Oct, 1997

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170

Into the Jaws of Death


Photograph by:
Robert F Sargent

R
Image Source: obert Capas photograph (D-Day Invasion) of a floating soldier in Omaha Beach in
Wikimedia Commons Normandy, France, is probably one of the most important visuals to have come
Written by: out of World War II. The blurry image highlights the intensity of the moment,
Sainethra Hariharan where every soldier frantically held onto their lives amidst the frenzied shooting.
However, there would be another significant photograph to emerge out of the
event, one that would be very different from what Capa shot. This photograph was shot
by the Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Robert F Sargent, who later titled it Taxis to
Hell and Back. The frame eventually got to be popularly referred to as Into the Jaws of Death.
Sargent made the photograph from his landing craft, by borrowing a camera from a
photographer accompanying him. The image he shot paints a very different picture from
that of Capa. Taken minutes before the machine guns opened fire from German positions
on the beach, this visual is almost tranquil. Most of the soldiers in this photograph, just as
with the soldiers of dozens of other landing crafts on that day, would be cut down by the
enemy in one of the most bloody battles in the history of World War II.

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