How important is a tripod in Close Up Photography ?

If possibly, it is always advisable to carry your tripod for Macro or Close Up photography. This is almost imperative if you are using a DSLR. One can jack up the ISO and obtain higher shutter speed to offset the possible 'shake' but that is not the ideal way to get a tack sharp image in the close up zone. I am saying this from my personal experience in this field. Even using a Monopod gives a better result than handheld shots.
Coming to tripods, it is better to invest on a reasonably sturdy tripod with preferably a Ball Head. Swevel/Tilt heads are not too convinient for nature photography. Ball Heads are more flexible though more expensive. Bogen/Manfrotto tripods and monopods have reasonably priced products and the built quality is certainly better than 'cheapo' Velbon or Vivitar tripods. It is very important to have a totally stable stand for your expensive DSLR with Lense. Watch out for the rated load bearing capacity of the tripod/monopod and it's head. Ideally one should limit the load at least within 75% of the maximum load bearing capacity for the sheer safety of equipment.

Got my Tamron 70~300 mm f4/5.6 LD Macro 1:2

After a lot of dilemma, I finally got my Tamron 70~300 mm f4/5.6 LD Macro 1:2 lense. No , I didn't opt for a Canon consumer grade lense. If I ever change to Canon optics, it's got to be a 'L' series lense. But with the kind of prices prevailing in the marketplace for Canon 'L' series lenses, perhaps at present I got to be happy with third party optics. These third party lenses deliver reasonably goood quality images. I recently tried out 15" X12" prints from my Tamron AF 19~35 mm f3.5/4.5 and they are flawless. Shooting Macros demand use of a sturdy tripod apart from using higher Aperture (>f8) and for that matter one needs a slow shutter. Hence a sturdy tripod becomes an essential tool. Best results for Macro are derived from Prime Macro lenses and there is no doubt about it. Focussing is better done manually instead of AF. As is Prime Macro Lenses are slow in AF. These lenses are expensive but most certainly worth every paise you spend on it. Then again it depends if you are after very tiny flowers or bugs or not. Otherwise, for fairly large flowers and insects (like butterflies) a macro focussing Zoom with 1:2 magnification capability is sufficient. And above all, only persons with a lot of patience excel in Macro photography. An even non-distractive background is a must for a successful technically sound macro image. Sharpness is of prime importance in this field of work. Shallow depth of field therefore plays a great role in macro work.

Decided to go fully Digital !

At long last I picked up a DSLR on 11th November'07. A lot of deliberations and On Line research had gone into this proccess of decision making. Whether I should go for a Nikon D80 or just switch over to Canon Digital Rebel XTi as it is slightly less expensive. Over the past few years I have gathered enough evidences about Canon DSLRs having an edge over Nikon DSLRs as far as the noise at higher ISO, faster Auto Focussing and in-camera image processing by their DIGIC II processor are concerned. By no means I am trying to undermine Nikon DLSRs in terms of quality or durability. In fact my Nikon N80 with it's lenses still remain with me to satisfy my propensity to shoot on Films.
Now I am gradually building up my system keeping in view my requirement. Canon made Lenses are beyond my reach anyway. I therefore, have opted for Tamron AF 19~35 mm f3.5/4.5 to start with. The next addition will be a Tamron 70~300 mm f4/5.6 LD Di Macro 1:2 to cater my needs for longer reach.
I guess, in course of time I may have to have another short zoom to cover the difference between 35 mm and 70 mm. That could be a Canon 24~85 mm f3.5/4.5 USM Lense. Perhaps, This lense has to be taken before Tamron 70~300 mm LD Di macro. I have read great reviews of Canon 24~85 mm f3.5/4.5 USM Lense. My type of photography normally doesn't need a focal length more than 135 mm. Maybe I won't need a 70~300 mm glass right away.

Some tips on Street Photography.

I have a fancy for street photography. Specially in metro cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai there are ample scope for showcasing some mindblowing pictures. The choice of equipment is quite important for street work. I have found 35 mm focal length very useful for it's perspective which is so vital for street photography. Large SLRs with long tele-zooms are quite difficult to operate in the streets. Use of a tripod or even a monopod should be avoided. In a nutshell, any gear that attracts attention of people be better left at home. For years, I have used manual focusing lense in street work. With a 35 mm lense, focussing gets easier in any case. The present day's Digital point and shoot cameras are really handy for street photography. These small digicams are great for the necessary perspective and tack sharp pictures. These are incredibly quiet as there are practically no loud shutter noise likeyou have in case of an SLR shutter. I would always recommend using available light for street photography.

After arriving at the location where you are going to shoot some pictures, just don't start clicking right away. Stand at a vantage point for some time. Keep your camera away. Look around and spend some time at the location. Become a normal spectator. You must be totally relaxed showing no traces of nervousness. Stand there as if you are expecting someone to come and meet you. Take out your camera and point it at different directions, as if you are trying out a new camera. Pre-select your subject and shoot without taking much time. You got to be fast. Never remain at one place for more shots. That may create problems from local people. Just walk away slowly and deliberately.

One word of caution ! Never shoot in a Railway Station. Don't ever shoot picture of a cop. If you do , you are heading for trouble. Be bold and you always should have an answer ready if someone questions your action. Just be ready with an instant answer which must be a logical one. Be in a casual attire that doesn't draw attention of people around you. And try not to encroach into privacy of people.

Good luck !!!

Don't become a gizmo fanatic ! Just shoot & share..

I have observed that so many upcoming and/or aspirant photographers have turned into state of the art equipment collector. Let me tell them that it's certainly important to have superior gears but it's not absolutely essential to invest a great deal to become a good photographer. If someone turns professional photographer (not a self proclaimed one !) in it's true sense, it is apt for that person to invest on array of gears. The wish list should be need based and not fancy based. I have heard about some young aspirant professional (?) photographer getting into Bank Loan for purchase of expensive Digital SLR Cameras and lenses. I must caution people not to tread on such dangerous mission under any circumstances. Earning money thru' photography is more difficult than getting a MBA from a recognised B-School. Some may think that photography is a shortcut route to get wealthy. That is completely an illusion.

My humble suggestion to young aspirant photographer is to first learn the techniques of photography. Shoot a lot and put up pictures for critique at the right kind of forums. Do not get mixed up in the pixel war. Let the Digicam makers do the fighting but you concentrate on your own shooting. Let good senses prevail amongst aspirant photographers who can't think beyond their photographic gears.

My least commented pictures !!

Hi Friends,

Here I am sharing some of my works which got least attention from the viewers at any Picture sharing forum or gallery. In photography, there are bound to be shots which are not so attractive but these are just not randomly made pictures.Some thought proccess have gone into it prior to a shutterfreeze. This bunch is kind of a introspect into my work you may say. Just see them and let me know your views.