Ashwin Khubchandani

Every traveling photographer knows the difficulties of packing all camera gear in one bag. This is especially true when backpacking to an area where bringing lots of equipment is discouraged. While the initial reaction can be just to stuff everything one can into the limited space, there are better ways to travel and ensure that camera gear is safe as well. Listed below are some great tips to remember. Image Source: lifehacker.com Use an old bag : This does seem counter-intuitive. Most photographers would say that purchasing a new bag -- especially one dedicated for cameras -- is ideal to prevent wreckage. This is true; however, using an old bag (but not wrecked!) can address a traveling photographers’ needs just fine. There are two reasons to take note of. The first is that a worn-out looking bag actually has more room than a newly-bought bag. The difference is only a few inches, but this can make a world of difference. Moreover, the bag is more pliable and ab...

In street photography, more often than not, you would not be able to stage the scene that you want to capture.These moments are fleeting, and you have to have your camera set up properly to ensure that you are able to click on the shutter button as soon as the moment occurs. Image source: pinterest.com Different photographers might have different preferences and styles, but here are the settings that have worked for many street photographers. Shutter speed Because objects, specifically people, will appear suddenly and move through the scene, the right shutter speed is essential so that there is not much blur in the image and, at the same time, the lighting is just right. For scenes that are a bit dark, a shutter speed of 1/160th of a second (or something a bit slower) would suffice. But if it is sunny, the speed can be increased to 1/400th or 1/500th. ISO Cameras are becoming more advanced than ever. You can now raise the camera’s ISO setting without havi...

There are few things as divisive in amateur photography as the addition of filters. Most people are familiar with these pre-set tools in Instagram, where they become an almost standard fixture in every picture taken (that and an inspirational quote or two). There are even multiple apps that allow amateur smartphone photographers to achieve these effects—often meant to replicate the aesthetic appearance of vintage photographs—online.  Image source: hyperallergic.com Before I go any further, let’s look at the reason why the retro look exists in the first place. Much of it owes its existence to low fidelity. A long time ago, back when most photography was done on film, minor flaws present in all but the most professional-grade of cameras would sometimes cause artifacts to form in the photographs. Certain professional photographic fields such as sports photography almost make these unavoidable. Moreover, even photographs that turn out wonderful may eventually degrade wi...