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Visit to Photokina 2014 in Germany (Cologne) 

9/27/2014

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For an amateur photographer like me , visiting photokina was one of the things in my checklist. And I guess I was lucky that Oman has won the FIAP (www.fiap.net)  biennial world cup for two categories (For youth 21- and Young 16-) and since I was one of the selection team for Oman's entry, I got nominate to go to the FIAP event and as well have a visit for the full duration of the exhibition.

For me it was really a great opportunity to visit photokina and I really donno where to start in writing this blog, but I will be more general than specific in this one and give you the consumer photographer perspective. To start you can check the facts about photokina from their website to get a glimpse at the event's scale " facts about photokina
"

As a consumer you will be attracted mainly at the new products released and some of the new technologies displayed for the first time and you will get the opportunity to have hands on experience with some of the newest cameras and gadgets in the photo/video industry. As for me , my main interest was Nikon & Canon sections in the exhibition.Canon's ection was the most impressive and innovative and with a focus in few products like the 7D mark II and the G7x they managed to grasp the attention to their brand and for me it was the strongest visible brand in photokina (sorry Nikon , yellow attracts but you need to put more efforts). And I was really impressed by Samsung's section and their brave move toward the mirror-less cropped sensor NX1 and giving the users the opportunity to try it.

Nikon's section was informative but it wasn't innovative enough, I really liked the speeches done by Nikon's photographers or photographers showing off projects using Nikon cameras, I got inspired by the making of Nikon D810 official AD, it's really good work. I got to test the nikon D750 and so far I got my eyes into it and will write little about it later.

But overall I have seen the trend is moving toward having higher end SLR cameras and big focus on the sport compact cameras like the GoPRO and many companies are aiming to take share at this lucrative market as well as accessories aimed for smart phones as their video capabilities are increasing by time. In terms of accessories and ability to strike deals (if you're a business owner) then I would assure you that there's a lot to find there and a visit to Photokina should provide you with all you need in the imagine industry.

What were the most impressive things that I saw:


* Nikon D750: Just like what nikon promised, the D800 is not replacing the D700 and they were true about it, the D750 is an outstanding machine.
* Canon 7D Mark II: with 10 FPS and impressive high ISO performance, I would assume this camera will set the standard in this era.
* Samsung NX1 : 15 FPS in a mirror-less cropped frame
is really impressive and 4K video capabilities mean a lot. As for the performance and image quality. Overall great machine, but it requires more tweaking and refinement (not as ergonomic as the Canon/Nikon SLR cameras, and the slow focus speed killed it)

If you're even going to visit Photokin in 2016, let me tell you that 1 day visit is not enough (I would assume 3 days is minimum if you want to check it out). Also, bring your own chair as you'll get tired. Have a break and look at the amazing photo galleries displayed there, it'll definitely refresh your vision and brain and give you  a new perspective toward photography.


Auf Wiedersehen



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A new photo , and a question in Mind "How far can I spice a photo?"

11/2/2012

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Here is one of my latest & one of my personal favorite shots that I have taken this year in September 2012 from Dhofar Region, in particular Salalah (Maghsail Beach). I have taken this shot after the monsoon which spans between June & September. Unfortunately this year the weather was hazy and foggy sometimes, which limited the visibility and made the photo look a bit dull.

I like this photo as I have taken several shots trying to capture the waves hitting the rock or retreating back and I have captured this one. I have taken a first shot metering the sky , and then I have set the exposure (but not changing the view) for the foreground to get the details and blended them in Photoshop.

Here comes a question in mind , should I edit? over edit? what's the rule in this one? What's my limit? I will answer it from my own personal perspective and please don't kill me because of it. And it's just a matter of opinions and no right or wrong about it.

I see photography to be not only a tool to document a scene, it's a way to convey a feeling or your own view of what you see or sometimes feel. I do love editing my shots , especially when I end up with a dull shot, so I tend to give it a kick of light and balance the light to get a more attractive photo that might not show the place 100% as it is, but give it more of a feeling and add make it more vibrant.

I always tell my students "Editing a photo is like cooking a meal, it's always good to spice it up, but beware that adding a lot of it makes less of a good meal". Edit, but be careful about it, edit and watch out for the artifacts and your edit should always add to the beauty of the photo rather than take some of its beauty.

After all, Photography to me is a for of art and something that I personally enjoy doing, if I start making rules then it wouldn't be as much fun as it's now to me.

How did I do the photo above?

  • Went to the location and composed my scene, and I attached full-ND filter to get slow shutter.
  • I first took a photo where I got the details of the mountains and sky clear.
  • I took a second shot where I got details of the foreground (waves and rock) and kept shooting the waves until I am satisfied with one of them. 
  • In Photoshop I blended the two images using mask.
  • Added more colors and adjusted the temperature to be more in the warm side (since it's sunset and the actual scene was warm)
  • Made few selective color saturation retouches.
  • Selective dodge and burn in the waves to add more contrast to it.




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A question I heard million of times ... Nikon or Canon or ...?

12/25/2011

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“ I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good. – Anonymous

 I have been doing photography for the past 5 years, I consider my self a beginner in its vast world. Yet I cannot recall the countless times that I hear my photo friends comparing camera brands and makes (classically nikon vs canon). Or new photographers ask me , why do you use a Nikon?

My Simple Answer is , I use a Nikon camera because I bought a Nikon camera. As simple as that, then arguments come with how few additional MegaPixels can make one better than the other. I find these arguements to be endless and aimless by most of the photo enthutiasts.

What I have learned in my short 5 years is that camera brand doesn't matter. For beginners in terms of buying an SLR camera, whatever brand you pick it will be 100% the right choice and you can never go wrong. New SLR cameras are really excellent and of high quality. They produce photo quality that will never fail to impress you or your friends. It's you (the photographer) who make the difference between a good photo and a bad one. Don't get caught in brand and make fights.

People have different tastes and that what makes one prefere one against the other. Instead of researching brands, spend the time researching about PHOTOGRAPHY.

And remember, camera is the tool and you are the artist, you the photographer is the one to feel the scene or the moment to capture.

Your comments and arguments are welcomed :)
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    Ahmed Al-Shukaili

    I am a serious amateur photographer based in Oman. Mainly shooting landscape and portraits. A member of the FIAP (International Federation for Photography Art) recently been certified as an Artist FIAP member.

    Participated in several local and international exhibitions and competitions.

    My career is in information management , mainly in the Oil & Gas industry.

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