Smart_Photography_-_December_2015_

is cross-type, gets activated only

when a fast lens is used. Hence it

makes sense to invest in a fast lens

for wedding photography. A fast

lens, when used wide open, can

also throw the background out of

focus, which could isolate the main

subject and make him/her stand

out. A fast lens can also allow you

to take pictures without the use of

electronic flash or using just a ‘fill-in’.

Longer lenses (in terms of focal

length) can let you take photos

from a longer distance, without the

subject ‘posing for the shot’. In a

wedding photography shoot, this

can be sometimes difficult because

someone or the other is likely to get

between you and the subject!

Day/Date Stamp Mystery

When I remove the battery from

my camera, it stops working but

the day/date stamp remains

visible? How is this?

Karan V. V., Hyderabad

Most digital cameras have an energy

buffer that prevents the day/date

stamp from being erased. Some

cameras have a small button cell

(back-up battery) which does the

same work. In case of the later

design, the back-up battery may

need to be replaced after a certain

period.

Tips on Posing

Though I have been doing

photography for about three

years, I am going to try taking

portrait shots for the first time

in my life. The lady is my friend’s

sister and I am afraid I might

botch up. Please give me some

hints.

Pravin Kumar, Kolhapur

Pravin, there’s always a first time for

everything. Think positively that you

will succeed.

Since explaining how to take

portraits would be beyond the

scope of this write-up, I suggest that

you take the help of the Internet

and study some simple lighting

techniques using available light and

simple reflectors. Also check out

whether I am thinking in the right
line.
Swapan Sen, Kolkata

It is recommended to use all heavy
lenses on a tripod, though this may not
be possible or convenient every time.

If you need to use the lens without
a tripod, you should switch the VR
to ‘ON’ to take advantage of the VR
feature. But if you are using a tripod,
then it is better to switch OFF the
VR system, as not doing this could
possibly cause extra vibrations.

The VR is useful when you are hand-
holding the camera.

Lenses for Wedding

Photography

What are the best lenses for
wedding photography?
Virag Sharan, Jaipur

There is no clear-cut answer to
this question; a lot depends on
your style of working. Generally
speaking (but not always), lenses
in the focal range of 24 -120mm
are quite commonly used.

Let’s take an example: It’s a Catholic

wedding in a church and the

photographer is standing on the

church balcony much above the

congregation. He could use an ultra-

wide-angle lens (say, 20mm) to

provide an overall view or he could

even use a 70-200mm zoom to get a

semi-close-up shot of the bride and

the groom. So, the focal length you

use could depend on the particular

situation.

According to me, what you should also

consider is the lens speed. A ‘fast’ lens

(one with a wide maximum aperture)

will collect more light and make it easy

for the autofocus system to accurately

and quickly achieve focus. In most

cameras, the central AF point, which

AF-S Nikkor

24-120mm ED VR

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8

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Smart Photography December 2015