Photo Talkies Magazine - June 2014

PtaHlOkTieOs June 2014 Issue 05
A Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
FACE TO FACE
ZEISS Touit Lenses
as Companion
GLAMOUR &
CATS THE BIG FASHION TIPS TECH
of India
Sony Smartband
Nokia Lumia 630

IT’S HOT
THE BEST TIME TO
SPOT BIG CATS
If you want to go spotting the big cats in India, be prepared to sweat it out. And carry dollops of
sun protection creams, hats, comfortable clothing and water.
The best time to meet lions, tigers and leopards in India is during the summer months of May
and June when temperatures can come close to 50 degrees Centigrade. This is the time when
the flora dries up to a great extent, which would normally camouflage animals from view even
if they were a few feet away. Water is scarce, and even the mightiest of animals can’t live with-out
it; you will thus find them lounging around the few water pools that remain naturally or are
filled by forest officials. The madding tourist crowd also tends to stay away - they often create
too much of a ruckus, driving animals away. Sad.
Not only the big cats, you will also get good viewings of other animals. For the same reasons as
above. And this is a delightful sight for the wildlife lover as well as the camera. Most parks close
by June 30, and reopen in September or October after the rains. So plan your trips accordingly.
Till then, enjoy the photo feature on the wild cats in this issue.
We have also started a special series on photography tips from the best of experts globally. Add
to it the usual features on books, gadgets and apps and you have a well rounded issue of Photo-
Talkies.
Let’s keep clicking together. And sharing our stories. Pictorially. Shot with a ZEISS.
AJAY JAIN
ajay@ajayjain.com

PtaHlOkTieOs A Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
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Disclaimer: All articles and photographs in this magazine are the opinions of the
respective contributors. It is understood that they own the copyright to the same, or
have the rights to offer the same under their bylines. ZEISS is not responsible for
the authenticity of any of the articles and photographs, nor will be held liable for any
disputes, claims and liabilities arising out of ownership or copyright issues of the content
in the magazine.
CONTENTS
The Big Cats of India 05
FACE TO FACE:
The ZEISS Touit 1.8/32 as a constant companion 22
GLAMOUR, FASHION & MAKE UP 28
FUZEL: The App for Collages 35
Sony Smartband 36
Nokia Lumia 630 37
10 Photography Tips for Every Travelling Shutterbug 39
The Complete Book of the World Cup 42

08 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

FACE
TO
FACE
The ZEISS Touit 1.8/32 as a constant companion
Consalvo de Costa has discovered the ZEISS Touit 1.8/32
and now uses it to create classic portraits in black and
white.
Sparring partner

Consalvo de Costa has a constant companion: the ZEISS Touit 1.8/32
on a compact system camera (X-Pro 1). Portraits are his passion
and he is always on the lookout for interesting faces. Sometimes he
approaches strangers in a bar, or accompanies colleagues to their
sports activities. “Three of my colleagues box in their free time. I took
a few pictures during their training sessions and the results were
really surprising. The aggressive impression here is deceptive. All
three are pretty reserved. That makes the pictures that bit more
interesting: I was able to bring out another aspect of their
personalities.”
Punch

When de Costa started seriously with
photography in 2011 and bought
a full-frame SLR camera, he quickly
became interested in portraits and
the big names in the genre, such as
Irving Penn. “My portraits are not
snapshots; they require organization
and planning. Nevertheless, I keep
the setting as simple as possible. I
often use a small reflector screen,
or a soft box with a synchronized
standard flash. Equally important is
establishing contact with each
model – my daughter is in the picture
below – and not letting yourself hide
behind a large camera.”
Melancholy pride

De Costa’s tendency towards sim-plicity
is what originally brought him
to the Touit 1.8/32 in the autumn of
2013. His single-lens reflex system be-came
too bulky and he was looking
for an alternative – one that would not
require him to lower his standards in
terms of quality. “My photo dealer let
me test the Touit for an hour. After a
few test shots I knew: this is it. It not
only makes exceptional images, it also
feels good in your hands.”
Kitchen helpers

De Costa initially had doubts about whether the standard 48mm
(with crop factor of 1.5) was a not-too-short focal length for
portrait photography. But the Touit 1.8/32 proved a positive
surprise in that respect. “The lens delivers amazingly sharp
pictures that – and this is very important in portraiture – are also
completely distortion-free. I think the combination of a Touit with
a system camera even exceeds the quality of a full format.”
Using this combination, a photographer’s every need is met —
with one caveat. “Without wanting to exaggerate, I often think
that this Touit is the perfect lens for my needs. But of course I’m
very curious about the new Touit 2.8/50M. With its moderate
tele focal length, it must be very well suited to portraits as well.
We’ll see.“
Distant view
About Consalvo de Costa
Consalvo de Costa has been taking pictures since his
childhood. While studying business, he also enjoyed
spending time in the dark room. Today, he lives in
Milan and works in the marketing department of a health-care
company. Visual communication is an important part
of his daily work. And he takes that with him after work,
experimenting with his camera in many very different ways.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/consalvodecosta/

GLAMOUR,
FASHION &
MAKE-UP
The ZEISS Touit
Fashion and beauty photographer Sonja Dirscherl aka
MIA ROYAL tested exclusively the new ZEISS Touit
2.8/50M against the tough conditions of a studio. And she
is enthusiastic. The light and flexible combination of a
system camera with a Touit exceeded expectations
compared to a full-frame camera — that latter the ‘normal’
benchmark for professional photography.

Today DSLR cameras are state of the art for studio photography. But
powerful compact system cameras (CSC) are increasingly becoming a
viable option in this discipline too. And Sonja Dirscherl, a fashion and
beauty photographer from Cologne, couldn’t agree more. She discov-ered
the X system from Fujifilm and likes how light and flexible these
cameras are. When working with a compact system camera in the studio,
she doesn’t disappear behind a large single-lens reflex camera, but instead
can communicate directly with her models during a shoot. In other words,
she is both present and unobtrusive at the same time. When asked last fall
whether she wanted to try the new Touit 2.8/50M exclusively before the
official launch, she immediately said yes — and was surprised by the
excellent results.
Together with one of her clients, a professional make-up school in Cologne,
Dirscherl organized a six-hour shoot in December 2013. “The graduates of
pro academy learn make-up techniques that are in demand in photogra-phy,
film and television. They use finely pigmented high-end cosmetics
because today’s cameras can pick up even the tiniest blemish and imper-fection
of the skin,” she says. Five young make-up artists carried out their
“final thesis” on five models, which provided Dirscherl with ample oppor-tunity
to test the Touit 2.8/50M. “The macro characteristics of the Touit
really add value in my work,” she says. “Thanks to the large magnification
power that is possible, I can easily take detailed shots of such details as
lips or eyes, where you can clearly identify the structure of a single hair,
pore and even the pigmentation of the eye shadow. That level of detail is
expected these days from a lens in cosmetics photography. At the same
time, I barely had to do any extra work during the editing – for example for
re-sharpening.”
X-E2, Touit 2.8/50M, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
Watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTOgnpAl3VQ

XE-2, Touit 2.8/50M, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 200

X-M1, Touit 2.8/50M, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO 250
One particular feature – autofocus - is particularly important for Dirscherl.
Characteristic for the Touit family, autofocus is generally unusual for
ZEISS. “I can’t really use manual focusing in my work because in fashion
photography you want to have the body language, which comes from the
model’s movements. For this, I need equipment that reacts immediately;
otherwise the poses change before I can capture them. In this sense the
Touit 2.8/50M really won me over. It not only has a pleasant surface feel,
which ensures good handling, but also a super-fast autofocus with a short
reaction time.”
Reacting fast is vital in studio photography, but of course the center of
attention is always the final image, as Dirscherl herself emphasizes.
“For a professional photographer like myself, Touit lenses are extremely
interesting. For me, a fixed focal length is always my first choice because
I am dependent on a higher focus and strong contrast. In portrait and
fashion photography, it is extremely important that there are no anatomic
distortions in the images, for example as a result of converging lines. The
50 mm focal length of the Touit 2.8/50M is ideally suited for this. It creates
a fantastic, natural-looking depiction of the models.”

XM-1, Touit 2.8/50M, f/7.1, 1/16 sec, ISO 200 (Black/white conversion of a color image)

X-E2, Touit 2.8/50M, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
Dirscherl also likes the balanced color rendering of the Touit 2.8/50M. The
colors are neither overloaded nor too neutral, but rather harmonious, in
particular the skin tones. This is particularly noticeable in black and white;
there are no visible contrasts. The image is so rich in detail that you can
also see the mid-range tones. And there’s a certain dynamism achieved
across the entire image, which harmoniously ‘rounds out’ the picture. The
excellent detail and homogeneous skin complexion are also striking in a
positive way.
“I always compare my photographic work to the standard of a full-frame
camera. And with the Touit 2.8/50M, in combination with a system camera,
I can truly say: the comparison totally works. Although system cameras are
still uncommon in the studio, the Touit is outstanding to use for high-end
photography.”
About Sonja Dirscherl
Sonja Dirscherl trained as a graphic designer, but later entered fashion
purchasing. It was during this time that she privately started taking
photographs. As an autodidact fashion and beauty photographer she
acquired her skill through a lot of “learning by doing” and finally set up her own
successful business in 2009. Today she counts such well-known names as
Germany’s Next Topmodel, international magazines und various
artists among her clients. She writes for DigitalPHOTO and teaches at the
FUJIFILMSchool and the DigitalPHOTO Academy.
http://www.mia-royal.com/

FUZEL Collages. They can be wonderful and dazzling to see when
you get them right. And an absolute disaster when you get
them wrong. But rare indeed is the photographer who has
not at some time tried to create a collage or two…or more.
Which is why we are talking about Fuzel here. What we
really love about Fuzel (apart from the fact that it is
totally free) is just how easy it is to use. You just select the
pictures you want to select in the collage – any number
from two to sixteen – and then let the app work its magic
at arranging them. No, it won’t always get them spot on the
first time it lays them out, but then that brings us to the next
great thing about the app – you can actually play around
with the templates: moving images around, adding minor
editing effects, removing pictures and replacing them with
others and much more. There are more than fifty templates
available by default and there is a lot of collage chaos you
can wreak with them, including adding animation effects
(images moving around in their designated slots, if you
will). No, it is not as creatively insane as you could be with
your bare hands, but hey, it is a lot less messy, works more
smoothly and still generates a high quality end result that
you can share across your social networks with as little as a
tap. Pretty much a must-have for all ye who possess an iOS
device and a camera.
Available from: iTunes App Store
Price: Free
The app for collages
NIMISH DUBEY

SONY
SMARTBAND
Wearables are the rage this season. And alas, they also cost
a bomb. Be it Samsung’s Galaxy Gear series, Sony’s Smart-
Watches or the much-praised Pebble, each will lay your
wallet low by anything upwards of Rs 10,000. So you can
imagine how high our eyebrows shot up when Sony intro-duced
the SmartBand, a wearable wristband, for Rs 5,999.
Yes, on the surface, it does not look very impressive – it
has no display whatsoever and is basically a small core unit
that slots into a wristband (you get two with the device, for
both genders, although the colours depend on the pack-age
you purchase). But pair it with a compatible Android
device – and it works with any Android phone running
Kit Kat (4.4) and above – and the band starts its magic. It
uses the sensors inside the core to send information to
the phone and presents it in a dazzling format using So-ny’s
Lifelog application. The result: you can check up how
many steps you have taken, how many calories you have
burnt, how much you have slept, how much time you have
spent on social networks, on e-mail, when you took which
photograph, where you travelled, and so on…a beautiful
summary of your day, complete with some lovely anima-tions.
Yes, the absence of a display is a bit of a downer, but
you can get notifications about calls, messages and the
like on the SmartBand, which vibrates gently. Battery life
is superb – a single charge got us through five days – and
we could also control some apps like the camera from the
smartband. We in particular loved the feature that alerted
us whenever we went too far from our phone (we used it
with a Nexus 5). It is not a watch, but it sure is smart and
is very wearable (you can even opt for different strap co-lours).
And costeth not a bomb. Which makes it definitely
worth trying out in our opinion.
Price: Rs 5,999
Log in to your life, wearable tech style
NIMISH DUBEY

Nokia Lumia 630 The term “value for money” has been bandied around
too easily of late, being used to describe just about any
smartphone that is available for less than Rs 12,000. We
have seen our share of these, but honestly, almost each
comes with its share of compromises on the hardware
or software front, which in turn tend to muck up (no,
there’s no gentler term for it) the user experience. The
Lumia 630, however, seems a delightful aberration. It
cuts no major corners on the hardware front offering you
a 4.5 inch display, backed up by a quad core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400 processor and 8GB onboard storage
(expandable to 128 GB), 3G connectivity and best of all,
the latest Windows Phone operating system – Windows
Phone 8.1 (something no other phone in the country has
at the time of writing). All in a very natty looking and sol-idly
built body that is a mere 9.2 mm thick. Some might
scoff at the 512 MB RAM and the 854 x 480 resolution of
the display, but we were very impressed by the speed at
which the device performed. There were zero lags and
the phone pretty much handled everything we threw at
it from mails to Facebook to Temple Run. There were the
usual add-ons like free music from Nokia MixRadio and
a lifetime of free maps and navigation, topped off with
great reception and sound, but the surprise package was
the 5.0-megapixel shooter which takes the best pictures
we have seen from a phone at this price point. Which of
course, brings us to the little matter of the price. We saved
the best for the last: Rs 11,500 for the dual SIM edition
(it is the first Lumia to support dual SIMs) and about Rs
10,500 for the single SIM one. Perfect for those on a tight
budget, we say.
Price: Rs 11, 500 (dual SIM), Rs 10,500 (single SIM)
DID MONEY EVER DELIVER SO MUCH VALUE
NIMISH DUBEY

10 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
FOR EVERY TRAVELLING
SHUTTERBUG
AJAY JAIN
We all love to take photographs - especially when we travel. But so often we face
disappointments over missed or badly taken photos. Here are 10 tips for every pho-tographer
- amateur or professional - to increase your chances of taking memorable
pictures.
Before you continue, remember: The camera is the last piece in the photograph-ic
process. Seriously, I mean it. If you want to be a good photographer, as an
amateur or a professional, I suggest you ponder over the following:
1.The camera does not matter: You do not need an expensive camera to start taking
good photos. Make do with what you have - smartphones, point-and-shoots or basic
DSLRs - and master these first. In over 70 percent of the cases, your entry level DSLR will
give you results similar to a high end one. Upgrade only after you have been shooting
enough with what you have first.
2.Technology does most of the work for you - but only you can compose: Today’s
cameras are advanced enough to give you great results even in the auto mode, or by
just adjusting the Shutter or Aperture settings. No need to fret about knowing all cam-era
functions initially - just understand the essentials. But no camera can compose for
you - the art if your own. And that is what you need to work on most - what goes into
your frame. Learn to observe the world around you - can compose images in your mind
without your camera.
3.Always be a student: Never stop learning. The Internet is a great resource for blogs,
magazines and other repositories of knowledge. Go through this content regularly -
understand what the experts are saying. Look at a lot of photographs - online and
in galleries. Your senses will get more artistic sub-consciously. Talk to other photogra-phers
- don’t hesitate to ask questions. We have all learnt from each other. A simple tip
can do wonders for your photography. Learn from the Masters but don’t imitate them
- develop your own style.
4.The 20:80 rule of classroom learning: No matter how many lessons you take, that
is only 20 percent of the job done. The rest is what you do with yourself. If you don’t
practice regularly, and put in the hard work, you might as well not waste your time and
money attending classes. The teacher can only teach you the vocabulary - you have to
forms words and stories yourself.

5.No substitute for hard work and odd hours: Photography is not for the lazy. You have to
be on your feet - and at times when your subject can be shot best. If you want to shoot in the
first light of the day, you have to be up when the world is still asleep. Sunrise will not change its
schedule for you. Be willing to explore and wait for surprises to pop up - for example, if you are
a travel or street photographer, spend hours just walking around and looking around you. You
cannot always pre-plan what you are going to shoot.
6.Prepare yourself in advance for best results: Advance research is very important. Research
your subject before going out to shoot. For example, if you are travelling, find out the best time
of the year to shoot. Try to coincide your trip with events. Browse the Internet to see what others
have shot - get ideas, but don’t just imitate. Come back with your own unique shots. If you need
permissions, have them in order. Carry back-up batteries, memory and even cameras if going to
remote locations. Go fully prepared - but keep your mind and eyes open to shooting what you
have not visualised.
7.Travel light: Burdening yourself like a mule with equipment is not sexy. Travel light. Carry
only as much as you need. You don’t want to be weighed down with gear - and also be worried
about losing something. You need to be free in the mind to shoot better.
8.Keep your equipment safe: Tourists are the easiest victims for thieves looking to steal cam-eras.
We all tend to just place our cameras anywhere - on a wall, on the floor in a cafe, in an open
car. And as the day progresses, we get tired and our alertness levels go down. Keep the equip-ment
close to you. Have the cameras strapped to your bodies. If you are sitting someplace, have
an arm or a leg going through the bag straps. You don’t want to spoil your mood and be the
poorer too.
9.Don’t let the camera die on you: Cameras seem to follow their own version of Murphy’s law:
they will go on the blink just when you have that perfect moment to be captured on holiday.
Carry extra memory and battery. And keep the batteries charged and empty the memory cards
at the end of each day.
10.Take Back-Ups: Try carrying a laptop to download images whenever you can. And don’t
procrastinate: download at every opportunity, you might run short of memory anytime. And
make an extra copy too in case of a computer crash. Back-up on CDs at a cyber café: Most cyber
cafes, especially in tourist locations, have facilities to download images and burn them on a CD
for a nominal sum. Upload the same online on Flickr or any other platform if you can.
- Ajay Jain is a travel writer and photographer,
and blogs at http://kunzum.com.
He has authored several books on his
travels including “Peep Peep Don’t Sleep”

PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Connect with ZEISS
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For more information on ZEISS Sports Optics
and Camera Lenses
www.zeiss.com/sportsoptics
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www.zeiss.com/cine
For Customer Enquiries
sportsoptics-photo@zeiss.com
+91.11.45156000

THE COMPLETE BOOK
OF THE WORLD CUP
The best book on the World Cup. Period.
NIMISH DUBEY
There are not too many books that live up to their titles. But Cris Freddi’s The
Complete Book of the World Cup does so. Resoundingly. Available on the
Kindle for Indian readers (do not try getting a paper copy), this is a book that
simply has it ALL about the world’s premier football tournament. You want
the line ups of every football match played in the tournament? You got it. You
want the name of every goal scorer and when he scored the goal? It’s there. A
detailed, opinionated report on every match? There. Hell, you want the atten-dance
of every match played in the tournament? Again, all you need to do is
dip into those pages. And as there are literally hundreds of pages out there,
the Kindle is perhaps the best format in which to read this book. The book is
very well indexed and arranged tournament by tournament, so navigation is
convenient and well, you are saved from the task of lugging around a book
that would have tipped the scale by well over a kilogram if its 2002 edition
is any indication. But while the detail makes this book a treasure trove for all
those who are interested in the World Cup, what really makes it stand out
is the narration. Freddi writes brilliantly and with feeling, making this a very
readable book, and not just a footballing version of the Guiness Book of World
Records. Do you love football? Download. Read.



About
Ajay Jain
Ajay Jain is a full time
writer and photographer,
and has authored eight
paperback books and over
30 e-books. He promotes
his photography as
collectible art, runs the
popular Kunzum Travel
Cafe in New Delhi and publishes e-magazines on
travel and photography.
He is also a regular speaker on Mindful Travel,
Personal Branding, Photography and Business
Networking. All his creative ideas came to the
fore only after he started travelling - mindfully.
He has pursued careers in Information
Technology and Sports Management before he
took up journalism and writing. He holds
degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Business
Management and Journalism.

More  on Ajay Jain at http://ajayjain.Connect com.
with him at ajay@ajayjain.com
+91.9910044476. Or call his office
at +91.9650702777.

Want to be
a great

photographer?
Want to be
a travel writer?
As a
professional
or a hobbyist?
Full time
or Part Time?
Sign up for a workshop / course
at the Kunzum Media Lab. We
promise it will change your life.
Kunzum Travel Cafe
T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi 110016, India
Tel: +91.9650 702 777 / +91.11.2651 3949
mail@kunzum.com
Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Mondays Closed
www.
kunzum.
c om/
mediala b

T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi 110016, India
Tel: +91.9650 702 777 / +91.11.2651 3949
mail@kunzum.com
Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Mondays Closed

Photo Talkies Magazine - June 2014

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Photo Talkies Magazine - June 2014