You are an amateur photographer who love backpacking. Do you travel with your digital compact camera or the professional dSLR camera?

Amateur photographers love taking pictures of beautiful portrait and natural landscape as one travel on a shoestring.

It’s a common sight to see traveling photographers carrying a 80-Litre backpack, and another bulky pack of dSLR camera, expensive gears with mini tripod carrying as a front-pack.

Both bags could easily add up to maybe 17kg of carrying weight. Is this too heavy for you?

You may look super cool, like a traveling nomad, a photojournalist, travel adventurist, or even one professional photographer.

Perhaps, one inspired to be the next Steve McCurry who shot the “Afghan Girl” that originally appeared in National Geographic magazine.

So be it a day-hike in the national park, eco-tour in wildlife park, visiting hill tribe villages, a dairy farm visit or walking distantly with high hopes of hitchhiking on the dirt track.

Those are activities most backpackers would love to experience. At the end of the day, one will happily says ” No sweat! We made it!”

Well, it also sounds like any traveler photographer who proudly owns dSLR camera like an inseparable companion touring the world. How could one refuse to leave home without these equipment to capture moments in life?

Your thought maybe…

Firstly, the burdensome weight is safe from having overcharging at the airport luggage check-in service. It is well within the prepaid baggage 20kg. That is practically true for backpackers traveling on shoestring.

Secondly, the existing weight, front and back, is wholesomely balance with near-perfect equilibrium on your body. Weighing down and securing your foothold even at the most adverse condition and natural disaster, like the earth trembling underneath your feet. Suits more for a physics-freak.

Generally, there are good points for one who has the physical strength and endurance. How about a thin fellow who has the agility to move fast, yet no strength for heavy load? Oh, I have not mentioned an extra 2kg of laptops for photo editing and uploading to Facebook album.

Is it worth carrying the additional weight of 7 ~ 10kg, while your back start to hurt painfully on the first day of your trip?

Or do you consider carrying a pocket-size compact camera that might just capable of capturing great photograph.

Like any0ne else who reads this post, I used to be in the same dilemma too. For me, I recommend to bring only the compact camera.

Here are the 10 guidelines that can help you on decide-making of carrying a pocket-size compact camera can be as worthy as your trip deserve to be.

Here it goes:-

1. Travel lightweight if you don’t like to worry about loosing your expensive equipment. Regrets if getting robbed or breaking in to cabinet lockers can happen anytime.
2. Be experimental to try out all shots; randomly or intentionally. Compact camera is capable of helping you to compose your shot as good as any dSLR camera, eventually gaining more photography experience.
3. Identify your purpose in terms of function, weights, and portability. Professional dSLR camera and high-end equipment weigh 7kg. A netbook weighs 2kg, allowing you to surf the resourceful internet and upload nice photos. Compact camera weighs less than 1kg.
4. Plan for multiple short getaways rather than an extended trip. It help to record places you have surveyed. Like what many have said, “there is always a next trip” more professionally.
5. Creativity works as brilliant as quality photograph. I agree with dSLR produce better quality images, but the expensive and heavy gears doesn’t make perfect photograph. One has to be artistic to acquire inventiveness.
6. So you have joined a guided tour group? I see… Do you know scheduled tour bus wouldn’t wait just for you to snap the best shot for sunset. As time is a concern. Maximize your time with quick snapshots from compact camera, instead of leisurely waiting for great photographic moments.
7. Compromise has to be made somewhere. One cannot have the best of everything. Focus on planning your itinerary. How about a free-and-easy trip, you could have all the time u want.
8. Take time to meet other traveling photographers and learn from them. Make new friends of same interest or travelers who own dSLR camera. Your hand holding the compact camera wouldn’t diminish their self-esteem as a profession.
9. Know your skill set of handling all functions in dSLR camera. As amateur photographer, it takes time, experience and effort to pick up the skill completely. Most give up after realizing results are the same as ordinary compact camera. That doesn’t mean compact camera is better.
10. Apply the last rule “Learn the Hard Way”. There is no restriction, you can bring both digital compact camera and dSLR equipment. “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~Albert Schweitzer

I’m sharing my photography based on a digital compact camera, with some photo editing on colors and contrast. There are not from dSLR camera.

Free to visit below link to view 45 shots of travel photographs from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.

http://photos.cyperwin.com/travel-vietnam-laos-and-cambodia/

I have been learning to blog about basic photography since last year. As an amateur photographer, sharing my past experience has been my genuine purpose.

Helping those beginners to have a good grasp of how-to on basic photography and using the dSLR. Albeit, photo portrait painting is also my primary topics in this blog.

Therefore, you will not be able to see any topics sharing too much of in-depth knowledge, but more about fundamental.

You will be able to see below 7 good posts that I wanted to share.

At the same time, I’m also listing them out for my review. Seeking improvement, as well as, wanting to add more interesting and short topics for future photography blogging.

1. Shoot At The Widest Aperture Setting for Basic Portrait Photography
2. Generic Packing List for Outdoor Portrait Photography
3. Simplified ‘Rule of Thirds’ to Photo Portrait
4. 10 Reasons Why Compact Digital Camera is Better Choice For Photo Portrait Painting
5. How to have portrait photography without lighting studio
6. What Makes a Good Portrait Photograph
7. Full Length Portrait in Photography

Pls share your comments or opinions, if you find any of the above-mentioned topics that interest you.

PS: I know… I seriously need to revamp of my current “About Me” page. As time goes by, my aim has become more definitive on purpose for this blog.

How good it is to own a small sketch book on hand. Always ready to draw or doodle some cartoons from an inspiring thought. I have seen friends and avid amateur artists having this best practices.

Be it on train, bus, parks, streets or any public places. People are everywhere to be the subject of their drawings. Ideally, choosing a portrait subject who is sitting or relaxing on a chair, is far better than an action-packed skateboarder dashing to and fro in their playground.

Of every best practices I listed in my previous post, I have given up to fulfill the first 2 practices. Well, I guess it is much of an individual preference. I’m sure portrait drawings for grid system still works for many readers who visited this blog.

Anyway, before I start to dodge from throwing of rotten eggs by anyone, I have to share my excuses for not following what I ‘preached’ last week.

1. I always have 2 sketch books with me. Both having different sizes. Yet not much about drawings. Most of the pages are for my written notes and mind-mapping sketches. I prefer blank paper with free spaces than a notebook with pre-drawn lines. I can do my writings more liberally.
2. I hardly do my drawing from life. When I’m outside for a stroll in the park, I often use my time talking to people and photographing, than to draw them. Nonetheless, I have adopt my best drawing practices with the reference from photograph. That is why I did it again this time, with grid system portrait drawing.

Below showing a small piece drawing of portrait’s eyes from photo. For a portion of the eyes, it has taken me 3 hours to finish.

With a closer look, very light pencil grid lines are still visible at the paler region.  While the rest of grid lines has been blended into the shading. Grid lines help to provide a precised execution on every courses from square-to-square.

I wouldn’t say it is as perfect as the photograph. However, as a hand-drawn artwork, there are more or less some offset. Otherwise, any viewers will be perceiving as a poster print, instead.

Some comments were given from friends, after posted in my Facebook photos.

Photo Portrait, Grid System, Drawing the eyes

“gorgeous !!! … but the eyes seem to look sadder than the original XD ….. “

“… ^_^ … it’s beautiful ! I really wanna draw so many things but i dont have anything feeling in art beautiful!!! “

“i like the drawing than to the original one.i mean the picture. it is bcoz it shows more emotions..it only means that the person draw this wants to express his emotions…hey!!thats my own opinion….peace…”

“hey i dont want to be critical but i love d eyes(in d drawing)!!!!!!! “

“the mystery that is captured beneath that look is astonishing “

P.S.: Subject has remained anonymous in this post.

Portrait art is primarily consists of painting, drawing and photography. Photography is more of a combination of technical know-how on the equipments and one’s creativity in composition.

Drawing is the often describe as the most fundamental, and portrait painting is much more difficult to acquire.

In a concise explanation, I feel that portrait art attribute to a common purpose.. that is, achieving the goal of capturing likeness to the actual person in life.

Cameras can capture likeness easily, but a real portrait painting requires patience and good understanding, and an eye for creativity composition that might come through the brush or pencil.

Since my last post on portrait drawing, I still cannot figure out what is the best practice to accomplish a good portrait art, specifically on paintings and drawings.

Is there any secrets to achieve good portrait painting?

Is techniques or choice of medium contribute to the best learning method?

Or practice makes perfect?

Below sharing some tips for best practices on learning basic portrait drawing and paintings. I do hope there will be useful for every beginners in portrait art.

1. Always keep a small sketch book and start drawing from life subject. This is so simple, isn’t it? Well, I hardly do that when it comes to real practice in public places. I did bring along 2 sketch books in this traveling trip, however, I use it more often as a jotter book than to seriously learn drawings on life subjects.
2. Drawing from life helps to learn how to analyze reality and put it on the page. Its time to change and seriously put in some effort to draw more. Portrait outlines are the basic, the important aspect to describe its form is by determining the light and shade. Analyze and emphasize on light source for shadows and darkness.
3. Do not rush to finish the portrait art, but given ample time for detailed observation. Eventually, what is drawn or painted is translated through your brain. Focus on proportion of drawing a typical adult head. Or perhaps, start drawing basic shape on portrait features, such as nose, ears, mouth. Eyes are very difficult to draw, I hope to have more practice on this area.
4. Learn through trial and errors. “Experience is the best teacher”. Its an old sayings.. “learn from mistakes”, “never too old to learn”, and “learning never ends”. Accuracy is important. Drawing off by the slightest bit just won’t look right. Using grids as an aid helps to minimized errors and more accurate drawings.
5. Drawing is the most fundamental. Capturing the essence of the subject is far more crucial to a powerful and successful portrait than mere details, medium, and techniques. Painting is much more difficult, you have to know what color you are seeing when you’re painting. For drawing portrait, the right shading and proportionality help to determine the value and likeness, respectively. Hue and color in painting comes latter.
6. Study of body anatomy; understand what bones and muscles are behind the skin, how big they are, what their shape is. Do you know even the great master artist, Vincent van Gogh, painted a human skull and skeleton in an anatomy class while he was studying art?

There is no shortcuts for learning portrait drawing or paintings. Will I practice hard on what I have preached?  We shall see next week post..

I started off to learn photography with a prosumer digital SLR camera. My initial thought was to learn basic portrait photography, without spending much on equipment. Back then, this equipment was new to me, and I don’t have a good background of which portrait lens is best for me. Neither do I know about the term ‘aperture’ and ‘focal length’, nor knowing how this 2 terms affect the photographic results.

Are you one of the self-starter, yet troubled by deciding what is best for you?

You may say, “This is not the main concern, because purchasing a new digital SLR usually comes with a general purpose kit lens”. I agree, it is either a standard zoom lens or a telephoto zoom lens. Even today, I have also noticed that most amateur photographers use kit lens as well. There is nothing wrong with this, and this was what I did back then.

After months of diligence learning in portrait photography, I realized that the results of portrait shoots does not has maximum emphasis. In particularly the background, it looks equally as sharp as the subject. Shouldn’t the background supposed to be blur? Have you experienced this before?

Please read on to learn about the causes and basic criteria for good portrait photograph.

1. Using telephoto zoom lens, wide angle lens, or macro lens is not the key factors for blurring the background. However, it does contribute to the portraiture composition. The main criteria for good portrait is selecting wide aperture for your lens.
2. The aperture of lens refers to the round mechanical openings located at the center of lens. It control the amount of lights passes through and into the digital SLR sensors.
3. Aperture is expressed as F-stop, e.g. F2.8 or f/2.8. The smaller the number, the larger the lens opening.
4. Most of the general purpose kit lens comes with aperture of f4-5.6 or f3.5-5.6.
5. Be selective. Always shoot at the widest aperture setting. Recommended to own a lens with adjustable aperture. At least f/2.8 or lower.
6. This basic feature enable the photographer to create a shallow depth of field. Capable of blurring the background, thus, emphasizing a sharp focus on the portraiture.
7. Simplest settings on for the camera’s body is to use Aperture Priority auto-exposure mode, also know as AP mode. Otherwise, select fully manual mode and experiment it with low F-Stop.

After all, just be reminded that selecting the right lens with wide aperture is very important for good portrait photography. Below portrait photograph has clearly demonstrated the use of  widest aperture setting.

Baby Portrait with Wide Aperture Setting. Specification: 50mm, f1.8

Flickr Photo credit to R.Gringo’s photostream.

Portrait drawings using grid system has made much simpler. Below illustrated my work from a photographic source, using pencil as the medium. This digital photograph is a profile portrait from a friend in my Facebook. She has given me an opportunity to demonstrate on previous blog: Why Portrait Drawing Using Grid Lines is The Best Practice?.

As you can see in the illustration of a profile portrait, it is probably an easier choice. Most of the attention is focused on the outline of the face. In addition, it made any students to have some challenge drawing with only single eye exists in the portrait. Ideally, it does help to build confidence in portrait drawing with moderate difficulty.

1. Grid lines are drawn on the photograph using software editing tools, like Photoshop or GIMP. Alternatively, you can print it out and use a fine pen to outline it. I actually draw the portrait direct from the laptop display. Disable the screensaver, otherwise you will be irritated every 5 minutes of your artwork.
2. Since this photograph is 480 x 480 square pixels , what you have to do next is to square up your drawing paper of any size. Mine was 8.5″ x 8.5″. For grid system, a long scaled ruler is the most essential tool. And be reminded to use 2H pencil to draw the grid lines very lightly.
3. Mathematically, size of your material is not a factor, because ratio is applied to scale up your chosen portrait photos to your desired drawings paper. Based on your existing length of drawing paper, divide this dimension by the number of squares appear in the digital photograph. If digital photo showing 10-squares grid, make sure you are not using 9-square grid to divide the paper length. I have mine with 8.5″ divide by 5-square grid, resulting per square size of 1.7″. Some grid lines are visible if you look closely.
4. I started my drawings from the profile of the forehead to the chin. And some lines to draft out the hair. Always justify your point of drawing within a small square grid, it doesn’t carry any meaning though. Apparently, drawing the portrait will start to picture clearly with more lines are being filled. With these initial steps, any student will feel more confidence and wanting to continue with drawings using grid system.
5. The eye will demand slightly more attention, since there are the main feature of every portrait drawings.  Having smaller square grids concentrated on this portion may help, however, not too encouraging for a beginner to learn free hand. It also makes the drawing messier

Having describing on how I use grid system for portrait drawing, it will be nice to see feedback on what I have completed.  Perhaps, you may want to contribute your photo portrait artwork in here?

Grid Systems Portrait Drawings

Profile Portrait Drawings

Photo Portrait, Courtesy of Megumi Kubo

Facebook Open Group for Photo Portrait Painting. Free to join and support this group

Similar illustration posted here

Below listed a packing list for dSLR camera, shooting outdoor portrait. There are generic and necessary to make any novice photographer well-equipped.

1. Two camera bodies (at least one for backup)
2. One of each for wide-angle lens, telephoto lens, and one favorite prime lens.
3. Two on-camera flashes (at least one for backup)
4. Memory flash cards
5. Lens and body cleaning kit.
6. Five camera’s batteries; 1 set for the body, 2 sets in camera’s battery grip, and last 2 sets as back up. Additional batteries for flash lights.
7. Tripod
8. Lens filters
9. Dust blower
10. Rain coat for camera
11. Ground sheet, in case you need to kneel down for low angle portrait. Otherwise,
12. Right angle view finder would also be a good substitute for item #12.

With the use of photographs, portrait artists is able to paint accurate and realist paintings. As a means for providing static references can be priceless. Especially, in situation where portrait is taken as a candid shots in a party or at the peak of the snowy mountain. These occurrence can never be repeated as exactly as it was, or will you takes another tiring effort to climb the same mountain again?

Below you will be reading 10 reasons on why compact digital camera is worth buying, typically for an amateur who learn oil painting from photos, and not for techies or geeks.

1. Design to have point-and-shoot capabilities with automatic setting, for specific subjects such as portrait and landscape. I always named it as “post-and-shoot and ever-ready cameras”
2. Have basic features for digital zooming, focusing and macro shots. Most of the newer compact camera has 3x to 5x ranges of zooming. Suitable for portrait and closeup.
3. Small, lightweight, compact and sleek. Best for smaller bags or even in pockets. It is as good as pack-and-go item. Some of the girls are carrying it everyday, taking it out from their handbag as and when there wanted to have a snapshot of people.
4. With advancing technology, these gadgets are becoming more affordable with an easy-to-use operating interface. Remember that your purpose is to take reference photograph for portrait paintings.
5. Technically speaking, compact cameras are less sophisticated and easy to learn. Otherwise, painters will have to start flipping those thick operating manuals on How-to topics. Spend more time on learning how to achieve better painting skill is more worth doing it.
6. Unlike the bulkier and heavier digital SLR cameras, this is much lighter. Hassle-free and doesn’t require special storage, such as the dry cabinet. In addition, you don’t need to carry loads of detachable lens and filters in your sack. I personally experienced that when I was in Tasmania, doing a 10-hours bush trekking; it was more of a burden than a pride that I wanted.
7. You don’t have to invest on an external flashlight. Compact camera have integrated with flashlight. In fact, I personally encourage user to do shooting without flash lighting. It does make your portrait photograph having hard edges, due to harshness of bright flashlight. Please read “How to have portrait photography without lighting studio”
8. Higher end compact camera give better quality photographs. CCD sensors of 8-10 megapixels; perfect to print up to A1 paper size. Do you still consider camera phone with 3-5 megapixels? Just for your info in today’s technology market, an iPhone has 3 megapixels and Nexus One only has 5 megapixels.
9. Much faster processing time than your camera phone, that is why compact camera are capable for taking burst-rate. Imagine how many portrait shots can u take, if the subject happen to be a hyper-active child?
10. Make you stay focus on using the compact camera. At times, function of phone camera will be disabled when there are interrupted by incoming calls. I’m trying to say, “Don’t miss your best shots!”.

Often times when flipping through travel magazines, you will turn into pages that show beautiful portrait pictures taken by photographers who visited the countries. The portrait looks so naturally that the subject also reveal the aspects of his or her character, personality and spirit. Portrait are basically, reflective study of a person. Sometimes, you may ever think of how to get closer to your subject and take a quick snap. Isn’t this the main purpose of portrait photography during your travel? In particularly, when time is a constraint in your short visit. The challenge to achieve good portrait photo must not place time as the primary concern. Its a matter of how travelers manage to approach and communicate, in order to capture the attentions of the subject.

Before anything get started, sling up your camera to make it prominent and present yourself relax at first glance. The main purpose is to keep your subject aware of the camera’s presence. It also allow them mentally anticipate with you, as and when the time is ripe to take your first portrait shot. Below I have listed 5 basic skill for travel photographers.

1. Always show up yourself with a smiling face and a good eye contact; the first and foremost non-verbal language to initiate a personal communication. Start of and maintain throughout your conversation. It is also the simplest skill set and uses the least effort. Neither do you need to learn a new language, nor to concern about if there are from totally different culture.
2. Ask questions in an open and friendly manner. It is by nature that most individual, in someway or other, wants attention to make known to others of what there possess in their surroundings. It is apparently interesting, when you try talking to village children. There are the best attention-seekers to adults. Asking questions like what’s holding in their hands, how he or she do this tricks, what is the names of his/her friends, or you can give them a stick of chewing gums, and start a topic to makes them enjoy. Then show your gadget, as there feels comfortable with you. Take a new snap shots, and remember to give them a glimpse of what appears in your camera’s LCD screen. Believe it of not, there will be amazed when seeing their beautiful portrait taken and even want you to take more shots.
3. Show respect to the elders, tribal people performing in a ritual, and village woman. By any chance that you plan for a home-stay with the rural villagers, you will bound onto people within these three categories. Maintaining a smile, eye contact, asking questions and talking to them may help to improve the communication. Yet, not everyone likes to interact with outsiders. First, understand that seniority people who has dwell comfortably in the less-visited village for many years. Thus, its normal to behave unresponsive, ignorance and reserved. Second, some tribal people are convinced that a camera can steal their soul or spirit. Reasons because it is their spiritual belief and religious privacy. To certain extend, there may have concern of who will see their portrait photos. Third, village women are conservative, like those from Muslim countries, who have veils covering their head and faces. Obviously, there don’t want to expose to photographers. And in this countries, males are usually the dominant members in any household. By all means if you able to make them feel comfortable with you. Otherwise, don’t waste time if people not responding to you. An advice: do not transgress into their cultural and religious belief, for due respect to these categories of people. Be shrewd and sensible; be optimistic to engage conversation with other people, instead.
4. Ask for their permission politely. It is considered ethical, and is nearly practical, to ask permission before taking someone’s picture. After all your effort to initial a conversation, don’t spoil it by simply take your portrait without asking permission. This will cause deep offense and misunderstanding. Be personal, or with eye contact and smile, give basic sign language while holding your camera. If any response of refusal in gestures or verbal, you should accept with grace. Move on to other people, time is your secondary concern.
5. Approach your subject with confidence, as it show the initial steps to manage and control your subject. Do not instruct, but talk casually; always maintain a sense of friendliness. In a quick time, get your first random shot to engage their excitement. Photography models are curious on what was taken, how there have posed, and concern about their look in the picture. Same thoughts applies to your subject as your model. Show your result to your model, compliment to inspire them, and suggest an improvement for second shot you intended. This time, you will get the better pose and composition. The result will look splendid, natural and more spontaneous. The key to achieve this is though courtesy, friendliness, and good humor.

The most accepted placement uses ‘Rule of thirds’ for composing portrait photograph. It is the basic and a proven method used by professional and amateur photographers for many years.

The design is very simple, yet requires some imaginations while taking photographs of people. A simplified ‘Rule of thirds’ divides the rectangle frame into 9 smaller ones by placing two lines across the rectangle horizontally and two lines across it vertically, creating a grid. Each set of lines divides the rectangle’s horizontal and vertical sides into three equal parts. Some camera’s feature includes imaginary grid lines when you look through the viewfinder or the display panel. It allows you to focus on the subjects and composition, instead of figuring out where to create the lines by yourself.

By understanding and applying the fundamental rule of thirds, you will not bind onto problems of where your subject should be placed in the photograph frame. This is typically useful when portrait become tighter within designated area, and probably includes one-third or less of the background for a complete composition. Examples are half-length portrait.

To photograph great portrait, always take note of the level of subject’s eyes contribute to the essence of the composition. It is also most central feature out of the facial landmarks that beautify people. The closer the portrait is, the more important the level of subject’s eyes is.

After placing your subject within the frame, adjust your view slightly so that the level of subject’s eyes is placed just above or intercepting the higher of the two horizontal lines. Next, make use of the 2 vertical lines as boundaries to help centralize your subject, ensuring that the portrait is not one-sided. Lastly, engage your subject and take your snap shoot with confidence. On top of these steps, just in mind that you are photographing people and not a pattern design. So be creative and alive, and not make your photography too symmetrical. Challenge yourself to take candid shots, it provide you with natural pose.

Rule of thirds is worth knowing and practicing, thus, regards as the cornerstone of many great portraits for beginners. Technique is also very suitable for any amateur, well pleasing to an average viewer. The resulting effort can be considered simple and ‘clean’ portrait. It’s not very unique and certainly not daringly creative. If were to evaluate and compare to the standards of ‘good picture’, in the aspect of photography art, you probably have to learn the advance methods