Slow shutter shots done right

Underutilised feature...
I must say that I've only used about 5% of my Canon Powershot G12 digital camera's features.
This enthusiast-level pocket camera is feature-packed and unlike its predecessor, the G11, it has yet to be dropped from Canon's powershot line-up.
In the past, I've been strugging with the slow-shutter settings on the G12, usually ending up with overexposed shots.
Now, I know that there is a Neutral Density (ND) filter which is built-in on the camera's retractable zoom lens.

Taking the shot: A tripod steadies the camera for the slow shutter technique on this stream at the Sungai Tua nature park in Selangor

Got it!
After fiddling with it, I realised that the feature can be activated under the 'Function' button.
All I need to do, is to scroll down the functions and activate the ND filter.
With this feature, I can step down the shutter speed without overexposing the shot in the frame.


Results..
I must say that I am pretty impressed with the results.
Some shots that were taken with a slower shutter speed like 1/8sec did provide some promising results.
I placed a tripod and pointed the camera on a stream.
The effect of slow shutter speed is a soft flow of water.
And if you control the aperture and shutter speed, the results are just amazing...


ND and slow shutter gallery..

HDR shot of the stream

Slow-shutter shot with ND filter feature

'Miniature' effect

Professional photography

A lot has changed on the photography scene since I left the field for good more than 17
years ago.My scope was limited only to Press photography which is now known as 'photojournalism'.Nowadays, anyone who picks up an advanced-level digital SLR would consider
themselves as 'professionals'.In my line of work, you are a professional when you get a monthly salary slip for doing only
one thing: taking photographs.And the role of a photojournalist is to capture and record important events, which in turn,
becomes a part of our history immoratlised in images.

While having lunch with my colleague who is the photo editor for The Star yesterday, one of the editorial artist came up to him and asked for camera pricing.

Coming straight from her mouth, she said that a professional photographer is a person who owns a good set of equipment and knows how to use it.

And in her case, she needs to get a full-frame camera to live up to the mark.

What the hell was this person talking about?

The meaning may be misconstrued as the word is commonly abused.

I walked her through what defines the word 'professional' in photography in my scope of work and what it meant otherwise.

The role of a photojournalist in Malaysia's mainstream media is to mainly cater for the news
pages.Some even specialised in sports and feature photography. These are the professionals
who have their work featured everyday to the millions of readers who depended on the
newspaper for news as a knowledge base and entertainment.I don't consider freelancers and serious hobbyists are professionals because they don't
have the credentials to back them up.Yet, they can yeild professional-quality photos that can rival that of any photojournalists. But
that don't make them full-time professionals.With the internet age, virtually anyone can showcase their work. Whether amateur or
professional quality, the world wide web has changed the way professional photography is
seen.You can splurge a big sum of money on professional cameras and lenses and present
your work by publishing it on-line.And what do you get out of it? Bragging rights.But as the old-fashioned way dictates - only published work on print are given the due
credit and recognition.

Then again, I am speaking from experience and from the general context, I may be wrong.

Rediscovering photography

Hobbies are fun.And I am rediscovering photography as a hobby rather than a profession.Seventeen years ago, I lug about 15kgs of equipment to make a living out of photography.My career started in The Star and ended in a subsidiary company of Utusan Malaysia.All in, I pursued a career as a professional photographer for five years.And during that period in my life, I have captured images of events and people across the
country.I never gloat about the past or try to get attention through my published work and little did I
realised that the images that was recorded through my lens were chronicles in time
communicated with pictures.The job scope of a local Press photographer is limited to the coverage of its publication.Anything beyond that would be a stint in the wire service.Now, based on experience, those who entered the wire service in Malaysia are mostly highly
referred with the exception of a few individuals who gained access through their connection,
which is a corrupt practise when viewed from the moral prospective.I left the scene after five years knowing that it would be as far as I would take it.Now, most of the guys whom I had worked with are at the height of their career.I am very happy for them and their achievements.A handful had switched from photography to full time writing.And an ex-colleague of mine in Terengganu was the shining example.I won't touch on writing because that is a different realm.Back to photography, I am finding time again to learn the ropes.Getting in touch with reality, I know for a fact that hobbies should not be a profit-driven
pursuit.I am not looking at making tonnes of money from showing my work.To me, its personal satisfaction and a good use of my time.The least I can say is that I still possess the skills and I know how to use the tools and with
my bare hands, I create a visual treat for people and in a certain way, motivate others
because it takes a little effort to see things work.

Canon MPE-65

The only close-up lens that can go beyond 1:1 magnification is the Canon MPE-65.
This beauty can yield shots up to 5:1 close-up and is a preferred tool to many macro photography enthusiast.
In Malaysia, it carries a price tag of RM3,950 which is quite decent.
Its also the only lens in its class to offer 5x magnification for small objects and for a macro photographer, its the ultimate tool to achieve crisp and clear shots of insects that are smaller than 10mm in length.
I have seen the works of master photographers Liew Weng Keong and Kurt G who utilised the lens to its fullest capacity and the results were breathtaking.
Having said that, the MPE-65 is not for everyone.
Its a manual focus lens with a maximum aperture opening of F2.8 and there's very little room
for error even at 1:1 scale.
So, to make room for this lens, there's plenty time to practise my manual focusing skills.
Hopefully, I will get my hands on it and produce some decent shots at high magnification.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens

This the 'one' lens to do it all. Multi-element wide-angle to telephoto zoom. It's like having all the range covered.

Price? Well, my eyeballs popped off its sockets when I saw it. RM2.8k. It's even more expensive than an entry-level kit that covers the camera body and lens.

Performance? Well, http://www.dpreview.com/ gave it a 7 out of 10 rating. From my experience, it is convenient to pack only one lens and a body when you travel.

But the multiple element factor and usage in rugged environment may be a hinderance.

Usually, such a high magnification lens with all the different elements would not take a drop or hard bump.

You may screw up its focusing and zoom barrel. But then again, given the price and its capability, its a toss between carrying an extra lens and the additional weight in your already heavy and