PhotoTalkies a monthly e-magazine and is all about celebrating photography, and telling stories through images. In a joint venture between ZEISS and Kunzum. Enjoy the April 2014 edition of the same. And keep coming back for more.
1. PHOTOtalkies
April 2014 Issue 03
A Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
APPS
Nokia Refocus
Here I Am
BUNDI, RAJASTHAN
Where Guest is God
THE MAGICAL
DHANKAR LAKE
The Vanishing Portraits of
APATANI TRIBALS
LENS REVIEW
ZEISS OTUS 1,4 / 55MM
2. SAY HELLO TO THE TRIBES
The world has not become homogeneous yet. Nor entirely modern. There are still many folks
out there who are holding onto to their traditions, living as they have been for centuries.
The Apatanis of Ziro Valley in the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh are one such
community. You get there after a half day bumpy ride from state capital Itanagar, but the effort
is more than worth it. You will meet tribals here who continue to live in the same houses that
have been home for generations, in villages that have retained much of their old character. In a
landscape nothing short of breathtaking.
Of course, almost no one on this planet is sheltered entirely from the winds of change. Neither
are the Apatanis, or the countless other tribes in this part of the country. For travellers and those
interested in people study, this is the time to say hello to these tribes. Before the portraits of old
vanish entirely. And thus we figured it apt to feature these for the cover story of PhotoTalkies
this month.
We have added more features from this issue based on reader feedback. There is the pictorial
travel bucket list to tease you and to tempt you. You can read about memorable travel stories
from everyday travellers, book reviews and apps. All is all, it is an issue covering more features
for everyone.
Let’s keep clicking together. And sharing our stories. Pictorially. Shot with a ZEISS.
AJAY JAIN
ajay@ajayjain.com
3. PHOTOtalkiesA Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
CONTENTS
TheVanishing Portraits of ApataniTribals, Arunachal Pradesh 05
LENS REVIEW: Otus 1,4 / 55mm: A New Byword for Professional
Digital Photography 16
YourTravel Bucket List 25
Bundi, Rajasthan:Where Guest is God 32
Finding, and Losing Myself, in the Himalayas 35
Exploring Dhankar Lake and Monastery 37
BOOKS
Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten 39
Dark Places 40
APPS
Nokia Refocus 41
Here I Am 42
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Want to contribute
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www.kunzum.com/phototalkies
mail@kunzum.com
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.
4.
5. TRIBAL
TATTOOS
Change is all around us. And it is permeating
even the remote and lesser developed regions of
the world. If you are going to Arunachal Pradesh
and expecting its ethnic population to be walk-
ing the streets in their traditional tribal dresses
and accessories, be prepared to be disappointed.
TheVanishing Portraits of
Apatani Tribalsin Arunachal Pradesh, India
05 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
6. T
attooed faces, large nose plugs, brass ringed ear pieces and
knotted hair - the Apatanis have traditionally sported these
signs, distinguishing them from other tribes in the region.
With the passing of the older generations just a matter of time now,
these portraits may remain just images for us to see in the future.
Living in the beautiful Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh in
north-eastern India, the Apatanis continue to live largely in the
same habitats as they have for centuries with a touch of modernity
and material goods thrown in for good measure.The younger gen-
eration pursue the best of education available, seek careers going
beyond agriculture and have mostly shed their traditional dresses
and ornaments in a bid to assimilate with the rest of the world. But
their surviving parents and grandparents still keep the memories
of the past alive.
06 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
10. 10 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
The DecoratedWomen
Women tattooed themselves with a black line running from the
forehead to the tip of their nose, and five vertical lines on their
chins. A horizontal line connected the five. These tattoos are
calledTiipe.They wear two big black round nose plugs called the
Yaping Pullo made of whole cane found in the jungles. Women
also perforated their ear lobes and wore big pieces of hollowed
bamboo ear plugs called Yaru Hukho to attach ear rings to. They
also make 2-3 perforations in their ears to wear smaller Yaru
Hukhos; these smaller perforations are known as Ruting and
used for wearing Ruting Yarangs made of flat brass rings. Dark
and prominent tattoos, big Yaping Hullos and Yaru Hukhos with
ear rings and large Ruting Yarang were all seen to enhance the
beauty of an Apatani Lady.
12. The Decorated Men
Not to be left behind, men tattoo their chins in the form of
a T. Big, deep and prominent tattoo on the chin with a good
Piiding (knot of hair on forehead tied using a brass rod called
Piiding Khotu measuring 12 inches) went on to enhance the
handsomeness of an Apatani youth.
12 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
13. WereWomen Made to Spoil their Beauty?
The tattoos and jewelry on women were supposedly made to
enhance their looks, but there is a theory that these were used to
mar their beauty. Apatani women, famed for their beauty, would
occasionally be abducted by neighbouring tribes; making them
look lesser was seen as a defence against the poaching of the
women. The ‘defacing’ would take place at puberty. Over time
though, there has been no evidence to substantiate this theory
and it remains just that.
13 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
14. TheVanishing Portraits
Unfortunately, the last of these tattooed faces will vanish from this planet in a
few years. As will the Apatani langauge. Make a trip to Ziro and say hello to the
Apatanis.They will greet you warmly.Their hearts and souls are as beautiful as
their looks.
14 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
15.
16. 16 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Otus
1,4/55mm:
A New Byword
for Professional
Digital
Photography
SUNDEEP BALI
Background
Less than 15 years ago when film was around and showing no signs of slowing
down despite the first integrated small digital cameras having been introduced,
the golden standard for professional photographers was still a medium format
camera.
Quite a few of these medium format camera models were rendered modular by
their manufacturers and could be used be with a digital back to capture digitally
when required. Slowly but surely all that changed and many of the erstwhile
medium format patrons shifted to small format full-frame DSLRs as more and
more such models populated the market.
Circa 2013: Medium-format digital cameras are now a super-expensive
proposition and not necessarily a future-proof investment as technology leaps
ahead.
Perspective
Zeiss has a long-history of manufacturing lenses for medium-format systems
namely Hasselblad and Contax. When the idea of designing a new series of
extremely high-performance SLR lenses was floated, the audience in mind were
mid-career photographers who were familiar with the distinct advantages of a
medium-format system over the small format and would covet a similar
performance on a full-frame DSLR with a high-resolution sensor.
The brief given to optical and mechanical engineers was to design a lens with no
compromises at all on the performance. Concurrently all the limitations - of size,
weight and price - were given a long break.
Lens-based artist and Lens Ambassador, Carl Zeiss India
17. 17 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
A prototype was shown at Photokina in 2012 and I had the good fortune of handling one of these (albeit for only a night ) at the Photofair
in Delhi in January 2013. A behemoth of a lens with edge-to-edge sharpness and high-contrast wide-open is all I could make out of it at
that point of time. The filter diameter was bigger (82 mm) than the 77 mm that we see now in the final version and the rubberized grip on
the focusing ring was also peculiar.
To put all this into perspective, one needs a few lines about the current crop of high-resolution cameras. Full frame high-resolution sensors
with pixel pitch of less than 5 microns (like Nikon D800 and Sony’s A7R (the world’s first full frame mirror-less camera) are pretty demand-
ing on the lenses in front of them. In simple words, a lot of glass from the current line-up of lenses (both zooms and primes) of all manu-
facturers (including Zeiss) is not able to project images on a resolution or contrast that the sensor is capable of recording. So the camera
ends up producing images where all the flaws of the lens (especially when used wide-open) are made more than visible by the extra pixels.
Chromatic aberration and its elimination has been one of the priority areas with Zeiss and it has started reaching its zenith in SLR lenses
with the introduction of Apo-Sonnar 2/135mm and now with Otus Apo-Distagon 1,4/55mm.
‘Apo’refers to the‘Apochromatic’performance of the lens where the Chromatic Aberration is corrected by use of elements of special glass
with anomalous partial dispersion. Left uncorrected, CA leads to color fringes in high-contrast areas and ultimately loss of perceived sharp-
ness of an image.
The mandate given to the optical engineers for the new lens included elimination of field curvature to the best possible extent as well as
Spherical aberration. All this necessitated use of a complex retro-focus Distagon type lens-design instead of a Planar design normally used
for standard focal lengths (as in Planar 1,4/50mm and Makro- Planar 2/50mm).
Otus is a complex configuration 12 lenses in 10 groups with floating elements design. The rear element is a double-sided asphere that
summarily reduces Spherical Aberration (and any focus shifts which is a real application issue with Planar 1,4/85mm or for that matter any
fast lens of F1,4 or wider).
The name OTUS is derived from a genus of owls and Zeiss had started the bird-naming convention with their Touit series of lenses for mir-
ror-less cameras. Otus is a all metal design with a focussing ring sporting rubberized grip. The focus ring has bearings (as with cine-lenses)
for ultra- smooth focussing which has to be handled to be believed . I have to add that I have not experienced such‘grippy’focussing with
any other manual focus photo-lens till date. A large 248 degrees angle of rotation makes
pin- point focussing a pleasure.
18. 18 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Puppets by renowned puppeteer Dadi Pudumjee. Image made at F4,5.
19. 19 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Impressions
I have put Otus to work to a variety of situations over the
last two months or so - weddings, performance,
portraiture and street. A jaw-dropping performance
wide-open or near-wide open was given irrespective of
whether I was shooting against annoying ceiling spotlights
or in a discotheque with horrendous color casts.
Study at F1,4 . Next image is a crop of this that
shows Otus’s high level of contrast and detailing
wide-open.
20. Otus seems to imbue portraits with a three-dimensional quality and sense of atmosphere that is difficult to describe. It’s a complex mix of
sharpness and contrast that’s amplified by virtual absence of aberrations.
20 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
21. Portrait at F1,4. The focus is on boy’s right eye (farther from the lens). Next image is a crop.
21 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
22. 22 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
A word of caution. Lenses like Otus could easily expose the shortcomings of the
photographer especially those of focussing. And I have been on the facing side on
a few occasions in the last few weeks.
23. 23 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Mannat’s portrait at F1,6.
For video-shooters also Otus might be nothing less than a dream
lens and it would get better once more lenses are released in the
line-up. Zeiss has plans to next launch a 85mm focal length in the
Otus line-up.
What‘Otus’in all probability might end up heralding is a new era in
photography. An era where professional photographers are able to
again stand apart from the next guy with the same camera body on
the basis of their‘art’and‘craft’of handling a demanding a lens like
this and distilling their vision through images which are aesthetical-
ly appealing and technically brilliant.
(All images have been made through Otus 1,4/55mm on Nikon D800.
All crops are 1200 x 1800 pixels and RAW files were processed through
DxO Optics Pro8 with colour rendering on ‘Camera Body’ of ‘Nikon 800’
with only fine-tuning of White Balance / Hue and Exposure.)
32. 32 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Bundi, Rajasthan
Where Guest
is God
PHILIPPA KAYE
It is sometimes hard, especially as a western traveller in Indian towns, to see
the good in people. Such is the way the travel industry has gone, that we are
often left feeling that we are viewed merely as an opportunity, and it seems
that locals are only interested in talking to us in order to drag us into the
brother/cousin/uncles shop where they will endeavour to sell you
something at vastly inflated prices.
Tuk tuk and taxi drivers will invariably double or quadruple their prices due
to the colour of our skin. No matter where you are - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur or
Jodhpur - this is an inevitable part of travel. So, I was utterly charmed when
venturing to a new-to-me town where one could wander at leisure without
being bothered. I watched milkmen delivering urns to the paneer wallas
(those who make cottage cheese), where it was poured into huge vats on
the street and processed into delicious fresh produce. Dogs lazed around,
waiting for spillage, and locals gathered on the streets, in traditional clothes,
smoking beedis (unfiltered low cost Indian cigarettes) and catching up on
the latest gossip. Ladies smiled shyly with a charming‘namaste’as they
skipped past me prodding their children to school. The usual questions of
‘What is your good name?’and‘What is your country?’were genuine
questions and not pre-requisites to a sales pitch. Sauntering past shops,
I was left to browse.
33. 33 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
I paused at the shop of a miniature painter, apparently one of the most
famous in the country, to admire his work, and within minutes I had an
entire elephant painted on my thumbnail. He was mortified when I tried
to pay. On hearing my attempts to communicate in Hindi, the chaiwalla
(tea seller) across the street brought me a delicious brew; buffalo milk chai,
scented with cardamom and ginger, again with no charge, and the three of
us sat in companionable silence watching the world go by.
You see, this was Bundi, and it is like a Rajasthan that time forgot, the
Rajasthan I knew from 20 years ago. It is a stunning destination. The
Taragarh Fort rises majestically over the town; the step wells are some of
the most impressive in the country, the cenotaphs are rarely visited and the
markets are still very traditional. It was one of the first destinations where
Mr. Oberoi bought land and planned a hotel but, for some reason, it was
never developed. Bundi is one of Rajasthan’s most impressive towns, yet it
has remained undiscovered, undisturbed and unspoilt by mass
tourism. This is truly a destination where one feels the Old Indian adage
is true,‘Guest is God.’ Visit now before it goes the way of other busier and
more popular destinations.
GETTING TO BUNDI
By Air: Jaipur (210 kms) and Udaipur (310kms)
By Train
Golden Temple Mail / Jan ShatabdiDirect Trains: Dehradun Express / MewarExpress
By Road
Jaipur: 210 kms
Pushkar: 190 kms
Kota: 39 kms. (connected by rail too)Delhi: 465 kms (connected by rail and air too)
34. PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Connect with ZEISS
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
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35. Finding, and
Losing Myself,
in the
Himalayas
APRAJITAVIRMANI
“Keep close to nature’s heart…
Climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spir-
its clean”
-John Muir
There are travels where you embark on a journey of exploration and
discover true happiness and then there are journeys that help you
discover your true love and know what is it that you would want to live for.
This is one of those.
I was off on my first ever camping trip in the Himalayas, a 4-day trek up to
the Indrahaar Pass starting from Dharamkot near McLeodganj in Himachal
Pradesh. It included traversing everything from meandering trails dotted
with rhododendrons and hollyhocks till Triund, with rocky terrains and
snow-laden expanses waiting further beyond.
We crossed Triund on the first day and Ilaka Ghot on the second; the third
day would take us past the Pass with the Lahesh caves falling enroute. The
terrain transitioned from the snowline dotted with Deodars, to rising
boulders, to an overarching expanse of snow stretching far and beyond.
Whilst we stood soaking in this awe-inspiring sight, the snow started
falling, slowly at first and then in heaps within a matter of 10 minutes. We
pushed ahead, hoping to make it to Lahesh at least. I was thus initiated
into trekking with sheets of never-ending snowfields below me. The going
was tough on this day, testing my body and spirit like never before - but I
kept moving, allowing the mind to win over any challenges.
35 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
36. We reached an altitude on 3,500 metres but were forced to
turn back just before the caves. As I stood transfixed munching
a chocolate with the landscape before me, something changed
within me. My soul embraced the outdoors and the mountains
in a way I had not imagined; I was humbled in my submission
to Nature and her vagaries. It is an experience we all need to
go through. I returned home, but a part of me stayed behind.
The mighty mountains now call me back again and again, and
it is only when I go visiting that I become my whole self again.
36 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
37. High rocky mountains kissing the sky, muddy water streams cutting
furiously through hills and small villages popping-up their stunning face
every now and then - I succumbed to the magic of the Himalayas on a
road from Delhi to Spiti, a high altitude region in Himachal Pradesh in
India. The sights of the rough terrains of the mighty Himalayas during
day and innumerable stars shining bright in pitch dark nights have been
some of the most memorable experiences of my life, leaving me
wondering about my tiny existence in the vast Universe.
Spiti will stay with me forever: those drives over dangerous roads and
visits to quaint old monasteries; looking at prayer flags fluttering in the
wind and monks celebrating life in their ochre robes; the sights of sce-
nic mountain villages perched on mountain crests. And there were the
incredible stories by locals about a 500 years old mystical mummy dis-
covered about 25 years back by an excavation team, the peak changing
colors every hour of the day, and the painted caves where monks stayed
some hundred years ago. Believe it or not. But clearly the longest lasting
impressions were created at Dhankar.
Dhankar Monastery…
The last on our list of monasteries in Spiti, Dhankar boasts a spectacular
setting: it is set on a 300 metres high cliff overlooking the confluence of
the Spiti and Pin Rivers. The monks had a surprising bit of information
for us: there is a lake at an altitude of 4,136 metres (13,570 feet) on the
other side of the mountain, a fact known to few. A well defined trails of
5 kms (3 miles) would take us there; it was recommended we start early
the following morning for it. But we did not have the luxury of staying
on for another day, and took it upon ourselves to head out right then
and attempt to complete the two hour trek in half the time.
A Memorable Travel
Moment That Will Stay
With Me Forever
SHAILZA SOOD DASGUPTA
37 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
38. 38 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Trekking to Dhankar Lake…
The climb was steep, and not easy. Looking down, the Dhankar village,
the monastery and the confluence of rivers looked amazing. The sun was
close to setting when we reached the lake, and we were a bit disappoint-
ed with what we saw. The sky was dark and cloudy, the water in the lake
was less than we expected and the landscape seemed dull. We decided
to head right back to avoid wandering in the mountains in the dark.
The Magic Moment…
The divine forces up there would not let our efforts end in an anti-cli-
max. As if by the wave of her wand by a fairy, a magical moment hap-
pened. Just as we were about to start back leaving the grey landscape
behind, a dash of evening light broke through the clouds turning the
water deep blue, painting the surroundings with a golden hue. In a case
of perfect timing, a shepherd appeared from nowhere with his flock
of sheep, playing a flute to add to the atmosphere. It seemed we were
transported into some mystical land. We wanted to spend more time,
but the beautiful setting did not last long. But it was enough to leave an
impression that would stay imprinted in my heart and mind forever.
Shailza Sood Dasgupta quit a 8-year long corporate
career with Google and McKinsey to follow her heart and
explore India. She also runs her travel venture
Chaloletsgo! (http://chaloletsgo.com).
39. Punjab – A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten
Rajmohan Gandhi
Aleph Book Company
400pp
Rs. 695
NIMISH DUBEY
Few states in India have witnessed as much dramatic change, wealth and carnage
over the past three centuries as the north Indian state of Punjab. And Rajmohan
Gandhi, the man who gave us masterpieces like The Good Boatman and A Tale of
Two Revolts, this time turns his attention to modern Punjab, or to be more accurate
Punjab from towards the decline of the Mughal empire to the fall of the British one.
No, we would be lying if we said that it was as brilliant a work as his books on his
grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. But that is also because we do have exceptionally
high expectations of the author. Punjab: A History… is definitely one of the best
books about the region in recent time, and while it lacks the effortless flow of The
Good Boatman, it more than compensates with the wealth of detail about the state.
The politics in the court of Ranjit Singh, the battles with the Afghans, the horrific
events of Jallianwala Bagh or the bloody partition of the state – they are all there in
this book. Do not expect a narrative style on the lines of William Dalrymple or Ram-
chandra Guha. No, Gandhi prefers being more of a historian than a storyteller here.
And does an outstanding job. Laudable in particular are his efforts to highlight the
acts of courage and kindness that have been generally overshadowed in the car-
nage of the partition that followed India’s independence. Pretty much a must read
for anyone interested in the history of the Punjab.
Traveller’s Quotient
We would rate this an excellent book for travellers who want to know more about the Punjab,
beyond what tourist guide books have to offer. If you plan to visit the state, read this book,
and every place will have a new and deeper meaning.
39 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
40. Dark Places
Gillian Flynn
448 pages
E-Book edition: Rs 246
Paperback: Rs 395
NIMISH DUBEY
Gillian Flynn wrote‘Dark Places’before she attained worldwide fame with the
brilliant‘Gone Girl,’but the book has been given a fresh coat of paint and is
now being sold afresh, as it were. And well, if you loved‘Gone Girl’(we did!),
there’s every chance you will love‘Dark Places’as well. Just as in‘Gone Girl,’Fly-
nn narrates the story through the perspectives of different characters – Libby,
her brother and her mother among them. And just like in that book, here too
there are different timelines – Libby’s narration comes from the present, while
that revolving around her brother and mother comes from the time leading
up to the murder. So you actually have one narration dealing with the investi-
gation of the murder and another leading up to it, and in the case of the latter,
you know that one of the characters is going to die, allegedly at the hands of
another.
It is a thrilling, chilling tale and Flynn tells it brilliantly. There are not quite as
many gut-wrenching twists as in‘Gone Girl’and the canvas here is a little wid-
er with more characters, but there is more than enough happening to keep
you glued to‘Dark Places.’And yes, you will be surprised by what happens at
the end. All of which makes us recommend‘Dark Places’as a must-read for all
those who like a bit – or a lot – of thrill in their books. And ah, if you are the
type with a slightly weak heart, don’t read it in dark places. Pun intended.
Traveller’s Quotient
Very high.Yes, even if you do not like cars.The book is a collection of relatively small, inde-
pendent pieces, so you can open it at any place, read a bit and laugh a lot.There are not too
many books about which we can say that!
Libby Day, a seven year old girl is the sole survivor of a massacre in
which her mother and two sisters are killed. Her brother is accused
of the crime and her own testimony lands him in jail. Twenty five
years later, faced by penury, Linny agrees to meet a group called the
Kill Club, which likes to investigate – on an amateur level – crimes in
which they feel justice was not meted out. They believe her brother
was not guilty, notwithstanding Libby’s own statement in the court
to the contrary. Libby resists the idea initially, but – in return for some
financial aid – begins to retrace what really happened that night,
meeting people connected to the events of that night. And as she
does so, she begins to have doubts about what really happened. Did
she really see her brother killing her mother and two sisters in what
was called a Satanic frenzy? Or was she persuaded into thinking she
did?
40 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
41. Nokia
Refocus
Of late, there has been a fair deal of interest in Lytro photography, amongst both
professional and amateur photographers. For those who know it not, a Lytro camera is
one that takes pictures in such a manner that you can move the focus across different
parts of the image. So if you take a picture of say a bouquet of roses, you actually have
the option of moving the focus from one rose to another, or even the ribbon that holds
the roses together. This happens because the camera captures the entire light field
around a picture instead of just a part of it. Of course you need a special camera to
take such photographs (one of which is called Lytro, which is why this kind of photog-
raphy is called Lytro photography).
Or, of course, you could do it on your phone. Mind you, not just any phone - you would
need a Lumia PureView phone (the type powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon
processors). And you would need an app called Nokia Refocus.
What Refocus does is take a number of pictures and stitches them together into a
single large shot. And not just any large shot - you will be able to tap on any part of the
photograph to shift focus to that part. In essence that means you can focus on any part
of the final photograph, or if the inclination so strikes you - you can have
everything in the photograph in focus, from something that is inches away from the
camera to something that was a few feet away - try doing that on a DSLR if you can! As
a neat touch, you can also add colours to specific spots - the remainder will be drained
of all colour.
All this in an app that is totally free. Yes, it is not as uncomplicated as we would have
liked - taking a picture involves holding the camera dead steady for a few seconds
while the app does its magic and sharing the image is highly unintuitive (the app saves
the full picture on Skydrive, of all places, and sharing involves slapping a link on to
Facebook). But on the whole, if you are the type that is interested in Lyto Photography,
and have a PureView device handy (right now that means the Lumia 1020, Lumia 1520,
Lumia 925 or Lumia 920), then this is an app that you ignore at your peril. Heck, it is an
app you ignore at your peril if you like ANY sort of photography.
Download from: Windows Store (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/
nokia-refocus/0b5cc26d-a723-4c69-8be3-66bbd9b2bed1)
LYTRO PHOTOGRAPHY
ON YOUR HANDSET
NIMISH DUBEY
36 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
42. ‘’Here I am”
One of the joys of having GPS and navigation software on your device is the fact that
you know exactly where you are. But what if you want to tell people where you are?
Imagine going to a relatively unknown locality to meet a business acquaintance and
well, getting a bit lost - the maps will not be of much help then as they will show you
your location but you would not be able to derive much from it (you do know the
locality, remember?). So what do you do?
Well, you send your location to the person you meet to show them where you are. Or if
that person seems to be not responding, send it to someone you know. If the receiver
has a device that can access the Internet, they will get a link which will pinpoint your
location on a map. You can even choose to keep sending details of your movements
for a specific period of time. So if you are heading to the airport late at night, send a
Glympse to someone you know (and preferably someone who cares) and hey will be
able to see you on a map, moving towards your destination. No, the receiver does not
need to install any software whatsoever - all they need is a device that can access the
Internet and has a browser (every computer, smartphone and tablet has those). You
can send your location via various methods - SMS, mail, Facebook and even Twitter.
Making all this happen is an app called Glympse, which uses the location services on
your device to pinpoint your location and then lets you share it with those whom you
want to keep track of you. And if that is impressive, wait until we tell you the best parts
- it is totally free and works on just about every smartphone platform out there (iOS,
Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry). All you need is a phone with GPS and
Internet connectivity to make it work. Yes, it can drain battery a bit but that is a small
trade-off when you consider what you get with the app: the ability to tell those who
care exactly where you are. A must-have not just for travellers, but for just about
anyone with a smartphone, we think.
Available from: www.glympse.com
Works with: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone
Price: Free
NIMISH DUBEY
THE APPTHAT SAYS
36 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
43.
About
Ajay Jain
Ajay Jain is a full time
writer and photographer,
and has authored eight
paperback books and over
30 e-books. He promotes30 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 BusinessPersonal 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.Management and Journalism.
More on Ajay Jain at http://ajayjain.com.
Connect with him at ajay@ajayjain.com
+91.9910044476. Or call his office
at +91.9650702777.
44. 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. Weat 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.
com/
medialab
45. 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