PhotoTalkies Magazine - August 2014

PHOTOtalkiesAugust 2014 Issue 07

A Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS

ARCHITECTURALPHOTOGRAPHY

CHRISTIAN DANDYKon Street and

Travel PhotographyGOING WILDIN MADHYA PRADESH

ZEISS DISTAGON T* 2/25The Tool of Choice?

ANIMALS AND BIRDS ARE WAITING AROUND THE CORNERThe season to go wild is just around the corner.

It is officially monsoon season in the Indian subcontinent, and all national parks are closed till October in most cases. Personally, I cannot wait for the gates to open so I can be back with Nature’s best.

For the next many months, all the way to June actually, there is something or the other for you to pursue in the animal world. The forests, lush green after nourishment from the rains, are at their vibrant best. As winter sets in, flocks of millions of birds will come into the region, far from their snowed-in homes. Animals also look healthier, living an undisturbed life from tourists. Summers would mean birds going back, but animal sighting increasing substantially.

All of these add to a photographer’s delight. And ZEISS has just the right optics for you - take your pick from their collection. And impress everyone around with your shots.

Going back into the wild also serves as a reminder of Nature’s wondrous ways, and our re-sponsibilities towards conserving the same. It is a pity how much of our natural heritage has been, and continues to be, destroyed. All in the name of development. There are ways to strike a balance. All we need to do is spare a (sensible and sensitive) thought and follow it up with suitable action.

We are lucky to be born into a world with so many animals and birds. Let us enjoy their company. And be their friend, and protector.

AJAY [email protected]

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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 anydisputes, claims and liabilities arising out of ownership or copyright issues of the contentin the magazine.

CONTENTS

GOING WILD in Madhya Pradesh 05

ZEISS Distagon T* 2/25: The Tool of Choice? 21

LATE GOTHIC, GAUDÍ AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE 28 Christian Dandyk on Street and Travel Photography 35

Look right into my eyes - through the ZEISS Makro-Planar T* 2/100 40

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GOING WILD IN MADHYA PRADESHAJAY JAINMadhya Pradesh lies in the centre of the country, but many a traveller gives it a miss while criss-crossing the country. It is the traveller’s loss.

Few regions in the world offer as incredible an offering as MP. History, culture, wildlife, landscapes, tribal settlements, water bodies, forests, birds, food - you only have to ask, and it will be available for you. All within a few hours of one another.

Personally, I love the wilds of the regions. I can go back any number of times to shoot animals (with my camera) up close and personal - and never tire. Each outing is a fresh experience - just like being out with friends many times over. What you will see in this feature is a glimpse of what lies in MP’s forests - there is a lot more waiting for you to discover on your own.

Of course, travelers must handle MP with care. The flora and fauna of its forests are under constant threat from human development, greed and callousness. The tribals and other traditional communities around these reserves need to be treated with respect. And we all know how fragile historical remains are. It is for all stakeholders to ensure all tourism is sustainable.

Enjoy the safari.

The five major parks in Madhya Pradesh are Panna, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench and Satpura. If you are looking for travel tips to Madhya Pradesh, visit www.kunzum.com

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A Tigress needs to quench her thirst on a hot summer day in Bandhavgarh National Park



Will the Tiger get the deer for dinner? At Bandhavgarh National Park


A Jackal in Kanha National Park


Crested Serpent Eagles need a sip of water too


What are these Gaurs (Indian Bison) fighting over?


A Barking Deer looking curiously at Kanha National Park


What is the Monitor Lizard up to?


Is this a dance of the Spotted Deer or is it trying to grab a bite? At Pench National Park


White-Eyed Buzzard in Pench National Park


Anyone for a canoe safari in Satpura National Park?


Hello Wild Kitty!! At Satpura National Park


Why did the leopard cub cross the road? At Satpura National Park


The ever-elusive Sloth Bear in Satpura National Park


Langurs striking a pose in Kanha National Park


MORE THAN 25 VANTAGE POINTSGen Hayase

Gen Hayase travels frequently in Japan with his camera. And what’s surprising is that his universal lens is neither a zoom nor a 50mm lens. He looks at the world from the vantage point of the Distagon T* 2/25. ©

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Sweets and tea in a Japanese teahouse, Kyoto

For Gen Hayase, photography is very emotional. Often, he takes pictures to capture special moments — in everyday life or during his travels — that he will remember later. “I like to translate the mood of that moment into a picture. For me the Distagon T* 2/25 is the tool of choice.”

By consciously utilizing the closest focusing distance of only 0.25 m – like this still life taken in a teahouse – the main motif is impressively emphasized in the foreground, but is nevertheless placed in the context of the room. “I really like that characteristic about the 25-millimeter focal length. Many photographers prefer using 21 or 35 millimeters for their wide angle. However, in my view the Distagon T* 2/25 is a really balanced travel lens.”


During a visit to the Buddhist Eikando Temple in eastern Kyoto, he took this picture of the red autumn foliage, for which Eikando is known. Gen Hayase comes here ev-ery year. “The Distagon T* 2/25 with its soft bokeh and rich color rendering – I particularly like the blue and red tones — was ideal for this picture. You have a good total overview, but the leaves in the foreground are still prom-inently visible. The range of contrasts is fantastic, and the leaves’ lovely red color appears almost as radiant as if you were standing there yourself.”

The Eikando Temple in autumn, Kyoto


“Mitarashi-dango””, a traditional Japanese dessert, Kyoto

After the successful shooting session in the park, Gen Hayase wanted a break. He likes sweets, and not only for the taste. It is not for nothing that food photography fascinates him as a second important genre. “This mitarashi-dango, a traditional dessert, really whetted my appetite — to eat, but also to try a close-up with the Distagon T* 2/25. Even today, the results make my mouth water. I really like the shiny surface of the sauce and how the out-of-focus area flows out toward the back.”


Boreal owl in an “owl café“, Osaka

In Japanese cafés, you can take pic-tures of more than still lives: in some places an owl, or a boreal owl, will sit on the guests’ hand. In these so-called “owl cafés”, which have recently become more popular in Japan, you can observe the tame animals, or even touch them, while sipping your drink. It was a photographic opportunity that Gen Hayase didn’t want to miss. “I set the focus ring on the smallest distance and pointed the lens toward the eyes. When the owl looked directly into the lens, I pressed the shutter release.” The field of view of the Distagon T* 2/25, combined with a fully open aperture, emphasize the bird’s face, but you still notice that the scene was shot inside a room.


About Gen Hayase

Gen Hayase lives and photographs in Kyoto, Japan. He got his PhD in science and carries out research in materials science at Kyoto University. When he isn‘t synthesizing and analyzing new materials, he devotes himself to his second passion after science: creating atmospheric photographs.

The tame owls are, of course, a special case in animal photography. These birds seldom allow themselves to be photographed at such a close distance, and with a small depth of field. “Capturing moving objects, like birds, with a manual focus is challenging. Nevertheless, I was able to do that again and again with the precise focusing of the Distagon T* 2/25, as this picture of a seagull shows.” The bird is clearly the main motif, but the sky frames it, creating a feeling of space. “The Distagon T* 2/25 gives many of my motifs something unexpected and interesting. Whenever I only take one lens with me, I usually take this one.”

Japanese seagull above Sea of Japan, Sakata


LATE GOTHIC, GAUDÍ AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE: DAVID AGUADO’S PHOTOGRAPHYArchitectural Wanderings

Spain is teeming with architectural masterpieces from the Middle Ages, the early and later Gothic periods, as well as works of well-known 19th and early 20th century architects. There is also plenty of modern 21st century architecture to make a photographer’s hearbeat a little faster. When David Aguado photographs these jewels, ZEISS lenses are among his most important companions. Historic façade in the old city of Salamanca

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Aguado has always been interested in architecture, whereas his passion for photography only start-ed in earnest in 2011. While building up his pho-tographic gear, he regularly came across positive user reviews of ZEISS lenses on the various online fora. He decided to begin by purchasing the Dista-gon T* 2/35 , followed by the Makro-Planar T* 2/50. He has never regretted the decision.

It was in Salamanca, in northern Spain, that Aguado discovered the slowness of photography — i.e., concentrating on the essentials and details, such as specific elements of a facade. “A few days after buying my first ZEISS lens, I visited Salamanca for the first time. Despite switching from auto- to manual focusing, I immediately found that tak-ing pictures with the Distagon T* 2/35 was a great experience. Manual focusing is really wonderful; it’s another form of photography. It makes you concentrate more intensively on the motif and determine the focal plane very consciously. As a result, you become much more alert and atten-tive. That’s how I noticed this historic façade at dusk. With its glazed, rounded bay windows and battlements, the building feels like a castle. It’s a nice image that also demonstrates well the very minimal distortion of the Distagon T* 2/35.”

Historic façade in the old city of Salamanca


Among the first pictures he took with his new lens was also this photo showing the New Cathedral of Salamanca, built between 1513 and 1733 in the late Gothic style. “That morning I was one of the earliest visitors to the church. I had just entered when I saw this lone figure sweeping the floor. The contrast between the tiny person and the vastness of the nave fascinated me.”

Morning atmosphere in the New Cathedral of Salamanca


Since discovering the world of ZEISS photography three years ago, Aguado has already made some changes to his equipment. He replaced his Distagon T* 2/35 with a Distagon T* 2,8/21, whose larger angular field is particularly well-suited to architectural photography. This can be seen in an image of one of Antoni Gaudí’s earliest work. The “Villa Quijano“, better known as “El Capricho“, is located in the town of Comillas, near Santander. It was built between 1883 and 1885 as the summer residence of a wealthy businessman.

“For students of Gaudí this building is important because certain details — such as his use of the Mudéjar style — are already visible here that play a recurring role in his later work. Personally, I’m fascinated by the play of light, forms and conventions. For example, the metal seat on the balcony faces the interior of the building, instead of away from the building as you would normally expect. The name “capricho”, meaning ‘whim’ or ‘impulse’, really does capture the character of this building: it is a ‘mood’ set in stone.”

“El Capricho”, detailed shot of a balcony and minaret above the entrance


When it comes to contemporary architecture, Aguado is particularly at-tracted to bridges because of their clear forms and lines set against the sky. A good example is the Assut de l’Or Bridge in Valencia, also known as the “jamonero” (the Spanish name for a cutting board with a hold-er used for Spanish hams) or the “harp bridge”. Another example is the Castilla La Mancha Bridge, which recently opened in Talavera de la Re-ina, Aguado’s birthplace and current hometown. Both are cable-stayed bridges. Measuring 192 meters (630 feet) high, the Castilla La Mancha Bridge is the highest construction of its kind in Spain and the second highest in Europe. It’s an impressive piece of architecture that Aguado wanted to capture in an image taken from an unusual perspective.

“When I look at these two pictures, I realize how fascinated I am by the architecture of cable-stayed bridges. The cables are able to support the entire construction and completely new forms are created as a result. Unfortunately, the viewing platform hasn’t opened yet, but I’m sure there’s a fantastic view from up there which I definitely want to capture later on with the Distagon T* 2,8/21.”

Puente de l’Assut de l’Or, Valencia


About David Aguado

David Aguado studied electronic engineering and today earns his living as an IT service technician. A fan of architecture for many years, he developed his passion for photography relatively recently and only discovered ZEISS lenses in 2011. Today he devotes pretty well all his free time to his new-found hobby.

More of Davida Aguado’s photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanzer16/

Castilla La Mancha Bridge, Talavera de la Reina, Toledo

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanzer16/


TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

A SECRET OBSERVER IN THE RAIN

CHRISTIAN DANDYK’S STREET AND TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

“To take good photos, you need to like your equipment,” photographer and lecturer Christian Dandyk tells his students. He believes a lens should also sit comfortably in the hands and, in terms of feel, match the particular cam-eras they are used on. For his own day-to-day work, only ZEISS lenses meet these requirements. With their help, he can contrast sharpness and blur in his street and travel photography. He places particular emphasis on achieving an aesthetic and well-balanced bokeh.

For Christian Dandyk, his photograph of the year 2012 is the one showing three professional photographers standing in the rain in front of the parliament buildings in London. They suddenly appeared in front of him, dripping wet, while everyone around them was try-ing to get from A to B while still keeping dry. “The best photographs are often achieved in situations like this because people don’t even register you as a photographer,” Dandyk says. For that reason, he is particularly fond of rain. When the world is wet, colors also change, reflections are created, and the light has a special sheen. This picture was taken with the ZEISS Planar T* 1,4/85 on a 5D MK II.Planar T* 1,4/85 (f/4, 1/80, ISO 250)


One morning just after dawn, when Dandyk was out and about in the Brandenburg countryside, he heard the excited neighing of horses close by. He came round the corner of the next path and discovered several horses that had broken out of their fields running in front of him. Two stallions were facing one another at the edge of a paddock. “I would have loved to have been closer to the scene,” Dandyk says, “but I didn’t want to lose a moment, and so I started shooting straight away, with much too short a focal length, actually.” It was only when studying the images later on that he noticed the jogger, who experienced the moment like Dandyk himself, but from the opposite perspective, and thus became part of the motif.

Sonnar T* 1,8/135 ZA (f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 800)


Ever since a new Sony camera, the RX1, was unexpectedly introduced on the market last year, it has been Dandyk’s constant companion. Its fixed, integrated lens, a ZEISS Sonnar T* 2/35, is perfectly coordinated with the camera. Many of Dandyk’s street and travel photographs are now taken with the RX1. This example features a girl in the rain at the Vienna Naschmarkt, whom passersby completely overlooked, just as they did the photographer himself. Once again, all of the passersby are trying to reach their destina-tion while keeping as dry as possible. Dandyk wanted to record this aspect as well and deliberately waited until people were walking through the image. It is these extras that created the effect he was looking for for this scene.

Sonnar T* 2/35 (RX1) (f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 320)


As he walks around towns and cities, Dandyk constantly discovers special forms and lights that he manages to incorporate into his pictures in surprising ways. By not excluding distracting objects, but instead including them in his motifs, he tries to find a differ-ent view of his environment. A good example of this is the follow-ing picture of Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, in which Dandyk fits the temporary water pipes into his image.


Much of Dandyk’s photography is created with Sony NEX cameras and, in June, ZEISS introduced two new fixed focal length lenses especially for these models. Already, Dandyk can no longer imag-ine leaving home without this camera in his bag. “The ZEISS Touit 2.8/12 is ideal for architecture and landscape photography, and in the future I will always take it along with me on my trips,” he says. “It’s also perfect for night photography. I love the stars that faint-ly appear in my pictures.” For each of his lenses, he knows which is the best aperture to use in order to capture the most beautiful stars. This is also true of the ZEISS Touit 2.8/12, which Dandyk was able to test for ZEISS on a trip to Vienna, and which here, at an aperture of f/11, lights up the Vienna night with special starry effects.

Touit 2.8/12 (f/11, 3.2, ISO 100)


Until he tried out the Touit lens, Dandyk’s favorite had been a ZEISS C Sonnar T* 1,5/50 ZM, which he uses with an adapter on his NEX cameras. “It feels good to hold, and at its widest aperture gives a fabulous bokeh with a really satisfying sharpness,” Dandyk says. However, its status as favorite has repeatedly been challenged in recent days by the new ZEISS Touit 1.8/32. This was the lens that Dandyk used to shoot the saxophonist at the Danube canal in Vienna. The musician was using the special acoustics under a bridge to get the biggest sound from his saxophone playing. “I love street musicians because they break up the routine of our everyday lives with their music and be-cause, like photographers, they can sometimes make time stand still,” Dandyk says. Like many of his pictures, this one is intended to make the viewer think. “The viewer is free to think up his or her own story.”

About Christian Dandyk

Christian Dandyk learned to take pictures when he was 13, and from then on had only one aim in life: to become a professional photographer. But life can often turn out differently: His fear about the uncertainty of making a living as an artist led him to first work for a management consultancy. It was only in his late 40s that he finally took the plunge and realized his childhood dream. Today, he has his own studio, organizes the Alpha Festival for photographers in Berlin in collaboration with Sony, and holds workshops on photography and historic lenses.

http://www.berlin-backstage.de/

Touit 1.8/32 (f/1.8, 1/125, ISO 100)

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LOOK INTO MY EIGHT

EYESNATURAL BEAUTYOliver Wright

Whether in the studio or outdoors, Oliver Wright likes getting up close to animals – even those that some people would rather keep at a safe distance. And his images are impressive. When peering through the lens, a new world opens up for Oliver. During a test that lasted ten days, he focused his view through the Makro-Planar T* 2/100. Oliver Wright is enthusiastic about the results.


Regal jumping spider (Phidippus regius)

For a photo shoot you often need exceptional models and props – and to acquire them, some photographers rely on an agency or props from a theater. Oliver Wright also does this — but not in the usual way.

“I wanted to get as much as possible out of the Makro-Pla-nar T* 2/100. After all, I only had a very short time to test it. So I borrowed some interesting ‘models’ from an acquain-tance, a passionate insect breeder: a jumping spider, an emperor scorpion and an African flower mantis, among others.”

“The jumping spider is one of my favorite animals. What really fascinates me about it as a photographer is that they have highly developed eyesight. With their eight eyes they can cover a field of view of almost 360 degrees. I really like this picture I took with the Makro-Planar T* 2/100. The animal, of the Phidippus regius species, is only around 15 millimeters long. In order to increase the magnification power, I inserted three extension rings. I set the lens sharp at the minimal working distance. For macro images I al-ways photograph with a free hand. This enabled me to react more easily to the spider’s movement. The ‘floor’ is a regular, shiny ceramic tile. Together with the flash directed from the left and right through a diffuser, I achieved the wonderful reflection which duplicates the spider.”


Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

The photo shoot with his two other ‘models’ took place in a similar fashion – but with more distance between them, particularly advisable in the case of the emperor scorpion. Here, the manual work with the smooth focusing operation of the Makro-Planar T* 2/100, and its large rotation angle, paid off en-tirely. “I’m a big fan of manual focus. In addition to macro and nature photography I also do landscape photography and I’ve been using the Distagon T* 2,8/15 and Distagon T* 2,8/21 a long time for that. In that sense, working with the Makro-Planar T* 2/100 was nothing new for me.”

Like so many photographers, Wright values the slowness of manual focusing, which lets you come to rest and focus entirely on creative composition. With the emperor scorpion, which is a long motif, the focus was on the animal’s head. The pincers and stingers vanish in the blur, emphasizing their threatening character.


When photographing the African spiny flower mantis, which stands sideways in the image, almost the entire animal is in focus. This accentuates its delicate and trans-lucent character. “When you take pictures with ZEISS lenses, the camera doesn’t think,” continues Wright with a wink. “These are lenses for photographers who think themselves.”

African spiny flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii)

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Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

Oliver Wright often has to react fast, because his reper-toire also includes large animals that live outdoors. But during his excursions with the Makro-Planar T* 2/100 in the English landscape around Leeds, Wright’s aim was to indulge in slowness. As in the studio, Wright photographs out in the field without a tripod.

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“One feature that I like in general about ZEISS lenses, and in particular about the Makro-Planar T* 2/100, is the excellent and beautiful background. This harmonious bokeh works best with natural light. All three motifs shown here were photographed in front of a meadow without a macro flash. With the banded demoiselle I paid close at-tention to making sure the blades of grass would still be recognizable in the bokeh. With the two marbled whites, on the other hand, you don’t see the grass anymore – only a soft background with its sea of green tones. But to achieve this effect, I had to apply a trick. The animals are at a certain distance from each other, so at aperture f/3.2, both are on different focal planes. I therefore decided for a stitching made of six individual images.”

Two marbled whites (Melanargia galathea) on the blossom of a pyramidal orchid , stitching from six individual images


With this large dark green fritillary, the same effect could be achieved with just one image, and at f/4. Here, the blurry green background appears in combination with the out-of-focus area around the blossom in the foreground. It’s easy to see these were hard work days for Oliver Wright, during which time he achieved results with the Makro-Planar T* 2/100 that even surprised him. His conclusion? “An absolutely high-quality lens which completely met my expectations and that I regret having to hand back.”

About Oliver Wright

Oliver Wright lives and photographs in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Although he is at home in many photographic disciplines, his focus and passion are nature and landscapes. Wright has been taking pictures for a long time, but his first career was in project management. Around two years ago, he decided to make his hobby his career – with success. His work has been in the British Wildlife Photography Awards and has ap-peared in BBC Wildlife Magazine.

http://www.oliverwrightphotography.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/19083292@N00/

http://www.oliverwrightphotography.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/19083292@N00/

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About

Ajay JainAjay Jain is a full time writer and photographer, and has authored eight paperback books and over 30 e-books. He promotes 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 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.Management and Journalism.

More on Ajay Jain at http://ajayjain.com. Connect with him at [email protected] +91.9910044476. Or call his office

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