ISO the Basics

Old Melbourne Gaol; ISO 100

Old Melbourne Gaol; ISO 400

Let’s start with the acronym, ISO stands for International Standards Organisation. It refers to the industry norm for emulsion based film. In the world of digital photography ISO we are talking about the image sensor instead of film but it is still a measure of sensitivity to light.

ISO 100 is not very sensitive, but the setting many people choose to use. ISO 1600 is extremely sensitive to light.

ISO can be changed quickly and easily on most digital cameras and adds greater flexibility for photographers in all light situations, in addition to shutter speed and aperture settings.

To learn more visit www.dftours.com.au/photography-lessons-and-tips/ISO-the-basics

Here's a Tip

source: salon.com

Tipping, growing up and living in Australia I have never understood tipping. Having travelled overseas to many countries that do practice tipping in lieu of paying and actual wage I am still none the wiser.

This week a waitress in New Jersey posted on Facebook an image of a docket where after having to wait an hour for their food order to be delivered to the table. In line on the docket for the customer to write their tip was written “1 hour for food, LOL”

Apparently the world was meant to be appalled that the customer would be so rude and arrogant as to not leave a tip for receiving poor service. Notwithstanding that the delays were not of the waitresses making, I am more shocked that the waitress still expected a tip at all.

It might be a New Jersey thing. On my first visit to the eastern seaboard state friends took me to a diner for a stereotypical American dining experience. Burgers, fries, condiments (on the side of course because even though they are just fat, salt and sugar, being on the side somehow reduces their impact on one’s health.)

Between taking our order and the food being prepared the waitress received a call from her boyfriend. The phone call was not a pleasant one. The waitress started sobbing and yelling before storming out of the diner. No alternative waiting staff were assigned to our table.

Eventually we had to go to the serving window and retrieve our now rapidly cooling food (we never did find out how long they had been sitting there) At the end of this dining experience where we did have a meal and got a story to tell my American friends informed me that I had to leave a tip for the waiting staff, despite the complete absence of staff. We were the ones who waited.

Despite the lack of service and the non-existent staff member we still left 15% tip. 10% is considered insulting and god forbid we insult the woman who was not there, and 20% is for exceptional service.

The 15% was really in case my friends wanted to eat there again. Without leaving a tip it is likely no one would serve them on a subsequent visit. I argued that no-one served us this visit either.

I have been our tours where there are three components to the overall cost; the booking fee (all of which goes to the company), the payment (cash on arrival to cover the food, accommodation, fuel, park entry fees – so the actual cost of the tour) and the tip for the tour guides. It is expected that the tip is US$10/day.  On a tour ever member of the tour group is assigned a task such as loading the tents, cleaning the bus, filling the water. One of these tasks is “Tips Coordinator”.

The mere presence of the Tip Coordinator as a position moves this money from the realm of tip or gratuity to the definition of payment. The other clue that this is built into the cost of the holiday is that “Tip Ceremony” is included on the itinerary.

By ceremony I mean Reality television ceremony not traditional religious or cultural event. There are long disingenuous speeches, even longer pauses and promises of life-long friendships, awkward and empty declarations of love followed even more awkward and empty bursts of applause.

I am happy to tip a helpful tour guide. I am less enthusiastic about tipping a guide who, at the beginning of the trip declares “This is the first time I have visited this country and then merely reads verbatim the Lonely Planet entry for the region. I refuse to pay a tip for a guide contracted an alternative guide for day excursions so they can become a tourist themselves and then on the other days declare to the group “You probably want a rest day to explore the area by yourselves.’ This translates to mean I have a girlfriend in this region and want a day of sex with her.

If I am tipping for the guide’s sexcapades then I want to be involved, and better not result in the guide walking out in tears after hearing what I want only to leave me having to serve myself.

Photography Tips: White Balance

White Balance: Cloudy

The white balance setting of your digital camera is critical is creating a photograph that captures the colours of the subject correctly. As “oils aint oils”, white is not white. Depending of the source of the light white can appear to the camera as being predominantly blue, orange or yellow.

New cameras often have a white balance button on the body of the camera, for other cameras the white balance controls will be within the menu items.

White Balance: Tungsten

For cameras with the control on the body look for “WB” next to one of the control buttons, it may be a secondary function for one of the buttons. In the menu look for the words “White Balance”.

The two pictures of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne were taken on an overcast day so the top photo with white balance set on "Cloudy" gives the truer colours. 

For more information about white balance visit www.dftours.com.au/photography-lessons-and-tips/white-balance

Sugar Low

source: flickriver.com

Nestle Allen’s confectionery has the audacity to revise its products range and reduce the variety of shapes from which the public can choose to consume copious amounts of sugar and food colour. Australia is collectively outraged.

This, on the back of Allen’s reducing package and product sizes. Killer Pythons were reduced by almost half in late 2014, making them less python and more garden worm.

Based on dropping sales figures particular products have disappeared from the shelves. People, who have clearly stopped buying the product then get outraged that the coloured sugar product that the once enjoyed as a child but have not purchased in years will not be available for them to not buy in the years ahead.

Bowing to the power of the internet; a dark hole created by people sitting in dark holes complaining about things other people are doing whilst not actually doing anything themselves and specifically not buying Allen’s lollies. Allen’s are bringing back Jelly Tots.

There are two styles of Jelly Tots, regular and Tangy. Tangy appear to be the more traditional style with additional sugar added to the outside of the jelly ball. You can never have enough sugar.

With sugar now being a major social faux pas and nutritional no-no. Once promoted by the medical professions  as a dietary bonus to combat weight gain it is now seen as a major contributor to obesity.

Despite this, the social demand for more sugar options has won the day.

In the same vein I want to start a campaign to bring back the “Big Boss”. The caramel candy cigar was readily available in corner delis and school canteens in the ‘70s and ’80s. They were much more sophisticated than their smaller cousin “Fags”, the lolly cigarette.

Big Bosses demanded attention, and gave the consumer an air of gravitas even if consumed whilst wearing swimwear and flip-flops while playing on the swings of a caravan park playground

Fags, suffered the indignity of having their name changed to “Fads” in an act of political correctness. I am unsure what the perceived risk of continuing to call them Fags. Were people concerned that  children who consumed them would turn gay, or that it would encourage gay children to smoke, or turn all smokers gay.  Either way, the lolly cigarette was never competition for their caramel cousin.

Both cigarette and cigar lollies originally had red coloured sugar on one end to replicate the burning end of the tobacco product. These were removed from both products years before they started to disappear altogether from the shelves.

Polly Waffles, another Nestle product, should also be reintroduced to the shelves.  The combination of wafer, marshmallow and chocolate were as light and delicious as the shape of the chocolate bar was hilarious. In the same way that Big Bosses and Fags did not really encourage smoking or homosexuality, Polly Waffles did not promote people pooing in the pool.

Starting with leading lines

The use of Leading Lines in a photograph is a simple and effective way to compose your photograph to create an appealing image. Leading Lines, as the name suggests, lead the eye through the photograph or point to the subject, and the eye can not help but follow the line. This movement of the eye makes the photograph much more dynamic.

Leading lines can add a sense of depth to a photograph. What makes the use of leading lines so easy is that lines are all around us (they do not have to be straight).

To keep reading go to www.dftours.com.au/photography-lessons-and-tips/starting-with-leading-lines

Depth of Field

We have all seen stunning photos that have used depth of field to create amazing images, but wondered how to take these photographs ourselves.

Basically when we are talking about depth of field we are referring to the zone in a photograph that is in sharp focus and the zones of the photograph that are out of focus. Every photograph will contain an area in front of and behind the subject that will be in focus. By controlling the depth of field you are controlling how much of the surroundings will be in focus.  For more information go to www.dftours.com.au/photography-lessons-and-tips/depth-of-field-a-beginning

Camera Auto Presets

Digital cameras come with a number of built in auto pre-set modes, that modify the aperture and shutter speed to better suit the light and subject matter for a number of different photography environments. Different cameras will have different pre-sets and the exact settings may also vary. 

More and more pre-sets are being added to new cameras, each one adjusting aperture and shutter speed settings to suit the picture. Apparently so many people now take photos of their meals, because no-one knows what a chop looks like, that some cameras even have a “food” setting.

Visit www.dftours.com.au/photography-lessons-and-tips/auto-preset-modes for a quick summary of some of the more common pre-sets.