Points to remember when clicking pictures in a Resort

Points to remember when clicking pictures in a Resort
A good photograph must lead you on to discover more

Aperture, shutter, and ISO are just fashionable words for those who are not inclined to think about them while clicking a picture. Even I was once more inclined to switch to Auto mode in my DSLR and get whatever I wanted with minimal effort. So this time when I went with a few blogger friends to Namah Resort in Dikuli near Ramnagar and on the outskirts of Jim Corbett National Park I had decided not to budge from the dreaded Manual settings.

Forget Auto mode

The first secret to good pictures is to try and not be tempted to put your camera on Auto mode as those pictures can be rather forgettable and not really inclined to push you on to discover the secrets of a resort. Switch to this mode only if you find that the light conditions and your camera capabilities are not allowing you this. This brings us to talk about Flash.

Try not to use the camera Flash too often

Yes, a flash does freeze fast action and can be a boon in low light, but the outcome is invariably full of bright light at the wrong places and the subject looking like a pancake put up like a poster on the background. The secret is to click a couple of shots when the light is fading and adjust settings that help you get the best in terms of contrasts and the play of light.

How is this to be achieved? It pays to be brave and fiddle with the ISO settings, to begin with. You’ve heard of stories about pictures getting grainy if the ISO is unrealistically high… but remember that a higher ISO is more sensitive to light and draws in more light and choosing higher numbers for digital ISO helps.

The next feature is the aperture and depends a lot on what is known as the f-stop. Buying a lens which has f-2.8 or f-1.8 or even f-1.4 can be a major advantage though these can go up in cost. The f-stop is all about the wider opening of a lens though this also means that a lesser portion of an image will be in focus. The rest of the image beyond the object in focus will have a natural blur and this can sometimes add value to the picture… what this is also called is the depth of field and the more you click, the more this facet will be understood.

Shutter speeds are simpler to understand because a high speed is generally selected to capture motion. For instance, a fountain can be captured with its rain of water jets frozen as they happen… on the other side is the option of a lower shutter speed that will get you a milky flow of these jets. This is obviously a choice that you need to make.

Low light. High shutter speed. f-1.8 50mm prime lens.

With this background, let me talk about the other facets of capturing the soul of a resort in pictures. The secret to this is an exploratory walk around the property and a visit to all the amenities available there. For instance, get closer to the lines and angles of the architecture, experiment with shots in broad daylight and even when the light is low. Get outside and click the USPs of the resort. Visit the lobby and see what is displayed there and if it reflects the things to seen in the area. For instance, I was glad to see wildlife accentuated in the décor at Namah and this was something that I clicked. Clutter is another thing that can mess up a picture, so try and get the clutter shifted or find angles where it intrudes the least. Food and people can be interesting subjects though it pays to be careful while clicking women in the swimming pool or those who are not happy about being clicked. Your room or suite can give you a few flattering angles… though this is something that you anyway should be constantly searching for. The most important aspect of photography is to try and hold your camera straight… I have many pictures that I hide because the camera wasn’t held straight. Yes, I know you can correct these anomalies in Photoshop or any other phot-editing application, but why not get it correct while shooting?

This visit to Namah helped me understand photographing a resort though in retrospect, I think I will better whenever I visit another resort the next time. One vital aspect of photography is to try and observe what others are doing while they are taking their pictures. Interact with them because everyone with a camera has the potential to add value to your own learning. In this visit I was with Abhilash Nanduri Devashruti Banerjee Gurpreet Singh Tikku Jaideep Khanduja Poonam Khanduja Aditi, Saloni, Vishi, Anamika, Gursimran, Naina, Yogita, Neelaakshi, Roma, Shubham, Rohan and Gaurav… and watching them click what they found interesting was enough to inspire me.

Photography is all about capturing moments and emotions as they visit you and thus being ready with your camera makes memories fuller and without an embarrassing lag when you go back in time.

Photography is all about capturing moments and emotions as they visit you and thus being ready with your camera makes memories fuller and without an embarrassing lag when you go back in time. Let me share something that I have often observed when I am travelling. This happens when I’m at a party or in a train or bus or even at a hotel or resort or even when I am ‘sight-seeing’. Most people will be reluctant to be the first to take out their camera and start shooting… but the moment one person emerges out of his inhibition and a loud click resounds, everyone has their camera out in a matter of seconds. So help others get over their camera-shyness and be the first to click! be the first to walk around and discover angles and you’ll find others doing the same instead of standing at one place and shooting the same thing repeatedly. Be the first to experiment with postures and poses when you’re being clicked because most people will passively stand and smile and end up with every picture uncannily similar except for the background changing… and even this can be funny because in most pictures I find to my horror that there is always a person right in the way of the most endearing feature. Yes, I did try to take care of most of these points while I was at Namah… a few pictures are here to show how I tried capturing the truth of this resort. Do comment on this post and help me learn.

.

.

.

Namah lobby – reminds a visitor about his wildlife visits

Namah Resort – another reminder that wildlife is exciting. The low light here creates a drama!

Namah Resort – it pays to focus on a single artefact and highlight it adequately

Namah Resort – low light shots can bring on the romance. The same picture in stark light will be just another pathway

Namah Resort – found them in the dining hall and indeed they do add charm as one decides what to eat

Namah Resort – the USP here is their garden with bonsai trees

Namah Resort – the architectural angles are also all about chasing lights and shadows. Adventure everywhere

Namah Resort – what greater adventure than to discover the river Kosi flowing in from the mountains and next to the back lawn

Namah Resort – the restaurant and the dining hall with large windows to allow imagination get wilder!

Namah Resort – reflections of sloping rooftops allow big city memories to dissipate

Namah Resort – the garden has many flowers and even mango and jamun trees…

Namah Resort – low light photography lends pictures a sense of wonder and amazement

Namah Resort – an overview of the dining and the relaxation zone in low light allows the harshness of life melt away faster

Namah Resort – the spread on the table in ambient light appears tempting

Namah Resort – the swimming pool is best captured in better light… and as no one was there at the moment, the still water reflects well

Namah Resort – moments spent in the dining area can rope in memories faster, especially if vibrant colours are there to catalyse

Namah Resort – reflections, lines, angles, and light can turn a simple picture of a building into something of an enigma!

Namah Resort – another low light shot attempted. Candles lit at the entrance to the lobby beckon emotions to resurface

Namah Resort – a old world charm induces visitors to just relax and chill-out

Namah Resort – the lobby with its colour scheme reinforces the fact that you are in tiger land!

.

.

.

Arvind Passey
26 July 2016