It's All About The Experience
Posts tagged tips
Utilizing Your DigiCam: Basics
Jun 25th
I’m not going to contribute original content on this matter because I’m no expert. I’m just going to summarize what I’ve understood and extract the information from a site that I find very useful. I would recommend this site to those who are keen to learn more on photography, or simply just want to know what the heck are those notations and functions in your digital camera and get the best out of your gadget which I’m going to do on my JitChak.
Auto Mode
Self explanatory! Your camera will use its best judgement to select shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, focus and flash to take the best shot that it can. This mode will give you nice results in many shooting conditions. However, to get even better results under auto mode, choose the right preset mode. The ones described below are the typical functions that can be found in the digital camera nowadays.
Potrait Mode
Your subject becomes centre of attention while the background is out of focus. Your camera does this by selecting large aperture (see below) which keeps background out of focus. Best for photographing single subject in close range (not too close though). If you want to go very close as to snap a pimple use macro mode.
Macro Mode
As mentioned, this mode is for close up picture. Great for taking text, insects, flowers and small objects. Focusing can be tough at this range (2-10cm) so you’ve got to find the right angle. Don’t go too close, but try zooming instead. Site suggest parallel, though I’m not sure what it really means. Often than not, don’t use flash taking close-ups or your objects will be burnt out (eg: reflection too strong)
Landscape Mode
Opposite of potrait mode. Camera sets to small aperture so that scenes/background will be in focus. Best for capturing shots with wide scenes or points of interest at different distances. Perhaps can use slower shutter speed (see below) to compensate for small aperture.
Night Mode
Camera sets to Slow/longer shutter speed for shooting in low light situations to help capture details of the background with the help of flash. It’s normal that the background is blur under low light. However it’s also fun to take such shots – especially when there is a situation with lights behind your subject as it can give a fun and experimental look (great for parties and dance floors with colored lights).
Action Mode
For photographing moving objects that is usually associated to sports, moving vehicles, kids and pets/animals. Camera sets to fast shutter speed in attempt to freeze the action. Suggestion by site is to pan of your camera along with the subject and/or by attempting to pre focus your camera on a spot where the subject will be when you want to photograph it.
Panaromic Mode
Great function to snap wide scenes. Suppose if you want to snap a scene too large to fit into one shot, you can take succesive multiple shots (usually up to 3) and your camera will ’stitch’ them up as one. Great for natural hill scenes, stadium, convention, etc.
Snow & 
Sand Mode
For tricky white/bright scenes. To capture details in this setting, use this mode.
Fireworks & 
Sunset & 
Sunrise Mode
Self explanatory!
Semi Auto Mode
Aperture Priority Mode (A or AV)
You set the aperture and your camera sets the other settings (shutter speed, white balance, ISO etc).Aperture priority mode is useful when you’re looking to control the depth of field in a shot (usually a stationary object where you don’t need to control shutter speed).
Bigger aperture (smaller number), more opening in camera, lower depth field, lesser sences in focus (remember potrait mode?) but more light in and camera will set higher shutter speed.
Smaller aperture (large number), smaller opening in camera, higher depth field, more scenes in focus (remember landscape mode?), but less light in and camera will set lower shutter speed.
Shutter Priority Mode (S or TV)
You set the shutter speed and your camera set the other settings. This mode is useful when you want to control over shutter speed to capture fast moving object (remember action/pet/kids mode?). You might want to choose a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion. On the flip-side of this you might want to capture the movement as a blur of a subject like a waterfall and choose a slow shutter speed. You might also choose a slow shutter speed in lower light situations.
Program Mode (P)
Program mode is full auto mode but gives you a little more control over some other features including flash, white balance, ISO, red eye etc.
Full Manual Mode (M)
Full control over your camera and need to think about all settings including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, flash etc. It gives you the flexibility to set your shots up as you wish. But of course, I seldom do that since I’m no pro. I use program and preset mode the most.
ISO – the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
Lower ISO number, less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain (crispier). Low (100) ISO is okay for bright place. Can set faster shutter speed and smaller aperture. You’ll get a relatively crisp shot.
Higher ISO number, more sensitive your camera is to light but at noisier shots (less crisp). Set high ISo when it is dark, and you want to capture action scenes. Set slower shutter speed and larger aperture to get more light in but again, higher ISO more noise. Sometimes you would purposely want noise – up to your liking. Play with higher ISO in situations for eg: indoor, concerts, art galleries, birthday parties (candle blowing moment in dark settings – try not to use flash but higher ISO).
Aperture - the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
I think you get the idea from above description.
Big aperture (small number) good for potrait and close ups. More light in, can set higher shutter speed, lower ISO and you’ll get relatively fine crisp picture.
Small aperture (large number) for scenic view, distant picture. Lesser light in, so flash might be good. Set slower shutter speed and higher ISO but check noise level though.
Shutter Speed - the amount of time that the shutter is open
Also, I think you are clear in this already.
Faster shutter to capture image instantly. Useful for moving objects (sports/pets/kids/dancing..etc). Usually associated to lower ISO and bigger aperture (unless you use manual mode because semi-auto changes the other two when you set shutter speed)
Slower shutter speed is good for still image in darker conditions (to get mroe light in). Usually associated to higher ISO and smaller aperture (unless you use manual mode because semi-auto changes the other two when you set shutter speed)
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Hope you find this useful! And do make use of the functions in your digital camera, otherwise they’ll be a waste. They are there for a purpose. Happy exploring!
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ps: if you find information above contradicting to your understanding and findings, please let me know.
Stripped Naked
Jun 12th
Oh crap! My PC’s been sick lately, and I was and still am worried. Luckily for me, I am staying with a very good PC doctor, Dr. K.L Lim, who helped me throughout the installation of a new motherboard, and getting my faithful gadget online again. I tell you, he’s my go-to-guy the next time I face problem with my computer. Cool~
Of late, my PC was in haywire, ranging for unable to boot properly to automatically restarting. Dr. Lim got me a 2nd-hand motherboard, stripped my CPU naked, dug out the wires, and finally screwed the new one in it. But unfortunately my little fussy baby rejected the new system causing inaccessibility to Windows XP, and that got me into a deep depression till I can’t even sing along David Cook’s “Always Be My Baby” anymore. I realized I can’t live without computer! Seriously man… I can die.
On the other hand, Dr. Lim who have had myriad of hands-on experience, was cool all the time. He was happily ironing clothes when he told me to get my hard disk connected to his PC instead to backup all my important files before formatting the whole junk. Formatting was something I was trying to avoid but somehow it was inevitable and I was desperate. The longer I am without my computer, the longer I suffer from anxiety. But unfortunately again, I had too many things to backup, C&P somehow gave me problem, and the whole world seemed to be against the brain transplant on my baby PC.
Dr. Lim proceeded to stripped my CPU even more naked. He ran the system using my old motherboard, and hard disk without the casing. See the picture, you’ll get the idea. I thought that was musing as I’ve not seen such an operation – call me naive but what the heck. Still it seemed pretty cool to me and scary at the same time working next to a charged unit! Anyhow, I finished up the power plant brochure for my lead engineer, backed up my files, and kiss my software infested C: drive goodbye!
My PC operating like this!
Baby PC under went a second brain transplant operation. This time, wiped out the cancer in totality by formatting the C: drive. IT WORK!!! Yea hoo.. Although it was empty when it got online, but I can finally sing “Always Be My Baby” once more. Welcome back baby PC. Now I’ll slowly fill you up with software nutrients so that you can be fully functional and steady once again.
Many thanks to Dr. K.L Lim. I hope you okay with me repaying the operation cost by paying for your pizza.
PC is in the pink again!
I’ll tell about the pizza when the time is right..kekeke..
Safety: Proper First Aid
Jun 1st
The startling news came in a form of sms from Kum. It read something like this:
Kum: Kar Yau crash motor…
Now ladies and gentlemen, when you want to convey such news please DO NOT limit yourself to 4 words only and end with “…” because a human mind works in the most peculiar way to assume the worst case scenario. Without further elaboration, Kha Loon and I thought we lost our beloved Yau Yau or he was in the ICU wrapped up like a mummy with severe injuries.
Much to our relieve we found out, following a phone call, that our little Yau Yau did not only survive the crash but was still able to look at pretty girls (2 to be precise) later that day and described to us in detail when we went for dinner.
Before dinner, Kum has assumed the role of a medical officer to nurse Yau Yau. One particular first aid skill he performed on Yau Yau amazes me! He dabbed iodine with loose cottons and as a result much of the cotton stuck to the wound on Yau Yau’s palm, and he had the knack to tell Yau Yau it would be fine. When I first saw his tended wound, I thought when his wound heals he’s going to have a portion of his palm with skin and cotton fused together. Maybe long enough, with enough sunshine and sweat, cotton trees might grow right from his little palm. So after dinner, we convinced forced Yau Yau to remove all the cottons that were pretty much by then part of his palm system.
This was what happen in the ER. The production detail:
Director: Lee Teik Hui
Tool: my JitChak
Set: A dingy apartment in PV 5
Production Date: 30th May 2008, Saturday
Genre: Mockumentary, Horror
Synopsis: Very wrong way of first aid to remove cottons that have pretty much fused into Yau Yau’s wound on his palm. Did Yau Yau make it at the end of the day?
Rating: 18-PL for torture and semi-frontal nudity (of a boy’s man’s body) scenes
Cast: Yau Yau as the subject being experimented on; Kha Loon as the torturer; Kum as the nurse
CD no. 1
Half way through the torture, Yau Yau was having second thought whether we were doing the right thing. So he phoned his supposedly first aid wiz friend for opinion. Unfortunately for him, his friend ask him to continue on what he was doing.
The torture continues…
CD no. 2
Did Yau Yau make it?
Yes, the determined Yau Yau made it alive. His wound was detached of all the cottons. My advice to him was “please wear helmet the next time”. He was riding without helmet. Lucky for him, he did not have any injuries on his head. He was glad that he has no scratch on his leng chai face.
Yea.. much better now. That poor guy has other wounds – on his chin, calfs and on the elbow. Hope our Yau Yau can heal fast and be pretty boy again soon
Originality
May 17th
Ladies and gentlemen, my recent attempt on the gay articles has led me to the discovery of copyscape. I don’t know whether you are aware of this but this website allows you to check whether an article/post in the Internet (eg: an article in your blog) is original or otherwise. What you do is you can upload an article on your blog, go to the copyscape website, enter the url and simply hit enter. The website will cross check your article against the WWW and it will list out all the direct copy and paste work (if any). I’m aware that most personal blogs consist of one’s thoughts and opinions hence originality is not the concern. But the main idea is to be original.
Plagiarism is a serious and growing problem not only in the Internet but also in everyday life. This applies particularly to students – copying someone else’s work, do some minor changes and claim as their original work. Now in support of originality, I would like to urge those of you who read this to cultivate the ‘be original’ habit – be it in your articles, projects, reports, thoughts, thinking, ideologies, behaviours, principles, the way you dress, and etc. This website is created not only to address the issue of dwindling number of original web contents, but also helps you to protect your original work and understanding your right. Go on and visit www.copyscape.com to find out more.
You’ll never know that our lecturers are using this to cross check our reports. As many books now are digitalized, copyscape is casting a wider net to catch plagiarism. So this is serious guys. Please take note. If you are doing your thesis (especially in pursuing your Masters or PHD) make sure you be original and do proper referencing or you could very well kiss your scroll goodbye!
Well, no one is a goodie-two-shoes, including myself. Sometimes we do C&P job intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore let’s be more alert and strive to be original. For one it will keep your brain from rotting that is.
The next time you see this in a website, you better not be copying
Healthy Lifestyle: How to Get Youself to Learn Swimming
Apr 29th
If you are wondering why the title is not how to learn swimming, it is because I’m not going to teach you how to swim but rather I’m going to tell you how you could create the opportunity for you to learn swimming. Many a times, I’ve heard friends wanting to learn how to swim but never had that chance to. I was like that myself. So here are a few tips:
- The next time you move to a new place, try to get yourself a place with a pool. During my industrial training in KL, I stayed in an apartment with a common pool.
- Get yourself a pair of goggles. You’ll appreciate it.
- Take the initiative to hit the pool at least twice a week. Try to get acquainted with someone who knows how to swim to guide you. It doesn’t matter if the person is your friend or a stranger.
- While in the pool, swim like you know how to swim. Swing your arms and kick the water. Don’t stick to the side like a lizard on the wall! Observe how others swim. Start with breast stroke. It is important that you overcome your fear of drowning and swallowing urinated chlorinated water. It’s almost impossible to not drink and choked at this stage. So suck it up! Gradually you’ll get the rhythm and after a few more swims you’ll have already know how to swim. Learn free style and other style if you want (doggy or butterfly) after you are comfortable with breast stroke.
Trust me, swimming is not that hard to learn. I learnt it in 2 months. If I can you can too.
