Tips on wildlife photography, stretching exercise, pizza making
Photographer Babi Nobis and his wife and author Tina Nobis share top tips on the art.
Wildlife Photography
PATIENCE PAYS
Good wildlife photograhy needs one to know the subject thoroughly. Unless you understand an animal well enough to predict how it will behave, you may not get the perfect shot. One needs to read widely and then spend a lot of time in the habitat of the subject.
INVEST IN A GOOD TELEPHOTO LENS
It is often difficult and even unsafe to get too close to wild animals, especially big game and elusive small ones. Hence, a long lens (300mm onwards) can do the job for you. The most useful lenses are between 400-600mm and a fast telephoto would work best outdoors. These are undeniably expensive but the investment is worth every penny.
Personally, we prefer working with at least two-three camera bodies fitted with different long lenses at any given time, to avoid interchanging lenses in dusty environments in the wild.
MUST READ: Best cameras in the market
LOWDOWN ON LIGHTING
Photography, at it's core, is just painting with light-creating moods and environments through various forms of light. Hence, there's no such thing as good or bad light in the outdoors-just the way you use it and how you adjust your shutter speed and aperture accordingly. While shooting at night, you need to get the balance right in order to employ the best of both worlds-think, a slow shutter speed and a higher ISO (800 onwards). In wildlife photography, available light is all you have, and you have no control over it, especially if the light, reflecting off a subject, keeps changing as the animal moves from shadow to light.
BRING IN THE BACKGROUND
The background is very essential in a composition. It tells the story and gives a perspective to the subject. It can be kept out of focus not to be distracting the subject, yet with enough detail to provide context.
MAKE USE OF YOUR DIGITAL MEMORY
The advantage of working with a digital camera is that memory comes cheap. While capturing that 'one' image is priceless, shooting in continuous mode helps you get the shot you want without seeing it through the viewfinder.
TELL YOUR STORY
A good picture is as good as thousand words. All of us have heard that. Practice with your equipment so it is an extension of yourself. You can then react immediately and be technically correct when there is a sudden 'Eureka' moment in the wild.
The writer duo has recently co-authored the book On Safari: The Tiger and the Baobab Tree, which showcases their finest wildlife photography in India and Africa.
Leading holistic health guru, Mickey Mehta shares the four most important stretching exercises that one must incorporate in a dailyworkout.
Hamstring and Back Stretch From a seated position stretch the legs as far apart as possible. Hold one of the ankles with both hands, bend the upper body towards the held foot. Hold for 30 seconds while taking deep breaths. Repeat with the other leg. This position is a good warm-up exercise for leg muscles. Thigh Stretch In a prone position, reach back with both hands and clasp the ankles. Slowly lift the legs up and off the ground forming a cradle position. Hold this position for 12 seconds. Relax and repeat. This strengthens the thigh muscles and improves digestion.
Lower Back Stretch Lie on your back. Hold each leg below the knee, pull both knees up slowly towards the chest and hold for 30 seconds. Stretches the abdominal muscles, improves blood circulation, removes acidity and flatulence and strengthens the spine.
Standing Straight or tadasana. Keep one foot distance between the feet. Interlock the fingers, breathe in and stretch up on your toes with hands stretched above the head. Breathe normal, hold the pose for 30 seconds. Exhale and come back to start position. Do five rounds of this pose. This helps in stretching the arms, spine calf muscles and legs.
David Ogilvy
Dough tossing isn't just cool to watch, it's actually the gentlest way to form a crust. Chef de cuisine, Alessandro Sandrolini of La Piazza, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi tells you how to do it.
..Dough should be room temperature and shaped into a ball. Dust with flour.
..Press out the dough with your hands to form a disc about 25cm across and 1.30cm thick.
..Pick up the dough and drape it over your hands. One hand should be palm up, the other in a fist.
..Use the hand with the palm up to lift and spin the dough into the air. You don't have to toss it too high, just enough to get a rotation in.
..Catch the dough on the back of your fists, which provide a flatter and more firm area than your palms and fingers would. Repeat until the dough stretches to the desired size.
{mosimage}SOUNDS LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT DAVID OGILVY
British-born David Ogilvy was one of the original, and greatest, ad men who is famously quoted to have said: "The consumer is not a moron; she's your wife. Don't insult her intelligence. You wouldn't lie to your wife; don't lie to mine."
After having worked as a chef and a farmer, Ogilvy went on to become an advertising professional. He eventually changed the business of advertising that was then primarily based on outrageous claims and outright lies.
In 1948, he started what would soon be known as Ogilvy & Mather, the American advertising agency that has since been responsible for some of the world's most iconic ad campaigns.
In 1963 he authored the best-selling book Confessions of an Advertising Man that is still considered essential reading for those who enter the industry.
