This is the first video of the 30 DPI series. It covers the basic of exposure. i.e. Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO Rating. If there is any question, please let me know at the comment section.

30 DPI – Day 1 : Introduction to Photography Exposure from Victor Augusteo.

UPDATE: Download Link Here

And this is the exposure triangle I mentioned in the video:
The Exposure Triangle – In Beginner Speak “The End of Auto Mode” by James Fletcher

Enjoy, and don’t forget to spread the words!

{ 1 comment }

10 Key Questions to Improve Your Life

by Victor Augusteo on February 2, 2010

in Personal Development

Who? What? Where? When? Where? How?

“Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t.”

~ Erica Jong

Good day folks. We are always told we can be whatever we want to be; we can do whatever we set our mind to do. But really, is that the most important thing? I beg to differ. For me, the foremost important thing is to know yourself first. And the best way to know something is to ask questions, lots of questions.

1. What do you really want to achieve?

Life is short. Too short to do everything that we ever wanted. We have limited time and there is not a single damn thing we can do about it. Set your goal, be specific. The key to answer this question is really to find your passion. What is your passion? Do you want to be a musician, olympic medalist, or simply mastering five languages? Discover your passion and pursue it.

2. Should you change yourself?

Take a look at yourself, take a look at your daily activities, your habits. Do you think your habit, your job and environment will bring you closer to what do you want to achieve? Human is creature of habit. We will be comfortable at what we do everyday. If your habit doesn’t bring you closer to your goal, maybe its time to change it and pick up better habit.

3. What is the positive side about this event?

One key to happiness is to ALWAYS look at positive side of things. You will be amazed how wonderful this principle will work for you. Take rain for example, people who planned to go to the beach will be disappointed at the rainy day, but farmers will be struck with happiness. Remember that there are always two side of a coin. Your choice dictates your point of view. People who always look at the good side tends to have happier life.

4. Are you hanging out with the right people?

We human are vulnerable to peer pressure. If majority of your friends smokes, you will be pressured to smoke with them. This is just a fact of life. Sure, you might think that your resolve is strong, but you aren’t doing yourself any favor if you hang out with the wrong crowd. Ditch your bad “friends” and look for better ones that will support you instead of drag you down with them.

5. Have you done enough to improve myself?

Have you, or is there something more you want to do? People have this innate habit to linger and be content at status quo, but deep down, they want change. If you feel you aren’t doing yourself a favor by watching the serial drama on television, or reading those cheap novels, maybe you should not do it in the first place.

6. Are you happy with who you are today?

This is a tricky question. Everybody wants to be happy. But according to the principle that “There is always room for improvement” we should never be happy with who we are today. The answer depends on you. Do you favor growth or decay?

7. Are you satisfied with your sex appeal?

Why do I ask you this? Because human have been conditioned by millions of years of evolution to relate their self-worth to their sex appeal. Pretty girls will be naturally more confident that their not-so-pretty counterpart. Rich men will be more confident than the poor men. If you feel you have not done enough exercise to stay in shape, maybe its time to hit the gym or stop eating the junk food. Trust me, your self-worth will increase exponentially when you work on your sex appeal.

8. How much do you want to have?

I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it’s more on how badly you really need it. Remember that just like our physique, our mental also have a capacity. That is why you can concentrate better, feel better, and have more focus in a clean environment. Imagine a room where it is filled with stuffed toys, food packages, dirty plates, and overloaded rubbish bin; I really don’t think you can concentrate doing anything there, can’t you?

Having more than you need sometimes can slow you down. The key is to balance your needs and your desires.

9. What motivates you the most?

Is it fun? Or is it fear of failure? I write this blog because I love teaching and sharing knowledge with others. That is my primary blog writing motivation. I do martial arts because I love improving myself while learning to defend myself.

What makes you do the things you do?

10. What do you want to do now?

After answering that simple 9 questions, you should have a somewhat clear idea and sense of direction. Now remember that you can do whatever you set your mind to do. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Write down your goal on a piece of paper and stick it where you can see everyday. I stick mine on my iMac screen and the wall beside my desk. It will help you to remember where do you want to go.

Last Words

Thanks for the comment ( I know you wants to comment, right?). And if you haven’t please get yourself subscribed to my RSS feed. You will get instant update for free every time we post a new article.
Subscribe by RSS
Subscribe by Email

Cheers.

{ 0 comments }

The cycle of continuous improvement

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety.”

Abraham Maslow

Project 30DPI

Here I am introducing to you my brand new project which I have planned for couple of weeks. I named it “30 Days to Photography Improvement” which is inspired by Darren Rowse’s 31DBB. Whom book I just bought to help me improve my blog as well.
This project, to me, serves as a reminder of all the things I’ve learnt over my journey. The books I’ve read, the workshop I’ve attended, the shots I took, and the people I’ve met. I want my mind to revisit all those old events and pour them down into words.
For you, that means free education and tutorial that could bring the best out of your eyes and camera. Saves you the prices of the books, workshop instructors, and paying for “wannabe” model who ruined a photoshoot.

What will be inside the project?

The 30DPI project will cover most basic theories such as:

  • Rules of compositions.
  • Exposure techniques
  • Get sharp images
  • Reduce camera shakes
  • Basic post processing
  • How to talk with models
  • How to find workshops
  • How to join good photography clubs
  • Terminologies (geek speak) of photography
  • AND so much more

I will be making some video tutorial and illustration to describe my points. I’m really excited for this project.

So when does it starts?

I’m planning to to start on Thursday next week, that is the 4th of February 2010. Mark your calendar down!

But, to make it easier for you; you can subscribe to my RSS feed and I will deliver all of the tutorial straight to your inbox. Here is the easy way to subscribe:

Subscribe by RSS
Subscribe by Email

They will subscribe you to the same thing, which is my blog feed. So you can pick whichever one you are more comfortable with.

I will see you on the next post!

{ 2 comments }

My New Goal Setting & How Does it Benefit You

January 30, 2010

“The best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a-gley; and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy”
* Robert Burns
New Theme
So how do you like the new design of my blog? Took Me one month back and forth email with one company to decide what color scheme [...]

Comments Read the full article →

[Lightroom Tutorial] Cropping while breaking aspect ratio

January 5, 2010

I got a question from my friend earlier this week when she watch me as I edited my photos. She was asking me how did I manage to crop my photos freely as Lightroom always restrict her cropping. By default Lightroom lock your aspect ratio to the width x height of your photos.
So how do [...]

Comments Read the full article →

12 Everyday Photography Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid

December 23, 2009

Digital cameras is becoming more and more pervasive everyday. People starts to think that good cameras equal good photograph. It takes a certain eye, a way of seeing things, to take pictures that make people go “Wow!”. Fortunately, it can be learned. And the more you practice, the better you’ll get.
If you’re interested in becoming [...]

Comments Read the full article →

How to Shop for a Digital Camera

December 22, 2009

Shop for a digital camera today and you’ll be overwhelmed with the choices available. Whatever your budget, you’ll find dozens of cameras available at your fingertips. Some have similar features, some are small, others are clunky, and you can even buy one in your favorite color.
How do you pick the digital camera that’s right for [...]

Comments Read the full article →

What camera should you buy? The complete guide to digital camera purchasing

December 17, 2009

Introduction
Imagine this situation. One day, you finally managed to save up some money to buy a new digital camera. Maybe you managed to save up $500 or even $1200. Now you are wondering, which camera would be suitable for you. Like other people, you will always want to get the best camera for your money.
Personally, [...]

Comments Read the full article →

Lis & Indi Photoshoot

December 4, 2009

Well, I’m off to Queensland for 10 day holiday in 9 hours. So I just want to share couple of shots I took last week on Monash Photography Club workshop. Both model were contacted from Model Mayhem website.

Models

Indi’s Model Mayhem

Lis’s Model Mayhem

Yours Truly

Comments Read the full article →

The 12 Apostles, Victoria [BIG Rez Free Wallpaper]

November 26, 2009

For the first time, I’m giving out a HUGE resolution photo as wallpaper. I’ve formatted this to fit 2560×1440 (27″ apple display) and 1280×1024 displays. If your monitor isn’t in the preformatted display, just download the big one and crop it.
Free for personal use. Do not re-distribute without my permission. If you want to refer [...]

Comments Read the full article →