Keeping nothing out of focus

Pushkar V does a quick recap of all the tips, tricks and everything in between that this column covered over the past three years before we widen its scope.

This November marks three years of this column. We have covered various topics related to photography over these years — from general tips and tricks to profiles of pioneer photographers, book recommendations, and more — one shot at a time!

The column took off with simple tips on how to shoot “like a boss” with your mobile phone to a deep dive into shooting the Milky Way, the most mesmerising subject in astrophotography. Basic settings for different moments like portraits of your loved ones, making your food pictures look delicious, shooting birds, wildlife or landscapes on your travels, or sports and drone photography for the adrenaline junkies, were covered. Apart from specific genres, the column did a breakdown of different image formats and listed tips on how to organise your pictures better as well as how to store your precious frames for the future. Here are my top five recaps from the column:

1. Monetise your photos

You might be great at taking portraits or food photography might be your thing. Whatever your niche is, there are several ways to make money, especially with the help of the internet. The tips spoke about improving your skills and creating a niche, collaborating with the pros, building a solid portfolio, gaining sufficient experience and presenting your work to the world.

2. The magic of black-and-white

One of my favourite genres in photography is black-and-white. In this part, I put my case forward on why the monochrome is a forever beauty. For many, black-and-white speaks louder than colour; it evokes emotion. Another related article was on perfecting the art of monochrome. The best part is that it does not matter whether you own a DSLR or a mobile phone camera; both can do the trick. Capturing the mood, settings, editing and challenges were touched upon.

3. Ringing in the vintage

To start off the year with something new and exciting, the column focused on film photography and analog cameras that are seeing a resurgence with many picking up film rolls and vintage cameras. Various types of films, settings between analog and digital, composing the perfect frame without a review option and developing the film were some of the points covered. The column reflected on how shooting in analog mode is a meditative process.

4. Learn from the legends

To hold and look at physical prints captured by the best photographers in the world is an experience digital platforms miss out on. Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson and The Americans by Robert Frank are filled with rich photographs by these influential photographers. Other greats we spoke about include Sebastião Salgado, Ansel Adams, and Raghu Rai. Standing out in this segment were Susan Sontag’s On Photography and John Berger’s Ways Of Seeing, one, a collection of essays, while the other, an influential text on art criticism.

5. Don’t forget the basics

Lastly, the first column of Lenscraft covered the basics. The column was all about kickstarting your photography journey with any type of camera in your hand. It had tips about how to make the best use of what you have to create impressive pictures. It touched upon the basics of the art, such as the concept of the Golden Hour, the Rule of Thirds, understanding angles and the importance of backgrounds. There were listed a few simple and user-friendly editing apps to make your visual adventure more memorable.

Lenscraft also had a guest columnist to write on pioneer Indian women photographers. We will continue to break down advanced photography to laymen, how AI is changing the game of photography (or is it?) and more in future columns. If you have any specific topic to be covered, do send in your suggestions.

Lenscraft is a monthly column on all things photography — tips, tricks and everything in between. The writer is a photojournalist who tells stories with his pictures. Find his pictures on X and Instagram @pushkarv or mail him at [e-mail]