Category: Technology

How to Watermark Your Pic At A Soggy Paddy Field

I used the paid version of “Add Watermark” by AndroidVila on Android. There is a free version too. IOS has a similar app. On myiPad, I use Scribeit (also a paid app).

Whichever app you choose, always make sure it can store or remember a frequently used text. This is important and time saving out on the field and when you have to work under the glaring sun. Also important to have freestyle one finger positioning by dragging.

Also you may like to have the apps insert a graphic or logo when necessary. Both the apps I mentioned can do that but I rarely use the feature.

Remember to keep your watermark minimal, the fonts not too fancy or big and not let it conceal and ruin the aesthetics of your pic. There are transparency and size settings to reduce distraction. It is more about signing your work like an artist or painter. Remember: No amount of watermarking can deter a determined thief.

On the desktop, I use Photoshop CC and Irfanview (free). Though I must say the mobile apps are simpler, quicker and friendlier. Hope you found this useful. Please feel free to to contact me should you have technical questions.

Attached screenshot of Add Watermark.

#android #watermark #copyright #app #mobile

IOI City Mall, Putrajaya – Part 14

I went to the higher floor on IOI City Mall where all those so-called IT lifestyle stores are located. Wanted to get a SD card reader for my iPad 2. I had one but misplaced it. Went back to the ground floor for Apple Machines. The floor staff don’t seem to know their own stock situation and rummaged the rack helplessly, I told them specifically that is is for an older iPad 2, they dont listen and wasted time hunting down a device with a newer and incompatible lightning pod (for RM 133).

Went back to the second floor and spoke to the guy at the ASUS shop about something else. He suggested I get an OTG cable and recommended All IT Hypermart next door. I wasn’t hopeful as the staff there are usually clueless from experience with outlets elsewhere. A young Malay gentleman served me and surprisingly he knew what an OTG cable is. He also knew what I was talking about when I mention the ASUS is a USB type C port – different from a Samsung.

He brought one out to show me and I asked if I can try with a USB 3 card reader for which I will buy together, if it works. He agreed. I inserted the SD Card from my GM-1 camera and he showed me how to retrieve the selected files on the card and how to copy it to the gallery’s camera folder in the phone. Which means I can upload the file to email it to my iPad for editing. Product knowledge and willingness to demonstrate before purchase saved much frustrations, time and the possibility of a return trip.

I think it is the best accessory any field photographer can get as one can now upload pics from any camera, anywhere. The GM-1 has wifi connectivity but it is messy to set up and configure.

Nothing beats pulling out the card and downloading the files manually, like how one does on a desktop. RM39 for the OTG cable and RM59 for the compact Kingston USB SD card reader. Probably cheaper at Low Yat Plaza but important thing is; you are not buying blind. In one fell swoop, the young gentleman redeemed the tattered image of the retailer.

Panasonic GM-1, ISO 2000, f4.2, 1/320 sec.

#documentaryphotography #ioicitymall #mall #shop #shop #otg #cable #usb #asuszenphone

IOI City Mall, Putrajaya – Part 3

Tesco installed a bank of self-checkout machines at their hypermarket to reduce queuing. Feeling like a ‘jakun’ (a politically insensitive term) seeing it for the first time. It is like a family attraction as many customers were also fascinated by the novelty. It is a pilot deployment and the first by a major retailer in Malaysia.

Where is IOI City Mall? See MyCen Maps http://www.mycen.my/ioi-city-mall/

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/60 sec.

#ioicitymall #mall #tesco #shopping #supermarket #selfcheckout #family

Gotham City Is Bluish, Not Black

My intrepid friend Mohamad Amirizzuan Ramli (@amirizzuan on Instagram) was lamenting about how poor a shot he got with his phone. It wasn’t too bad, actually. He was at the Ampang Lookout Point on top of Bukit Ampang. My shot from the same location, on a different night, is shown on the lower half of the pic.

He noted that he wished he carried a spare camera as I do. The problem wasn’t just the limitations of a phone. The phone camera’s auto exposure algo probably saw it as a night scene and kept the blacks black while maintaining the highlights.

Also if you notice carefully, there is camera shake (visible when magnified) that degraded the overall quality of his picture somewhat. Always take note of the shutter speed if it is shown. You may need a tripod or some sort of stabilisation below 1/60th of a second. Hand holding can cause camera shake resulting in blurriness. Try putting your elbows on top of a car with its engine switched off.

The key is manual control and many phones nowadays can now do that. Without understanding the principles and dynamics, a spare or another camera won’t necessarily produce a better picture.

The thing to remember is part of the atmosphere of a night shot is created by the ambience. This can be the city’s light pollution trapped by cloud cover. Avoid a hazy night, though.

Yes, don’t go to the lookout point when it is already pitch black. Go before 9pm or earlier and the camera ought to be able to see lingering light from the earlier sunset. A tripod and manual exposure helps. Play with the white balance setting too.

Mine: Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 50, f6.3, 13 sec.

Amir: Huawei Honor 5X, ISO 3555, f2, 1/15 sec.

#skyline #cityscape #cityview #nightview #gothamcity #gotham #nightphotography #nightscape #landcape #night #hazefree #kualalumpur #bukitampang #lookoutpoint #skyline #sonyalpha #a7r #zeiss #landscape #demo #tvsexample