Good Bye to Adobe

 Good Bye to Adobe

Suddenly yesterday a legally purchased copy of Adobe Suite CS 6 became illegal which was shocking. Googled to find I was not alone but many whose purchased software copies became illegally purchased. Instead of saying the software had reached its end date.

Tried various attempts to reach out to help center but no where correct guidance was there instead it was like pushing down the throat software on cloud. There has not been so much editing work I did as any commercial shoots I used to guide clients to professional image editors who would be doing maybe better editing in very short time. I did edit far and few to showcase or maybe print.

Having added Fuji Film XT20 and 5D Mark 4 I could not use the raw editing part of CS 6, so I had been using Skylum Luminar softwares work on the RAW files of both of these cameras.  Lucky I had Skylum softwares Luminar 2018 and Luminar 4 that kept me out of the panic mode situation.

I took time off to clear my system from Adobe products. I got more space available after the deletion.

Few minutes back I downloaded Skylum's Aurora HDR to use. It can be used on 5 systems irrespective of Mac or Windows. Very practical thinking. I do not remember if I was using Adobe's HDR creator. Anyways.

Often I used CS 6 to add text when creating leaflets. I had bought me Affinity Suite - AfPhoto, AfDesigner and AfPublisher. Once I thought of creating my leaflet on Adobe CS 6 but since I had not used AfDesigner thought why not give it a try. Wonderful and easy to use. I was trying to create my Coffee Table Book using CS 6 and converting to pdf format, looked complicated in assembly the pages for the book. Tried AfPublisher and found it again pretty simple. I ended up creating four Coffee Table Books in quick time. The pages I created in CS 6 will be deleted to give me more space on the internal storage SSD. More space.

Though it will take a little time to get away from thinking about Adobe but using my Skylum and Affinity softwares it will erase faster.

These two Softwares developers have made really good editing programmes, just hope the Shark named Adobe does not prey on these companies.

Beautiful Studio space to rent out to photographers, agencies and companies on hourly basis

 Oh I forget adding more posts here.

Recently shifted my studio to my owned space in Noida from rented space in Shahpur Jat, Delhi. Due to Pandemic it all got delayed. There is hardly any work though some assignments did come but could not be accepted due to restrictions due to Corona and I felt there was no point risking my health.

These are a few images of my studio at F 311, Sector 63, Noida 201307.

Over the years I have collected many studio accessories. I have various sizes of soft boxes and strip light boxes. Built some accessories and reflectors by myself like the soft grids.

This is the makeup area and on the right is the changing room.

Small sitting area that can also be used for portraits.

Printed curtains as these could be used for some portrait shoots. The window is quite large. The door opening to the terrace is good six feet wide. This is again a sitting area.

End to end view.

I have also created a Chroma background. This 10x10 feet background is on wheels so it can be turned around for Chroma screen or white background for still photography.

I have light tents for products shoot. I had made one with PVC pipes about 30 years back before fabricated light tents came into the market.

This one of my marketing shout out offering to rent out my well equipped studio to photographers.  

This is roughly made plan of my studio. The shooting width is 25 feet 6 inches. End to end length is about 46 feet.

Picture of my office has not be photographed. I should be adding it pretty soon.

This is also a shout out to photographers who have to take on hire studio for executing their assignments.

I too have in mind to hold workshops. It can be in collaboration or my place is open for photographers to hold workshops and companies dealing in photographic equipments or related products who showcase their products to a select group of photographers.

Folks are welcome to visit to see the space, just call me for an appointment. The number is on the leaflet image posted above.

 

Wow what a year that we are going through so far full of anxiety for immediate future concerning health and business.

Corona became a world wide virus, people say it is man made and natural. The world population is suffering with new cases and deaths because of this virus. Practically major areas - commercial and residential are under lockdown. So far no anti-dote has been developed. Virtually there are so many suggestions on how to keep safe and what to consume to avoid getting trapped with this virus. It is a Pandemic named COVID19. Various online platforms like WhatsApp so many messages are being shared creating more confusion and fear amongst all.

Delhi had its share of mild tremors every each week or so. News has it some major tremor going to take place. Then the another news of swarms of locusts have entered some parts of northern India after creating a havoc in Pakistan. News of locusts attack was pretty common in years before 1960s if not wrong. This attack after quite many decades. Maybe my ignorance that no one has found where they originate and how can they breed that a swarm of these pests. These eat up crops with great speeds.

Due to lockdown all businesses and industrial activities are at stand still. So many out station labourers due to fear and personal reasons left for their native places with no work. Most were never on government records for whatever reasons so government schemes remained out of their preview in most cases. In last years this government under PM Modi has done a lot for the upliftment of the poor where they started so many schemes for these people that many on board are getting benefits. Biggest being opening of bank accounts where monies get directly transferred to their accounts. Salaries are directly going to their bank accounts and perhaps cash payments are no more done. Even many government bodies used to pay casual labourers in cash. This is one measure that has cut out huge population of 'ghost' workers where crores were siphoned of by representatives of political parties who had their people installed in supervisory jobs. This has been a great saving. Cooking gas cylinders are being provided free to people in rural areas. Any subsidy on cylinders gets directly to the bank of the subscriber. Can not imagine what would have been the fate of all these people if sixty odd years of management had continued? Schemes for medical and life insurance at rupees one per month have been a game changer. Electricity coverage by the central government is nearly hundred percent rest is each duty to take it to the last mile. So many who lived in the dark are enjoying electricity. But again this will be a massive game changer leading to demands of various gadgets/appliances  by these people and imagine the industries gaining massively.

In the last six odd years far too many changes have taken place. Income Tax threshold was always tinkered upwards in hundreds or thousands but with one big jump of five lakhs so many have gone out of the tax net. This has helped many in middle class to retain their earnings.

Some state governments ruled by opposition have been creating situations to create discontent against the central government as so many shops for making monies have been made to close down. Some governments spread misinformation to outstation labourers so that they move out to their native places under fear. Hope these who left under this misinformation and understand the real devils of the society and return this government with a new term with better than current strength in parliament.

In the news is of an asteroid bigger than a mile is hurtling down towards earth. Chances as per NASA of hitting are bleak but one never knows.

Two cyclones in quick succession hitting eastern part of India and currently as this blog is being written is hitting the western coast with Mumbai facing the wrath for the first time in recorded history.

All people wishing if this 2020 could be written off.

Let us wait and watch how of the 2020 unfolds. Hope no further tensions or anxiety balance period of 2020 brings.

So long keep safe have patience and act sane.

Pandemic

After a very long time adding a blog. The Corona Pandemic has locked nearly the whole of the world to stop it spreading viciously effecting millions of people. Economy has nearly stopped growing as all businesses including manufacturing has come to a standstill except very limited ones connected to the curtailment of this virus. Not going into where it started? What was the motive behind its spread? Was it or is it some kind of WWW3 without a bullet fired to take control of economy of some countries through purchasing shares of important industries? Well beyond my understanding it will only be clear after the world controls it and some sanity in thinking is back. Economy of which countries are hurt the most will give us an positive idea and who at the end gains from it in the biggest way.

India had taken massive proactive steps and has been taking all through hour of the day. Social distancing was one of the ways that was emphasised by the government besides washing of hands many times a day. India seemed to have done everything right much ahead of the other countries. Alas we have a desert cult that is bent upon destroying the world just to gain control to have Shariah Laws implemented in all democratic countries. It is the converts of past centuries converted under force who are more energetic than the land this sect was started. Perhaps all converts are more die hard followers than the original since they need to show loyalty to those who converted. This sect has always been playing the victimhood card since its inception.

The land of this sect's origin had a lockdown where their main prayer/pilgrimage centres that on any given day had thousands of pilgrims visiting from across the globe were shut down with not a soul visible. They shut down all gatherings of all kinds for safety of their citizens and visitors. But the converts who now feel they are the only ones who are the real followers of Allah who have to go ahead as per the Book beamed down from somewhere. Often there comes a feeling as a lay person that different versions were beamed down one for the original and another for the converts. Also their Almighty is pretty choosy of his followers. The converts feel he is far more benevolent to them as they have been tirelessly working to fulfil as per the book to convert the non believers than to original followers who have become laid back without making efforts so vigorously than them except the funding they slyly receive. Perhaps rightly it can be said these converts are paid foot soldiers. But since they are more into action they are the children of Allah who will take care of everything even any disease some kind of a Sun armour Karan of Mahabharata had received from Sun God. So the fear made the original followers shut the most important pilgrim holy sites of Mecca and Madina but other mosques and religious places/centres.

Here the middlemen of Allah let the followers know that they are the the true children and no virus or disease can ever effect them. They continued to hold mass namaz to confront the government directives of kafirs who had to be converted. The Talibi Jamaat or whatever its name had a massive gathering in very tight congested parts of the cities inviting preachers who came on tourist visa so no government can ever make out the real purpose of visit. These preachers had come from hotspots of Corona virus. Now some sympathisers including from the Jamaat say why did the government issue visa to them. A tourist visa of any country is very much similar in law that  a visitor can not participate in activity like preaching, teaching, part time working and so on but here they broke the law. Being victimhood players since inception of this sect and great political complicity of opposition parties like the Delhi government looked the other way when permission to hold the gathering was denied. They let it go on. When Corona carriers dispersed to other centres and this virus spread like wildfire and multiplication like they multiply the population with four legal wives at a time, but can discard one or more to enlist more as replacement. Read that Mohd the sect leader had nine wives but then how can the humble follower be equal. Luckily for the world he ordained that a man can have four wives at a time. Snakes (150) and Norway Lemming (192) give birth in a go from one female. One can imagine the population growth graph would have been so different if nine were ordained. With four there legal wives they breed like hell. Basically for them woman is nothing more than a baby producing body. They never think of how a good life can be provided to the offsprings as it never concerns them as they have Allah to take care.

They have been stoning medical teams and police who are to check the virus for their good only but imams maulvis who the middlemen of the sect and Allah have so brainwashed the lot that it is really difficult to bring sanity. Those found positive and in care to cure them are misbehaving with medical staff by spitting hitting throwing urine bottles. So many dedicated doctors and medical staff have sacrificed their lives for these uncouth followers of desert cult. Very sad state of affairs. While in Shariah compliant countries such behaving patients have been shot dead. Those not adhering to government directives are being flogged with their pants undergarment pulled down. Such treatment is need of the hour but being a bloody democracy and with so many out of job political and their politicians and of course those who lived on their crumbs from media, intellectuals, even so many in bureaucracy, judiciary and other wings of government.

I do object to police beating those who went to a masjid for prayers. Why should they be beaten? The police should give minimum flogging of 100 hits to the imam or maulvi of the masjid. Once they get the treatment can anyone imagine these will let any soul to enter the premises. They are beholden as only the guys get beaten up and law enforcers begging them not to let anyone enter.

These middlemen were heard saying that how can place of Allah can be closed? How can they get blessings of Allah which can be received in a masjid and can not be received if some do namaz at home or any other place than a masjid? Well then the thousands gathering blocking railway tracks, roads, squares must really not be seeking blessings rather they must be showing their mobbish behaviour to rest of the people.

There are so many cases where vendors are spitting on their wares etc. so this virus can spread as fast as possible. This is more a jihad than anything else. Earlier they sent out suicide bombers where the instigators were safe from the destruction caused to masses and property where these suicide bomber blew up. But today initiating virus jihad across the world they really forget even it can reach them. Some very senior Iranian religious leader died due to Corona. In news that 150 royal family members of a Middle East country have confined into isolation. Such a virus makes no difference on who is who in the world. In pursuit of infecting the world surely too many of these sect people will die but the numbers are with them. Once it used to be said that what catastrophe takes place large Chinese population will always survive. Know idea how true cockroaches but they survived the nuclear bomb blast. China seems to be back in normal business while rest of the world is struggling in all spheres to get back to normalcy.

Is it some political master stroke by China to take over world economy as when the major western company shares plummeted southwards China stealthily bought their shares as most western countries had major productions taking place in China for cheap labour. What will be the status? Will all R&D be under control of China?

Time will tell.

Take Care Be Safe.

     
    

Fine Art Nudes

Caution: This post contains tastefully executed artistic nude photography, please if you are under 18 years or if you have no taste for nude art this post is not for you.

It has been quite a long while I got any willing model to participate in enhancing my nude art portfolio. I was going through some past shoots and thought of revisiting with editing to give a new look. It is just a play with warm tones and soft touch using Luminar 2018 a wonderful software.

Always looking for some adult females on mutual talent exchange basis where a regular portfolio if some one is interested in modelling career or for other create some good portraitures for wall display.

I always prefer choosing anonymity of the model in my frames as I find we are still not so broad minded, where a poser can be at odds within her circle.

These are some samples of my shoot.

This image an overlay of model with wall texture photographed in one of Agra's monuments, perhaps The Red Fort of Agra.

Would be adding more work in my blog.

Would be sharing some shoots of great sculptures and Rani ki Vav (Queen's Step Well) monument, supposed to be over one thousand years old on the Banks of Saraswati in Patan, Gujarat from my very recent visit.
Till then.
Do keep visiting my blog and it  would be wonderful if you could take time off to write a few words.
Thanks

In my last post I could not add images from Sri Lanka trip with my wife and both grandchildren. Here are some random images being posted.

I had carried my new acquisition - FujiFilm X T20 with its kit lens specially bought for travelling purposes. On purpose I did not carry my Canon 5D Mark 2 with which I have been used to since some years. As a habit one tends to use an equipment one is comfortable with so I may have not used X T 20 at all.

My grandchildren had a great time at the beach

My grandchildren had a great time at the beach

My grandchildren had a great time at the beach

My grandchildren had a great time at the beach

My grandchildren had a great time at the beach

The beach adjoining the hotel we stayed.

The Bible mountain like plateau 

There were many Turtle protection centres in Bentota

At last he gathered some courage to touch a two days baby turtle

Will be posting more, please watch my blog for new content.

A very long time not posted

Hi Friends
For a very long time I could not post anything new due to pre-occupation with some other work.

I HAVE BECOME A PROUD MEMBER OF BNI HERCULES CHAPTER, NOIDA REGION, INDIA.

Anyone from BNI visiting my blog do connect with me.

Recent past has not been very comfortable with my finances as there were sudden unforeseen huge expenses.

My Canon 5D Mark 2 developed some electrical/electronic circuit issues. I am comfortable shooting Tethered but good over a year or so the images were not transferring fast and I found my camera in buffer mode for 10 to 15 minutes. I used to then switch it off and took out the battery. It would work fine for certain number of exposures but would repeat again. I thought my data cable had some issues, I bought fresh one but it was the same. During a jewellery shoot my foot entangled in the wire thereafter it did not read again. I feel it better to take these current breed of cameras to authorised company service centres as only here the spares are available. I was left with no camera to work with, anyways work is slow.

Suddenly, as generally work pops in, I got a message for shoot from the USA. I have been getting assignments from this agency for the past decade or so to shoot for them in northern part of India. I could organise a camera on hire for the shoot. Just a day before the shoot my Macbook started misbehaving. I contacted Apple service centre patronising since I bought my laptop from their sales department. They tried to guide me but nothing got solved. I had to rush to them for a solution. I was informed its Graphic Card had given way and as such it required a new motherboard and for this 2011 model there was none available. Seeing no remedy I ordered for a new MacBook 15". They helped me with 13" MacAir (whatever it is called). They installed my hard disc so that I could access my softwares.

Somehow I managed to shoot without using the laptop. Within a few days I got my new Mac that has SSD installed. The put my hard disc in a Transcend casing to be used externally.

In between this mess I bought me a Fujifilm T20 from payments received from the same agency against a work a few months back. Never knew my Mac would crash in between. This I bought specially for travel purposes as I found Canon a bit heavy to carry on idle days during travelling. I had also not got used to it and it not being a full frame I could not shoot with it since I was asked to use a full frame.

I travelled to Sri Lanka with my wife and grandchildren of eight years. I just carried this Fuji camera to get to know it. I always suggest one should carry the purchase invoice when travelling abroad. On return our flight landed quite close to passengers arriving from Saudi and passing through customs the officers took us also to be arriving from Saudi. As my bag passed through the X-ray machine there was such a glow on the customs staff and loudly there is a camera. Such a glee on their faces I just can not describe. Luckily I was carrying my purchase invoice. I showed it to the officer and he went pale on seeing the invoice.

Just carry invoices of purchase of equipment even if a few years old, one never knows which officers day you are going to make it big.

The trip to Sri Lanka was good except to save on some money we did not stay a night in Colombo. We did not sleep for two whole days. The tourist van hired for the whole trip stopped for sightseeing, etc. en-route Kandy. The children were tired since they were excited with a foreign trip they took short naps in between stop overs. The ride was about five and half hours or more till we checked in the pre-booked hotel.

I wanted to share images from the trip but the SSD installed has just softwares. Recently I added one Transcend storage capacity of 256 GB that now remains fitted in the card reader slot. Rest of the work is on my external drives and all these drives are really disorganised. Will go in for another 4 TB and hopefully transfer from these two 2 TB drives or maybe if budget permits there are those backup systems using SATA drives. Will need to check out before committing to any additional storage equipment.

WOW past midnight need to end here as I have a BNI meet in the morning. Reaching after 7:29 am we are marked late though I have been very punctual reaching by 7:00 am have not absented myself.

Do take time to add your comments as these work as tonic.

Cheers