Photography: ND Filters & Photography

Recently, I am fascinated by photos such as the following ones!

Image from Serious Amateur Photography

Stunning, aren't they? They are not fake, they are genuine photos taken with real cameras. You may ask, then how come my iPhone and compact cameras cannot take such photos? Well, in fact, they may just be able to take photos like these, but first, you will need to set them to a long shutter speed (from 0.5 seconds to 30 seconds, or even longer depends on the amount of light you need) and something which is called an ND Filter, or Neutral Density Filter.

Effect of an ND Filter on a photo in bright daylight
Image from Wikipedia

Basically, what this filter does is to limit the amount of light that can pass through the lens, so as to buy you more time to expose the sensor / film to the image, creating that smooth silky fog for the moving object.

An ND filter is to a camera lens what a pair of sunglasses is to a human. (Peter Hill, 2010.)

Since the last time Chase Jarvis used an ND filter on a Lego camera, I was already curious to find out more as to what this filter can do. Searching through the web and I found some amazing photos like the ones in this entry.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II Lens at 35mm with Hoya ND x400 Filter, ISO 50, 160 seconds at f8, single RAW file.

Image from redBubble

When taking photos of moving water, it will look like milk or fine white silk.

Image from north lake photography

There are many levels or optical density of ND Filters, and each will offer different amount of lights to pass through, thus creating different effects.

Image from evolving beauty

The biggest problem is, ND Filters are really expensive!!! Each filter ranges from $200 to $2000 easily, if your camera lenses have different lens diameters, then you need to buy even more! Bankruptcy won't not far away. Then again, because Peter Hill said ND Filters are just sunglasses for cameras, can sunglasses be used instead of ND Filters? Or are there ways to DIY? Turns out that I am not the first one to think about this.

Welding
Image from Wikipedia

Many websites offer the use of a piece of welding glass (a piece of glass used to protect the eyes when welding) instead of an ND Filter, because welding glass is cheap (around US$3, and HK$4 a piece according to my students Alan) and also comes with different "darkness", it allows the users to choose how silky they want for their photos.

Photography Matters suggests glueing the glass to the lens,

Glued to a filter
Image from Photography Matters

But I prefer to use Electric Arc's method for interchangeability,

Welding glass rubber-banded on len hood
Image from Electric Arc

Adding cloth to prevent light from leaking in
Image from Electric Arc

One thing you need to pay attention to is that photos taken with a welding glass as ND Filter will most probably look green, so you will need to reset your White Balance, but once that is done, your photos should look alright.

Image from funadium

Here are some photos taken by Wild World using a welding glass.

Welding glass as ND Filter
Image from Wild World

Welding glass as ND Filter
Image from Wild World

If you can't even get hold of welding glass from local hardware stores, you can try this Magic Cloth Method introduced by Alex Wise Photography.

Magic Cloth Method
Image from Alex Wise Photography

1. set up your camera on a tripod
2. use long exposure time
3. meter the image in your camera around 2 stops over exposed when using the technique to get the best possible exposure. 
4. begin by starting the exposure and covering the lens with the object. 
5. over time, gradually move the object up (towards the sky or the top of the frame). 

As a result, the slower you move your cloth up, the darker the covered part of the image is.

Photo taken using the Magic Cloth Method
Image from Alex Wise Photography

Alex Wise also has some extremely detailed tutorials for taking waterfalls and a guide to long exposure with step-by-step photos for you to compare, even beginners can understand. Highly recommended!

Longer shutter speeds can be achieved by using a low ISO setting, shooting at a relatively high f-stop (f.16-32) or by introducing filters such as neutral density filters or circular polarisers. 

-- Alex Wise

For the most technical details on ND Filters, do visit Peter Hill's The Ultimate Guide To Neutral Density Filters.

I'll try it and post some photos here once I have succeeded.


Vocabulary:
ND Filter / Neutral Density Filter -- (n)[C] a neutral density filter or ND filter can be a colorless (clear) or grey filter. An ideal neutral density filter reduces and/or modifies intensity of all wavelengths or colors of light equally, giving no changes in hue of color rendition.
hardware store -- (n)[C] sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for use at home or for business.


Resources:

ND Filter @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ND_filter

Hardware Store @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_store

Welding @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welding

Photography & Websites: Chase Javis With Lego Camera & Fujifilm X100 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/12/photography-websites-chase-javis-with.html

Frankenfilter @ Photography Matters
http://photography-matters.blogspot.com/2011/01/frankenfilter.html

Electric Arc @ Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/electric_arc/5729708661/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Wild World @ Alan Wild
http://alanwildworld.blogspot.com/

The Magic Cloth Technique - DIY Graduated Neutral Density Filter @ Alex Wise Photography
http://www.alexwisephotography.net/blog/2012/02/02/the-magic-cloth-technique-diy-graduated-neutral-density-filter/

How to Photograph Waterfalls - Tutorial @ Alex Wise Photography
http://www.alexwisephotography.net/blog/2011/11/16/how-to-photograph-waterfalls-tutorial/

Guide to Daytime Long Exposures @ Alex Wise Photography
http://www.alexwisephotography.net/blog/2010/02/16/guide-to-daytime-long-exposures/

The Ultimate Guide To Neutral Density Filters @ Peter Hill
http://www.redbubble.com/people/peterh111/journal/4421304-the-ultimate-guide-to-neutral-density-filters

Learning Method & Vocabulary: Post-Valentine's Sugar & Sweet

Article 3 on Singtao Student Page:


Valentine's Day has ended but learning has just begun. This week, I will share with you a memorisation method and some new words.

Sugar is all sugar and spice to Gingy
Image from vkontakte.ru

Dear lovely readers, hope you and your parents had an excellent Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a day of  "sugar and sweets" and thus everyone deserves to have their share of loving moments, if you still have not had the time to celebrate this marvellous day, you had better make it up to your love ones this weekend or Sunday.

As for me, Valentine's Day has not only offered me a reason to love, but a cue to learn. This time, I am interested in words to do with "sugar" and "sweet" in love and relationships.

One of the memory techniques I love to use after looking up new words in a dictionary is to create examples which I find easy to remember, funny or ridiculous ones work best for me -- I call this Memorisation By Examples (MBE). Its effectiveness, like all memory techniques, depends on individuals. However, it is worth a try. If MBE works for you,  at the end of the day you will be able to recall the words and meanings easily for writing and speaking.

Here are some scenarios I have created:

Sugar-coated gum drops
Image from allpostersimages.com

Jane: Why this promise you've just made sounds sugar-coated?
John: Coz it IS a trap and I want you to fall for it.

John: Jane, I'm sorry, I've made a tiny little scratch on your favourite painting.
Jane: Don't sugar the pill! What's the damage?
John: Well, actually, I cut it into 2 halves ...

Jane: I can be sugar and spice to my boyfriend.
John: You? Sugar and spice? I would be vomiting hard if I were him.

Jane: I cooked you your favourite Carbonara for dinner tonight?
John: Sweet!!!

Jane: Have you ever told a sweet lie?
John: No, but here's one, "I love you!"
Jane: I hate you!

Jane: Don't you ever think you can sweet-talk me into trusting you!
John: Well, how about the fact that you let me marry you 10 years ago!

Jane: I bet those two over there are saying sweet-nothings to each other.
John: No, they can never talk romantic, they are brother and sister, says on their Tee-shirts.

Sweet Tooth
Image from deviantart

John: Why do all women have sweet-tooth?
Jane: Coz men aren't sweet enough and so we need to help ourselves with sugary food to stay happy.

John: I'm so sorry! How can I make you happy again?
Jane: If you want to keep me sweet, start by flushing the toilet after use!!!

John: Jane is sweet on all Disney products and her room is packed with them.

John: My childhood was full of bittersweet memories... I was naughty, dad punished me, and then mum punished dad, and I laughed at him every time!



Fun Tasks For You:

1. Try think of a funny or ridiculous example for "silver tongue" or "silver-tongued".
2. From now on, whenever you see a word which you think is worth memorising but is very difficult to memorise, try this MBE technique.
3. Pick any word such as "tongue" or "heart" and see how many related words or idioms there are.

Suggested answer for last week's Fun Tasks: Which words have the same pronunciation as "Q"?

• cue and queue

Discussion Questions:

1. With your classmates, share some useful memorisation techniques and discuss their effectiveness.
2. How many students in your class will need to memorise anything these days? What are they?
3. The advancement of technology is helping us memorise lesser and lesser. Is that good or bad? Discuss with examples.
4. Discuss the benefits of practising memorisation, give examples.

Usage:
had better
Had better actually refers to the immediate future and does not involve the past in any sense. It is a strong advice for someone and it is stronger than should and ought.
eg.

1. You had better stop playing smartphone games!
2. You had better not whistle at that dog! (note the position of not)
3. You'd better get out of your bed and get dressed for school now!!!! (note the 'd)

Pronunciation:
Compound verbs and nouns such as sweet-talk and sweet tooth are stressed on the first part of the word whereas adjectives such as sugar-coated and bittersweet are stressed on the second part of the word. However, there are always many exceptions in any languages and learners should take special attention to the pronunciation of each word while looking up words in a dictionary.


Vocabulary:
make it up to sb -- to do something good for someone you have upset, in order to become friends with them again
cue -- (n) [C] a signal for someone to do something
sugar-coated -- (adj) disapproving An announcement or promise that is sugar-coated is intended to seem positive or pleasant, although in fact it will result in something unpleasant or unacceptable.
sugar and spice -- If you describe someone, especially a woman or a girl, as being sugar and spice, you mean that they are behaving in a kind and friendly way
sugar the pill -- UK (US sweeten the pill) to make something bad seem less unpleasant
sweet -- (adj) (informal) Very good; pleasant; agreeable.
sweet lie -- (n) [C] When someone who doesn't truthly have interest in you makes you fall hard for them and you end up with a broken heart. 
sweet-talk -- (vb) [T] informal to talk to someone in a pleasing or clever way in order to persuade them to do or believe something
sweet-nothings -- (plural n) humorous romantic and loving talk
sweet-tooth -- (n)[S] If you have a sweet tooth, you like eating sweet foods, especially sweets and chocolate.
keep sb sweet -- to try to keep someone satisfied and pleased with you
be sweet on sb/sth -- old-fashioned informal to like someone / something very much in a romantic way
bittersweet -- (adj) containing a mixture of sadness and happiness
silver-tongued -- (adj) literary If you are silver-tongued, you speak in a way that charms or persuades people.

Resources:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/make-it-up-to-sb#make-it-up-to-sb__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/?q=sugar
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-coated_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-and-spice#sugar-and-spice__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-the-pill#sugar-the-pill__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/?q=sweet
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sweet
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sweet%20lie
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-talk
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-tooth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-nothings
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-tooth?q=sweet-tooth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/keep-sb-sweet#keep-sb-sweet__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/be-sweet-on-sb#be-sweet-on-sb__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bittersweet_1?q=bittersweet

Adam Sandler Sweet on 'Candy Land' for Sony @ Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/idUS39840534320120131

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, Oxford

Song: How Deep Is Your Love -- Bee Gees

A song for your Valentine's!

I love the sunny atmosphere in the first verse, then the dreamy electronic keyboard. Of course, the signature falsetto and the lyrics, miraculously merged! There won't be another band like the Bee Gees, ever! They are irreplaceable.

I shall not speak more, good wine needs no bush.

How Deep Is Your Love lyrics Songwriters: Gibb, Maurice Ernest; Gibb, Robin Hugh; Gibb, Barry; I know your eyes in the morning sun I feel you touch me in the pouring rain And the moment that you wander far from me I wanna feel you in my arms again And you come to me on a summer breeze Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave And it's me you need to show How deep is your love How deep is your love, how deep is your love I really mean to learn 'Cause we're living in a world of fools Breaking us down when they all should let us be We belong to you and me I believe in you You know the door to my very soul You're the light in my deepest, darkest hour You're my savior when I fall And you may not think, I care for you When you know down inside that I really do And it's me you need to show How deep is your love How deep is your love, how deep is your love I really mean to learn 'Cause we're living in a world of fools Breaking us down when they all should let us be We belong to you and me And you come to me on a summer breeze Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave And it's me you need to show How deep is your love How deep is your love, how deep is your love I really mean to learn 'Cause we're living in a world of fools Breaking us down when they all should let us be We belong to you and me How deep is your love, how deep is your love I really mean to learn 'Cause we're living in a world of fools Breaking us down when they all should let us be We belong to you and me How deep is your love, how deep is your love I really mean to learn 'Cause we're living in a world of fools Breaking us down when they all should let us be We belong to you and me

Vocabulary:
saviour -- (n) [C] (US savior) UK a person who saves someone from danger or harm
falsetto -- (n) [C] (plural falsettos) a form of singing or speaking by men using an extremely high voice
miraculously -- (adv) from miraculous (adj) very effective or surprising or difficult to believe
irreplaceable -- (adj) too special, unusual or valuable to replace with something or someone else
good wine needs no bush -- (proverb) it is not necessary to advertise well-made goods


Resources:
People: Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/03/people-steve-jobs-2005-stanford.html

How Deep Is Your Love @ elyrics.net
http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bee-gees-lyrics/how-deep-is-your-love-lyrics.html

bee gees how deep is your loveBee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love ( Original ) HQ [ NO CONCERT / NO KARAOKE ] @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/BBMriOspUvA

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/saviour?q=saviour+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/falsetto_1?q=falsetto
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/miraculous?q=miraculously
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/irreplaceable?q=irreplaceable+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festive_ecology

Animals: Theories of Stranded Dolphins & Whales

In the last science news digest entry, I have mentioned that I have some theories on the "suicidal attempts" of the dolphins. I'm sure some marine biologists have already covered these possibilities, but since none of them has made that well-known to the public, I will give it a whirl to offer my views.

First, we must realise that many animals behave in similar ways as human do (if you can recall, Seamore the leopard shark also behaves like a puppy). For a creature as smart as the monkeys, dolphins and whales, I reckon they also do what human beings will do. We play, we chase each other, we socialise, we sing, we chat, we dance, we war, we feel upset, we feel despair and we help each other out.



The Orcas (or killer whales), are the largest of dolphins, are supreme strategic killers which work as a team when hunting. They will not only hunt for food, but they will also go in war with other whale kinds. The following video shows a group of killer whales hunting a young grey whale in the presence of its mother grey whale. Actually, I say it is a war rather than a hunt, because in a war, warriors are cruel and cold-hearted, they share no mercy or sympathy, and their reward is simply death; consuming their kill is not an agenda, humiliating the corpse / carcass and the living is the key.

My theory 1 is FEAR: Since dolphins are related to the killer whales, they should somehow behave like them, or like humans. A group of dolphins is at war with another group, and the weaker group is desperate to retreat to the shallow or even to the beach hoping to escape from the murder. If Lady Luck in on the side of the weaker group, not all of them will die on the beach, some will live, and the stronger group might be stranded and die. The LA Times reported a grey-whales rescue case today, the article states that a young grey whale fled in fright when someone mistakenly played recordings of killer whales, which proves that fear could be a possibility.

In the next video, you will see how skilfully an orca hunt for stingrays in the shallow waters, and like the host said, the orcas are putting their life at risk in the hunting as they could be stung by the stingray, or get themselves stranded in the shallow waters.

Thus my theory 2 is FOOD, the dolphins are hunting for a creature such as shrimps or crabs very special which reside in the shallow waters, and because dolphins are highly-bonded animals, when one is stranded, others will approach the stranded as a group for the rescue, and ends up also being stranded as well.

Theory 3 is SCRATCH, similar to theory 2, the difference is this time it is not for food, but for a nice scrub with the sand to have their parasites removed.

My last theory is SUICIDE, even some people in despair commit suicide, then why won't dolphins and whales do it? But when one decides to end its life for whatever reasons, others will try to save it, just like human doctors, firemen or policemen. The difference is, there are a lot more rescuers than suicidees and the rescuers end up being the victims too.

All the above theories somehow explains why some rescued dolphins will be restranded.

Two extra news on the dolphins, the first report says that because on the day of 9/11 there were no boats at sea, it offered an opportunity for a group of scientists to record data. The data from the right whales shows a link between noise level of the ocean and whale stress, a truly remarkable finding proving that we are making the ocean noisier and more stressful for the whales to live (let's not forget, sounds travel further and faster in liquid). The second report mentions that ocean dolphins are not used to tides and tide turns could get the dolphins stranded, offering yet another reason for the deaths of many beached dolphins.

All in all, not a very good topic on Valentine's Day, but this is meant to be for Monday actually. On this marvellous day, don't just love your lovers, love our oceans and sea animals too!


Vocabulary:
stranded -- (adj) 
suicidal -- (adj) People who are suicidal want to kill themselves or are in a mental state in which it is likely that they will try to do so
marine biologist -- (n)  the scholar of scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water.
supreme -- (adj) having the highest rank, level or importance
strategic -- (adj) helping to achieve a plan, for example in business or politics
cold-hearted -- (adj) disapproving showing no understanding for or not feeling sorry about another person's suffering
mercy -- (n) [U] kindness and forgiveness shown towards someone you have authority over
sympathy -- (n) [U] (an expression of) understanding and care for someone else's suffering
humiliate -- (n) [T] to make someone feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves
corpse -- (n) [C] a dead body, usually of a person 
carcass -- (n) [C] the body of a dead animal, especially a large one that is soon to be cut up as meat or eaten by wild animals
stingray -- (n) a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. 
rescue -- (vb)[T] to help someone or something out of a dangerous, harmful or unpleasant situation
scrub -- (vb) [I or T] to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap and water
despair -- (n) [U] the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation




Resources:
News, Science & Animals: Science News Digest (6th-9th Feb) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2012/02/news-science-animals-science-news.html

Animals and Environment: Do Sharks Deserve to Die for Their Fins? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/05/animals-and-environment-do-sharks.html

Killer Whales @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orcas

Orcas on the hunt @ BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Killer_whale#p00k08q8

Killer whale hunt  @ BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Killer_whale#p004t03t

Chimps killing and eating a monkey @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTPkmH4hWCs

Stranded Orca rescued in NZ @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/665s4AvHUVU

Dolphins at Bluff Point (Red Sea) 2009 @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJdTLXvQzw8

Unplanned 9/11 analysis links ocean noise to whale stress @ Twincities.com
http://www.twincities.com/ci_19924178

Common dolphin makes uncommon splash in Ocean City @ Press of Atlantic City
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/upper_capemay/common-dolphin-makes-uncommon-splash-in-ocean-city/article_675fdf2e-542b-11e1-bd4b-0019bb2963f4.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/suicidal_1?q=suicidal+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_biology
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/supreme_1?q=supreme
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strategic?q=strategic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cold-hearted?q=cold-hearted
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mercy_1?q=mercy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sympathy_1?q=sympathy+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/humiliate?q=humiliate
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/corpse?q=corpse
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/carcass?q=carcass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/rescue_1?q=rescue
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scrub_1?q=scrub
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/despair_1?q=despair+