Monthly Archives: June 2013

Are you tired of your Nikon FM10? You can also experiment with toy cameras and lomography (an LC-A+ is a great beginner camera) if you’re enamored with analog cameras and film. There are a lot of DIY tips and tricks that you can try without spending too much on lenses or filters. Still don’t believe me? Sure, you can shoot a ton of interesting subjects and experiment as well but when it comes to technique here are some great ways to further expand and test your creative abilities in photography.

When you want to be a master photographer you should be able to practice with different media or different tools of the trade and techniques until you find the best one for you. Who knows, you could have the patience for pinhole photography or the meticulousness for wet plate/collodion process. Just like playing games such as poker, you will need a lot of creativity and focus as well. You can also practice your gaming strategies and skills with online gaming sites such as Partypoker and it can also be a great way to expand your social network when you meet fellow artists and photographers who are also players as well. Like photography, playing online games can be very well beneficial to your health and wellbeing because it provides as a good stress reliever and can rejuvenate your senses and calm your soul. If you’re as passionate with poker like in photography, you can improve your game by watching online video tutorials. Not only that, you can play anytime anywhere when you download the mobile version of these online games for your smartphone or tablet while you’re shooting the great underwater expanse of the Great Barrier Reef or the vivid street life of Daikanyama and Harajuku districts. You can also visit the swanky The Ritz Club in London if you want to join the exciting poker tables.

Now that you’ve gathered your thoughts and relaxed a bit, here are some ways how to maximize your trusty analog camera. This is already a classic technique but to those who don’t know this yet, you can swab a tiny bit of petroleum jelly around your lens for a dreamy effect. For a smoky, grittier effect you can burn out a candle and place a UV filter on your lens where the black residue can stick to your lens; you can wipe this out with a tissue paper later. You can also use your whole roll film as just one really long panoramic shot, how? The trick is to use regular 35mm film and 120 camera and extra spools, thick hair elastics and the metal part of a paper clip and follow these directions via this Flickr site, and just be sure to do this in a darkroom bag.

Baba Mehand Bidjegri is a Naga Sadhu, aged 43 yrs old. Born in Kolkata of the Atjaria Caste (Braham) which is a high caste, his father was a Sadhu and all male members in his family are Sadhus. Baba G as he calls himself is celebate and vowed to leave everything but mentioned he has no objection to alcohol and drugs. Baba G lives everywhere and has no belongings, he moves around all the time and as a child ( 9 yrs.) he did the ‘childroute’ and lived in various Ashrams where he learned to read and write while his family supported him. The only thing he always carrys with him is a plastic bag with Babud (human ashes) which he rubs over his whole body to protect him from the cold.

In Hinduism, Sadhu means a good man, a holy man, a wondering monk. Most Sadhus are yogi’s but not all yogi’s are Sadhus. The Sadhu is solely dedicated to achieving liberation, the fourth and final ‘asrama’ (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation. Sadhus often wear saffron-colored clothing, symbolizing their ‘sanyasa’ (reincarnation).