Mini wonder

Going through a property brochure recently by an up and coming developer I noticed something peculiar. It had nothing to do with the property itself but the photographs that they used in the promotional materials as well as the website. Apparently, they had "miniaturised" entire landscapes and structures in order to make the photos looks as though they were images of models or miniatures of the object itself.

I was immediately intrigued. I'm not a photography aficionado by any stretch of the imagination so I did my Googling and found that this feature is available for the ordinary average consumer like me through a handy new edition by Canon called the Powershot S95.

The S95 is a lovely little compact camera that answers a lot of my issues from past compacts. For example, I'd always have a problem with zooming. Despite all the promises in previous digital cameras, I can never get a clear close shot without worrying about unsteady hands. The closer the zoom it seems, the more sensitive the frame becomes and any slight movement will distort the picture. This problem is now solved with the S95 as the camera stays sharp even at very close range and the built-in stabiliser works wonders to make sure you have a clear and crisp photo.


Random close shot

Another problem of the past was that of low lighting. This camera is part of a new generation of Canon offerings that come with a low light feature. I find it annoying when I cannot capture the colours I see through my naked eye with the camera. Even though it seems perfectly clear to me, the camera will always beg to differ. At a recent wedding over the weekend I tried this nifty feature and the photo turned out beautifully. As you can see below, the with and without low light feature are completely different - like night and day!

Before

After

And of course finally, the reason for me getting the camera in the first place, the miniature feature. This very cool technique basically blurs the top and the bottom of the picture and focuses on the centre, somehow making the finished product look like children's miniature landscape. The first thing I did when I bought the camera was to take tonnes of mini photos.

Miniaturised scene in front of my apartment

Junction miniature

From my balcony

I'm in love with my new purchase and glad that I made the decision to get this camera. I've been taking photos everyday with it and miniaturised many a vistas since then. Rest assured, I will continue to do so especially during my upcoming travels. That should be interesting!

Wedding cake mini

Wedding dais mini