Day 1

Estro 2011 – Passion for Arts started with the Inauguration Ceremony by Guest Onirban(Director of Bas Ek Pal) & Vijay Vashishtha(Film Critic from NDTV). Both of them along with Principal Dr. Sangeeta Kohli lit the lamp (A Tradition of Somaiya) & flagged off Estro 2011 – Passion for Arts.

Onir then presented us with a trailer of his next movie “I AM” & spoke to the crowd regarding his movie.

The Festival started off with the Short Film event where our Judges were Onirban & Vijay Vashishtha. From the list were “Friend Request”, “Sholay,Potter & The Murgi Chor”, “Brainwashed”, “Existence”, “Last 7 days”, “Kachrewali”, “Khoj”, “They are Left I am Right”, “With Love To Winnie”, “I will never die and others”. Two movies (The Ride goes on & NEWS were also screened)

A Short Break was announced for the judges to calculate the marks. The stage rocked to the moves presented by a few Second Year girls. When all the hoots & whistles had been done with, the judges came on stage.

Onir was amazed at the kind of talent he saw on the screen. He also gave some valuable tips to the future Filmmakers. Vijay Vashishtha also gave his review on what he witnessed & announced the results.

Dance by First Year got the crowd to do Salsa still sitting in the Auditorium.

The next event of the day was Movie Trailers which included trailers of the movie “Junoon”, “Encounter”, “Black Noise”, “Brainwashed”, “The Mysterious Candle” & others. The judge for the current event was Praveen Mishra, a night correspondent from News 24.

The next event, Mobi Clips was interrupted by some witty jokes of Cyrus Broacha. He had come especially to judge Music Videos event. Before judging the event he gave a brief about WSD (Welfare for Stray Dogs) the charity he supports. He was also accompanied by Abodh Aras, Head of WSD.

After they sat on the judges’ seat, the videos for the event were “Saamne yeh kaun aaya” made him remember his years & there were others.

Then Godwin Gonsalves, the writer of Estro’s Theme Song “Estro ke Parindey” came on stage to perform for Cyrus. Also there was a repeat performance by the Second Year & Cyrus Broacha joined in.

Cyrus announced the winners & He was then presented with a Token of thanks from our faculty Richa Mam and our Principal.

Mobi Clips then went ahead with I Can, Fun Unlimited, Panic, Liberate and Compassion. Praveen Mishra then announced the results of both the events and was thanked by Sangeeta Mam for taking out his valuable time for judging the event.

Ending Day 1 on a high for Day 2 to start the next morning.

Day 2:

Day 2 saw “Lighting the Lamp” being done by Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi & Director of the movie Alag, Ashu Trikha.

They were the judges of the event Documentaries. The event hosted documentaries like Eye Pledge, Stray Dogs, IDA, Salaam Mumbai & others.

While the judges calculated the scores, it was time for Third Year Girls students to enter the dancing floor with Retro-Remix dance.

The judges were amazed at the talents. They also praised the campus & the Formal outfits worn by the audience.

They were given a token of thanks by Sangeeta Mam & Richa Mam.

Deepal Shaw made an entry for her film “VIKALP” ’s promotion. She danced with a few of our volunteers and made a quick exit.

Also we witnessed the trailer of the movie HOSTEL for which the director of the movie Manish Gupta discussed with the crowd about Ragging and what should be done to curb that. Students discussed enthusiastically and were awarded goodies from The Loot.

The next event of the day was Radio Jingle which was judged by RJ Urmin from FEVER 104. The event saw some wacky Jingles from “PALAK PALAK PALAK” to “Mardo wale Powder”.

Before the last event, Third Year couples had a performance on a few Retro songs.

The last event of the day was Ad Films which was being judged by Parag Chaphekar, Bureau Chief (Entertainment), Live India. The Event was divided in Public Service ads and Commercials. The event saw people applauding and some leaving them in splits.

The Event also saw Akshay Oberoi & Sandeepa Dhar (Stars from “Issi Life Mein”) viewing a few ads and also promoting their movie. They made an exit soon.

The judge went for calculating the scores while the stage was set for GRASSS to perform KALLU MAMA from Satya & Estro ke Parindey (Theme Song of Estro)

Parag Chaphekar announced the winners and also gave away prizes for this year’s Estro 2011 Passion for Arts.

Dr. Sangeeta Kohli, Principle of S.K. Somaiya College spoke to the audience about the achievements of this year and concluded the event.

AND THE WINNERS ARE….

Click on the link to find out the winners

http://bmmbox.com/eventbox/estro-2011-winners/

The real fun time of the day is actually at night. Media students definitely know this. For them, awake in the day- is a mortal sin almost. Not their fault of course. Class room lectures are too boring. So the nodding heads syndrome automatically begins. Rightfully so. Nights are so much more interesting after all. Night is when the intelligent lot seek to educate themselves. Being awake at night thus becomes a spontaneous mission –  a voluntary act which enriches the mind- purifies the soul!

There are myriad reasons why these students have lost their sleep at night. True the rods and cones of the eye are attuned to shutting down naturally, following one’s bio-rhythm as the night progresses. Yet, the diligent ‘pupils’ function on an inverted reality.

Insomnia rules all corridors. If the student life is happily resided in a hostel, then Insomnia is most certainly a religion devotedly espoused. If the student has the luxury of staying at his/her own place, insomnia, is still a virtue.

The endless cups of coffee- in canteens, in between lectures, in between dates, in between multi-tasking- day and night- is one of the most important catalysts of this highly followed practice. Caffeine gives the adrenaline rush the much needed energy push and keeps minds happy and thoughts carefree easily. Alert of course to non academic matters.

For the media life ,weed is the symbol of freedom. The puffs of freedom predominates all beings. Pervades deep into the conscience and drives sleep away. Floating empty is thus a dream- with eyes wide open.

Assignment- deadlines- rush to beat the time is always there in the media students’ lives. Part and parcel of it as most tend to procrastinate till the last moment- as an unspoken rule. When the death knell rings, most hit the panic button. Sleeplessness is then a habitual mode-which leaves people unaffected-yet vindicated of the joy of insomnia.

College memories are always full of downloads at every possible opportunity. When the firewalls are phased out, this favourite nocturnal activity picks up speed. Weird and weirder downloads are tried and tested by all. Shared and  laughed over. Seen again and again. Shared some more.

6 am, the lights are still on. The pillow fights are in full swing. The steam from the Maggi bowls are still rising – punctuated by smell of coffee. Darts go flying through the air and so do paper aeroplanes in their helter skelter ways.Music still blares out loud from all speakers. Sometimes its just a band of the creative few , playing its own music. Some on guitar, some on drums- all heads together, putting the final touches to their compositions.

So what’s new?? Some might turn back and say. “Impatience, is the new life”- after all.

Many lose themselves in the virtual world of games. Shouts of victory, anger, peals of laughter- all filter across periodically. The choices are many. The time is unlimited.

Why most are still awake-  For watching movies of course. Torrent is a buzz word. All the latest releases, the unreleased, the flops, the hits- are all avidly watched. Watched and learned. The action sequences played ten times. The “censored” parts seen with unabashed eyes. The cheers, jeers, curses, claps-all rage on –  unmindful of the stealthy way of the night as it creeps out.

For most, its another Tequila Sunrise, stirring across the sky.  Excited debates on who’s who, crushes, likes, dislikes, the 5 w-s and 1 h (strictly in different contexts) chirp on over the drags and sips. Topics are endless- when the mind is at its most active. Sharp witty remarks flow back and forth as the banter carries on incessantly. Night is young, they say. Why not live for every moment then? Night is the time when all the students can come out of their hibernating shells and show their true colours unfazed. Night is that time of the day when the mind is at its receptive best. Redbull gives all the energy needed thus.

The chat sessions in g-talk or facebook are unanimously one of the addictive reasons for the hyperactive mind- specially when “multi is no longer a task.” Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and other social networking sites have multitudes of the media mass parked at its shelter around the clock. Many a times these amiable students have peers and associates scattered in all parts of the globe- with whom it becomes an imperative  must to keep in touch daily almost. The eyes thus get well adjusted to the laptop screens- glued to every new development. Sleep has no place in this life-sadly.

Many are habituated to the party scenario- as a healthy participant or simply part of the pg 3 editorial team. Media students, after all, update themselves on the latest happenings “at the crack of dawn.”

There is no conscious attempt to drive sleep away. What happens, is a natural process.

Among all these, rather “unusual” factors, there are students of course, who love to study at night. Will power and passion drive them to the point of full wakefulness 24/7. Their minds are always loaded with question marks as they picture reality as a matrix, which enable them to establish a causal relationship to all happening of world. They cant sleep until they know enough. And like we all know, knowledge has no end.

For  the media students, life is a thus a brook un-ebbed. From one point to the other, their thoughts traverse through unchartered channels. Therein lies the beauty of life. The lack of restraint in any action. The bleary beady eyes in the morning, sleeping through lectures, alive at the dynamic flow of life- thus symbolize freedom. A norm need not be followed. After all as media students, “We weren’t born to follow.”

For media students, the online virtual world is the one of reality per se. it is that world from where they educate themselves and learn to spread their wings to fly.

The online world is full of dynamic facts and figures- of all shapes, sizes and forms- that ignite the mind and make the media students put their thinking caps on.

But is the online world enough?

The flip side of the story is that the online world which is so enriched with all the information in the world, can however, stunt growth. In one way, it can prevent the mind to knowing on its own- through practical channels of application of thoughts and acts.

This is a serious human error therefore- to limit one’s empowerment of knowledge to the virtual online world.

In the offline periods therefore, one can do multiple things. One can learn how to play the guitar. It might be helpful if one wants to get into jingle making or become a music director. Or even for that matter be in a bar- band. The bottom-line remains that one can definitely learn an instrument in the offline time because music not only soothes the mind- but also channelizes the brain waves along the right neural paths.

Apart from this, one can easily follow the adage of health is wealth. One can really spend his or her time exercising- simple running, playing  or yoga. In all this both the mind and body are benefited.

One can simply write. Sit down with the laptop or a pen and paper and write out anything under the sun. for media students, writing and therefore the power of expression is a weapon indeed. Writing frees the mind and empowers the soul to take flight into boundaries hitherto unchased.

Painting or sketching can be another option. It is a release of senses, and people who have a knack for them, should pursue their passion in full swing.

Read. Read anything under the sun. Newspapers, bill boards, hoardings, pamphlets, packaging covers along with books etc should be considered precious sources of knowledge of any form.

Gardening or cooking or even  getting involved in creating something which can be called one’s own is a very inspiring act indeed. It gives the right motivation and the aspirational values to the mind- to free itself of the pessimism “of the human bondage.”

In fact, even gossiping with friends can work wonders for the person’s life in a day. Laughing, joking about and even playing can unshackle the  mind from the blueprints of horror scripted assignments and relax the tired red eyes from the lack luster computer screens.

Walk the talk philosophy can even serve as bountiful of knowledge building blocks in ones life,  if obviously pursued with the right spirit of the intellect.

Sometimes, you may be walking down the road and suddenly when you spot something, you would want to capture the beauty of the moment forever. Photography thus is a beautiful passion to be followed. It does not matter if you have the most expensive DSLR or a simple VGA camera in your cell phone, as long as you are able to capture what you see.

Many a times, you may have a lot of children in your own house or neighbourhood. Offline times can be easily used to play with the innocent kids. This will not only serve to bring up the child in you, but also make you feel lighter and be able to think clearly about anything that might be bothering you- especially assignments.

One can admire the beauty of the nature. We seldom do so. So cooped are we in our gloomy rooms with the blues of the music and the screen predominating.

One can happily take a solitary walk and smell the fresh air. To be honest, the polluted air everywhere, contaminates the purity of senses. And as Wordsworth said, “Poetry is  emotions recollected in tranquility…”

Offline times- periodically used- should be times of rejuvenation, recharging, and refreshing. It is the time to reconnect with oneself and let go of emotions suppressed. To know more. To aspire higher. And raise the bar.

FIRST APPEARANCE

My Name Is Ritwik Borthakur

BMM From SIES (Nerul)

Specialization Advertising

Year Completed BMM 2006

Other Educational Qualifications (PG/UG/Etc) MBA (Marketing)

Status Single

CAREERBOX

Professional Experience 3 years

You Currently Work At ISMT Ltd. – Branding & Communications – Asst. V.P.

Your daily routine Liaison with ad agencies, exhibition organizers, Publication houses and other vendors.  Meetings with senior management. Emails and more emails. Presentations. Occasional trips to Plants

Organization(s) You Worked At Before SparkleWork Films – Production – Assistant Director (2nd)

Key Projects/Campaigns You’ve Been Part Of

1. For ISMT Ltd: All brand building activities, corporate films, Project Management for participation in several exhibitions worldwide.

2. For TAAL Ltd: Corporate Re-branding exercise and Project Management for participation in Aero India 2011

3. For Indian Seamless Group: Corporate Brand Identity Creation

4. For SparkleWork Films: Pre and Post Production for (a) Bid2Win – reverse bidding show for TV (b) TV commercial for Asian Lights

Most challenging project/campaign you’ve been part of? What made it challenging?

Project Management for Power-Gen Europe (an exhibition held in Cologne, Germany). It was my first major international assignment and I had to work with a team that had people from different background (Stand building, Graphic design, Printing, Logistics, Hospitality, Production, Marketing, Finance etc.), stationed at different countries. Managing a gamut of activities with people across different time zones was challenging.

How did you start your career? What was your first step after completing BMM?

I was clueless what I wanted to do with my life till the 3rd year of BMM. One short film (that I made for Frames Film Festival 2006) changed all that. I knew I had to make films. So the first thing I did after BMM was to join a Production House and started assisting a TV producer/director.

Were you clear about which field you wanted to get into right from the beginning? What helped you take your leaps?

I joined BMM after 4 medical entrance exams, 3.5 months of engineering and 7 days of BSC. That should say a lot about how confused I was. Back then … Med, Engg, Archi, were the only “sensible” things to do for science grad.

I joined BMM because of 2 reasons (in addition to the fact that I had to do something quick). (a) It had Psychology in its 1st Semester and I had taken a fancy for the subject reading some books (b) the course content gave me an impression that it will teach me a little bit of everything … and that’s what I was looking for (not knowing what i wanted in particular) …

Regular projects, change in subjects every semester, Films and more films, college festivals, doing odd internships in summer breaks helped me take leaps. I didn’t have a plan. I know my moment of clarity came when I made my first short film. But I can only connect the dots in retrospect.

Any particular incident that helped you discover your career option?

The short film and the entire BMM experience helped me understand what I wanted to do. But my professional experience in the film and TV industry helped me understand about my career options.

BACK TO COLLEGE

Does being a BMMite give you an edge over others? Yes/No – Please elaborate

Yes .. I think for career based on liberal arts and sciences … it helps. I think it might also help one to discover oneself for the course is diverse and gives you a feel of everything.

Do the subjects in BMM help you know the reality of the job? Is there any place for theory in the industry you’re in?

Subjects give you a birds eye view. It will tell you where the pool is, show you the water, tell you stories about people who’ve been good or bad swimmers, suggest necessary equipment and may even give you some simulated survival tactics.

BMM or BMM from a particular college? Does it make a difference?

Yes it does. In addition to the “brand” of the institution itself, the quality of faculty, guest lecturers, industry interaction etc matter.

Did you complete any internship(s) – where, when, how was the experience?

In Boch&Ferns as a copywriter.

Internships during BMM – are they relevant in the long run?

Relevant for the short run. Important if you are seeking clarity. I would recommend an internship in every break.

Work Ex or Higher Studies? What’s your pick? Why?

Work Ex first .. Higher studies later. (and not the other way around).

BMMBOXER’S TAKE

BMM is What you make of it.

Your biggest achievement till date None to really brag about.

You regret None so far.

Your favorite subject in BMM Your hangout adda during BMM Understanding Cinema

Your hangout adda during BMM RD (Raj Dairy), Tiger’s Den and Coll. Canteen (in SIES Nerul)

Define your job in one sentence Making the Organization look good.

Your favorite professor at college I’ll let this pass.

Your biggest goof up at work I’m sure there are many but I can’t think of one in particular

YOUR TAKE

The journey so far…and where I see myself going Has been great …. I see myself discovering something new everyday

My Success Mantra Believe

5 Tips for BMMites

1. Have Fun
2. Experiment
3. Be flexible
4. Enjoy the journey
5. Believe

You can reach me http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=899405332



Have a doubt? Just curious about something? If there is anything that you want to know about BMM then shoot your queries here. We’ll help you out in every way possible. If you have an idea or  suggestion to share,  you are most welcome too.

One of the first ‘big person’ decisions that one makes is invariably the college and course to choose just after school. While the opportunities available today make it a lot better in terms of choices available it also acts as a source of confusion for the many who haven’t quite figured out what they want to do in life. While it is true that choices are many, unfortunately the knowledge about these choices is limited and hence it becomes tough to make an appropriate decision. Often this leads to an upset child and a confused parent.

Such issues become all the more prominent while choosing a somewhat ‘offbeat’ career like media. There are a lot of misconceptions and ideas about the industry which act against it. On the other hand, there is an idea of it being all about glitz and glamour, which again is a lop sided view. In both situations, there are chances that once the student joins, they feel that it’s not exactly what they bargained for. It is because of this reason that it becomes imperative to take a well informed decision while choosing a media college for UG. A few steps that would make this job a little easier have been enunciated below:

1.  Ask yourself- is this what I want?

While this step is easier said than done, it is important to ask oneself if they really want to do a course in media. Choosing to take the less traveled path is always a big step and a challenge. It is important to decide whether it is a risk that you are willing to take as, like all careers,  it requires a lot of hard work.

2.  Confused? Read up!

It is but natural for youngsters to be confused and unclear about what exactly they want to do with their lives when they are fresh out of school. Trust me everyone has been there. It isn’t something to be alarmed about. However the smart thing to do is to reduce the confusion by reading up as much as possible about the industry,  so that you have an idea what you’re getting into.

3.  Think you’re convinced? Put yourself to the test!

Sometimes things just seem right till you get down to business. It is easy to get mesmerized by the razzle-dazzle that the media industry offers. It is important to figure out for yourself if this is something you really want to do. Passion is the key to a successful career in this industry. Actually it is the only way to go. Without a true passion for the industry nothing else can help. It is the right combination of hard work and passion for the art.

4.  Do you have it in you?

Talent is key in the media industry. While a good college can help you to hone your skills, it is useless without creativity and talent. This is not something that can be bought off a counter; it needs to be within you, like a fire burning in your heart. It is this fire, this talent and creative energy that will take you far. That and a good college to back you can be a recipe for success and contentment.

5. Build a support system

One you yourself are convinced, it is important to convince those around you as negativity can be a big killer. Try and convince those who matter to you so that they keep encouraging you and keeping you in good spirits, even through the good times, as they are bound to come from time to time.

6. Now the college!

The previous steps are very important while choosing a media school as it is very important to make the media school choose you rather than it being the other way round. This is because the specifications of the course make it so subjective that what one makes out of it is mostly very individual. While looking for a college, one needs to do a lot of research about the kind of colleges available and more importantly the courses they offer.

7. What about the ‘perks’?

By perks in a media school, what I refer to are the various supporting clubs and course that one gets to take. The beauty of such a course is that it offers you so much more than an average run off the mill course. Additional clubs and courses like photography, film making, script writing etc help in broadening ones horizons and thought processes thus enhancing ones creativity.

8. Internships

It is very important to identify whether the college offers internships as these are a major source for identifying the ‘real thing’. Most of what is taught in a media school can be put practically to the test during the internships, and this would also help in making a mark in the industry early on.

9. Guest and external faculty

It is important to find out what kind of external faculty teaches at the college. Due to the nature of the industry it is important to have more number of people from the industry who can interact with the students. This is also a sign to show how serious the college is about giving the students a well rounded exposure into the industry.

10. Believe

Finally the last step is to believe. In the college that one chooses and in oneself. It makes the journey a lot easier.

Choosing a college has always being a trying decision, but it can be made a lot simpler just by finding out what one wants exactly, after that everything almost always, will fall into place.

Don’t you love clicking pictures? Aren’t you really awed by great pictures clicked by your friends or professional photographers? Don’t you wish that you knew how to capture the best moments at your college, during festivals at home, or even at your friend’s birthday party?

Here’s your chance to get your photography basics right! Enhance your photographic skills by these simple tips, get clicking now, and capture the moments that ‘capture’ you!

1.    Good Photo Opportunities – If one does not have specific reasons to shoot particular scenes or subjects, then the best photo opportunities for anyone can be those things that a person enjoys. When planning a trip,  give yourself some time to stay and take photographs. You can spend an entire day or more at a site and not have good enough light to shoot. Photography takes time, and time is often the most important factor in getting great pictures. When you find a good location to take photographs, visit it again and again. Your photographs will improve each time you revisit the location, because you will learn when to visit and what to shoot.

2.    Master Your Camera – The cameras today are sophisticated and with the advent of digital cameras, anyone can take good pictures by simply using an automatic shooting mode. However most of the digital cameras have additional features that give photographers a considerable creative control over how photos are taken to ensure that a higher percentage of photos are as desired. The LCD screen shows you whether you have composed the photo as you wanted. Some cameras even provide a histogram to give a graphical view of the exposure. Learn how to quickly check your settings or to set them to default settings to avoid shooting with wrong settings. The most common settings that can ruin photos are exposure compensation, white balance, auto-ISO change and the image size.

3.    White Balance – One of the most significant challenges faced by photographers is to take photographs with the accurate colour. A common problem with the photograph is getting a photo that has a colour cast, which means that the photo has too much of a certain colour, such as blue, red or yellow. An improper white balance setting often causes this problem. But camera with balance setting allows you to record correct colours when shooting under a variety of different lighting conditions such as incandescent light, tungsten light, sunshine, or clouds. Besides letting users choose an appropriate white balance setting, it can also record accurate colours even if you first take a photo of a white card. If your camera has a feature, it is worth learning and using. One of the surer ways to get accurate colour is to shoot in RAW mode, which enables you to change the white balance setting using a RAW converter after you take the photo. Sometimes you can add a preset white balance setting to add a desirable colour tone to a photo. E.g. using a cloudy white balance setting can add warmth to an otherwise cold or blue toned image.

4.    Possibilities – Each time you take a picture, you should analyze dozens of different variables, including exposure, composition, lighting, depth of field, angle of view and ISO setting. To get better photos, think how you can change the variables to take many different photographs. Study the results to find the one that looks the best. The more you experiment and study the results you get a better understanding of what you like and how you can further develop your style. For good practice consider how you can shoot an object differently. You can, at times, get new and interesting results by going to extremes. Shoot using f-stops, extreme shutter speeds and extreme angles of views.

5.    Compose – The composition of the picture is one of the most important factors in taking a picture. There are a number of guidelines which help you take a good picture. Some of them are broken but still resulting in an outstanding picture. Some of the common rules that should be kept in mind are ‘The Rule of Thirds’, though it can be defied. Angle of view and vantage points are two important factors which can be controlled by a zoom lens. Look for angles that accentuate the picture in terms of pattern, texture.

6.    Theme – You should try to shoot photos based on themes. Take a theme which interests you so that you enjoy taking the pictures and it can be a motivating factor for you. You will also get better and better by taking pictures of a similar subject.  Having more than one picture of a subject helps compare what is good and what is not as good in each shot you take. Take themes that can be completed e.g. antique automobiles.

7.    Understanding Exposure – Exposure is the correct combination of shutter speed, ISO speed needed and aperture. Exposure can be determined solely by the camera, by the photographer and the camera together or solely by the photographer. Whenever the camera helps choose exposure settings, the camera’s built in meter takes a reading of the reflected light in the scene and then sets appropriate camera settings. When taking photos there is no such thing as perfect exposure, only one that is how you want it to be. Overexposed photos are overly light and detail is lost in the highlights. Underexposed photos are overly dark and the details are lost in the shadows.

8.    Achieve Sharp Focus – If you shoot at low light conditions, slow shutter speed, or you want to maximize depth of field by shooting with a small aperture, you will need to use  a tripod to take sharply focused photos. The longer the focal length of lens you use, the more important it is to use a tripod. Because the slightest movement can blur a photo. Besides enabling you to get a sharp focus it enables you to shoot a more precisely and carefully composed photo.

9.    Control Focus Creatively – A sharp focused picture may not always be what you want. Imaginative photographers experiment with the kind of pictures they take. Focus is one of the variables you can change to dramatically alter the picture. A ‘soft out of focus’ can create a mood that cannot be created by a sharp focused picture. You can intentionally focus on one part of a picture that may be important part of the composition or to place emphasis on it. When your intent is to take a picture that is out of focus, or you want to have a precise control over focus and where to position the depth of field, use manual focus to get exactly what you want.

10. Take Advantage Of The Golden Hour – The best sunlight is often found an hour or less before the sunset until twenty minutes past sunset. This time is often referred to as the golden hour for photographers. Having the light low in the sky gives you a directional light that adds wonderful depth to the picture because of the shadows and the directional light. The evening light is also richer and warmer than the morning light. If you want to shoot a landscape this is an ideal time to shoot. When you plan to take advantage of the sun in the golden hour be well prepared to shoot quickly, because the best of that time may come and go in just a few minutes. You should wait until 20 minutes after the sunset for any possible ‘after glow’ which occasionally makes for a spectacular landscape photograph.

Hopefully now you can use your weapon and shoot ’em sharp.