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Picture this for Hari Raya [New Straits Time (Malaysia)](New Straits Time (Malaysia) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NOW it's so easy to share the festive joy on social media, writes Izwan Ismail. Hari Raya has taken on a cyber edge as more people turn to social media to share festive messages, pictures and videos. With so many owning smartphones, tablets and digital cameras and with better wireless Internet access and apps, festive sharing is more widespread than ever before via Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Flickr and YouTube. DIGITAL MEMORIES Engineer and avid photographer Shaiful Zamri Masri from Ampang uses social media and digital technology to exchange greetings and share pictures and videos. "Sharing the joy of Hari Raya is easier with these gadgets and apps. Just a click, and you can share your happiness with relatives and friends, be it through pictures, texts or videos." Shaiful says the fact that nowadays we are able to capture, store and share the beautiful moments of Hari Raya means a lot - he wishes he had this capability before. "When I was small, my family never had the chance to take family pictures during Hari Raya because we had no camera. All the memories of Hari Raya with my late father and mother are stored in my heart," says the father of three, who grew up in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. Shaiful considers today's generation lucky as gadgets as well as social media apps and cloud storage help ensure that festive celebrations can be stored forever. "I want to ensure that Hari Raya memories of my family are captured and stored digitally on social media sites and cloud storage so that my children and grandchildren can view them, years down the road." He plans to use both his digital camera and smartphone and post the pictures on Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo sites. For instantaneous postings of images, he uses his smartphone and WhatsApp. Shaiful also uses photo apps like Snapseed to enhance pictures taken with his smartphone, and to get images in modes like vintage, drama, and grunge, with borders added. "It's simple and fast and I can share pictures and videos with as many people as I like, especially those who can't be together for Raya," he says. For better and more creative pictures, Shaiful will use his full- frame mirrorless Sony A7R camera which produces better images, videos and effects. The camera also has WiFi capability that lets him push images straight to Facebook or Flickr. Shaiful intends to take festive family portraits and other photos inside and outside the house - like that of children playing meriam buluh (bamboo cannon) or his family having ketupat, lemang and rendang on Raya morning. But he plans on using unique angles. CONNECTING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS Entrepreneur Maizurah Ariff says social media is one of the greatest inventions of information technology. "It helps strengthen relationships among relatives and friends." She says Hari Raya is a good example of how social media can be a good connecting 'agent'. "It doesn't matter if it's Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Flickr, etc. People have never been so closely connected prior to social media," says the mother of three. Maizurah, who enjoys photography very much, will capture the best moments of her entire family during Raya. "All family members dress up in traditional costumes and it's the best time to get their pictures - from grandparents to great grandchildren. It is a good way to remember them and cherish the memories," she says. Facebook is Maizurah's default social media platform for sharing pictures. "It's easy when all your family members, relatives and friends are on the same social media platform. Pictures and greetings can be shared easily," she says. "Technology helps to connect family and friends near and far. It captures moments in real time and allows you to share them with your loved ones," she adds. Facebook has also connected Maizurah with her schoolmates in the US, UK, Australia and Singapore. "I've known these people for over 30 years. If not for social media, we'd probably not be in touch again," she says. Besides her iPhone, Maizurah uses a Canon 650D dSLR which she pairs with a 50mm portrait lens and a 10-22mm wide-angle lens. "I prefer lightweight dSLR cameras as they are convenient when travelling. However, it's not always about the gadget but also about your talent for photography." TECHNIQUES Sharing pictures on social media is a good way to celebrate Hari Raya, but posting quality and creative pictures will create a bigger impact. Seasoned wedding photographer Zamrus Jadid says understanding the basic rules of photography will result in more impressive pictures. "Many people today have expensive cameras but lack the understanding and techniques of taking good pictures." For example, lighting is vital when taking pictures as photography is all about light manipulation. "One needs to know where to position his or her subject to prevent blurry or dark images. Always take pictures with the subject facing the light, not with the light behind him," says Zamrus. If you have to take pictures with the light behind the subject, make sure to use the flash," says the father of two. Zamrus says taking a few shots of the subject is better than just one shot. "Sometimes people tend to close their eyes or look elsewhere as you press the shutter," he says. He also suggests the use of prime lens such as the 50mm f/1.8 to get a more outstanding picture. For capturing photos of people in tight spaces, the use of fisheye lens is recommended. Zamrus uses Facebook and Flickr to share his Raya pictures as most of his relatives and friends are on these social platforms. "With digital cameras and social media platforms, Hari Raya celebration is more complete," he says. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |