How to open NEF RAW files using Open Source ?

This Post describes how you can process/open your Digital Camera RAW Files using Open Source Application. In Particular this post will show to open NIKON RAW NEF files using Open Source application such UFRAW and GIMP.

The details in this post applies to different Operating System Starting from Linux, Mac and ends with MS-Windows. and Different DSLR manufactures as Nikon, Canon , Pentax.

the steps are simple
a) install GIMP
b) install UFRAW

This is it, now you are able to open your Nikon or Canon RAW NEF files, and you still can edit them using GIMP, applying whatever filters and so on.

1) UFRAW is an Open Source Software that support Many RAW format , in my example it open and process Nikon RAW NEF files. and add a plugin to your GIMP 2.0+ installation that allows you directly open and process Nikon RAW NEF and all using Open Source applications.
UFRAW web page is h3r3
UFRAW download Link is h3r3


2) GIMP
The well known Open Source Photo editing software
GIMP could be found h3r3

This Link is from other Open Source Related Blog Geek2live , link is h3r3

Nikon Lens Simulator

If you want to buy a new lens and hesitant which to pick, Nikon just released Lens Simulator , which give you the feature of testing several Cameras with several Lens, so you are sure where to invest your money

it displays angle of view , and you can change the Format from FX to DX

This New Nikon Lens Simulator could be found h3r3

Butterfly Park - Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Some of my butterfly collection shot while i was in Butterfly park in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur

Online Free Photography Course

I have found Free Onlie Photography course on creativetechs website. link is h3r3
Here is the tentative schedule for this class. We may be adjusting this slightly as we get closer to the start.

Week 1, Sep 2 - Introduction
Week 2, Sep 9 - Digital Cameras
Week 3, Sep 16 - Lenses
Week 4, Sep 23 - Exposure I
Week 5, Sep 30 - Exposure II
Week 6, Oct 7 - Focus
Week 7, Oct 14 - Aesthetics I
Week 8, Oct 21 - Aesthetics II
Week 9, Oct 28 - The Gadget Bag
Week 10, Nov 4 - Full Exposure

Good Luck!

Camera accessories and Dealers in Egypt

Finding a good photography store to buy Camera or Camera Accessories in Egypt is a kinda of a challenge to me, so I decided to collect the contact details of the stores that sell the following Camera and Photography Accessories in Egypt
1) Nikon Cameras in Egypt
2) Canon Cameras in Egypt
3) Nikon Lenses in Egypt
4) Canon Lenses in Egypt
5) Sigma Lenses in Egypt


List of stores:

1) El King: 15 borg salma roushdy Street, Abdeen, Cairo, Tel: 23925140

2 )El 7ofy: 15 borg salma roushdy Street, Abdeen, Cairo, Tel: 23955245 ( hoa fel door eli ta7teh!)

3) Shams: 5 el batal ahmed abdelaziz from sabry abo alam street- bab el loook Tel: 23929204

4) Lucky Stores: 11 sherif street ,downtown, Tel: 23929136/ 23923697

5) El-Khaled: 19 B Adly street, second floor, appartment number 58, Tel: 23927507

6) El-Akhdar: Tel: 23927852

7) Nikon Official Dealer( Fuji film) : El Haram Street, Tel: 35842378

8) Mo2asaset el Basha for lighting equipment: 26 july street, Tel: 25918535

9) Hensel Egypt lighting equipment (The Agent) New Maddi autstrad street Tel:251609148

10) El Shennawi for Photo 31 Degla St. from Shehab el mohandeseen. Tel : 3369136, 7627136

Depth of Field in Photography

Deep Depth of Field, this results in an image that is reasonably sharp from the foreground to the background. Using a narrow aperture, such as f/11, is ideal to keep photographs of landscapes or groups in focus throughout.

A factor to consider when working with depth of field is your distance from the subject. The farther you are from the subject you are focusing on the greater the depth of field in your photograph. For example, if you stand in your front yard to take a photo of tree a block away, it has a deep depth of field with the tree, background, and foreground all in relatively sharp focus. If you stand in the same spot and take a picture of your dog that is standing just several feet
away, your dog is in focus, but that tree a block away is just a blur of color.

Small f-number means wider aperature opening

A small f-stop such as f/2.8, for example, opens the lens so more light reaches the sensor. If you have a wide aperture (opening), the amount of time the shutter needs to stay open to let light into the camera decreases.
Big f-number may be used in landscape photography as it provides depth of field.
Remember it is a reciprocal relation, big number means small opening, small number means big opening.
With big opening you can photograph more details.