Month: January 2016

Music and Emotions

Does music affect your mood?
#music #mood

I find it fascinating how much music has an effect on my emotional state. Or perhaps music just brings out the emotions sitting below the surface. For example, when I listen to upbeat fast paced music like trance I find it easy to walk or hike long distances. I once walked around the Princeton University campus for over 1 hour taking photos in the cold while listening to my favourite driving music. The music helped me deal with the cold and in a way acted as a muse1 for my photographic creativity.

Right now and I am listening to the Sound System station on Apple's iTunes Radio. My emotions have ranged from I'm happy to be alive to "Why am I such a loser".

Classic Rock such as U22 makes me nostalgic and pensive. I normally think back to the simpler days when it was just me and Bhavna. Back then we were busy trying to make it rich and missed on many opportunities to be a young couple.

Some music, like Listen to All My Love (feat. Ariana Grande) by Major Lazer is bittersweet. I love the beat but the lyrics -- she sings about mountaintops -- with Ariana Grande make me feel melancholy. For this song, I imagined myself alone sitting on a rock at the top of the mountain shown in the post image. It's one of those pieces of music that make me feel like a loser. Why isn't my life the sort of life where I can go hiking to places like this? Looking out the window at the cold still air and dull grey sky on this January morning I was struck by how far I was from the blue-green warm water and sunny skies of Caribbean islands where I spend my youth. I think I spend too much time in nostalgic thought.

I was listening to Light It Up (feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG) by Major Lazer when I wrote that sentence.

Sometimes I wish my life had background music. What sort of music would be playing? I expect I would have had a mix of music. Some upbeat and frenetic, some low, slow, and melancholy, and some for the times when I just feel .. meh. For those moments when I feel on powerful and on top of the world, I don't listen to one specific genre of music. I enjoy music from all over the spectrum, from Jazz and Classical to Reggae, Calypso and Latin, to Zydeco, Country and Punk. I also enjoy various forms of electronic dance music -- trance, dub-step, chill out, drum and bass, house, and trip-hop. I find that this kind of music has the most effect on my emotional mood. The song, This by Sander van Doorn & Oliver Heldens is energetic, maybe a bit frenetic. Great for running up a hill. While the song, Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo is more downbeat and emotionally blue. The song, Silverlined by XYconstant on the other hand is the complete opposite. It has a feeling over "this is the best moment of my life". Truthfully, tears come to my eye when I hear this song. It's not melancholy. It's a happy joy.

The song, Cheerleader by Omi makes me think of my wife and all the reasons I love her. She's my cheerleader.

All these songs are in an iTunes playlist I named Chill. Go have a listen. Tell me what do you think? What emotions did you experience listening to this music?

* * *

1. Muse, that's an interesting word that isn't directly related to music. [?](#fnref-20282-1)
2. I am so old, that U2 is now considered classic rock. [?](#fnref-20282-2)

What's the Best Digital Camera?

I get asked this question a bit. I used to find the question annoying. For me this question implies that the person asking the question thinks all photography is the same, that all photographers have the same needs, and that photography is a pursuit made easy with just the right equipment. Outside of a flippant, the best camera is the one that's with you response I would try to avoid answering. Partly because I didn't want to get into a discussion about learning photography and partly because I really don't know what's best for anyone except me.

But while ruminating on this question this morning while driving to work, I think I found an answer that will help the questioner while also being instructive about photography. Getting upset about the question belies the truth of why the person was asking the question. There is so much information on the web, they don't understand much if it, and they wanted an "experts" advice. I'm not an expert but when I frame the question in that context I don't feel the annoyance. So what's the best camera.

The best camera is the one that fits into your budget. Seriously. Modern digital cameras are so good and have so many features that any of them will be sufficient for the novice photographer. I don't think there is any meaningful difference between a Nikon, Canon, Sony or Fuji. All of these camera brands make excellent cameras. The main difference in price level can be mostly be attributed to features that will only matter to an advanced amateur or professional. For beginners the Nikon D3300 will suffice for many years. Even longer if the photographer has no interest in developing more advanced skills.

What lens should you get? That depends on what you want to photograph. For landscapes you'll want a wide-angle lens. For portraits you'll want a portrait lens. Most people asking the question that started this post don't know what they want to do. Most likely they want to take some pictures of family or a trip to a historic scene etc. A good general purpose lens with a focal length of a 24-70 f/4 lens. I recommended crop-sensor cameras above. The crop-sensor version will be a 16-50mm lens. Most of the entry-level cameras will come with a kit lens, usually an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, that will meet the needs of the beginner.

Should I get a DSLR or a mirrorless camera? Do have friends with a Nikon and want to be able to borrow their lenses? If yes, then get the same brand of camera as your friends. If you want to carry lighter equipment, if you want a camera that easy fit in a backpack, then get a mirroless camera. The lighter ones are the in the micro 4⁄3 format. Other than weight, there is not need to care about DSLR versus mirrorless. You'll get excellent results from both.

What about megapixel? They don't matter. The haven't mattered for a while. Most people are taking photos to share online, either on a blog, or on social media like Facebook. Facebook and many social platforms limit the size of the image you can upload. It's a lot lower than the 8 megapixel camera in the iPhone. My research indicates that most people are viewing their images on portable screens on their smartphones and tablets. These devices have screens that can't display more than 2-3 megapixel. So what's the point of having a 36 megapixel camera if you are uploading the images to Facebook to be seen by someone using a 3 megapixel screen?

But what about prints? When was the last time you made a print? Will buying a multi-megapixel digital camera make you want to make more prints? I doubt it. And even if you do, 8 megapixel is enough to make the 4x6" and 8x10" prints. Since the most bare bones modern digital camera has at least 12 megapixel, you will have enough resolution to make 16x20" prints. So stop talking about megapixel.

Set your budget, buy a camera, and start taking photos. Or maybe your smart phone is all you need.