Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Bye to 2013


Batu Caves, KL
Nikon D100 with Holga 60mm

2013 was awesome, and I look forward to an even greater 2014!

;)

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Back to root

Stone houses
Hainan, China
Nikon D100

It was a 'rooting' trip when I was in Hainan visiting my father's childhood village.  Everything's back to basics, including the 100 years' old houses built with stones, and still in use.


Life with chicks
Hainan, China
Nikon D100

The most stressful thing living here for me probably is to remember the chicks' names  ~_^


Hainan
Hainan, China
Nikon D100

Maybe 'just enough' is really the key to happiness.


Sales meeting? Huh?
Hainan, China
Nikon D100

Sales report? Huh??


Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Bubble Man

Walkabout
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm

He didn't carry anything with him, just kept shooting soap bubbles by the walkway.  Didn't look like he's selling Bubble Guns.  Wonder if he's hired by the shop owner to attract customers or if he's an artist making bubble art?

Saturday, November 9, 2013

All the world's a stage

Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach, Melbourne
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm. 

...seize the day when you find the spotlight!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Spotlight

Spotlight
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm. 

Have you ever thought that you might have been in the spotlight, but did not realise it and let the opportunity slipped?

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Train Station

Railway Station
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm.  f/2 1/4000 ISO 160

Didn't know we have such beautiful building right here in KL.  Was playing tourist on a Sunday and wondered into the administration office of the railway station.  


Railway Station
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm.  f/2.4 1/3000 ISO 160

Across the road is the old railway station, which was replaced by the not so characteristic KL Sentral.  There's a tunnel to cross over to the other side of the road, and it's surprisingly clean and bright.


Jump!
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm.  f/2 1/1500 ISO 160

Then a security found us snapping pictures and he probably thought we could compromise the safety of the beautiful building, and he chased us away  :(  


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Baby In A Bag

Baby in a backpack
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm.  f/2.8 1/125 ISO 800

This baby was in front of me on an escalator in a shopping mall, staring at me all the way up.  Once we reached the 2nd floor, I couldn't help but asked his dad to let me take a picture; and he happily obliged  : )

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Cover Girls

KLIMS 2010
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/8 1/25 ISO 200

Chances of pretty models posing for me are extremely rare, for I'm no famous glamour photographer, nor a pro who gets to shoot for Cosmopolitan or Vogue (or any publications at all).


KLIMS 2010
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/8 1/25 ISO 200


The next best alternative is to bring along my camera to car shows or camera shows.  With a little luck, I could get the chance to make the girls look at my direction... 


Glamour shooters
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/5.6 1/40 ISO 250

...or maybe not  ^_~



KLPF 2011
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/4.5 1/10 ISO 320

These models won't give me more then 2 seconds of attention, for the fact that I did not pay their fees, and there are usually at least another 100 cameras firing furiously beside me...



Bike Show
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/4.5 1/60 ISO 400

You can imagine the tension - frame the picture, check the camera settings, wait for the 'right moment' ("hey look this way!!"), avoiding dropping the camera from the pushing from the rest of the 100 excited cameramen - all in 1 second, or less.  That's why most of my photos are crappy, as you can see here... 



Ego Shooter
Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 18-200mm  f/5.6 1/30 ISO 640

Some serious dudes came with determination, and were prepared to "shoot to kill".


Perhaps I should be more prepared for my next outing too :)

p/s. No, that's not me! 


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Tête-à-tête

Tête-à-tête
Kuala Lumpur
Ricoh GR. 18mm f/2.8 1/1250 ISO 1600

In this modern world, we don't have to meet for a tete-a-tete.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Counting Cars

Walkabout
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm f/16 1/15 ISO 160

It was a hot and boring afternoon; what's better than to count the numbers of cars passing by with my camera?

;-)


Sunday, August 4, 2013

Hazy Shot

Alfresco under the haze
Kuala Lumpur
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0 1/4000 ISO 320

It's the haze season again, and it's not exactly the best time of the year to walkabout in the outdoor, for health reasons and usually it's not very visually enticing. 

Until I came across this bunch of roadside alfresco diners! Enjoying their breakfast, brazing the thick haze and oblivious of the exhausts from the buses and lorries passing by... 

;-/

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Reasons to shoot

Walkabout
Melbourne
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm f/2.8 1/350 ISO 160


There's nothing special in this photo, maybe even boring, to most people.

What made me shot it? 

  1. That's a nice bench; notice it only has 2 legs?
  2. You can't find benches like this in KL... Too hot, too close to the traffic (you'll either run over by the buses or robbed by the snatch thieves, or choked to death by the buses' and lorries' exhausts).
  3. I like the slight blue shinny refection of the shirt on the bench.
  4. The iconic City Circle Tram!
  5. Just nice amount of lights.
  6. Love the tilt of the photo, I think it gives some sense of movements, and 'life'.

So now you see how I usually make myself happy with whatever crappy photos I shoot?

;-)

Monday, July 1, 2013

Multi Gears

I used to carry several cameras/lenses for many reasons; my main 'justification' is each of them has different characters.


Entrance
Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Sigma 11mm f/13 0.6s ISO 1000


I do use app filters to enhance/alter the photo's mood, but I find it can't beat the original photo created by the camera itself.  Some may disagree, but I appreciate the camera's characteristic, and think my cameras tend to tell the story differently.


Guardians
Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur
Nikon D100. Holga 60mm f/8 1/180 ISO 1000

Point the camera to the same direction, but a wide glass and a cheap plastic lens give a total different perspective.  

But lately I find the weight of several cameras and lenses is taxing to lug around, and not really helpful to my aging back...  Perhaps the days of multi-gears (big camera bag and straps and belts, and stuff) are over for me.  I should maybe stick to 1 camera with 1 lens based on the photo locations, and enjoy more in shooting and editing my photos, instead of nursing my backache after each outing ;)


Morning Glory
Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur
iPhone 4. Auto

... and of course always have my iPhone with me too!


Friday, June 21, 2013

Kemosabe

Captain Hook
Melbourne
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm f/2.8 1/45 ISO 1000

I'm always fascinated by the trust developed between a man and his animal friend (I don't like to use 'pets').  There're no 'sweet talks', lies, pretense or conditions.  The faithful friendship is simply built from the simple love and trust shown, and felt, by both of them.  Hey they don't even speak the same language :)

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Photo Factory

Portrait Factory
Melbourne
Leica M-E. Summicron-M 35mm. f/2.4 1/90 ISO 1250

Call me naive, callow, 'jellybean', or whatever, I've always imagined the portraits hung on my friends' walls, especially those graduation portraits - c/w scroll on hands, graduation robe, and a 'serious smile' - would have been taken in a real photo studio, in a somewhat more conducive ambience...  

But what I saw the other day... "Look at the camera and smile,"  "Next!" 

That's a boring way of being a 'Photographer'  :(

Friday, May 31, 2013

Back of a statue

Block
Melbourne
Leica M-E.  Summicron-M 35mm. f/2.8 1/1500 ISO 1000

I was about to cross the road, found myself at the back of a statue and facing the front of an imposing building. I didn't have time to find out about the statue or the building but managed to snap a shot before the pedestrian light turned red...

p.s. I later Googled and found out more about the Burke and Wills Statue & Manchester Unity Building.  

Friday, May 24, 2013

Skull Face

Skull face
Leica M-E. 35mm f/2 1/180 ISO 1000

I was waiting for my car to be fixed at the workshop when this delivery boy came into the office with a parcel, and I couldn't help but instantly distracted from my iPad noticing his face mask!  I grabbed my camera and asked for a portrait shot and he happily obliged :)

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Streets Pictures

It took a trip to Bangkok few months back for me to realize taking street pictures are not as difficult.  


Bangkok Skytrain Station
Lomography Horizon Perfekt. CN film, f/8 1/250 ASA100 

I'm still way far from real street photography where the pros are bold enough to shoot at 3 metres or nearer, practically placing the camera right on the nose of some strangers on the streets.


Bangkok
Fuji X100. 23mm f/5.6 500/1 ISO500

I noticed the shotgun with a (real?) dagger attached, so I decided to 'shoot' him from the back :)  

With friendlier faces however (for example Mr & Mrs Santa - Yes, it was Christmas!), I had no problem asking permission to get a close-up though.

Santa was shopping on X'mas Day
Fuji X100. 23mm f/3.2 250/1 ISO320

On the streets, I used to rush from Point A to Point B, walking quickly ignoring the people I don't know.  Seldom did I give a thought to anything I saw if that was not what I was looking for.  However, since I started learning to take picture on the streets it makes me more observant of the going-ons around me, and I tend to slow down and not hurry to get to my next destination. 

Streets of Bangkok
Lomography LC-W. CN Film Auto ASA400

Noticed we don't see glass Coke bottles in KL?

Cola in Thailand
iPhone 4. Auto

Street pictures are rewarding; it's a new experience for me and it makes me appreciate photography better.  And I may be lucky enough and offered another Lollie :)

Bangkok
Lomography LC-W. CN Film Auto ASA400


Friday, March 15, 2013

Take A Breather

After lunch shooting
Fuji X100. 23mm f/2 1/250 ISO800.

Even though the planet is round, there are just too many spots where you can find yourself hanging on to the edges... This guy chooses to slow down and take shelter at a corner to find peace.  

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Faces of KLCC

The KLCC Twin Towers has been there, as an iconic building for the past 15 years or so.  It's one of the 'must photograph' items for all, locals and tourists alike - including myself :)  

Labor behind the glamour

Doesn't matter the surrounding patchy potholed roads, lousy fenced-up taxi systems, over-crowded mall with foreign workers and window shoppers during the public holidays, the eyesore of smokers gathering at the entrances polluting the air, etc, as we are not going to discuss it in this post; this 88-level building, once the highest in the world, does make an attractive photo shoot subject.

I can't help but noticing this building as long as I'm in the KL city, even when I'm inside another building!

Sky Scrapers

I've taken many shot shots of the Twin Towers for the past years, most of time by chance - glance through the windows, look up from inside the car during the usual traffic jams, walking in the park... and "hey! look, it's the Twin Towers!" and "click"...

Crystal Ball III

... even in reflections, or distorted view during a rain.

KLCC in the rain

Bored while waiting for the wife and daughters shopping in the KLCC mall?  Bring along the camera :)

   Roof

Even an old-school film camera - this was shot with negative film, using the Lomography Horizon Perfekt.

Merdeka

Day or night, and anytime in betweens, you'll find many different faces of this building. 

Twins

... even when it's totally blurred :)

KL Twin Tower