Kemosabe

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 :)

Photo 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'  :(

Back of a statue

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.  

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 :)

Streets Pictures

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

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.



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.


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. 


Lomography LC-W. CN Film Auto ASA400

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


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 :)


Lomography LC-W. CN Film Auto ASA400

Take A Breather

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.

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 :)  



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!



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"...



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



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

  

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



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



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

What's in a good photo?

I found this picture which I took with my HP iPAQ few years back - 



This photo was taken not with the usual feel of joy and anticipation as I pressed the shutter (the 'Enter' key, in this case with the iPAQ), but with anxiety and even fear as I made this shot from the wheelchair. I was waiting outside the Echocardiography Room in the hospital one late night, while the radiographers were making the preparations.  

What followed the days after were more radiography sessions, needles, medications, surgery, ICU, physiotherapy sessions, etc.  

This photo reminds me of how much this has changed my life - my job, my family, my lifestyle, even my weight (I lost 10kg ever since!) and my philosophy towards life and almost everything else (except my love for photography).   

This picture may be just another badly composed photo to everyone else, what's more it was shot with a low-res, low-tech phone camera; but it has such great emotional impact on me, and I could really 'feel it' every time I look at it.  

So, I think this is one bloody good take :)

(I hope you like it too!)