All things photograph

Macro shot of ants

2012-02-14T22:49:00.000+08:00

Even ants need supervision!

As my travel companions were spending time taking photographs of the sunrise and the accompanying mists, mountains, trees, etc, I saw this trail of ants and decided to use my newly acquired Canon S-100 to take this shot. Not too bad, even if I may say so myself.

Fireworks at Marina Bay Singapore

2011-07-01T06:49:00.000+08:00

The Singapore Government rehearses for the National Day Event (9th August) as early as June. I understand rehearsals will be conducted every Saturday evening/night right up to the week before the National Day. You will need a very sturdy tripod as it was and probably will be rather windy where I was positioned.

The exposure for this shot was 3 second.

Now I know why my neighbour felt they have overpaid this photographer

2011-06-15T00:02:00.000+08:00

I should never have introduced this photographer who claims to have years of experience. My neighbour felt that his teenage son can do a much much better job.

These were given to the client (my neighbour). All these 17 pictures taken in less than 2 minutes. There is a series with more than 10 shots in 30 seconds but I cannot show them as my neighbour's face is in it.

Moral of the story. Do not believe what a photographer tells you. Take a look at his/her portfolio!!!

Running a workshop - to do or not to do

2011-06-03T00:54:00.000+08:00

Started discussion months ago with two friends on getting getting a workshop to teach people basic photography.

Well, it was a start, stop, start, and now I have to stop, for now, due to other work commitments.

The thing is, there are so many schools, workshops, seminar, etc that are in operation in Malaysia. More often than not, I hear of complains. To me, if I were to start one, it has to be better than others, more tips and more sharing.. Rather difficult, as basic is basic. So, back to the drawing board to ensure that the contents are right, the delivery is right, the hands-on session is right, the practical feedback is useful, etc, etc.

So, akan datang!!!

Autumn in Kuala Lumpur

2011-06-01T00:18:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, a point and shoot camera (in this instance, it is a Panasonic LX-3) does a better job than a DSLR camera. Why? Don't feel that bad if the cheaper P&S camera were to be scratched when it is at the ground!

This is an image that works when pointed at the light source.

I waited for the guy in red to walk towards me, but since I did not use a flash, the red did not show as much as I would like to. Then the tell-tale KLCC Twin Towers. With that in the picture, need not elaborate further about where the photo was taken.

"Artist" Loses Copyright Lawsuit - Ordered to Destroy Illegally Created Works

2011-04-06T11:02:00.000+08:00

Found this snippet presented by Liz Masoner.

"£10million worth of art to be destroyed is what some are calling it. Photographers are celebrating a victory though. Richard Prince, a man who makes his living by appropriating the works of others and "altering" them, has lost a lawsuit brought by French photographer Patrick Cariou. Prince had copied 35 photos from Cariou's book, "Yes, Rasta," and altered them by doing things such as adding cut outs of guitars. To be perfectly honest, the result looked like a kindergarten art project gone wrong. According to a quote at the Daily Mail, Prince called Cariou's pictures "mere compilations of facts ... arranged with minimum creativity ... [and were] therefore not protectable."

This is far from an isolated incident in today's art world. People such as Prince and Shepard Fairey make a living by ripping off the works of photographers and republishing the slightly changed pieces.

Hopefully lawsuits such as this one will wake up the art world to the fact that it isn't just paintings and sculptures that are protected under law and worthy of respect.

Model Helicopter @ FRIM

2011-01-17T19:24:00.000+08:00

Happened to be at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Selangor when we chanced upon a group of enthusiasts flying their model helicopter. A great place to practice panning or action shots.

Website "Out of Action"

2011-01-07T08:53:00.000+08:00

I had some difficulties sorting out some technical issues with the webhosting company. As a result, not only is my website http://www.yongcs.com/ unavailable, I could not event view photographs loaded into http://www.yongcs.smugmug.com/. Must get this sorted out before the end of this week!

Jeff, thanks for pointing this out to me.

I had not been actively updating this blog either. Things do happen in three's. My computer broke down. I was down with flu and other small but disturbing ailments like cough and running nose etc for more than a month. Then the upgrading of my camera and equipments took some strain on my wallet and time. Would you believe that.

Anyway, looking forward to being back to normal by next week.

Have a fantastic 2011

Where to buy your camera's / lenses

2010-11-04T16:59:00.000+08:00

I had not been able to post for a while now as I have some major problem with my photo-processing software, not to mention the problem my pc is giving me.

Time to upgrade or change - mayby to a Mac?

This posting is not about the problem I am facing. Just wanted to alert fellow Malaysians who are keen to either upgrade their photography equipment at a fair price. There is a shop at KotaRaya (near to Pudu bus station) that will probably give you a price that is very reasonable. Catch is, just mention my name! Really.

The shop:
LTK Electronics
Lot 2.20, 2nd Floor
Kota Raya Complex
Jalan Cheng Lock
50000 Kuala Lumpur
03-2078 2339

Action shot

2010-09-18T13:57:00.000+08:00

We were lucky to have seen this split-second power play. The tigers at the Taiping Zoo were all lazing around in the mid-day sun when all of a sudden these two tigers were chasing each other. Lamented the fact that I did not have the right settings for this shot. Could have been better. Then again, if I have a better, more expensive camera, I could immediately dial a high ISO without having to worry about grains.

Two tigers caught playing!

Bird Photography

2010-09-01T06:13:00.000+08:00

I have some difficulty shooting birds in flight. Reaction too slow, lens not long enough, camera not fast enough, and a whole lot of other reasons.

So, I will start slow, shoot birds in flight later. For now, will do with birds fighting for their food. Even this is tough. Light was not very bright. Had to increase the ISO and used Aperture priority. Shutter priority might be better, in this case. Then again, feeding birds don't pose, and to capture the scene, will have to make do with whatever settings I have at that instant.

Two birds fighting over a fish

Possibilities with Weeds

2010-08-21T23:17:00.000+08:00

I love nature. These series of photographs will probably tell you why.

I thought this might be useful for those of you who have just acquired a camera and don't know what to shoot. Again, I will let the photographs (taken with my trusty point-and-shoot Panasonic Lumix LX3) do the talking. All taken at the same place, no colour enhancements, no additional sharpening - only cropping.

Walked past this patch near to Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC)

Used flash

without flash

Different angle, with flash

Just love the colour of the sky!

Same patch, only went nearer, and used flash

Beautiful creations by mother nature

2010-08-16T23:14:00.001+08:00

Snapped this while waiting for the wife. Was in the centre of KL, not in a jungle, as a friend thought.

French Recipe Book - Cocktail Passion:Entertaining with Love

2010-08-13T23:56:00.001+08:00

This labour of love, by Nathalie Arbefeuille and Jaen Ang with yours truly as the photographer will soon hit the the market. In fact, I expect to carry some books starting from next week. You can place orders with me.

The food was mouth-watering good. You can either buy the book and try out your hand at making some of the cocktails, or visit 'Nathalie's Gourmet Kitchen' located at Solaris Mont Kiara.

Cocktail Passion : Entertaining with Love

ISBN 9789833317790

Author : Nathalie Arbefeuille

List Price : RM135.00

Here are some of the teasers prepared by the publisher

Front Cover

Chef's Lovely daughter

Contents Page

Preparation

Tuna Bruchetta

Gorgonzola Toasts

Pineapple and chestnut verrine

Back Cover

Writing and photography – is a picture really worth a thousand words?

2010-08-09T23:52:00.000+08:00

Hmmm. Rather profound statement. I had always asked myself whether I should just post photographs in this blog or write about the photograph that I post, or write a long story with a couple of photographs to illustrate the writing. Well, looks like I have found my answer in this article:

http://m.guardian.co.uk/?id=102202&story=http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/aug/04/writing-about-photography-robert-adams

which was posted in Twitter recently. A good read

Photography Exhibition

2010-08-04T22:37:00.001+08:00

Aptly called "First Exposure", I will have some photographs exhibited at the Nikon Centre in Kuala Lumpur for the duration of August and the month of September together with three other photographers - Chan Swee Meng, Paul Chan and Eunice Hau.

This is made possible by the centre manager, Alex Moh, who is already well-known in Malaysia as a photographer and curator.

Night photography

2010-08-04T00:35:00.001+08:00

Did not realise I had been lazy. Only one posting in July? Bad, Bad

Now that I had chosen, edited, and submitted a couple of photographs for the BASF Petronas's Conscience Camera Award photo contest, I can settle down and plan for my next project. Will update once done.

Meanwhile, here's one of my favourite night shots taken at the Merdeka Square a while ago

BASF PETRONAS' "Our Children, Our Future"

2010-07-03T16:06:00.001+08:00

Just received the following e-mail. Another year just flew by. Gosh, would not have known of this if they forgot to send me an e-mail. If you have a camera, recommend that you submit your entry. Prizes are good!

The following is extracted from the email:

Greetings from BASF PETRONAS Chemicals!

We are pleased to announce that the Conscience Camera Award 2010, organised by BASF PETRONAS Chemicals is back with the theme "Our Children, Our Future”. This national photography competition is now in its fourth year and opens from June 1 to August 15, to all residents of Malaysia.

We fully support the government's campaign for children's rights in Malaysia and therefore would like to promote the appreciation towards our children, who are indeed our future. Entrants should tell a story to interpret the theme effectively and should not just be family portraits. Capture vital stories and tell our community about the importance of children's rights and convey the "conscience" message with a image and a precise photo caption.

A panel of judges will evaluate all entries received by the closing date of August 15, 2010. BASF PETRONAS Chemicals will present a RM5,000 cash prize to the First Prize winner, along with eleven other prizes, and an exhibition of the winning entries will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

For more information about the competition and the theme, visit us at our corporate website http://www.basf-petronas.com.my/ (http://www.basf-petronas.com.my/cca/cca2010.asp) and join us at Facebook (Conscience Camera Award).

What are you waiting for? Join us now!

KL Marathon - just a quick take

2010-06-30T00:26:00.000+08:00

I wonder if these marathoners wake up as early as 4am each day to train. Understand that weas the time the race started. I did not bother as I thought it was more meaningful to have some shots taken with the KLCC Petronas Twin Towers in the background.

Here's one pix taken using my point-and-shoot Panasonic Lumix. Waving at me is Edward.

How was this taken? Camera on the ground!

Mr Kuala Lumpur

2010-06-23T00:07:00.000+08:00

This is not the one. Someone beat him to it. I had to leave before the winner was picked. Well, with luck and maybe quite a bit of work, will be back next year for the full coverage.

If you were at the competition site, you will realise that it is not easy to sculpt a body. With the many 'mamak stalls' that open 24 hours, it is rather difficult not to over-indulge in tons of carbohydrates and of course the often too-sweet tea that comes with your order of roti canai.

This is a sampling of the contestants before they appear and when competing on stage.

Just cannot image myself being a body builder, or as one senior body builder Mr Henry Lim puts in his card, "turn your body into a fat burning machine" - machine they look!

Last but not least, a very pretty lass who is also a body builder. Won't you like to see her ripling muscles. Did not quite get her name. Kimberly, I think. The secretary of the Kuala Lumpur Body Building Federation, Mr Vincent Ho in the picture, also did not show off his muscles as he has to make sure the event runs smoothly.

Dragonboat competition at Putrajaya

2010-06-19T23:42:00.000+08:00

Time really waits for no man. Gosh, did not realise that I had not posted anything for such a long time.

This shot was taken in the morning.The sun was hiding, and the air was kind of hazy. Nevertheless had a couple of ok shots. Thos friends of mine who will be there tomorrow, do pay for better weather.

Wedding shoot

2010-06-06T15:43:00.000+08:00

Had a blast covering the wedding of Edwin and Debra last week. Lovely couple, and of course, lovely wedding, reception, etc, etc. Since they have not seen the photographs, will not post until later (maybe...). But since this car, a Jag, that was used as the bridal car, was one of those that I had ever thought of buying, I cannot resist posting an image. Will write a little about wedding photography later.

Panning Shot - Easy rider

2010-05-18T11:21:00.000+08:00

Panning is easy. But to get the right picture with 'oomph', it takes lots and lots of practise. Try by setting your shutter speed to 1/30 second on a relatively fast moving object.

In this photo, I snapped the photo of the motor cyclist from a moving car. The motor cyclist was travelling at about the same speed as the car I was travelling in. Not so interesting an image, but will do as a practise shot.

Don't forget to crop your photograph, if that helps to make it a better picture. As in most photographs of moving objects, ensure that there is more space where the object is travelling towards. It shows movement. Does that make sense to you? Take a look at the photo above and below and make your own judgement.

Shooting up!

2010-05-15T22:56:00.001+08:00

Shooting up - I meant the angle in which a photo is taken (very low angle)

Many a times, we find that a building that we want to snap, or a statue that we want as our background object, are just too high that we cannot have both our subjects and the background objects in the picture.

Sometimes, for a different effect, we do that too. Otherwise, all your photographs will not be any different from those taken by any other tourist or photographer.

Just like these two photographers. One lying on his back, and the other squatting and shooting 'blind'. Forgot to check with them how their photographs turn out. Probably pretty good, if they had used their flash (or they want to have silhouttes).

Two photographers taking photo of anchovies being fanned out to dry, in Pangkor Island

Show jumping

2010-05-13T18:47:00.001+08:00

Now that my website has some semblance of a functional website, I guess I can afford to spend some time uploading some images.

Received quite a few emails about giving some pointers and tips at this blog. Although I am still a novice in front of some masters, I will try to do that starting next week. As one of my good friend relate to me his experiences, it is not always the technically strong photographer that captures the best picture, for the best picture is akin to the phrase, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". The best image is the one that evokes some emotion from the person seeing the picture.

Am I right or am I right.

This guy was almost knocked down by the horse. Heard that he designs the jumps. Must have been sleepwalking.

Revisiting prints on canvas

2010-05-06T22:06:00.000+08:00

I am surprised that there are still quite a lot of people who does not know that they can print on canvas the photographs that they had snapped. In fact, have just created the following montage that I rather like. If my client likes it, you can see it being displayed at her restaurant somewhere in Mont Kiara.

By the way, it is not too expensive, at approximately RM0.20sen to RM0.30sen per square inch, depending on the size of the print. Stretching the print would cost around RM6 per foot run.

Website and programming

2010-05-05T09:33:00.000+08:00

I tried to tidy up my website, http://www.yongcs.com/ and made a mess of it. Had been working on it for about a week now. Well, some improvements, in my opinion, but the Homepage is still 'work-in-progress'. A huge black box staring at you where it was the slideshow - and I have problems removing it.

Hope to get it back on its feet in a couple of days. Yes, hope...

Birds - fighting for a mate

2010-04-25T22:19:00.000+08:00

Very fortunate to be at the right place and the right time, equipped with the right camera. A point-and-shoot will not do for this sequence of pictures. Fast shutter speed and rather high ISO.

We chanced upon a cluster of feathers. Upon closer examination, we saw three birds, apparently having a discussion!

Then the action started. Looked like three birds having a free-for-all. Wings fluttering, chirping, and beaks locked for the longest time I have ever seen.

Then one of the birds, apparently the female, took a break and the two male had a beak-fight.

The loser stayed for a while, then stepped away when the noisy pairs seemed to be chasing it away

Quiet moment!!! Bliss?

An afternoon at the races in Ipoh

2010-04-21T00:07:00.000+08:00

A good friend managed to secure for us an entry to the race in Ipoh. Not very often do we get a chance to be about 10 feet or so from the horses during a race.

The weather was not very encouraging as there were scattered drizzles occassional lightning and thuner. To top that off, the sky was a featureless grey. Nevertheless, we had a great time 'shooting' the horses and riders. Some of the images to share with you:

Riders and horses going round a corner. Just love the speed and gait of the horses (and riders)

Right off the bend

... and coming towards us.

before heading for the finishing line. A photo finish!

Here's the winner (from a different race)

Saluting the photographer?

Shot most of the above on rather high ISO setting (1600) and shutter priority (1/2000s)

Fill Flash and fun at Sunway Lagoon

2010-04-14T18:21:00.000+08:00

Most of the time, I would find flash photography casting shadows that look very harsh. As such, I hardly use them. For this occassion, however, if I had not used the flash, the subjects (happy school kids) would probably just appear as silhouttes against the bright sky.

Had fun asking them to be themselves. Happily spending a wonderful afternoon at Sunway.

... and who would not want to catch such a lovely kid

Portraiture - Iveta

2010-04-06T01:55:00.000+08:00

Finally found some time to review some photographs that I took a couple of months ago. Here's one of the images. A couple of others can be found at this site

She's happy, he's happy

2010-03-29T12:30:00.000+08:00

Love her smile, and his too

Always expect the unexpected

2010-03-26T23:54:00.000+08:00

I was on an assignment last week, taking photographs of a cathedral, when I chanced upon this beautiful bird. A 'cross' that is all natural, and really beautiful.

and the cathedral?

Here it is. Sorry that I cannot showcase the best image - that goes to the cathedral.

Clouds and sky

2010-03-20T22:43:00.000+08:00

These photographs are reasons that I normally lug a camera with me where ever I go. Would have missed these photo opportunities if my camera was not on me.

early morning at the church

looks like a ring of rainbow at the side of KLCC twin towers

before a heavy rain, light striking the Telekoms Tower

and what have we here, a silver lining.

Artistic Photo - Iveta

2010-03-15T00:36:00.000+08:00

Living in Malaysia, it is really difficult to decide what to post, or rather what can be posted without alerting offending some people. Anyway, I believe these are 'safe' to post.

I wonder how the other photographers fared. Beautiful silhoutte, but rather unfortunate that there are just too many distracting objects in the background. Never mind, will find a better spot for the next shoot, if there is any. Understand Iveta will be in Malaysia again soon.

Was going to write about not using wide angle lens as the hands were huge, being closer to the camera, while the legs were really small, being much further away from the camera. Will leave the image to your imagination!

A totally selfless man

2010-03-04T12:25:00.001+08:00

Thought this image will encourage more good deeds.

The temporary barriers set up by the road construction team fell due to the heavy rain and wind. This caused a major traffic congestion that stretched out to about 2km.

This motor cyclist (my hero) stopped his machine by the side of the road, and risking his life and limb, proceeded to push the barriers out of the way. He single-handedly cleared the road and went on his way. While he was helping, many impatient motorist just honked at him. Felt guilty that I did not step out to help. Would you?

Right after I posted this, I read this article, "Do unto others quietly …" in MalaysiaInsider. How touching. I hope I too had touched and helped someone in the past.

More Chinese New Year Gymnastics (slow shutter)

2010-02-18T23:20:00.000+08:00

you may want to try this out. stabilise your camera against a wall, and set shutter speed to 1/30 second or slower.

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-13T19:17:00.000+08:00

A very Happy New Year to my Chinese friends and for my non-Chinese friends, do enjoy this festive occassion together with us.

Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition @ Petronas Gallery

2010-02-04T23:21:00.000+08:00

An exhibition not to be missed.

You can find more information about the exhibition here and here.

The organisers were kind enough to allow me to take some photographs. Not very clear, I am afraid, but I hope it is enough to encourage you to make a trip to the Twin Towers before the exhibition moves on to the next city.

The number of entrys is a mind-boggling 60,000 plus. I guess if I had submitted my photo, it would probably be buried somewhere deeeeeep.

My new model, Vincent Foong. During his short speech, he shared with us that he had been taking photographs for 30 years. And that when he changed to DSLR, he took photographs every morning before he goes to work. What dedication!

While we were there, I saw a number of Malaysian greats - artists and photographers. Among them are Jeff Lim, Yeoh Kian Thye, and Yusuf Gajah. Too bad I could not stay to chat, and take some bites from the sumptuous cocktail they have laid out.

Chinese Acrobats' performance at Capsquare

2010-01-30T16:38:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year is upon us again. I must have been really busy or very lazy and inefficient. Why? Only now, that I am reviewing the photographs that I took last year.

I saw a similar performance yesterday at the centre, Capsquare, and my reflex-action was to take out my Lumix LX3 to take some photographs. Then I 're-holstered' it. Reasons are many, as the following photographs will illustrate.

Actually, the main grouse is the background. It is just too distracting. With a DSLR, I could probably 'blur' that through good use of depth-of-field. Lumix LX-3 has a manual function too, but what the heck, it is supposed to be a point and shoot!

Otherwise, this is a gem of a shot. Your thoughts?

Some fun shots - cat vs goose

2010-01-28T23:50:00.000+08:00

Snapped these pix a last year, I think. The cat is very much like a lot of us. In the safety behind a barrier, be it psychological or physical, we may find occassions where we taunt our stronger foes.

I wonder what injuries the cat may suffer if the barrier were to come down and the goose has the freedom to chase ...

Macro Photography

2010-01-25T17:05:00.000+08:00

I tuned in to a morning talk show hosted by NTV7, a Malaysia TV channel sometime last week. Stayed tuned for a short while as the topic was Macro Photography, and specifically photographs of spiders.

When asked why spiders, the photographer meander through his answer that after some 3minutes, we still don't know what or why he said or do. The other chap, presumably his assistant, gave a short answer. Spiders are relatively easy to shoot since they do not move very fast normally (you can imagine the look he got from the 'speak but no answer guy').

Waited, and waited, and waited and finally their photographs were displayed on the TV. What can I say. For those who had seen the program, they would know what I am trying to say. For those who had not seen, did not miss much. Will now show you some spider photos taken by my buddy, Paul Chan.

thought I might as well sneak in this early-valentine couple

A unique birthday cake

2010-01-24T00:15:00.000+08:00

Dharm made this cake for his dad's 75th birthday. I just love the idea and thought that went into it. Can anyone do better?

The creator, and....

The birthday cake.

And the taste is just gorgeous. Looking forward to a 'cake - tasting' session, if there is such a thing. Maybe Dharm can start one, soon.

Now, the photography part. Rather difficult to take a good photo with an on-board flash. You can see that the front portion is rather well exposed while the back of the cake is under. This is where a second flash would have helped. Next time, if there is a next time, I will just do that. Should not be too difficult for an ad hoc assistant to hold onto the 2nd flash.

More French delicacies

2010-01-22T13:17:00.000+08:00

Too much good food is just great. As promised, a couple more images that I took. I suppose you will have to see the better pictures at a later date, possibly in a book to be published.

Most of the photographers I know say they have no problem with taking good food photographs. I know it is an art as well as a science. To me, taking a very good picture of food needs quite a lot of thought as to the angle, lighting, shadow (do I want it or do I not!), background, arrangement, etc, etc. Well, I am still improving. Lots to learn, lots.

Tuna Bruchetta

Tuna ... oops forgot the name!

Apple ... opps forgot the name too.

Food Photography - sneak peak

2010-01-13T08:32:00.000+08:00

Still shooting, but thought I will share this with you. What a beautiful creation. As always, easy to take beautiful stuff. This has yet to be edited.

Use of flashlight

2010-01-08T13:40:00.000+08:00

Never liked using it. However, it is time I get to like it, especially after listening to Louis Pang's, 'there is no such thing as bad lighting'. Indeed, it is up to us to get used to what is available, and what gadgetry that is available.

Here is a sequence of photographs on the mixing of a Cuban drink, Mojitos. Looks fun, and rather expertly done. Shame that photographs were not so well taken.

- ugly shadows. used bounced flash. ceiling too high. 60 degree angle, still ugly.
- he did not have too much space to move. otherwise, shadows could be reduced if he could have stepped away from the wall.
- another solution would be to use a very fast lens and a very high iso. not with my nikon d300. maybe canon or d700 or d3x

and glasses upon glasses of drinks for us

Same subjects, different angles

2010-01-06T13:28:00.000+08:00

Will be a little mischievious today. Will post a couple of photographs, and let you compare the effect with two photographs taken at the same time. Kiddies, great subjects, but rather challenging.

I found these two to be very effective (maybe because I took the photo's?!!!)

as compared to picture 3 and picture 6 of this webpage (you will have to scroll down the long page). Then again, it is only my opinion, with regards to the fact that the longer angle shots are better.

Nikon Centre - Kuala Lumpur

2010-01-05T13:15:00.000+08:00

This centre, I thought, is only catering to the needs of Nikon camera users.

How wrong can I be.

I received an email from a fellow photographer whose words are, "It looks like both of us (maybe less important persons) who are Nikon users were not invited or sent any emails on this event. Canon users were more important I guess. Check the names of the mails ..... sent to".

This friend was forwarded an email by a Canon user of an invitation sent by Nikon to Canon users (well, almost all those in the list are Canon users). A couple of hours later, we received our invitation.

Anyway, been to the centre. Looks good, feel good, but how can Nikon users benefit from it other than KL folks saving time making their way to Nikon service centre in PJ? Let's wait and see.

David, marketing manager of Nikon giving his speech

Louis giving some demonstration with a live subject.

(quality of photographs not that good 'cos not using Nikon!!!)

Oh sure, I welcome and learned a lot from Louis Pang's talk, "Let there be light". I especially want to share this with photographers - "there are no bad light, or good light". Yes, just how we use the lights that are available, sunlight, tungsten, flash, studio, etc. At the end of the talk, Louis suggested that we take a look at http://www.webshooter.tv/.
Why not, great lessons there. I will therefore not bore you with what I learned at the session...

Back to the invite. You can find all the info here, I hope.

Food, Food, Food

2010-01-04T16:12:00.000+08:00

I was invited by Jaen, an ex-colleague, for dinner at her house on Boxing Day. Lots of good food, but just could not remember the names of these starters, main courses, and desserts.

Anyway, having these pictures on this blog just to touch on the subject of food photography.

As these unedited images taken by a point-and-shoot Panasonic Lumix LX3 shows, they still looks pretty good. So, why bother with professional work taken with professional DSLR's?

Too bad I did not bring the big camera to take shots for comparison. But I will somehow highlight where it would be better to have 2nd and 3rd sources of light so as to paint a better picture of the great dishes.

This looks plain 2 dimensional. Better to have some light at the side and the distracting over-exposed part removed with controlled lighting.

With the other camera, I will probably open up the lens so that those rolls at the rear are 'blurred' more.

If I had taken care to remove the dish in the backgroud, then this would be alright.

Again, could be improved with better lighting

better lighting?

Oops, just off target. My fault.

Portraiture (portfolio's)

2010-01-04T14:02:00.001+08:00

I did a photoshoot in a studio for a very lively and beautiful young girl. She is, fortunately, photogenic as well.

Hope Suraya does not mind my sharing only two images with you. If she does, I will have to remove these images from this blog

Shooting from low angles

2009-12-29T01:01:00.001+08:00

Was on an assignment where there was a lion dance.

Thought I will share this tip - try shooting from very low angle.

Shucks, I have deleted the other image that I meant to post so that you can decide whether it is better to shoot from floor level, eye level, or top-down. Sorry.

Anyway, give this low-angle composition a shot. You may just have a winning shot!

More macro shots - near Lolo Waterfalls, Selangor

2009-12-23T22:31:00.000+08:00

A rather interesting week, that just flew past without much done. Yes, following developments in politics in Malaysia might keep us dumb. No make us dumber if we just try to make sense of what our Ministers say as most of their statements are contradictory to what is actually happening.

Never mind them. I attended a talk by Louis Pang this week at the newly established Nikon Centre in Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur. I understand that this is the first of such center in Malaysia. Well done Nikon!

As soon as I can remember what Louis shared with us, I will blog them. Promise.

Anyway, some macro shots taken near KL. Was there a while back with some Malaysia Nature Society Folks. Did not make it to the waterfalls as the many flora and fauna slowed us down to a snail's pace.

The photographs of the various insects and caterpillars were taken along this trial.

Trip to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island)

2009-12-14T19:48:00.000+08:00

Interesting that this island, off Klang Port (the now infamous money losing PKFZ), is called crab island. Did not see any crab there, but had the chance to see lots of crap underneath and around houses built on stilt.

I was invited to join my friend, Chan, on this excursion organised by the Photographic Society of Petaling Jaya (PSPJ). Cannot remember why I did not want to organise a trip to this island when I was heading the organisation. Guess I had not been inspired on my many trips there. I could only remember cyclists, houses on stilts, mud-skippers, a couple of temples, coffee shops, fishing vessels, and nothing much aside from these.

This trip was probably my best, as there was a chance to see some 'action' shown below:

A fisherman drying salted fishes. Seldom get to see this on a beautiful day.

There are also smaller species being dried.

one way to take the pix

another way to do it!

And this table football machine which I used to spend a lot of time with when I was a student in UK. Why did I not think of making one like this instead of spending lots of money feeding the machine.

Tourist angle

A slightly more personal angle

An angle not many photographers will take from. I like this angle best. Some people will take quite a while to figure out what these objects are.

And the highlight of the day is probably this, taken on the ferry ride back to the mainland:

All the pictures above were taken with my Panasonic LX3.

Sharing

2009-12-09T22:28:00.000+08:00

Since I starting photography in earnest, I find that the more I share, the more I learn, and the better I become.

The past few months had been rather hectic, and I have not been able to share much. My aim is to be able to glean some pointers from experts and share it with you through this blog. I thought this favourite photograph of mine should remind me to share as much as I can.

Here, you can see SM Chan teaching the two ladies to shoot from an angle where most beginners will never think of doing. The result could be the shot that you have always wanted to take but never thought of doing so.

Here's a possible outcome. Have not edited it yet. But I can already see some potential of this shot.

Artistic Nude Model Shoot - Iveta Niklova

2009-11-30T22:37:00.000+08:00

Felt rather apologetic that I did not get an opportunity to update my blog for a couple of days.

Reason is that I organised a model shoot in KL. The model we have, Iveta Niklova who is based in London, is such a brilliant model that taking good shots of her isn'd difficult.

Organising the shoot, getting the right number of photographers for the outdoor shoot, charging just the right amount to cover the expenses, that is tiring. Then again, with such good response, I may just organise another shoot in the not too distant future.

Got to thank my host with regards to the outdoor shoot. Excellent buildings, and fascade. Truly enjoyable in the company of wedding photographers, event photographers, bankers, all great companies. Best to show some pix now/here. Let me share three for now.

'Angels' from Starbucks

2009-11-19T22:42:00.000+08:00

if you come across these people, stop, take a cup of their sampler, and then proceed to buy a decent-size serving! Really, posting this to show how AI works in our life. The top pix was taken with the on-board flash, while the second one was taken using existing light. Not very different. Impressive AI flash.

KL Skyline - 1

2009-11-18T23:11:00.000+08:00

Took some photographs from a condominium near KLCC. The colour of the sky was really dramatic. Just could not resist giving some 'oomph' to the photo (2), using Nikon's proprietary software, ViewNX, with a very surprising result. I love the photo. Rather pleasing to the eyes, in my opinion

photo 1

photo 2

Video vs Still Photography

2009-11-12T23:27:00.000+08:00

I took up an assignment shooting the interiors of a corporation. Was rather worried about the time I will need to carry out the assignment as there are lots of rooms and facilities (plus talents) to take photographs of.

My contact then informed me that we are to take stills at the same time as the video crew. I agreed, without any hesitation. I only thought of not having to use studio lights and that if the client can save money on talents, why not.

Why not indeed. What a nightmare.

My assistant and I were given worse than third class treatment. Come to think about it, the reason why they can be so loud is the number of people they have in their team. Let me recall. They have:

1 Director
2 Creative Directors
1 Director of Photography
1 Director of business something
1 Camera man
1 Camera man's assistance (wire puller)
1 cue card writer / displayer
1 heavy equipment carrier
1 clamshell carrier (the remote screen)
3 assistants (2 ladies and 1 guy)

The photograph shown (intentionally blurred) is of half their team!

Thank goodness my client came to my defence after I protested that I cannot get any good shots if they continue with their bullying. My assistant got lots of flaks although we are always making sure we are not in their way. I was contemplating packing up and let them have their fun. Oh, and guess what. They shot using available lightings. That is not the worse thing. Some shots of theirs took forever. What we could have done in 6 hours, we had to finish in more than 20 hours - most of the time waiting..waiting... Cannot wait to see their video.

Interestingly, I was reading a book on photography today, and the author who shoots lots of wedding photographs, encountered the same problem with some video crews.

The reason I post this - if any of you have an assignment where you have to work with a video crew, make absolutely certain that your client will be firm with the video guys in that they do not ride roughshod over everyone, including the client. Otherwise, you may want to decline taking up the job.

My entries for the BASF Petronas Conscience Camera Award contest

2009-11-11T10:58:00.000+08:00

As promised, these are two of my entries.

An ant holding up an injured ant

A pair of mating butterflies

Results of the Conscience Camera Award - BASF PETRONAS Chemicals

2009-11-07T12:04:00.000+08:00

This year, the theme is “Chemistry in Our Life”.

Photographers must interpret and capture photos that show aspect/s of the theme clearly. Every photograph must have a short caption (in English) clarifying the theme depicted in the photograph.

The prize is good, so I participated. I am happy that my 2 entries were shortlisted, but not happy that I did not take home any money.

Nevertheless, I wonder if a couple of the winning shots answer to the theme. More like 'Chemicals' and not 'Chemistry'!

Here are the winning, and not so winning shots, taken at the exhibition site. Oh dear, having a tough time arranging the photographs. Never mind, I will just label them, rather than arranging the photographs.

Shortlisted - cuties submitted by my buddy, Paul Chan and his kid

Ahh, two of my entries. Guess which 2

Consolation Prize

2 Consolation Prizes

1st Prize

3rd Prize

Another Consolation Prize

The Judges -

2nd Prize

More Consolation Prizes

and more...

and there are a couple more short-listed photographs which I missed out.

Premier Quality Hashish?

2009-11-02T16:37:00.000+08:00

Checked the back of the T-shirt. The one highlighting premier Hashish. No luck. No treasure map leading to the halucinatory world of hashish. For now, Heineken will do.

Prints on Canvas

2009-10-31T12:10:00.000+08:00

Have you ever thought of printing your favourite photographs on canvas? Looks really cool. Cost is very reasonable, approximately RM0.20 per square inch. Our gallery can arrange for these prints if you are interested.

I have a good friend cum client, ordered this picture (yes, this has been processed), of fireworks at putrajaya, Malaysia. Very happy that this photograph is now adorning a wall.

Panning - girl on swing

2009-10-31T11:59:00.000+08:00

I was visiting a friend and saw his daughter, Mel, playing a the swing. Sharing with you a photograph of her, after being absent for a couple of days. Panning this shot with a point and shoot. turns out ok.

If I have the time, I will edit my photographs before posting. Otherwise, they are posted straight off the camera.

Macro shots - two fighting spiders

2009-10-20T16:23:00.000+08:00

Had been really busy finishing a couple of asignments, and that include preparing and sending out invoices. These two hairy spideys provide some relief to the mounting pressure of work.

What you see in the first pictures were two spiders circling each other. Then,

they were locked in battle. Alas, not for long. They scuttled away as soon as this photo was snapped.

I can still remember the days when, as a young boy, we went in search of similar type of spiders. These spiders normally make their nests in between two leaves that were strung together with their webs. Not that difficult to find once we became adept in locating their nests. As in photography, it is not too difficult to find interesting subjects when we are constantly scanning for them.

Anyway, for city folks who do not have the pleasure of growing up in Kampungs, we catch these spiders, place them in matchboxes (the matchboxes of yester years are rather difficult to come by these days), and bring them out to face their foes - another spider that is held in captivity until such 'fights' can be arranged. The good old days...

A great get-away near Bukit Tinggi

2009-10-12T17:50:00.000+08:00

Again, I these pictures will tell more than what I can with thousands of words.

My neighbourhood was invited by this generous family who knows and appreciates the finer things in life. And what a life...! I can only share these few photographs (unedited) here. The rest will soon be uploaded in my website.

The place is great, the companies are great, and the fruits - yummy...

a brook running past the 'resort'

brook / river, taken from another angle

a shed overlooking the river/brook

yes, you guessed it, right outside the washroom

an outdoor jacuzzi

the host opening some durians

melts in your mouth, full flavour

the host and hostess ensuring that we have the best fruits

BMW Superbikes @ Genting

2009-10-09T11:22:00.000+08:00

This is one of the photographs I took at the Genting 4 x 4. Looks much more interesting and exciting than the 4 x 4, in my opinion. But then again, they cost an arm and a leg.

A rich enthusiast

The BMW rider, Ah Boy and the official photographer Ah Heng

Here's Ah Boy showing how to get wet - both bike and rider

If, and when I can find the time, will share with you more images.

A new motorsports religion?

2009-10-06T14:49:00.000+08:00

after kneeling down for a long while, giving his offerings, this monster came to live. raw sound and muscle. a really beautiful monster. Nearby, saw this really sweet girl.

4 x 4 Motorsports at Genting Highlands

2009-10-05T12:33:00.000+08:00

Was in Genting for a small job. While there, took the opportunity to take these photographs. Now I know what 'Big Foot' is. Wonder how the driver handles this monster of a vehicle. What is mind boggling, or should it be ear-shattering, is that I was drawn to this vehicle (in red) about 200 metres away by the sound that emitted from the vehicle. If the driver and/or passenger in the vehicle are not wearing ear plugs when they blast the music, I am pretty sure they will be deaf within a week.

the wheels are as 'tall' as the girl in the pix

Running into our (Malaysia) king and our former prime minister

2009-10-02T23:23:00.000+08:00

Photographs are such wonderful tools. Cleaning up my disk and saw this photo that I took a year ago. It was just like yesterday that I took this shot.

What is interesting is that there are many photographers on the day, and I remember there was one who stood out - literally and physically. He just pushed and shoved to be in front of all of us. I just wonder if he managed to snap one like the above. I guess not, since we have just less than 5 seconds to snap a photo of the king walking towards us, surrounded by his security personnel, and I secured 3 seconds from his majesty.

This image is possible courtesy of Chan Swee Meng. We were there on an assignment and Dr Mahathir was one of the two guests of honour. He was sporting enough to pose for a photo with me. Would love to take a photo with Anwar Ibrahim and his wife. Unfortunately, on the day he was about inches away, my buddies were not with me, and therefore no photographs with him.

Beautiful shadows

2009-10-01T10:01:00.000+08:00

There are a number of photographs of shadows of trains of camels that I really love. Too bad I will not be able to take to the air and take such shots. Then again, ants too, gives great shadows. I particularly like these where the shadows look nicer than the actual thing.

Wedding photography

2009-09-29T08:12:00.000+08:00

Took up an assignment a couple of months ago. The bride and groom are lovely couples, both in look and personality. I am sure you will agree too.

This is the first time I went solo. Started the shoot from about 7am and did not finish until almost midnight, with a couple of hours of rest in the afternoon. I don't think I will ever want to shoot solo again. Most boring, and rather tiring too.

Anyway, just thought I will share a couple of thoughts that another photographer friend shared. In this instance, I gave them a lot more images than they asked for. This should be a no no, as inevitably some not so good shots sneaked through.

Also, there may be some situation where the scene can only be 'covered' using a fish eye lens. That is also a no no, for most people cannot appreciate photographs taken with a fish eye lens. Let it be. If your 17-55mm could not cover the angle, forget it. Or check with your client (if you really want to cover the whole event) if they care about seeing images taken with a fish eye.

Last, but not least, ensure that you edit all photos really well, and discard those that may not make you look good. And good luck!

More photographs of paintings

2009-09-28T12:12:00.000+08:00

Finished another small project. Photographing paintings by Shane Vink. Two of my favourites are as follows:

... and the artist

Assignments - Photographing Paintings

2009-09-22T16:51:00.000+08:00

Just finished a short assignment - photographing paintings. This is rather challenging as the material used is rather reflective. Nothing that cannot be solved with the right positioning of studio lights. Giving you a sneak peak of one of the paintings that will soon be displayed in an art exhibition

Graduation photographs

2009-09-21T03:52:00.000+08:00

They can't wait to get back to class after a gruelling photography session. They did not know that I will subject them to individual 'torture' after the group session!

This had been a very busy week, with three assignments in one week.

I took up this assignment with lots of apprehension - Graduation photographs of children in a kindergarten. I know that it is difficult to take photographs of children, especially when they are in a group. True enough, at different times (wrong timing for us), they are digging their noses, scratching their head, tugging at their gown, looking away from the camera, tilting their heads, bending down, disturbing the one standing next/behind/in front of them, etc.

Thank goodness, the only snag we hit was time. We ran out of time. Because of that, we had to return to the school the next day to complete the shoot. Otherwise, it had been a great experience, and of course I have to thank the headmistress for giving me a chance to do this shoot, knowing that I have not done it before.

Oh, for this assignment, the we include Yip. Great help. Note the makeshift studio.

Candid Photography

2009-09-11T15:33:00.001+08:00

Snapped this shot when I was in a car during a wedding assignment. Sweet, and knowledgeable.

Food Photography - Peranakan @ One Utama

2009-09-10T17:40:00.000+08:00

Took these photographs a couple of months back. A sample of dishes (also called nyonya dishes, I believe) served by the restaurant, Peranakan Restaurant, is as shown.

I tell you, they are good, really good.

Oh, the shop, yes, the shop - you won't miss it.

Asian Geographic Photo Contest - Asia Without Borders

2009-09-06T10:57:00.000+08:00

You might be interested in participating in this contest.

Not me. Somehow, I do not feel comfortable in having to pay to participate.

The making of 'Iron Man', and 'the amateurs'

2009-09-04T00:13:00.000+08:00

Was pointed to Jeff Bridges website while 'surfing'. Wonderful site, and enjoyed the photographs presumably taken by Bridges. Thought you, too, may enjoy his site.

We must remember to document events/activities that we would fondly reminisce as we age.

Should we chase technology?

2009-09-03T17:43:00.001+08:00

Read and re-read this posting by a friend of mine, Albert, in a photography forum, in response to some comments by a newbie. I hope he does not mind my sharing his gems of knowledge.

He said, "Please don't blame your camera if your pictures are not nice. The camera is just a tool and it's up to you to use your tool to get a job well done. Please remember it is the photographer who shoots a picture and not the camera. ... Eye contact is also very important (this is in relation to portraiture) ..."
I cannot agree more, although I am still searching.

As an illustration, these two photographs were taken at about the same time, using different cameras. With the Nikon, I could not get the composition I want. The P&S, slightly better, but the two flowers in the distance could not be 'blurred'.

Nikon D300, 80-200mm F2.8/D lens

Lumix LX3

Image of a Prancing Horse

2009-09-03T01:19:00.000+08:00

A client of mine is looking for an image of a horse with the fore legs raised. I guess something like what we see on a Ferarri. I don't have any, but would be happy to market your image to this client if it is indeed a 'prancing horse'

Aerial Photography

2009-08-30T23:26:00.000+08:00

I was fortunate enough to take on an aerial photography assignment a couple of months ago. It was quite an experience. Having equipped myself with knowledge I gleaned from the internet and books, I went ahead with this assignment.

There are a couple of options that we could have taken. We could mount a camera on a remote controlled aeroplane, or use a hot air balloon, or climb on top of a crane. I ruled these all out as each of these options do not allow us the flexibility of height, angle, and in the case of hot air balloon, time.

The obvious choice was to use a helicopter. Was not easy getting a quote. In fact, it took almost a month for me to obtain a quote and negotiate for the right fees. We had use of a 'squirrel'. We chose a day and hoped that the weather would be good. Pleased to note that my client is very happy with the photographs.

Here are some photographs, unedited. When I can find some spare 'photoshop' time, I will post them later.

invited two buddies, Chan Swee Meng (right) and Yip Tuck Loong (left)

during the shoot, I was allowed to open the helicopter door.

(Photo courtesy of Chan Swee Meng)

did a 'fly past' of the KL Tower. not allowed to keep the door open when the helicopter was moving fast, hence the reflection.

rather pleased with this image of the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers and its surroundings.

Talk by Diana Lui, "Finding Our Identity through Photography"

2009-08-29T13:58:00.000+08:00

I attended a talk this morning on the above subject matter. Glad I went. Most thought provoking. You can actually glean quite a lot from her website, Diana Lui - Artist, Photographer and Film Maker.

What did I get out out of it, that I can share? I will summarise. Do let me know if they are any good to you. Anyway, I am still grappling with the subject.

Camera's that she use - large format, 8 x 10, Hasselblad, point & shoot, DSLR's.

Preferred subject, portraiture, and anything that she can "find without searching".

The message is really just:
- understand your subject / object
- must remember the social content of a photo, and
- must be aware of the environment
- must not let the lack of time to be used as a reason to lose our sense of self
- stay present, and translate your emotions into the pictures you take

Last, but not least, came away with a few big names that I would spend some time on are August Sander, Diane Arbus, William Eagleston, and Ansel Adams.

Snippets of questions some participants asked:
- I take photographs of road signs. people think i am silly. what do you think?
- How does music influence photography?
- Malaysian photographer that you think is v good? Yee I Lan (need to get the spelling right!)

Shots of models

2009-08-27T10:23:00.000+08:00

Took this quite a while ago, using Kaz Chua's Canon flagship camera. Thought this looks pretty good. Bumped into this model, Vanessa Chee, last week. Now a bank officer.

Anyway, just to alert those photographers chasing pixels to be prepared to invest in a fast computer. Otherwise, opening a photograph may take more than 3minutes, not to talk about processing the photo. My pc laboured while I tried to enhance this 25M file. Tough, really tough

Filing images

2009-08-26T16:45:00.000+08:00

There are lots of articles that had been written on filing. I just could not find the time (maybe my procrastinating self just refuse to find the time!) to do a proper filing. The day my pc crash would be the day I regret for the rest of my life why I did not back up my images. etc

Would advise that images are not deleted if they can be archived for review at a later date. I found some photographs that are pretty good that almost met my delete key. Periodic reviews can bring up some interesting photographs. Here's one I took at a Microsoft event. Not well paid, but gain a ton of experience. My partner, however, was less than pleased.

As photographers, we need to be rather flexible. I am, I believe, too flexible, but my partner is just too rigid. In this instance, our client, the event manager asked that we submit the photographs taken in 5 days, as per our quotation. Their client, Microsoft, wanted the images immediately (without us having the opportunity to edit and delete).

We compromised in the end. Gave the images to them 'almost' immediately.

Here's a photo for the memories - seller of PABX system!

BASF-PETRONAS Photography Contest

2009-08-26T16:06:00.000+08:00

This is one good contest to participate in. I especially like the theme that the organiser choses. Almost always about love and sustainability. I guess I will submit some photographs for love's sake.

website: http://www.basf-petronas.com.my/

Signages - Malaysian English (Manglish)

2009-08-25T16:49:00.000+08:00

Tiger Woods not allowed?!

National Wushu Competition in KL

2009-08-24T12:17:00.000+08:00

There was a change in format vis a vis the opening ceremony. No more cultural performances, and no long speeches. Good.

Bad. Was in for a surprise. Dark and nightmarish surprise. Performances (dancing, singing, martial arts, dragon dance) were held in semi-darkness.

As a result, managed to snap tons of blur and very very grainy photographs. Nevertheless, some turned up ok. Not extremely good, but ok.

I guess you guys would probably want to see an image of the singer. Did not find out the name of this pretty lass - taken with my Nikon D300

Photo for sale

2009-08-22T18:33:00.000+08:00

Just printed and framed some photographs for sale at the art gallery I run, Art Loft.

Gallery is located at 1st Floor, Capital Square, Kuala Lumpur (off Jalan Munshi Abdullah).

Need to visit to see these photo's.... Most encouraged today when an Australian artist love those photographs so much that he will share them with his friends and contacts in Australia in the near future.

Which Camera Should I buy?

2009-08-22T13:29:00.000+08:00

I was asked that question yesterday – what camera should I buy?

Well, easy question, but with the many different brands and models that one can find in the market, the answer will have to come from the questioner him/herself.

I am partial to Nikon, and had been using that brand for years. But should I encourage people to buy Nikon? Maybe not. Talking to photographers in Malaysia who share the same experience with me, customer service level in Nikon Malaysia is bad, some say atrocious. Well, I have digressed. Will touch on this subject later.

Back to the question on the camera to buy. I guess the buyer will need to be guided by what he wants to shoot. In the case of the person who asked yesterday, he said ‘Macro’ and ‘Scenery’.

Guess what – I recommended a Lumix LX3 (Point & Shoot). What do you think. Agree with my recommendation?

Sample photo taken with a Lumix, unedited. Quality's really good

First blog

2008-06-26T22:41:00.000+08:00

first post from a newbie blogger. Wonder where this will lead me to ... bigger things? more sharing? want to be able to share and exchange ideas and opinions about photography.