Getting to know you

It is indeed a beautiful moment. Two people of different backgrounds, upbringing, habits coming together... it's all about understanding, compromising, complementing one another.

Some of it applies to me and my Tamron too. I forced myself to bring only this lens to the wedding, just so that I can better understand the strengths and limitations of this optic. It will take some time before I can fully exploit its capabilities.

Only when the camera and photographer fuses as one body can one fully concentrate in capturing the soul.

Thank you Mrs Phee for granting permission to publish this photo here

Today I wiped all the walls

...now I'm tempted to clean the toilets

New year goodies #1 - Tamron 17-50mm

New year goodies should come in red, but mine will all be black. Ok, with a bit of gold, and the one with a bit of red will arrive... soon?

For a start, my goodies should come in 2 parts. (hint hint) This is the first major upgrade - the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II Aspherical IF. Try saying that in one breath. This is the one lens that will take over my kit, and it's my 2nd lens capable of an f2.8 throughout.

There are many people looking to upgrade their kit lens, and being just 300 bucks more, one should certainly consider this lens as an option. So just how big is the improvement? When I took the first picture with this lens, I was stunned. Despite the picture being taken indoors (in the shop) without flash, the colour rendition was punchy and bright. Why couldn't i get the same picture with other lenses? I shot it at iso400.

It is only when one uses a fast lens that he realizes the advantage. No matter how great your body's high iso capability is, it is no substitute for fast glass. The subject isolation, OOF highlight rendition, it's simply one level up. For the price of SGD600, there is just no contest. Nikon's very own 17-55mm is at least 3.5 times the price for the slight improvement in optical quality. For a cheapskate like me, that lens is simply out of the question.

Reviewers like to say how much inferior the built of the lens is, compared to the rest of the competition. I'd say it's rubbish. One shouldn't compare a 600 dollar lens to a 2k+ Nikon, or a 800+ Tokina. I can break 3 tamrons before I actually match the loss of a Nikon. That is almost a 9 year warranty! (18 years, if you are in USA) Compared to a tokina 16-50, this is simply the sharper lens. You are trading image quality for build. Coming from the kit 18-70, I'd say this lens feels more solid. There is no wobble in the extension cam, unlike the shaky twin cam design of the kit. The thick rubber zoom ring has a nice tension when turned, and the focus ring is pretty damped. It is quite comparable in built to a Canon 17-85 imho, and I'm not at all worried about using this lens on my assignments.

Next, is the focus. For Nikon users, we are in luck. (Sony guys too) Tamron's own micro-motor for canon is just squeaky and slow. On my d70, I am hard pressed to find any difference between this lens and my kit. Sure it is less silent, and the moving focus ring might annoy some, but I have no complains. Hopefully, it is even more responsive on a d300 (another hint hint). Of course, these are just first impressions as i have yet to drive it hard on assignment.

Image quality is stellar for the price. I tested it extensively in the shop, bringing my laptop to view pictures at 100%. This made in Japan set has no TTL-BL overexposure syndrome, and is tack sharp, even at f2.8. No front, back focus problems too.

My remorse for selling my kit lens is pretty much gone when I tested this lens. I believe it shall be one hell of a companion in the days to come.

Goodbye to you my beloved

Dear Kit lens,

Being my first lens, you are very special and lucky. You accompanied me on many occasions, and even shot a wedding all by yourself back in 2006. Your versatile zoom range and light weight made you the choice lens for "one-lens" walkabouts. Your IR capability also opened up a new realm of photographic opportunities, enabling the creation of some extraordinary photographs. You took the most holiday, landscape, walkabout and huixun photos to date.

Unfortunately, you took the most abuse as well. Your over ambitious owner wanted to create professional results from amateur equipment, and subjected you to a professional level of torture. I often had no time properly settle you in the bag, not to mention putting on your cap. You had to brave sand and rain, conditions that were challenging even for your better built counterparts. Eventually, you fell ill with a stuck zoom. The lens doctor say you have a screw lose, and I had to pay for your medical bill. You were also said to have a weak motor, and is not fit for heavy duty anymore.

I'm sorry I had to sell you away. Blame me for being heartless, or even cruel, but I was afraid you could not take the stress and might just break down one day. I am also greedy, hoping to find a sharper, faster lens for my PJ work. I put my job ahead of your welfare. I apologize.

Hopefully, your new owner will not torture you so much, and you would have a better life ahead. During the 17 months under my ownership, you have given me an amazing collection of pictures that I will treasure for ever. I will miss you.

Your step-owner,
manpacker

眼花缭乱

Honestly speaking, I'm don't like the mood of CNY. It just makes me chaotic, heated and dizzy. The loud crackers and music, the huge crowds and the raw, saturated reds just makes me anything but happy.

CNY also means spring cleaning, and there's no excuse for me to not do anything. Sheesh...

I can't imagine how I will feel glad about CNY the day I stop receiving ang baos.

One for the family

Panasonic TZ-3, 1 torchlight, 20 sec exposure

No one in the family wants to use my d70. I decided to recommend this cam instead. Easy to use, with a super versatile 28-280mm lens and true 16:9 aspect ratio, it is very fun to shoot with. But image quality.... is quite a disappointment. One must really understand the behavior of the camera in order to bring out its true potential.

I'm exploring the techniques of light painting. It is free (provided you own a camera and torch light), and fun.

那一刻的惆怅

On the way to commit the same mistake again?

"A good carpenter never blames his tools"

This is a phrase I really hope to believe in. 3 years ago, my dad was on the verge of upgrading our 2nd hand, 20+ year old piano. I told him to wait, despite knowing that there would definitely be an improvement if we upgraded. Beethoven learnt on a piano found from a junk yard. So why couldn't I carry on with the old one? A new piano would cost in excess of 8k, and that is a hideous sum of money, for a piece of instrument that has only one application.

In the end I stopped my lessons due to NS, and have yet to consider carrying on now that I ORDed. I thought it was lucky that we did not upgrade. But on hindsights, should the piano in the living room be a brand new one, I would have forced myself to carry on.

Today, I'm in the same dilemma again. My d70 has contracted terminal illness, and wouldn't be worth repairing due to high costs. I've decided to wait... just carry on using it till it breaks into pieces, despite knowing that much more powerful cameras are available. Award winning photographs were made with even older cameras, why should I upgrade? 2.6k for an instrument that only shoots photographs is an enormous sum too.

The future for my photography seems bleak. In half a years time I'll be in uni, and might not have the luxury of time to shoot much. I can still stay on in 摄影队，but I've not seen any uni students still shooting as a student photojournalist.

Will this hobby just die out on me? I'm beginning to see myself as a guy who cannot sustain interests. Everything is just 三分钟热度. I despise myself...

Shit.

These are the few of my favourite things

My current obsessions - square crop, infrared, frames. Shot this photo while walking back to the car from the merlion sunrise. The lush and tall trees made me want to frame everything up, and then i saw this building. It was framed so delicately by the trees around me I forced myself to setup the already stowed tripod for this shot. The IR tones further enhances the British flavour of the colonial building. It is a picture which I derived most pleasure in post processing. Finally, the square crop just made it perfect.

It would have been a little better, if the vegetation on the left were a little thicker... but this is already good enough. 知足常乐嘛！

Peaceful, Easy feeling

The first sunrise of 2008

There are many ways to celebrate new year's day. Some people like to stay up late into the night, partying, counting down and partying again, trying their best to out-scream each other as the clock strikes twelve with the fireworks booming in the background... Only to wake up late with a splitting headache and finding your ass toasted by the sun.

Some others, being lazy, may prefer to stay at home with family and friends, watch the countdown from TV, then send out a few generic SMSs and then sleep... like any other day.

Being solitary (or anti-social), I don't really enjoy crowded places. I wanted to do something meaningful, something that will make today worth remembering. Ideally something photographic as well. I decided to catch the first rays of sunlight.

And bring back this symbolic picture.

With this, I officially start year 2008.

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On a side note, I made my very first solo drive down for this picture. With the streets empty and the air cool and refreshing, it was a truly sensational journey. The experience itself was worth the trip =)

o.O Believe in your eyes

Yes, your eyes ain't lying. That's me in the pic.

Only 0.1% of the pictures I've taken has got me in it. This is not surprising. Not only am I very un-photogenic, as a photographer I have high expectations of how I should look in a pic. My camera isn't exactly passers-by friendly too.

It's a new year, and my 1 year old avatar should retire liao. While waiting for the sun to set, I got my other un-photogenic friend to help me make a new avatar. We tried out a cross-lighting technique picked up from strobist, and it worked like a charm. But sadly, the subject was not very glam to begin with... but heck. I need a new avatar.