010110

The date is in binary again. Just an observation.

Anyway, I’m back at the same spot, with (almost) the same composition as of 2008. Dunno why i couldn’t find the spot on 2009, but heck. Things have certainly changed, with the casino almost ready, some building behind the statue, and a new double helix bridge on the extreme right.

2009

2008

2007 (Not on Jan 1st)

These photos also show the gradual change in processing techniques I’ve developed over the years. Mind you.. the merlion (and now the IR) is still a tough job to blend with the sky.. but hopefully it’s getting less obvious over the years. 2007 was just disastrous post processing. In 2008, the image was almost 2 stops underexposed (with a GND), while the 2009 one was shot using double graduated filters. This year, I used HDR and some smart object blending. (Maybe in a few years time, there’ll be cameras that can take it all in!)

Somehow, I felt the buildings in Singapore lacked consistency and character. Soul-less towers of glass and steel.. Is it a fad of the 21st century or what? They should rebuilt the merlion with glass and steel to match the theme then…

Due to the countdown last night, the area was barricaded, and this is the closest I can get to the merlion. There also seemed to be a lot more photogs this year. (Last year had the least of all 3), and I had to book my prime spot for this shot.

Ok enough of complaints. Happy new year to my loyal readers! Treasure 2010. You never know how many more years you have ahead….

The last decade…

2010 is imminent. And recent news reviews made me start pondering over wad happened in my life, from 2000 to 2009. Indeed, many things happened, and i was just a sec 1 noob back in 2000. The most memorable events, in chronological order:

1. Introduction to the internet (Singtel magix being the 1st ISP, at 256kbps)
2. O levels
3. Introduction to MSN
4. 1st handphone (which eventually got stolen)
5. 1st personal computer
6. Started writing daily diary entries
7. A levels
8. 1st prosumer digital camera (Panasonic FZ30)
9. National Service (which helped me lose weight significantly)
10. Started taking photography seriously, with the purchase of the Nikon D70
11. The launch of this blog
12. Overseas exercises (including a missile launch)
13. Introduction to SheYingDui (and TXY in general)
14. Acquiring the D300, and several other photographic equipment
15. University (and the lack of) Life
16. Knowing you….

I’ve certainly grown up over the years, but my interpretation of the world around me, and my idea of life, is far from mature. What will happen in the next 10 years? Will I still be alive? Only time will tell… But the last decade have certainly been exciting =)

The end of 2009

“Capturing more than the eyes can see” – That was the theme I set out to achieve in 2009.  Have I achieved it?

Only to a certain extent. I have almost 30% less pictures this year, and that is because i refused to post any pictures that i don’t have strong feelings for. In addition, most feelings are transient - they come and go quickly, and hence are hard to capture when my gear remains in the drybox most of the time. Luckily for me, this year also sees a lot more feelings and emotions, and I’ve managed to illustrate it with a few pictures as and when the opportunity arises. (not many are posted here though)

Photographically, what have I improved? Workflow wise, the greatest change is the switch to adobe lightroom, and shooting entirely in RAW. This allows for a much faster turnover of images, and loads of flexibility in editing.

Gear wise, I have not bought anything for my camera this year! I’ve no temptations to add anything else (perhaps only a prime, or a 2nd flash, or a softbox…oops!). The only major expenditure is the repair for a fallen tele. A lot can be accomplished with my current rig, the bottleneck being my own talent. Somehow, I felt that a good compact would see a lot more use than more DSLR gear. This blog has seen a lot more images from compacts (and even handphone) this year too. Let’s see which company can produce the ideal compact in 2010.

Composition wise, nothing much has changed. I find my composition largely predictable. I may have developed a habit of semi-defishing my images, resulting in uber wide pics like the one above, but I see no breakthrough in the way I see things. Still much room for improvement!

Merry Xmas to all

Christmas (and New Year) may be holidays, but I don’t really look forward to them most of the time. They signal the imminent end of school holidays, and reminds me that it’s time to tidy up my stuff and prepare for another semester of mugging.

To my dear friends who celebrate Christmas, happy (belated) Christmas Day!

Special thanks to you for making this Christmas a different one =)

乱走

Somehow this year’s orchard walkabout pic is also in duo-tone. I guess I’m not someone attracted to the glitters and colours of Christmas decorations…

New toy

Apparently my E65’s camera didn’t have much chance to serve me. Hope it’s replacement will get more chance to see the light. It has proven to be able to resolve more detail and have a surprisingly acceptable dynamic range too. Meet my new… E72!

Exams are over, and my new hobby is to write some code for my new toy. Symbian anyone?

Are you ready for the storm?

The storm of the semester is here! Are you up to it yet?

Click on if you are a techie..

Although Singapore have a very high occurrence of lightning storms, it’s still a rare chance to get to photograph one conveniently. Firstly, the storm took place quite a distance from my house, so it wasn’t raining at my place, allowing me to open my window wide and plant my tripod without worrying about getting wet. Secondly, the timing was just right, not too dark, yet dark enough for a long exposure of 40+ seconds (on bulb, iso200, f/16). Thirdly… the bolts came huge and fast!

Nonetheless.. the above was a merge of 3 exposures in photoshop. The file ended up over 500mb (16 bit Tiffs) and almost crashed my com. Damned.. I need an SSD and more RAM!

Ricoh GXR? Hmm…..

This is a rant post. Ranting is a side effect of mugging… Got a few minutes to spare?

Innovation is good. I applaud Ricoh’s bold new move to come up with the GXR. Go google if you don’t know what’s special in this camera. But basically it is a system of interchangeable lens+sensor, (instead of lens only). Yea.. so for USD500+ you buy yourself a body without a lens and sensor.

Advantage?

• A different sensor for a different application. Low light? An APS-C sensor and a fast prime (and you lose some compactness). Street? A 1/1.7 inch sensor with a useful 24-70 (which is similar in size to a G11) Travel? Probably an even smaller sensor, but a 10x zoom…
• Still get to shoot RAW, and the same amount of control, regardless of the modules used

Disadvantage?

• $$$. Close to USD450 for the 24-70 module, and USD800++ for the prime module. Together with the body, i might as well get a 35mm 1.8 (for my D300) and an LX3 for street use (only about SGD1K)
• I have doubts that Ricoh will remain loyal to this product, and make more modules for it in the future

(The list will be populated with more pros and cons as and when I thought about them)

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll probably guess that I’m one of those waiting for a perfect point and shoot. I already have a pretty good DSLR system so I know what to bring if I want real speed and quality. I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of those for something more compact and portable and less flexible, yet still produce decent images with good controls. (and at least 24mm wide coz I’m a wide junky)

How can Ricoh tempt me with this product? Make it affordable, and comparable to alternatives. Something like SGD300 body, with <SGD500 lens modules is what I’ll consider reasonable. Otherwise one might as well buy new compacts as an when better options are available, as there isn’t any incentive to remain loyal to a camera body. And keep the size down… I will wait for a year after release and see how successful this concept will turn out to be…

Ok.. back to work..

It’s that time of the year again…

The stress… the gloom… the deadlines…

Good luck my friends! The sun is still shining beyond the clouds!

=)

What is a camera?

Isn't it frustrating every time when one sees a nice scene, and realizing that you don’t have a “camera” with you?

To me, a camera used to be something that shoots in RAW, has manual controls, responds quickly and produces decent detail up to iso 800 (for compacts), or iso 3200 (for dSLR). The problem is that while I have one that meets these requirements, it pulls my pants down if I force it to go into my pocket.

Well.. the heavy rain in the late morning today created such a different atmosphere, I was beginning to regret not bringing a “camera” with me. So I whipped out my handphone and for the first time (i think) i started using the camera function.

Whitebalance? Atrociously green. Responsiveness? Lag like siao. Noise? Plenty…

But when converted to monochrome… I thought this was a great representation to what I felt and saw at the moment…

So.. what is a camera?

How many sunrises have I passed sleeping?

I shouldn’t dread waking up early in the morning for school.. seeing how much there is to enjoy by waking up just 1 hour earlier than usual, and how much more enjoyable the walk to school seemed to be, with someone to talk to..

Ok now back to work =)

Wednesday…

无言

Sitting under the deep blue sky, watching the clouds roll by… singing to myself, and dreaming of yesterday…

Light you don’t normally see…

Finally gotten around to do some IR pictures. Shot this handheld while on the way to school. It takes quite a bit of estimation to compose this picture, as you can’t see through the R72 filter.

I admit this picture has nothing special, but i missed the IR tonality…

Nice blue skies today!

So happening, yet so boring…

 

MAF again. The bigger the crowd, the lonelier you feel. Is there any point left in going back?

有阳光，有流水，还有微风吹 ……

 Wanted a brighter and more cheerful picture to better depict my mood for that day…

When placed strategically, texts can make an otherwise mediocre picture look polished, giving it an additional point of interest, and helping to balance the elements in the scene. I personally refrain from adding them as it will make me lazy with my composition. (with the exception of photos taken from assignments)

Not in this case though.. coz I really wanted to use this picture.

5 exposure HDR (photomatix) + manual blending + slight-defishing

To watch a Sunrise…

It’s a race against time.. to see who reaches the spot first… the sun or you.

It’s a bet against nature, your precious (and most comfortable) hours in bed, in exchange for a show that is unknown and unpredictable.

It’s test of endurance, to move around with no food in your stomach, but a sole purpose in your mind.

It’s a lesson on determination, to learn not to despair should you come back with nothing.

It’s an appreciation of life.

In summary.. it’s a great way to start the day with you =)

天生我材必有用

Slow… Small… Vegetarian… Born loser?

I don’t think so…

嗡嗡嗡。。。

Insects are amazing… especially flying insects. The control involved in keeping such a lightweight frame aloft, to be able to react with such accuracy and agility… all packed into a processor measured in terms of millimeters… from an engineering point of view, the technology involved is simply incredible. It is humbling to know how backward human knowledge is compared to the power of nature.

First time using a dedicated macro lens (a borrowed sigma 150mm F2.8). It’s great to have AF, as it helps to save time when shooting subjects that vary their distance quickly. (and i can MF by just grabbing the ring to fine tune the focus) A great lens with beautiful bokeh, but I doubt I have the budget and time for macro anytime soon…

Sunshine

Never have I wanted a day to be sunny so badly…

And I’m glad my wish was granted yesterday =)

一个风和日丽的下午。。。

灿烂的阳光，灿烂的笑容，灿烂的你 =)

For high levels of detail, only my D300 is up to the job. With a very light anti-aliasing filter and proper processing in raw, together with a quality lens at optimum settings, not only can I count the number of kites in the sky, but also the lines attached to each kite too.

I’d love to see a compact that can deliver similar amounts of detail… the closest currently is probably the G10, but still not close enough…

Far far away…

Will we get there?

Third consecutive image taken by a compact. The convenience is tempting… my D300 must have been jealous.

This shot isn’t taken by me.

Update on 200809: It seems that Canon has finally woken up from it’s Megapixel dream, and recently released 2 比较像样的 compacts – G11 and S90. Both shoot RAW (yea!), and I’m enticed by the articulating LCD on the G11 (it’s damn useful.. not a gimmick at all), but none of them goes wider than 28mm (and offer uncropped 3:2/16:9 outputs). I love wide-angles.. and am hoping Panasonic would finally release something that’ll make me part with my mula…

花香

花，有永久不谢的吗？只要是真的花，开得再灿烂，再芬芳，都有它凋谢的一天。它的存在只是为了完成更大的任务，任务一旦完成，它也就失去意义了。

人生也不过如此。

人有生、老、病、死。物有成、筑、坏、空，这是自然的循环理，没有必要执著于某个阶段。事来则应，事去则尽。只有这样才能达到逍遥自在的心境。

no more emo =)

The lure of compacts

There have been interesting development in the camera arena these days. The most interesting being micro 4/3rd camera systems (especially the Olympus EP-1 and the rumoured Panasonic GF-1). These systems serve to bridge the gap between the versatility and image quality of DSLRs, and the portability and stealth of compact cameras. Another interesting development being the back illuminated CMOS (by Sony). This technology potentially brings high ISO capability of compacts closer to entry level dSLRs. Ok I’m going to rant now… don’t blame me if you fall asleep.

I’ve never seen a compact with image quality that is as good as a dSLR. Can’t really stand the smudgy foliage and noisy shadows (especially after using the tokina 11-16). However, I have to admit that the portability and stealth of compacts cannot be underestimated. I tried bringing my family camera (TZ-3) around for a few days with no aim in mind, and whenever I spot an opportunity, I’m genuinely glad I have a camera with me to capture the moment. Some opportunities are just 可遇不可求, and the D300 system (even with my changeup) isn’t a viable setup to bring along everywhere i go.

But the TZ-3 is just so… dumb. It is fully automatic, meaning I can hardly tell it what i want. It is also very noisy, meaning no photos between 7pm – 8am. While it is frustrating to not have a camera when an opportunity arises, it is as frustrating (if not more) to be unable to create a picture you envisioned, simply because your camera is stupid. =P Ok.. i’m just psycho-ing myself that I need a “clever” compact.

For a moment i’m genuinely interested in a micro-4/3rds system like the EP-1. It will be even more tempting if Panasonic managed to get everything right in the GF-1 (better focusing, built in flash). However, this is a system.. meaning additional lens/accessories to go with the body. Probably cost a bomb (i’m thinking of the 7-14 f/4), and i still have to decide on lenses to bring out everyday. Kind-of defeats the purpose.

For compacts, the only one that caught my eye currently is the Panasonic LX-3. Small enough, wide enough, probably just fast enough. But not cheap enough. (still $700!!) The image quality, while best among compacts, is still far from good (max iso 400 for me). But at least it shoots RAW, and has an excellent Dynamic BnW function. Also has a hot-shoe where i can jam my SB-800 on for shooting indoors. Hmm…

For now, I shall wait. I foresee a dramatic improvement in image quality among compacts, should the back illuminated technology becomes more widespread. (and iso 800 becomes usable). I just want:

1. Ability to shoot RAW
2. Wide and fast lenses (24mm f/2 is at least)
3. Clean and detailed IQ at base ISO
4. Usable iso800
5. A dynamic range as good as Fuji’s F200EXR
6. Fully Manual functions
7. Almost pocketable in size
8. <$600 price tag

I can dream.. can’t I?

What would my world be without you?

a NEED, not a WANT.

Seeing Light

Taken by a compact. Converted to black and white because the WB was off. Nevertheless, the noise was already rearing it’s ugly head at iso160.

But then again.. the mood was there… and a compact is user-friendly enough for others to take a portrait of yourself.

Compacts… better than nothing.

Stephanie Sun @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

Crammed pit, high stage, crazy contrasty lighting, dangerously close pyrotechnics… do u even expect me to shoot?

Most pictures here have gone through some pretty shameless post processing work. If i shot such concerts for a living the D3 is a necessity, not a luxury. There isn’t enough highlight headroom at iso2000 on the D300, and the noise is getting pretty intrusive.

Waited an hour before the concert began.. WTH. Seeing how the arena was arranged i sort-of knew what’s to come… 7 of us photogs were sandwiched between 2 huge video cams. I’m in for a rough time.

The high (taller than me) stage meant that full body shots were almost impossible. The “extra” dancers were also always around her, thinking that they were some multi-coated high transparency glass. Gits…

As we shoved and stack over one another in a bid to get a few bread-and-butter shots, they decided to give us a little treat by blasting some pyrotechnics aimed dangerously low below the waistline… Everything happened so fast there wasn’t time to dodge. In the end all of us looked like clowns in golden feathers. I know my outfit isn’t as fancy as yours… but at least respect my choice ok?

Talk about finale…

学...

6 lengthy days. 6 sleepless nights. 44gb of pictures. Countless thoughts. What have I learnt? What have I understood?

Learning is a slow and on-going process. The same applies to the CAM3500DX focusing on my D300. The same applies to shooting a table tennis competition. The same applies to things in life.

Different players have different habits, different playing tactics, different reactions when they win/lose, and love to face different directions. Observe. Study carefully, and only then can one get the better pictures. Don't rush.

While the focus tracking on the D300 is certainly very good, it has many limitations too. The point you first focus on is very important. It will affect how the camera will track the subject subsequently. Depending on situations, one might have to turn on the focus lock-on so that it doesn't get distracted so easily. I personally find dynamic 51pt autofocus, with lock-on set to "normal" tends to be most suitable.

Same goes for life. 出发点要对. Have a strong purpose and clear goal in life. Without it, it's easy to lose your way...

Do not fret when you miss a picture. Chances are you'll miss even more while fretting.

Stamina is crucial, one must be prepared for the long run. Know when to rest. Know how to work out with your team to optimise the effort you put in. Know where each other are, so you don't duplicate/block each other.

Mutual trust is important.

Everyday is a learning experience.

A bouquet of bokeh

If you thought fisheyes are incapable of producing proper bokeh, think again....

If you thought small roadside flowers are not worth a second look, think again...

If you thought fisheyes are not for small objects... look above.

If you don't try, will you ever know?

太阳永远是光明的

只要能突破乌云，定能重见天日 =)

Yupz another view from my window (ok along the corridor above, but close enough). I'd probably be able to compile a whole series of "through my window" photos one day... and hopefully increase the property value of this flat. Hehe!

What's to come?

A blur, a winding path, an imminent storm behind me. At high-speed i ride unguided and in unknown territory... will I fall? Will I be injured? Either way, please don't let me hurt anyone ahead.

One thing is for sure though - It's thrilling =)

Hand in hand at 64.2m above sea level

It'll take loads of creativity to come up with something original about the Henderson Waves after looking it up on Flickr. While I can't claim this angle to be unique, i tried my best to include some human elements. I realised my PJ exposure over the years have seriously influenced how i see, compose, and wait for the right moment, and i'm glad it did.

F = (mv^2)/r

7 exposure HDR, processed in photomatix and lightroom

This place has many photographic opportunities unexplored. I'll make it a point to return again, before it becomes too cliche.

Inspiration needed

It’s been REALLY long since i posted the previous entry. Sad to say that’s because I haven’t got any satisfactory pictures to post. Realized that i can only shoot when given specific subjects and instructions.. goes to show how creative one can get after months of mugging.

This picture above is posted just because there’s something which i can crap about.

No, it’s not because they are celebrities… although this is the first time i get to pose them (and i have to admit feeling stressed, afraid that i might not produce photos worthy of their looks). It’s a relief i managed to squeeze out a few pics within a standard lounge full of nasty incandescent fixtures.

The saviour – my trusty “magix” envelope. Strapped to the flash was a 1/2 CTO that matched the incandescent ambient quite well, and by setting the WB to 3300K the light from the windows were rendered a very pleasant tinge of blue. The final ingredient was a full horizontal blast of flash instead of the usual top-down, which never fails to kick in some depth.

The good thing about celebs is that they obviously know how to pose, and are usually blessed with beautiful smiles. I regret not coming up with something more demanding… must have appeared a noob to be satisfied with such simple poses. Should have tried to prolong the shoot as well, coz it’s not everyday i get pretty faces smiling at me (ignore the camera in between).

Ice Age

"Erm, we'd need to take photos of your product" is equivalent to "Serve me one of those for free!"

The power of the SPH identity pass. click on for more ->

We said the above to 4 different shop owners selling 雪花冰, and they happily complied (who could resist free advertising). The problem is, it's ice. 10 bowls full of ice. All in a day's work. 8 hours to be precise. Must have broken some record.

Despite the variety flavours, all of them are cold. Empty stomachs don't like cold food. But out of politeness (and maybe greed), we (3 of us) still managed to stuff all the desserts down our throats. The last 2 bowls were especially huge, and despite being very tasty, we had a hard time finishing it. I wonder what other customers might be thinking, seeing the 3 of us dying in front of tasty (and expensive) food. Siao.

No more 雪花冰 for the next few months

It turns out that this looked better

This was made using Photomatix 3 (together with Lightroom). I was getting a little lazy to blend the exposures manually, and it turns out that the software is capable of some pretty nice results. I personally find this better than the one below (composition and colour wise), although it might be a bit overkill with so many sunset+water+boat pics these days. I should just remove the previous post.

My first Panaromic HDR

On second looks, it doesn't even look like a panaromic image. But hey... 15 images, and some serious computing power were used in its creation. One day I'll lay my hands on that CS4 64bit. My HDD must be feeling damn angry that there's 1gb of ram slacking away while it is forced to thrash about.

I waded into the water for this shot, ankle deep in soft, greyish mud. It's low tide these days, so I hope not to waste the opportunity to get more shots like these. I'll be back!

When the cold wind blows...

Today is not so sunny after all. Another day... perhaps.

Went for a walk in the park after the heavy rain, and found yet another casualty.

When time permits...

For the sake of blog revival, i'm posting this far from perfect picture. 

After a long day staring at 2 screens of codes, it's a relief to have a beautiful sunset. Sunset these days are very colourful, and I will try to go for more pictures if time permits.

Now... back to coding.

Wake up dude... it's all over!

The exams will be upon me in 2 weeks, projects due in days, a mountain of tutorials to clear, yet i'm still dazed and drugged by the endless new year goodies (enough to make me fat for another lifetime.) 

WAKE UP AS***OLE!

Yet ironically i aborted my tutorial to go downstairs just to shoot this picture. 

Romance of the trailers...

Erm other than the theme, i don't find anything really interesting in this pic though... Must be a bit desperate for photos...

Surprise surprise

Sorry.. still no photos to show. Haven't been photographically active these days, which is a sad case since my poor gear are left at home, depreciating.

Damn. Now to the topic of the day.

The latest announcement by Nikon caught my attention. AF-S 35mm f1.8 DX. This is one sweet little lens which sits nicely at the lower rung of the product line, finally giving budget conscious users a chance to explore low light photography. A very smart and well placed product. I'm tempted.

Always wanted a cheap "normal" prime. The options before this were the sigma 30mm f1.4 (500++) or the nikkor 35mm f2 (350++). Decided against the sigma due to quality control issues (and lack of AF fine tune), and the nikkor isn't as sharp at F2. While this new f1.8 isn't that much better, if it's cheap enough (200+) and sharp enough, it'll probably earn a place in my bag.

All the slamming about it being a DX lens are probably rants by loaded chaps who don't mind paying 1k+ for a 35mm f1.4. Give us more cheap primes nikon. Save the FFs for when my pictures are worth more than my equipment.

CNY sans photography

I can't believe this. The only pictures i've taken on this trip are group shots and candids. Ok i did a mini walkabout (20 mins?) once, but that's about it. This is gonna be a rant post...

This trip's main purpose isn't photography. It's about talking to relatives and getting fat. Yeah it's a very rare chance to celebrate CNY with my relatives. (the last time i did this my brain wasn't even working). The schedule was tight, as i had to travel to many places to meet people i didn't know existed.

Generally there weren't any cny decorations put up in public. (hey it's Kelantan) Firecrackers were banned, though i'm surprised nobody tried to smuggle them in from the Thai border. 

There was a moment of great opportunity though... we were stopped on the road by a bunch of cows crossing. Damn i was behind the wheel, otherwise those cows would find their portraits on my blog.

The camera ended up making loads of group photos. Boring 1-2-3-cheese stuff. Some relatives volunteered to be my model, perhaps trying to flaunt their new clothes. Didn't turn out too bad, but those are too personal to post online. If i get to go back again i'll make sure i bring more flash and strobist stuff.

But photography isn't everything... 

A season of crowd, food, and perhaps... happiness?

It's a season of traditions and supersitions. While some are good to have (ang baos hehe), some are really troublesome (spring cleaning and buying new clothes). Luckily I have a set of new year clothes that are set aside for new years. That said, I'm looking forward to this new year though, because....

To all my dear friends and readers, I shall not be in SG from 22nd to 29th (inclusive). I will finally have the chance to experience CNY with my extended family members back in Msia. While this means i'll be meeting many people for the first time, I should also be able to document CNY celebrated in a different country, in a place where Chinese are not the majority. And that sounds exciting!

This is a rare publicity post

Have a strong interest in photography and photojournalism? Young, energetic and keen to put that newly bought DLSR to good use? Want to see your pictures published in a nationwide newspaper? Yes the student wing of photojournalists 《联合早报学生通讯员摄影队》(SYD in short) will be recruiting new members soon. Click on if you are interested...

SYD main site: TXYSYD

Description in short
We are a group of young people (mostly students) that provide photographic support to newspapers like lianhezaobao and friday weekly (now known as zbComma 逗号) Apart from assignments for the papers, our activities include training, photo outings and talks (from and not restricted to the pro PJ's at SPH) as well as welfare gatherings. We are also recognized by ministry of education as an external CCA (you get 1 participation pt per year if u need it).

Our assignments do not include accidents/natural disasters/papparazzi.

As part of 联合早报学生通讯员 we will also get to mingle and join in the fun with the writers, editors and comic artists in the organisation.

What can you gain?
Experience! This is the one most valuable asset you could gain as nobody can steal from you =) If you've read through my "experiences" tagged post you should have an idea of the variety of assignments we take on. Seeing your pictures published in major newspaper will be a definite boost to your portfolio (and maybe ego/bragging rights lol) Members who are less experienced can pick up useful photography skills and tips through our training sessions. Don't worry if you feel like a tech dummy. We are not a bunch of techies lusting and racing after the latest and greatest equipment. Our activites aim to develop your photograhic instincts, not fill up your drybox.

But do note that as we receive very minimum funding from SPH, we have no pooled equipment at the moment. Members should preferably own a DSLR if they intend to go on assignments, or at least be prepared to buy one. (We will certainly teach you how to appreciate and milk it for what it's worth)

What you should not be expecting to gain?
Money. You will not get rich from assignments. Yes you do get paid for pictures published but they are nowhere near what commercial wedding/dnd/fashion photogs are getting. But you stand to gain credentials and portfolio that should help greatly if you intend to work in this field in the future.

Who are we looking for?

Passionate young photographers (preferably below 18) who are willing to learn, share and have fun. If you want to join and is above 18 (but still a student/NS/Uni), there is no restriction but be prepared to work in an environment of teenagers.

Interested to join?

Keep a lookout for our recruitment articles in zbComma, and follow the instructions inside. Also, feel free to email your name and contact to sheyingdui@gmail.com so we will take note of you =) We will then contact you to come down for a recruitment briefing and interview.

A year in review: 2008

Due to some stupid eye injury, i spent the last 2 days thinking and sleeping (what else can one do with his eyes closed?) My right eye still shows a blur mess, but at least it can open without feeling pain now. This post isn't going to have any pictures, so click on if u are interested in rants...

Remembering the moment when I first created this blog, the title was "shoot first, think later". That was my first phase in photography, to work out my techniques and familiarize myself with this hobby. It wasn't long before I grew out of that stage, looking out for unique angles, more details and trying to present them from a visually pleasing angle. Realizing the change, I renamed my blog to what it is now - "art from ordinary".

My works in 2008 more or less remains within the above description. I've added quite a lot of new gear, and they all serve to create more opportunities and angles for me to explore. While the quantity of the keepers improved substantially, have the quality improved?

To a certain extent, yes. There are images that were not even possible to create without the new stuff. I'm now able to shoot faster, longer, in less light and with less noise. But I'm afraid that is where it all ends. As I was browsing through past works, I was surprised at the lack of satisfaction I could derive from them. Most of the pictures could only relate what I saw, but not what I felt. Anyone with the same equipment and skill standing at the same location would have been able to create the same image. The human touch is lacking. There is no soul. This may all be stemmed from the lack of purpose when I made the images. And this is where I will work towards in the new year:

Capturing more than what the eyes can see.

Same place, same time, 365 days later

And the problem is, i like last year's composition better! Read on for some new year rants...

It's new years day. Are you happy? If you are, i don't need to wish you anything, and if you aren't, i suppose my wishes wouldn't be significant either.

The marina bay is going through some major changes, and i thought it would be cool to photograph the first sunrise of every year at this same spot. I'm only into my 2nd year, but i intend to make this a yearly affair, rain or shine. It's a symbolic spot, and a symbolic event. Hopefully the merlion will remain standing as long as the sun rises.