3 (now 4) more posts than last year!

That’s just an excuse to console myself. Lol. Gear is still rather under-utilized. In fact, I find that my needs have changed over the years..

During the days in SYD, all I cared about was speed of operation, AF speed/accuracy and tracking.. all the quality heavy lenses to increase my chances of getting that all essential shot. But today, things have changed.. my 80-200 has set unused for probably the entire year, together with the flash. The tamron has focusing issues, the fisheye also have issues due to wear and tear..

The recent Hanoi trip made me realize this change even more.. I was actually losing opportunities due to the weight and bulk of the gear. This made me re-consider where I am heading in the future. I have always believed that if one can’t take a good picture with a D300, it is the photographer’s fault. True, the camera is pretty darn flawless from a performance point of view. Handles like a dream… provided it’s in your hand when the moment presents itself.. with a suitable lens mounted. Not very likely..

Well.. the takeaway message is.. I am in the process of planning a migration to a smaller system. Most probably the m43 system. (The OMD-EM5 is a very respectable candidate, although the fuji or NEX system cameras are very good too).This would probably take a long while, as I will have to wait for the right gear to appear at the right price. The d300 will not be sold, as it is simply not worth the 2nd hand price, but hard to say about other lenses..

So there! Happy New Year’s Eve!

Hà Nội

Before the trip, I was in no mood to holiday. I haven’t done anything for my research, but was feeling tired all the same. After the trip, I was in no mood for research. What an irony..

Cutting Edge

The lure of cutting edge research brought me to this place. I’m not so sure if research really is cutting edge here, but I’m damn sure they have very good knifes for cutting up brains. Literally.

Obviously not the best place for me.

同来望月人何处？风景依稀似去年。

80mm f1.1 equivalent

Feeling lost in Candyland?

Cream Machine

85mm might be too long for portraits on a DX camera, but it sure is great for melting the backgrounds away.. especially when combined with the Brenizer method.

雕栏玉砌应犹在，只是人心改。。。。

这次北京之旅，让我了解古代皇帝的挥霍，和古人艺术之高超。

You are my sunshine~

A sunny weather is sure to brighten up your day, just like how a sunny person can brighten up my life~

静思

27mm f0.65 equivalent

AFD 50mm F1.8

32mm f0.77 equivalent

Got to try out the auto-focus version of the 50mm, which is the cheapest Nikon lens available. Was originally concerned about the relatively poorer bokeh rendition of the lens compared to the new f1.4 from Sigma, since my primary use would be to create bokeh-ramas.

Masjid at the straits

Masjid Selat, Melaka

If not for the beauty of the sunset, I would probably be screwed for making the rest of my family wait for 1.5hrs doing nothing. The only pity was the lack of foreground elements, as the rocks were covered by the rising tides by the time the sun set, and I had no choice but to re-deploy to higher grounds (See comparison after the break).

时间在流动

Just another shot from this very popular vantage point. 2 minutes exposure. Noise gets kind of disturbing especially in the shadows..

走到最后

Let's end with a bang.

恬静小海湾

It’s been a looooong while.. almost 1 semester since I posted a picture on this blog. Strictly speaking, this picture is too normal.. normal sky, with a foreground that’s hardly a beach. But I just wanted to mark this day. I’ve just submitted my final undergraduate project, and am 1 exam away from getting my first degree. It’s been a long way..

Looking forward to my freedom.. and more photo shoots~

The new Dawn

There are predictions that there will be no 2013, so is this the last picture of the series?

The number of posts on this blog has been dwindling. Just 10 posts this (last) year! Lol. Well.. the number of posts is inversely proportional to my stress level.. So you know the reason..

Probably the most hectic University year so far, each semester having 2 projects to contend with. Even my summer break was spent on internship. And it may just get worse..

Despite the lack of time, I’m glad I’ve learnt 2 new shooting methods. Firstly, the Brenizer method, giving me the ability to create achieve very shallow DOF images without new equipment. Secondly, my “secret sauce”, giving me the ability to make more realistic HDRs like the one you see above. The number of hobbyist photographers have certainly increased this year, as shown in the photo… one must constantly learn new tricks to stay ahead.

All the best in 2012! And STAY ALIVE!