Obligatory Post on Jan 1st

Puking late this year?

It's the time of the year again, where I feel obliged to update this blog. And it's pretty much the same scene again: Gloomy morning with no colours. There is a twist though.. the Merlion decided to hold it's vomit till much later, allowing me to catch the tranquil MBS reflections otherwise messed up by the fountain.

So.. speaking of reflections.. what are my thoughts on photography in 2015?

Yosemite Valley

Glimmer of hope

It was a rather last minute decision.. as I found myself suddenly having an extra 3 days to spare in California. Decided to go to the Mecca of landscape photographers - Yosemite Valley.

Yes it may be an overly photographed place, but it still never fails to impress. I knew it would be foolish to expect a picture that is comparable to those of grand masters, so I just visited the famous spots as much as my two legs could take me. 

Note to self: Rent a car next time I visit this place.

Autumn in Pittsburg

Lighthouse at Lake Erie

Definitely one of the more memorable moments of the year, I found myself visiting Pittsburg in October. Loved the cool weather and autumn colours. 

Jonathan Run falls, Ohiopyle 

Also learnt more about the characteristics of the Em10 and the different lenses, just in time for the highlight of my trip in the States - Yosemite National Park.

Taiwan Part 2

Finally!

Little did I expect to find myself in Taiwan yet again in November. This is my 4th time in Taiwan, yet there's still much more to explore and have fun. Easy country for a getaway.

This time we rented a car for a substantial part of the holiday, and the advantage is the ability to bring more gear and visit less touristy places, anytime you feel like it. You need a good mood to make nice pictures, and having your own set of wheels is a great way to have good mood!

Taiwan part 1

National Dong Hwa University, Hualien

As the year comes to a close, I've decided to do this year justice by posting a few more photos. It has undoubtedly been a happening year, especially the second half, with two trips to Taiwan and one long trip to different parts of the US.

The first Taiwan trip is boring. Partly because of a failed proposal, but more because it just kept raining. We were at the tail-end of a typhoon, and only had a single day of sunshine for the entire 2 weeks I was there.. 

As I said.. my sunshine didn't come..

More to come...

火树银花： 继续50年的璀璨与繁华

The past 50 years is has undoubtedly been spectacular. Singapore has rocketed from 3rd world to 1st. But according to the 20-80 rule, a huge 80% of the effort will be needed to sustain our growth from where we are right now. This effort will have to come from a new generation.. brought up in comfort and complacence. Do we have what it takes to carry on?

(Technical details and more photos after the break..)

SG50.

Slowly but surely, we build up common memories that define who we are..

New year, new technique. Hello 2015!

Thanks for waiting =).

Just like previous years, is an uneventful sunrise. I did notice an increased crowd, and some photogs were pretty hardcore (dragging trolley bags of photog equipment!). There was a slight drizzle, so pardon the lens flares.

This is my first hyperlapse project. Although it's really short, it took me a whole day to process. Most of the time was spent stabilizing the footage. Due to the crowd, I couldn't stay on my intended track, and there were some instances where my view was blocked, or where I accidentally adjusted the tripod leg as I moved (See comparison after the break).

Lust

The M43 system is a very dangerous system. Dangerous to your wallet.. that is. Before I knew it, I now have 8 lenses from the system. EIGHT! Don’t remember having that many lenses in my dry box before.. (Image above taken by the Voigt 17.5mm, while 1 more lens is on loan). Ok in my own defence I acquired the last 3 lenses at a price I couldn’t resist: The 12-40mm f/2.8, 75mm f/1.8 and 17mm f/1.8 at merely SGD1.5k. Considering that the first 2 alone would cost over 1 grand each, the 17mm is almost like a free gift =). But that brings me to a serious dilemma…

That sleepy little town

Was fortunate to attend a 3 week workshop at a fantastic location – Telluride. A small town of only 2000+ residences, it’s a place I probably won’t visit if not for the workshop. It’s remote, it’s small, but it’s very beautiful. Sitting in a box valley and surrounded by tall mountains, this is paradise for someone coming from sardine packed Singapore.

Another year has gone by…

Yes. This blog is almost forgotten, with only 6 (now 7) posts this year. But photographically speaking, there were major changes to my gear and vision…

The city that never sleeps

Nobody reads this blog nowadays, but I felt obliged to post here as it is an experience that is hard to forget. This is my first time in the states, and it is definitely an eye-opening experience.

point.nine.five

It’s heavy. It’s big. It’s fully manual. It’s f0.95

Pasar Besar

Markets of Kelantan VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

In the center of a slightly elevated platform I sit, surrounded by green leafy vegetables, bright chilli, sprouts and the occasional toads that live in the drain beside. There are at least five other stalls around me, all selling the same stuff, but I am not stressed. I cannot be bothered to tout my wares, and I will pack the next packet of chilli only when the existing one is sold.

Half a cauliflower and half a cabbage can be sold as a set, so you can have variety without paying for both. Want something you don’t see? Ask. I am just lazy to display everything I have.

My children are all over the place, wondering around like stray animals. At least I give them clothes to wear, and food to eat.

Chatting and gossiping are my favourite pastimes. Otherwise I can go watch the old TV two stalls across. I can also choose to lie down and sleep. My neighbour will wake me up when a customer shows up.

By some matter of luck, at the end of the day I happen to earn enough to pay for dinner. Good enough already. I can now pack up and go get the other ingredients for tonight.

Why work so hard?

Happy Wet Year

Can’t help but brought the E-M5 on yet another trip down to Chinatown. The intention was not as much to shoot than to shop, but it turned out to be more shooting than shopping.

This is the first time I’ve experienced heavy rain at Chinatown during CNY season. Contrary to what most people would believe, it is easier to do street photography in the rain. The heavier the better. People become oblivious to photographers.. too busy trying to stay dry.

Happy Chinese New Year.

OMG EM5

A photogenic scene starts to take shape. People start moving into position. Kids start to smile. Your photographic instinct tells you there’s a keeper to be had. Your body, too tired to move, convinces your instinct with the cliché line – some things are just meant to be watched. And you move on.. in search of somewhere to sit and chill.

How many times have that happened to you? Wished your enthusiasm would sustain from dawn to dusk? Then prepare to face the truth. Your camera system is too heavy and bulky. Period. (Sorry Pros. Just hit the gym to build up your strength and stamina yea?)

For the rest of us, there is an alternative.

Still Alive!

Seriously belated post. 18 days late. Lol. It’s getting increasingly busy these days. 3 graduate modules, 1 conference and 1 journal paper. All to be done by end of the semester. And I haven’t started much research yet. But today is a Friday, and I thought I should stop procrastinating.. so here it is!

Consistent with latest “trends”, this year’s sunrise is a timelapse. It isn’t easy doing timelapse at sunrise/sunset though.. You have to change exposure and white balance along the way, and make sure the change isn’t too obvious. Took me about 4 days to process it, mainly because my computer was very slow… It just isn’t used to exporting hundreds of RAW files at one go..

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.