the moments

more footprints

2013-07-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

09/2002 Bangkok - Thailand
08/2003 Tokyo - Japan
09/2003 Hong Kong - China
01/2004 Osaka - Japan
09/2005 Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai - China
03/2006 Koh Lanta - Thailand
04/2006 Clark - Philippines
05/2006 Darwin - Australia
10/2006 Pulau Besar - Malaysia
12/2006 Cherating - Malaysia
06/2007 Perth - Australia
10/2007 Chiang Mai - Thailand
03/2008 Taipei - Taiwan
05/2008 Seam Reap - Cambodia
07/2008 Bali - Indonesia
10/2008 Ho Chi Ming City - Vietnam
03/2009 Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Shang-rila - China
09/2009 Gold Coast - Australia
11/2009 Beijing - China
12/2009 Seoul - South Korea
01/2010 Malacca - Malaysia
03/2010 Shenzhen - China
05/2010 Guangzhou - China
06/2010 Phuket - Thailand
08/2010 Melbourne, Tasmania - Australia
10/2010 Yangon - Myanmar
05/2011 Perth - Australia
06/2011 Seoul, Andong - South Korea
08/2011 Christchurch, Queenstown - New Zealand
11/2011 Paris, France
11/2011 Oslo, Bergen, Lofoten, Tromso - Norway
12/2011 Vienna - Austria
12/2011 Zagreb, Istria, Plitvice, Dubrovnik - Croatia

new zealand's south island (the moments)

2011-08-15T02:44:00.001-07:00

rapanui, nz (the moments)

2011-08-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

andong (the moments)

2011-07-26T05:43:00.001-07:00

andong (the journey)

2011-07-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

travel mates: lj, raymond, ling, gary, stewart, joyce & alex
date of travel:
duration: 5 days 4 nights
route: seoul -> andong -> seoul
accommodation:

kim's myungdong hostel, 1/5 we were being packed into the basement of the house, which offers almost no ventilation in the room, not even a window or an exhaust fan to duct out the hot air. it smells funny and it was very difficult to fall asleep while you are sweating on the bed. space in the room is very limited as well. i will never recommend this place to any of my fellow travelling friend
jirye artist's colony, 3/5 we had a great chat on the last night of our stay with the owner, whom is a very artistic poet with his name on several books. the location is very isolated and serene but there is limited things that you can explore in that area. 2 nights are definitely more than enough for the experience staying in an ancient architecture with some quality meditation hours. owner's daughter brought us for some berry plucking activities to keep us busy.

tasmania (the journey)

2010-09-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

travel mates: allan, alvin, lj & raymond
date of travel: 18th august 2010 to 22nd august 2010
duration:5 days 4 nights
route: hobart -> bay of fires -> oatlands -> hobart
accommodation:

narrara backpackers, 4/5 we arrived late at the hostel due to a delayed flight and were greeted at the doorstep by the friendly owner, mo. lots of smile from him even though it was already 8pm and he was still waiting for us before heading for his dinner. hostel is clean and comes with thick and comfy mattress with great hot shower in cold winter night. he charged student price for all of us despite only allan and alvin are still studying. highly recommended and do visit mo's site at www.narrarabackpackers.com
dolphin lookout cottage, 4/5 the cottage occupies a very good spot which provides clear view of binalong bay. the only complaint is the lack of dryer and good heater. it was raining almost everyday when we were there and we have difficulty drying our clothes and at the same time, the heater is unable to warm up the place properly. the flooring felt a bit dusty when we first stepped into the house but nevertheless it was a good 2-nights stay in the cottage
armytage house, 5/5 this is probably the most beautiful and cosy place i ever stayed in. nice little 1800's barn with its' interior extensively renovated to a luxurious self-contained accommodation, and managed by a lovely couple, gil & june, what else can you ask for? stayed at armytage house during the last night for our tasmania trip and it was the perfect ending for our tasmania's chapter. visit my blog entry dedicated to armytage house for more photos (http://blackandwhite-themoments.blogspot.com/2010/08/armytage-house-bagdad-australia-moments.html) or visit their website at www.armytagehouse.com.au

~ hobart ~

first impression when we arrived in hobart city, it is filled with beautiful buildings and lovely people. we drove to salamanca place for a great dinner at ball and chain grill and we loved the place so much that we came back the next morning for a picnic breakfast. mount wellington is a short drive (45mins?) from the cbd and the city view from the mountain is simply astonishing. it was winter when we were there and there were lots of snow lining the roadside towards the peak. supposed to head back to mount wellington for a sunset shot on the last day of our trip but did not manage to make it and am still regretting over it. had our last dinner in tasmania at hobart waterfront before flying off to melbourne, nothing fantastic about the fried seafood and chips but the waterfront sure looked lovely.

~ wineglass bay lookout ~
it was a 45mins walk to the lookout point, the view is alright but would prefer to have a more elevated view so that i can capture more of the bay. upon viewing the photo i took from the lookout point, a friend told me that i can actually trek higher for a nicer view which i did not know is possible when i was there. there were many wallabies at the carpark and you could get really close to it for a good photography opportunity. did not visit the beaches as the lookout is only a short stop over for our journey towards bay of fires. freycinet marine farm was closed during winter time, a big disappointment for us who were hoping to try the fresh and succulent tasmanian oysters.

~ bay of fires ~

the bay is just gorgeous! the sand is unbelievably fine and water is amazingly clear. we wish we could swim in it but the temperature in winter just killed that thought. this place is so blessed with not only white sandy beach and crystal clear water, but also colourful stones that add substance to this serene bay. we saw lots of seaweed near the beach and were thinking that it is probably a sign of a healthy sea. take your time to explore every single beach from one end to the other, starting from binalong bay towards the gardens and rest assure there won't be any disappointment. angasi restaurant, the award winning restaurant is also located at binalong bay. drive along main road and you should be able to spot the restaurant easily. as for the quality of the food, it's 3/5 from my perspective and the reason for it not getting 4/5 is simply due to the lack of "surprises". a lot of asian element was added to the food and such fusion probably did not suprise me as an asian.

~ ralph fall ~

we drove pass winding mountainous road and muddy field to reach ralph fall and the direction to the fall wasn't sign posted properly. we struggled quite a bit to get there and it took us much longer time than expected. the view wasn't rewarding enough to justify the hassle so i would recommend to skip this, probably try other falls in the area.

~ launceston ~
after dropping alvin at launceston airport, we did a quick tour around the city but since it is already pretty dark, we didn't get a good view of the place. my impression is that launceston is more modernized and city is not as attractive as hobart.

~ oatlands ~
we took the coastal road to binalong bay and decided to come back via midland highway for a different view of tasmania. did a quick stop at oatlands before heading to arthur. oatlands did live up to its reputation, a beautiful historical village with lots of colonial sandstone buildings. the street is so quiet that we didn't get to see anyone on the street when we were there. we did not stay in oatlands, instead we moved on to bagdad and stayed for a night at the fantastic armytage house.

~ port arthur ~
port arthur is rated as one of the "must-see" for visitor to tasmania for its importance in tasmanian history. we decided to give up the sunset photoshooting session at mount wellington, also a visit to barilla bay's oyster farm, and made our way to port arthur but were slightly disappointed by that decision. port arthur has undergone an extensive "makeover" and we felt more like visiting a park than the eerie prison that it is supposed to be. i would prefer if it is in original state as the prison itself should be able to tell more stories than the guide. one man's meat is another's poison, it's just not my cup of tea.

armytage house, bagdad, australia (the moments)

2010-08-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

melbourne, australia (the moments)

2010-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

tasmania, australia (the moments)

2010-08-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

23 more days to go!

2010-07-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

malacca, malaysia (the moments)

2010-01-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

gold coast - brisbane - sunshine coast (the moments)

2009-09-09T19:15:00.001-07:00

25 hours a day?

2009-08-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

yunnan, china (the moments)

2009-03-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

moments dedicated to aida and fauzi

2009-01-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

christmas 2008 (the moments)

2008-11-30T04:25:00.001-08:00

christmas is aroung the corner, more photos to come soon...

ironies

2008-11-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

my deepest condolence for michael and their family. life is full of ironies, while i celebrated the birth date of a friend yesterday, the news came to me that another friend has left this world.

"do not bother to spend time seeking for journey to heaven, as eventually the journey for all terrorists ends in hell"

more busy days ahead

2008-11-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

have not been updating the blog for quite some time. will be doing so soon, after settling down in my new environment.. stay tune

"how starbucks saved my life"

2008-11-04T05:47:00.001-08:00

it's not common for me to talk about non-photography subject in my blog, but i think i would make an exception in recommending some books, which are truly inspiring and hopefully will initiate self-discovery process among those who read the books. drop by your nearest bookstore and do pick-up a copy of "how starbucks saved my life" by michael gates gill.

looking at life from a different perspective:

achievement in life cannot be measured by how high you are on the hierarchy, how much money you are making, but merely, are you happy with what you are doing and happiness evolves from the core; the family and friends around you.

never take things for granted and always cherish the people around you, traversing gaps formed through differences in social levels, cultures and backgrounds

ho chi minh city, vietnam (the moments)

2008-11-01T06:31:00.002-07:00

ho chi minh city, vietnam (the journey)

2008-11-01T06:31:00.001-07:00

travelmates:

raymond, lj

date of travel:

29th oct 2008 - 1st nov 2008

duration:

4 days 3 nights

route:

district 1 (you can't imagine how much things we get to see in just district 1)

accommodation (min 1*, max 5* based on my personal opinion):

saigon mini hotel, 4* friendly owner, room is spotlessly clean, mini bar is cheap! due to the building design, similar class of room might have different view. i bet we got the worst one since we only have a 1 panel window, which is fixed and cannot be opened. we managed to peep into the other superior room, it has 4-6 panels at two sides of the room, and the layout is much better than ours. deluxe room is definitely a must-go-for, priced at USD40 nett (breakfast inc) but was told you need to book months ahead for the only 2 deluxe rooms. it is a little bit out of the way in district 1, close to district 5 and it is a either you love it or hate it matter. we loved it for the experience, walking through rows of local shops and markets, which gave us an insight of the culture at the same time, managed to grab some really nice local food. we hate it for, having to cross so many crazy traffic in order to get to our destination. we will definitely stay here again for our next ho chi minh trip

~ district 1 ~

all the major attractions, hotels and commercial malls are located in district 1, ben thanh market, independence palace, opera theatre, sheraton, sofitel, diamond plaza etc are among those that you can expect in district 1.

district 1 can be briefly segregated into 3 zones (ben thanh market as the imaginative center), west where you will find all the backpackers hostel/hotel, cheap food and souvenior, east where you will get to the upmarket hotels, malls and fine dining restaurants, and north where where you have some mid-range hotels with nothing really interesting in my opinion.

if you can only make it to one place giving a one day visit, drop-by the area west of ben thanh market and wonder in the alley where you can find lots of backpackers hostels/hotels mushrooming and there will definitely be something that will interest you.

notre dame cathedral and post office is worth paying 2 bucks of cab fare to get there and admire the architecture. war remnants museum tells a one sided story, but interesting in it's very own way. i wouldn't advise anyone to waste their time touring independence palace. ben thanh market's seller is too pushy or rather "pully" and it is very difficult to move around. try going for the night market outside ben thanh market, which offer goods at a cheaper price, easier to bargain, more roomy and not as pushy.

our great finds are:

noodle soup stall (operate at night only) at the junction of cong quynh and pham ngu lao for its' fantastic noodle soup
milwaukee grill & bar for its' great ambience, affordable price tag, friendly waiters/waitresses, good location for people watching and the owner whom is a malaysian
nhat uyen for its' great price for bags/wallets
man dat for the fantastic cheongsam and vietnamese top that they made for my wife at great price

2 more days

2008-10-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

2 more days to my ho chi minh trip!

bali, indonesia again (the journey)

2008-10-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

it is always great to be back to bali again with its' friendly people, delicious food, beautiful villa and mesmerizing sunset.

it wasn't a smooth sailing journey for me due to extremely hot weather. i was down with fever since the first day and it got worse on the 3rd day .

spent one morning and one evening at echo beach and the yield was terrific. the black sand provided the perfect reflection in the presence of water, just like one big piece of mirror. black sandy beach often provides much more photography opportunities since it is not just plain "white", like in the case of white sandy beach but comes in with more texture and reflection.

my tianya filter is still serving me well but i find the red/magenta tint too overwhelming, especially when two filters were being stacked for a 4 stops gnd. perhaps it is time to look at other more pricey alternative.

bali, indonesia again (the moments)

2008-10-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

shawn & brenda's wedding (the journey)

2008-09-23T04:23:00.001-07:00

it was another valuable experience for me to help shawn and brenda on their wedding as photographer, together with the usual gang, garry and jason. i was pretty amazed with jason's ability to organize a group for photo-taking, that's the pre-requisite for any event photographer, which i am seriously lacking.. the communication part. giving some time for him to polish up the skill, he can be a fun guy to have in ur wedding/event. garry managed quite a few good shots with the sole 50mm f/1.8.

you will face a different obstacle for each event and each time when you managed to solve it, you gained a precious piece of experience. as time goes by, valuable experienced gain and the photo taking process just gets smoother.

the initial part of photo taking in brenda's hotel room is very much limited to small movement space available, and most of the time, i am shooting at wide angle. this has in fact bring in a lot of unwanted elements, which generates a messy background. a f/2.8 lens is absolutely necessary for isolation of the subject.

for the banquet part, ultra wide angle came in handy since i was shooting at 14mm almost all the time when the toasting was on-going. a f/1.4 of f/1.8 would also be interesting for taking the champagne glass shot, which i didn't manage to do it.

after going through the photo sets again and again, i realized most of the time i tend to frame the subject too tight to simplify the background and this has in fact caused lack of variety in my shots. tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 would definitely be the next lens that i am looking at for further improvement.

last but not least, i need a d90 with fv lock and customizable wb... struggling to save up for that!

shawn & brenda's wedding (the moments)

2008-09-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

alvin (the moments)

2008-08-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

the aesthetic project (the moments)

2008-08-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

a trip back to kuching (the moments)

2008-08-12T05:33:00.001-07:00

the kitchen project (the journey)

2008-08-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

bought some fruits for "the kitchen project" since i have lots of time at home now anyway. realized that simple subject like this actually took me the longest time to set it up. now i can understand why food stylist is being paid so much for their work. the light setup is not so difficult, you just need to get it right once, and tweak according to different subject from there.

my setup:

sb800 on manfrotto tripod with silver umbrella, connected with off-camera-cord
sb600 fired wirelessly on benro tripod & manfrotto ballhead
2 polystyrene boards
1 plate
d40
105mm macro lens

the kitchen project (the moments)

2008-08-05T07:59:00.001-07:00

album (the moments)

2008-07-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

bali, indonesia (the moments)

2008-07-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

restaurant assignment (the moments)

2008-07-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

the moments....

2008-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

stewart's in town (the moments)

2008-06-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

mum's birthday (the moments)

2008-06-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

sorting out color management woes

2008-06-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

spent some time sorting out color management woes today and would like to document it for future reference.

the problem statement:
photos edited in srgb working space, appears differently (muted) in "save for web" (sfw) preview window even with the embed icc profile option checked.

the fact:
if u have used the sfw option to save the file, when you open the saved file using photoshop, the colors actually appear normal and not as muted as shown in preview window. since most of the web browser is not color managed, photoshop probably previews the image under sfw option without the icc profile embedded (even if you choose to embed the icc profile) to provide a closest match when you view it on your browser. the solution is not to judge the output of photos with icc profile embedded using the sfw preview window and use only safari for viewing of color managed photos since it has color management capability and will display color correctly, with regards to their icc profile.

note: new firefox 3 with color management ability was recently launched

a gift (the moments)

2008-06-09T07:06:00.001-07:00

siem reap, cambodia (the journey)

2008-06-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

travelmates:

raymond, lj, albert, yumie

date of travel:

may 2008

duration:

4 days 3 nights

route:

siem reap -> angkor wat -> angkor grand circuit -> koh ker -> beng melea

accomodation (min 1*, max 5* based on my personal opinion):

viroth's hotel, 4.5* great experience from this boutique hotel. friendly owner and staff, especially sokha and say who have been very attentive and accomodative to our request. the hotel is tastefully designed and ambience is perfect. it is located a short 10mins walk to a nearby supermarket, and city center. there are only 7 rooms in the hotel and most of the time, we have the whole place to our own, swimming, drinking and chit chatting beside the salt water swimming pool. the breakfast was fantastic, simple and yet tasty and you can choose any combination that you want on the night before, and it will be served the following morning at their roof top restaurant. the actual viroth's restaurant is located about 10mins walk away and we had our best meal there, but that doesn't come cheap. i would recommend the hotel to have a shower located beside the pool, so that the guest can clean up a bit before spending the rest of the time on the sun deck. second recommendation is to work on the very pathetic hot water pressure in the room and lastly, something got to be done with the mosquitoes around swimming pool area.

~ angkor, koh ker, beng melea ~

sunrise at angkor wat is a "must-see" in siem reap. the morning ray emerging behind the temple, couples with reflection from the lake is superb. was told that the best time for sunrise shot is end of april when the sun will rise in the middle of the temple. the good thing about visiting during the dry season is you don't have to "fight" for a place to watch the sunrise, but still it was quite crowded. the temperature throughout the rest of the day was very much unbearable, so it is best to visit in earning morning and late afternoon, take my advice, skip the mid day! otherwise, visit siem reap during november to february period for a cooler weather.
out of all temples in angkor grand circuit, koh ker and beng melea, the one that impressed me the most are angkor wat for the sunrise, ta phrom for the view of vegetation and the pyramidal temple at koh ker for the unique architecture (sadly, the staircase to the top of temple was closed due to some accident involving tourist). the rest of the temples were not too appealing to me, but if you are interested in the history and religious stuff, it might be a totally different story for you. angkor wat is reachable by 15mins drive from siem reap city, whereas koh ker and beng melea is located about 3 hours drive away.

~ siem reap city ~

perhaps the closest place to home is the pub street where you have lots of good restaurant with nice ambience. we tried red piano, a restaurant which is highly recommended by lonely planet but it was a total disappointment. head to khmer kitchen as a cheaper option or a more upmarket one, viroth's restaurant for tasty meals and great service. our favourite dish being stir fried beef with basil leaves and we had that numerous time during our stay in siem reap.
we had a great massage session at body tune. it did live up to it's reputation from various positive reviews. usd14 for a 60mins thai massage might sound expensive comparing to other shops at around USD6-8 but the ambience and "balinese" setup worth every cent you pay for.
siem reap night market is a very sleazy place, avoid it unless you have a lot of time to spare. old market is pretty interesting but we ended up purchasing all the stuff from one of the chinese shop just opposite the market, which gave a better price without the need to bargain.
cambodia is a poor country, please help the childrens as much as you can. the least you can do is to donate the loose change at the airport donation box for children hospital. our tour guide mentioned that children hospital provides free medical service to the children and i think we should do our bit to make this world a better place.
don't be too calculative while doing a purchase, 1 or 2 dollars are not a huge sum for us but it meant a lot for those earning averagely 30 dollars per month. don't give money to the innocent kids, we don't want to turn them into future beggars.

angkor, cambodia (the moments)

2008-06-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

grand circuit, cambodia (the moments)

2008-06-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

koh ker and beng melea, cambodia

2008-06-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

viroth's hotel, siem reap (the moments)

2008-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

siem reap, finally!

2008-05-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

heading to siem reap this coming thursday with my wife, bro and sis-in-law. weather outlook not very positive, cloudy for most of the days and raining on thursday morning and friday afternoon/night. did a quick check on the sunrise and sunset timing at www.weather-forecast.com, it's at 5.35AM and 18.27PM respectively.

this is the first time travelling with my specialist 85aw. i am able to load all my gears in the bag (exc. tripod), and am going to try walking around the temple at full-load for 2 days, hopefully it is still manageable.

photoaid 2 for victims of cyclone nargis

2008-05-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

mother's day 2008 (the journey)

2008-05-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

i can still remember vividly that i used to be very rebellious when i was a kid. throughout the growing-up years, i have made many silly mistakes and mum has never failed to be there to support me. the journey has never been easy for her in taking care of us, the three musketeers and finally we are here today, pursuing our career and dreams.

i want to thank her for everything she did, and still doing for us. i also want to say sorry to her, for the difficult period that she went through, when i was naive, childish and not understanding.

mum, i love you.. stay healthy and don't forget our bangkok trip!

a special thank to my lovely grandma, without her, we won't be who we are today.

mother's day 2008

2008-05-12T00:40:00.001-07:00

lowepro specialist 85 aw (review)

2008-05-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

sold off my offtrail 2 for specialist 85 aw but regretted over the decision due to:

85 aw is more suited for fitting at the back of your waist and not at the side, meaning you can't carry your backpack while using it so there will be a big problem when you hike with it. it is not as versatile as offtrail 2 because of the size.
zipping and un-zipping is not as smooth as offtrail 2 due to the positioning of the zip is too close to the edge and obstructed by your body
the weight

the weak point of offtrail 2 is due to the positioning of side cases and the strap tightening mechanism. when you are tightening the waist straps, it will be pulling the two side cases nearer to your body at the same time and this causes the soft cases to sink in. you will find it difficult for you to take out the lens from the case after that.

purchase of 85 aw is supposed to solve this and seriously, it does work because all lens can now be fitted inside the bag which is hard and does not sink in during tightening but i did not expect to bump into more inconveniences with this new bag.

right now, i am using the 85 aw as shoulder bag with the shoulder strap provided and i am looking for another belt system that will work for me. perhaps it is time to look at other brands.

update: brought specialist 85aw along with me during the recent cambodia trip. it is not so bad after getting used to it but still, you can't carry anything else on your back (even my smallest daypack) due to the size of this bag.. argh.....

wishlist updated (28th June 2008)

2008-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

wishlist:

camera - nikon d80 $1000
tele lens - nikkor 85mm f/1.8d $480
pc lens - nikkor 85mm pc micro $1700
fisheye lens - nikkor 10.5mm $850
square filter - singh-ray inverted GND $150
studio strobe - jinbei 300w $700
studio accessories - softbox, snoot $300
9ft studio backdrop & holder - white & black $500
light meter - minolta iv $300
Lowepro offtrail 2 $75
Lowepro Fastpack 350 $145

what i have already gotten:

camera body - nikon d40 $700
wide angle lens - sigma 10-20mm $610
standard lens - nikkor 50mm f/1.8d $110
walkaround lens - nikkor 18-200mm vr $1050
macro lens - nikkor 105mm micro vr $1000
angle finder - seagull 3rd generation (1x/2.5x) $60, used
remote - nikon ml-l3 $20
flash - sb600 $330
bag - lowepro specialist 85 aw $75, used
tripod - manfrotto 725b c/w attached 484rc2 ballhead $90, used
tripod - benro a-500ex $150
ballhead - manfrotto 488rc0 $120, used
dry cabinet - digi-cabi ad050 $60
square filter - tianya grad grey, grad blue, grad orange, nd8 $85
round filter - hoya, tokina & marumi (uv, cpl, grad grey, fld) $?
off camera flash kit - $215

spending till date (excluding round filter): S$4675

sigma 10-20mm test shots (the journey)

2008-05-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

trying out sigma 10-20mm that i bought from hk last week. overall, the contrast is good with minimum flare problem when shooting with sun in the frame. i vaguely recall that the first version that i owned (have since sold it off due to corner softness problem) has a mf/af switch but this second piece that i owned doesn't have any. it makes setting the hyperfocal distance slightly tedious since there is no mf switch on my camera body either. i will have to auto-focus, with my shutter release half pressed, then re-focus to hyperfocal distance.

sigma 10-20mm test shots (the moments)

2008-05-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

lj's beijing trip (the moments)

2008-04-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

bro's big day (the moments)

2008-04-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

drunk?! check out that face!

taipei, taiwan (the journey)

2008-04-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

travelmates:

raymond, lj

date of travel:

march 2008

duration:

5 days 4 nights

route:

taipei city -> wulai -> danshui

accommodation (min 1*, max 5* based on my personal opinion):

friends spring hotel, 1* the counter lady called me 10mins passed the checkout time, telling me that "mister, you haven't return the key to us" and i found it to be quite rude talking to your customer this way. they did not even bother to smile at us when we checked in/out and the worst thing being finding a used condom on the floor, and yes, it is on the floor and not under the bed etc. nothing much around the vicinity, except for good accessibility to the metro station, just 5 mins walk from the hotel. quite surprised at their service level since this hotel was recommended in lonely planet.
hoya spa and hot spring, 4* it is better than those smaller hotels around it, it was decorated with a boutique feeling in it with a cosy corner on the top floor (open air). all rooms have hot spring bath, which overlook into the river and mountain range. we were being allocated a better room, with wide windows offering superb view since the one we booked is not available due to some mis-communication. the staff were very friendly and helpful, especially the lady for the morning shift, who offered us her own umbrella when ours were being stolen. we have gotten a special promotional package, with breakfast, high-tea, dinner and a bottle of red wine included. the breakfast was great, served at their tiny cafe, and my favourite being their tasty salad.
forte orange business hotel, 4* superb location with camera street, "audio" street, computer shops, eateries, book shops, train station (both normal and high speed rail), metro interchange, bus interchange all located within 5 mins walk. most of the shuttle buses from airport will terminate at the taipei main train station which makes the trip to hotel affordable and easy. the interior is nicely decorated, clean and equipped with the necessary facilities (lcd, water boiler, safe etc.) and it is relatively safe with key card access to both room and lift. highly recommended.

~ taipei city ~

getting to taipei city is easy, just take one of the shuttle bus from the airport. there is a ticketing counter and don't forget to tell the driver where to drop you when you are boarding the bus. they won't announce at each of the stop so if you did not signal nor telling them where to stop, you will travel all the way to the last station
staying at taipei main train station is the best part throughout my trip, since it offers the best accessbility to all the places that i wanted to go with the metro interchange and bus interchange located nearby
ximending is like the other "walking street" that i have been to in shanghai, nanjing etc. most shops at located at 1st floor of the 2-4 storeys buildings and higher floor are some eateries or restaurants. nothing caught my attention since price tag is high and you can find something similar at wufengpu, but much cheaper. located at ximen mrt station
longshan temple is a very interesting historical landmark for taipei, being the oldest and biggest temple in the vicinity. plenty of good photographic opportunity and you can drop by for a blessing, if you need any. easily reachable at longshan temple mrt station
wufengpu is the best place for serious retail therapy. goods are mostly sold at distributor price but try to avoid monday and saturday when bulk buyer are flocking the area for huge purchase. there will be alot of scooters/trolleys moving around the area and the seller has no time to entertain small, casual customers. wufengpu is reachable by mrt, alighting at houshanpi station
shilin night market is best visited on weekdays. been there on a saturday and you will find that there is basically no space for you to even stand in the alleys. the queue for the food stalls were also too long for us to pursue. went again on a tuesday and things got much better, with plenty of space for you to stroll around, and it is much easier to find seats at eateries. do not alight at the wrong mrt station, it is located at jiantan and not shilin station.
yangmingshan, did not manage to make it there due to the poor weather, will conquer mount cixing in my next trip

~ wulai ~

wulai is an outskirt town located 50mins drive from taipei city. it is famous for it's hot spring and mountain range with some nice waterfalls and some other geographical attractions. we did not have sufficient time/relevant transport to explore the whole area, so only visited the waterfall and hotspring on foot. the weather was good and cooling, and mountain range is always foggy with clouds floating around it, making it a very good retreat from taipei city
you can get there by taking the bus from either xindian mrt (45mins) or taipei main train station (90mins). check out the map at mrt station, the bus stop is clearly indicated there. one way trip costs NT70

~ danshui ~

danshui is supposingly a very romantic place for couple to visit but since it was drizzling while we visited the place, we went back straight after purchasing some local products so there is nothing much to comment about this place.

taipei, taiwan (the moments)

2008-04-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

only for you, gary (the moments)

2008-03-25T06:24:00.001-07:00

the 106 gathering, year 2008 (the moments)

2008-03-25T06:15:00.001-07:00

season of change

2008-03-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

8th march 2008 is a memorable day for all malaysians. voice of the citizens is heard and democracy is alive. this is a season of change and suddenly, we are seeing hope again.

soft focus effect (the moments)

2008-03-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

for a dreamy look, duplicate a new layer and applied gaussian blur with threshold level adjusted till all features cannot be clearly observed (15-20). Multiply it to the original background and conduct the necessary level adjustment when necessary.

2008 rpi hair down night (the moments)

2008-03-03T18:54:00.001-08:00

2008 valentine's day (the moments)

2008-02-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

vin's new year in singapore (the moments)

2008-02-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

new year gathering (the moments)

2008-02-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

family portrait (the moments)

2008-02-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

aida's engagement (the journey)

2008-01-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

today marks the start of a new journey for my dear friend, miss aida. i would like congratulate her on her engagement day and wish her more blissful days ahead. this is the first time i attended a malay engagement ceremony, it is a very good and fresh experience for me, learning their culture and interacting with the lovely family. photo shooting started during the preparation stage yesterday and today, i had the longest time on the camera of around 5 hours, which gave me a bad muscle ache after the events ended. i realized how much i love to shoot such a blissful event, from which i am able to share the happiness and joy, and it is even greater when they love the photos i shot.

i relied almost 100% on my 18-200mm for today's shooting. it has served me well but i realized that a wide angle lens with big aperture is a must for shooting at such a tight space. i had problem on isolation due to the relatively small aperture from 18-200mm but on the other hand, i managed to capture some really great moments without the need to change lens. this is the trade-off that you need to consider, unless you have another camera body for backup.

aida's engagement (the moments)

2008-01-27T05:53:00.001-08:00

chinatown new year market (the moments)

2008-01-20T00:31:00.000-08:00

joyce's items (the moments)

2008-01-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

fedex came knocking on the door this morning, my brother gave me a call, confirming if i know someone with the name "joyce". of course i do, that is stewart's mum and alex's wife. looks like stewart's chinese new year clothes came on time. will bring this back to kuching for joyce during this coming chinese new year break. emailed two quick snapshots to joyce, i know she must be drooling by now.

bug's life (the moments)

2008-01-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

2008 new year fireworks display (the journey)

2008-01-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

as usual, there is the routine fireworks display at esplanade to celebrate the arrival of a new year. this year, i have decided to try my hands on fireworks photography at kallang river. i prefer this location instead of esplanade because i am able to include singapore flyer in the photo, together with some cityscape and reflection on the river. it was a nice moment shooting fireworks for the first time, and along the way, i picked up some good experience for my future firework photos.

a sturdy tripod and a working remote are needed, my hand triggering due to faulty remote couples with strong wind blowing, has caused unacceptable lost of sharpness in the photos
basic understanding of the fireworks arrangement and burst height is needed for proper framing of photos
exposure time of 8sec or less is better to prevent overlapping of bursts, which you are unable to block in time with black card for frequent and rapid explosion. longer exposure time is acceptable for non frequent burst
black card is a must

2008 new year fireworks display (the moments)

2007-12-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

macro with 105mm f/2.8 vr (the journey)

2007-12-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

macro is a totally new adventure for me. the 105mm lens is very heavy, causing mf with hand-holding at 1:1 very difficult to achieve. the woe is getting worse when we need to stop down for greater dof, which means a very slow shutter speed at indoor lighting condition. mounted the sb600, the setup becomes even heavier so it is almost unmanageable without supporting the arm.

finally settled with a tripod, instead of hand-held at 10s exposure, coupled with manual-firing of off-camera flash, diffused through a napkin from the top position (of the 1st photo). the rest of the photos were all taken with mounted flash using i-ttl mode. an off camera ttl-cord would be ideal in terms of macro photography.

few challenges of macro photography:

extremely thin dof and placement of it at 1:1
tough lighting condition
hand-held manual focusing

after playing with my flash for a while, felt that the lacking of fv lock is very crucial, especially when dealing with event photography. a lot more ps job are required to achieve consistent exposure without fv lock. maybe it is time to explore manual flash metholodgy.

macro with 105mm f/2.8 vr (the moments)

2007-12-21T02:43:00.000-08:00

vin's portraiture (the moments)

2007-12-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

i weep for my country

2007-12-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

while choices are often discriminatory
people presevered, swallow the injustice

if this is democracy
i weep for my country

with such lowness of humanity
yet people still vote with insanity

for a country once a mighty
now left with inferiority

i weep for my country....
while it sank all the way into the sea....

*pardon my grievance, this is not the usual travel/photography post*

home alone? not again (the moments)

2007-12-13T06:23:00.001-08:00

poor wife is working late again today. she will surely be delighted when she sees this post.

105mm f/2.8 micro vr & sb600

2007-12-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

bro smsed me yesterday confirming the purchase, now waiting patiently for it to arrive at my doorstep this coming saturday.

who took my bonus?!?! who else other than nikon.

changi broadwalk (the journey)

2007-12-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

finally i managed to locate changi broadwalk during my 2nd trip to changi village. you can access the broadwalk via two entrance points, at changi beach club and changi sailing club. the easiest way to reach the broadwalk is by taking bus 29 from tampines interchange and alight at the bus stop nearest to changi beach club. the broadwalk is connected to changi point walk so if you want a longer stroll, start from changi point ferry terminal and walk all the way.

did not manage to spend much time on the broadwalk itself due to my afternoon nap and the day was getting dark by the time i reached. definitely i will make a 3rd trip to broadwalk for another photo-shooting session.

more gloomy days ahead, wondering when will i see a nice setting sun.

another gloomy day (the moments)

2007-12-09T07:20:00.001-08:00

afternoon walk at kallang river (the moments)

2007-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

~raymond~

~leejoon~

home alone with 50mm f/1.8d (the moments)

2007-12-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

first portraiture session (the journey)

2007-12-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

using the available light, diffused through my windows and curtains, i managed to take some decent shots which potray the moodiness. the mood is great, contrast ratio is excellent but subject sharpness is not desirable. sharpness issue is due to the weak available light, causing low shutter speed of 1/4s - 1/2s and unavoidable subject movement. all photos were then processed with soft filter effect to give a dreamy feeling as a workaround for sharpness issue. the other problem with weak available light is camera has to be tripod mounted, instead of handheld, which reduce the flexibility of photographer movement.

it is a good learning curve, and now i know the reason behind portrait photographer going for leaf shutter system that can sync at higher speed than 1/250s for freezing subject movement and most importantly, improve subject sharpness. as a start, i would need studio strobes so that i can utilize a higher shutter speed with my current camera system. alternatively, take portraiture only in outdoor location with bright sun light, apply blur filter for photos taken indoor or utilizing sb800 as a temporary solution.

wish list updated (16th September 2010)

2007-12-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

as the interest progresses, new need arises and my wishlist also changes:

pc lens - nikkor 85mm pc micro $1700
fisheye lens - nikkor 10.5mm $850
tele zoom lens - (?)

what i have already gotten:

camera - nikon d90 $1350
wide lens - sigma 10-20mm $650
standard zoom lens - tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 $480
macro lens - nikkor 105mm micro vr $1000
angle finder - seagull 3rd generation (1x/2.5x) $60, used
remote - phottix cleaon II $59
flash - sb800 $600
bag - kata DR467i $118
tripod c/w ball head - manfrotto 725b c/w attached 484rc2 ballhead $90, used
tripod - benro A500 $120
ball head - manfrotto 488rc0 $60, used
dry cabinet - digi-cabi ad050 $60
slot in filter system - hitech gnd0.6, gnd1.2, rnd1.2, 2xnd1.2, lee cpl, lee holders and rings $1000

spending till date: S$5647

for my lovely wife (the moments)

2007-12-02T04:04:00.001-08:00

gloomy days ahead (the moments)

2007-12-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

expected a nice sunset yesterday but the clouds thickened nearing sunset time. didn't manage to catch any exciting photo, just sharing one of the few shots i took at changi point walk. also managed to process one photo which i left out from the last changi terminal 3 visit.

18-200mm vr (first impression)

2007-11-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

i love the distance scale which is missing from my previous 55-200mm vr and 18-55mm, it is extremely useful for the application of hyperfocal distance. felt that the combination of it with d40 is a bit unbalanced due to the extremely light weight of camera body. i have never handled a lens which is more than 0.5kg before so i still need some time to familiarize myself with handheld shot at shutter speed of less than 1/10s. will try to post some shots this weekend if possible, currently thinking of doing the test shots at either botanical garden or sungai buluh wetland reserve. will also be getting a tent this weekend for a pulau ubi camping "expedition", probably next week or the week after.

brother is going to hk again next week, might ask him to try getting a 12-24mm from the usual shop if possible. very broke now, i have already pre-spent the bonus which is expected to be coming only in end of december. where is my santa claus when i need one?

a friendly visitor (the moments)

2007-11-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

2 days ago, i heard some noise out of my window, and realized that there are a few friendly visitors (or rather unfriendly) at my neighbour's house. they went in and out of the house, making lots of noise and by the time i picked up my camera, only one of them left. should have given more space to the right of the photo but was restricted by the windows, i have no intention to make it to government's statistic for those who fell off the windows.

18-200mm vr is coming!

2007-11-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

my lovely wife helped me pick-up a 18-200mm vr from hongkong at great price yesterday. she was supposed to get the 12-24mm but since it was out of stock, she settled on the 18-200mm vr instead. can't wait for her to come home, i want my new lens! i am selling my 18-55mm and 55-200mm vr now in a local forum, anyone interested do drop me an email. both are great lens but i can't afford to keep changing lens when i am travelling, also for the limited compartments on my great offtrail2. With 18-200mm mounted on my camera body, 50mm f/1.8 and upcoming 12-24mm each fitted nicely in the 2 side pouches of my offtrail2, the combination is just perfect for light weight trekking/travelling.

18-55mm II is a very light, yet sharp lens when stopped down to f/8. as for 55-200mm, the vr is great which i can handheld at 1/5s and yet still produced a very sharp photo.

changi airport terminal 3, singapore (the journey)

2007-11-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

changi airport terminal 3's open house has started on 12 november 2007 and will end on 9 december 2007. you can either do a self-guided tour at $1 or follow a guided tour at $3. The money will be donated to Singapore Cancer Society so it is really worth while if you have some free time to spend. construction works are still going on at most of the places so i would suggest to go at a later stage, perhaps first week of december when more works are done.

i spent 2 hours at public area for photo-shooting and since i am not particularly interested in architectural stuff, i did not make an effort to go for the restricted area tour. architectural shot is really not my cup of tea, did quite badly in perspective control. if you are interested to photograph the public area, i would suggest to go around 6.30pm or later when there is not many soul around.

visit this site if you want to know more about the new terminal.

changi airport terminal 3, singapore (the moments)

2007-11-15T06:20:00.001-08:00

singapore street scene (the moments)

2007-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

plans for 2008

2007-11-06T01:53:00.000-08:00

bali, indonesia:
joyce is planning a march 2008 trip to bali, 5 days 4 nights with 2 nights at ecolodge, 1 night at ubud and 1 night at villa nearby airport. sounds good, just waiting for the right moment to get the air ticket.

siem reap, cambodia:
courtesy of jetstar's anniversary promotion, i managed to grab my air ticket to siem reap at a good price of S$123 (fuel surcharge and airport tax inclusive). my wife will be travelling together with me, finally my turn to visit the famous angkor wat. guess who will be travelling with me this time? my brother and my sister-in-law. my usual travelmates are not joining this trip because ruins are not their cup of tea.

kuching, malaysia (the journey)

2007-11-06T01:36:00.000-08:00

i was born in the lovely cat city (kuching) of hornbill land (sarawak). small peaceful town where i grew up until i decided to part with it to pursue my career few years back. nobody wish to leave their birth place for the stinky dollars but life is just too tough for some of us. in the search of meritocracy, you aren't left with much choice but to head towards a different direction.

my recent trip back to my hometown has prompted me for some soul searching ater i realized that i have not been spending much quality time taking photos of the place where i call "home". the trip to kuching was again a short one but i managed to sneak out for an hour or two to take a couple of shots of my hometown. my photos did not do justice to my lovely hometown but i am confident that each time i re-visit my hometown, i will come out with a better shot.

kuching, malaysia (the moments)

2007-10-30T08:46:00.002-07:00

chiang mai & chiang dao (the journey)

2007-10-30T08:46:00.001-07:00

travel mates:

alex, joyce, stewart, ling, gary, lj & raymond

date of travel:

20th october 2007 to 24th october 2007

duration:

5 days 4 nights

route:

chiang mai city -> chiang dao (tribal village) -> chiang dao (chiang dao nest) -> chiang mai city

accomodation (min 1*, max 5* based on my personal review):

raming lodge, 3.5* good location (near to night bazaar), nicely decorated and clean room and superb breakfast. should have gotten a 4* instead but was disappointed on the way they miss-handled my check-out. managed to get a good room rate through wotif.com, thumbs up to the agency, will be happy to book through them again.
lisu village's hut, 5* nothing beats this tribal hut with basic facility, but perfect hosts and stunning view. imagine watching sun rise when you are having your morning cup of tea, what else can you ask for? for me, this is perfect!
chiang dao nest, 4.5* friendly host and staff, clean room and very comfortable bed. hut is small and lovely with lots of greeneries around.
baan nam ping, 4* owner is a very kind lady, who took the hassle of driving us to the town since it is a 30mins ride which could cost us a bomb if we decided to take 2 taxis. she is also very helpful in arranging budget transportation for our group of 6 persons. the breakfast that they served is of very high quality, can't forget the tasty ham and yummy mango juice. location is ideal for those seeking peacefulness (it is along river ping) but a bit far for those who want some night activities.

~ upon arrival ~

take the licensed taxi to city, it costs 120baht per head

~ chiang mai city ~

this is the ideal place should you need some serious retail therapy. shopping is great at chiang mai gate night market (only at weekend) but try to avoid night bazaar if possible. price quoted at night bazaar is exorbitantly high, which could still cost you a bomb even if you bargained hard. there are a few stalls at night bazaar that offers item/service at a decent price, but you just have to search harder for it. chiang mai gate market on the other hand is frequented by locals. the price quoted at this market is always affordable and you could bargain for another 10-20% the most. the other drawing factor is food stalls that offers a large variety of chiang mai food or snack. we have lots of fun tasting each and every of it, including the fried insect. to shuttle around night bazaar and chiang mai gate night market, fare is 15baht per person using the red songthaew. chiang mai is filled with lots of massage establishments and one of the recommended one is "just relax", which is located at the same building as mcdonald, along night bazaar. joyce was satisfied with the foot massage but gary wanted a more aggresive type, so he rated it as average.

~ chiang dao ~

chiang dao is 1.5hrs from chiang mai city and we were heading there for a 2 days trekking. we started around 11am on the first day at chiang dao nest, took a 45mins ride to reach our starting point, a village. from there, we went for a caving trip then back to the same village again for lunch, before stretching out further to the waterfall and finally reaching lisu village at 7pm, the place where we stayed overnight. the village faces a very nice valley and mountain view and the valley was misty during night and early morning.
second day started with the spectacular sunrise, followed by a sumptuous breakfast, and gift distribution for the childrens. we headed to a small village for a simple blessing ceremony by the shearman at 9am. after that it was a 2hours trek to another cave, which is big enough for you to walk without the need to bend your knees. we then had our lunch before visiting another tribal village, "karen village". most of the childrens were not around when we were there because they were helping out in the plantation. we managed to distribute some stationeries to the children and also requested a teacher to share the rest of it with those that we have missed out. after visiting the village, we had the toughest climb of the whole journey, a continuous up/down hill until we reached our pick-up point at 6pm. who was the happiest person when we reached the end point? ling, of cos.
the trek is somewhat demanding to my opinion. you can do without the caving and waterfall. but a visit to the villages is a must. children at the village are innocent and they are often too shy to accept a gift from you. comparing to other places where the kids are basically begging you for money. it is the best testimony of what civilization is capable of bringing upon the community, "poison to the innocent mind". my advice when visiting this rural villages is to bring their need to them but not to "poison" them by offering them money.
chiang dao tuesday day market is where locals pick-up their usual supplies, including the small resorts where we stayed. nothing fantastic but worth a short trip to see the life of the locals.

chiang mai & chiang dao, thailand group shots (the moments)

2007-10-30T08:33:00.001-07:00

chiang mai & chiang dao, thailand (the moments)

2007-10-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

tian ya filter (review)

2007-10-17T05:07:00.001-07:00

tian ya filters have arrived few days back. shipment from the hk online shop was prompt but there is a slight problem with the 5 in 1 reflector, which the silver side has peeled off, leaving non-reflective and dull surface. have informed the person in charge to look into it, sent them some photos yesterday night and still waiting for a reply.

did a quick check on the filter quality at 100% crops, seems like it does not reduce the overall sharpness and so long the photo quality doesn't deteriorate, for me it is a good buy. i heard some rumors that you will lose resolution after using filter, perhaps my 6mp sensor is not able to resolve the difference.

(*update: the shop refused to replace the faulty reflector and had given me a lame excuse, stating that it is a norm to have peeling but it won't affect it's performance. i am still wondering how is it going to reflect light when it is supposed to be silverly reflective, which has in turn becomes, greyishly dull. i will re-emphasize this point to them and should they decide not to attend to my complaint, i will post the info on hk's photography forum and make sure everyone avoids that crappy company)

fun with sigma 10-20mm (the journey)

2007-10-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

had some fun on the sigma at 10mm over the weekend with my wife and younger brother. wanted to do the same with my elder brother and sis-in-law when they popped over but didn't manage to because they were rushing for time. will do so when they come over the next time, then we can have a complete family photo...the candid way.

photos were taken, purely for the fun factors only, so white balance is way off and even the focus is not right. anyway, i will be doing some serious test shots in these few days time if possible. wee wee, raymond, tina and mike will be coming this wednesday, so i might be busy showing them around.