Feb 2

Long time no blog.

Took a new route home today, just to have a look at some of the new buildings (that are not meant for undergrads obviously…) Snapped this with my E72 (inspired by a Windows 7 wallpaper).

Problem with hand-phone pictures… they are so compressed banding is very obvious once you start adjusting (take a look at the sky). Also had a hard time anti-aliasing the over-sharpened edges. In short, this picture went through quite a bit of photoshop.

Just as an update to my loyal readers: I’ll be away for Chinese New Year from 16th to 22nd Feb.

Back to mugging….

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Pandan Reservoir will never be the same again…

Will I change too?

For better or for worse?

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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….

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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!

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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 =)

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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…

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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?

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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?

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Wednesday…

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无言

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

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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!

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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

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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 =)

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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…

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Sunshine

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

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

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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…

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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 =)

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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?

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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.

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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.

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