CW-PHOTOGRAPHY

Pentax K-01

2012-02-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

At first sight, I thought I was looking at a underwater camera casing. Apparently this is the much anticipated Pentax mirrorless system. You can read all the details of this cam here. Put aside it's appearance, I'm confident it is capable of producing beautiful & detail files with it's 1.5 crop, 16mp sensor. Ok. Let's come back to it's look. This is one damn ugly camera. To those who say "camera is just a tool", ya you right!

No wonder Pentax always failed to step up the competition with the rest. Look! The answer why Pentax is not selling well is right in front of you. Is this going to be the best selling camera? Is this going to lure or convert Micro 4/3 or Sony NEX users? Can Pentax confidently say that this camera is going to be a real threat to Olympus, Sony & Fujifilm? Marketing wise, how is Pentax going to sell this camera?

Ok. Enough ranting. Ofter all, I'm not a Pentax user. Perhaps I shouldn't focus too much how the camera look. I should look at it as a tool to create images. People who are going to get this camera will find ways to work around it's 'yellowness'. Yes. Work around the camera & overcome it's limitation. Yes. Back to the basics photography. Image is all that matters.

By the way, the camera is designed by a Marc Newson who specialize in designing chairs. That is what you get when you hire a chair designer to design a camera. I'm curious to see what this new ugly lemon can do.

Isn't this picture look like a miniature pen drive?

Lets create our own mirrorless system. Take away the mirror & viewfinder from our K-5. "Puff"!....... There you go, our mirrorless K-01.

PenLovers gathering at Chow Kit

2012-01-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

Fujifilm X-Pro1

2012-01-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

Can't wait for this camera to arrive! More info here.

Random shots with my Galaxy S II

2012-01-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Dinner at Meatwork Solaris

2012-01-07T00:52:00.000-08:00

Chloe 2 years & 8 months old

2011-11-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

Random shots with Nokton 40mm f1.4

2011-11-28T01:38:00.000-08:00

Weekend in Penang for work + leisure

2011-11-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

My favorite focal length & lenses.

2011-11-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

My all time favorite lenses are 24mm f1.4, 50mm f1.8 & 85mm f1.4. After many years of trying & buying different lenses, namely from 14mm super wide to 200mm tele lenses. I found myself keep going back to these 3 lenses the most. Be it for assignments or leisures, these 3 lenses are always my first choice. So, years ago I decided to sell off all the lenses that are under utilized namely 16mm fisheye, macro lens, tilt-shift lens & 70-200mm f2.8 tele lens.

The lenses I sold off are all top rated lenses that are capable of creating beautiful images. Just that it will be such a waste if I keep all of them but always leave them in the dry box. Might as well sell them off to fund something that I would utilize the most.

Does cameras & lenses matters in photography? Some say no, but for me is yes. It matters! Does huge aperture matters? To me, yes. It matters! Does full frame matters? Yes, it does. Of course there is a catch here, all these matters only if you already know how to utilize the camera & lenses. Gears won't make you a better photographer, but top rated gears do produce better result if it fall into a right hand. People with sour grape syndrome has to face the fact that photographers who buy f1.2 lenses are not all after 'gimmicks'. It matters to me that I cover a wedding assignment with D700 & all f1.4 lenses possible. Come on, let's face it. Can you cover a wedding with Nikon J1 with 10-100mm f4.5-6.3?

Wide angle: Nikon 24mm f1.4G
8 years ago when I first pick up photography, an experience photographer once told me that the most difficult focal length to master is wide angle. Now, I can fully agreed with this photographer friend's statement. If you want to know whether a photographer's level of experience in photography, try look at his/her wide angle shots.

But why a Nikon 24mm f1.4G? Why not 24mm f2.8? Many friends keep asking me this question. Let me explain. First of all, if you can afford a 24mm f1.4 & you often shoot during low light environment & you are 90% of a portrait photographer, then 24mm f1.4 is a better choice compare to 24mm f2.8. Like wise, if you are a landscape & street shooter, then forget about 24mm f1.4. Cause you may often stop down the aperture & using tripod in low lights anyway.

For me, the top reason for acquiring a 24mm f1.4 is, creating environmental portrait with shallow DOF. My expectations is simple for a 24mm f1.4. First, it need not to be the sharpest 24mm, but preferably sharp enough wide open at f1.4. Second, reliable & accurate focus with the camera autofocus system. I'm very satisfy with the performance of Nikon 24mm f1.4G on D700 platform. Before Nikon announcing the availability of their 24mm f1.4, I was using Canon 5D II & 24mm f1.4L II. But the Canon set up is a let down on their focus accuracy. So I bought Nikon 24mm f1.4G soon after it is available.

Nikon 24mm f1.4G fullfil all my need of acquiring a wide angle 24mm. It performs superb on my wedding assignment which portraits shots are plenty & reception low light shots are made easy. Leisure time, it was such a pleasure using it on available light portrait photography with my kid.

Normal angle: Leica Noctilux 50mm f1 & Nikon 50mm f1.8G

50mm lens to me is a must have lens & I can never do without it. I love 50mm the most among these 3 lenses. 50mm focal length has always been labelled as closest to human eye perspective. I love shooting environmental portrait using this lens. 50mm focal length is so famous that most camera brands have 2-3 various versions of their own 50mm like f1.8, f1.4 & f1.2. I love 50mm lens so much that once I own 7-8 units of unit from Canon, Nikon & Leica. Now I only have 2 50mm which is Leica Noctilux f1 & Nikon 50mm f1.8G.

I often tell my friends I love my Noctilux but I hate the over priced Leica M9. I'm into Leica platform cause it is the only platform(with full frame sensor) which I can use my Noctilux with. Do I need a Noctilux? No. Will I get bored with it? Most probably. But since I'm blessed to have own one, I'll use it with it's full potential & I'll sell it if one day I grew bored with it.

Is Noctilux f1 superior in low light? Not really great but acceptable result, cause M9 doesn't perform great in low light. Is it sharp wide open at f1? No, a bit soft but sharp enough for my liking. Then why Noctilux? What I like Noctilux the most is it's character. Noctilux's character is one in the world that no other fast 50mm can mimic. Not even the new Noctilux f0.95. The way Noctilux f1 render the image is very distinctive. It's character is so strong that it can over power the character or style of the photographer using it. Don't be surprise with people comment you photos such as "Wow! Your Noctilux shots are excellent!", instead of "Wow! Your shots are excellent!". Noctilux can sort of steal the credit from the photographer's efforts in creating an excellent photo. What are the characters of Noctilux? First and foremost, it's shallow DOF & swirly bokeh (although some hates it) that I love. Second, the way is render lights. And lastly, it's a fast 50mm f1.0 in 35mm full frame format, but it can almost match the shallow DOF of a medium format(or any medium format be it Hasslelblad or Phase One) Leica S2 with 70mm f2.5. The last reason can justify the price of a Noctilux. I'm crazy over superfast lenses & pursuing bokehlicious result. But I won't consider medium format S2, Hasselblad or Phase One due to their exuberant price. Medium format is capable of capturing shallow DOF & amazing details with it's large pixels sensor. The closest equivalent of Noctilux medium format lens is 70mm with maximum f2.5(Medium format lens doesn't have aperture go as large as f1). Technically f2.5 is not as fast as f1.0, but interms of resolutions, details & sharpness, medium format wins hand down. Shallow DOF wise, M9 with Noctilux wins with aperture f1.0. The pocketable size of M9 & Noctilux made the combinations a winner compared to the hugemongous size of a medium format. Imagine this 2 photographers acquiring camera & lens that create shallow DOF. One photographer spent RM120k++ on the huge Leica S2 with a 70mm f2.5 & another spend RM43k on a M9 with Noctilux. The result of both set up is caparable. Noctilux is not as expensive anymore cause it can be seen as a "poorman's" Leica S2, Hasselblad or Phase One.

(Let me say it again. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that M9 with Noctilux is better quality compared to medium format S2, H4D or PhaseOne. In terms of resolutions, sharpness & details, medium format alway will have the upper hand. But if you are looking for shallow DOF or great bokeh. Noctilux can match the medium format in creating bokehlicious result.)

I find that Noctilux is not a suitable lens to use for my wedding assignments which very often require fast movement. So, the Nikon 50mm f1.8G on D700 is my choice of set up. Nikon new 50mm f1.8G is a very sharp lens. It is of modern design, so it has less character to talk about. It is very sharp in the middle & corner even at f1.8. The lens is contrasty, color is vibrant, CA is at minimum & bokeh is great for a f1.8 lens. Nikon 50mm f1.8G is a value lens consider the price is relatively cheap. I highly recommend this Nikon 50mm f1.8G over the f1.4 due to it's price, performance & value.

Short-tele angle: Nikon 85mm f1.4 AFD

85mm is the least used lens during my leisure time. I find myself using this focal length more for my wedding assignments. If I wasn't doing photography for living, I can do without 85mm. I mainly use this lens outdoor. It is too tight to use indoor for my liking.

This lens has earn the reputation of creating creamy bokeh. 85mm bokeh is different from 50mm bokeh. 85mm is tighter and is used in different application compared to 50mm. So stop comparing 50mm & 85mm. If financially allows you to get a 85mm f1.4, get both 50mm & 85mm. It is a must have lens in the bag of every serious portrait photographer. It is sharp wide open. CA is present.

I have experience with Canon 85mm f1.2L II too. I used it on 5D II. I was wow by it image quality but disappointed by it's focus accuracy. A new Canon 85L is around RM8000, with this kind of money & budget, I went with a Nikon D700(RM6000) & an used Nikon 85mm f1.4AFD(RM2800). Which I feel that I'm happier with the Nikon purchase.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. My favorite focal length & lenses. Due to the reason I know that I often shoot portrait, low light, available light, wedding photojournalistic & some street photography, these 3 lenses is going to be with me for a long time. My choices of acquiring new lenses or new camera are dictated by these 3 focal length. Maybe I will get a superwide in future for landscape & wedding, but I won't go as far as considering a macro lens, or a fisheye or a 70-200mm tele lens.

For every new photographers or even some experience photographers, I know you may be confused by the abundant choices of photography gears. Hours of reading online reviews & reading lens chart reviews is not going to help. Be it Canon, Nikon or Sony. DSLR or mirrorless system. Zoom lens or fix focal lens. Spend a little time to know what you shoot & love the most. If 80% of your shots are portraits, then get both 50mm & 85mm prime. If your cover event for living, then gat a zoom 24-70mm f2.8 lens. If you are into landscape, then get a great if not decent superwide Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens. Sport photography lovers, please get the 70-200mm f2.8 lens. In a nutshell, let your subject of photography dictate the way you choose your lenses set up & camera system. Don't choose a camera body or camera format & let the lenses being dictated by the camera. For example, if you know you are serious into portraits photography. Go get a 50mm f1.8 & 85mm f1.8 on a D700 full frame platform. Don't get a micro 4/3 and try to mimic full frame result. Don't get me wrong. Micro 4/3 & mirrorless system have great lens line, just don't get them for the wrong reasons.

Let me give you an example, I had a friend who have potential in portrait photography without himself realizing it. He bought a Canon 7D for RM4500. He bought a Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 for RM2900 which he seldom use. He uses 50mm f1.8(RM420) the most for his portrait shots. Tele lens he uses 70-200mm f2.8 IS RM5500) which he often complaint about it's weight. All the gears & lenses set him back for RM13k. Nothing wrong with that. This amount is average what a photographer normally invest. If someone is happy with this kind of set up I usually will remain silent so everyone is happy. This is not the case for this friend of mine. He keep telling me how much he would love to get a 5D II but his budget won't allow. Tired of his lament, I told him sell everything (keep 50mm f1.8) to fund 5D II(RM7000), Canon 28mm f1.8(RM1800), & Canon 85mm f1.8(RM1400). All have cost him RM10,200. He was so happy with these 3 tiny lenses that he uses equally & his only complaint was what took him so long to take the plunge into full frame. Has my friend improve his photography after the upgrade? No. But he is more focus now on his subject of photography & he uses all his lenses instead of leaving few in the dry box.

Although photography is not about gears. But we do spend lot of time & money to acquire them. Hope to share my view so everyone who read it may not have to make the same wrong purchase I make before. Happy shooting.

This is the extend of the law of our country can tolerate

2011-11-07T02:08:00.000-08:00

Empty Seats

2011-11-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Chloe is obsessed with I-Pad

2011-11-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

Chloe told me, "don't disturb me, I'm working". And immersed herself back to the fruits cutting games.

I almost got a Leica 50mm f2 Summitar

2011-11-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeing on the Leica 50mm Summitar after reading wonderful review of Stevehuff here. Last week, I went to Singapore for a wedding assignment & I saw an used Summitar in a shop. I asked to try the lens & from a mere few test shots inside shop, I was immediately hooked by this tiny lens. I like the size, the build & the character of the pictures created with this lens. After some serious contemplations, I decide to pass this time due to the reason that I'm currently shooting with a Leica Noctilux. Unless I'm fortunate to come across a Summitar with really mint condition. I'll be going to Singapore for 2 more assignments in Nov & Dec this year. Hopefully I'll able to see another minty Summitar again or find other interesting lenses.

Just before I left the shop, I took a comparison shot between Noctilux at f1 & Summitar at f2. Looking at the shots below, I'm glad that I'm sticking with my Noctilux.

M9 with Noctilux at f1

M9 with Summitar at f2

Voightlander 12mm f5.6

2011-10-20T04:00:00.001-07:00

Melbourne sunset

2011-10-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

Lens Flare

2011-10-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

Old Scenery Photos

2011-10-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Blur

2011-10-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

Man . Women

2011-10-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Stranger in a Kopitiam

2011-09-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Breaking the generation gap

2011-09-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Available light

2011-09-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Chloe

2011-09-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Window light

2011-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Random shots

2011-09-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Step by step we'll walk together

2011-09-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Nikon 1 mirrorless system

2011-09-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Nikon had finally announced their mirrorless system after years of anticipations & speculations. We had Micro 4/3 system from Olympus Pens & Lumix GF series to kick off the trend. Later joined by Sony NEX & Samsung with their own mirrorless system. Fujifilm X100 though it is not an interchangeable camera, but it does offer amazing image quality & breakthrough technology with it's Hybrid Viewfinder & etc. Next is Pentax trying hard to be different by using a compact size sensor in their Pentax-Q system. Mirrorless market since had become very competitive & ultimately benefited the consumers cause each brand trying to out do the other.

On Wednesday, Nikon announced their J1 & V1 mirrorless cameras & a series of accessories. To many disappointments, Nikon mirrorless cameras comes with 2.7 crop factor sensor. With a sensor smaller than Micro 4/3 & NEX, many were doubtful how Nikon is going to compete with them. Now, there is no turning back for Nikon 1 system. It's a gamble for Nikon to either make it or break it.

Nikon doesn't produce any huge aperture fix focal lens for their mirrorless system yet. I really wonder who would want to get Nikon J1 or V1 when one can easy afford a Olympus XZ-1 with f1.8 lens. Silly decision by Nikon.

To me, the best choice of mirrorless system is Sony NEX series. Olympus & Panasonic are both very good with their mirrorless line up as well. Panasonic made a mistake with their GF2 & GF3 & they are now reaping the result. Olympus Pens remains stable & trustworthy with EP-3, EP-L3 & a few newly announced huge aperture lenses. Sony NEX seems to be making the less mistake in terms of their pricing & camera designs. Sony NEX great success came from listening to what their customers wants in a camera, rather than introducing a product that no body wants. Just looking the positive comments online & the camera spec on NEX 5n & NEX 7.

Nikon mirrorless system is a product that is a little better compared to compact cameras, but far inferior to Micro 4/3 & NEX. When Nikon mirrorless is finally available, Nikon will definitely carry out a campaign to educate consumers on how their smaller sensor can capture better sharpness corner to corner compared to APS-C sensor. All these sales talk may work on amateurs, but professional or enthusiasts knows it is all bull shit.

I have friends whom I met would sometimes ask me for a camera recommendations. Nikon mirrorless will never be on my recommending list. In fact, I would ask all those who are looking for either a compact or mirrorless camera to avoid Nikon J1 & V1. Why I'm so against Nikon 1 system? Cause it is not value for your money on the current listed selling price.

I empathized with Pentax struggle to stay alive in camera bussiness. However I truly thought Pentax-Q system is a dumb mistake & it is not going to help Pentax current status. Just when I thought with all the success on Fujifilm X100, Olympus EP-3, Lumix G3 & NEX 7 versus the very obvious mistake by Pentax Q-system, Nikon 1 system emerge from the horizon to claim the prize of the champion of the most idiotic mirrorless system. Sigh......

Melbourne sunset

2011-09-22T01:47:00.001-07:00

My dinner place tonight

2011-09-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Book rental shop

2011-09-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

Photo walk on Sunday morning

2011-09-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

My M9 (Beware! Camera Porn)

2011-09-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

A Conversation With a Photography Antagonist

2011-09-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

Me : Lately, I came across this photographer's site called POOMA卜马 . I really admire his works, his photography skills & his creative angles.

Antagonist : Really? Can you show me the site?

Me : Sure. Let me show you the site (switching on my laptop & connect to the site). What do you think? Amazing works isn't it?

(Me & my antagonistic friend browsing thru the site)

Antagonist : 'Quite' ok lah. So-so only lah.

Me : Really? I find his works very refreshing & inspiring.

Antagonist : I think he over photoshop his photos. The color looks weird to me. Too much digital noise that trying to mimic film grain.

Me : Really? (Waiting for antagonist to further elaborate)

Antagonist : Looking at his photos I can tell that he shoot with Digital SLR. With a DSLR, anyone can shoot up to 1000 pictures & only select a handful of 50 nicest one to publish them online. So, I seriously doubt that he is that good.

Me : I see. You publish all 1000 pictures whenever you go out to shoot?

Antagonist : No lah. 1000 pictures is too much to be uploaded to my blog.

Me : I see.

Antagonist : Furthermore, this photographer is using all sort of Photoshop film simulation filters to mimic film tone & film grain. If he is really that great, I dare him to shoot film with no help of photoshop. I don't understand why present photographers loved to imitate film like effect thru photoshop, yet they don't shoot film.

Me : Do you have Photoshop software instored in your computer? You mean you don't photoshop you photos?

Antagonist : I do. But I use it at minimum. I prefer straight out of camera Jpeg. If I want a film like effects, then I shoot with my film or Lomo or Holga.

Me : Despite of your 'not so' positive view about this photographer, I think his skills & style are very much appreciated in the place he lived in. He is famous & fully booked for his photography service.

Antagonist : That's the problem. I feel that he is 'too commercialized'.

Me : Famous & good business = too commercialized?

Antagonist : Yes. Too commercialized to client pleasing. Over commercialized to shoot for money & lost themselves in what true photography is all about.

(I pause for a while to digest what I just heard. Then I start the continuation of our discussion while browsing down the site)

Me : This series of black & white photos are gorgeous.

Antagonist : Can be better if it is shot with B&W film. Digital photos are way too contrast for me.

Me : I see. The scenery of this Pre-Weding is amazing. I admire how the photographer framing the couple in the scenery.

Antagonist : That's nothing. Anyone is capable to capture nice photos if given a opportunity to shoot in such beautiful scene.

Me : This reflection shot is so nice. I like the mood of this photo.

Antagonist : That's copy cat. I see tons of this kind of shots by different photographers both local & abroad.

Me : I like this photo. The color look like Lomography style.

Antagonist : One look at it I already know it was photoshoped. This photo is too clean to be Lomo like. More grain would have made it.

Me : I like the way he poses the couple. So natural, candid & fun.

Antagonist : Way too natural, over candid & too much fun. I wish I could see more serious studio shots with proper flash & lighting.

Me : Oh... he does have some studio shots here. His studio shots are nice. Lighting skill is excellent.

Antagonist : Hmm...... too serious & boring for me. Studio flash a bit dull.

Me : I love this series of outdoor shots. The DOF is so thin. Bokehlicious!

Antagonist : Too much dependent of aperture f1.2. Nowadays any f1.2 aperture lens can be seen used by amateurs. If you take away the luxury of f1.2 or the gimmicks of tilt & shift, I doubt that he can be that good.

(By this time, our conversation has come to an end)

In order to understand the above conversation, you have to visit the site here to see for yourself the photography portfolio I admired.

Without much elaboration, I think the conversation above fully describe what a photography antagonist is. Very stingy with compliment & praise; very generous with over critical comments.

By the way, you may wonder about this antagonist friend of mine. You may wonder whether he is an excellent photographer himself, since he speaks of such high critical standard. To me, he is not better. In fact, far from it.

Getting ready

2011-09-12T04:46:00.000-07:00

Playful girl

2011-09-08T00:26:00.001-07:00

Pudu Pasar

2011-09-02T01:49:00.000-07:00

Many expressions of Chloe

2011-08-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

My favourite street shot from Melbourne

2011-08-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Fake luxury handbag seller

2011-08-27T01:16:00.001-07:00

Shhh... Respect our neighbours

2011-08-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Lens Flare

2011-08-23T04:10:00.001-07:00

My acoustic guitar

2011-08-20T02:50:00.001-07:00

Feast for the hungry

2011-08-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

In chinese tradition, this month is the 'hungry ghost festival'. Chinese believes that the gate of hell will be opened on 14h July(Chinese Calendar) & unleash multitude of hungry ghost into our world. It is sort of like a holiday for the ghosts to roam freely this time of the year. In this event, usually we'll be advised not to stay out late. Mothers will keep their children off the street at night. Minimize any long travel. Postpone your annual family trip. Avoid having your wedding this month. Halt any activities that might bring you to a direct confrontation with the ghost roaming around. What do we do with so many ghost around? Taoism believe that throwing a feast & chanting will pacify them.

There's always some eerie & mythical atmosphere culminating the air this time of the year. Despite that I've brought up by my parents who don't follow this tradition, I still hear many scary ghost story being spread regarding this event. Personally I don't believe in ghost due to my spiritual belief in Christianity. But still, there was occasion that my mind start playing tricks on me by bringing back some ghost story I have heard before, having flash back of some scenes of ghost movies I watched before. When this happen, I admit that the thought of it sometime does interrupt my peace of mind a little.

Do you see all the " Ho Heng Tais (好兄弟)" on the seats. They are the VIP there.

Seriously? Cab & bus? With drivers? With registration number?

As I was taking these pictures, I still have some eerie feeling not sure will I be offending these spiritual entity. Then I remember reading from news about famine in Somalia. Seeing hundred of pictures of people & children suffering from lack of food in this African country. Reading sad story how this famine kill thousands of babies & children. How the people in the famine affected area would go to neighboring country to seek help & refuge. My heart was sadden hearing how the mother have to leave her child behind to seek help or abandon the the dead baby to continue the journey. People there died primary due to starvation, no food, no water. Talk about scary story, the fear of these hungry children & adult faced, is that the aid from UN may not reach them before they die. On the contrary, here in KL, most chinese including myself are feeling a little fearful of the hungry ghost? The ghost are hungry? throw them a feast. They might be bored? Give them entertainments. What a joke! Who are the real desperate hungry here?

If you happen to walk alone or drive alone this week late at night. And your mind flash back some ghost movie scenes to interrupt your peace of mind, try this. Try think about the real needy & hungry people in Somalia. Try think about your own child. Try think about your love ones. If a kidnapper trying to kidnap your child, will you get cold feet or you will fight him with your life? If robber trying to hurt your wife, will you run away or stand your ground? I'm not sure about you. When I think of these, ghost seems to be the last thing I need to worry about or to be scared of.

Abandoned Flag

2011-08-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

My girls

2011-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Old time friend Ephraim

2011-08-05T22:58:00.001-07:00

Random shots

2011-08-02T04:15:00.000-07:00

Two grandmas in the morning market

Play ground opposite my house

Some drunkards just left the bottles on the playground

选购摄影器材三大遗憾：不会选择；不坚持选择；不断地选择。

2011-08-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Your kind of photography is not my kind of photography

2011-07-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Keith Arnatt, Trouser Word Piece, 1972, black-and-white photograph

I've been feeling a little bit sick of photography lately. I feel that more & more people now are linking art & photography together & assuming that art+photography is somehow the highest level of photography.

'I'm into fine art photography', one exclaimed.
'I see photography is a form of artistic expression', another proclaiming.
'I insist to project artistic value in all my photographs', another declared.

The link between art & photography is so rampantly used that I felt it is being abused. Especially when one's result does not supports one's claim. I occasionally bump into new/old friends who are into photography, especially street photography. I have nothing against street photography, just want to share with you a conversation I had with a friend.

After greeted with this friend & I ask him what he has been busy about lately. Here is his respond,

"I'm on a photography assignment to document the street of Petaling. This documentary assignment will take months to be completed. The visual goals I want to achieve in this mission are, the life, the socialism & the culture of the people on the street. For instance, the images in my streets portfolios are usually contains people doing all sorts of business on street, the candid, the fun, the details & the realistic life there. I would also sometimes record down the landscape & architecture with historic value. I hope my street portfolios will bring more awareness of our social & poverty problems to audience both locally & internationally. Doing this, I feel like I'm doing my fair share of recording a fragment of my city' legacy every time my camera shutter closes. I cover this non-profit documentary project voluntarily".

Wow! I had goosebumps when I heard this. Big & noble project huh!? Big words like social awareness. Influence audience both locally & internationally. A lot of huge words are used & I thought I'll rephrase every sentences into a simpler translation. Here is what I would say literally,

"Recently I've been going to Petaling Street to take photos. I like to take pictures of the people on the street doing their usual business. I'll snap anything & anybody that looks interesting. Pictures like homeless beggars, fruits sellers, garbage overflowing containers, sign boards, very old building(new one cannot). Hope friends who see my Petaling Street photos will like it & get to know Petaling Street a little better. I don't get paid for doing this. It is all for fun & leisure".

My translations not so glamour isn't it? Sound too ordinary, don't you think? Taking pictures = Photography assignment. Non paid job = Non-Profit volunteer project. How many street shooters you know would literally tell you they did that over a free & bore some weekend?

My example up there is a real encounter. Really. I usually don't go scrutinizing people like that. But it really left me a deep unpleasant impression whenever I meet someone preaching photography bigger than it actually is. There are tons of photographers out there showing strong words more than results. Everyone is quoting famous quotes. Everyone is trying to be different. Everyone is preaching the success formula of photography. Some embraced 'old school' style. Some improvised Film+Photography=ART. Some invented a fusion mixture of HDR+Lomography. Some are waiting & lusting after the next DSLR with 100 megapixels with useable ISO 1,000,000,000. All sounded glamorous & "Pro-like", but result shows another story.

So, what kind photography you are into? Fine art? Modern art? Creative art? Conceptual art?

I think art is a result, not a goal.

My kind of photography is taking pictures.

My best birthday gift.

2011-07-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

My Portrait

2011-07-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Photo was taken this year in Melbourne by my friend Samuel Tan.

I like it despite the focus is off.

2011-07-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Story time

2011-07-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Fujifilm X100 Panoramic

2011-07-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

I only found out & tried Panoramic mode at 180 degree on my X100 yesterday. At first, I thought it's panoramic performs the same way like my previous Sony NEX3. But I find X100 is better. I could utilize X100's f2 lens to create shallower depth of field to create more 3D images. I could shot panoramic with X100 in low light situation with aperture f2 & at any shutter speed. Unlike NEX panoramic which fix it shutter speed at 1/500 whenever panoramic mode is activated.

Well. It kind of makes me appreciate X100 more. At first I was kind of wish X100 has a wider lens, but now I can shoot primarily with it's 35mm f2 lens & wider angle with it at really necessarily situations.

Tips for you. You can shoot panoramic with X100 from direction left towards right. Try direction from top towards bottom, you can squeeze wider scene into your frame to create shallower DOF.

Random shots with Noctilux F1

2011-07-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

Bersih 2.0

2011-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

I think BN government need a pair of this to clean up their mess. BN, this is for you.

Bersih 2.0 rally had just passed. What a day it was!

So much emotions, people were bold, some were scared. Some were angry, some were courageous.

So many did the impossible. Some walked the street of protest for the first time. Police worked so hard to set up road blocks without trying to get a bribe from you.

So much interpretations. Local medias RTM & TV3 claimed the protestors were causing chaos. Foreign medias Aljazeera & CNN reported M'sia police brutality towards peaceful protestors.

So much dramas. Agong's intervention. Najib promised permit for the rally. Hishammudin claimed the rally still illegal. Police insisting to cripple the traffic toward KL to limit the attendants of Bersih supporters. People were forbidden to wear yellow.

So much jokes. UMNO Youth calling out massive numbers of supporters to counter Bersih rally, but only 400 turn up. Still they claimed 'moral victory' although they only marched the street for 300m maximum. Perkasa Ibrahim Ali & their tens of thousands of members were no where to be seen in Titiwangsa.

Most of the Malaysians myself included, are ignorant & forgetful. Let us not forget. Bersih rally had already won by opening up our eyes to see what the courageous ordinary people can achieve, and what our frightful BN government can do in their desperation.

Kitten

2011-07-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Chloe's growing transitions

2011-07-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

Fujifilm X100

2011-07-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to like this camera. Eversince the various introductions of mirrorless cameras namely Olympus Pen series, Panasonic GF series, Sony NEX series & etc, Fujifilm stunts all of them with their X100.

I concur with many various positive reviews online regarding X100. It is one amazing camera that's able to deliver excellent image quality. There are some main aspects I really like about X100 are listed as below,

- 12mp, 1.5 crop APS-C sensor

- Sharp Fujinon 23mm f2 lens

- Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder

- Really impressive high ISO image quality up to 6400

There a lot more little areas I like about it such as built in ND filter, high dynamic range, 720p movie, film styles & etc. I hope Fujifilm would introduce wide & tele conversion lenses specifically meant for X100.

This camera is so popular that many compared it's performance to M9, which I think it's totally an unfair comparison. Some compared it's price with the cheapest Sony NEX 3, which I think it's unfair too. You have to be objective & unbiased to really appreciate the price, value & performance of X100.

In terms of X100 pricing, some may find it a lot more expensive compared to various mirrorless cameras. My calculation findings are, if you buy an Olympus EP-2 + Lumix 20mm f1.7 + external EVF + Pen leather half case, the price sum up to be about the same as X100.

In terms of performance, if we put aside or just over look the fact that X100 is equipped with APS-C sensor, X100 is simply the best camera in it's own right. So stop comparing it's sensor to M9 full frame sensor, you will surely be a happier person.

Breakfast first, street photography second.

2011-07-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful breakfast & photography with friends at China Town. Productive, great company & delicious breakfast was how I spend my saturday when I'm not on assignment.

Friends who knows me know that I'm not a big fan of street photography. Nothing against it or hate it, just not my cup of tea. But I do loved great company to spend my morning with, especially over delicious breakfast. I'm certain I'll do it more often whenever I'm free.

Sunday evening

2011-07-03T05:35:00.001-07:00

My favorite portraits

2011-07-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

Chinese Culture - Red color

2011-06-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Swing

2011-06-23T03:33:00.001-07:00

Chloe's ponytails

2011-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Freedom of expression

2011-06-22T04:02:00.001-07:00

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion & expression.

Seesaw

2011-06-22T03:51:00.001-07:00

Chloe & Samuel

2011-06-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

How I wish you could grow up slightly slower.

2011-06-11T06:57:00.001-07:00

Nikon 50mm f1.8D vs 50mm f1.8G test

2011-06-11T03:31:00.001-07:00

我說話不多的 M9

2011-06-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Random shots

2011-05-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

There are always 2 sides of the story.

2011-05-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Pro Photographer A:
When you shoot, don't think. Just shoot with your heart, not your brain.

Pro Photographer B:
When you shoot. Pause & think. Take it slow. Think of the meaning you want to bring out from the image you are about to capture. Carefully framing it & composing it. Take time to visualize the final result before you click the shutter.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
Take it slow. Great shots are taken carefully & patiently.

Pro Photographer B:
Be quick to react. Great shots & moments waits for nobody.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
Photography talent is born within. You either has it or you don't.

Pro Photographer B:
Photography talent is trained. You might not has it naturally, but with much practice, you will earn it.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
A 'great photography moment' is to be anticipated. 'It' comes & goes & if you anticipate it at the right time, Bang! You got it. If you miss it, 'It' can't be re-take or re-arranged. You just have to wait for the next moment to come.

Pro Photographer B:
A 'great photography moment' can be orchestrated. We don't just wait for the 'moment', instead we go and create the 'moment'.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
Don't try to be more artistic. Just be yourself.

Pro Photographer B:
Try to be more artistic. Not ordinary like everybody.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
Skills improved when one abide in photography rules & techniques.

Pro Photographer B:
There is no rules in photography. Don't let rules dictate you.
__________________________________________________________________

Pro Photographer A:
True artist creates, not copy. There are always new ideas & brand new creativity.

Pro Photographer B:
There is nothing new under the sun. All sorts of photography philosophy, techniques & styles had been explored. We are merely copying, evolving, then finally improving it to make it seemingly looks like new.
__________________________________________________________________

The list of all the arguments can go on & on...... Who's right & who's wrong? Do you hold any opinions mentioned above, maybe atleast 1 or 2 that is similar? Have you ever experience your opinions being challenged? Just when you thought your views are justified, then later found out the opposite of your view make sense too.

To me, neither photographer A or B are absolute correct in the opinions they hold. All the opinions shared by photographer A & B can be put into good use if we can strike a balance.

There are always the extreme photographer A/B around us. They made no apology to the stern opinions they hold. If you hold a different opinion as theirs, then you are definitely the lost & wrong bunch. The extremists are usually hold stern with their opinions 'about' photography, but their opinions are usually hardly the photography itself. They can't seem to comes to terms of balancing the extreme of both ends.

Life is much easier if one treats photography as a leisure activity. For me, I see it that way. Was once sank into debating on photography opinions & resulted hardly any benefits. I would rather indulge myself in taking picture & acquires new gears. Not many would openly admit their love for acquiring new gears. Less glamorous if one associates to much around gears. Not sure why other hobby are not as complicating as photography.

Like one of my friend once told me. You want people to respect you as a serious photographer, then habitually using cliché words or ways like below will surely boost up your ego.
-Always mention image is all that matters in photography. Camera are just tool to get the image.
-Don't let people know you have 8-9 cameras, cause people may thought you are a gear head.
- No gear talk. Unless it is films cameras.
-Always maximize using moto created by famous photographers like the "decisive moment" & many others.
-Always put up topics with friend about the 'true meaning' of photography, the 'future' of photography, the 'definitions' of photography, the 'heart' of photography & so on & so forth.

To be honest, I know a lot more cliché words or ways to boost my ego. They are in fact very clever speech to say in front of people. But I dislike doing so. I know when people are faking it. And I don't want to be caught faking it too.

What's your category in photography?

2011-05-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

I loved interacting with photographers. Especially photographers sharing the same preferences, but that doesn't mean I'm picky on choosing who I'm hanging out with. When a group of photographer who loves gear talks ask me to join them for a drink, I'll go if I can & I'll immerse in the topics the group like to talk about. The topic usually surrounded with the latest cameras & lenses. Which lens is sharper, which camera has the fastest frame rate & etc. If I decided to go hang out with them I make sure I enjoy myself with them. We shared experiences & sometimes disagreements but when we disagree, we disagree carefully to make sure none of us are at each other throat.

Hanging out with a group of film shooters is another story. They are a group of photographers who really passionate about photography with film. They love to talk about where to get cheap films, they lament with each other on which film has been discontinued, which photoshop develop film the best. They love sharing experience they had with various films, the different characters & tones. Very often the conversation can go to medium format & large format films. They don't touch on topic regarding latest Digital SLR very often unless they find a certain digital camera gives them the most 'film like' result for some reasons. In fact one will looked strange to mention about anything related to frame rate & digital. For example, one is better of not to mention he "photoshopped" his photos, instead he must say he "processed" his photo without giving much details whether he cropped it, colour corrected it, or added any film simulating filters.

There are also sports photographers by profession. They are more easy going with any topics you want to talk about. But if they are given with their preference topics, they most likely love to talk about tele lenses. How they wish to get a 400mm f2.8 with 1.4 tele converter for their F1 Formula shoots. They enjoyed friends going "Ooh... Aahh... WOW!!! with their 300mm f2.8-600mm f4.0 bazooka. I must give them the credits they deserved, many of them are really good with their photography skills. Sport photographers are more accommodating with various type of photographers. Another word, if you put a sport photographer hanging out together with film shooter, most likely the film shooter is the one who will feel out of place.

I love hang out with friends who look at photography simply as a hobby that brings leisure. Full stop. Not a single philosophy & definition of photography is mentioned. They buy gears they could afford. Some has sky high budget to get a M9 with 6 lenses at one go. They shoot any thing simple from streets to family vacation photographs. They don't care being labeled or labeling people. Hang out with them is so at ease. We could talk about photography trips, cars, sports, family, investments, & anything at all. They are generous in praising, complimenting & sometimes correcting each other photos. One very obvious character I find in them is they hardly 'self praise' the lenses or camera they have. Their thinking is very simple. They just spend RM30k on Nikon, they aspect these Nikon gears to serve them well. They don't see the need to defend Nikon. They couldn't not understand why a photographer need to defends the advantages/disadvantages on the gears they purchased. Afterall, it's just gears they acquired with their hard earn money. If Nikon really need to be defended, their marketing department should do the job.

For me, hanging out with different group of photographers helps me to interact with people with the same hobby, another word, kill time. I enjoy it & the meeting not necessarily need to be always surrounded with photography. Some photographers draws me closer to them with their humbleness, the others leave me with a bitter taste after talking to them. I just want to clarify that I'm not trying to stereotype photographers into categories. The different grouping of photographers I mentioned above is what they do most, but that doesn't define who they are. I just can't categorize a person is landscape photographer or wedding photographer. Landscape or wedding may be what he does the most, but it is too shallow to categorize who & what sort of photographer he is.

Don't let anyone labeling or categorizing you into any group in photography and don't do it like wise. Like oh, he is the amateur photographer, he is from the old school, he is 'too commercialized', he is non artistic & etc. Don't label & categorize photographers, because photography type may be easy to differentiate, but human are too complicating to be judged by another human. I had friend labeling photographers by saying, oh... So and so is a wedding photographer and he can only shoot wedding and he is "too commercialized". Oh see... he immerse in gear talks therefore he must be a gear head. Peoples who labels & judges are very often do that to everyone around him. Think about it, do you have friends who always gossip, label & judge about others in front you? Most likely he will do the same to you when you are not around.

I'm very open to different ideas and different preferences in photography. I welcome disagreement & debates if it comes. But over-critcal & judgmental in the name of artistic photography? I think that is giving artistic photography a bad name when you intertwine with character flaws. Don't lie to yourselves that your high artistic level made you over critical with extremely high level of standard. Does fine art photography = judgmental character? If that is the case, I'm happy to be seen as non arty photographer.

There's a theory why arty peoples are very often hard to mix with. Their EQ is extremely high & their expectation & level are extremely high. They often being found to be alone in their own arty world that no body could understand them or reach their standard. Is that true? All artistic people are like that? Maybe some but I'm not sure. But I'm sure many of the best artistic artist are the worst critics on their own works. They can't tolerate mediocre results by their own hands. They are very often humble & sometime over timid in the public. Timidness is the reason some of them prefer to be a loner. Their works draw people's admirations. Arty people are very often rise to the occasion when it's least expected. Not some arty 'Wannabe' who keeps bombard you with their 'definition' of fine art photography. Not some arty 'Wannabe' who tell you image is what matters at the same time you must shoot it with film or Nikon or Canon or Leica. I prefer to see the title of art in photography is given by the viewers instead of a self proclaimed photography goal. True artist are not afraid to mix with so called "non-artistic" people less their artistic sense could be "contaminated".

I sincerely think. The more you try to be an artist, it proves that you are not one. The more you try to be different from other, it proves that you are just like everyone else.

Why M9?

2011-05-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

In this video John Ricard explains the advantages of a Leica M9 camera

My M9 & Noct.

2011-05-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Been trying various lenses on the M9 for the pass few months. I'm very happy that I came across an used Noctilux F1 in S'pore. It was a very impulsive & quick decision to get the Noct, cause demand for the Noct F1 is being very much sought after. It will be gone if I hesitated. So, just within 2 hours, I booked the ticket thru TigerAirway the next day to go S'pore for a day trip to get the Noctilux f1. My Noct is in mint condition & comes with box. Lens elements are clean & flawless. Focus accurately with my M9.

I have a privilege to try my friend's various M lenses before I decide which one I lke. My friend was generous to let me try his 18mm f3.8, 28mm f2 Summicron, 35mm f1.4 Summilux, 50mm f1.4 Summilux, & 75mm f2 Summicron. If I have the budget, I would love to have all of them, but in reality, I have to pick 1 or 2 lenses that I can afford.

At first, I love superwide lens like M 18mm f3.8, but the price kind of over my budget. So, my heart is kind of decided to get the Zeiss 18mm f4 Distagon.

Or, I could ditch the idea of getting a superwide lens & go with a 24mm or 28mm. I had second thought after I tried the Voightlander Heliar 15mm f4.5. I found out the disadvantages of using superwide lens in M system. With the money I spend on any superwide lens plus an external viewfinder, I think I would be more contented with a superwide lens on my Nikon DSLR.

So, at this moment, I'm happy just to have my Noctilux on my M9 for the time being. Afterall, My Nikon is already completed with the lenses I need for my works. As for wide angle lens, I'm constantly being tempted by 21mm f1.4 Summilux. I'm not going to get any M-mount lens longer than 50mm. I tried 75mm f2 Summicron, and I don't like it. I found myself enjoy superwide & tele lenses more with my Nikon DSLR.

Noctilicious.

2011-04-12T00:04:00.001-07:00

Some random photos from Melbourne.

2011-03-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Leica M9+Voigtlander 35mm f1.2

2011-03-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad that I took the plunge to getting a M9 & Voigtlander 35mm f1.2. It took me awhile to get use to manual focusing with M9. I'm quite surprised how easy to manual focus the M9 with the 35mm f1.2. I'm happy that my hit rate is quite high.

Now that the 35mm f1.2 is always attached on my M9, I've decided to let go of my Nikon 35mm f1.4G. Sigh...... Although I would love to keep it, but it will be a waste to keep the Nikon 35mm f1.4G without using it.

Below are a few shots take with the M9.

Fujifilm X100 was my target, but ended up with a M9

2011-03-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

I have so much to anticipate in the short month of February this year. Waiting for the New Macbook Pro to arrive, finishing up some wedding albums, preparation for a wedding assignment in Melbourne in March, scrutinizing the Fujifilm X100 limited photo samples online cause I've been waiting to get my hands with one. Little did I expect to be ended up with a Leica M9. I'm not a gear reviewer. There are tons of M9 reviews online. Please don't read what I write here as a M9 review.

Leica, one of the most famous camera brand in the world, a well known name known for it's legendary art works in the film era, it's optic quality, it's unique photography philosophy & nevertheless, it's enormously high price.

Leica has huge amount of loyal users worldwide since the film era til today. It is a camera brand loved by many for using it mostly in the area of photojournalism, street photography, travel photography, portraits, landscape & etc.

This brand is not foreign to me. I have friends who bought it for it's fame, like an expensive jewelry around one's neck so one can have a status or ego boost. For some they bought it thinking they can become an artist overnight by using a Leica. Some claimed to be capturing "Decisive Moment" ever since they change their Nikon D5000 to a M9. Some claimed M9 produces the most film-like photos with the most film-like tone, grain, depth transition, color transition & you name it & Leica has it.

Seriously? Really? That great? I'm perplexed.......

With mere 7 years experience in this photography, my humble photography experience makes me realized that photography to me, is making an intangible vision in my mind's eye tangible to people around me. The photographic vision can be further improved by beautiful compositions, angles, lighting & all the other photography technics. Thank God that in photography there are guidelines or measurements to judge a photo whether it is worthy of praise or fall short to be mediocrity. Using Leica is no guarantee of becoming a great photographer overnight. Shooting Leica with film and to exaggerate the film's tonality, color & grain is not going to make me overlook the compositions, angles, & meaning of the image. My ears are usually shut towards exaggerated debate on film vs digital & Canon vs Nikon kind of stuffs.

Please don't get me wrong. I don't mean to stereotype all Leica users used Leica for a wrong reason. There are plenty amazing images shot by Leica users around the world, but what separates them to be great from mediocre? Many ways one can improved in photography, but certainly not using specifically certain brand like Nikon, Canon or Leica.

As I was watching the American Idols, thoughts came to my mind. As the judge Randy of the show asked all the contestants are they the next American Idol the America is looking for? Almost all of them boldly proclaimed they are the next American Idol they are looking for. It was until they open their mouth to sing in the audition room. It was hilarious when they didn't live up to their claims, but still believed the judges had made the mistake by disqualified them.

In photography, they are such people! Their confident level is sky high. I pray that I'm not like them. I'm not going to tell you how amazing M9 is & how I now are more discipline with my focus, composition & capturing "decisive moments" every time I pick up my Leica. Because I know I will be a laughing-stock if my pictures taken using my M9 doesn't live up to my claim.

In fact, I can tell you that using Leica M9 has a lot of inconveniences. It is not a perfect camera for everyone. I even doubted & regret my decision of buying it the 1st day when I brought it home. I know it's not a camera I would used for my work. I missed shots due to my in-experience to manual focus. M9 camera built quality & Leica optics is amazing, but the software part like processing speed, white balance, noise reduction & etc sucks big time. There are good things about Leica. Plenty of them. But I won't exaggerate the good things about the M9 to justify my purchase. It has "cons" many photographers don't like about & "pros" photographer die for. You either hate it or love it.

For me, I can live with it & have to work around it's short comings to make this purchase worthwhile. Can you imagine? With that kind of money spend on M9, yet I have to work around it. I'm new with Leica. I don't embraced the Leica & rangefinder myths mindlessly. Image & result is my utmost goal in looking & creating a photograph.

Random shots by NEX 3

2011-02-17T03:06:00.000-08:00

NEX 3 + Kipon Tilt Adapter + Nikon lens

2010-11-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

My wives.

2010-11-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

我眼中的蘋果The apple of my eye

2010-10-08T02:27:00.000-07:00

Sydney Trip

2010-10-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

Nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais (Part II)

2010-08-05T01:51:00.000-07:00

I beginning to like this lens in low night environment. Not sure why, but this lens seems to be performed better in extreme low light compared to daylight outdoor environment. I shall try some low-key shots with it. I somehow feels that this lens has potential for low-key photos.

Nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais

2010-07-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Recently bought an used Nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais. I've been trying this lens out to check out its potential. In my opinion, this lens is not as stellar as some people claimed to be. But for the 2nd hand price I paid for this lens, I would said it's not a bad deal. I want to see what I can shoot with it for a couple of months before I decide whether I should sell it or keep it.

In my opinion,
-Sharpness: It is the softest f1.4 prime I've used so far when shooting at f1.4. Very sharp after f2.
-CA: Horrific at widest aperture. It has a veiling effect when shooting at f1.4. It is probably "OK" for portrait.
Bokeh: Terrible. Bokeh is very "busy" even at f1.4.

While this Nikkor 35mm f1.4 is temporary being my fast wide angle, let hope that Nikon will announce a new AFS 35mm f1.4G soon.

Talk Is Cheap

2010-07-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

Do you know what is cheapest way to enjoy a hobby such as photography? Talking. Yes, it is true. It happens in almost everything as long as human being is involved. For example, I've met people who loves to be the expert in talking about diving, golfing & etc. I met a lot photographers as such. It is the "Kia Su" behaviour that hides behind the tongue that never cease to put themselves higher than others.

Such peoples' intention are very clear, it is to have their opinions higher than yours. They love to belittle you in a very subtle way. Some of them are so expert in the way they talk, so much so you would felt convinced that their intentions are for your own good. The bottom fact is, "Talking Big" is what makes them feel more superior than you & others.

Here is the list of conversation you could have with someone who loves to talk photography & who loves to "TALK BIG" to have their higher opinions on you. Lets just say that you met a "Kia Su" photographer, and the conversation leads toward what camera you are using now.

Canon? Nikon? Leica? Zeiss?

-If you are shooting with Canon-
They will surely criticize that Canon images are not as sharp as compared to Nikon. Canon's 'L' lenses' quality are not as good as compared to Nikon's. Canon's autofocus is slow & inaccurate as compared to Nikon's. And all the negative things might makes you feel that the Canon camera is a piece of junk & you have made a wrong purchase.

-If you are a Nikon user-
They will start bombard you by saying, Canon's skin tone is far better than Nikon. Canon takes better portrait than Nikon. Nikon's lenses are more pricey than Canon. All they talk about is to make you feel that buying Nikon is the worst decision you had made.

-If you use a entry level Camera-
They will say it feels like a plastic toy.

-If you get a Pro level Camera-
They will say it is too bulky & heavy.

-If you own both Nikon & Canon-
They will say Leica is the best Camera with the best optics in the world.

-If you own Nikon, Canon & Leica-
They will say film is still the best. Film's colors are far miles better compared to any digital SLR in the market. Shooting film discipline the photographer to be a class ahead of photographer who only shot digital. Photographers who shot with digital are so much driven by the latest gears in the market & forget that real photography is about visualization, composition, subject, lighting & etc. It doesn't matter what brands of camera you used. As long as you are shooting with films, your photos will have a certain indescribable tone, color & character to it.

-If you use kit lens-
They will say aperture too small, too slow & lousy bokeh.

-If you acquire a f1.4 lens-
They will say too much dependence on huge f1.4 aperture.

Sounds familiar? The conversation can go on & on & you will feel more discouraged than ever after talking to them. How to "mix well" or get some tiny little nice approval from them? The answer is, if you have the same camera & lenses they have in their dry box. You may ask why? Cause "Kia Su" people will never talk bad about their own stuffs. Even if you have the exact same equipments as this person. Don't faint if the fellow tells you off by saying although you have the same equipments as him, but the photographer who using the equipments are different.

You may not understand everything I wrote above if you are not familiar with cameras & photography. But I'm sure we all have met this kind of person who does not offer much other than criticisms. If you are driving a Benz, they will tell you BMW is better. If you tell them your second car is a BMW, they will very quickly change another direction to tell you that spending your money in investing on houses than cars is a much wiser option. To give them some benefit of the doubt, they are not totally wrong. But the fact is they love to dominate the conversation by putting a front of "I'm more superior than you".

To me, photography is just a hobby although I cherished it & needing it cause it is my "rice bowl" currently. But it can never be compared to my family & friendship. Seeing photographer friends talking bad about each other just because one using DSLR & another using film SLR, one uses photoshop the other not, one embraced it as commercialized & the other not and so on and so forth. Experiencing such encounter in the realm of photography hobby was such an eye opening experience. I thought people with the same hobby should be able to hang out quite well. Like the old saying, birds with the same feather flock together. Maybe some photographers translate the old saying their ways. Like artistic photographers only flock with their kind. Don't mix up film shooters with digital. Wedding photographers cannot hang out with Street Shooters. It does explain why photography can be devastating to friendship. Street photography emphasize being sensitive & approachable when comes to capturing people on the street, so much so we don't offend people on the street the best way possible. Yet what I see is a street shooter was so engrossed with capturing a image of a person on the street carefully, yet offense every photographer friends around him recklessly by labeling them, grading them, naming them.

It is never the fault of photography, cause it's just a hobby created for men. It's never the fault of the camera or lens, they are just tools. It not the fault of the latest DSLR technology, they are just the market's demand. It is not the "magic" of film that create artistic result, it is the photographer's efforts irregardless of what medium he uses.

Film & digital users often loves to tease & criticize about each other. I shoot with DSLR and I may sound bias toward film. But if you ever hear film users often joke about digital user as being gear head, the fact is that extreme film believer is no better. And film cultists who are so engross with their "magical" film often talk & explain about their "magical" film rather let the photos do the conviction. I have a few words (I learned from my 8 years old nephew) to those who loves to "Talk Big".

SHOW ME! TALK IS CHEAP!

Matthew 7:3-5 (New International Version)

³"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Aku Bukan Untukmu.

2010-05-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

I went back to cross process film!

2009-11-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

My title is a lie. I am trying to give you a wrong impression that I am a veteran in film photography. However, I know you won't be easily fooled like many others. Just to share a little about my background, I've never used a film camera in my entire life and I have absolutely no passion in film photography. Basically, I've never owned a film camera myself or load a roll of film or process any B&W film before. It was until 2003(I could be wrong) that I bought my first digital camera. If you want to categorize me, you can safely call me a digital photographer.

There are a whole lot of debating articles in photography available in the internet. Such debating articles revolves around issues such as "Film vs Digital", "Nikon vs Canon", "Rangefinder vs SLR", "Artistic vs Non-artistic" and so on & so forth. I have both read the articles & have also been personally involved in discussions with friends regarding all these debates. After digesting others' opinions & experiencing this hobby myself, I have since reached my own conclusion.

Lately, the debate on "Film vs Digital" bothers me most. It bothers me that many film shooters conclude that shooting with film is far much closer to being an artist compared with shooting in the digital format. The shocking truth is, never have I expected to see the effect of this debate worsen to the extent of even breaking up friendships. Friendships are broken just because of the differences being shared. I have consulted & befriended a few photographers who still persistently use film. I must say I truly admire their experience in film & their humility. The beautiful porfolios they produced 10-20 years ago while digital cameras were not available then,are simply stunning & really put many present day digital photographers to shame. In my opinion, these friends who produced beautiful film shots simply let their works sing out the loudest about the beauty of film photography. Their discipline in carefully composing & metering each shot is what seems lacking in today's digital photographers. With such convincing works I see from them, never has it stirred me to go into the argument of "film vs digital". These are humble and quiet photographers who just enjoy their photography hobby or profession without emphasizing on film being better than digital, or film photographers being more artistic than digital photographers.

On the other hand, I have also encountered photographers who professed overly loud about their experience in film. They mimically claimed that they used to shoot film, that they are the veterans in photography, and that they have recently gone back to shooting film again, just because they see some real veterans doing so. They boldly commented on the tone, the grain & the high latitude of film as if they really know. They talked about "true" photography only if you are carefully metering a scene, intensively manual-focusing & pre-visualizing each shot before pressing the shutter. They complained & insulted digital photographers for having a lack of discipline & concentrating too much on the gears & so on....... Yet, the pictures they produced, whether it's from their film cameras or digital cameras today, are so weak to back up their claims.

What went wrong here? The answer is, they do not have convincing portfolios to back them up. On the surface, they do look & sound like an artist who is so stubborn in shooting film, but the real difference is, they are lousy film shooters or even lousy photographers, film or digital. Instead of earning respect by producing convincing portfolios, they used their lips to force their opinions regarding film and photography as art on to others. Still, to me, the saddest thing is, they actually really think they are "good" in film photography or they are the true artists.

Film = Arts? Not necessarily. The beautiful pictures shot in film that contained so much sentiments and moods that words can't describe it all, actually requires more skill to master than what these lousy photographers can achieve. A lousy digital photographer will not overnight turn into an artist just because he starts shooting film. A photographer who sucks at digital photography is likely to suck at film photography too. It is all the same. This is true. If you are a film shooter, be humble. Before you go about ranting film is more superior than digital, you better come out with impressive & convincing portfolios. If not, you will most likely become a joke in others' eyes and you don't even realized it.

I am sharing my thoughts here out of spontaneity. I do not mean to put film above digital, digital above film or give higher regards to film than it already is. My reason of sharing my opinion is to remind myself not to let my lips sing about photography louder than my works. If you don't like my pictures, it's alright. I have never claimed to be an excellent photographer in the first place. But I do have many happy clients. If you find me bias & you have a different opinion, that's ok too. We are all entitled to that freedom.

Random shots mostly from my E-P1 - 12.11.09

2009-11-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

Baby 8 months old

2009-10-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Testing shots

2009-10-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

Some Random Shots

2009-08-20T21:03:00.001-07:00

Baby 5 months old

2009-08-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

My photography buddy

2009-07-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Photography is truly an amazing hobby. Can you see the smile of joy & satisfaction when one possesses his/her dream lens/camera? This is my friend & my buddy who owned a multitude of photographic gears, yet nothing beat the feeling of excitement when a new toy fall into his talented hand. Someone calls this ecstatic feeling as "Photographic Orgasm". If you're not sure what is "Photographic Orgasm", you are looking at one.

To you, my friend. Hope you always smile as satisfied as this picture.

Gas.D'sara.Malaysia.2009

2009-07-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

Gas.Kepong.Malaysia.2009

2009-07-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Baby 4 months old

2009-07-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Some random shots I did lately

2009-05-12T10:18:00.000-07:00