Miki F @ Bukit Jalil Park

Armed with an OM135 f3.5 lens from many many years ago - I believe the lens MIGHT be older than myself - comes the time when we move forward one step and brace the world of everything in manual. Gone is the time when you will hear the "beep beep" of an AF lock. Gone is the time when the lens will move itself to get everything in focus. Gone is the time when A and S values will somehow be in sync to what you want.

It is very important that you are able to see things in focus through that small little viewfinder of the camera. There is also a need to have the brain control the hands in twisting the focus barrel of the lens while your eyes interpret what is being seen. This is where even the most sophisticated electronics will never be able to match the power of how our brain works in tandem with other limbs and senses.

It is a great feeling able to embrace what senior photographers from the film days feel while in a photo shoot.  Even though we have the advantage of being able to manipulate images easily post shutter click, nothing beats getting it right the first time! Setting the perfect exposure and focus based on instinct then clicking the shutter, the feeling is priceless. The adrenaline flows when you see that same picture on the camera LCD for a short review and found out that it is what you have imagined in the first place.

There is no doubt that lens quality from the olden times still perform strongly in the digital age. Pristine glasses from days of old work perfectly till the present day. The built quality of the olden lenses still beat those of the new, in terms of toughness and sturdiness. Those old lenses are made to kill! Imagine throwing one onto someone's head!

Oh yeah, have I mentioned that the bokeh from the old lens is SUPERB! It beats new digital lenses easily. It is so smooth and creamy, not to mention more pleasant to the eyes. The bokeh quality can only be matched by digital lenses which cost 10-15 times more. Oh! Those creamy bokeh just melts my heart each time I see it...

This is the first but definitely not the last photo shoot which full manual is used. The joy of controlling and deciding all aspects of getting things right the first time is just great. Satisfaction guaranteed!

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with OM135 f3.5 lens.

Angel T @ Thean Hou Temple

Sorry for the delayed posting as I was in the transition of being posted overseas for an assignment. However, please find below the introduction of Angel T.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 Mk I lens and FL-50 external flash.

Ice T @ Thean Hou Temple

As Chinese New Year (CNY) approaches, out goes the ferocious Tiger and let's welcome the cute Rabbit, I would like to post a recent portrait shoot I took at Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur with the rest of the MyChiaroscuro members. Every year during CNY, it will be lighted up with lots of lanterns and for this year some nice miniature landmarks.

There were 2 models for the photoshoot. First up I would like to introduce to you the cool Ice T (pun intended) while I will introduce the other in the next blog post. The photoshoot was conducted in the morning but the sky was cloudy and gloomy that day. Enough talk, let's get on with the pictures...

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 Mk I lens and FL-50 external flash.

Bali, Indonesia

I took a trip to Bali, Indonesia with mom-in-law, wife and her 2 friends end of September 2010. It was my first time there and have spent 3 nights. We stayed in Ubud, away from the bustling area of Kuta to enjoy a more relaxing trip.

We got ourselves a driver for the trip and he brought us around the island and visited a few places such as Tegallalang to view the layered paddy fields, Kintamani to view the active volcanoes of Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung as well as Danau Batur, Uluwatu, Sukawati, Tanah Lot, Royal Palace and last but not least to good food around Bali.

The weather was not that good during the trip as it was very cloudy the whole day and poured heavily at night. We only got a bit of sunshine in the morning before noon. However, the atmosphere of the trip was amazing with great location, relaxed surroundings and excellent company.

I would make another trip there again in the near future...

Kuta at night

Typical road in Bali

Layered paddy fields at Tegallalang

Side view of the layered paddy fields of Tegallalang

Luwak Coffee in green pot with other types of coffee and tea

Gunung Batur and Danau Batur

Uluwatu

Uluwatu in a different perspective

Dirty Duck

Sukawati

Offerings

Babi Guling

Royal Palace

Everybody on the trip at Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot up-close

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 Mk II lens.

House of Joy Orphanage Outing @ Desa Water Park

I was invited for a photo shoot session with children from House of Joy Orphanage via MyChiaroscuro forum. It was set up by a fellow member who sponsored the children a day of fun and relaxation at Desa Water Park in KL. Seven MyChiaroscuro forum members (innerzen -- host, lkm51, ashley323, dr_shivan, simpsonlow, cch11, and me) turned up for this event and joined by their friends and family.

The weather was great -- bright, hot and humid -- perfect for having a splash at the water park even though it was forecast to rain but you know how Malaysian weather forecast is, right?

It was just pure joy to see the children having fun, laughing, running, playing in the water. It makes you think how lucky you are, how perfect your life is when compared to them. One orphan caught my attention the most. A young baby barely 2 years old. She was the result of being abandoned by her parents. Life is unfair so to speak. No choice given. No choice made.

It is a great feeling to offer my time and services to them. Being a part of their joy is priceless. I would like to thank innerzen again for sponsoring them and also inviting me to be a part of this great event. This definitely will not be the last that I will attend.

The rest can be found here. All images taken using Olympus E-510 with ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 & ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lenses and FL-50 external flash.