wishing you a very merry christmas!
Risked life and limb fighting the crowds at Orchard Road! Merry Christmas to you all!!
posted at 5:08 PM
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Monday, December 20, 2010
pano-mania!
Had so much fun on Saturday shooting panorama! However, only a few worked out!
Dusk at Marina Bay. I only saved a small version of this because I'm ashamed of it... The buildings on the right are blur! I'm kicking myself for not being careful. So this means I have to go back to photograph this again! But blurriness aside, I really like the stitching in this picture! Because in the other panoramas, I had to warp them to get the final result. But not for this one! I just needed to crop it and it's done! So you can imagine my frustration when I found out it wasn't perfect...
Other photos I took:
Other photos I took:
This was shot at 1/20s at 250mm. While it's not super clear, at least you can make out the dude's face! It's a pity my 450D can only go up to ISO1600, if not I could've used a faster shutter speed.
Alright, that's all! Stay tuned for more stuff in the coming weeks!
Labels: 18-55, 55-250, night photography, panorama
posted at 9:59 AM
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Saturday, December 18, 2010
my first panorama!!
Take a look!
Click for larger size!!
I'm going back tonight for another round of panorama photography! I can't wait!!!
Labels: 18-55, night photography, panorama
posted at 9:28 AM
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Saturday, December 11, 2010
new stuff coming up!
Haven't been shooting for ages because of tests. The last time I took my camera out was 2 weeks ago, to the airport (pictures coming soon). But after next week, I'll be able to go photographing again! I've planned a load of stuff to photograph, like many more trips to Changi, the Christmas lightup at Orchard Road, night photography at Marina Bay with my telephoto, and I'm going to try out some self-portraits. Not the cam-whoring type, but artistic shots like this one:
Hehe. Right, that's all! Time for thermofluid now...
Labels: others
posted at 6:07 PM
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Saturday, November 27, 2010
grand piano!!
Had a performance at Alliance Française just now, and I took pictures of the grand piano! It's way more photogenic than Andrey, my Yamaha U3! (Not saying that you're ugly, Andrey, but grands do look better than uprights!
My 2 favourite photos from the batch.
I've decided to give up Photo of the Week because 1) Nobody comes here and 2) I can't be arsed to post a photo every week. Bye!
Labels: 18-55
posted at 10:31 PM
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
my new wish
Remember a few posts back where I said I wanted a 100-400? I've been thinking about it the past few days, and reached the conclusion that I do not need such an expensive and specialised lens. Because aside from the airshow, how many times this year have I gone planespotting? A grand total of... 2 days! And I do not have high hopes for Terminal 1's viewing mall when it reopens next year... Besides, security will get suspicious when they see a kid using a big-mama lens (oh how I love that word!!)
I considered the various versions of the 70-200 and also the 70-300. The 70-200 doesn't have enough range. And for the price of the 70-300 DO IS USM, I might as well go for the 100-400. Then I thought of my 55-250, and tried to think of bad things about it. Well, there's none. Unless I'm shooting for A.net (which isn't often, as you already know), I'm actually quite pleased with the image quality of this lens.
So I thought, 'why not get a lens to replace the 18-55 kit?' The thing that I dislike most about it is the limited range. Very often I find myself restricted by the focal lengths on both ends. The first lens that came to mind was the 15-85. I've read really good reviews about it and it costs less than half of the 100-400. (Though it's still over a thousand dollars, at least I'll have money left over from my scholarship) The 15-85 range fits nicely into my shooting needs. And I don't expect to be upgrading to full frame anytime soon... Getting a full time job is still so far away.
So there you have it - my new wish: the 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens.
It might just come true - and it all depends on whether I manage to renew my scholarship. Sigh!
Labels: others
posted at 9:03 PM
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Sunday, November 14, 2010
happy (belated) first birthday, camera!!
Yesterday marks one year since I got my 450D... Thanks for all the great pictures, my dear friend! Here's to 10 more years of working together..!!
posted at 12:45 PM
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Photoshop fun and photo of the week #9 and #10!!
Had fun with miniature faking with Photoshop just now. It is a cool technique to make buildings/people look like miniature models.
Being a lazy person, I used 2 such photos as photos of the week.
Pretty cool huh?
Labels: photoshop, tilt shift
posted at 4:45 PM
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Sunday, October 24, 2010
got owned at photomarathon!!
Photomarathon was fun! Although it'd be many many times more fun with friends.
I reached Suntec City at 7.30, and on the MRT ride there I saw a couple of photographers and reckoned they were also taking part in the marathon (I was right). At Hall 401, I was relieved to see that the queue for the pre-registrants was shorter than the 'waiting list' queue. After getting and changing into my Photomarathon shirt, I took my seat and waited for the start of the competition.
While waiting, I began checking my stuff and was pleased to discover that my DIY Ricola box flash diffuser was in my camera bag (I thought I'd lost it). Then I took it out and put it on my camera.
I heard laughter coming from the group of guys beside me. I caught one of them saying 'DIY' and believed they were referring to me. Then one of them reached into his bag and took out... a Speedlite 580EXII. I was well aware of how ridiculous my Ricola box (yellow, no less) looked beside the Speedlite and could barely suppress a grin. I kept it soon after.
That wasn't the first time I got owned yesterday...
So the first theme was 'Clarity'. "Okay, cool," I said to myself, as a picture of my spectacles and the Singapore Flyer flashed in my head. I took bus 97 (it was the most violent bus ride of my life - and it lasted 2 stops) there and spent a couple of minutes on my photo.
Was quite pleased with the results and I hurried back to Suntec to submit it and - more importantly - to have breakfast.
It turned out that the spectacles concept was pretty popular and it made up none of the shortlisted entries... damn!
Theme 2: Faith
The first thought I had was religion, and I was right in believing that it was what most people were thinking too. Nonetheless, I headed down to the temples in Bras Basah, and the place was swarming with Photomarathoners.
I purposely stayed away from the temple, where everyone was shooting the joss sticks and people praying and whatnot. I had some ideas in mind, like a blind man crossing the road, or an old person relying on his caregiver to get around, or a toddler learning to walk, or a kid running to his mother's arms... But where the hell to get those shots? I also thought of shooting an Arsenal fan praying to his team at Arsenal Singapore's hangout at the Liz, but... Where to get my subject? So I thought, to hell with this, and shot a random old auntie hanging on to her husband as they navigated the crowds...
Not exactly top-notch, competition-winning material, but what the hell.
Was pretty exhausted when I returned to submit my photo, but still found the energy to walk around the hall, looking at camera equipment and Apple products.
Photographers jostling to photograph the 'booth babe'...
I also had the chance to use a 100-400 on my camera, and all the shots I took had camera shake because in my excitement I forgot to adjust the shutter speed and ended up shooting at 1/30s at full zoom, haha!
The third theme came at 3.05pm, and it was 'Charge'. Some photographers rushed outside the hall to grab a shot of people 'charging' through the doors. I thought of phoning my dad to borrow his iPhone and his charger, or perhaps photograph his car at the petrol station, but decided that it would be too much of a hassle. I thought of photographing plugs and batteries but thought that it would be a common subject of many photos. I was going to submit the above iPod photo (because I was too lazy to walk around) but discovered that the submission period for Theme 3 hadn't started yet.
Then I saw a kid holding a balloon, and I thought, why not get a shot of a balloon attracting my hair? It wouldn't win me anything but it was easy to execute and I was already very tired. So I snooped around for balloons and managed to get one.
I was pleased to find an empty toilet and proceeded to... well, cam-whore.
My job done, I sank into a seat and enjoyed the aircon while waiting for the competition to end.
I didn't win anything, as expected, but I did enjoy myself. I might take part again next year, if I can find a willing friend to take part with me.
Labels: competition, photomarathon
posted at 11:11 AM
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
iLight bokeh at marina bay! (and photo of the week #8)
Went to iLight Marina Bay yesterday! Spent more than 3 hours walking the circuit and still couldn't photograph all the exhibits! And I almost missed the last bus home because there simply were too many things to photograph!
I really have to go back another day. Night photography is so fun!
So for yesterday's shoot I was experimenting with a photography technique that I call 'Custom bokeh'. Found a tutorial on the web that seemed simple enough, but produced cool results. This is what I made:
Basically, I made a fake lens hood for my camera, and cut the shape of the bokeh I wanted right in the middle. Coupled with a wide-aperture lens, like my 50mm f/1.8, this is what I got:
Cool right? Here's another example:
My favourite place in Singapore, bokeh-ed:
I just love the sheer simplicity and brilliance of this trick.
Of course, I didn't forget to take focused pictures:
And here's my other bokeh design, the Haha bokeh:
Everywhere I looked, I saw lights laughing at me. As the cars drove past, all I saw were 'Haha's from their headlights. I love it!
Some more photos of the exhibits:
Do visit my Facebook album for more photos!
And now for Photo of the Week #8!
Took this photo a few weeks ago, during a photography trip to the CBD. I like this photo because it captures the Maybank building from another angle, while managing to include the Maybank logo. When I'm free, I'll post more pictures from that trip.
Labels: 18-55, 50mm f/1.8, iLight marina bay, night photography, photo of the week
posted at 11:05 AM
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Saturday, October 9, 2010
around the house
Recently I began experimenting with new photographic angles and photoshop techniques. I like abstract stuff, so I tried photographing ordinary things from different angles, usually close-up. And instead of increasing a photo's saturation, I began decreasing it.
Here are some random shots around the house I took just now:
I thought of getting a macro lens. But when I saw the cheapest one was at least $500, I gave up that idea. I'd rather spend that money on my 100-400...
posted at 6:17 PM
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photo of the week #7
My parents' car, the Subaru Impreza. I've seen photos of car headlights so I thought I'd take one of my own. I think this angle brings out the shape of the headlight nicely. In Photoshop, I reduced the saturation of the car and surroundings so the white colour stands out further. Now if I had more time I'd try to include the Subaru logo in the picture, but as my mother was in a hurry, I could only take one picture. I'd love to photograph the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A4. They have killer headlights...
Labels: 18-55, photo of the week
posted at 10:47 AM
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Sunday, October 3, 2010
okay, i'm gonna die
Just did a crazy thing.
I signed up for Canon Photo Marathon 2010!!!
Looking at the past themes, I was at a loss for ideas. And I'll be doing this alone, so I won't have models to help with my shots, and I'll have to get around by myself.
Never mind, I shall treat this as a challenge. It'll force me to be creative, which most of the time I am not. So it'll be a good learning experience for me. I'm also going to take part in another competition by Canon, which requires us to take pictures of our city from new perspectives. So I'm going to plan my next photography outing. Until then, bye for now!
Labels: others
posted at 7:46 PM
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photo of the week #6
Was about to go home after a day of photographing planes at Changi Beach when I saw this flower lying on the road. Its bright colour stood out against the dull pavement so I took a photo of it. My telephoto lens was zoomed to the max and the aperture was wide open to isolate the flower as much as possible from the background. The result is that the flower is sharp while the background is blur. I adjusted the levels in Photoshop so that the colour of the flower appears more vibrant.
Labels: 55-250, photo of the week
posted at 2:40 PM
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
wish i were rich
Was looking through a number of lens reviews and, damn, how badly do I want the 100-400 and the 5D2 + 24-105!! Many times, when I have nothing to do, I find myself thinking about them. Think about it, it's the ultimate airshow setup. I would leave the 24-105 on the 5D2 for static displays, while the 100-400 would stay on my 450D for the flying displays. And that is really all I need. Well, it would be nice to have a 10-22 for landscape shots, but it's not my priority right now. Then when I go travelling, I would only bring the 5D2 + 24-105 because the focal length is more than enough for everyday shots.
5D Mark II Kit EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM: at least $4600 T____T
EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM: at least $2500 ;___;
Then a quick visit to Clubsnap's price guides brought me crashing back down into reality:
5D Mark II Kit EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM: at least $4600 T____T
EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM: at least $2500 ;___;
Total: $7100... D:
My dad says that if I get my scholarship renewed next year, he'll get me the 100-400. But this presents another problem. The 100-400 is a monster lens (to me, at least) and it's going to be hard work changing lenses at the airshow (yes, I'm already planning for 2012) and I'll also need to buy a camera backpack (which costs more than $100) and there's also the problem of storing the lens in the dry cabi because it is now overflowing with camera equipment (including my dad's).
And as for the 5D2... It's best not to think about it...
posted at 12:54 PM
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Monday, September 27, 2010
hahahaha...
Was looking at my previous, abandoned, flickr account's photos and was shocked to see that my A380 cockpit shots have got at least 200 views. The last time I checked, which was like in 2008, they only had less than 20 views or so.
Sweet! I used these two shots for my FAT presentation :D
Labels: A380, aviation, singapore airshow 2008, sony ericsson k800i
posted at 6:55 PM
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Sunday, September 26, 2010
best of: france 2008
Almost 2 years have passed since my exchange programme in France, but the memories of my time there are still fresh in my mind. It was, and still is, the best month of my life. It also introduced me to the world of photography: in one of the many emails I received from my parents, my dad said that after looking at the photos I sent them he 'really wanted to get me a good camera'. From then on I began to dream, and a year later the dream came true.
So for today's post I will show you some of my favourite shots from the trip, taken with my Samsung S630. It may be a little point-and-shoot, but it is capable of good photos.
One of my favourite photos, ever. I love the colour of the sky and the sheet of clouds below.
More window-view spam...
B&W shot of an empty park in Paris, and guess what that thing in the background is...
Ah, so it's the Eiffel Tower!
That's the, uh, Trocadéro (I googled)
Sacré Coeur de Montmartre - in black and white.
13th century architecture with 21st century transport, captured together in black and white (again).
This photo of the golden gates at the Château de Versailles could've been a classic if not for the construction work going on in the background... I love how the intricate designs stand out against the dark sky, though.
Now at first look this photo might seem like a crappy one. Well I admit it's not a brilliant photo but it's not lousy either. Because although the building is underexposed you can still make out the silhouettes of the statues on the roof. And the most in-your-face thing in the photo, the reflection of the sun in the glass, leads your eyes to the design at the top part of the window, which is perfectly exposed. And once you see that, you notice the design in the other window, and then you realise there are 2 more similar windows in the picture.
This photo isn't terribly excellent or anything but the reason I'm posting it here is to show you people how awesomely blue the skies in France are. In fact, there was nary a single cloud in the sky that afternoon in Avignon. Here in Singapore we'll be lucky to see even a bit of the sky; there are so many goddamn clouds over here, it's annoying.
One good thing about having cloudless skies is that plane contrails are clearly visible. In fact, I saw more planes in France in a day than I did back home in a month. Here you can see the contrail of an airliner painting an orange streak in the sky over the statue of Louis XIV in Place Bellecour, Lyon. (I googled the name of the statue) And in the right of the picture, glowing orange, is the Basilica of Fourvière (I googled it again, haha).
Some church in Geneva. I like how the main building and the steeple are lit but the background and foreground are in the shadows. It gives the picture a ghostly feeling, I think.
La Fête des Lumières (the festival of lights) in Lyon is a photographer's paradise. Basically, on 8 December every year, the whole town lights up in gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus (I totally wiki-ed that, teehee). So at night there are colourful lights all around and I imagine there are many photographers rubbing their hands together and grinning idiotically on that day. I am not kidding - the photography opportunities are amazing.
Des bougies sur les fenêtres - candles on the windows. Something the people of Lyon do on this day. And from outside, rows of buildings with their windows lined with candles is a sight to behold.
Half second exposure. It's still blurry though. Not much I could do about it.
Some fountain in central Lyon.
And now, my favourite photo EVER......
There are just so many things about this picture that make it my absolute favourite of all time. #1 - I hadn't planned to take it at all. I just happened to be by the river when they started firing. I had no tripod, I could only lean against the stone barrier to steady my hand. Sometimes the best photos are taken without planning.
#2 - The amount of fireworks in the sky. Not too much, not too little. At the last National Day, I tried shooting the fireworks but didn't get a satisfactory one. In most of my shots there was just a mass of white in the centre. But in this one, you can see the individual light trails of each burst and even those of the following bursts. They are like flower stalks, joining the 'flowers' in the sky with the ground.
#3 - The camera I used. I only had my S630, which, thank goodness, had some manual controls, albeit very limited. Still, I doubt I would've taken it with my 450D. This is a 3 second handheld exposure. Yes, there is still camera shake, but not so bad it destroys the picture.
I remember reviewing the photo afterwards and going - 'wow shit I can't believe I took that'.
So there you are. Photos that kick-started my photography hobby. And it is now 5.30pm, which means I spent almost 3 hours on this post, including editing photos. I hope you enjoyed them! Now excuse me as I go tidy up my room! See you!
Labels: france, samsung s630, travel
posted at 2:43 PM
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