Acrobatic Sampan

While walking along the Beach at Butterworth, Bagan Ajam, at the BORR Highway Rest Stop, there was this buzzing song, when i turn to look there was this sampan running at full speed, of the 10 photos i manage to take, this one, the first was the most dramatic.

DSCF5482, F3.5, Speed 1/160, ISO100

Zoom or No Zoom?

Photo of Monkeys taken at the Penang Botanical Garden. . Would you prefer the top picture (closeup) or the bottom Picture.? .

Image DSCF 4222, F3.5, 1/40 sec, Iso 800

Image DSCF 4222, F3.5, 1/27 sec, Iso 800

When taken photograph, you have to make this choice some times, the whole object or partial object, each have their pro and cons, some ppl will like it, some ppl would not like it. With digital you can do both. ;-)

Fish in a Pond

Taking a Photo at a reflective surface such as water or glass will result in a image of the surroundings which may enhance or degrade a photo, such as the photo below, to overcome this a filter is required to cut the reflection. I have not purchase this filter yet so i have no choice but just to take the shot. Photo taken at Sam Po Footprint Temple, Batu Maung Penang. (Admiral Cheng Ho Temple)

Image Name DSCF1891, ISO200, Speed 1/180, F3.5

Photos from the Beach

There was this “Café” at the Beach (Lacking a better word) that utelise handy craft to create this shells curtain. Nice. Shells Curtain,

Image DSCF 1012, ISO200 Speed 1/150 F3.5

Just a instant before I snap the photo, a Ball came out of no where, and the result is the ball seems to bounce off that pile of sand. Bouncing Beach Ball

Image DSCF 1014, ISO 64 Speed 1/240 F5

Couple strolling on the beach, with the back ground of Pulau Tikus (Rat Island) Stroll at Beach

Image DSCF 1017 Iso 64 1/200 F4.5

Same boat at a earlier post just that I frame it differently to create a lonely feeling. Sunken Boat

Image DSCF1036 – Settings ISO64 1/200 F4.5

Night Photos,

I love to take night photos, even though they are very technically demanding, and its hard to get it just right those days with Manual SLR camera, as you only know the result when you develope the flim. Now a day automatic camara takes the fun out of night photography.

Image DSCF 1281, ISO 64, 1/56 F3.5

Evening Sky

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The Fuji S5700/S700, does have the manual controls, though shuttle speed is max out to just 4 seconds, so I have to play around with the ISO settings to get a brighter effect.

Image DSCF1304, ISO 200, Speed 1/1.1, F 3.5,

Hotel room block at nite

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The Fuji does take decent night photo. Just don’t forget to use a tripod, During a recent wedding invitation at a nearby resort, I had the opportunity to take a few night photos.

Image DSCF 1333, ISO 200, Speed 1.5”, F3.5

Fountain at Night

(Due to the long shuttle speed, one can see the "water" effects of the fountain, which is visible due to the reflected light. This photo is taken just before sunset with some light visible in the sky.)

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Now I am aiming to take photo at a few spots in Penang around the seaside like Gurney Drive, Esplanade and Queensbay Mall for night photo’s .

Image DSCF1309, ISO 200 Speed 1 / 2.6, F3.5,

Spot lite up trees

Joss Stick Urn

Taking a photograph with the camera in to a sun, create strong shadows, by using a flash one can soften the shadows like in this picture where the urn have softer shadow then the background. Photo was taken during my Ching Ming 08 tour of duty to the Beow Hiang Lim Temple.

Image DSCF 1090, ISO 64, Speed 1/280, F5

Choosing the camera for you. Part 3

Branded or Unbranded Cameras . .

Currently with the invent of internet shopping there are many unbranded camera around that are manufactured by many manufacturers, Some of this units are excellent (usually manufactured by branded OEM and / or utilizing components use by the branded cameras. Others are cheep skate models that do not live up to the ‘hope” and ‘hype” they represent. In general Unbranded camera are cheeper then the Branded ones, and may offer extra features and megapixles over the branded ones.

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Branded Camera

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Pro for Branded Camera

Tendency to be more Reliable and better

Tested Products, There are reviews for you to check

Back up Support Available

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Con for Branded Camera

More Expensive

Specs may be lower .

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Un Branded Camera

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Pro Un Branded Camera

Cheeper

Specs may be higher

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Con Un Branded Camera

Less Reliable, may breakdown but not necessary so.

No product reviews.

No / Less Back up Support.

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I choose a Semi Branded Brand, to ensure reliability and support. The Fuji I use was available on the net and after checking the specifications, and reading the consumers and professional review, I decided that it give me the best “Bang for the Buck”. It has most of the features I need and use. .

Chicken Dish

Chicken is a food that can be consume by a most malaysian, and is therefor the most popular dish in Malaysia. If i am not mistaken KFC is the number on fast food chain in malaysia. Here are two popular malaysian style chicken dishes that have been adapted to the higher class restaurant while with roots in the street vendors.

Ayam Percik, or Percik Style Chicken is BBQ chicken with a spicy sauce, it is usually eaten on its own, and is only fond in Night Markets, however we adapted this dish to "Western" Style with side serving of Fried rice with green peas and eggs, and grilled vegetable and salad.

Image Name DSCF 1593, Iso 800, Speed 1/105, F3.5

Chicken Rice or Nasi Ayam, Usually steam or fried chicken serve with chicken stock flavoured rice, serve with chillies and with a soup. Usually found in coffeeshops or stalls, here adapted to fine dinning as with most hotels as it is a local favorite. Even Mandarin Hotel Singapore, One of the Premier Hotel in South East Asia, is well know for its interpretation for this humble dish.

Image Name DSCF 1673, ISO 400, Speed 1/100, F 3.5

Day at the Beach!

While waiting for my car to be service. I took a walk to the beach, via the Public Access pathway next to Crown Prince Hotel at Tanjung Bungah. In my Private Opinion, this stretch of beach is better then those at Batu Ferringi. I did not stay long as servicing my car only took one hour. and it took me a leisurely 15min walk one way from the Car Doctor.

A Sunken Fishing Boat left abandoned in a pond of water, at Tanjung Bungah Beach, I frame the shot with fishing boats floating in the Sea.

Image DSCF0995, ISO64 Speed 1/200 F4.5

Kayak to Rat Island(Pulau Tikus), Tanjung Bungah, Penang

Image DSCF1007, ISO64, Speed 1/240 F4.5

Tanjung Bungah, Floating Mosque at Low Tide, Penang. I choose not to go for a close up of the Mosque only, but to include fishing boat's as to emphasise the location of the mosque is on a beach / on the sea.

Image DSCF 1011, ISO64, Speed 1/200, F4.5

Tips: With a Digital Camera, take as many shots as you like, in fact make sure if possible that the memory card is full, as you do not have to develop or print out the photo's taken (you only waste batteries), when you go home and download, then only start to delete photos you do not like or want. When taking photo's you may not realise you have misout details, like in the above shot of the Floating mosque. I have only one photo, with the Mosque tower intact (barely), my other 20+ photos were all wasted as i could not "see" the tower as it blended in with the apartment behind, which i only realise when i downloaded and view the photo on my laptop.

Concrete Leaf Impression

A Tree leaf was place on top of wet concrete and when the concrete dried, you have a tile with a impression on it. Cute.

Image DSCF0581, Settings ISO 200 Speed 1/75, F3.5

Angry Temple

A Close up of the top of a Temple in Penang, the Beow Hiang Lim Temple, with dark clouds just behind giving it a dark and angry look.

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Image DSCF 1093 SettingsISO 64, Speed 1/420, F6.8

A walk in to the Forest

This Photo is taken at Bukit Panchor State Park / Hutan Lipor Bukit Panchor Penang, at the Walkway at the wetland area of the Park, A intreasting Place to go to if you like nature. To find out more you can visit my tourism web site here or at the side bar (@ Penang & Malaysia)

Image DSCF0570 – Settings ISO 800 1/120 3.5

Calm Lake

Photo Taken of a Golf Course in Penang

Image DSCF0260, Settings ISO64, Speed 1/150, F3.5

Food 1

Food and Beverage Photograph are the only "Set" photo i take, for other categories to me, "set" photo are not natural, or not eco friendly etc, such as plucking a flower. I retookup photograph because of the necessity of taking food and beverage photograph in the various establishment i work in, as hirering a photographer is difficult, in out of the way places i work in and especially when we only create one or two dish at a time.

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Rearrangement and Reinterpretation of a Common Dish can bring out a very different dimension to food, examples are found in the photo below,

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Lamb Chop is a common malaysian "Western" Dish is prepared using traditional malaysian spice.

Lamb Chop, - Image Name DSCF 1171 ISO 800 1/60 F3.5

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Wan Tan (Dumplings) Noodles Dry is rearrange and presented differently from the usual Street Hawkers arrangement

Wan Tan Noodles Dry, Image DSCF1487, ISO800, Speed 1/70, F3.5

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Chun Peah (Penang Spring Roll), Image DSCF 1491, ISO 400, Speed 1/75, F3.5

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Penang Deep Fried Spring Roll, (Chun Peah) a traditional Tew Chew dish found in Penang is also rearrange differently from the usual manner.

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Such Photos when printed on flyer's and advertisements can entice potential customer to the restaurant, when use on the menu will entice customer to partake in this cuisines especially when serving tourist which may not understand the language the menu is written in, or for those who have not try out such dish before.

Chun Peah (Penang Spring Roll) Close up,

Image DSCF 1498, ISO 800, Speed 1/105, F3.5

Wild Grass

Do not limit your self when it comes to Photography, even the most common object can be turn in to a interesting subject. .

Image DSCF0671, Settings ISO 100, Speed 1/140 3.5

Sun Lit Tree

A Vertical Shot at the Bukit Panchor State Park, .

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Image DSCF0555, Settings, ISO 64, Speed 1/180, F4

Bamboo Grove

This photo of the Bamboo Grove is taken just outside the Bukit Panchor State Park. Details of the park is here.

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Bamboo Grove, Image Name DSCF0588 –Settings, ISO 64, Speed 1/200, F4

Rocky Spring

Having a Water Feature in a office building, has a calming and relaxing effect, it may also enhance "Fung Sui"

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Image Name DSCF0288 Settings ISO100 Speed 1/52 F3.5

Roots

A tree at Bukit Panchor State Park, (link) I was there exploring the lower part of the State Park, and say this. . .

Image Name DSCF0571 Settings ISO 800 Speed 1/240 F3.5

Rain Storm

Rain Storm, The Fury of Nature, Photo is practically a Black and White. . .

Image Name DSCF0824 – Setting ISO400, Speed 1/160 F3.5