Getting up close..

After looking at many close-up macros of critters and insects of others. I was very curious how the whole process to go hunt down these little bugs were like... Having always taken macro shots, I did not (ignorantly) know that there is a whole world beyond 1:1. I always thought that I just needed to get nearer to the bug... Lo-behold I was wrong.

As a matter of fact, the world of close-up macro was more technical then anything... and technical stuff just rings a bell with me. What more could I ask but to be technical and taking photographs!

Soon, it was a world of extension tubes and magnifying glasses... reversing lenses and blah blah.

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After investing in a SB700 flash unit, and a set of Kenko Extension Tubes, and trying them out with coins and pens at home, I set off to the Singapore Botanics Gardens to try out my first outdoor close-up macro shoot. Soon I realize I forgot something.. a towel to wipe my sweat in the tropical heat of Singapore. Yes, I did not know taking photo can be so strenuous.

I now realize why in the past I thought it was weird for a photographer to go around taking photographs with his flash attached under the broad daylight... NOW I KNOW bright daylight may still not be bright enough!

Two hours later... I post the few "can-show-people" results...

This first one is a common moth (I will get the proper ID of all the postings here once I get it figured out). This was my first model of the day, and first model for my close-up macro... not too bad I think but the photo was a little "flat" as the moth was simply "doing nothing".

Then while walking through the Cactus Garden, I came upon three beetles (ID?) feeding on the nectar of some flowers (dunno what name). Immediately I tried to capture them but they were very elusive and had their head in the flower all the time. After a while, finally the one I was working with decided to peek outside to take a breather (?) and this shot was captured.

Still at the nectar feeding area, I found this beetle seemingly wrestling with an ant. Protective over its nectar.

This one is my favorite from today's shots but believe it or not, it was the only shot I took of it (a bee I think) and that's it. Again, spontaneity rules the day. The photo was very much under-exposed and I had to push it up a notch in post-production. But otherwise, I think this shows the lil' fellow in its most natural pose.

I contemplated for a while to post or not to post this image, but finally I decide to post it just to serve as a reminder to myself. Even in close-up macro, it pays to make sure the surrounding is clean. I thought the bee looks "okay" for a newbie like me, but the mess it was in... unacceptable. But I guess this is the natural habitat... (good excuse!)

This last image is not exactly a close-up macro. It was more a telephoto shot (300mm DX). The lil' fellow got ALOT of attention as the crowd were whipping out their cameras and screaming Chipmunk Chipmunk! Someone pointed out that it was a squirrel as it had a large bushy tail.. well, noone would know for sure as that part of its anatomy was out of the camera's field of view (that's a pointer to remember for myself).

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Today's lil' project took me 2 hours in Singapore Botanics Garden and I am quite proud of myself for being able to come back with something. I was a lil' apprehensive in the beginning, and a lil' shy hogging ant/bug infested flowers... in the end, it was a good day.

Maybe I can go out tonight after dinner at Sengkang river?

spontaneity

What's in an image?







How do you express your thoughts and impressions through an image?







Is it the photographer's feelings? Or is it the feeling of the subject or atmosphere of the environment?

Does it matter?

For me, each preparation to get out to take a photo usually ends up in vain. No, don't get me wrong.. I still go out.. I still take the photos... This morning, I thought that I would have a good breakfast with Lee Cher, then go for a jog around Seng Kang Park and take some photographs while I jogged (kinda like the group in the movie "Yes Man"), and no it did not happen... So I did what a "trying to be optimize time" guy does.. I scouted what I wanted to shoot, then return to shoot it after. More than 100 shots later, the best shot of the day is the first photo above. And it was a shot pointed out by Lee Cher as I was shooting the 90th shot of a bug-eaten leaf. Finally, for today, total number of shots taken 143, published shot ... 1.

It then dawn on me that there were many other days where my photography outing ended up in the same way. A day of kite flying with many kites captured by my camera. But in the end, the one I really liked, was the one where Lee Cher flew a kite with no one else in the picture. Was she really lonely? Not really... but was she enjoying her time of solitude? Yes I am sure.

One more photograph that is very treasured by me was the one that I took at the Singapore GP 2010. I thought I needed fast lenses with fast ISOs, but eventually.. the treasured shot had nothing to do with the mean machines, but the one of a performer from Africa, sharing his African culture... It was "Africa! Africa!"

Sometimes life is like that isn't it? Even this blog was like that.. I was finishing my "playing together" blog and was ready to go chill out in-front of the TV, but something inspired me to write about some of the pictures that I cherish because I knew I captured the moment. But as I started to gather images, I realize that all the pictures have one thing in common.. spontaneity! One can only plan so much.. stick to your plan, but be ready to adapt and be flexible.. Take what you planned and make the best out of it. Sometimes, it is the one who didn't plan, who will get (or help to get) the day's reward..

Enjoy spontaneity spontaneously!

playing together..

For a while now, a few of us have been promoting the flying of quad line kites and a recent check with Lao-Zhang, he told me that there are at least 100 flyers which have quad line kites... BUT where are they? I have hardly seen any other, apart from a few folks whom are truely "strangers" flying alone. Then it came to my revelation that actually some of us have more than one quad kite. Myself already having more than 10. (I have more than 10? How did that happen??)

Recently, with the leadership and promotion of "playing together" by Handi, the crowd seem to have gathered quite spontaneously and two weekends back, there was 9 of us flying together... I made a call to Lee Cher and soon she joined us, with the camera..



It was interesting that in such a mega-fly, characters are revealed and we see each other with better light. There was TOLERANCE... waiting patiently as the one in-front flies slower than the rest (like me). There was MOTIVATORS... edging on those with lesser experience but nevertheless was 'edged' to join in the fun. There was LEADERSHIP... taking the lead position was Handi who called the formations. There was confusion... (yes I am guilty but it was not just me..) whom was not fully aware what each formation call was (Where's the manual??).. Most importantly, there was COMRADESHIP... people looking out for people, friends playing together.



It was not about who could fly well and who couldn't.. It was also not about who has a better kite and who doesn't.. It was about the time we spent together, coming together to do something that we couldn't do alone; doing a Mega-Fly.

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a new kite flies...

About 2 weeks ago, Lao-Zhang called me and said.. the 300+ panel Spectrum Kite has arrived. As usual, the first apprehension is how many colors was changed from the original design... But when Handi handed over to me the Spectrum Quad "Cool", it was so beautiful that I forgot how I designed it on paper, but instead I simply said THIS IS MY DESIGN "PERIOD"!

Unwrapping it nervously and then setting it up, it was a day with strong winds when I first flew it. Always a gentle flyer, I am careful not to overstretch the sail of the new kite. However, it was interesting to quickly notice that with the many stitches, the panels were holding together very well. Before long, I was zipping it, dropping it, spinning it, without much hesitation.. totally enjoying the very smooth ride. I immediately called Lao-Zhang to tell him how impressed I was with the kite.

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It was Saturday afternoon last week at Layang-Layang at the Marina Barrage and boy was it a rain-down day. Moving to the foyer, I whipped out my Indoor Revolution but realized it was too breezy to fly the indoor. Handi made the first move to setup the Spectrum Quad "Hot" and zipping it thru' the air, taking advantage of the very gentle breeze and then floating high overhead with each turn... and before long, it was the head turner and crowd pleaser.. Peter and myself both took a shot at it (me being the least skillful) and I was further impressed by the superb balance and glide-ability of this 300+ panel kite.

The greatest pleasure for me was when Handi and Peter started an unchoreographed routine around the courtyard with the kites getting many eyeballs. The way the kite was moved through the air, it was almost like a seagull gliding. There was no better way then to have had an "unofficial" reveal of the Spectrum Quads "Hot" & "Cool".

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Looking back, it was Spectrum Quad "Warm" & "Cool", I think its the kite is too "Hot" and warm is at the wrong temperature. And there is exactly 312 panels all in all, and the colors are just right!

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