The Frequent Flyers

Caught the sight of 2 small birds on my Coral tree in the garden yesterday morning (PH, not rushing for work).

Perhaps species of humming birds..

.

I was amazed how pretty they were through my camera lens.

They have always been around...

Feeding on the bright red flowers early in the morning...

But none of us took any notice of their being...

Travel Photography

Rushed from work to arrive late at yesterday's workshop.

A good summary about planning and executing a overseas photographic trip.

The practical part was spent at Albert street, which I have never visited ( or rather usually tend to avoid because of the crowd). Although was taught in the didactic session what to look out for, I didn't seem to see things that my fellow group mates captured. Hm.....I think I am loosing or have lost interest in my surrounding objects/subjects over the years. Time to retrain the senses!!

The human traffic was very heavy at Albert street on the Saturday afternoon. There was a Hindu temple and also a Chinese temple almost side by side (I shall look up the actual names of these temples). Many many devotees to both.

Also, I think the density of beggars over there was the highest in the whole of Singapore.

Took a quick photo of a Fortune teller and was scolded....

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Cousins

Had a very busy weekend.

A cousin living in Sydney dropped by on her way back from her India holiday .

Didn't have much time for her over the 3 days when she's here.

She bought some glass beads as other tour group members were buying and passed them to me. I promised to produce some finished work and also will made a trip to visit my uncles next year.

So, managed to finish off half of the glass beads - the cool colours. Spent my free afternoon at People's park shopping for more coloured stones to match the other beads. Will upload the products ASAP.

Also attended the wedding of another cousin, living in New Zealand and was getting married to a Singapore girl.

Representing my whole immediate family, I walked into the restaurant and identified the groom. A huge man of more than 90 kg. I introduced myself: "Congratulations XX, I'm your cousin.." "Ooooh.....Okey.....Nice to meet you..hm......I'll look for daddy."

It was our first meeting after more than 20 years. He must have been a small boy running around at Chinese New Year gatherings before. We didn't know / recognise each other. And we are first cousins, although our fathers are half brothers. Hm...

Wasp and Spider

During the photoshoot yesterday at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, our instructor spotted a large wasp attacking an even larger spider. When he approached the insects, the wasp released the prey temporarily and turned towards him. All of us were alerted and stepped away. I managed to take a few photos (mostly out of focus) from afar.

Relating the incidence to my older boy, telling him how a smaller wasp was going to "eat up" the hairy big spider, he replied in his usual coolness that the wasp was just trying to reproduce and the spider was not dead yet. At least not until the eggs laid by the wasp inside the abdomen of the spider has hatched into larva, than the spider will be eaten up from within. YEE...IGS.

FYI

few more photos

Photoworkshop

Absolutely exhausted.

Started the lesson in Botanic Gardens at 1500hrs. Proceeded to Riverwalk before 1800hrs.




Taught "how to" in photography for :





* waterfall





* more on lines, patterns and shadows





* flowers





* more panning





* night traffic light tracks





* the moon





* more zoom and rotation!





Well, had ni...ce Bak Cho Meebok before the night shoot, and a beer!!

Photoworkshop

Met at 1800hrs for the second session of photo shoot for the day.

Very interesting.

Learnt:

more about framing



contrast




different aerial perspectives





panning ( 1 in 50 )




step/graduated zoom






self portrait and hand held night shoot.


Meeting at 1500hrs again tommorrow.......

Photographic Workshop

Had a morning shoot at China town on the second day of the workshop.

Steven provided a different perspective of visualising our surroundings.







The ground was no longer just the talc surface but seeing reflected images of surrounding buildings through the puddle of water.
We saw shadows and colours which were usually ignored.

The static objects seemed to have come alive through his eyes.

This reminded me when I was attending my first art classes: A green apple was not just green but was painted with colours ranging from red to yellow to blue.






Looking forward to the night shoot.

Qiandaohu, China

22 September 2008

Last golf game at Qiandaohu.

It was the only morning that we did not have to move off before 0800 hrs. Had a lot of spare time before tee off. Took some photos from the room balcony. Saw a family of peacocks and some white pigeons in flight.

It was another bright and sunny day. By the time we started the game, the temperature had become unbearably hot. There was also not enough shades at the course. I was wetting my attire with cold water to avoid getting a heat stroke.

The course was challenging. Few holes crossing wide water hazards and ravines.

Also taken some night shots from hotel room. Quite romantic.

China HuangShan

Back to my China trip.




Had a day trip to the famous HuangShan - the Yellow Mountain.


It was a sunny Saturday. Bright and hot and very crowded.





The view was too good, so no sign of the romantic mysterous Yunhai, no sunrise or sunset (as we could only afford a day trip ).

Good thing was that the steps were not slippery nor hazzardous. Very safe climb.

I was feeling a liitle breathless at the Monkey rock. It could be due to the low oxygen partial pressure, but more likely from my poor physical fitness.


More photos

NJC Military Band

Feeling slightly unwell last night, perhaps after the overwhelming excitement in the day....





The people whom I have known for decades (won't tell you how many).
We resemble the basic elements in the Peroidic table. Some are similar but yet different, some are inert and some are hyperactive. Some can hardly cope with a single covalent bond (job), but others have hyperexcitable electrons, able to succeed to great heights in the tasks they engage in.


Glad that we could meet.
Glad that we were all still "healthy".
Glad that our paths had crossed in NJC Band years ago.
Grateful that I have known them......

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