Bora Asmara

Di Bawah Bayangan Bulan, originally uploaded by alreza.

Each month the KL Flickr group (KLickr) holds meet-ups amongst members. I believe its one of the more active flickr groups in Malaysia thanks to great administrators, and group members who never fail to organise activities AND turn up.

At the end of last month, the KLickr Raya meet was held at a place called Bora Asmara. Its situated within Kg. Sungai Penchala across Penchala Link, past the mosque, some housing areas and an overpass if coming from TTDI. This eatery has ambience abound where patrons can dine alfresco under the stars or in covered areas.

This picture was taken with a long exposure hence the ghostlike appearance of fellow KLickers. I too was present though my presence was not registered by the camera sensor as I was walling about the table after remotely releasing the shutter.

Model 3 squared

VelvaTriptych, originally uploaded by alreza.

Met Velva during a recent Eye Of EOS outing workshop on outdoor portraiture. Now this is a type of model that I love to shoot :) ... though she appears to be new in this compared to the other 3 (Angeline, Kim, and Candace). I personally like the image...Velva's attire plus the background with a hint of sepia-ness..

Workshop wise I really learnt much from the second speaker, Kaz Chua. He thought us how to balance ambient and fill in light and his works are amazing.

Composure

Composure, originally uploaded by alreza.

This was the result of an initial henna project with a good friend of mine as the model who also happens to be the henna artist. Comments I got from this was that the facial features overpowered the henna on the left hand...hahaha.. oh well... looks like I have to restrategize the shoot (pose). People preferred the color version of this though I prefer this sepia toned version as it really brings out the shine in her eyes .. :)

Oh and btw, anybody interested in henna for weddings or any other occasion do let me know. I know a talented henna artist ;)

CloudFalls

CloudFalls, originally uploaded by alreza.

The first day we arrived in Kuala Terengganu, God blessed us with the amazing display in the clouds. Patterns that I have not seen before.

Part of my Nature Abstract Set

Patricia

Patricia, originally uploaded by alreza.

TITLE: Patricia - Marketing and Communications
PROJECT: Faces and Feet Profiles
WHERE: Terengganu, Malaysia

Was inspired by Ellen Ugelstad's The Shoe Project (http://www.twentyonepictures.com/gallery/shoeproject/index.html) and managed to persuade my sweet and shy colleague to model for me.. :).
The light was a little harsh due to the midday sun so hopefully I could shoot her again with proper lighting this time... to do her justice ;)

Geronimo!: The drop from heaven

Geronimo!: The drop from heaven, originally uploaded by alreza.

Went to the recent Canon Photo Marathon 2007 just for the heck of it. During the shoot for one of the themes titled "An Abandoned Lot", i got distracted by the sound of chutes opening, so off I went to find that there were base jumpers having either a practice run for Merdeka or it could have been an actual competition. Nonetheless, I proceeded to grab a few shots. I liked this the best as the faint cloud trails looked as though its some form of 'alien' hand releasing the base jumper from the sky...

MIFC: The World, practice run

MIFC: The World, practice run, originally uploaded by alreza.

Gathered with fellow friends to see the fireworks at PICC for Malaysia's International Fireworks Competition (MIFC). To get to this elevation and view we had to pay to enter the premises of PICC itself. The actual run started at 10pm and lasted a mere 7 minutes. I was playing around with different exposure times and this was at about 40 seconds. Maybe it was too long as too many fireworks were recorded into my camera's image sensor. Hope I myself had enough practice so I could get better shots during the final on September the 2nd.

Friends Old and New

A trip is not a good trip if it is not amongst good friends..



:)

Island vacation withdrawal symptoms...

Beachcomber, originally uploaded by alreza.

Location: Cenang Beach @ Langkawi

Had a recent getaway with old and new friends recently in Langkawi for 3 days and I'm still suffering from post-holiday withdrawal symptoms... It was a good break and vacation. The company was superb too! Photo taking wise was good except for the last day when it rained almost the whole day....sigh....will definitely return for another round. Especially to that japanese restaurant!!

Mijas, Torremolinos!

Rendezvous at Mijas, originally uploaded by alreza.

Rendezvous at Mijas in Spain.....'nuff said. :)

Courtyard of the Lions, AlHambra (A Spanish-Moroccan journey Part 3.2)

Courtyard of the Lions, AlHambra, originally uploaded by alreza.

This was the focal point of the Sultan's private dwellings in the days of the old Moorish dynasty. The design of the Courtyard of Lions was not that of a 'house' with a garden but rather a garden containing a house. The middle area contains refreshing water springs that pour out of the mouths of 12 white marble lions. The Alhambra has been declared a monument of human heritage and it is also in the running to be voted as one of the new 7 wonders. Please vote for it if possible.. :)

View On Black

Flamenco in Granada! (A Spanish-Moroccan journey Part 3.1)

Flamenco Dancer #2, originally uploaded by alreza.

Upon arriving in Granada, we had the option to attend a local traditional flameco show. These performers are actually gypsy descendants that have been practicing it through their generations. Although considered part of the Spanish culture, flamenco really originates from the Andalucian region. It is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the unique interplay of native Andalucian, Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalucia in ancient times.

Photographing in what appears to be a cave-like-tunnel-of-a-hall seems abit tricky. The lightings and the pots and pans really throws of my white balance and using a flash would throw away ambient light. Though it was challenging, I found it fun... the capture and the dance!

Toledo city streets (A Spanish-Moroccan journey Part 2)

Toledo city streets, originally uploaded by alreza.

The next place in the Spanish leg of the journey was Toledo which was 70km south of Madrid. Apparently this placed now is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Toledo city looks like it was built on a hill with rocky slopes that were wrapped with roads and on some slopes ended by the Targus river.

Walking through the streets of mostly cobbled stones, one could still see remnants of Moorish architecture. It really reminded me of medieval times...of knights and knaves, of horses and carriages....Anyway, we did visit the local smithy where the ancient art of sword, sheild and armor making were inherited during the Muslim era in Toledo. From here, we would re-trek their journey to Cordoba (see Part 3).

Madrid!! (A Spanish-Moroccan journey Part 1)

Palacio Real de Madrid, originally uploaded by alreza.

The first stop of my journey through Southern Spain and Northern Morocco was Madrid!! A beautiful place though the buildings reminded me soo much of Chicago and Adelaide when I was there. Madrid has some nice and unique architecture, and the main site we visited was the Palacio Real de Madrid or the Royal Palace of Madrid. Oh and btw, apparantly the football teams actual English name is Royal Madrid but I guess people got used to calling them Real madrid.

Sorry that I digressed a little there. Anyway, this place was the original site of the Alcazar in anceint times which also was previously a fort built by the Islamic kingdom of Toledo during the 9th Century. Now this is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Spain, though oddly enough he seldom resides there and instead chooses to reside at the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela. Most of the time, the Royal Palace acts as a musuem though personally I find the insides stocked with more of His Majesty's collection of trinkets. Photography inside the palace is forbidden and with my dSLR it would be near impossible for me to steal a shot...sigh. Need to get me one of those neat phone cameras.. ;)

Exit Right

Exit Right, originally uploaded by alreza.

Delayed posting.. Took this some weeks..ok..a month back when I was asked to give motorsports photography a try from my neighbour who organises the Integra Cup. The race comes as a series and will be part of the side races during the JapanGT (this year called SuperGT 2007).

Last year I managed to get special passes to JapanGT 2006 and boy was I a happy camper :D. Mind you though it was more from the GT Queens than the GT cars heheh.. Hopefully I will get special passes again this year so I can meet Saly for the second time. And I am more...erm..equipped with a Canon this time.. :D

Lolita

Lolita?, originally uploaded by alreza.

Last 2 weekends I decided to try runaway fashion shooting. It was very intimidating with fellow photogs carrying the most professional gears and the 'BIG GUNS'. The photographers podium at the end of the runaway was always full and this was the best vantage point to capture the models as they catwalk down the runaway because you get a straight-on shot with the least amount of distracting backround (audiences, stage fixtures, mall, etc). So what does one not equiped with something along the lines of a 70-200mm f2.8 do to get a close up??

Well I got this model they call 'Lolita' (unsure if that is her real name) between the runway sessions for a 1-on-1. She was quite friendly and obliging. Though later after showing her the preview on the LCD and getting a smile of approval (i think that was a smile of approval), I made a mistake asking her if the picture was ok. She said..

"Up to you...YOU are the photographer.. (in a slightly french-like accent)"

Hahahahaha.....am not worthy... :D

P/S: I kinda like her with minimal make-up here as opposed to during the shows....makes her look simple yet sweet...

Equanimity

Equanimity, originally uploaded by alreza.

Really miss shooting Haida who was very patient and professional about the photo session during the workshop last March. Saw this PP effect by fellow flickarian ekster, that is likened to Frank Millers art style especially seen in 'Sin City' and thought of giving the effect a try by 'revisiting' Haida. But I also wanted it to be slightly different and hence apllied duo-tone to the image.

Teluk Cempedak in Kuantan, Pahang

Rocky Cove, originally uploaded by alreza.

Went for a compact photo trip with Fox and Yong to Kuantan, Pahang over the weekend. We left KL at approximately close to 7pm and reached Kuantan just past 10pm. Fox wanted to introduce us to Satay Zul but alas it was closed by the time we got there so we headed for his friend's place to bunk in for the night before an early morning rise.

Woke up slightly after 3am to the sound of rain (and due to the chill as i was only using a sarong as a blanket in an air-conditioned room). Thankfully rain was over by the time we took off for Teluk Cempedak which was slightly after 5am. It was really dark when we got thereand a mistake I made was that I have forgotten to bring my torch and so was relying on my phone's light most of the time. Sigh...too bad, should I have brought a torch I could have also experimented with painting the beautiful rock formations along this coast with light.

When all is said and done, one thing for sure is that I will definitely be back in Kauntan as there are so many more photographic oppurtunities not just at this cove but also at a few other spots including Sungai Lembing.

For more of my images from this location, please feel free to visit my smugmug site.

Taboo

Taboo, originally uploaded by alreza.

Been really busy with work and my other passion lately so did not have time much to blog. But one thing that really made my day yesterday on April Fool's Day was that I manage to get a second picture up on Flickr's Explore! To most this would not be that much of a deal as there are many amazing and talented photogs out there. But it is for this very same reason that I feel proud. Small steps I keep telling myself...small steps..

Oh and a fellow flikr-ite made it on Explore too!! It is an amazing shot. You can check it out here: http://flickr.com/photos/marshmallow/441008542/

alreza.smugmug.com

This post may be a tad late. I finally decided to subscribe to smugmug (thanks to fox for the introduction)!! This service provider is among the 3 largest and most popular for photo image storing and sharing besides the famous flickr and photo.net.

Although all have communities, flickr appears best for the masses with extensive group communities. Photo.net I would say are more for professionals (you should see the amazing gallery they have) and it is great for peer review of your own work though I would not recommend it for the faint-hearted as these guys look like they're seriously of the pro community. They also offer equipment reviews and have a learning centre. I prefer registering with smugmug because they back up data to 3 data centres and if you take up the moderate to full membership, you are able to modify the look and feel of your site and you can even set print prices to make profit (pro account users only). To see a review of the differences between flickr and smugmug click here and here.

New Additions from National Geographic

Got myself National Geographic's 'Ultimate Field Guide to Photography' quite a while back. Ignoring that its from National Geographic, I must say its a very useful book as it gives a very good overview. It also has a chapter dedicated to camera phones! Perhaps this may be good for those thinking of competing in NG and SE (sony erricsson) competition 'Windows into Asia'.

Recently I also received gift vouchers for MPH and told the giver that I will put it to good use. So I did and got myself NG's (again) latest edition of 'The Ultimate Guide to Landscape Photography' as I'm very much into landscapes. For me, this is another great book and it does give plenty of insights for approaching landscape photography.

You can check out both book's review at Amazon...as I'll be ending this post and finishing up digesting the latter book mentioned above ... ;)

Sigh.. Photography is such an expensive Hobby

It has been about 6 months since my entry into serious photography with the purchase of Canon's 400D. Naively I thought 'Get a good overall lens, a flash...that should be it'. But no, I seem to be getting addicted. Its true they say (and I agree) that use your existing gears to the best of their abilities and not get better gears to do more but sigh... I just can't help it. Sometimes it is the necessary evil. Sometimes..

My current existing equipment includes:

1. Canon 400D (with battery grip BG-E3 and kit lens)
2. Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS lens (hope to replace this next year with the 24-105 f4L)
3. Canon 17-40 f4 L
4. Canon 50 f1.8 (this is on loan - planning a 50mm of my own: the f1.4)
5. Canon Speedlite 580EX
6. Manfrotto 055Pro tripod (with the 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic ballhead)
7. Lowepro Nova 3 AW (shoulder bag)
8. Lowepro Dryzone Rover (backpack)
9. Maxtor 300Gb external harddrive (for all my storage needds ;) )
   

And still I have dreams. My current wishlist:

1. Canon 70-200mm f4L IS (next target before Japan GT 2007)
2. As mentioned before, Canon 50mm f1.4
3. Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro (this has been put on-hold as a colleague has recently purchased this - but this is a fun lens to get)
4. A monopod (research not done on this yet)
5. That National Geographic book titled 'The Book of Photography' ( this is a good book on the history of how the different styles of photography evolved, I believe that to be a better photographer one has to also develop an understanding of how the entire field has evolved, for eg. how people like Ansell Adams, co-founder of group f/64, has revolutionised modern photography, etc etc)
   

Sigh.... this is where is seems all my salary will go to in the near future. Hope it ends on the wishlist...oh but then there is also that Fish-Eye lens, the Tilt-Shift lens and a bloody PC that has at least 2Gb worth of RAM and a decent monitor with at least 120Gb of space (so working on photoshop does not suck big time)......sigh.....looks like it never ends..

Eye on Malaysia

KL Eye Firework display, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa

Wanting to know what the fuss was all about with the KL Eye (a swiss technology Ferris wheel), me and nottyboy headed to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa straight afterwork on Tuesday the 16th of January, 2007. Little did we know there was more installed for us.

As we arrived at approximately 6:30pm (okay, maybe a tad later), we saw 1 photographer already stationed by the lake with a big (albeit old-school) large format camera. Stationing by the lake ourselves to get a good view of the Eye with the KLCC twin tower backdrop, we waited till nightfall while testing out the settings on our cameras. We were so caught up that before we even realised it, day turned to night and there were a dozen other photographers with their big-ass SLRs and dSLRs (am assuming they're SLRs ... mostly)!!

Anyway, the big treat (and also as to why there were that many photogs) was that there was a fireworks show that night!! And everyother night apparently untill the 3rd of February (more details in the doument by the tourism ministry here). Fireworks photography was said to be easy but I find it tricky, probably because it was my first time. Anybody interested can get some tips from this link by the Digital Picture.

The link to my first attempts are in my humble gallery here. (more pictures will be added shortly)

Putrajaya02

PutraJaya Mosque at Dawn, PutraJaya

Did a second trip to Putrajaya for some shooting as the weather was quite hazy on my first round of shooting. This time I brought fellow photog Nottyboy. This time around the weather was great as we started from the main bridge for a few architectural shots and then proceeded to Taman Lembah Tasik at Precinct 8 for a waterfront view of the Mosque. Unplanned we also discovered PutraJaya's Lake club within walking distance. One great thing about PutraJaya's main district is that its still a work in progress as we saw at least one or two more buildings being constructed. Why this is good? From a photog's point of view although PutraJaya has been nearly shot to the death, the fact that it still is a work in progress ensures us that there are many more photo oppurtunities to come.

Lake Jetty view, PutraJaya

Please feel free to visit my PutraJaya02 gallery for more images.

*The Lake Club has a life-time membership registration fee of RM1,000 at the moment. I'm not sure entirely what they have to offer but at a glance, they have a pool, a clubhouse for functions etc, canoeing and boating facilities.... and whatever else (we did not enquire much). Looking at canoeing, I wonder what other photo opportunities that will be available using this mode of transport here ........ . . .

Digital Journalist online

Was introduced to this site of an online magazine for photojournalists from a book that I read recently. Good site for aspiring photojournalists and their style of photography. You can browse it here or via the link on the side-bar. One thing of highlight and interest to me was a section on lighting and dramatic portrait by Michael Grecco.

KL Bird Park

'Spot-on Scarlet', KL Bird Park

KL Bird Park in Taman Tasik Perdana is supposedly the largest walk-in free flight aviary in the world. This was a better place to shoot than the National Zoo but I must say more has to be done on the upkeep of Parks like this in Malaysia if we are to ever maintain a flow of tourists (to which there were quite plentiful that day). Note: Currently Malaysian's who present their MyKad only pay RM12 per entry as opposed to the usual RM30. Hmmmm... wasn't the Aquaria around that price too ....?

'Eye-lock (Pelican)', KL Bird Park

Gallery can be viewed here.

Philip Plisson

Just read up on the french photographer, Philip Plisson in the January edition of DCM. His works are simply amazing as can be seen from his uk site. He specializes in oceans and has just released a book titled....wait for it..... . . .Oceans! His site is provided in the link above and on the side panel.

KL Travelogue 01

Masjid Jamek, KL

More pictures can be seen in the humble gallery here.

Deserted

'Deserted', Bukit Jelutong
(residents on holiday)

TTP

Although Cindy's and Saly's portrait shoots has been long past, I do yearn for the next outdoor portrait shootout. Trouble was looking for a suitable location. In lieu of Visit Malaysia 2007, took the oppurtunity of a long dull weekend due to the public holidays to visit Taman Tasik Perdana and scout for some good locations with another fellow enthusiast, nottyboy.

We scouted the the Orchid and Hibiscus garden and found some relatively good locations. Hopefully we can secure someone soon for the models. Earlier, we visited the Butterfly Park.
It was pretty tough to shoot these creatures as it was morning and they were on a feeding fenzy, hence it was tough to follow them around let alone get a decent shot. I have pretty slow lenses, and in slighty low light conditions butterfly shots early in the mornings are hard to come by. Instead, I opted to concentrate on a nearby pond where fauna were aplenty. Next to try on another day: the within-vicinity Bird Park.

Mollies hungry for the early morning breakfast

Other images can be found here though they are not that many and are still being uploaded at time of writing.

Goodbye 2006

Dusk view from office of the new Gardens @ Mid Valley construction site (using the office window as my polariser ..heh )

2006 has been a realtively good year for me. Improved myself workwise but not at a level that I would hope for. Nonetheless, progress is good. It also saw my debut into serious photography with the purchase of the 400D to which I am content with.... for now. I must thank my photo enthusiastic colleagues nottyboy, fox and James for their encouragement.

Hopefully in 2007, I can fill more in this photologue with my new partner. Here's to 2007!