Just another photograph practice.....

With your camera pre-set, pick a spot on the street and proceed with calmness, sensitivity and poise. With practice, you’ll make great street photographs.I'm ready ...I'm following the above tip from the expert.

Last week end ,I can't stand the heat.The weather is so hot.I was at  my friend apartment, invited him to join me but he have reason for not going out outing due to the weather  and further more he got fever..

If I want to go to the street again,I just play the tourist style,camera around my neck,photograph everything around me,being ignorant but again the weather is so hot and I can't stand the heat..well, just forget about the whole thing.

Does street photography have to be taken on the street? what if I'm seating on a bench of bus stop. does that count ? I purposely make my self comfortably seating on a bus stop bench looking for subject  and try to shot the moment happening.

So here I'm seating on a bench of bus stop with my camera pretend  to set a camera setting ,trying to look normal totally not like photographer try to snap but I'm being watch by the lady & the three gentleman.

Wait,are they looking at me ? I don't want them to hear the shutter click.I guess all the kind people in my pictures are foreign workers from Indonesia and Bangladesh.That's the beauty I see on the street,urban street fashion wear by this young peoples.

He is not  doing a catwalk fashion modelling .He happen to see me holding a camera & I thought maybe he wanted to be photograph .
But it's  already too late as I press the shutter button without being notice by  this young man.So back home,let's take a look at the shots.
Gear : Olympus E-620 & Zuiko lens 14-54mm f2.8-f3.5.
The wise words from the PRO....."There are different way of looking.I have my own way.For me .photographing a street scene or a foggy landscape is a little like listening to a music.It give me strength ".
Thank You.

Traditional Dress.

To-day I have decided to post a photo that I took on one of  the celebration in Kuching.   I took this while at a padang merdeka with some friends.  I shot with Olympus E-620 and happened to have the camera out at the right moment as I passed this people wearing Sarawak native traditional dress.

Beautiful traditional dress.........

Beautiful maiden with colourful traditional dress.

Melanau of Sarawak with their traditional dress.

Student wearing traditional dress during the performance in Kuching.

Spaoh District.

Just  had a walk in a traditional area of the kampong Spaoh . I took some random snaps of what I saw around the village and this wooden house attract my attention.

Photographing Flower.

Flowers are so cliche when it comes to photography… but that doesn’t stop me from shooting them! Heck, some photographers even specialize in flower photography and they do a darn good job of it. If you’re getting bored(like my shoot below) with your current bag-o-tricks for photographing flowers, go and look for some amazing tips from the WEBsite.

 

 

 

 

All above flowers are from my own small garden and shot with my Olympus E-620 .

When come to flower shooting I get out early and late when the light is softer and nicer.Sometime you will see a wonderful flower image midday but I like early morning .Another great time for flower hunt is right after rainstorm ! There's nothing like mist and water droplets to bring some of the image alive.

Mist and water droplets to bring some of the image alive.

Framing.

Framing is one of the ten basic tips to take better picture. And the most interesting part the method is adopted by amateurs and professionals alike and it never looks boring if it is done effectively. I am still in learning process & below is the list that I read from one of my secret mentor and idol  , you can visit  his blog ZAIN's PIX & TEXT

Framing serves a couple of purposes in composition that can make your picture stand out from the rest. Among the purposes of framing, are:

    * It directs the viewer’s vision straight to the subject
    * It gives a sense of depth and a perception of three-dimensionality to the two-dimensional picture
    * If the frame has some similarities to the subject it creates a harmonious combination
    * It adds more interest the picture and diversifies the viewpoint
    * Framing can also act as foreground interest for the subject at the background

Normally wide angle lens is used when framing in order to get the maximum depth-of-field by rendering both foreground and background sharp. But there is no hard and fast rules. Sometimes out-of-focus framing succeeds in bringing out the subject without the framing competing for attention especially if the framing has little relevance to the main subject.

Landscape and architecture photography almost always adopts framing in composition with proven success although it is not limited to only the two genre of photography above.

This is my trial on framing and you can see here the similarities in shape between the frame and the subject maybe create harmony in picture beside acting as frame.

I don't know if this fence frames  that I try on both picture above can present different viewpoint to viewer instead just common postcard style snap shot.Perhaps most photographers out there can do better then me.

The flyover ahead can acts as a composition frame to the subject that is the Satok building.

The fence again used as frame.

The plant framing the building.

Anyway I did not stop here as I'm keep on practice & practice.

Art with my Olympus DSLR.

Here are some shot taken this afternoon in the city.I wanted to practice food shots but most of the food shop already at rest after lunch.

This Kuching City high rises has pretty interesting architecture if you get a chance to shoot along the streets.I tried using monotone,sepia direct from my camera.

Some people may argue that you can mimic those effects(Monotone/Sepia B&W) on some photo editing software.

That is true but the advantage of doing this in camera is that it applies the effects in relation to the current exposure,making it more real and natural.

This is the effect from the art filter (Grainy film B&W filter) direct from my camera.

All the above photos are snap using my Olympus E-620 with Zuiko ED lens 14-54 f2.8-f3.5.

Kuala Lumpur -Graffiti and Vandalism.

Lovely Monday (21Jul,2008),I was taking a pedestrian walk around City of Kuala Lumpur with my camera.I didn't have anything specific in mind to capture,just wanted sometime to be alone and being alone sometimes is good,it makes you observe details that you usually look past.One of many detail that caught my eye were graffiti.

Are illegal graffiti is vandalism and are all illegal artists are vandal ?????????

Sarawak Malay Gendang

Lovely day ...this Sunday so let's capture the culture and art of the Malay community of Sarawak. So lovely day in Kuching.

The Sarawak Malay community has many cultural activities which are based on custom and culture.Beside its famouse folklore stories,traditional song and games.The community is also known for traditional art which is called B E R G E N D A N G.

Bergendang is a culture and art that is treasured and handed down in the Sarawak Malay community from generation to generation.This activity has its own uniqueness and is an enjoyable past time for old and younger generation in public places.At old time women take their place behind a batik curtain which is put up to separate men from women.They sit where they feel comfortable.
Two or three women will be beating the drums and at the same time they berpantun.They are called tukang pantun or SEH gendang.
A man who plays the violin or accordian will play with the Seh gendang during berpantun or bermukun.

Meanwhile,a group of men will sit outside the curtain,But they will leave some space for dancing or berjoget aka as bertandak in the middle near the certain.They will bertandak with their own partner.

To fulfill the hot request,the tourist joined the dance .
They are so excited with the beat of the drum(gendang) and rhythm of violin.
Free for all Joget...young and old are welcome.So you think you can't dance.

Oh yes....the two pictures above is the training session for paddlers of coming event in Kuching Sarawak.End of July or begining of August is the best time to visit Kuching.The coming annual Sarawak Regatta 2008,Kuching festival and 45th annivesary of Sarawak forming Malaysia will be held on 1-3 of August 2008.

http://www.sarawakregatta.com/