THERE IS NO MAGIC CAMERA THAT WILL MAKE YOU TAKE GREAT PICTURES.USE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.DEVELOP SYSTEM THAT IS RELIABLE AND THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I had a chance to play around a little bit with a couple of the E-620's built-in art filters.
Pale light color,soft focus and Pop art.
& light tone.grainy film and Pin hole.I did not do any post-processing at all to the above images.In my camera Art Filters entice users to be artistic by allowing them to apply stylish effects at the touch of a button.
Welcoming Christmas, Boulevard Shopping Mall in Kuching present eco green Christmas decoration to welcome the Christmas shoppers.
Eco green X'mas decoration at the lobby.
Go green X'mas deco is made of a series of recycle plastic bottle of drinking water.
My last trip to Kota Kinabalu was 20 years ago,it was my official trip then on duty so I have no chance to explore the culture and the beauty of Kota Kinabalu.How I wish I can fly to Kota Kinabalu again and this time I want to fly with Firefly Airline and have a chance to fly with the latest Boeing 737-800 series .In Kota Kinabalu i can make a short trip that may last for 5-6 days.Photography is my hobby so if i have a chance to go to Kota Kinabalu I wish to photograph the beautiful culture and the beautiful of Kota Kinabalu.I wish to photograph and the activities of the people,go to new place and spending time observing the people there experience their way of life,talking to local people or perhaps making new friends.In Kota Kinabalu I love to visit .Gaya Street Sunday Market,City Mosque,Lok Kawi Wildlife Park,Tanjung Aru Beach and Sabah State Museum Heritage and Village.
Gaya Street located in the Kota Kinabalu Central Business District has been the centre of business for over a hundred years. The wooden shops with nipah roofs are long gone but here is where generations-old family businesses are still thriving passed down from father to son. Every Sunday morning, the length of Gaya Street is closed off to traffic to make way for the Fair. Shop for anything under shady trees and over-sized umbrellas, like batik sarongs, fruits and flowers, arts and craft, footwear, antiques and souvenirs, cakes, even pets and herbs!. This is the best place to experience the cross-section of the local population when entire families enjoy a Sunday outing.
The Gaya Street Fair is on every Sunday from 6.30 am to 1.00 pm.
City Mosque Kota Kinabalu.
Built on a 2.47 acres site at the Likas bay, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is exemplary of the Islamic contemporary architecture. Situated near the sea, this majestic white mosque boasts similar features to the Nabawi Mosque in Medina. This floating mosque has a prayer hall which houses three madrasahs and accommodates from 9, 000 to 12, 000 people at a time.
By far the largest mosque in Kota Kinabalu, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is even possibly the most beautiful one in Malaysia – the man-made lagoon which surrounds it gives a serenely gorgeous and dramatic look to the mosque on a full moon night.
The Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is open for public visits daily except Fridays from 8am to 5pm. There are no fees charged on visitors
Tanjung Aru Beach Kota Kinaalu.
Located at the end of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and about 6 kilometres from KK City, this place is closest to the hearts of the locals, and just one visit to the beach will tell you why. Taking its name from the casuarinas or aru trees that fringe the fine sands, this is where one might get a ringside seat to the greatest sunset on earth every evening when the crimson sun dips slowly into the horizon, leaving the vast skies a brilliant red.. Food stalls serving local food and drinks are open till late at night. Enjoy coconut and sugarcane juice, chicken or beef satay and steamed peanuts and corn, or indulge in a full-course dinner at the seafood restaurant located there.
The Tanjung Aru beach is also home to Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort, the Kinabalu Golf Club and the Kinabalu Yacht Club.
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Kota Kinabalu.
The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park was officially open to the public on the 17th February 2007. It is located along the Penampang-Papar old road and is fully developed by the Sabah Wildlife Department.
The park consists of two components: zoological and botanical. The main objective of the park is to become a family-oriented park and the emphasis is put on the Children’s Zoo.
Among the inhabitants of the zoo (zoological component) are the Borneo Pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinoceros, Orang Utan, Proboscis monkey, Malayan tiger, as well as some different species of deer.
The botanical component, on the other hand; offers visitors the opportunity to go jungle trekking along the botanical trail. The paved trail is about 1.4 kilometers long. However, for leisurely strolls, visitors are only advised to walk halfway along the trail.
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park is open for the public daily from 9.30a.m to 5.30p.m. Entrance fees charged are as follows: adults RM10 (Malaysian) and RM20 (non-Malaysian).
The fifth place that i will visit is Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village Kota Kinabalu.
Built in 1985, the Museum complex is sited where then British North Borneo Governor's Istana was once located. The Museum consists of the Main Building, Science and Education Centre, Heritage Village, Sabah Art Gallery and Museum of Islamic Civilization. Inside are various Galleries housing Natural History, Ceramics, Ethnography and Archaeology exhibits, among others ...
Ceramics, traditional weapons and costumes reflect the diversity of the State's culture and traces Sabah's early trade links with the neighbouring countries of Southeast Asia and China. The museum also houses musical instruments, tools and ritual paraphernalia.
There is a Heritage Village on the Museum grounds where you can enter and experience different types of traditional houses of the various indigenous groups of Sabah. Cultural activities are held here from time to time.
The Sabah State Museum is located on Jalan Bukit Istana Lama, Kota Kinabalu, 4 km or about 15 minutes from the KK City Centre.
Not only will you be amazed by the places to see and things to in Kota Kinabalu, you will also be treated with unique Sabahan hospitality. Explore the unique culture and tradition of Sabah and get ready to experience sweet memories to last a lifetime!.
If you want to win a give away ticket from Firefly Airline to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching you can join the contest and for more information click FEEQSAYS.NETWORK
Thank You & Credit to the owner of the google image( above) and Thank You again.
Came late Monday afternoon, my hand was itching so badly for shutter therapy session I decided to grab the camera bag and attack the streets just before sunset. Made it home from work rather early, I sped off to Petaling Street in the city, just in time to catch the dying lights. Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily when I arrived, but that did not stop my determination to come home with enough pictures to make myself smile. I just need to be on the streets, and shoot purely for myself. Oh no, is this what we call, an obsession? Or an addiction? say Robin Wong.
Oh my goodness ..this guy really motivated me to do street photography but of course I can't be like him,this guy simply the best.Read what he say (Above statement).Want to know him and visit his blog kindly go to his site and I'm sure those who is crazy about street attack will not regret .His name is Robin Wong so click http://robinwong.blogspot.com
Yesterday (Sunday) late afternoon I grab my entry level E-620 and go to the street.My shooting target is the old parts of Kuching City.Like Robin say "shot purely for myself "...yeah,that what I'm trying to do but to be honest I'm just an old guy who shot just like the tourist or carry DSLR but more on P & S style.Haha,,that my style .Again Robin say "to come home with enough picture to make myself smile" .Well , I liked it.
My version of street attack with my Olympus E-620 and Lens Zuiko 14-54mm f2.8-3.5.
This is my target India,court house and carpenter Street.
I did not photograph much on Carpenter Street, just this lonely red postal box .
I have a chance to speak with this gentleman,he is a hired van operator .I ask him,are you reading about our petrol & sugar new price in Malaysia ?
Wow !!!! this guy really count every single cents he spend.
"My car tank is 52 litter.Previously when petrol price was RM1.85 x 52 litter = RM96.20, now after increasing I can get only RM1.90 x 52 litters = RM98.8. It only different by RM2.60". What do you think about the differences of RM2.60? Does sugar price affects you too? ..........
Most shoppers who do shopping around the Indian Street Mall are from middle to low income group .I meet Bujang he work as street cleaner around this area.He remark"I’m one of the small salaries workers in Malaysia. For the past 4 years our monthly expenses just for food raise 3 times. That means 300%.What kind of government that raised our expenses but failed to offer a rewards for the small salaries group?
And so are most people around me, so it doesn't really matter what I do.I smile to strangers and say hello.Every one seem happy to-day including the 'Tukang Gigi' or shall I call it 'False teeth maker' not Dentist....he smile 24 hours .
Do you know how much money this street medicine-man collect from the public to-day? I saw they give him Rm10.00 for every small packed of medicine he sold.I saw him doing few trick by drinking so call poison water being prepared by himself .Actually I wanted to photograph him while he perform the trick or magic but I have to be caution other wise instead of I attack the street for picture he attack me.I advise the people after enjoying watching his trick 'Don't do this at home".
To-day is a beautiful day but I cannot see it....being thoroughly entertained by blind musician this little boy put some token in a cash box.
Playing with billboards......
Another great classic of street photography is to compose with the giant billboards used for advertising to create unique pictures, micro comedies or dramas. Very often, the desired effect is obtained when a billboard either presents a feature that supports a character action, or, on the contrary, presents an element totally opposing it. In some cases, a scale effect between a character and the picture displayed in a background creates a fantastic impact on the viewer.
The easiest approach is to find a great poster having a high photogenic potential (pictorial, funny, or dramatic), and to wait before it. Then to patiently watch the moment when an a typical person comes and pass-by or make an action before the billboard. It requires a lot of luck but also a lot of time and patience, and the result is not guaranteed. Also you can lose precious time waiting that could be dedicated to other better catches.
So the most rewarding experience remains the typical street photographer approach : capturing this very fortuitous moment resulting from a combination of three major elements: 1) A billboard with a high potential, 2) a subject in complete match (or mismatch) with this billboard, and 3) the presence of a street photographer at this precise moment to observe the scene and freeze this moment, that will never happen a again.
I wanted to try playing with billboard but no many billboard here in old part of Kuching City . And again I need more practice ,practice and practice in street photography.
Cheers......
Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in the Kuching area. It offers the opportunity of getting close to some highly mischievous, semi-wild Orang Utan. Semenggoh became the first forest reserve in Sarawak in 1920. It was turned into a wild life rehabilitation centre for monkeys, Orang Utans, honey bears and hornbills in 1975.
The aim is to reintroduce as many of the animals as possible to their natural habitat, as many had been orphaned by logging or were being illegally kept as pets. There is more to see in the morning as the young monkeys and Orang Utans are put back in their cages at 3pm. The best time to visit Semenggoh is during feeding time, which takes place between 8.30-9am and 3-3.30 pm.
The semi-wild Orang Utans are good timekeepers and as feeding time approaches they start to make an appearance. They descend from the trees of the surrounding forest reserve to offer visitors a unique wildlife experience and some excellent photo opportunities. They often make their way to the lower branches and small trees, which surround the various Orang Utan enclosures, the very same cages, where they used to stay before graduating to the forest. Here, they play with each other, swing about in the hanging vines and occasionally descend to ground level to 'charge' groups of tourists.
Just don't hope too much on the above statement .
My last trip to Semanggoh wild life centre in Kuching was on September 2009 & I was here to accompany the members of my family from Ampang Selangor.To-day I was here to assist my friend to accompany him to bring a group of tourist from Italy & Germany.To-day trip is not very interesting as I already told my friend & the tourist that we are indeed very lucky if we can see one or two orang utan around this time of December. Even though its not a fruits season yet but normally December is the wild fruits season (wild fruits that not on sale in town).I'm not a tourist guide but I'm just helping my friends to photograph the tourist .
24 orangutans live freely in the jungle. ...
After briefing by the Ranger we proceed to the forest trying to look for Ritchie the oldest & the biggest orang utan in this wildlife.Normally feeding time is 09:00am & 3:00pm daily and the ranger don't have to call the orang utan to feed but to-day Orang Utans are no good timekeepers and as feeding time approaches they did not make an appearance.Out of 24 orang utans only three is descending from the trees of the surrounding forest reserve to offer visitors a unique wildlife experience and some excellent photo opportunities. (my photo to-day is not excellent).
The ranger who guide us try to call Ritchie..he did not shout 'RITCHIE !!!!" your have visitors. Please, come out they have fresh fruits for you""""animal always an animal so the ranger only shout 'WOOHOOOO'.....just a normal signal to orang utan that there is a human to visit you guys for photograph .Well, orang utan is an animal & an animal is always an animal so keep your distance and no camera flash allowed or else they become wild.(sorry my snap is not that sharp to-day)just like the orang utan they have no mood to come out to meet human to-day.
Flower.flower.......
Just a wild orchid in the forest ... To-day I saw many tourist, foreign or local visiting the wild life but very,very sorry out of many orang utan only three are willing to meet us and this three orang utan seem not in a mood to welcome us.For Ritchie perhaps on holiday to-day ,no sign of him in spite of many call.You guys can E-mail me (uncleawang at G mail dot com) for assistance & don't e-mail Ritchie the orang utan.
The little steel door leading into the prison or out to freedom.“This old central prison was constructed way back in 1882. While the state government sings along making Kuching a heritage city, many old structures are being demolished and soon this 1882 building will be demolish .
Built in 1882, the main prison building used to be 1st Rajah James Brooke's rest house before it became the city's first hospital.Old Kuching prison is even older than Pudu Prison in Kuala Lumpur.
The building, which only became a prison after the World War 2, was the site for the execution of Sarawak's first freedom fighter, Rosli Dhobi, 60 years ago.
Surrounded by sharp barbed wire and two-layer fencing, the 128-year-old prison on a small hilltop stood proudly overlooking the city’s busy streets and other structures built long after its time.
Door leading to women jail house...
Added to this, having been vacant since two years back, the prison is now covered with overgrown vegetation and has become a breeding ground for snakes, mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.
Prisoner workshops carpentry & hand craft .......Prisoners are more disciplined they left behind beautiful work of art.
The jail officer just leave behind the shoes and Malaysia national flag..they should learn to respect the National flag.
The local politician say:
KUCHING: The old Kuching Central Prison should be preserved instead of being demolished, asserted Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng. HISTORICAL VALUE: The state government is called to retain the Kuching Central Prison as a prison museum. He wondered why the authorities concerned did not preserve the site and worse still, started taking down the building.
I photographed this picture this evening (03:00pm 30/11/2010 Tuesday).
The India Street derives its name from the fact that it has always been a street occupied by the Indian Shops. Most of the Indians are from the southern and northern India. At first, it was called as the Kling Street in the 1850’s, but the Third White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke changed the name to India Street in 1928.
In 1992, the street was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian mall.
INDIAN MOSQUE LANE
A small passageway (locally known as “Lorong Sempit”) that connects India Street Pedestrian Mall and Gambier Road. A popular short-cut for shoppers who patronized the area. Built originally as the access to the Indian Mosque located between the Mall and Gambier Road. The doors and steps which marked the beginning of the passageway from the Mall side have been restored in their original state since early seventies.
Indian Mosque Lane is a narrow passageway locally known as "Lorong Sempit".This small lane lead to Gambier Road.The lane is so narrow that at section only one person can walk pass at anytime.
If you follow this passageway you'll pass a small Mosque hidden away in the middle of the city. The Mosque's structure has undergone many changes since it was originally built by Kuching's Indian Muslim community in the mid 19th century.
Outside view of Indian Mosque.
Photo Above - Masjid Bandar Kuching ( Masjid India - The Indian Mosque) is the oldest in Sarawak
The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’.(Photo Above) That drum has been in use for 50 over years.
The hidden history of Indian Mosque in Kuching.
Inconspicuously sandwiched between India Street Mall and Gambir Street, the mosque covered an area of 16,004 square feet.
The mosque was built in 1837 by Indian Muslims from southern India. The originally walls and roof was made of nipah palms. In 1876, belian wood planks replaced the nipah palms walls. The name was changed to Masjid Bandar Kuching in the 1960’s from its original name Masjid India (Masjid Tambi).
Other than the Indian Muslim community, at that time when there was no road transportation yet, the
Malay Muslims from the costal villages also come to the mosque to pray and rest when they come to trade in the city.
In those days when there were no roads to the costal, the villagers travel by boats and would berth their sampans by the river beside Gambir Street wet market and visit the mosque for prayers. Sometimes, they lodged in the mosque before returning to their villages. To this day, Masjid India provides shelter to tired travellers.
The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’. That drum has been in use for 50 over years.
Being in the heart of the city, it is a convenient place of worship for Muslims working in the area and shoppers On a Fridays, the congregation could swells to over 1,000 while on ordinary weekdays some 400 gather for prayers.
The mosque also started the first religious school in Sarawak back in 1940’s. The Madrasah Islamiah remains in operation.
A committee Lembaga Amanah Khairat administrates the Masjid India, and whatever funds collected will be used to maintain the mosque. Funds for maintaining the mosque come from rent collected from 23 neighbouring shops owned mainly by Indian Muslims who sold groceries, spices, cloth and books. Two Chinese shopkeepers also operate their businesses in the area. These family businesses have been handed down through the generations.
