Shooting the Night Sky .

Some people focus strictly on photographing the moon, or the remarkable beauty of sunrise and sunset. 

Some people like to capture dramatic moments of extreme weather or “sweet light” where the sky and objects on the ground attain a radiance or glow they don’t usually see.

Desa Ilmu 

Desa Ilmu

DEsa Ilmu.

Many other people want to capture just the stars, and there are many simple methods used to do so successfully. 

The basic settings for a camera to capture evening sky effects are ISO 50; f/stop is 2.8 to 3.5. 

If you choose to set the camera at ISO 100 the exposure times can be shorter. The f/stop settings are to allow the most starlight in as possible in order to record the many stars, and the smaller the f/stop or aperture is set the fewer the stars recorded.Before dark it is best to set up the camera on its tripod and make sure that the camera’s settings are appropriate to the event. Most of my photos above shooting with shutter speed of 15sec,30sec and 60sec.I am not an astrophotographer in any way, shape or form, nor do I have any expensive equipment. I simply read several tutorials, picked a dark spot on nearby my place and tried to do my best.

Ducati Multistrada Borneo Experience 2011

Have you ever dreamt of experiencing nature, wildlife, and virgin rainforests all on your Multistrada?
Now you have the opportunity to join other Ducatisti from Asia-Pacific regions on their Multistrada to explore the natural wonders of the world’s 3rd largest island
The island of Borneo is home to many unique and endangered species, such as the orangutan, proboscis monkey, the Borneo Rhino, the Pygmy Elephant, as well as the Green and Hawsbill Turtle.
Ducati Malaysia is hosting this event from November 25th-December 4th, 2011
Multistrada owners all over Asia-Pacific regions are invited to participate in this amazing experience.

Photo Credit to Ducati Malaysia.

PHOTO CREDIT TO SMF DAILY GRINDS.

 Click here for event details.
Full Story HERE ,



 

Tapang Tree.

Tapang Tree in Semban Village,Sarawak.

Tapang Tree in Semban Village,Sarawak.

The Koompassia excelsa tree is among the tallest trees in the world, and also one of the most prominent trees in the tropical rainforests of the Sunda Shelf. It is found in Sumatra, Borneo, South Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia. The grey, whitish bark of the tree, large bole, and often handsome crown makes it stand out amongst the other trees (usually). It is known by different names in different regions – Mengaris in Brunei and Sabah, Tualang in Peninsular Malaysia, Sialang in Indonesia, and Tapang in Sarawak. The name tualang comes from the Malay words of tua – old, and helang – eagle. More info The Tualang Tree or Koompassia Excelsa
The tapang tree is a revered tree for the indigenous people of Sarawak. There is a taboo in Sarawak against cutting down the tapang treee. Only naturally felled tapang trees (usually by an unusal storm or a  landside which might be natural or even unnatural) can be used. Furthermore Ibans do not cut their tapang tree in their temuda (farm) because it is a valueable source of honey and a home for the Great Kenyalang or Hornbill. Hornbills on the other hand control the snake population in Sarawak and Borneo. Without the hornbills our habitat may become dangerous actually...(sources from Sarawakiana@2)..Thank You credit to Sarawakiana@2 & Jungle Dairy.

Photographing Dramatic Skies.

Skies can make for some truly stunning photos, and the best part is that they're always there.

Skies are one of my favourite subjects due to their sheer variety. They are packed full of interesting colours and textures, and can make for some truly awe-inspiring photos.
Better still, skies are always evolving. Changing weather conditions, cloud formations, and lighting ensure that there is always something unique and fresh to photograph.
However, it's not always easy to capture a dramatic sky in all its glory, and it can be disappointing when a seemingly fascinating sky scene results in a drab, flat, uninspiring photograph.Sky photography takes practice, but there are a number of techniques you can use to tip the balance in your favour, and give yourself a better chance of getting a shot that captures the impressive nature of the sky as you saw it.

Golden Sunset with dramatic skies.

This is by far the most influential factor when photographing dramatic skies. Nature provides a wide variety of colours and light quality each day, leaving you spoiled for choice.
Sunrise and sunset generally give the most dramatic skies - the combination of strong colours and low, directional lighting is perfect for creating a photo with bags of atmosphere. Conditions around these times of day also tend to change rapidly, allowing you to capture a wide range of photos in a short period of time.

Waiting for sunrise with dramatic skies.

 You can also get some great sky photos around midday, particularly on a sunny day when the sun really brings out the bright, vivid colours in the sky and surrounding landscape.When photographing the sky it is often our first instinct to look for a clear patch. But in reality this usually produces a boring photo - just an endless expanse of flat colour.Clouds add interesting shapes and textures to your photo, and help to break up the monotone flatness of the sky with changes in colour. They give the viewer something to actually look at in the scene, rather than just an empty, soulless sky.

Scenery from hotel room in Genting Highland.

 Using a wide angle lens, or zooming out, exaggerates the perspective in your scene, giving the impression that the clouds are rushing dramatically overhead.A wide angle will also allow you to capture more variation in light and colour, particularly at sunrise or sunset.
Your camera's white balance setting is critical in determining how the colours of your scene appear in the final photo. Choose the wrong setting and they will look completely different to how they did to you at the time.
Most cameras offer white balance presets - try using the sunset or daylight setting as a starting point, but experiment to see which produces the most dramatic and eye-catching result.

Attend Local Events and Practice Your Street Photography.

Local events such as festivals, parades, rally, demonstrations are some of the best way to practice and hone our skills as photographers, whether you are a an amateur, hobbyist, or a professional. Events are fun, exciting and can provide wonderful picture-taking opportunities.

Photograph by Awang "The Political Party Rally in Sarawak"

Photograph by Awang "Political Rally".

Photograph by Awang "Political Party Rally".

 Here are some helpful tips in photographing local events :
Do a Research : Find some of the events that are scheduled for that day. Second is of course local newspapers, magazines, local tv news.
Prepare your gear :  Making sure your gear is ready is a priority. In events I usually bring two camera bodies and two lenses, a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. Check your batteries and make sure they are fully charged, make sure your memory cards are all formatted and in proper working condition.
DDay : Once you get to the event, just blend in, let everyone know that you are taking photograph. Now, to tell the story, you need to be observant, focus on participants, look for facial expressions, details, colors. You also need to learn to relax and not be overwhelm of the crowd and actions that are happening around you.
I hope you found this little tip helpful.

Photograph Waterfall and Moving Water.

While I'm not a huge fan of camping or long,day hiking trips, I do love visiting waterfalls. There's something about the rush of water that's both exciting and beautiful. It's one of my favorite photographic subjects. Taken with a slow shutter speed, water blurs into a deceptively tranquil image that effectively conveys the impression of motion in a still photograph.Very soon we are in School Holiday long break and some of you may have plan a trip or trip close to nature. let's take a look at how to capture some exciting and attractive photos of water in motion, so you're all set to go when the time comes to grab your camera and hiking shoes.

Semban Village Waterfall in Sarawak.

 The most important rule for shooting waterfalls (and all sorts of moving water): Use a slow shutter speed. How slow? Anywhere from about a half second to 2 seconds will do nicely. If you use a very fast shutter speed, you will freeze the motion of the water .The longer the shutter stays open, the blurrier things get. Here's what you can expect with about a second. As you can see, the longer the exposure, the blurrier and more abstract your scene becomes.

Waterfall in Semban Village in Sarawak.

 

 We all need something to lean on, especially our cameras. Particularly when we’re going to be using long shutter speeds, tripods are essential. Waterfalls don’t lend themselves to being located by nice areas of flat ground, in fact, the majority that I’ve been to are surrounded by slippery wet rocks, so you’ll need to find yourself a very sturdy and strong tripod.Since you need to shoot with a slow shutter speed, you should set your camera to its Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority mode and dial in an appropriate shutter setting. Be sure that your camera is set to the lowest possible ISO, since a higher ISO setting will make the camera more sensitive to light, and therefore shoot with relatively faster shutter speeds

Waterfall in Semban Village in Sarawak.

We want the moving water to blur, but for the rest of the shot to be sharp and focussed, so you can afford to set the f-number quite high, maybe f/16 or f/22 to achieve the correct depth of field and set the ISO quite low, at something around 100 or 200, as you’ll be using the shutter speed to ensure you’re letting in enough light. Practice with your faucet or even people walking down the street.

Moving water from waterfall in Semban Village in Sarawak.

Once your on location, you’ve got your tripod in place, you know your shutter speeds, and you’ve got your polarizing filter set, all you have to do is take the shot right?! Well, not quite. There’s still the small issue of composition to think about and regardless of how well you are set up, if you don’t compose your shot effectively, it will be lacking that drama and excitement that you’re looking for.
Think carefully about the angle at which you approach the falls. Do you want to shoot head on, from the side, from below looking up towards the point of descent? Do you want to simply feature the waterfall, tightly cropped and focusing the rushing water, or do you want to put the falls into context, with more of the surrounding landscape? Waiting for the right light is also essential, shooting in the middle of the day will be difficult as the light will be very bright and reflect off the water, where as shooting in the early morning or late evening will offer a much warmer light.

Close to Nature  Semban Village in Sarawak.

 The best way to learn composition and timing is to analyze other people’s photographs. Find photos that you like and take away some inspiration from them .I think of photography like music. All the best musicians started out imitating their favorite bands. Then they took the influences of those favorites and melded them together forming their own style and sound. Don’t be afraid to imitate, especially if you’re just starting out. No two photos will ever be exactly the same anyway.

Photographing The Moon.

Photographing the moon can be tricky. Last year I had a go at it and it was a complete disaster with the moon looking like a big bright blurry mass in the sky. After a bit of trial and error. Many times the result is a blurry image or a bright speck on the film. However, getting great moon pictures is simple once you know a few tricks to the subject. Many photographers already have the equipment to successfully take great moon photos. To reliably get good moon photographs you will need: a camera that lets you control shutter speed and aperture, and a zoom capability to about 300mm (this is 10x zoom on some point and shoot type cameras). That’s it, no tripods, no RM5000 lenses, no super-human powers.

Olympus E-620 + 70-300mm Zuiko Lens.

 The first thing you need is a  zoom lens. The moon may look big in the night sky but when your camera takes a photo of it, the moon will only fill a tiny portion of the photo. On a 50mm lens the moon with be nothing more than a dot in your picture. The lens I used in the photo above were taken on a Zuiko 70-300mm lens which was a lot better but to be honest an even longer zoom would have been better.The main problem most people have with moon photography is that they think of the moon as a “night subject”. Because of this they turn their cameras to the night preset or automatically start at a slow shutter speed to increase light. The moon, however, is so bright that the opposite is true. It is basically like taking a photo of an illuminated light bulb in a dark room.
The next thing you 100% need is a tripod(if you wanted to) Keeping the camera still is essential for getting a sharp image, and if your using a long zoom lens camera shake will be an issue as it's the longer the zoom the more camera shake affects the image. The tripod will hold the lens still and allow you to take a sharp image. Also you will need to use either the cameras timer function or a shutter release cable to trigger the camera shutter... otherwise you can jolt the camera while taking the photo and get blurred results.

What f-number/aperture should you use? The first thing that comes to mind is a low f-number i.e. f4.0 or lower to take in more light. This is where I went wrong - the moon is actually very bright in the sky and using a low f-number can completely blow out the moon and make it look more like the sun. The ideal f-number would be somewhere between f11 and f16.
The moon moves. Because the moon rotates around the Earth as the Earth itself is moving, slow shutter speeds will cause blur on your moon photographs. Use the highest possible shutter speed with a relatively small F-Stop to get a good exposure (in this case slightly underexposed) image. With the desired slight underexposure, you should be able to get a fast enough shutter speed to hand-hold your camera. With a 300mm zoom you will need a shutter speed of at least 1/350 for a clear image.Once you have your perfect shot load it onto your computer. Even on a 300mm lens the moon can still take up a relatively small area of your photo. If you got your settings spot on and managed to get a very sharp photo of the moon then you can crop your image and even zoom in a little bit so the moon itself fits better in the finished framing of your photo.

• Use a long zoom lens.
• Always use a tripod and shutter release or timer cable.
• Don't use a low f-number.
• Don't use a slow shutter speed.

When photographing the moon, be sure to record not only the length of time that you exposed your film, but also general weather conditions and what phase the moon was in. This will help you to produce better photos in the future.