A Life That Was

Falling from a higher altitude, they looked very much like confetti in a ticker-tape parade - all white and graceful, swaying gently to the wind. Their drop was mesmerising, even as the leading birds regrouped into the V-formation that must have been. The descent was necessitated by the need of a landmark for navigation, in their annual migration to escape a bitter weather.

Soon, with weather permitting, they will mate and have hatchlings. With abundant food, the younglings will grow fast and ready to fly. And by the time the monsoon approach, these birds would have left this ground, flying back to where they came from, in a pattern that seem endless throughout time. The younger generation, as did the generation before them, will learn the migratory routes: wind patterns, resting places, and nesting grounds, from generations before, with little deviation, save those Allah has willed.

The migratory pattern of these birds and other creatures alike, are not without purpose. With each coming and going, they unwittingly bring with them new lives, adding to the bio-diversity of a locale. Without which, the growth of place becomes stunted and dull, with the likelihood of inner-breeding rearing its ugly head. Surely such are sights we can do without. If truly so, then together we must find a way to assist nature live its natural course.

Happy Earth Day. (New update at Painting Pictures).


* Kindly visit sis/blogger Rerama Salju. Whilst recuperating from a surgery, she suffered the lost of her younger brother in an automobile accident. The brother who had just visited her in the hospital, was the youngest in the family, one whom she had cared for and loved since birth.

A Barbarian in Class

It has to happen, sooner or later; inevitable, and yet, certainly a welcome step towards the correct direction. After all, many societies in the past rose from their wild and barbaric ways to become a great civilisation. Through infusion of knowledge from other societies where some are far flung even in the modern mode of transporatation available today, these societies learnt to improvise, adapt and adopt, to become a respected civil society that is more often than not, feared by many. The history of mankind is replete with such stories. The same however, cannot be said for a certain barbarian living in this world of ours today.

"Some people drink deeply from the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle", so said Grant M Bright, a certain leadership and management development expert. If truly so, then Bright must have expressively thought about this certain barbarian, which truly can be a strange thing as the two have never met, and nor is Bright even aware of the latter's very existence - apart from being barbaric, he is also a hermit. For the barbarian though, the truth of the quote may well depict him; having been forced to learn a new set of skills, the barbarian goes about trying figure out how best to adapt and adopt the newly acquired knowledge into his life - he is currently gargling. The success or failure of his forray into this field, will only be evident with the passing of time, or the life of him...the barbarian Aje.


Sometime last week, my friend Manan dragged me to Subang Parade. "It'll do you a world of good!" he said as I tried to keep up with his fast-paced walk. In his eagerness, he forget that his old friend here do have some problems with his left leg, which Aje was not about to cry out. I mean, hey, a Barbarian is supposed to be one tough hombre.

As we parked at the basement of SP, the walk was (thankfully) short. The entrance via SP's IT Centre, and up the escelator, led us straight to a camera shop where I was introduced to 2 gentlemen there by the name of Abas and Edwin. Both, I was told, posses some of the highest skills and technical knowledge in the world of Photography in Malaysia. While Abas rose in status from being a simple Sales Technician to becoming quite a well known name, Edwin is endowed with sharp eyes for beauty and is artistic in his approach. Both, needless to say, are well respected by many photographers. What then, one may be prompted to ask, was Aje doing there?

Well, as it turned out, Manan had enrolled himself into a 2hour basic photography class conducted by Fotobilk, with Abas imparting his knowledge and experience. And though Manan have had 3 or so years of experience in photography, the talk by Abas should not be something to be missed, he said. And since Aje was getting into it as well, Manan dragged him along.

Edwin (l) and Abas (r). In absence of one, Aje regard these two gentlemen as his sifu.

As it promised to be, the class was basic but rather invaluable to anyone new, either as a hobby or for work purpose. Manan, Aje, and the 8 other people there were briefed on the basics of photography and some mechanics of the camera. It was here then that Aje found out that Photography, is both, an Art as it is a Science; we were told that there is even a PhD in photography, which off course, had that Aje's mouth gaping wide. Needless to say, time pass by too fast when one is having fun, leaving Aje in want for more knowledge ( a later story).

Armed with the basic knowledge, Aje found himself taking more and more photographs from a garden in Kota Damansara. Surprisingly, for such a small patch, Aje took more than 500 pictures. One thing though, before Aje finishes off with his story, both Abas and Edwin had advised against cropping pictures as it would lead to a lesser development of skills needed. And true, ever since then, Aje found that certain pictures do need the depth (or width) to convey the message or beauty of the scene. However, due consideration have to be given to space limitation and even upload speed of large uncropped pictures. To his best though, Aje will try not to crop any of the pictures after this date. Now undoubtedly, the question remains in the minds of several (Aje himself included): Has the class done Aje any good?

A barbarian Aje may well be. But to be conceit, and a fool at that? Its best left to others to judge and give fair comment as only in such manner can Aje improve himself; kindly visit From A Small Patch I, II, and III at Pictures-Only, thank you.

Update: Thanks to my niece, Hanis, I have uploaded the pictures at Picasa web with the link as follow and slideshow below it:

From Emak's Patch

Lightning Struck

In the days of old, most people do not have to worry about lightning strikes simply because they have little or no electrical wares. And since most houses have tall trees around them acting as lightning rods, people lived in relative calm during thunderstorms. Unless, off course, if they happened to be out in the open field when it happen, or high up on a branch of a tall tree. Oh, and another; those tall trees around their house, do sometimes attract lightning. And when that happen, chances are the tree or part of it, might come crashing down on the house. Still, this is rather remote.

Living presently and in the city, one's daily life can be severely affected during thunderstorms. Like last Monday afternoon.

It has been the norm for me to pull out the Internet Modem's connection whenever I suspect or know of a coming thunderstorm. And I seriously thought I did, and thus went down to read papers with Emak and not worrying about the PC itself as most electrical appliance are quite safe with the main switch of each house shutting down automatically when there is a sudden electrical surge. Rare, but when it does happen, it would then lead to a blackout. But hey, the temporary darkness is better than having all the appliance burnt to crisp.

Lying on the sofa with a Harkah in hand, a sharp crack of lightning whizzed inside the living room, followed by an extra loud thunder which literally rocked the smaller items in the house, and had me jumping up in shock. It may have been in my mind only, for had it not, then surely I would have been burnt to cinders. Still, at the precise moment just before the crack, I saw a flash crossing my lower legs. The Malays would call it 'kilat', as it definitely was not a 'petir'. And neither was it 'The Kilat', a band that rose to fame in the early '70s for winning the 'Juara Kugiran' competition on RTM1.

Anyway, after saying zikr, I later went up soon as the weather permitted, and tried to go online as usual. But woe me, I soon found that the crack I heard was real as was the strike. My faithful modem which had been serving me for almost 3years now, refused to come to life; it, was struck by lightning! Well, power surge via the telephony line actually. Still, it left me dumb struck for 2days.

Looking back, I am off course thankful that it was just the modem. But, it made me wonder: Could not we have a more safer appliance like days of old?

I remember my arwah grandmother had a gramophone which had thick needles that can sew through the tough hides of an ox. Off course, I am exaggerating on that last part, but the point is, it was safe to play even during thunderstorm as it was not electrically operated, rather, hand-cranked. I imagine, many would be suffering stiff shoulders each morning having to crank their modem and PC the previous night just to stay online. As much as I would like to come online anytime irrespective of the weather, alas, I do not think it is a good idea.

Its quite a pity that I have yet to take a picture of the gramophone, which sadly, only the shell remains now. Perhaps, the picture below would have to do for now.

Desaru: The Hunt For Enggang (II)

When MS and I spoke earlier this morning, he mentioned that I ought to take as many shots as possible to familiarise myself with the camera, as well as gain experience on photography techniques, especially since I have had no formal training on the subject. True, and I have been doing as he advised though admittedly, not on daily basis. I also read somewhere, famous people in their respective fields such as Tiger Woods, practice a thousand swings daily just to keep in form and better his play. And as much as I would like to take 1,000 shots a day, I have to keep in mind of my other limitations and responsibilities. However, I did manage to take more than two thousand shots during the 4day stay at Desaru. Of those, only a meagre few are worthy of mention and display. Some of these though, are meant for private use or safekeeping.


From the first morning experience at the beach in Desaru, Aje noted that the sprays of the wave after hitting the rocks on the beach can be quite an awesome sight. Thus, on the second morning, Aje positioned himself behind Emak just to snap pictures of the wave. Though he cannot admit to being successful, he hope the picture here would be able to convey what his eyes and mind perceived; that a wave can be a frightening force and at the same time, a fascinating watch.

As the wave hit the rock, a split second vaccuum is created in the area infront, imprinting an image of a mini amphitheater with the rock itself as the stage as well as backdrop, and Emak as the sole attending fan being entertained to the natural symphony of life beautifully played by the waves, the sand, the rocks, and as the accompaniment to the aria sung by the birds there.

The beach of the resort we stayed were wonderful as was the resort itself. The staff were, expectedly, friendly. What was better though, was the very competitive promotional rates given (only for weekdays and non-holiday periods). However, the rooms we had was rather stuffy perhaps due to lack of use. This, unfortunately, is a prevalent thing with most resorts which are normally out of one's way. The trick here, Aje learnt, is to ask for the upper floor rooms. Somehow, they are in better condition than those on the ground. (pics of sunrise and resort at Resort and Surrounding).

Though the beach at Desaru is great, it does have steep drops at places which can be rather dangerous to unwary waders. Comparatively, the lesser known but no lesser beautiful beaches along the road to Sedili Kecil, are flat and much safer.

Sedili Kecil, the town itself, is a one-street town with only several rows of shops, with the number of chalets and small resorts numbering more. Like many village-town, it is quiet and offer one a true retreat from life. This, is especially true for anglers. When Aje was there, an angler managed to land a 2kg kerapu. Perhaps, the fish farm at the mouth of the river, assisted in more ways than one (more pics at Sedili Kecil).

Undaunted with the non-sighting of the Enggang, Aje made his way around, driving through small roads and even walking into bushes alone; life, after all, is incomplete without an adventure, no matter how small the adventure is. While driving through a little used road which led to a resort already abandoned, Aje noticed a large activity of birds and decided to check it out. As he slowed down the car to a park, a bird (kingfisher?), flew by and perched itself on the branch of a tree directly opposite the road. To climb out with the intention of taking its picture would only scare the bird away, and thus, Aje just snapped away from inside the car. Quite like a safari, huh? (more pics on this at Kingfisher Alley).

With his spirit seesawing between the delight of capturing pictures of colourful birds, and the disappointment at not finding the Enggang, Aje began contemplating driving back. Along the way, he managed to snap several more pictures of a monkey, 'terkukur' bird, a robin, and a Kingfisher of the same colour as the one in Kota Damansara (more pics at Desaru: Misc).


The Sun then begins to drop ever lower as if reflecting Aje's resolve to capture at least on single picture of the Enggang he saw days earlier. The sighting then, was almost magical with the feeling quite like falling in love at first sight. Perhaps, Aje was just not meant to take the picture of the Enggang. Yet, ven as he drove back to the resort, his eyes ran wild, hoping for a last minute miracle. And a miracle it was.

Not 3km away from the resort, a flock of 6 Enggang flew gracefully across the road in front of Aje: it was a sight to behold. Aje parked the car as some of the birds made their way into the thicket. But one, was perched on an outer branch providing Aje with a semi-clear view for several shots. And when 2 more birds came swooping from behind, Aje shot them as well. And though the pictures of the flying Enggang is bad, he nonetheless uploaded it just to share his experience with other bloggers and friends (The Enggang may look small here. But click on the picture - and others - for a larger and clearer view). (More pictures at An Enggang in Desaru).

One would have thought that the new sighting would make Aje elated. Though he is thankful and happy, the white Enggang he saw earlier, was not with this flock.

Returning home to Kota Damansara, Aje searched the Net for articles and pictures of the Enggang and found out that they are not as exotic as he thought they were. And nor are the Enggang an indigenous bird of Borneo only (read here). Another blogger (here), also claims that the species can be found in abundance in Teluk Batik, Perak. That, is quite puzzling as last Aje was there some 3years ago, he does not remember ever seeing one.

All told, Aje also discovered that Enggang comes in a different sizes and hues. Yet, the picture of the white Enggang haunts him. Apart from the eyes which are large, round and mesmerising (to the point they look almost artificial), the white Enggang has a smaller tip at the top of its beak. And now that Aje knows of this comparatively nearer place to look for Enggang, insyAllah, when the chance avail itself, Aje will embark on 'The Hunt for the White Enggang'.

Desaru: The Hunt For Enggang (I)

It was not a planned trip; not the trip that was planned to take place in early May. But alhamdulillah, we were nonetheless happy for it even if it meant that the May trip is now out of the question. The family - those that are here - managed to go for a short break together for the first time in more than 20 years, even though Emi and his family had to cut short the trip on their second night due to health problems. Ironically, the trip was largely sponsored by him.

When Emi asked Aje to drive Emak and Yasmin (Din's wife) to Desaru, it took everyone by surprise. Still, it was an offer not to be refused. Din, who was already there overseeing Emi's project had been there for over 2 weeks. With the works almost completed, Emi wanted to personally see its completion and decided to bring his family along. And as it had been from the past, he takes pride in showing Emak most of his works. Thus there we were; Aje, Emak and Yasmin. (Due to genuine reasons, pictures of Emi's project is not to be displayed).

For Emak, apart from seeing Emi's work, she gets to soak her body in the seawater and sand in a bid to cure her rashes. For Yasmin, well, she gets to be her beloved hubby. That, leaves Aje not knowing what to do there except for the plans he had in mind as mentioned in 'Saddle-sore Aje'. Never in his dreams did he expect to to encounter a sight which left him yearning for more.

The morning after the first night, Aje drove Emak and Yasmin down to the town of Sungai Rengit. Apart from being the southern most town on the Peninsular (and the Asian mainland), the town was supposed to bring back memories of Aje's first visit to the area some 32years ago. Sadly, things have changed quite a bit over the years; the imprinted picture of the estuary no longer exist due to land reclamation works and what remains is a sorry stream that's hardly worth a stopover, what else a picture.

Before going out on his own to capture memories of yesteryears' with his camera, Aje took Emak and Yasmin back to the resort. It was during that drive Aje spotted a huge bird with gleaming white feathers and a beak which distinctly belong to the family of Hornbill birds - Enggang! The Enggang, is a native of Borneo and never did Aje thought of being able to see one here in the Peninsular. With its long tail and and beautiful beak, it is said to be regal for a non-predatory bird. And truly, it was. However, it flew off before Aje could get a shot at it leaving Aje with his mouth gaping.

After leaving Emak and Yasmin at the resort, Aje went off on his own with his mind set to capture at least one picture of the Enggang. Queries with the hotel staff and several locals along the way, Aje headed for several spots which the birds (there is actually a flock of 8) have been seen, beginning with a small river near Sungai Sedili.

After patiently waiting several hours, a fisherman informed Aje that for the 25years he had been living there, he had never seen the bird at all and directed Aje to Kuala Sedili, another river further north, which Aje did. The hours which Aje spent there however, was not wasted as he managed to take a number of pictures of some beautiful Kingfishers such as the one below (more pictures at River Kingfisher).

The wait at the Kuala Sedili proved quite futile for Aje's quest. Yet, Allah s.w.t. being the Most Kind, rewarded Aje with another beautiful sighting, that of an Eagle (more pictures at Desaru Eagle); Aje, however, could not make out the Eagle type.

As the day was getting late, Aje made his way back to the resort filled with his resolve to search for the Enggang.

The next day, with his duties dispensed, Aje headed south, this time along memory lane of where his family once stayed during their vacation some 32years ago. He found the chalets, and the particular one where Aje aggravated his left leg condition with a jump over the railing of the balcony. Serve him right too for trying to show to a pretty young lass there. Wonder though, what has become of her now (more pictures of the area at Beach In Memory).

Yet, for the half of the day Aje spent looking for the Enggang, he could not find any. But in between the search, Aje found several spots of more birds as well as beautiful flowers. One in particular, had Aje amused. The bird (a robin?), had tried to weave a nest at a small branch. Entrhalled, Aje watched the whole process up to the point where the bird, inexperienced at the art perhaps, gave up within less than 30minutes. (More pictures at Weaving Nest).


As for the wild flower below, it caught my attention as it looks quite like a Venus Flytrap (Flowers Desaru 1, Flowers Desaru 2, and Flowers Resort).




To Be Continued (its 3.20am!)

Birdshots

Foremost, do forgive that Aje fella for putting up nothing but pictures he's taken recently. He is, after all, going through a photography craze (kemaruk!). Well, admittedly, he's not talented at all, the poor bloke. But, it does seem to keep him happy.

When I lost the pictures folder yesterday, I thought that was it. Then, I remember having a nephew who is quite an IT wizard (in the making) and asked for his advice. The solution he gave? It was so simple and it made me feel like a fool: All I needed to do was download 'PC Inspector Recovery' from the Net, he said. And with that, I managed to extract quite a number of those pictures with several displayed here, and at Pictures-Only.

Soon after that, and heeding MS's advice, I decided to learn using Picasa and found it truly an amazing software. Its not just that it is able to enhance the images (which I am not too keen about), but it helps to suppress the file size, making uploading of images a breeze. And as for the images I've uploaded today, I admit to using 'sharpen'. 'soften', and 'contrast adjuster', without touching on the other tools available there. Even that, I found the colours, especially for the series of Kingfisher shots, somewhat too rich for my liking. The 2 pictures of the Magpie below, however, seem to pale in comparison.



The Kingfisher (below), was the subject of my stalk for several hours, after having spotted only its blue-colour tail flying into the darkness of the tress of the forest there. After waiting quite a bit and was about to hightail out of the place, a movement caught the corner of my eye and instinctly knew it was the bugger. Alhamdulillah, it was as though I was being rewarded for the patience and managed a series of shots. But he does look kind of odd here, with the head and lower body in brown, and the chest in white.

MS told me of a story of a Singaporean who patiently stalked a bird every weekend for a whole year. Travelling all the way to a point in the Muar River, the man was rewarded for his dilligence, and patience, with the 1st prize in a Sony Nature Shot Competition Worldwide. Well, I do not think I can ever come close to the quality the guy managed, but I can understand and appreciate what he went through. Perhaps, when I gain more knowledge and experience, the reward, will be the picture itself, as I believe it was with that Singaporean. And who knows, the trip to Desaru tomorrow, might just give me more exposures. InsyAllah.

Update 1.09am / 010409: The Desaru trip has been postponed to Thursday morning, leaving me either the morning or afternoon free to snap more pictures at the lake. Boy, I really am 'kemaruk'!

Wild Shots

During my last photo-shoot session at the Taman Rimba of Kota Damansara, I met a gentleman who was cleaning his fishing net at the car park. It may have been a ridiculous idea to think that the man had been netting fish in the lake of the Park, but nonetheless, I did throw the question to him to which he politely deny. Apparently an avid angler (and trawler), he travels quite a lot to rivers and lakes of Selangor and beyond. Then, it was his turn to ask of my presence, noting the camera I was totting. And soon, he was telling me about places which I should go to for better shots of nature, especially birds, such as Tanjung Sepat, Batu Arang, FRIM, Templer's Park, Selangor State Forest Reserve, Batu Dam and quite a number others which I am tempted to go. But for now, till Emak's condition improve to normal, I have to restrict my shots to just within Kota Damansara. Hearing this, he pointed out a section of KD which I was never made aware of; a small natural lake where many more birds and some wildlife still exist. I immediately made my way there, putting on hold my intention of trying to shoot a beautiful Kingfisher I had noticed on previous visits but was too far to capture on film, as well as the thoughts of shooting birds (swifts) skimming the waters of the lake at Taman Rimba. And I was glad I did.

On my first visit, I managed to venture into the interior of the forest surrounding this nameless lake accompanied by several schoolboys whom I met there and who kindly led the way.

I was stunned by the simple beauty of the lake and the natural world there. For the 3 odd years I have been here, I never thought that such a place could exist just on the fringe of a city, and took quite a number of shots as seen in this entry (more are being compiled for later). However today, when I tried to get more shots, the weather was not too permitting.

At past noon, the area was still shrouded with mist due to the long morning downpour. Still, not to be outdone, I waited and was suitably rewarded but not with the picture below.

Looking at the colour of its plumage as well as the long tail, I would swear the bird is a Macaw. But as evident from the shot, it was too far away to make a distinct identification. Off course, not having the much needed telephoto lens which can cost RM7,000, does not help either. This picture of the Macaw is grainy as it had be enlarged several times, unfortunately.

As the Sun was not at its best, I had to adjust the camera setting accordingly resulting in some overexposed shots such as the one of the Toman fish above. This is no fisherman's tale, but the the Toman could have been about twice my arm's length!

And off course, like in many forest, monkeys or apes are bound to be seen such as the baboon above. Perched more like a bird, this baboon looked menacing enough in real life. Much unlike the one below.
If truly the hobby of Sport Fishing and Photography has lots of similarities, then it must be the thrill of the catch (shot) that come one's way after a long wait that top the list. Patience, indeed, has its rewards.

A Walk In The Park

I promised myself not to touch on political matter in this blog, and as best I can, I will live up to it. However, certain things need to be mentioned, but mentioned as a passing statement only.


Hidden in a corner of Kota Damansara, lies a park that may grow into a gem of a large garden, but only if the authorities concerned look well after it, and not let themselves be distracted with any financial gain this parcel of land may be offered for in the future. Though named 'Taman Rimba (something)', the 'rimba' part is slowly fading away already.

Surrounded by hills filled with natural flora and fauna (it was until mid 2007, a forest reserve), its beauty is now being marred with bungalow lots, of which some are of extravagant size. The job of contructing several of these bungalows within the area, has caused some damages already to the stream that flows down one of the hills and into a small lake.

Perhaps once pristine clear, the lake, was once a stopover for migratory birds which include, I was told, a stock of pink-coloured heron. Ever since clearing of the area began some years back, the herons have stopped coming. A sad affair, as it could mean that whatever bio diversity the birds brought along with them in their journey to escape the harsh winter of their origin, has now been put to a stop. The water in the lake is muddy brown and even have hints of rusty-red colour in it, a probable sign of metal poisoning. And this, in an area that was once designated as one of the few remaining water-catchment areas in Selangor, as I was informed by several people there.

Stepping into the park for the very first time, I naturally felt excited for the possibilities of shots to experiment with and gain some experience. But the park, being young, offers little chance for it. Or perhaps, I need much to learn. Apart from a small playground in a corner of the park, the only other sights that really catches the eye the brownish water of the stream, and a bungalow on the top of the small hill of the park itself. From there however, the view must be astounding.

Walking rather aimlessly in search of angles for my shots, I came to realise that except for the occasional shouts and cry of a child (perhaps in the playground), I was about the only human around. And apart from some beautifully coloured birds and swifts, the whole park is empty.

The moment when solitude sank in, had me thinking: Are parks not meant to provide a break from routine life for people and hence, increase their quality of life? Perhaps though, it was the timing of my venture. Later on the way out, I spoke to the security personnel, and was told that the park is normally visited in the late afternoon. If so, then there is still a future for life here.


More picture to be uploaded at Pictures-Only.

Spirit Of The Rain

Before anyone gets the title wrong, no, the word 'spirit' there do not refer to a living entity or deity. Rather, the ambiance. And somehow, I would like to think that many would share my sentiment about rainy days - I find the sound of raindrops as well as the cool air, comforting, especially towards the end part of a heavy rain. But mind you, heavy here does not include storms or anything where the gale touches 20mph or more!

Anyway, I did not get much chance to 'play' with Manan's camera today as it rained for the good part of the afternoon. Stuck in the house, it suddenly dawned on me to try and capture the mood of the day in pictures. And, it began with the picture of the tree below.

Nothing extraordinary about the picture above. But with the rain falling to wash off the dust and what not, the leaves look greener and more beautiful. Still, whether rain or shine, there is beauty everywhere; its just a matter of how one look at it. So, kindly excuse the music in the background ( a cliche as it may be to some).

Surprisingly, for someone who had to restrict this day's 'photography adventure', I found myself taking something like 149 shots on a space that measured something like 24 by 40ft! Off course, many were repetitive shots in either wanting a better angle, or to get as near as the perfect shot as I could. On this blog here, I will be uploading something like 8 of the shots I like best here, while putting several more in Pictures-Only; do have a peek there as well.


When I followed Manan into the camera shop in Subang Jaya, the first question the owner asked me was what kind of shots I like best. I replied nature, naturally, but not necessarily landscape. He then asked, birds or trees. I was stumped momentarily as I thought that the question was getting too scientific for my liking. Still, I replied I like birds.

The reply I gave for the second question was not well thought off, and triggered by what I perceive to be barraging. Now, while I would like to shoot birds on camera, I neither have the experience nor the necessary equipment, bearing in mind that the camera Manan loaned to me was the very basic and nothing more. As for now, my shots will be of trees and plants that strike me, with a landscape shot or two thrown in.

Undeniably, the picture above is not a landscape shot. I mean, stuck on the porch of the house in the middle of a city (fringe, actually) what landscape can I shoot? Fluke shot, actually, what the above is. The larger picture of this shot is at Pictures-Only.

Then, somehow during the course of my shooting session, I changed the camera mode to black and white for a particular shot. Having done that, I totally forgot all about it and just clicked away, resulting in several black and white shots such as the below.


By the time I was done, I felt like a junkie who was high. I might have kept on shooting had Emak not told me the time. Do give your critic without fear or favour. Only then, would I be able to learn and hone whatever skills I have in photography.

What Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Old Flame Rekindled

I was at a friend's place earlier today, having been invited to view his new camera, a Nikon D90, which cost him more than RM10,000 together with a few accessories like 2 lenses and 2 other gadgets which I hardly know they existed prior to this.

Manan, an old primary schoolmate, has retired from the hustle and bustle of city life. Formerly attached to a bank in KL, he went into construction after grabbing the first Voluntary Separation offer that came his way, and laboured for a decade or so before deciding to call it quits, and is now into photography. For someone whose kids are all grown-up and wife still in middle management somewhere, I guess he can take it easy now. In contrast to him, I have not even started! (The family part is). The funny thing is, while my love for photography began at 12 (abandoned at 14), his started only some 3 years back. Back then in primary school when several friends and I pestered a teacher, Mr Tang, who was also the school's official photographer, to start a photography club, Manan opted out, for then, he thought picture taking is a stupid thing altogether and is only meant for sissies. Guess now, he outgrew that thought.

Anyway, the D90 is his 2nd camera with a Canon EOS 1000D being the first. Seeing the latter seem to have fallen out of favour with him, I managed to get him to lend it to me for a couple of days, just to get a feel of it, and found out that there's a mighty big difference between when I was in primary school and now.

Back then, my friends and I had to learn to use the old Yashica (top-view), which had 2 lenses built into it. We also learnt to develop the negatives into film, a process which is now outdated as the camera mentioned itself. But we had fun, both in the darkroom, as well as the camera, and learnt to appreciate certain shots which the technique I scarcely remember now. And when we entered secondary school, everything we learnt during the few short months with Mr Tang, faded away from memory, and in its stead, new adventures and hobbies discovered....till lately, off course. (Now, I would be lying to say that I've not had a camera in between then and now, but they were nothing fancy and were always the auto-focus kind. Then, there was the cheap RM5 Diana camera which is good only for 50shots or so; once used, it becomes disposable, literally).

Back to the present, the camera I am supposed to return in a couple of days time, well, I had some fun with it just now, experimenting with several shots, and off course, dreaming that I can be a good at it. Below, are 2 of the shots.

In this picture, I tried to create an 'aura' of the subject which is actually a pink rose. Shot against the streetlamp at its back, I was hoping that the colour of the flower would come to life. I failed. Evidently, I needed to use a macro lens to focus on the subject, as well as another which would blur out the background. Both, off course, was not loaned to me as they each cost more than the camera itself. Well, perhaps, in the next life I'll get to use the necessary. Till then, I do think this picture - were the equipment available to me - would look equally great in black and white.

With the light at my back thowing shadows of the plant of the same pink rose above on to wall of the mailbox, this was considerably an easy shot (I think), which perhaps, can be better with more knowledge and experience. The picture however, was cropped to the desired view and enlarged, which makes it rather grainy, or noisy, as I think the term or lingo is.

InsyAllah, tomorrow and the day after, I ought to be able to get more fun from this camera. Only that, I'll feel sad to return it back to Manan.