Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
surfers
I frequent Maroubra beach because Pawpaw loves the surf there. I've tried on a few occasions to capture some great surf action while lazing on the beach but this is the best I could get thus far with my 90-300mm lens. Gotta try harder and also to get a better vantage point.
a stroll along henley marine drive
In a bid to resume some sort of exercise regime after years of inactivity, I woke bright and early on a Saturday morning at the start of spring to join the boys for a relaxing walk along Henley Marine Drive in Drummoyne, hoping to gradually increase the pace to a slow jog after a few such sessions. As I expected the elderlies' pace to be rather slow, I lugged my entire camera gear along hoping to get some good snaps. Below are a few of my favourites from that short photowalk, one of which was a result of extremely great timing - the water polo's anguish at missing a shot. All the other pics can be viewed here.
june iphoneography
He just wants to lock you away.
I left my lips behind.
Seeking refuge in the shadows.
my next new toy will be a pen
I see more and more friends around me flaunting their new GFs (I'm talking about the Panasonic Lumix GF series of cameras here) around and after seeing all their sample pictures and having a recent discussion with a colleague's husband on the micro four thirds system (a mirrorless interchangeable lens system created by Olympus and Panasonic that gave rise to a whole new phenomenon of pocket-sized dSLR-type cameras), I'm truly impressed, and itching to get my hands on one too.
I devoted my Queen's Birthday public holiday to researching on this technology and comparing the Lumix series with the PEN series from Olympus. Well, since I already own 2 compact digicams, a dSLR, an analogue SLR, an analogue Diana F+, an iPhone camera, and up to very recently a Polaroid camera, the gadget specs become secondary to its aesthetics in my quest to add another expensive toy to the ever growing wishlist. Olympus wins hands down for me as in addition to having comparable photo quality to those taken with the GF, its vast range of retro-looking accessories I can get to dress my next new PEN toy with left me drooling with desire. I'm a sucker for retro stuff. I mean, just look at the line-up below! They all look so cool!
So I have about slightly less than half a year left to save up for this big buy to stuff into my own Christmas sock.
vivid sydney 2011
Vivid Sydney is now on until 13 June. I remember I enjoyed snapping away in the cold in 2009 but missed the event in 2010. This year, I lugged my own equipment - a brand new tripod making its debut for this festival and my old but faithful dSLR - instead of the borrowed gear I had to make do with two years ago.
I don't remember these skycrapers being lit up in 2009 but I may have been distracted by the other lightings back then.
This light sculpture named Jellight depicts three giant floating jellyfish and is the creation of a multinational team of lighting designers and architects from France, Australia and Singapore. It is the largest light installation that greeted me when I arrived at Circular Quay.
These trees have been there for like forever and have been part of Vivid Sydney since its inception.
And of course, the highlight is the colourful projections of 3D images onto the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House. It was a bit more difficult to capture the illuminations on the sails this year because each set of images changes too rapidly and partly because the water traffic right in front of the Opera House was exceptionally heavy that all the pretty light reflections on the water was disrupted all night long. My long exposure on the camera ended up just showing a bright glare where the lights fall onto, losing all the intricate designs. And the streaks and breaks in the water from the boats that were zipping past every few minutes just added to my frustration. Below are the only nice shots I deem acceptable for public viewing that I managed to capture due to a combination of a lot of patience, some luck and a little bit of good timing.
As it got later into the night, approaching midnight, people started to make their way home.
a day in istanbul...
... and I got...
... a peek of their streets...
The roads - always full of cars.
The trams - always coming and going, with people packed in them like sardines.
The parks and squares where people gather at all times of the day.
... a taste of their national drinks...
Sweet tea - plain, apple, rose, cinnamon; you name it, you have it. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, locals and foreigners alike, drinks TEA everywhere!!!
Turkish coffee to wake up you with its bitter grainy coffee powder taste or pomegranate / orange juice for a dose of extreme sourness to perk you up.
Too bitter or too sour? There's plenty of sugar cubes to go around.
... a glimpse of their religious devoutness...
A place for performing the Wudu (the act of cleaning oneself with water in preparation for a prayer) before entering the mosque proper.
Sultanahmet Mosque (more popularly known as the Blue Mosque) seen from both the inside and outside.
Facing the Qiblah.
... to behold the awe of their ancient yet majestic architecture...
Both inside and outside the Sultanahmet Mosque.
Ruins within the Topkapi Palace.
A run-down toilet in a once magnificent palace.
A ceiling with gold trimmings vs one of simple stone.
... to cross paths with other visitors from foreign lands...
The shuffling of feet everywhere; tourists rushing to cover as much ground as possible within the stipulated time frame in the itinerary, sometimes they step onto areas not meant to be accessed.
A bunch of local students on a school excursion has the same curiosity as a foreign tourist.
A travelling photographer beholding his fellow tourists visiting the Haghia Sophia.
... to immerse in the locals' way of life...
A romantic afternoon for these lovebirds by the Baths of Roxelana.
The friendliest barista I have ever met preparing my Turkish coffee.
Morning peak hour rush - some make urgent business calls, some read the paper at a leisurely pace.
Most would go to extreme heights to restore their faith.
Feeding oneself by feeding the birds around.
A pigeon lady's life can be very colourful too.
...and of course, not to mention, my silent exchanges with the furry residents of the city.
Istanbul is a city to love, be loved and to fall in love in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
