The 28mm Lens

My Galaxy S3 generally takes very decent pictures in good light. Its lens is 28mm equivalent, about the length of most pancake lenses for CSC and such wide angle is great for small gathering and some street photography, not to mention that its small size is really perfect to be paired to a compact camera body. Isn’t that after all the whole point of a mirrorless camera? 

So when I went out for breakfast on Saturday morning, I did so with the intention of catching a few pictures with my mobile phone. With my P510, I have the luxury of keeping a comfortable distant thanks to the camera’s extensive zoom but I find myself shying away from the very people whose photos I took. Using the camera on my phone forced me to get closer to them. It isn’t so bad as most of the people in the Taman Megah wet market are too busy pay any attention to me. 

 The bird flying into the frame of this picture is really just a lucky coincidence.

 I passed by this wet market so often but I've never step into it before. It turns out to be very clean and well ventilated. 

We were Created to Work

I was looking for a place to sit in a crowded kopitiam when I spotted an elderly aunty sitting by herself.  Gotten her permission to sit with her, I asked if she recognised me. She was an elderly lady who used to frequent the food stall my father runs with me as his helper. Reminding her of that, she not only remembers my father and I but also my name and my sister’s name. 

Wow! I reckoned she is at least in her mid-seventies now and I haven’t seen her for at least 6 years. She may speak slowly but that’s just her gentle nature. Her mind is apparently still sharp as ever. And when she walked away after her breakfast, she still has very steady steps. I attributed this strength to the simple fact that she is still active and moving about, taking an active role in looking after her family welfare.

Looking back almost to the beginning of time, when God created Adam and Eve, and they resided in the paradise on earth, they were never expected to do nothing and just eat sweet delicious fruits all day. Instead they were expected to tend the Garden of Eden. We are never created to be idle. Work we must and blessed we should feel for the works that come our way. 

Who wants to sit on the couches all days doing nothing anyway, even if we deserve that every once in a while? So thank God for work, even if I have to wake up early in the morning, brave the inevitable city jam and come home feeling tired from work because it pays the bill, fills my day and let me meet old friends and make new ones. Because the alternative of work would be unbearingly unfulfilling loaf. Amen.

FRIM Walk

I haven’t gone hiking in a while and so, I’m glad that I took a short trip through FRIM Kepong on Saturday. I have my P510 with me but the focus was more on the walk. Still, I did took a few shots.

 I should do this more often, and can definitely use the exercise.

Street Photography 05/11/2013

I did return to the wet market in PJ Old Town for some street photography. It was still my Nikon P510 that accompanied me but the important thing is that I enjoyed myself. I actually walked away with quite a few photos that I’m happy with considering that I am quite new to this. 

Some people may say that portrait is not street photography but hey, these are pigeon’s. Beside who can blame someone holding a 1000mm focal point lens to keep looking for birds to shoot at?

I also practiced a bit of panning shot. Little problem with getting picture of clear subject (although not pin sharp) against blurred background but the blur didn’t quite managed to convey speed. I have to admit though… that those traffic isn’t moving so fast.

 

I've dialed in a -2 to compensate for the long exposure in the panning shot (it was a sunny morning) when this elderly man rode by. I quickly took a shot and it turned out too dark. I can only brighten it up in GIMP but already too much detail is lost in the shadow.

My regret that day isn’t that I don’t have an expensive system camera with me but that I couldn’t spend more time shooting as I already had an appointment. I suddenly recall a scene in Prometheus, where the captain of the ship sang, ”If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you are with.”

I guess that applied to camera too.

The Wet Market

I was running some errands in PJ Old Town and ended up in the wet market there. Took a quick picture there and realised the place has quite the potential as a street photography venue.

I am definitely going back there. The only question that remains perhaps is whether I will be bringing my current Nikon P510 or the brand new camera I’ve been eyeing.