My Friend Terence

I don't shoot portraits too much but those times that I do pull it off reasonably well, it's often because I'm fortunate enough to come across someone who exudes a distinct personality. Among the many Pentax users who attend our monthly photo outings it is always a treat to get to shoot my friend Terence. His unique inner personality always seem to shine through whenever I look through the viewfinder.



The first shot was taken at our January outing at Fort Canning Park. I wanted a high key approach and deliberately exposed for the shadows as he was backlit by the strong morning sun. By deliberately overexposing the camera's suggested meter reading, the idea was to lighten his features which helped to highlight his expressive eyes. Shooting a tricky shot like this, it is essential to shoot in RAW to exploit the maximum dynamic range available from the camera. Used the Pentax FA 135mm telephoto on the K-7 for the shot.



The second shot was taken at our recent February outing in Chinatown. The FA 50mm macro lens that I used allowed a little separation of the subject from the background for this mid body shot. Lighting was pretty even and subdued in the open shade which provide a nice overall tonality. As I typically shoot very quickly, I was fortunate to get the shot by the second frame. Had I deliberated a little longer, the background would have been filled with bystanders exiting from the train station nearby which would have ruined the overall shot. All shots uncropped and post processed in Photoshop CS4.

Kampong Buangkok Pentax Outing Part 3

A few more from the walkabout. All were taken with the K20D. Lens used was the FA 135mm f/2.8 for all shot except for the bicycle seat, which was taken with the FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro.


Swing


Congkak (mancala) board


Leaves in green


Old bike seat


Old bell


Door detail

Kampong Buangkok Pentax Outing Part 1

Our monthly Pentax photographic outings have been a good opportunity to catch up with fellow Pentax users and more importantly the opportunity to take pictures together in a congenial atmosphere.





For our March 2009 meet-up, we took the opportunity to visit probably one of the few remaining Malay villages (kampung) left in Singapore. The rapid pace of urbanization of Singapore means that there are few remaining vestiges of the old left untouched. Kampung Buangkok is just one of those places.





Nestled amidst encroaching apartment blocks and private houses, the location is small by most standards but offers a varied mix of the old and eclectic, a treasure trove of photographic opportunities. We had a good turnout and the pleasant weather made for an enjoyable outing.





I have to say I really liked the shots that I took in the short time we were there. I opted for a prime lens combo of the FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro, FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited and the FA 135mm f/2.8 telephoto. I also brought along as I always do the small DA 21mm f/3.2 Limited but opted not to use it. All in a one of the best outings we've had to date.

Honey Bee Macro

K100D FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro with Pentax Auto Extension Tube K.

IR & Hot Spots

Just a few days ago, I decided to try out a IR filter that I had ordered off the internet from a Chinese seller a while back. At about S$23 inclusive of postage for a 52mm size, I figured it was a small enough amount and I was curious to find out how it would compare with the Hoya R72 filter I already had.



After a visit to a client and having some time available, I decided to drive to the Upper Pierce Reservoir to try out the new filter in combination with my Pentax FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro and Sigma 28mm f/2.8, both sharing a 52mm filter thread.



One thing that I noticed when compared to the Hoya R72 is that the quality isn't half bad. The filter ring is pretty solid and actually heavier than the Hoya and the filter itself is made of glass. Looking through it, it isn't as red as the Hoya and honestly I have no idea whether the markings match the cutoff frequency. Oh well, time to give it a test.



Most of my shots were taken with the 50mm Macro. To my disappointment, the lens exhibited quite a tell tale hot spot when I post processed them later. This is yet another Pentax lens that showed hot spot, the other being the Pentax DA 16-45mm. Fortunately, I also carried an older Sigma 28mm and it helped salvage the session (last three images).



Hot spots become more distinct as the lens is stopped down. This makes it kind of useless when one needs to take scenics where maximum depth-of-field is needed. As for the effect of the made in China filter, it works. Images after a channel swap are quite similar to the Hoya R72 but where the Hoya has more prominent yellow/browns, this one is a little bluer.