Hexagon Bokeh

A shot of reflections off the sea with the K20D and DA 50-200mm with a Hoya colour polarizing filter. The specular highlights from the waves plus six sided aperture blades combine to create an interplay of interesting patterns.

Personal favs

Just two images converted to black and white from my Pulau Ubin trip that I like a lot. A study in symmetry and simplicty.


*ist DL2 DA 18-55mm II


K20D DA 50-200mm

Pulau Ubin IR Images

Here's a series of IR image that was taken with my *istDL2 infrared modified camera during the Pentax outing to Pulau Ubin. It was a pretty hot day, which was physically sapping on the body but perfect conditions for IR shooting. Used the DA 18-55mm II for all the shots.





We went about by foot and came across this calm pond. Just a perfect and tranquil scene.
Plenty of coconuts too... as well as the friendly dogs that shadowed us most of the way.



A sweaty 30 minute walk from the ferry jetty and we reached Chek Jawa, a natural protected wetland. Definitely a must see when on the island.





Some solitary trees amidst the flat scene...

Pentax Outing to Pulau Ubin

The Pentax group decided to shoot at a small island on the eastern tip of Singapore called Pulau Ubin. The outing provided a very welcome change of scenery from the hustle and bustle urban jungle of the city to actual rustic kampung houses, unspoilt tropical vegetation, beaches and wetlands.





It was a very warm and humid day and the bright sun and plenty of walking made for a good physical workout for the group. Nonetheless there were photographic opportunites aplenty and I managed to get some very nice shots of animals, plants, general landscapes plus IR images too.

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 2

A continuation of the earlier post of our March 2009 Pentax meet-up. One of the endearing hallmarks of the kampung (Malay village) are the animals that are kept as family pets.





I was fortunate enough to come across some of the lovely cats around the homes. The miniature rooster is no bigger than the size of a soccer ball. All were shot with the K20D with the fast focusing FA 135mm f/2.8 telephoto.

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.

Horse - Camera Raw Processing

With a slew of Adobe products available to photographers, many have gravitated towards using Lightroom to manage their photo collections and to develop them non-destructively. While Lightroom 2 is really a worthwhile and excellent upgrade, it seems that using Adobe Bridge in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Camera Raw 5.3 seems redundant.



Well I have to say using ACR is now a breeze and actually capable of quite dramatic results on its own. The beauty of ACR is that adjustments and refinements made are non-destructive with plenty of options for effect. Here I took inspiration from the Lord of the Rings to try to depict a horse post processed as dark and evil versus good and light. Taken with a K100D with the superb Voigtlander 125mm Apo-Lanthar Macro.