The Adventures of Carboman

I've Moved!

2009-10-02T00:50:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone, I've moved this blog over to jamiepang.com, where I've consolidated my 2 running blogs. The new site provides your with more info at one place, and all my past postings can be found there as well. The tags and categories of the blogposts are very extensive over there and you search using the tags. I wanna say thank you for following this humble blog and the new site does allow us to take our relationship to the next level. Don't forget to bookmark jamiepang.com!

Jamie Pang Photography by Jamie Pang is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

In The NST

2009-07-27T22:35:00.003+08:00

My colleague prompted me on this. I'm not sure if many of my running friends buy NST but here it is. You can see that Yuan Yufang seemed to be taunting a certain someone as he tried to keep pace with her! Joking nia! Click on each image to enlarge.

Newton Stability Racer Trialing Run

2009-07-16T09:00:00.000+08:00

The premise of barefoot running being the most efficient form of running is the basis for Newton Running's line of shoes. Incidentally we also tend to run the fastest when we land on our forefoot and toes (observe the next time you're out on your run). Remember the time when you're kicking like crazy towards the finishing line? Newton Running also believe that by landing in the sweet spot - that's the area in the metatarsal region - you also minimize injuries as you cut seconds and minutes off your PRs. Proponents of Pose and Chi Running would agree to that. You can check out the visuals on the optimal running form. The upper of the Stability Racer are like any other performance shoes but what I like was the minimal overlays and sock like feel. Everyone in the trailing group agreed that the fit is superb. They were in various stability and neutral models, while I was the sole (pun intended) runner in the racer. But flip the shoe around and you'll see the key difference - the beefed up forefoot with the red actuator lugs. These lugs are part of Newton’s Action/Reaction Technology. When executing the recommended landing form, the Land-Lever-Lift, the ART is supposed to return energy to your strides. But since the majority of the runners land on their heel rolling forward, changing and adapting to this new concept takes some practice.

In Newton Running's website, to adapt to the Action/Reaction Technology, start with short, slow runs (about a mile or so) a couple times a week for the first two weeks. Focus on good form and gradually increase your time and distance as your body feels ready. As with any sport, too much too fast can cause injury. That's a big disclaimer and in fact a few friends I know who are already forefoot runners also commented that they needed 2 weeks or more to adapt. For heel strikers, I'd put that period longer, to perhaps a month.

I'll share a bit of my experience culled from my short run in the racers last week. As mentioned, the fit was first class, very comfortable. At about 8.8oz for the size 9, the shoes gave me a light and fast feel. The forefoot lugs made for a slightly awkward feel, like wearing a pair of cycling cleats. Your forefoot are slightly raised, think reverse wedge of the typical running shoes. But when you start running, you'll automatically transit to a forefoot form. The running experience felt lighter but since I'm not fit presently, my form deteriorated after the 5K mark of the hilly route. It's noteworthy to point out that once you started running, the unusual mid/outsole configuration didn't feel as awkward. The stability racers have medial posts that extend from the arch area to underneath the metatarsal heads to combat early and late-stage pronation. After periodization in the shoes, I believe doing 15K in them shouldn't be an issue. During the periodization, soreness in the calves and lower legs will be the norm as your muscles re-learn the moves. And since this is a niche product, existing forefoot runners and runners intending to transit to the forefoot running form should be able to benefit from the Newtons. The Newtons come in an eco-friendly packaging as you can see form the picture above. If you're interested, you can check with Choi of CCube Sports Hub or contact him at 019-3289083.

Cold-Storaged

2009-07-15T00:28:00.001+08:00

In the past few months I’ve donated several pairs of shoes to charities. Here are some of them including the total mileage logged in them.

Brooks Axiom 2 - 267K
Not a particularly favourite shoe and retired after spending long periods in the shoe cabinet. The mileage logged in it was way below the expected 600K. Durability was average. I bought it in anticipation of a sponsored entry to run the NYC Marathon is 2007. But as we all know the trip didn’t happen. Yes, I went on my own accord in 2008.

Asics Gel Kayano 12 – 573K
Now this is what I call a good shoe. Purchased at 50% off, this pair saw me returning briefly to asics. Comfortable and plush as a stability trainer it wasn’t light – around 12+ ounces. But I logged some great miles in them. Will be missed.

Nike Vomero 2 – 490K
Didn’t last as long as it should but what a plush model this was. Perhaps the softest shoe I’ve ever worn, I rotated between this pair and the Structure Triax 11 during the early stages of my NYCM training. It was overshadowed by the cushion/stability blend offered by the Lunars and served mostly as a backup pair. In recent months, it developed an irritating squeak which came from the torn heel plug. Handsome and comfortable shoe and will be missed too.

Nike Zoom Elite 3 – 520K
Very durable lightweight stability model. But at 10oz it just barely made it into the performance trainer category. Had some very good times in them and broke a few PRs too. It’s still in a very decent shape but I’m now eager to break into the Elite 4, so this pair has to go. It could’ve been made even better if there were less overlays and wider in the forefoot.

The following are relegated to walking/casual wear duties:
Zoom Victory - too firm and stiff in the heel.
Zoom Start – soft enough for a short run but not stable enough for me.

Still active:
Asics Tri-Foster (which I’ve strangely been wearing for spinning!), Saucony Trigon Guide 5, Nike Lunaracer, Nike LunarTrainer (to be used for shorter runs since it’s approaching the end of its lifespan), Nike Structure Triax 11 (which I need to trash more). Both the LunarGlide and Elite 4 are waiting on the wings.

Nike LunarGlide+ Trialing Run

2009-07-11T23:34:00.002+08:00

I was among the approximately 50 privileged people who were invited by Nike Sales Malaysia to the launch of Nike's latest running shoe in the Lunar lineage - the LunarGlide+, the earlier 2 models being the LunaRacer and Lunar Trainer. As the name suggests, this iteration supports the use of Nike+ gear be it the Sensor with the iPod or Sensor with the Sportband. Among the invitees were models and celebs, triathletes, national athletes, bloggers, serious runners and members of the media. It was great catching up with many of the familiar faces again, including Richard (TimeOut), Niki (Bangsar Boy), Pueh Tian and Frank - all of whom were part of the party down in the Singapore leg of the Human Race. Other running friends - too many to list out - were also there. With the number of active people, the goodies which Nike laid out for us and the M&Ms, bananas, marshmallows and drinks, suffice to say that the energy levels in the Bowerman Room were pretty high.

Chien Yi and Wong Li-Zren (Nike's EKIN) were among those whom I met when I walked into the room and after registration and collecting my press kit and gears, I settled down in the role of a photographer. Afterall, I was trying to build up my experience of shooting with the flash. Back to the shoe.

The most obvious difference you'll notice when you pick up the LunarGlide+ is the increased weight. At 10.6oz for the men's US9, that would be like a brick compared to the sub-6oz of the flyweight racer and the 9oz of the trainer. The reason is obvious. The Glides are meant to cater to a wider spectrum of runners from beginners to the advanced. As a result it also sport a more plush build as well as having durability properties incorporated into its design. Flip the shoe over and you'll see the use of BRS1000 as the heel plug. You'll also see the that the outsole features cut-aways to reduce the weight. Though I don't think it contributed much, the grooves certainly will contribute to greater flexibility. The cutaways reveal the yellow LunarLite foam, which actually sits within the external midsole carrier.

The outsole appears unconventional, a mixture of mini waffle-like patterns. The upper has the usual Nike tech built in such as the Flywire support system and mesh fabrics for breathability. Other than the bold black and orange look, the shoe has minimal overlays, which I favour, regardless of brands and make. Runners who know their shoes would know that Nike incorporate several gender specific models on top of the generic product lineup. You can see the differences between the men and women Vomeros, Pegasus and Structure Triax - all part of the Bowerman Series - but the Glides have much more women specific features to differentiate from the mens. The women's model is lighter as 8.6oz since they averagely weigh lesser than men. Since women's forefoot are broader than men's the Women's Glides have Dynamic Fit Technology built into the medial side of their shoes. Women will also benefit from the Arch Strap (cosmetically similar to Saucony's Arch Lock, but less rigid). The heel counter of the women's model is a 2-part and softer design as opposed to the single cupped approach of the men's model.

The Arch Strap on the women's model

Both the men's and women's LunarGlides are much more padded than their predecessors, the Racer and Trainer. In fact the 3 are different shoes altogether. Perhaps the most important feature to me as part of making the shoe more appealing to the masses would be the Dynamic Support. The Dynamic Support system in the Nike LunarGlide+ midsole is comprised of the aforementioned LunarLite foam core that sits within a firmer foam carriage. The LunarLite foam core is cut to fit into the carriage at an angle creating a deeper cushioned lateral side. The medial side of the Nike LunarGlide+ mid-sole features a rear-foot wedge that has been contoured into the firmer foam carriage which provides stability on an as-needed basis. What this means to the distance runner is that the shoes will provide stability support in the later part of the run when you fatigued. When a runner is tired, it's an established fact that his gait and form can turn pretty inefficient and downright clumsy even. The angled wedge of the shoe's support system will kick in to provide the benefit of added support. See picture below.

This picture of the left shoe shows clearly the higher wedged of the medial foam.

Seamless inner construction will make sockless running a possibility

When I slipped into the shoe, I wasn't impressed with the flat and very firm forefoot. But the thick padding on the shoe's collar and the use of seamless contruction inside the shoe certainly upped the comfort level. Added to the roomier toebox, the fit was much better than that of the Trainer. Nike have obviously took into account the feedback provided by runners. After the briefing by Nike's Marketing Manager, Menaha, and the technical walkthrough by Wong, several personalities came up to talk about their experiences - just to get everyone in the mood for the impending run.

The light drizzle failed to cause much concerns and after taking the group through a short stretching session we were off. The plan was to run 5K but a misdirection saw us doing only close to 2.7K. Throughout the route, I made sure that I ran over different surfaces and the Glides maintained a firm hold on all the wet surfaces. The thing about this shoe is that it will feel bouncy and comfortable when you run in them but very firm when just casually worn. The larger toebox and the padded collar rendered the old problems afflicting the Racer and Trainer obsolete. No noticeable heat buildup in the shoe and it's one that I'll be quite at home up to 21K. Of course this theory will have to be tested during the long runs.

Now which of the Lunars do I like the most? Let's just say that the Racer is still my shoe of choice for key races while the Glides have overtaken the Trainer in terms of a training shoe role. Personally with Injinji socks I've very little problems with blisters when wearing the Racer. In closing I'd like to thank Nike Sales Malaysia and Wong for hosting us - with the latest gear, good food and good company.

Note to Nike: Any plans of including the Lunar Series into the Bowerman line?

Podium Of Infamy

2009-07-07T23:52:00.002+08:00

After the fiasco that was the StanChart KL Marathon, runners in this country were once again slapped in the face by appalling race management. Read the comments on the recent Ipoh "International" Run here and here.

It's general knowledge now that the organizers of the KL Marathon bungled in the bib distribution, timing (a recent case surfaced on the 3rd Malaysian women finisher who looked deceptively dry and inappropriately dressed - perchance a local Rosie Ruiz?), and so on and so forth. Now we have another group of organizers to join Octagon on the Podium of Infamy.

I won't mince my words below but things have gotten so bad that it warrants a strong message.

Some race organizers have proven year after year that they have no intention of improving. We as operators of our blogs reserve the right to ascertain which event we want to feature. The event owners aren't paying us anyway. Previously we’re just doing the runners and organizers a favour by including their races in our blog calendars. But if their races suck we shouldn’t continue to “help” these organizers. Instead we should mark them down as black-listed races – call the category “Proven Disorganized Races”. If we continue to help provide free advertising for these scumbags, we’re just condoning bad events and putting our fellow runners and friends - or worst, inexperienced beginners - at risk. So we bloggers should act responsibly NOT to feature such races in future. We should also be aware of the possibility that unless we start boycotting these lousy events, organizers will continue to set up events as a way to suck up to the politicians who arrive late in their tracksuits. All at the runners’ expense. Are you still willing to be used as pawns?

I've time and again warned organizers who seek to put together races without much thought of the responsibility it comes with, that the success and failure of the race will be shouted across the blogs. And lately we've seen 2 classic examples of failures being lambasted by many.

Let this be a warning to future organizers. We runners have had enough of self-serving and irresponsible event management. And the voice of discontent will reach a crescendo if such feedback go unheeded.

Through The Lens

2009-06-08T00:29:00.002+08:00

So that I don't dilute this blog with my present diversion, I started a new blog called "Through The Lens". Since TTL is already taken up, I'd no choice but to settle for a less impactful URL. If you like what you see there, I hope you'll bookmark it.

I'm not a technically sound photographer, in fact you'll probably see plenty of mistakes in my shots. So there will be no dishing out of any photo tips in the new blog. I'm not vain enough to pretend that I know a lot, certainly not as much as running, so I'll just shoot and post the interesting stuff I see. This new blog will complement my online gallery at SmugMug.

What happens then to The Adventures of Carboman? Well, it'll go on, as with this blog when I return next year. There will be sporadic updates for sure. Simply put, I'm merely expanding my field of vision. So when you see me, there's even more to talk about now - running and photography.

Tamron Photography Workshop Group Photo

2009-05-06T22:39:00.004+08:00

The big participation in the recent KL edition of the Tamron photography Workshop held at The Gallery Central Market. Photo taken with a wide angle lens of course. Spot me!

I'm On SmugMug

2009-05-04T23:30:00.001+08:00

I’ve been a user of Flickr, Yahoo Photos, Photobucket and Facebook photo albums for awhile. Yahoo Photos have since been absorbed into Flickr, while I found Photobucket rather slow and I wasn’t taken by it. Facebook while excellent for mass “display”, auto-compress the images down to smaller size. That’s understandable since Facebook is probably the largest social networking site out there and storage and speed are going to be an issue if no compression are performed. Then there was Picasa but somehow I never checked it out. All the above are viable options for the casual photographer but when I went down the “dark side” of photography, there was really no going back – I needed more. Disk space was being gobbled up quicker than you munching on your favourite keropok, what with each image averaging 3MB.

I wanted a reliable photo hosting site that offers their customers great flexibility, scalability, ease of use and fast. Having a nice interface would be great too as it enhances the viewers experience. I considered going with the subscription-based Flickr account for awhile, because of its huge community. But one of the podcasts out there highly recommended SmugMug. To cut to the chase, I was hooked. It certainly has to be the best looking site out there and they’ve plug-ins to many of the popular photo editing software in the market which allows you to upload directly (or Export) from say Photoshop or Aperture. No such software? Then use their Drag and Drop Uploader. Best of all, even the basic account doesn’t limit you to storage space. They accept and display your photos as you want them to in various sizes, allow your “fans” to download their favourite shots, provide a Control Panel to monitor your traffic and other stats, ability to control your albums’ privacy and more. Once you decide to take the next step and upgrade your site to a Pro account, a humongous level of customization is made available such as eCommerce, inserting your own banner among other neat features.

Lest you think the basic account is expensive, let me say that I paid less than RM140 per year, after using a discount voucher. If you’re a shooter like me and are also looking to having a great presentation that does justice to your photos, I highly recommend SmugMug with no hesitation to you.

You can also enjoy the savings I did by entering my email (runcarbomanrun@gmail.com) and coupon code (ReWTeg2ry0Zak) in the “Referred by” field on the signup page. Just entering these 2 details will get you USD5 off your subscription.

Oh yeah, please visit my Galleries at http://jamiepang.smugmug.com and leave your comments and votes there. If you’re a shooter, you’ll be interested to know the EXIF data of each shot – you can do that by moving your cursor over the image and select “Photo Info”. Then you’ll be able to tell me where I went wrong.

Tamron’s Lifestyle and Snap Shot Photography Workshop

2009-05-01T00:00:00.001+08:00

And so I attended my first ever photography workshop. When most, if not all, the ones out there charge hundreds of Ringgit, Tamron’s Lifestyle and Snap Shot (sic) Photography Workshop held last Sunday the 26th at the Central Market’s Galleria set me back just RM20, with breakfast and lunch provided. And if I’m a user of Tamron’s lenses, it would have been free!

For such a great deal, I ventured into the part of the city that I don’t usually go – not only parking is very expensive, the area in general reminds one of a flea market and very chaotic. All of which makes the area a great shooting scene. I’m not generalizing here but with 80% of the people hanging out in this part of town one has to exercise some caution and be alert. I spotted a patrol car parked by the roadside and with a hundred shooters clad in black Tamron tees descending down on block, we had safety in numbers. I hope I didn’t come across as depicting that area as being crime infested!

The talk started with an introduction to Tamron’s range of APS and full-frame lenses before the mike was passed on to Mr Foo Kok Kin. I can’t admit that I’m familiar with the name but his face was familiar to me. Over 60 but with an amazing eye – obviously since he mentioned he’d been shooting when he was 12! – for story telling through the lens, he came across immediately as a humble person. Calling us “friends”, this sifu from Ipoh said that he hopes to learn as much from us as we from him. From the sharing of his shots, I can safely say that his strongest and most impactful shots are streets followed by landscape and portraits. After being exposed to such inspiring personality and bagful of advice to always make a photo generate a “mood” and tell a story, we couldn’t wait to head out and start shooting. To incentivize the participants, the top 3 shots selected will win the shooters prizes. There were no particular theme. Mr Foo said to just go out and shoot. ‘Think and open your eyes,’ he said. I was glad I carried the lenses that do best for street – the zoom and wide angle.

The sun was bearing down and I was glad to have brought my cap out. I brought back 125 shots in 90 minutes and the one I submitted was the one below. I waited for 10 minutes before getting it done. Obviously I didn’t have a telepathic link with the bird. Back at the Gallery, all shots were projected for critique and Mr Foo commented that my compo was good but since he had to exercise stricter judging, my shot didn’t have the impact compared to many which were really good. I agree. I also wasn't too impressed with the IQ of the shot.

I came away with a greater sense of understanding in the criteria for “making the shot”. I’m glad to plucked up courage to approach street vendors for permission to shoot. The reception I got ranged from enthusiasm to nonchalance.

Here’s my submission. I wanted to capture the beautiful clouds and yet get the buildings in. So using the UWA, I took about 10 shots while waiting for the bird or birds to fly by. I wanted the buildings to frame their flight. Dang birds – I waited under the hot sun sharing up just waiting, waiting… Some flew too high to make an impact on the shot. But then photography also teaches patience doesn’t it? The winning shot was achieved after 30 minutes of waiting, so my 10 paled in comparison.

For more of the street shots, visit my online gallery.

Electcoms Tour of Malaysia

2009-04-27T23:55:00.003+08:00

Not wanting to pay for the expensive parking in front of the Central Market, I opted for the shadier location behind the courthouse. Being free of charge made this a simple choice. Except my plans for a quick exit from downtown KL following the Tamron Workshop - more of that in my upcoming post - was derailed by the Electcoms Tour of Malaysia happening in the same area. That meant road closures for the duration of the 14-lap (I think) race. By the time I got to my car, it was 3:45pm and the rain put paid to the smooth running of the biking event. The already uneven tiled streets surrounding the courthouse were waterlogged and not quite safe. The conditions already claimed a few casualties. With 11 more laps to go, I perhaps selfishly prayed that the rains continued so that the race was abandoned or for the sun to quickly reappear from behind the clouds so that the event can get going. Well, the sun prevailed, which in hindsight allowed me to shoot some biking action. So for the price of a downtown drive, I’d attended a photography workshop and a chance to shoot some serious action. Not bad!

Prior to this, I’d no experience with capturing the biking action, so I had no expectations with regards to the results I was going to get. Even so I had some opinions of action shots:
1) The action must not be completely frozen – there must be movement, and impression of furious action
2) It’s OK to saturate the shots – in-camera or PP – to bring the subject out
3) Bold and dramatic is good
4) Gritty is acceptable if only to get the lowdown of the action.
5) 200mm is barely adequate, but my 200mm wasn’t the shortest one out there yesterday.

Some of the shots I reeled in surprised even myself. The “warp speed” effect was achieved by shooting bursts while pulling the zoom in or out. PP were on the saturation, a bit of the curves and in some shots I cropped to cut out the distractions. I’d wanted to avoid manipulating the curves but I had some trouble with the sun on one side and the ominous dark clouds on the other, which messed up the exposure a little. On some shots, I purposely slowed the shutter down to 1/40 to push the blur up to the point of movement of colours yet retain a semblance of form. Many of the ones uploaded look similar. That's because I want to refer to the very subtle differences in each frame. More for self reference than anything. I agree, however, that for portfolio building, one should just display the best few.

I regret not having more chance to catch the BMX stunt riders on the field due to the threat of rain – that would’ve made some pretty dramatic shots. Head on to my online gallery to take a look.

Carbokid 1 Turns 6

2009-04-22T20:28:00.000+08:00

Carbokid 1 was born in Penang via C-Section on Apr 22rd 2003. At 4.3kgs (9lbs 3ozs), he was the largest baby to be born in the Adventist Hospital in a long while. Looking at all his photos brought back so many memories only parents can feel. He brought us much joy (even winning RM100 prize in a Cadbury contest). Though he sometimes grates on our nerves, as most kids do when they grow up, I believe he's here to teach my wife and I as much as he is put here to learn from us. So Happy Birthday C1, Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

3rd month

1 year old. With maternal grandma and great grandma.

28th month. A-Famosa zoo.

29th month. Too abstract for me.

3 years old at the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park.

1st day heading to his pre-school.

With C2 who was just a couple of weeks old then.

Before they learned how to fight.

Pleased As Punch

2009-04-20T23:23:00.003+08:00

A colleague went about the office instigating several non-runners and not-so-frequent exercisers to sign up for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon (the 10K category) and to my astonishment, nearly all of them went online and registered on the spot, hoping to enjoy the final day of early bird entry. I had told them that should they sign up, I'll commit to train them. In the end I had to honour my end of the bargain and charged RM40 - certainly one of the most expensive fees I've ever paid for a 10K - to my credit card.

Today was the first day of training and there was a 50% turnout, which was good to me. I knew that they would arrive late, so I'd gone ahead with my workout. All of us had to get back to the office after the run - our project is still running mind you. So the faster we got things done, the quicker we can return to work, not that we love the office.

My personal plan was to knock off 5K, 4 laps around the KLCC Park. And my message to the guys was just do 2 laps - 2.6K. Run or walk, just complete it comfortably. And they did! I won't change the menu just yet and will let them stick with 2 laps 2 to 3 times a week.

Had a great time catching up with Ajeep too, who had been long absent from the running scene. All in all, a very good outing. I'm just going to follow the development of the Boston Marathon online just for a little while longer before hitting the sack.

Photo Essay: BHP Orange Run '09

2009-04-12T23:50:00.006+08:00

My goal to run this morning's race was weak even though I like this race quite a bit. Besides being a free event hosted by the petroleum company BHP, the post-race festivities was quite good - a just reward after tearing through a hilly course. Since I wanted to get my feet wet with a sports shoot in preparation for next month's NB 15K, this was the only chance to test some ideas out.

I wanted to balance the typical posed shots with some which are usually not seen on the blogs and the results for the most part were OK to me. I carried just 2 lenses - the Sigma 18-200 and the highly rated and very fast Tokina 11-16mm wide angle. I'll put some links on this on my next post.

A mistake was lugging the pods. I'd feared that weak light will hamper the starting shots. But the comments of seasoned shooter, Chan Wing Kai turned out true. It was bright enough and after meeting the guys for a brief chitchat, I quickly returned the pods to the car. Lesson learned: You need to be very mobile out in the field especially when covering a sports event. So let's not wait any longer and proceed with some of the resulting shots. Click on any to enlarge.

Emerging from The Curve carpark, I saw this interesting shot. The parallel lines on the road, the lightening sky and the silhouette of the 2 girls.

I like these 2 shots. In fact I shot in bursts in this sequence. I kept the runner in white cap as the subject as there were no human obstruction surrounding him and his gear provided good contrast. Well-built too I must say. Daniel Tan is on the right in yellow.

I shot close to 10 frames in this angle and this is the best. I just wanted to catch the interesting shoes and this green/black adidas provided it providing strong contrast to the desaturated surroundings.

The lead pack was simply awesome. Made me want to join in! The eventual winner on the extreme left looked very relaxed. Shahrudin is the one in vermillon vest. If you want to know one of the secrets of running fast, see the 2nd shot. Notice the legs and form. All demonstrates the strong push-off, no energy wasting "sitting" position and long strides made possible by high knee lifts and high kick backs.

I like this shot as the yellow and red garbed runner stood out against the "typical" dull colours. I isolated just the legs as I felt that including the faces and upper bodies will dilute the shot. I wanted to focus on the contrast. I was on both knees for many shots in this stretch of the route.

A mildly successful shot. I'd wanted to catch long shadows and it wasn't easy as I was shooting into the sun.

Focus on the cop and blur out the runners.

Again, a very low shot and the result was quite surprising. I didn't notice the girl on the left and it turned out very well - she was smiling and in focus. The timekeepers on the right provided an interesting sub-topic while anticipating the return of the men's champion.

The run-in. You gotta be sure-footed as you wouldn't want to slip on the tiles storming towards the finish line.

A mountain of nasi lemak awaits

This uncle was nice enough to wait for my shot before covering the large container of teh tarik

The volunteers getting ready for the onslaught of finishers

I didn't know there are non-alcoholic versions of Kampai. Told you this run was happening!

He wasn't the champion but I like this shot of Shahrudin kicking to the finish

Michelle Tan who is training to qualify for the SEA Games moments after crossing the line. Her face said it all. And she lays it on the line at every race she enters. Talk about grit.

I shot this sweet girl so many times I felt like a stalker! Actually I was fighting the lens flare. The sunlight was creeping into the lens on the top left corner and only a crop took it off. She gave me 3 packets of the snack as I think she was eager to see me off! Bug off photographer man! Heheh!

Large, Medium, Small and Small

Not quite the Paris sidewalk cafe but the tables were well spaced out.

Runners coming in. Notice how sunny and hot it was.

Other than the building corridors, this small stretch after the finish line was the shadiest spot in the Piazza.

An overall view of the Piazza. From this angle it seemed to be nestled in between 2 building and an oasis. Wait, it is! Well, not the oasis bit.

That's it folks. A little debut photo essay. Your comments are most welcomed. I gotta hit the sack as it's been a loooong day.

PC Fair

2009-04-11T00:04:00.005+08:00

Traffic was naturally horrendous on Fridays, made worse by the rain.

Traffic snarl whether you looked left or right. No escaping.

Spotted this nice position.

This quaint plant was just outside the side entrance to the hip Traders Hotel.

Nice lighting set up over the Samsung booths

Not as crowded as I expected. Probably they were delayed by the rain.

The crazy section of the expo where you had to play Clint Eastwood or Sondra Locke running the Gauntlet through in the silver bus. Only this time instead of cops, you'll be harrassed by the telcos.

Gotta Fix Them Leaners

2009-04-09T23:41:00.002+08:00

You’ll notice that my shots of the twin towers were plagued by the phenomenon called distorted perspective (or something like that). That’s when the top of the buildings lean much like a certain tower in Pisa. This problem will crop up when shooting tall structures. Squat short structures will not suffer that much from the effect. Dave Johnson of PCWorld describes it clearly here.

If like me you don’t have the costly Tilt-Shift lens, then your salvation lies in getting the software to correct the issue for you. When you’ve interest in historical buildings and architecture, you’ll need any help you can get. Bless digital photography!

After some trial and error, I corrected the shots I made last night and the result's what you see above. Some useful guides and tutorials here: http://www.photoshopbox.com/photo-retouch/fix-perspective.html http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=579968 http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/10.0/help.html?content=WSF65FB40F-00F5-445a-BD9A-38B3737A9A19.html

Redux

2009-04-07T23:58:00.003+08:00

Aperture Priority, 1/5 sec, f5.6 @ 63mm ISO 1250

Aperture Priority, Shutter speed 1/4 sec, f4.6 @ 28mm, ISO 400

Shutter Priority, 1/5 sec, f4.0 @ 21mm, ISO 400

Can you see the difference a solid platform provides? My previous post showed a handheld shot without PP and above are shots I made a few hours ago also without PP. Click on the photos to enlarge. The only difference was the 40 was sitting on 2 Italians, I mean a tripod and ballhead, both Italian-made. Individually, the ‘pod and head can kill a person when swung. Together, they provide some upper body workout.

Changed into my decommissioned 2120s and a t-shirt, I waited for sundown before heading out. I’d planned my “shooting tour” the day before and was a bit upset that the vendor didn’t deliver the RC2 head as promised yesterday. After pestering the fella 4 times today I finally laid my hands on the thing. In case you’re wondering, I opted for Manfrotto. Other brands that were in the shops I checked simply didn’t cut it. Playing with the other makes didn’t give me the confidence to attach my 40 to them. But with the Mannys, you feel the difference the moment you lay your hands on them – the build is typical Italian. While I can’t afford an Italian-made car, I’ll settle for their mid-range support system! I felt the pinch but it was a necessary “burn” if I wanted some decent shots and not waste my time committing basic mistakes. After all, unlike the camera, this equipment is for life. And I want to get on to the "serious" shots quickly.

Prior to my purchase, I searched the web and came across this review - http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7063 . This shooter’s set up is coincidentally exactly the one I have (the 40D) and was eyeing (the best-selling 055XPROB tripod and the 488RC2 ballhead)! You’ve to check his review out – not because he covered my gear but because I felt that’s how gear reviews should be done – with lots of pictures. I felt that he saved me some money as I had considered the Velbon, which isn’t really in the affordable range anyway. If I'd gotten the Velbon just because I wanted to save some cash, I might have regretted it. With photography, you’d want to get the gear that you’ll be satisfied using, and not having to change anytime soon. You wouldn't want to find out just a month after your purchase that the item just couldn't perform. Might as well get a good one from the start. My gear is just in the midrange. What's important for me is to have a reasonably good platform to start the learning process. There are potentially many other brands and make out there that have more value for money or performs better. So be sure to expand your search if you’re in the market.

As usual comments and critique are most welcome.

Why The Tripod Is A Necessity

2009-04-06T23:15:00.003+08:00

This shot shows why a tripod is necessary. When you look at this shot, you know what I was trying to achieve but several things were wrong:
1) Disastrous lens flare from the street lights. I had my hood attached to the 18-200mm but it was impossible to avoid it unless I moved further up from my shooting location. I didn't have time and since it was just a learning excursion, I left it at that.

2) It wasn't sharp. But of course! But if I had my tripod with me, I could've used a slightly smaller aperture for a longer exposure. That would've made a tremendous difference. I now understand why pros lug their 'pods even for day shoots.

The short outing today was supposed to be one which I wanted to put the Manfrottos to good use. But the RC2 head's delivery didn't happen and the 055XPROB had nothing to be mated with. But tomorrow is when I hope to lay my hands on them and I've already got some plans for the Mannys! Heheh...

Lunchtime Shoot

2009-04-03T00:14:00.003+08:00

Like I said in the previous post, I detoured to the neighbouring temple to try out some shots. Here are just 2 of them. Bottomline: I need to get a good pair of legs - I mean tripod. A good compo counts for nothing if the shots are blurry. For the 1st shot, I focused on the 2nd image from the left and blurred the rest. Click to enlarge.

My Diversion

2009-04-01T00:08:00.004+08:00

I'd better learn to keep my mouth shut! I thought having the hawks circling will send the rodents scurrying off to their burrows earlier than usual but I was proven wrong. No critter gave a hoot. Today was the second consecutive day I left the office at 10pm. No shit. I told my wife that for the sake of the kids we must leave by 7pm tomorrow. See I didn't learn my lesson and just committed the sin again. Damn. Ever since the arrival of the 40D, I've had quite a few of photo ops. Since this is really a learning phase, I carried it along to a company function this afternoon. It took place in an auditorium and that gave me the chance to test out some learnings such as shooting under dimmed lights. Some shots worked and many didn't. No matter, it's all about learning the controls.

Tomorrow (sigh, it's now past 12, so it's technically today) I'll be heading to the Chinese temple just 2 doors away from my office. The temple has quite a number of ornate carvings and though it doesn't retain the rustic look due to the number of rich patrons on its roster, there are still some possibilities for interesting shots. Hope I'll be able to spot them.

Last weekend was a visit to the world's largest free-flying bird park (that's what it says on the banner, though I've no way nor need to verify it), the KL Bird Park. Brought the 2 kids along and they had a reasonably good time. Shot close to 200 frames and will post some up when I've the time to properly review them. This diversion isn't really out of character for me. I've always been inclined towards the arts, having sold off a couple of drawings in my early to mid-twenties. I made that sound like it was long ago. Actually it was! My "specialty" was colonial and heritage buildings in technical pen. I still keep a few framed up and there was also a large oil pastel piece which is among my favourites. Drawings and paintings are no longer possible at least for now as they take too long. Photography provides quicker gratification for my need to offset the numbness of work.

Peering through the viewfinder, studying and composing the shots slows things down and calms me. When you slow down, things become clearer. You're able to play the role of an effective observer of the goings on around you. And hopefully at that precise moment capture and preserve a second of the life of the subject. I'm not sure which area of photography I'm most likely to find my niche. As I've said, I'm learning the skill-set necessary to dig deeper. And for that I can't choose. I need to be with the masses. And that means shooting closeups of flowers, insects, corny V-flashing folks (I never understood the need to flash a V), my kids, buildings, shot-to-death superstructures and inside auditoriums. If becoming a good lensman requires building the skills to recognize and respond to a particular situation by shooting everything, I'll do just that. But sidewalk photography like Dave Beckerman's amazing works appeals very much to me. To achieve that, the shooter has to blend himself in to the extent that he appears invisible (like the juxtaposition?) to the subject, and thus allowing the subject's true nature to surface. All very Zen like I admit but that's how I see it.

Equipment, other than the basic implements is really secondary to me. I've no brand affinity - probably because my budget dictates that. Before settling on the 40D, I'd wanted the D300. It started with my ex-colleague's D100, then D200 and I was hooked to the build and handling of the Nikons. But I never got to owning any of them. And so I settled for the (very) good Powershot S3 which is an amazing point-and-shoot with good IQ (image quality), excellent video capability and stereo sound recording no less. It was small, light and toy-ish, and a Canon. Granted its capabilities very rather limited as can be expected. I like the results of the Canon but my mind still wasn't settled because I was unimpressed with the 450D. Holding it didn't give me the "at-home" feeling. But the 50D was a different animal altogether. To cut a long story short, I settled for the 40 due to the price factor, the marginal increase of the 50D's capabilities over the 40, and my believe that we should always buy smart.

Only a few days of toying with it did I realize that the 40 is actually my 3rd Canon. The very first being the Prima 115 bought in 1998 at the Commonwealth Games Expo!

You Fight This Damn Thing, Ngae!

2009-03-30T23:02:00.002+08:00

In my books, there’s no stronger ox of a man than Ngae K.H. What else can you call a man who has completed a number of Ironmans, who considers it “only normal” (in the most humbling manner) to bike 300K and run a 10K race the next day before biking back the way he came? It is unlikely if you’re a weekend warrior or a triathlete not to know Ngae. He's also one who possesses a quick wit and self deprecating humour. One whom I remember launched into a dance routine after the same 10K by the beach. Conqueror of Marathon des Sables while raising thousands for charity. A runner who runs barefoot most of the time and in the rare occasion he was seen in a pair of shoes, the rubbers were the RM40 cheapo “village adidas”. Always ready with words of encouragement to us mortals and armed with a hearty laugh. I happen to also suspect his skeletal structure is made of steel (or Adamantium?). And today I learnt that he’s in post-op ICU following a brain surgery to remove a tumour. It suddenly made me feel very very mortal. If a superhuman like Ngae can be floored by this, I don’t know what to call it, thing, who am I? Ngae is now the 2nd friend in my running circle to have this disease. The running community lost a comrade-in-arms Terence in 2007. I may have just rediscovered my motivation.

Now if any of his attitude is to go by, we know he's going to recover and be very well planning his next ultra race or some daredevil exploits. So let's give him our encouragement and. More updates on Simon's site.

Top photo: Look at Ngae – all ripped! Photo from Simon's blog.

Getting-To-Know-You Shots

2009-03-28T23:36:00.007+08:00

By that title I meant my relationship with the 40D, which I'm loving more by the day. To all the photography sifus out there, your feedback and comments are most welcomed - thanks! Since I've yet to get my tripod, these were all handheld shots. Click to enlarge the photos.

If Scott Jurek Is Doing It, So Can I!

2009-03-23T23:24:00.001+08:00

OK, except I do it for much longer. From his blog, Scott Jurek takes a 4 to 6-week break from running at the end of every season. That’s a complete break – no running. The distances this hardcore fella - a strict vegan - covers in record times over the years are out of this world. It makes sense that the reason for his longevity in his game be attributed to his ability to take time off. During what he calls his “hibernation”, he does a bit of cross training and enjoys life outside running. He found that the Kenyans too follow the downtime principles which he recaps as:

1. Take a hibernation break at the end of every season.
2. During the break, run as few steps as possible.
3. Eat well and don’t be afraid to put on a few pounds.
4. Make time for friends, family, and life outside of running.
5. Hibernate four to eight weeks or until fully recharged!

Now, I’m not a pro athlete like Jurek. I’ve got a crazy fulltime job going and managing a family life. So while my current hibernation is not in weeks but months, I’ll still have my cameo appearances to do at some low and short distance races. Granted, I’m already supremely unfit but I noticed that whenever I return to “active duty” following a long sabbatical, my performances are at a new higher level. Since I don’t want to sound like a broken record of talking again about my being away from the running scene, this post is just to remind one and all that it’s perfectly all right to take a break.

BTW if you don’t know who Scott Jurek is, check out his website or his blog.

Shooting

2009-03-22T23:57:00.005+08:00

We took Friday off from work to bring the kids out, it being the school holidays. I'd wanted to head down to Melaka but my wife has this inexplicable need to pay a visit to a certain Mr Lim's legacy to the country. I've always been the heritage person and cutting down the mountain isn't quite the heritage I think I'd leave the future generations, gamblers or not. Anyway, what's a husband to do lest risk a cold shoulder. Give in loh! Managed to give the baby a quick run as you can see from the shots below.

Then just this morning, Sim and I headed to the Putrajaya International Balloon Fiesta. I'd prepared for a sunny morning - we reached there at 7:10am - but the hundreds of Nikon, Canon, Sony and Olympus-toting folks and their cameraphone-clutching brethren - were instead gifted with a grey and utterly flat sky. Cool enough for the many kiddos and their parents to enjoy the outdoors minus the scorching sun, but it was a bane for me at least. With landscape photography, you can minimise the sky but the subject of the day was balloons, so how could be not include the sky? But that wasn't for us to complain. Just make do.

The organizers could've done a better job as the announcements to photographers that the gates were open were not heard and by the time I saw many shutter happy folks inside the pen, it was too late. They'd closed the gate and I was forced to shoot from outside. Sim was resourceful enough to get in. It was nevertheless a good outing for me as I took the chance to pump Sim with lots of questions. Incidentally, the Nescafe balloon was the last to launch which wasn't a good sign since the tagline printed on its nylons was "Become A Morning Person". Obviously the caffeine wasn't strong enough in this one.

Standard Chartered KL Marathon Official Launch

2009-03-12T23:11:00.002+08:00

Press Release

Dear Runners

Octagon, a division of CMGRP (M) Sdn. Bhd and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad are pleased to commence the official registration and website for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009, the biggest and most rewarding marathon to hit Malaysia.

To commemorate the start of the registration tomorrow, we are having some activities in KL to kick off the registration. We would like to invite you to come over to Pavilion KL to join in on the festivities. Lucky runners who sign up tomorrow at Pavilion KL will stand a chance to win thumb drives, free registration and a grand prize of 2 VIP Access Passes to attend the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 (great gift for your friends and family).

When ? 10.00am to 1.00pm on 13 March 2009 (Friday)
Where ? Espressamente Illy Café
Lot 310, Level 3, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur (facing Bintang Walk)

Or if you’re unable to come over to Pavilion KL, no worries. Just log on to www.kl-marathon.com from tomorrow onwards to register! Also, tomorrow we will be sending you the official press release announcing the start of registration to post on your blog.

If you need more info about what is happening tomorrow, please do not hesitate to contact:
Weber Shandwick Malaysia, at 03-7843 3100, or;

Alina Morais amorais@webershandwick.com (017 323 3078 / 03 7843 3125)
Norhayati Malek nmalek@webershandwick.com (012 713 2770 / 03 7843 3129)
Marc Ng marc5133@yahoo.com (019 3196032)

Thanks
Alina

Alina Morais
Consultant
Weber Shandwick
www.webershandwick.com