FREEZE! AND I'LL SHOOT!

To Munich-Prague-Salzburg on a 1-Camera-1-Lens Combination

2015-06-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

One work trip to Munich, followed by my wife's arrival for a short trip to Prague-Salzburg-Munich. As usual, for any overseas trip, I always have the dilemma of what camera, what lens and what film to bring. Mamiya 6, Bessa R4M or Leica M6? Or should I travel light with my Ricoh Gr1s, Olympus XA, or Ricoh Autohalf SL? 35mm or 120? So after some pondering, the Mamiya 6 won the race! I checked my stock of 120 films and found that I have quite a number of ISO100 films in the fridge. Hoping for good weather, I brought my Provia 100, Velvia 100 slides together with several Portra 160 and 400, Ektar 100 and 2 rolls of Neopan Acros 100. No digital camera except for my SJCAM WIFI action video camera with me for the wide angle shots and videos.

Mamiya 6 + 75mm f/3.5 lens

I was worried that the 75mm lens might be too tight for some situations, but I think I managed alright. I do wished I had the 50mm for church interior shots as the churches were too spectacular and huge!

The Provia 100 turns out a winner in all my rolls of 120 films, with rich colors and slightly better dynamics than the Velvia 100. The Velvia is not so forgiving if your meter is slightly off, but the Provia can be pushed a little to reveal more details.

One surprise was the Rollei CR200 slide films. I ask Yiu Yiu to help me secure 2 rolls from Dot-well in Hong Kong, not knowing the characteristics of the film. After development and scanning, I realized the Rollei CR200 films gave a very warm, vintage look, which made the old buildings and monuments even older. The film dynamics is also pretty good, revealing more details than the Velvia 100. Do take a look for yourself and see if you like this film for vintage/old stuff to photograph. Do note that all images are straight scans from the scanner with no PP done, except for spotting. Colors are retained as per how the scanner scans it.

Rollei CR200 Slides

The Velvia 100 is not too forgiving. If you underexpose a little, it may be hard to push the details out in PP afterwards. Probably would be stocking up on Velvia 100 anymore after my last roll.

Velvia 100

As usual, the Portra never fail to be versatile. The colors rendered are perfect and comfortable to my eyes. Even if I tried to push a little in PP, details are still there to be revealed. I have both the ISO 160 and 400 during the trip, so I am never short of options for indoor or cloudy situations.

Portra 400

Portra 160

I only recently got into Ektar 100 films after seeing the film coming back into prominence. The film grains are very fine and I can blow these images to humongous sizes for prints if I want to. The colors, at least for me, seem very close to the Portra. Hence, I may stock these up if Portra reaches insane prices. Portra prices in Singapore have been creeping upwards and also getting harder to get. So Ektar may be my next best option.

Ektar 100

So in conclusion, I managed to survive on a 1-camera-1-lens combination for trips. I may stick to this format of travel photography as I do not have to grapple between 35mm and 120 film formats or switching cameras for difference focal lengths. I can enjoy more of the trip and scenery and loved one with only 1 camera in hand.

Perhaps you can also try the 1-camera-1-lens combination for your next trip and let me know what you think of it.

Mamiya 6 | Film Camera Review

2014-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been doing interviews and camera reviews for the Film Shooters Collective, so that explains my absence from my blog for some time.

I realized I enjoy writing and giving my opinions and comments. Yes, people may disagree with some of my points, but this is the way life goes. There are bound to be agreements and disagreements. Nothing is perfect. As long as I stand by my point and open to discussions, I feel we can have a fruitful continuation.

My latest review is one of my favorite cameras, the Mamiya 6 rangefinder camera with 75mm f/3.5 lens. How does it perform and handle? Do check out my review on the Mamiya 6 here and let me know what you think.

If you are a film or analog camera lover, feel free to drop by our website or FaceBook.

Leica M6 TTL or Voigtlander Bessa R4M?

2014-02-16T16:14:00.001-08:00

Have you been in a dilemma where you are considering a Leica or Voigtlander rangefinder? I found myself at this cross junction when I first got into rangefinder cameras. I bought my first rangefinder, a Voigtlander Bessa R4M with Color Skopar 21mm f/4 4 years ago and have been enjoying it. However, if you are into rangefinder, you would have heard of the ultimo brand called Leica. So last year, I decided to see what is so attractive about Leica rangefinder. I went online to search for a comparison for the Voigtlander and Leica systems. However, I managed to find only 1 review doing mainly technical specification comparison. For me, I wanted a more user-experience type of comparison, not the technical spec which I can find readily online.

To put everything short, I managed to score myself a black paint Leica M6 TTL 0.85 ICS version from Hong Kong to see for myself the differences. After using both cameras extensively, I decided to come up with a review to compare the experience of using both cameras. The review I did was posted on Film Shooters Collective so that my fellow film enthusiasts can share. Do help to share this review so that others like me who are deciding between the 2 systems can make an informed choice. So here is the review! You can also click on the image below to enter the site.

Why I Love Film

2014-01-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

With the popularity and convenience of digital cameras, it is no wonder why I am often asked why I am still using film. No, this is not to start a war of Film vs Digital, which is already aplenty on the Internet. I am just sharing my love for film.

#1. Film slows me down.
Using a film camera, I learn to treasure every shot because each roll of film only gives you 24 or 36 exposures. Every shot counts (and costs as well!!!), so I only take photos that I have a feel for. Learning to compose the shot, set your aperture for that depth of field, adjust the shutter speed just makes me love the process of making an image through my own work.

Standing birds

#2. Film looks different.
Film looks different. You will hear this over and over again from any film lover. To me, a film image just has this "organic", "raw" feel to it. Yes, call me old school. That is what I am. I love old stuff because they mean so much to me. I was looking through my old photos (I'm not old!) when I was searching for photos for my wedding montage, I realized I love those faded photos. Brings back memories. Tons of them. I can still remember 75% of the scene at the time when the photos were taken. Moreover, each different film has their own characteristic. For example, Portra 400 (one of my favorites!), is a very well-balanced film for portraits with extremely fine grains. The colors are very neutral and pleasing to the eyes. Agfa films tend to have higher contrast, so I love them with Lomo cameras!

Running man

#3. White balance? What's that?
Do I have to worry about white balance? I don't, with film. I just pop my film into the camera, wind it, adjust the ISO dial (sometimes I don't even have to do that, like my GR1s) and off I go shooting. No need to change white balance every time I go somewhere with a different lighting.

Tough life

#4. Film keeps me focused.
I don't have to check the back of my LCD screen for every shot I take. I simply compose, adjust my shutter speed, press the shutter release and off I go. Even if the first shot wasn't ideal, my vision is still with the scene that I took earlier. So if I see a better opportunity for a better shot, I can rewind my film advance lever and shoot again in the next second. No time or opportunity wasted looking at LCD screen.

I keep you sheltered

#5. What's that smell?
Yes, film smells. But to me, it smells good. Like coffee. I immediately know the smell of film when I smell one (no, I don't go around smelling film). The smell of film is attributed to the silver halide emulsion. The emulsion is a mixture of silver and halogen (bromide, iodine or chlorine) held together by electrical attraction. Alright, enough of the technical stuff. In short, I just love the smell of films!

Untitled

#6. I love film cameras!
I cannot deny the fact that I love film cameras. These cameras are built to last. Go to any flea market and you will still be able to find a couple of film cameras that still work, albeit the poor storage/maintenance condition. But they can still shoot! For example, I managed to score a rare black Canonet QL17 GIII for AUD$80! It wasn't in the best of condition and I had to send it for repair and some makeup to get it up and running. Once it recovered, it took some of the best black and white shots! I managed to save up for a limited edition Leica M6 TTL ICS, 0.85x body for a good price from Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment from Hong Kong in December 2013! Having owned a Voigtlander Bessa R4M, I finally realized what people meant by the "buttery-smooth" operation of a Leica. Not that the R4M is no good. Both cameras just feel different. Nonetheless, both bodies are to stay since the R4M offers a viewfinder meant for wide angle lenses.

Marina Bay Sands

#7. I love film community!

As some of you may know, I am a member of the Film Shooters Collective, a collection of film shooters from all over the globe. We have very active interactions on our FaceBook page, with tips and tricks and also advise and questions for sharing purpose. Last year, we tinkered on the idea of a photobook and together with some awesome film lovers, our book NSEW is finally launched! Do head over to the link to my blog post on this or HERE to order your copy to show your support! I have had my fair share of being helped and also helping others in this film community which I really appreciate. I have tried my hands in the digital community but have not received such warm reception. In my opinion (you can have yours but I stand by mine), film shooters are more willing to share and care.

Duplicate

There you have it! My several reasons why I love films! More to come if I can think of more...

Hong Kong 2013

2014-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcome to 2014! 2013 has been a roller coaster ride for me. I hope this year will be a better year for me in terms of having more time to shoot film, which is something that I really enjoy. I will probably put up a post soon on why I love film, inspired by what Ray Toei has been putting up on his Facebook.

I was in Hong Kong in December 2013 to attend my uncle's wedding. Had the chance to shoot this vibrant city on film and also went to a famed film store in Tsim Sha Tsui to stock up on film. There is this tiny store called Dot-Well Photo Workshop that has some interesting films as well as 2nd hand cameras. Bought some Cinestill films that are receiving very good reviews, as well as some rolled Ektarchrome slides, Maco Eagle 400 Surveillance films, Adox Color Implosion 100 films and Fujifilm Natura 1600 films. The highlight of the trip, I scored myself a Leica M6 TTL Black Paint ICS, 0.85x body! Thanks to Gilbert from Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment!

Film stash from Dot-well

Leica M6 TTL Black Paint ICS, 0.85x

Limited edition of 200 only!

Love the metal film advance lever and black frame dial!

Shot a roll of Cinestill film on my M6 and a Leica Summitar 50/2 lens. I love the colors of the film. It gives just that tinge of retro, old feel, but not too overly strong. Grain is very smooth (from what I can see). Here are 2 shots from the roll that I shot. Most of it were of my uncle's wedding, so will not be posting them.

Cinestill 800

Most of the other film shots were shot with my trusty Ricoh GR1s. I was selling it, but have received low offers which I cannot justify the sale. Hence, I have been shooting more with it and I am growing to love this camera. Hence, I am withdrawing sale and keeping this little gem. Popped a few rolls into the camera and off I go shooting, point and shoot style!

Kodak Gold 400 film

Fujifilm Pro 400H

Macau, St Paul's Cathedral Ruins

At Tai'O, an island 1 hour away from Hong Kong

An old, expired 200 film at Tai'O

I love Hong Kong for its very contrasting experience. On Hong Kong island, you have a busy, vibrant and bustling city. Off shore, you have islands like Tai'O that retains its heritage as a fishing village which is quiet, tranquil and slow paced. Moreover, the film photography scene there is so vibrant! Everywhere you go, you will bound to see some old film/camera stores. What I really love about such stores is that they can develop your films in about an hour! Talk about instant photography! I am definitely going to try their development when I am there next time!

NSEW

2013-12-26T18:10:00.001-08:00

As you all may know, I am a member of the Film Shooters Collective, a collaboration group of film lovers from all over the globe.

We all came up with a book idea and it was settled as NSEW, depicting the different directions we are located in, north, south, east and west of the world. After a year of tinkering, revision and editing by the hardworking team headed by Cameron Kline, the book is finally ready!

Do head over to the link at http://www.blurb.com/b/4960308-nsew to order your copy to show your support! I will be placing my order soon, so let me know if you are in Singapore and keen to own a copy. I can order and deliver to you. Do use the code SAVING15% for 15% savings during your checkout!

Impossible Project: Instant Lab Mini Review

2013-08-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Finally received my Impossible Project Instant Lab last weekend while I was away in Bangkok. Really thrilled to see it after months of placing my order on Kickstarter. As it was a Kickstarter campaign, I got to have my choice of word inscribed on it and as you can guess, I chose my nick 'kaxdd'. Hopefully I can be famous one day and have this as a sought-after item! Hahaha! OK, please allow me that little bit of space for daydreaming.

Alrighty! Here's the package with 2 packs of PX 680 Color Protection films.

After removing the plastic wrapper and the outer sleeve, a cool matte black box with raised IMPOSSIBLE lettering greets me. The box is of a very good quality cupboard and has a very good solid feel to my fingers.

Upon removing the lid, this is the view that I saw. Very sexy black Instant Lab! Can see my nick on the bottom left corner. The cradle holds a iPhone 4, 4S and 5. Underneath the cover reveals a lens that is used to focus the image from the phone onto the film.

The inner compartment contains the charger that is used to charger the Instant Lab (which means it probably doesn't utilize the battery in the film pack). It also houses a Instant Lab photo-book that welcomes me! Below the photo-book lies a pouch that can be used to hold the Instant Lab. Thin layer of cloth. Would have prefer a thicker, velvety or suede-like matter to really protect the Instant Lab from bumps and scratches.

Really to load my film! The phone cradle must be pulled upwards. After which, push a slider on the front of the Instant Lab to open the compartment to put in the film. After putting the film in, you would need to download the Impossible Project app from iTunes for it to project the image onto the film. There is a tutorial in the app to show you how to operate it. Basically you put in the film, close the shutter slide (push in the metal slider), load the app and select the photo to transfer, flip the phone screen into the tower, wait for the LED flash to light up, pull out the shutter slide and wait for the flash light to disappear. After that, eject the film by pressing and holding the eject button for about 1 second. Then voila! Film will be in your hand!

Load the app and follow the instructions

Pull out the shutter slide when the LED flash is lit

Close the shutter slide and eject the film

Moment of truth! Here is a comparison of the iPhone image as seen on the phone and the image created on the film. You can see that it has a sepia tone to the images and also, the images are a bit blurry. My missus doesn't really like the blurry effect. But I think that it was pretty decent. But considering the cost of the Impossible films, I can see where my missus is coming from. Further down will be direct scan of the films from my Epson V600 scanner. 300 DPI scan. You judge for yourself on the quality. I am pretty pleased with it. ^__^

Conclusion: The Instant Lab is fun to play with and has a good quality feel to it. I am now looking forward to a cradle that can house other phone types as I am currently using a Samsung Note 2.

Mamiya 6

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Got myself an excellent condition Mamiya 6 medium format rangefinder camera at a bargain! Totally loving it for its image quality and handling! So far, I think it has the sharpest lens in my entire collection (OK, I know my collection is not a lot...).

One thing I have to get used to is the 6x6 format. I have been shooting 35mm film and I am used to the 1/3 rule. I'm not saying this can't be applied to a 6x6, but some times it just doesn't work. I'm loving this camera! The film advance lever is very smooth and the shutter is very very very silent thanks to its leaf shutter. Plus, it has a Aperture Priority mode, which suits me totally! I mean, I can do manual but if given the choice to use Aperture mode, why not?

Below are some of the shots taken with slides (Kodak Ektachrome 100S and Fuji Provia 400X).

Film Shooters Collective

2013-03-06T05:01:00.001-08:00

Recently, I saw this page Film Shooters Collective asking for submissions of film photographs. Being an amateur film shooter, I thought I'll just send in some of my shots to be part of this community. So I submitted a few, with this being my favourite:

Little did I know that I will be accepted as a member and administrator of this page! I was featured with my own page and introduction. How cool was that! For me, this is something I am proud of (OK, may not be a big deal but for me, I feel honored!). I was given administrator rights on its Facebook page, so I am free to post more photos and do some form of editing.

Film Shooters Collective is created by Cameron Kline with the vision to promote film shooting and also to gather more like-minded film shooters to come and share our works. If you are a film shooter and would like to contribute and share your work, feel free to pop over to our Facebook page and rop us some photos. Please follow the format of | <gears used + Film> | <name and your homepage> | Standing birds | GR1s + Portra 160 | <a href="http://kaxdd.blogspot.sg">kaxdd</a> <a imageanchor="1" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8eoBJY5tpm5ftmyNJmzMf7pQdx8RRBpWl6n6iCIDmF3gwGyUs400vceHqGSJKkRzDoEQzhyphenhyphen1yZQhvbdXr90tP9zwyEEvxn3_9Nkpxpzw9AjBhgX0WWhs3UbERU1KF9bUnYIJqo1_Bl_5/s1600/img552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> So feel free to come onboard this huge family and start contributing! You won't know what you're going to get, such as collaborations, more viewerships and invites (maybe?).

Doomsday for Instagram?

2012-12-18T22:23:00.001-08:00

Instagram has made an announcement that made many Instagrammers fuming mad. Three months after Instagram has been bought over by Facebook, the first announcement sure made heads turned. The new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service will be effective as of 16th January 2013, so we still have some time to see what they are going to do.

Credits to Mr. Aik Beng Chia for this image

Personally, I feel violated (in terms of intellectual property) by Instagram's announcement. In short, what bother me are as follow:

1. Instagram does not claim ownership of any Content that you post on or through the Service. Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the Content that you post on or through the Service, except that you can control who can view certain of your Content and activities on the Service as described in the Service's Privacy Policy, available here: http://instagram.com/legal/privacy/

In short, what I understand from this point is that Instagram can use my images (yes, I know my images may not be used) without them paying me in terms of credits/monetary values since Instagram will have the license to use my images.

2. To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.

Instagram gets paid for using my images, but back to Point 1, I will not be paid or credited.

3. You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.

What?! You're such a huge company and you may not always identify such services, content and communications?!!

4. ...you agree to pay for all royalties, fees, and any other monies owed by reason of Content you post on or through the Service

You mean I still have to pay Instagram?!!!

5. You (and also any third party for whom you operate an account or activity on the Service) agree to defend (at Instagram's request), indemnify and hold the Instagram Parties harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with any of the following (including as a result of your direct activities on the Service or those conducted on your behalf)

So if my images are used and Instagram is paid and I am not, I still have to defend Instagram as harmless from and against any claims, damages, losses and liabilities?

I am no attorney/lawyer and my interpretations may be wrong, but this is just way too ridiculous, Instagram! You use my images, you get paid for it and yet I have to pay and defend you in any cases without any form of credit/reimbursement to me! This is worse than being a whore! At least they get paid.

I'm waiting out to see what other bullshits Instagram/Facebook is/are coming up. They just released a clarification/apology earlier this morning (Singapore time) to say they won't sell our images. I'm skeptical. In this post, they said that they're sorry and they will remove the 'language' that confuses users. What I understand from this is that they are only removing the language, not the content. Hence, I suspect that they may come up with a more confusing 'language' that mask the earlier intent.

As such, I will not be posting any new images onto Instagram until they sort out this crap they created together with Facebook.

In the meantime, I have signed up EyeEm. You can look me up at the same nick or by my name . I may go onto Flickr, depending on how easy it is to sign up. I previously had one with a Yahoo account, but I am more into Google. See if they accept Gmail account as the registering email since in the past, only Yahoo user can use Flickr.

Instant Photo is NOT Polaroid!!!

2012-12-16T07:21:00.002-08:00

It irks me to hear people saying how they love their Polaroids when I realised that they are referring to their Fujifilm Instax cameras and films.

Comparison of the sizes of the different formats: Top left - Impossible Project film taken in 2010. Top right - Original 600 film taken in 2009. Middle left - Fuji FP-3000 peel apart film. Middle right - Fuji FP-100C peel apart film. Bottom - Instax mini film.

To set the record straight, Polaroid Corporation is a company that started in 1937 by this great man named Edwin H. Land. One of the reasons why he started the idea of instant photography is because his daughter asked him why she could not see the photo he had taken of her immediately. So he had this vision of coming up with a camera that can instantly print your images onto something you can hold in your hand. And so he came up with a foldable single lens reflex (SLR) known as the SX-70. That is the pinnacle of Polaroid in the 1970s when instant photography took off and bloomed.

In 2008, Polaroid Corporation announced the the end of analog instant films. With that, Florian Kaps and Andre Bosman (both former employees in Polaroid Corporation) announced the The Impossible Project in 2009 to reignite instant films for the Polaroid cameras. In 2010, The Impossible Project team came up with 2 monochromatic films that are compatible with the SX-70 and 600 cameras. They have since went on to release color films and are in the midst of perfecting the stability and colors of the films, with the latest being PX70 (for SX-70) and PX680 (for 600 cameras). The results look good and I will be awaiting their review before I plunged into them again.

Original Polaroid 600 films taken in 2009 which retain their color VERY WELL! Taken with a Polaroid 636 Closeup camera.

Besides Polaroid, Fujifilm has also dwell into the market of instant photography, named the Instax series. They were marketed since the late 1990s and are based upon the improvements Kodak made to Polaroid's instant films. From 2008 until the announcement of The Impossible Project, Fujifilm was the only integral instant film company.

First few batches of Impossible Project films taken in 2010 with a SX-70 which have uneven emulsion and strange color hue (top left) and badly faded colors (top right).

There you have it. The difference between Instax, Polaroid and instant photography. I mean, I can understand that Polaroid was famous for instant photography in the past, but they have forsaken their roots and went the digital way. Fujifilm Instax and FP series have received rave in recent years due to their color stability of the film and their production of various models of instant cameras.

Instax mini films by Fujifilm which has excellent colors and stability. Photo taken 2011.

So please ! STOP ! referring Instax films as Polaroids and vice versa! They are different! Don't make yourself appear like a noob by saying that. I have had friends who bought Instax cameras and told me they bought a new Polaroid. I was expecting a SX-70 or Land cameras but they told me they bought a Mini 7s. (-__-!!!) So please don't make a fool of yourself and start using the right terminology.

!!! INSTANT PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT POLAROID !!!

Japan Camera Hunter Film Case!

2012-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Recently, I saw on Japan Camera Hunter (JCH) website that he has collaborated with a manufacturer to re-make the film cases that Fujifilm has discontinued. I created a mass order on Clubsnap and received pretty good responses. So I went on to make the order and await the arrival of these new cases.

They arrived safely!

I have 2 of the Fujifilm cases and will be making a comparison against the new JCH. This is in no way to say that either one is bad. Just a comparison which we all humans like to make. But I do applaud Bellamy (JCH) for making the effort to ensure that film history do not go down without a fight. Really appreciate it!

Pardon the low quality picture as I took them with my iPhone 4. They were taken in a bid to quickly send the pictures to the CSers who joined the mass order. They have been eagerly waiting for it, so I thought I should quench some of their "eagerness" with these photos.

First, I will talk about the dimension. The dimensions for both Fuji and JCH cases are very very very similar. One case can hold 10 35mm films. The Fuji case is more rounded at the corner for a smoother ergonomics while the JCH case is slightly more angular but nonetheless still rounded.

Top profile. Please pardon my little camera stickers on the Fuji case. ^__^

Side profile

Bottom profile

Second, the color. The Fuji case is dark grey with marbling effect while the JCH case is a plain light grey. I personally prefer the marbling effect of the Fuji case, but I have seen on JCH website that the next batch of cases he is coming up with might have different colors. I am looking forward to that! I would love to have a transparent one!

Finally, I will be touching a little on the quality of the case. I am no expert on material, so the comparison is based on my "feel" and "comfort". The JCH case feels sturdier and slightly hardier than the Fuji case. Tapping on the JCH case gives a more solid sound than the Fuji one, which sounds a little "plasticky". I tried to look for a weighing scale at home to try to weigh the difference between the two, but it seems that I do not know where the ladies at home place the scale. Nonetheless, the JCH won in this category of quality.

Inside profile

Underside of the lid

Now that I have completed a mini review, it's time to vote! Hmmm... It's a tough choice. I love the color, marbling effects and the roundness of the corners of the Fuji case. On the other hand, the JCH case seems like a more "quality" case due to its harider material (I could be wrong on this, so please don't quote me!).

*drums roll* I'll gladly take both! Hahaha! Both cases have their pros and it's really hard for me to decide a winner. There is no clear cut distinction in which is more superior, so it is up to individual preference to decide. Since I have both, I'll just keep them for my own use! Lastly, I would like to thank Bellamy from JCH who made time in the midst of his busy schedule to do the packing and shipping and also conceptualizing the revival of the film case. Thanks a million! ^__^

Follow me on Instagram!

2012-10-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have been a follower of Instagram since early last year when I got my iPhone 4. Since then, I have amassed about 800 photos, mainly shot using my iPhone 4 and edited with Snapseed and Squaready. Every since Instagram removed the black and white filter, I have been using Snapseed to create my black and white images. Below are some of my images and if my images are of interest to you, do follow me @kaxdd on Instagram!

Isolated

Cross legs

I do not have a particular genre of photography, although I do tend to try to be a street photography snapping people in their most natural form. I also shoot people and things around me, so you do get to see a wide spectrum of photography from me.

When I'm on my desktop, I use Webstagram to view my feed. There could be other desktop viewers, but Webstagram does the job for me. So I'm sticking to it. Below are some of my shots, so feel free to comment. And if my photos appeal to you, do follow me at Instagram @kaxdd.

Technology on the go

Peep

Moon, North Star and Kings Canyon

Shooting star I am not

Silly four on top of Ayers Rock

A 3,200km Journey! - Part IV

2012-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Next morning after our Ayers Rock climb, we went for the 9.6km base rim walk around Ayers Rock. The walk will display different sites for gathering and hunting of the old Aborigines. The walk was pretty easy, except for the fact that there are no toilets around and the site is sacred! So we cannot pee as we like!

The morning sun rise was spectacular! It was like the clouds were being toasted golden brown and crispy on the underside. In Singapore, you seldom get very distinct clouds. Mainly all clustered together into fluffy lump of cloud. So I was really absorbed in by this awesome sight. Along Ayers Rock, we got to see original paintings done by the Aborigines that were preserved on the rock surface.

Very huge cave-in for the Aborigines to hide from the elements

Need some snacks to get us going

The erosion on the left looks like a skull viewed from the side

Looks like an alien with opened mouth and eyes

Alien's mouth

After the Ayers Rock base rim walk, we returned to the campervan for our lunch. Chef Arfann has agreed to cook lunch for us, so we can only eagerly await lunch to fill our empty stomachs.

Indomie~

After lunch, we head over to Kata Tjuta (aka Mount Olga). Mount Olga is a group of domed-shaped rock formations.

Looks like an alien submarine

My black Toms has turned brown!

Mickey ears! Imagine the heat...

Valley of the wind

The dome-shaped rocks

Look at the vegetation on the top of the rock. Reminds me of scenes from Dragon Ball Z where people stay on top of mini mountains and they commute by hovercrafts...

See the color difference?

Boomerang time!

Sunset at Kata Tjuta

A stream of clouds passing by as the day wears down

A 3,200km Journey! - Part III

2012-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Third part of the trip is the highlight! We are off to Ayers Rock! It's about 6 hours drive from Watarrka National Park towards Uluru. The first sight we caught upon nearing Uluru is something that looks like Ayers Rock! We happily alighted our campervan and took pictures with it. It was only after the trip that I realized that the structure wasn't Ayers Rock. It was Mt. Connor. Hahaha! Thanks to the viewers who viewed my Instagram. They are the ones who corrected me. If not, we'll be so embarrassed telling people that is Ayers Rock. Hahaha!

Mt Connor!

Note the flat top...

Arfann trying to sandwich it

Group shot before continuing ahead!

We then reached a stopover at Curtin Springs before the final stop at Uluru. Going to have lunch here and also to fuel up. It is a really small town and the surrounding is like barren land. Nothing much here...

The only road sign here

Bare, empty all around

Huge pile of cacti!

This is the dog that got all of us guessing. From a distance, the dog looked like a boar. Some of my friends who saw it earlier came back telling us there's a wild boar roaming around here. We were amused when we saw the actual animal. Hahaha!

Continuing on, we finally saw the real Ayers Rock in full view! From afar, it was already very spectacular. As we neared it, it becoming even more breath taking!

Closer and closer...

As we entered the park, we saw on the notice board that Ayers Rock is available for climb today. Hmmm... Sounds quite different from what I researched about. I found that the rock is actually sacred to the Aborigines and no one is allowed on the rock. We even saw on the brochure that came with our ticket that the rock is not recommended for climbing. But since there are chains and railings installed, I reckon we might as well follow what the notice board says and what the rest of the people there are doing.

On closer look, you will see tiny specks of people on the rock

Group shot before the climb up!

See the tiny specks of people? It's very steep!

It is not recommended for climbing... But what the heck! Just do it!

And so, we climbed! Arfann was crazy enough to wear his ski goggles that comes with a fisheye video camera, much like the GoPro. But I am glad he did because he captured some amazing footage with it! Will await his videos! The climb is not easy, especially with some sections particularly steep. I was wearing a pair of old Puma trainers and it was a mistake. The soles were slippery and the foams were all flaky. Nonetheless, I persevered on and climbed! Half way through the visible portion of Ayers Rock, some of my friends couldn't take it and descended. It was a pity they couldn't finish the climb. But I don't blame them because it was a scary climb, looking down how high you have come.

After the climb past what was visible from the bottom, we realized that we are only 1/5 complete! There were dotted white lines on the top for us to follow and from what we gathered from other climbers, this is only the beginning! Hahaha! What have we gotten ourselves into? Since we're already up there, we might as well go for it. We soon found that the rest of the track was a lot of ups and downs. And I mean REALLY A LOT! We climbed, we ran, we laughed and we cursed. Hahaha! What's a tough climb without cursing and swearing! Nonetheless, we made it to the end and celebrated with a silly video and an obscene act by ZQ! See pictures below to understand why...

Arfann and his ski goggles!

Come on Leonard!

Look at how high we came! This is only 1/5 of the climb!

My balls shrunk when I saw Pream standing there. Seems like he's on the edge!

Finally! We have reached the end of the climb!

The plaque that defines VICTORY!

Have to do a group shot at the top!

Not forgetting to leave slots for our 3 friends who couldn't join us... You are dearly missed...

ZQ has to do something funny... I will leave you to your imagination...

Tried to do a long exposure to capture the Milky Way and also some star trails. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to do manual focusing using the Nex-5N and kit lens. So below were the best shots I have gotten. JK has got better shots... With that, I concluded our adventure of Ayers Rock. More to come in Part IV for the Kata Tjuta (Mt Olgas) adventure!

Attempt to capture the Milky Way with our campervan... 30 sec exposure.

A bit blur, but I'm getting there... I can't seem to set the manual focus to infinity on the Sony Nex-5N

Better shot!

*To be continued in Part IV!

A 3,200km Journey! - Part II

2012-09-02T20:16:00.001-07:00

After Erldunda, it was another 270km drive to Watarrka National Park (aka King's Canyon). It was an easy drive, very straight road. The usual activity on-board the campervan was gambling (Big Two and Black Jack) and snacking (Tim Tams, Squirms and Red Rock Deli chips and grain waves!)!

Standard fare on the trip... Gambling and snacks!

Just before we reach our caravan park at Kings Canyon Resort, we were greeted by Kings Canyon on our right. After check in, we parked into our designated slot and it was just nice timing that it was sunset! Our campervan was parked in a slot with a clear front view of Kings Canyon! The sun behind Kings Canyon gave us a spectacle of how beautiful nature can be... I am still missing the sunset... Loving it! Makes me wonder how much more beautiful nature can get elsewhere in this world.

Kings Canyon on the right!

Beautiful!

Watarrka National Park, where Kings Canyon is...

Brilliant;y-colored sunset...

The group photo in front of our campervan before diner!

After sunset, it is time for diner! As we have stocked up plenty of instant noodles, it was time for a Indomie party! Nothing fanciful, just Indomie, baked beans and eggs! I guess we were all pretty worn out by the gambling, snacking and laughter that we hit the hay pretty early that night.

Master Chefs

My job is to peel the eggs!

Awaiting our diner!

Chef at work!

The happy bunch with their Indomie noodle and baked beans diner!

Ready to sleep!

The next morning, Arfann and I woke up to catch the sunrise. The rest of the guys were still in bed, refusing to budge out of their comfy sleeping bags/blankets. As the saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm". I got rewarded by Mother Nature with an awesome shot of the morning break, with Kings Canyon in the foreground, sun behind and the moon and North Star above! This has to be my favourite shot during the trip! The rest of the guys did wake up eventually, but not before the sun is already out. Nonetheless, we still managed to grab a group shot in the freezing morning!

Sleepy bug!

Refusing to get out of the sleeping bag!

One of my favorite shot during the trip! The crescent moon on the left, North star in the middle and Kings Canyon at the bottom!

Sun is rising!

These guys, after taking a few pictures of the sunrise, went straight back under the blanket!

After breakfast, we headed straight to Kings Canyon for the rim walk. This is a 7 km loop walk around the canyon. The walk was filled with amazing views of the canyon and how millions of years of erosion have shaped this land. The wavy patterns on the ground at certain points indicated that this place was once a lake and the patterns were evidence of the bed sediment of the lake bottom. Interesting! The formation of air bubble-like structures in the rocks were due to the deposition and loosening of the sand (before it becomes rock) during the winding season. For a moment, I thought those were air bubbles trapped in the sand when this place was a lake. Hahaha!

We went for the Kings Canyon Walk (6km)

One group shot before the walk!

Only like 10 minutes into the walk!

The bubble-like structures in the rock

Look at the layers of rock and some of the wavy patterns on the ground

Arfann very near the edge of the cliff

Magnificent view!

Proceeding on, we reached the cliff areas. It was a breath-taking sight! The sides of the cliff were very smooth with straight lines across. I would have believe that they were made by aliens using a laser cutter and slicing through these grounds to shape the area. Hahaha! I seriously believe so! OK, enough of my nonsense. The sight of this beautiful nature is something to be marvelled at. At certain points, we were like overhanging over the cliff, which we realised only after we have reached the other side of the cliff... Scary! After the ascend, we descended into a waterhole called the Garden of Eden. It's a befitting name to the waterhole! Imagine back in the days where only animals roamed this land, this waterhole would be a perfect place for birds and small animals to come and seek shelter from the bigger animals. Until today, birds were still seen flying happily in and out of this waterhole. I would have liked to stay longer for our lunch there... A very calming and cooling place. Kathleen Spring was another waterhole about 10 minutes drive away. It was an easy 1.5 km loop walk. This waterhole is nothing spectacular, but did provide an alternative drinking place other than the Garden of Eden.

Very neatly "cut"

Deep drop!

Look at how tiny the people are and you can imagine how deep the cliff is!

Panoramic view

The Garden of Eden

Me loading my film for the Spinner 360 camera

One side of the Garden of Eden

Last stretch of Kings Canyon

Kathleen Springs

Nothing really spectacular here... Probably because we were spoiled by the beauty of Kings Canyon

*To be continued in Part III...

A 3,200km Journey! - Part I

2012-08-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

The Melbourne boys in Singapore (JK, YY, Pream and I) had a crazy idea. To visit the rest in Melbourne and also to set off on an adventure to the middle of Australia. What came as a crazy suggestion did came through as weeks of planning and coordination finally paid off.

Goodbye Singapore!

First stop, we flew from Singapore to Perth on Jetstar. Pretty straight forward flight that took us there at about 2300h. We decided not to check into a hotel to save money, so we slept at the airport itself as our next morning flight is at about 1100h. So off we flew again for 2.5 hours to Alice Springs!

The Melbourne gang from Singapore!

Our personal inflight entertainment!

My first meal in Perth, together with my favourite NesTea Lemon Lime!

With the Everest wannabe at Perth International Airport!

Our breakfast at Dome before our flight to Alice Springs!

We were immediately greeted by the outback scenery around us as well as the Aborigine arts at the airport. We took a cab which costs us $30 for a 15 minute ride. I can't actually blame them as I think that is one of the very few sources of incomes for the taxi drivers. We reached Alice in the Territories, a very decent hotel. The reception staff is very friendly and made sure we know our way in and out of the place. Our room is very spacious and very affordable. $110/night for the entire room that can sleep maybe 4-5 people! So each of us ended up paying only about $50 for 2 nights of stay, even cheaper than staying in a dormitory! We ventured into the city area and for food and also to await the rest of the Melbourne gang to meet us up tomorrow morning.

Arrived at Alice Springs Airport!

The Aborigine carpet

Alice in the Territories! Highly recommended!

The rest of the Melbourne gang (ZQ, Leonard and Arfann) came in the morning! It was an exciting time to see them all again! After the day in Alice Springs city, we ended the night with a trip to the local casino. I played my first round of casino game there and won $26 at the digital roulette! Not bad!

Really happy to see them!

The Melbourne gang from Melbourne!

First cuppuccino! Camera and coffee are always a good match!

The Aborigines we see quite frequently in town. They're very friendly people!

Playing a fool...

The next morning, we walked almost 7km to the Apollo Campervan Hire station to collect our 6-berth campervan! Totally excited about it! I mean, I haven't had the chance to drive and stay in a campervan before, so this will be really fun! However, things weren't that rosy. After we collected the campervan and were on our way back to the hotel to pick up all our baggages, we found that the interior was leaking! Water was coming from nowhere and slowly flooded the floor area in the campervan. After collecting our baggages and checking out of the hotel, we headed back to Apollo to see if they can fix the problem or replace a new van for us.

Our accommodation and travel partner for the next few days!

All the food and water we need for the next few days! Mainly junk food!

The boss at Apollo went on to bring our his tools and began to repair whatever was causing the problem. Within 30 minutes, he told us that the leak was done. We were soon on our way towards Erldunda where we will be turning right into Lasseter Highway (State Route 4). No GPS was needed as the route is very straight forward. The trip is about 475km (roughly about 7 hours drive). We stop en route to re-fuel as well as take a break.

Usual pastime in the campervan...

At Erldunda stop

*To be continued in Part II

Product Photography

2012-07-30T00:04:00.001-07:00

I signed up with Studio Space on their Basic Studio Lighting and Product Photography with Flash workshops last month. I've always wanted to try out studio photography but haven't found the time and money to go for that because of my busy schedule... So I finally found the time and also an affordable workshop.

The morning session at Studio Space was about basic studio lighting. We were introduced to strobes, stands and lighting modifiers. It has been an eye opener for me as it is totally different with in-camera settings, for example the power of the strobe, how to use the light meter and set the correct exposure etc... It certainly has been an enriching workshop!

One thing we learnt during the workshop is High Key, Mid Key and Low Key portrait. It means the background is generally blown out to give a more stylistic look. Example below. Do note all images are out-of-camera with no PP.

Note that the background is totally blown out!

We also learnt how to do a Mid Key lighting and modify the background lighting a little to give a more dimensional look. Below is an image with a flash+honey comb to give the subject a halo-type of background.

Sorry about the half eyes!

The Low Key gives a more mysterious feel to the image. This is achieved by a higher ratio of front lighting compared to the background.

Me trying to be funny...

My other half...

The Product Photography workshop is conducted in the afternoon, showing us how light can be easily modified to achieve different mood. Shall not go too much into details as there are quite a lot of information. Nonetheless, I managed to learn quite a lot that will aid me in my future work with product photography.

Simple violin

Didn't know this can be easily done by a simple flash

Looks life-size but it was only a miniature replica... Hehehe...

This is one of my favourites! Simple and pretty easy to set up!

This setup is more elaborate. Need a Globo behind a screen, a flash with snoob on the left and a reflector on the right.

It is certainly fun to do all these shots that I can only dream of doing in the past! Now that I have some knowledge of how it's been done, it is now time for me to put what I have learnt into good use! I'm not saying I'm up there as a professional now. Just that at least I have a head start of how these images are shot, I can play around the lighting and background to achieve different effects. Will practise more and update in the future! If you have some products you want to shoot, feel free to contact me! I'm not charging at the moment but am building up my portfolio!

*All images are shot with Nikon D90 with 50mm F1.4 lens at ISO 200, 1/200 second at F8-11.

Mobile Street Photography

2012-06-25T20:53:00.002-07:00

With the rise (ok, it has risen since a few years back...) of smartphones and improving technology of a shorter shutter-release lag, mobile photography has taken a new meaning. I have seen on forums that some people are ditching their (real) cameras for smartphone cameras.

Everyone's on their phones

To me, mobile photography has a few advantages:

1. Stealth. Because it is a phone, people do not usually associate it with being a 'camera-first' function in the first place. People will think that you are playing shooting pigs in Angry Birds or slaying monsters in Demon Hunter. But in actual fact, you could be taking a picture of them without them noticing or making a fuss out of it.

Only one in the sun

2. Convenience. Have you ever counted the time your phone was on your hand during a day? I would say my phone is on my hand half the time my eyes are opened. Nowadays, we see people sticking their eyes and hands on their phones on the train/bus, crossing the road (be it red or green man! OMG!), in the toilet (yes, I have heard people playing games in the next cubicle and staying there from the moment I entered the cubicle to the time I exit the toilet), going from Point A to B and many more! I'm sure you can relate to that. So you can imagine why it is so convenient to embrace mobile photography. The camera is in our hands most of the time. But this is not so true for real cameras. Do you hold the camera in your hand for half the time you are awake? Not really (at least for me...). And being a smartphone, it can do so much more. Make a call, play a game, check the weather, monitor the stock market etc... All functions in one device! So with convenience, mobile photography certainly has a place in today's society.

Hitching a ride

3. Connectivity. I am sure with a smartphone, you will couple it with a data plan. So that makes it easy to share your photos online the moment you snapped it, be it Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and more. But with a real camera, you need to have a laptop or get home to transfer the pictures and the spend the time editing and uploading them onto the web. Editing on a smartphone, no doubt is very basic with free apps, but it is more than enough to create a decent image. Editing can be done on the go, meaning you save precious time for your own leisure when you reach home instead of staring at PhotoShop or LightRoom through the night.When you share instantly, you will not tend to forget to upload your pictures. For me, I tend to leave my images in my cameras until I have the time to transfer them from the SD card to the PC.

Everyone is waiting...

I am sure there are lots more reasons for mobile photography, but this 3 points are the main factors why I am in it as well. I have been following a couple of street photographers who are taking street shots using their mobile phones. One of them is the internationally acclaimed Mr Aik Beng Chia (Mr ABC as he is commonly known) (@aikbengchia), local SGIG founder Mr Ivan Kuek (@ivankuek and @phonenomenon) and celebrity performer/singer Mr Ric Liu (@gogomonster). Do check them out on Instagram! Also check me out @kaxdd! (^__^)

Away we go, no matter what mode of transport we use

Up and beyond the clouds

P.S. All images are taken by me using iPhone and edited using Snapseed. Just basic conversion to black and white and adjusting some contrast. Copyright is MINE!

Canonet QL17 GIII

2012-06-05T07:33:00.002-07:00

I have had the good fortune to find a *RARE* black Canonet QL17 GIII at the Camberwell Sunday Market in Melbourne 2 years ago. This flea market is a MUST VISIT when you hit Melbourne! The market opens from 7am till 12.30pm, so be there early as it's a big market to cover! Not to mention having to look through items, stall by stall for the best deal!

Just some details about this Black Canonet. It has a 40mm f/1.7 lens which is supposedly very sharp! It has shutter priority automatic exposure run by a single PX625 battery! OK, the battery issue is the sh*t here because these mercury batteries are no longer around! There are PX625A alkaline batteries that can potentially be used, but I am having a lot of problems with them. With the alkaline batteries, my camera is not firing at shutter priority mode! Frustrating! The Canonet has Bulb mode complete with 1/4-1/500th shutter speed. It uses a leaf shutter which is ! SUPER SILENT ! Even at a lower decibel value than my Voightlander Bessa R4M! The last thing I'm going to mention is the quick loading film feature, which is why this camera is named with a QL which means Quick Load. Again, film loading is even faster than my Bessa R4M! I'm loving this QL feature!

Alright, back to the story of this Canonet. I bought this for AUD$80 but it was in a pretty bad condition. I wasn't even sure it could be fixed, but at AUD$80 for a rare black Canonet, I decided to take the plunge. The light seal was a goner, flaking off at the slightest shake. I saw some haze/fungus at the rear element (can't really see it as the shutter can't be opened) and loads of fingerprints on the front element. The winding mechanism was busted too. The rangefinder window has a slight crack at the bottom corner which doesn't affect the focusing in any way. The camera comes with an original leather case which is something I don't see with other Canonets, so this makes me want it even more. The case was marked with probably the last name of the previous owner, 神野 which translates to Shinno or Jinno. The angel half of me told me to give it up due to the bad condition. The devil side of me told me to get it and bring it back to Singapore for a repair since it's a rarity to find the black one for sale. If you know me, I succumb to the devil most of the time. So I parted way with my AUD$80.

Note the crack on the bottom of the rangefinder window

Original leather case

Probably the name of the previously Japanese owner

Back in Singapore, I sent the camera to Steven at the Camera Hospital. Steven has been a wonderful person to interact with and through conversations with him, I find him to be a really passionate person who wants to bring all faulty cameras back to their original working conditions. Kudos to him! Do pay him a visit when your cameras need a check! The Canonet I had was in a condition where even Steven wasn't sure if he can fix it. But he said he will give the camera a chance. He said that the light seal is an easy thing to change and the fungus shouldn't be much of a problem. But the tricky part is the winding mechanism. Nonetheless, I agreed for the Canonet to be with him for that chance to be alive again.

Two weeks went by and finally I received a call from Steven. The Canonet is ALIVE! Steven told me that the light seal replacement was a small thing. He managed to get the winding mechanism working again, which is really the heart of all the problems! The fungus problem at the rear element was cleaned off, but Steven said the fungus could be back. So I have to ensure that the camera gets plenty of sun when I'm not shooting to prevent the fungus. So this camera is ready to roll!

Starting from the film loading, I already mentioned that it is a very fast and fuss-free process. Just load the film in, pull the film leader towards the marked location stated in the camera and close the cover. Simple as that! The winding mechanism is very smooth (or maybe it was loose) and I had no issue with that. The first time I press the trigger, I almost couldn't hear anything. I thought I heard something. I was expecting a sound like that of my R4M. I tried another time with the lens pointing at my face and this time, I could see the shutter move. Coolness~ After that, I found that the Canonet uses a leaf shutter which is supposed to be very silent. Plus point!

Next, I was surprised at how short the focus tab action is. The focus tab moves only about 45 degrees to focus between closest to infinity. So focusing on the Canonet is very fast! Short and sweet! However, as this is a pretty old camera, the focusing patch in the viewfinder is a little dim. Not a huge problem for me as my eyes are still able to make out the overlapping images. The shutter release button is a little elevated, so there's no need for me to get a soft release button. Another plus point! As for the AE mode, just switch the aperture dial to the AE position and off you go! Just set the shutter speed, look through the viewfinder on the right and you will see a needle moving up and down the aperture scale. So if you want a thin DOF, adjust the shutter speed dial so that the needle points at f/1.7. Simple! OK, maybe not... Ever since the original PX625 battery starts to deplete, I'm unable to use the AE mode. If the AE mode is not enabled, you won't be able to depress the shutter release button. So either you are super good at using the Sunny 16 rule or you can get an external light meter (which I even did with a VC II). I tried the PX625A alkaline battery but it is a bit cranky. Work some times, but none most of the time.

When the first roll of film came back from the lab, I was shocked! I mean, I saw reviews saying that the lens is very sharp. I saw on websites that the pictures taken with the Canonet were very good. But I didn't expect mine to turn out quite the same given that my had a fungus issue previously. Please pardon some of the dust and scratches on my images as I was learning to self-scan my film. But you can see that the images are sharp and give nice bokeh. This camera has been THE camera for most of my black and white photos as I really like the way the lens renders black and white. I've shot some using color films, but I personally still like it with black and white.

Images below were shot with Kodak Tri-X.

Images below were shot on a Kodak Portra 160.

I've been cutting down on my gears recently (sold my Canon 60D and Lytro light field cameras), but this Canonet will be here to stay. One thing about this camera is because I decided to give this camera a chance to live again and it hasn't failed me after it was resurrected (except for the battery). The other thing is because this is a rare camera, so I'm keeping it for sure! I'm a SUCKER for anything rare! But I haven't had the funds to go for rarer stuffs. Hahaha~ Will try to build up. ^__^

Instagram Camera?

2012-05-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

As we all know (OK, some knew...), Instagram had been bought over by Facebook for a whopping $1 billion dollars! That's a lot of money! If I were the founder, I would be laughing my teeth off! After that, I'll be thinking how to spend my money! Perhaps I'll take a year's break and go on a round the world tour! After which, I'll probably find a place to migrate, buy a house and a car and find a new job (or find a new idea!). OK, I digress... Hahaha~

Anyway, a friend of mine sent me a link about this Instagram Camera (<-click the link here)! PetaPixel featured this as a instant camera which allows you to edit the picture taken with this camera on its large touch screen, share it online and print them instantly!

(Image credit: PetaPixel)

The photos seemed to come with a sticky-note style adhesive or magnetic strips that allow you to stick them up a wall or fridge! It is also rumoured that the photos will come with a QR code that can be scanned by people to be linked to your work. My personal view on this QR code is divided. The idea is good, but I am not sure how they are going to make the QR code personal only to you. I mean, imagine printing tons of these instant photos by the bulk, so how can the QR code be personal to your account? I don't know, but I'm definitely staying tuned to this.

Would love to have it if the price is right for both the camera and the films. But then again, Singapore is such a damn small country with a damn tiny market that no one bothers to bring in to Singapore. Only third party stores are bringing them in but the prices will be inflated several times which doesn't make it economical to us consumers. If I were a company, a good test ground is actually Singapore where there are many techno-philes (I came up with this word) who are willing and most importantly, able to afford these new gadgets. I'd definitely love to be one of the testers for the pilot test should the camera be realised! I'm hoping I can be noticed due to my puny reputation...

If any one of you readers (my dear beloved loyal readers) happen to know of any avenues to get a hand on this camera, do recommend me! Haha~ I'll be eternally grateful! ^__^

IPA Street Photography Asia Contest 2012

2012-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Have you guys submitted your entries for the IPA Street Photography Asia Contest 2012? If not, what are you waiting for?!! Go to this link NOW!!! You can download the application form here. OK, before you do so, you might want to check that you are from one of these countries:

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Please read through the requirements and make sure you adhere strictly to the rules! You will be disqualified if you do not follow.

The prize for winning this contest is mouth-watering (at least, that's me)! A !LEICA! M2 chrome rangefinder with special IPA engraving sponsored by BenPhoto Singapore, a minty Voigtlander Ultron 35mm F1.7 by Chiff Cameras and a IPA Street Photography T-shirt! How cool is that?! But... There's only going to be ONE winner... Awww... But don't worry... All finalists will have their submissions exhibited at the IPA gallery in Singapore! Coolness!

Closing date for the contest is 1st June 2012! Do check out IPA's Facebook account for updates and more information!

More Lytro Sample Pictures!

2012-05-05T09:00:00.002-07:00

Happy Vesak Day to all who are celebrating it or those who are enjoying the extra day off!

As promised, I have uploaded more sample pictures from my Lytro camera! Enjoy!

Feel free to comment or contact me!

Digital Street Photography

2012-05-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

I've gone around to shoot using the Sony Nex-5N and the Leica Summitar which I have shown some test shots in my previous post. Here are some street shots from me using this combo!

The Stare. This is my favourite from the series! The intensity of the stare was captured at the decisive moment!

Why so bitter about life?

Puffing tummy

Undecisive

Auntie, time to move. Don't be on the phone and be oblivious about your surrounding

Running along

Jaywalking!

All the shots (except The Stare) were shot with the Nex-5N and Summitar from the hip with zone focusing (with the assistance of peak focusing). I think I'm actually becoming better at this! (Yes, you can start throwing your rotten tomatoes and eggs and what-not) Hahaha~

Street photography is all about practising and practising and practising! The more you shoot, the better you get. No? As the saying goes, Practise Makes Perfect. I agree with that. I still don't have the guts and balls to shoot people right in their face. I guess it does take something special to do so. Nonetheless, I will keep trying and who knows, I may just be like Markus Hartel, who shoots brilliantly shooting from the hip. Hahaha! OK, I'm expecting more rotten stuff coming my way... Time to run! Keep shooting people!

NEX5N and Leica Summitar

2012-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Recently acquired a second hand Sony Nex-5N, so decided to do some test shots using a Leica Summitar 50mm F2 Collapsible. Heard that this lens is very sharp even wide open at F2, so decided to test it out. Also not forgetting that this lens give a wild swirly bokeh, so makes me drool even more!

Alright, I'll save the words and lead you through to the pictures themselves.

Sharp even at F2!

My silly girlfriend... Note the swirly bokeh! Maybe she was emulating Edward Munch's The Scream!

Got to love the bokeh!

More bokeh!

This is a great combination! And I love the colors and sharpness coming from the lens. The bokeh can be wild sometimes but also very pleasing (at least, to my old eyes). You can Google more about the Summitar and know of its amazing sharpness and bokeh. I am pleased to have a mint copy of this lens and it will definitely be a keeper in my collection!

Although I have no problem with 50mm on a rangefinder (Bessa R4M), the lens become a 75mm on the 1.5X crop factor Nex-5N. I have a Voigtlander 21mm F4 Color Skopar, so having a 35mm view with it on the Nex-5N is more comfortable for me since I'm more of a wide angle person.