brandoneu

So I've switched

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:35:30 +0000

Oh how times have changed!

My last post here was 2022. 4 long years ago.

I love Nikon. I still do, believe me.

All this while I've disliked brand 'C'. Some of their ambassadors I met were cocky, and even barred me from covering their anniversary event with my D5 at that time.

All this while I've resisted to switch to mirrorless. Too expensive, battery life wasn't great, blah blah.

Until I adopted an open mind and tried the R3. But that's a story for another time.

As photographers say, do not let your art be defined by your equipment. So out with the old, in with the new.

I was always slightly envied those who had f1.2 lenses. After all I started with Olympus, where I always made excuses about the so-called shallow DOF with the f2 zooms. But with the RF 85 1.2, there's no more excuse anymore. Everything not in the plane of focus is smoothly out of focus.

BTW I shot the lens with the 45 1.2 RF. Center sharpness at 1.2 is okay, but the corners were horrendous. Not to say the lens is unusable. It is, but keep your subjects away from the corners.

Below are some samples straight out of camera with no editing.

This is a big, bad, heavy lens. Performance is excellent, but I'm afraid to whip it out and use it.

You really need the tenacity and determination to use this bugger, which even makes my 15-35 L look like a toy next to it.

Many reviews have said that AF was slow. In my opinion, while it can't keep up with the newest and fastest focusing Voice Coil Motor lenses, it is somewhat acceptable when compared with the AF-S Nikon 85 1.4G which I have used, but never owned.

Why did I get this lens? Because I found a used unit at HALF the price of a new unit, which is even cheaper than a used unit on Adorama.

Only time will tell if I grow to love the lens or hate it. Hopefully more of the former.

Tan Sri Vincent Tan receives honorary doctorate from UoC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 19:01:00 +0000

I photographed Tan Sri Vincent a while back. But I was fortunate enough to see him in person last week when he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cyberjaya.

All pics are unedited JPEGs from the D4s.

My Alma Mater

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:53:00 +0000

With the exception of the newly renovated Mill Hill Block, everything looks, feels and smells the same, as though my school never changed although I left almost 2 decades ago.

The new St Joseph's Private school.

I dreaded Pendidikan Jasmani (Physical Education) classes. Getting all hot and sweaty and changed back into school clothes to continue the rest of the day stinking in our own odor. I guess I was too young to mind it.

Kuching 2022

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:42:00 +0000

Well, today is 21 Oct 2022. Nearly 6 years since my last post.

In these long lost years, I've still been around, still taking photos.

I've decided to at least post something at this time at this ungodly hour of 2am, lest I forget and become too disinterested to continue.

Mostly pics.. few words 'cos I'm tired. Anyway pictures do say a thousand words, right?

After I landed I went to town immediately in search of Kuching's local delicacy - kampua noodles at Fu Hua Cafe, only to discover that the shop was closing at 12 noon. Gosh do people eat so early nowadays compared to KL!

So I had to settle for one of the worst laksas I had in a while at Da' Apple Kopitiam next door.

Mum used to say that Kuching is cheaper than KL. Not anymore. Nowadays, Sarawak laksa in PJ costs almost the same as Kuching! Oh how prices have risen.

Maybe it's my fault for not coming home often. This was my first trip home in 3 years and I feel like a tourist in the place I grew up in.

Civic Center has been in a state of disrepair. The rooftop restaurant is now closed and the lifts don't even function anymore.

It is indeed a sad ending for a splendid building that used to be ever present in my childhood.

Kopi peng now costs RM3. Almost half the cost of your average meal in Kuching.

In my younger days when grandpa was still alive, he used to bring us to eat Foochow food to remind us of our roots. Although I do not speak the language, I guess my stomach is still authentic to my roots.

This is the quintessential Foochow burger - the kompia - at Choon Thian Cafe, Jln Ang Cheng Ho. I have not eaten this for ages.

Stirfried rice cake.

Mee sua with red wine. We had this family tradition to eat it during birthdays or Chinese New Year.

We ordered a lot of food. But we managed to finish it all.

In hokkien, it's called fried soup noodles. Very direct translation.

As I took a walk around waterfront, I was flabbergasted with the sight of the new DUN building and the Darul Hana bridge.

Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of these structures. Kinda breaks the harmony of the romantic low key view of the waterfront for me.

Maybe at night when it's lit up, it takes on a whole new life. But in the daytime, I just wonder why do we need such large structures?

Walked thru little india street and found these knockoff perfumes on sale.

Friendship Park still looks good after all these years.

The new Borneo Cultures Museum. Located across the road from the old Sarawak Museum which is currently under renovation.

On google maps people were raving about this place.

Honestly I hate it. The exhibition halls are so dark I could barely see anything, and the text on the captions were too tiny to appreciate. I lost my patience and just breezed through the exhibits.Sadly a missed opportunity for a project that could have been brilliant.

Currently all or most museums in Kuching charge a RM10 entrance fee. If I were given a choice to pay RM10 for a museum ticket or RM10 for 2 packets of kolok mee, I'd take the noodles anytime.

The common space was alright. Lots of natural light and shiny paint.

In a distance, the DBKL cat museum on the left and Gunung Santubong on the right.

Final day, purposely woke up early to have breakfast at Fu Hua Cafe. The tomato noodles were alright.

Beef noodles here - excellent. Thick, robust flavours with tender cuts of beef.

Dumplings and kampua noodles are a must.

Final day, visited Fort Margherita. Spent another RM10 for the ticket.

I would say, compared to the Borneo Cultures Museum, I felt much more inclined to slow down and have a look at the exhibits. It is bright and everything is perfectly viewable.

It's a pity the last descendant didn't have a proper photo. Just a drawing.

Kuching has changed,, but at least I can still remember most of it. Maybe I've been away too long and feel like an alien in my own home.

Malaysia Competition Conference 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 06:37:00 +0000

The Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) recently organised the Malaysia Competition Conference 2017 at the Sunway Hotel Resort and Spa with the theme ‘Competition Law: Breaking Norms, Managing Change’. The symposium featured a host of local and international speakers who shared best practices and experiences from their respective countries regarding competition policies.

Sultan of Perak His Royal Highness Paduka Seri Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah delivers the opening address

Japan Beauty Week 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 06:02:00 +0000

Been a while since I've posted anything here. I'm still trying to tame my new 'beast'. I mean.. the D4s. Dial contrast down a notch, medium sharpness and the JPEGs are good to go.

The Tamron 15-30 still works swell with the D4s. Fast focus and spot on AF.

Nowadays with the high ISO capabilities of todays' cameras, you don't need to carry a big flash gun around for the extra power. A mid ranged SB700 will do. Plus it's lighter and doesn't feel so heavy.

The 85/1.4D works in sync with the D4s' autofocus capabilities.

Adjustable for Honda City GM6

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:32:00 +0000

*The info here is subject to change and I am not responsible for its accuracy. Price quoted is including GST and installation.

OK so I've been super quiet for a long while. There's a reason for this, because I just got a Honda City GM6 in conjunction with the Hari Raya promotions.

After getting the car, of course my hands start to be itchy, and I start researching for 'lobang' on how and where to mod my car.

Needless to say, it was both time consuming and frustrating. The information was all over the place.. there was no 'one stop' guide on where to go to modify my GM6. There were some Honda City forums.. but the last postings seem like they were done last year or the year before.. Not so much activity anymore.

Since there is a plethora of information out there, let me narrow down the info so that it is easier to digest.

Today I would be talking about adjustable suspension.

Why would you want to lower your car ? For me the main reason is aesthetics. The stock gap between my wheels and fender is at least 5 fingers. To look better, the gap should be at maximum 2 fingers for the front, and 2.5 fingers for the rear wheels.

If you want to lower your car, there are several options available for you.

1. Stock absorber + sport spring

Sport springs recommended are Eibach pro-kit and H & R springs which cost around RM1.2k per set. Unfortunately when I called the Eibach kit was sold out for the whole Klang Valley. The disadvantages is you cannot adjust your ride height and soft/hard.. Plus because absorber is constantly compressed by the shorter springs, they will not last long. In addition, the sport springs for stock absorbers cannot be used with other sports absorbers if you decide to upgrade the whole system.

2. Sports absorber + stock spring

Stock springs too soft, may not provide enough cushioning for the sports absorber.

3. Sports absorber + sports sping

The best option

So I stumbled upon one of these postings by a senior ZTH member. For a budget of 2-3k, there are some options available. Of course, you can go waaay above that budget eg. Tein RM4.5k but is there any point if I am a first-time adjustable user? I wanted some flexibility to opt out just in case I didn't like the experience.

1. PRS. They specialise in adjustables and have an in-house brand. The boss, Mr Sim, is quite knowledgeable and friendly.

https://goo.gl/maps/QULTo5twuvu

0126282927

Everyday from 10am-6pm except Sundays.

2. FTuned - Supposedly they are a bit more 'premium'. Seeing this word.. I admit I chickened out.. didn't want to spend more than required. They were engineers in the Proton racing division. They use monotube instead of twin tube shocks.

https://goo.gl/maps/EK5z9eMXv6n

3. BC Racing V1 (Around RM3k), AR Racing, GAB SS (Around RM2.8k). All local brands, no more imported. In fact, they say the spare parts for the SS and V1 are so damn similar so if you request for spare parts for the V1, the shop will replace it with GAB parts instead.

The supplier for GAB is RS One Motorsports in Kepong

https://goo.gl/maps/2KPQKx5Nx9B2

One of the distributors for GAB is Yew Exhaust in Shah Alam, as recommended by some of the Honda City forums.

https://goo.gl/maps/hdruDuNrzT62

One of the sales guys there recommended the BC Racing BR series, which is supposedly more comfortable than the V1 for RM3.7k.

The thing that peeved me off was this item is fully imported from Taiwan, so it might take a few months to arrive. Secondly, it will not be possible to service this item here as the spare part will have to be imported again from Taiwan. Means waste more time and spend more money.

GAB SS series adjustable for Honda City at Yew Exhaust.

Why I chose PRS adjustables

I chose PRS adjustables because of the slightly cheaper pricing (RM2650) as compared to the GAB and BC Racing ones. Front springs are 6k, rear 4k. Also, Mr Sim charges slightly cheaper maintenance costs for his own brand as compared to other brand absorbers. Over time, your absorber will wear out, and it needs to be serviced eg refilling the oil etc.. Plus they are absorber specialists as compared to a typical jack of all trades mod shop.

The only disadvantage of going to PRS for me is that they are fairly far away from my house (at least 40 mins drive) and they are extremely popular with customers. I arrived at PRS on Saturday afternoon around 1pm, and only got my adjustables done about 4pm due to the sheer number of customers arriving at Mr Sim's doorstep. Mr Sim advised to return to the shop after 1 or 2 weeks of installation for QC in

Disadvantages of sports absorber (FYI I have mine on the softest setting).
1. You feel every single bloody surface on the road.. Bumps, pot holes, manhole covers, drain covers, rocks, which translates to more discomfort for you and the passengers.
2. Fuel consumption increased dramatically, down from 15km/l to 10km/l on medium setting. Fuel consumption back to 13 or 14km/l on softest setting.
3. Car feels bouncy due to the springs.
4. Wheels more prone to misalign.

Overall adjustables are a personal choice. You may do all the research in the world like I did to determine which adjustables are the best for your car, but ultimately you have to bite the bullet and try them yourself to know if they really fit your taste. As for me, I love the way how lowered my car looks, but in the long run.. I may change back to stock.

Stay tuned for more posts on how I modified my Honda City.

Mercedes-AMG C250

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 06:58:00 +0000

I am by nature not very inclined to photograph cars. But when push comes to shove, I'll have to make the best out of the very limited equipment that I have if there's a job at hand. For this job, we just had a few hours to borrow the car from Mercedes, test drive and photograph it. Unless you're paultan.org, don't hope to borrow their flagship RM1 million AMG GT S supercar.

All these images are unprocessed, straight out of camera (SOOC) JPEGs from the Nikon D3.

Need to make the colours from your image 'pop'? Just go to Picture Control on your Nikon camera and set it to Vivid. Do note this effect is not for everyone.

Our entrepreneur of the day, Marcus Teoh together with this lovely car.

Porky Goodness @ Spitalfields, Atria Damansara Jaya

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 05:32:00 +0000

Spitalfields is an up-and-coming English pub concept restaurant and bar which opened about 2 months ago. It's located to the left of the main entrance of the Atria shopping gallery in Damansara Jaya. You won't miss it.

This pub can be packed, so if you want to dine with your friends, reservations are highly encouraged.

OK.. so forgetful me forgot to bring out the tripod, so there was no friggin' way I was gonna get decent, sharp handheld shots unless I boosted the ISO to 5000 or 6400.

These are the 2 successful owners of Spitalfields

The first appetizer was baked potatoes topped with fried pork liver and bacon. I'm personally not a big fan of the liver but the rest of the ingredients go well with each other. According to the manager, all the sauces are made in-house for that extra 'oomph'.

Mashed pork brains (yes you heard that right) served with toasted bread. If you don't think about the fact that you're eating brains, it tastes alright, in my opinion.

Deep fried pork ears, another unique dish. Best eaten hot, as the cartilage is very chewy and tasty.

Marinated pork tail. Not a lot of meat attached but it's quite flavourful.

I've uploaded this picture just to prove how far camera technologies on our cellphone has come. One is taken with my work camera (the Canon 5D mark III), while the other is by my newly acquired Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Can you tell the difference?

Slow roasted pork. It's basically a huge slab of siew yoke cooked to perfection.

The pork ribs were also very flavourful. Most importantly the meat was juicy, tender, and not dry.

I'd highly recommend a visit to Spitalfields if you're a pork lover and enjoys your meals with beer or wine. I will be back for their siew yoke at least ! =)

BMW 520d

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 03:35:00 +0000

Well not all of the photos that I take get published, so I might as well post some on my blog. After we collected the car from BMW HQ in Cyberjaya we went to an office complex nearby. Hit and run style..

Anyway the nice driver in the car is my former colleague, Gem. You may view her blog post here:

http://embunwrites.com/2015/12/17/roaring-with-bmw-520d-sports/

Getting the shot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 07:22:00 +0000

At most times, you won't get the perfect or desired shot on the first try.. It is normal.

After arranging the cars in front of the office, I requested the staff to stand in as models before their boss comes into the shot. I'm using two bare flash guns pointed at 90 decgrees towards the center car. As you can see in this shot, without any flash, the shot looks very flat, lacks contrast and dynamism.

Because I don't have high speed sync triggers and receivers, I'm using the typical shutter speed of 1/160 sec and an aperture of f/10.

Fired the flashes. Ok la, got some 'pop' in the image, but it's still quite flat.

Called the bosses in. Without flash = flat picture

With flash, better.

Brought them closer to the car....

With some tweaking in lightroom such as contrast, sharpening, we arrive at the finished product above.

BTW i shot all of these in JPEG, not RAW ya ;)

The foundry @ Salak South

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 07:03:00 +0000

In the heart of the Chinese kampungs in Salak South is a foundry, well hidden from view from the decrepit exterior. We interviewed the owner last Saturday and I got some shots.

NST MAI Autoshow 2015 at MINES

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:29:00 +0000

Was supposed to cover this autoshow for the paper. Ended up we didn't feature it anyway.. Haiz....

Most images were shot with the Tamron 15-30mm/2.8 VC lens.

Tamron 15-30 VC - After 1 month

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

So I finally purchased a copy of the wonderful Tamron 15-30/2.8 VC on 8 October 2015. Its been month now, and I've been loving it so far. I started my Nikon system 6 years ago, and the 15-30 is my first ultrawide lens. I guess the wait is worth it, otherwise I would have settled for the Nikon 18-35 (good and cheap but variable aperture) or the 14-24 (which costs at least RM6.5k nowadays including GST).

Many folks have been querying if this 15-30 can really stand up to the 14-24. For me, it does, and it saves you RM2.5k for other photography items. These images have not been edited, just resized and uploaded for this blog.

Mini Cooper S

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 05:53:00 +0000

One of the most fun shoots I had in a long while.. partly due to the good weather and a very cooperative driver. Initially planned to have it at night but I reckon daytime works as well.. Perhaps not as sexy...

Shook @ Starhill Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 03:57:00 +0000

Shook - a renown open-kitchen restaurant in Starhill Gallery will be offering special a la carte menu in conjunction with the 9th edition of A Journey Through Time watch and jewellery showcase from 20-27 November 2015.

The restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Richard Sawyer from UK and was previously the executive chef of Grand Hyatt Macau. According to the chef, there's nothing fancy about conceptualizing the menu, really. (We were hoping it reflected watches or jewellery in some way). He just had a look at what was available and took it from there.

Nothing is hidden from view. You can see how they prepare your dish from start to end.

Saffron infused seared maine sea scallop, with cauliflower mousseline, watercress and hazelnut vinaigrette. RM68

The scallop is flavourful and is quite tender. Goes well with the mousse.

Beetroot cured salmon with dill creme fraiche, toasted fennel seeds, watercress and lemon zest. RM58

A refreshing take on salmon, and it tastes slightly sweet too. It's reddish tint contrasts well with the herbs, and leaves your palate refreshed once you're done with it.

Roasted Australian lamb loin with muesli and mint crust, honey, rosemary edamame puree, baked stuff tomato and balsamic fig glaze. RM168.

The cheezy muesli crust surprisingly goes well with the lamb. The arrangement of the ingredients is also attractive.

Herb risotto topped with baked fillet of cod, green asparagus, australian mussels and saffron cream.

A delightful take on your usual baked fish meal. The risotto compliments the flavour of the cod very well.

This dessert was a bonus for us. The ingredients are arranged nicely, definitely a must try for berry lovers. Would have been even better with a generous serving of ice cream.

Shook's star player - Executive Chef Richard Sawyer.

Budget 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:03:00 +0000

Pics are self explanatory.

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Lens (Nikon F) - A photojournalist's perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 09:28:00 +0000

I've been reading an awful lot about the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Lens lately. Currently, the top search results in google go to photographylife by Naseem Mansurov and The-Digital-Picture.

But hungrily devouring reviews and sample images didn't do justice to me. (The images on the lens brochure didn't really help with some boring landscape images from a certain photographer). I needed to borrow a unit and test it in the my assignments, then decide whether it's worth the purchase or not. At RM4,000, it's not exactly a budget lens.

Fortunately luck was on my side. After a few emails, I was privileged to have one in my hands for 3 days. I put it to good use for the day to day assignments I needed to carry out in my line of work.

Even next to the 70-200 VRII, this lens looks beastly.

Pros

15-30mm focal length. A useful range to have. Sometimes I feel the 14-24 is a bit short. 30mm would've been ideal

Constant F/2.8 is a very bright aperture, which helps to AF better, and also use lower ISOs if you really need to do so versus an f4 lens such as the Nikon 16-35mm.

Very well controlled distortion at 15mm

World's first ultrawide F/2.8 lens with Vibration Compensation. I was talking to another user (canon mount), and he thinks the VC doesn't work as well as advertised. But as for me, I'm getting sharp images at 1/10s.

Ultrasonic Silent Drive - Though not as great with regards to speed and accuracy as the Nikon's AF-S and Canon's USM, it performs admirably. I rarely had a misfocused shot, except if lighting conditions are terrible.

Sharpness - This lens is sharp across the frame at almost all apertures and is meant to complement today's high megapixel cameras - 5Ds and D810. Of course with all ultra wide angle lenses, sharpness decreases as you zoom in to the long end but not by much.

Fluorine coated front element - Throughout the whole duration of using the lens, no dust or dirt stuck to the front element so I've never needed to clean it.

Front and back caps - Contrary to what some are claiming, the front and back caps are more sturdy and attach quite well to the lens as compared to earlier lenses from Tamron.

Sub par DOF and bokeh. But this is a trait of most ultra wide angle lenses anyway.

Colour - The images look as vibrant as I imagine them to be.

Cons

This lens is HUGE. Maximum diameter - 98.4mm, and 145mm long. Larger than the Nikon 14-24 and Canon 16-35/2.8 L that I'm familiar with.

Weight - 1.1kg. The 14-24 is 1kg while the Canon 16-35 is even lighter at 640g.

Construction - industrial grade plastic instead of metal alloys

Weathersealing - This is a well built and sturdy lens, but the Canon and Nikon are supposedly more weathersealed than the Tamron.

Very stiff zoom ring. I guess it's due to the double hooded design. The zoom rings of the Canons and Nikons are easier to move. (Edit - Perhaps someone knocked the test unit, hence the stiff zoom ring. Mine works fine).

No filters possible to protect the huge bulbous XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) element. So you have to be super careful when using this lens.

It is still prone to flare because of the huge front element, but it supposedly performs better than Nikon's 14-24.

Service and support - As I know, Tamron doesn't have any official service center in Malaysia, so if anything goes wrong with it, you might have to wait a while before it returns. Canon's service center is at Peremba Square while Nikon's is at PJ State.

Sample images

Sorry I don't do test charts, shoot brick walls or MTFs. These are just a couple of sample images I took with the lens.

Camera: 12 MP Nikon D3
Basic quality JPEG, size priority
Standard picture control, sharpness level 4
D lighting and noise reduction OFF
Photos straight from the camera, no editing done except resizing and uploading to the web.

Malaysian Productivity Council CEO Forum @ Grand Dorsett

f/3.5, 1/20s. The hall was quite dark, and I did not use any flash, only relying on the VC capabilities of the lens.

At 30mm

At 15mm.

Night shot testing at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

I didn't bring any tripod with me, all these images are hand held.

f/3.2, 1/25s.

Henessy XO appreciation @ Scoop, Menara Dion

Guinness 50 years anniversary @ Intermark Ampang

Despite challenging lighting conditions, the lens performed admirably.

Great for taking interior shots with lots of crowd.

I took the pictures of these girls in dismal lighting conditions, and I was surprised the lens could actually focus !

Verdict:

I'm missing this lens already! It's the only full frame, ultra wide lens in it's class with f/2.8, VC and a RM4,000 price tag (including GST).

Cedar on 15 @ Impiana Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 03:37:00 +0000

Our lifestyle team was invited for a menu tasting session at Cedar on 15 rooftop restaurant & bar at Impiana Hotel recently.

Cedar Salad - Baby spinach with shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts and mustard walnut vinaigrette. RM42.

I found the vinegar to be overpowering the flavour of the baby spinach leaves, but the ingredients were fresh nonetheless.

The three - Trio of Honey infused duck, gravad lax and poached crayfish tartar. RM58.

Because the meats were served cold, it was rubbery and doesn't have much taste. The crayfish tartar was the best of the bunch and flavourful.

Cream of topin ambour. Served with truffle oil. RM38

One of the most flavourful soups I've had in a while.

Pumpkin seed crusted black cod. Pan fried, served with mushroom tomato chutney, fennel mousse and sugar pea snaps. RM78.

Cod is a very 'safe' fish with consistent flavour so it's quite easy to cook in my opinion. The garnishing adds some colour and taste to an otherwise standard dish.

Wagyu tenderloin 180g. RM88.

We had it medium rare so the meat was very tender when it arrived. We had two side dishes with the steak - creamy spinach and home cut fries.

Boston ala Cedar. Boston Lobster grilled with herb oil and served with vegetable tagliatelle. RM388.

Definitely not your typically red lobster serving. Juicy and full of flavour.

Chocolate molten cake with fresh raspberry and homemade Marzipan ice-cream. RM35.

Yep you can see that chocolate sauce oozing out of the cake when it's cut. Not bad.

After a fine meal you may chill on the outdoor deck and admire the Petronas twin towers.

If you can afford it and want to impress a lady, this would be a wonderful place to have a private meal.

MMU Convocation 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 06:49:00 +0000

Been helping my ex-boss to photograph the Multimedia Convocation Cyberjaya Campus for at least 5 years. Seems like a pretty long time. Anyway I've been using the 5DIII for the shots.. and the fisheye... Oh.. it works wonders when used in the right manner...

Almost everything is in focus, even at f/2.8 or 3.2. Crazy!!!

DFG Wellness debuts in Bangsar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 06:52:00 +0000

The DFG (Dynaforce Group) made its debut in Malaysia with the launch of a 6,000 sq ft showroom in Bangsar on 3 September 2015. The showroom aims to integrate the seven elements of wellness design (air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, mind) by combining wellness elements from renown designer brands namely:

Technogym - fitness equipment
Starpool - spa facilities
Fendi - Outdoor furniture
Lotus Arts de Vivre - home decoration and fine jewellery
Lladro - porcelain collection and lighting

Customers visiting the showroom are invited to see and experience for themselves how each piece of equipment or furnishing can contribute to holistic wellness in their hotel, residence, club or corporate headquarters.

Dynaforce Group Founder and Chairman Jimmie Lee says that his products are designed for high end customers who have spent a lifetime building up their careers and intend to spend some of their years / income to regain their wellness, hence their products have premium prices attached.

This is not your typical steam room - it can offer aromatherapy, color therapy, music therapy, music therapy and comes with a rain shower, a hand shower and two emotional showers (I don't even know what all of them mean)

Dynaforce International is located at :

Bangunan Bangsaria
2nd flor, 45E Jalan Maarof, Bangsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur
03 2287 9989

Sabah trip - Ranau

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:03:00 +0000

Ranau is a short 20 minute drive from Kundasang.

The earthquake caused minor damage to the structure and facade of several shophouses in Ranau. But they were quickly patched up by their owners after the quake.

"Sila letak balik itu buku di atas newspaper. TQ"

Time passes by at a leisurely pace in Ranau. No one's rushing, everyone has some time, and kids are free to do as they please.

A local Sabah daily.

Unlike Kundasang, residents have to rely on the government for water solutions. Hence a few water facilities were built to solve this problem.

It's not because there's a drought of sorts. But due to the earthquake, when the rain falls, harmful minerals poison the water, making it unsuitable for drinking unless it's filtered properly.

Another riverbank devastated.

On the last day of our trip, I woke up at the break of dawn and started going around town.

I finally made my way to the farmers' market (pasar tani).

Packing tomatoes for sale.

An indigenous vegetable similar to serai.

They sell durians by the kilo here, making durian consumption a costly affair as compared to Sarawak.

No stall? No problem. Just shop from your pickup truck.

Feeling hungry, I ventured into a stall and ordered kolo noodles with duck and iced coffee for breakfast. At RM10.50, it's one of the most expensive breakfasts I've had !

Rolling tobacco in front of a sundry shop.

This nice lady allowed me to take her photos.

Sabah kolo mee is a mish mash of Kuching kolo mee ingredients. Can't get used to it unfortunately.

Well that's all for my Sabah trip. Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I did shooting them.

Sabah trip - Kundasang

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 08:03:00 +0000

I was given less than a week's notice to travel to Kundasang and Ranau to report the effects of the earthquake on local businesses. This could be one of the rare chances I'd get an all expenses paid trip to the land below to wind, so I jumped at the opportunity despite having other activities that weekend.

Mount Kinabalu as viewed from Kundasang town. The 6.0 magnitude earthquake displaced tonnes of rock, resulting in the whitish streaks that you see here on the mountain's surface.

We stayed at Cottage Hotel, a small inn in Mesilou. It is built and owned by our guide - Mr Koh.

From afar, you wouldn't be able to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the earthquake, until you go closer and view the rivers.

Mountain debris from the earthquake flowed downstream, destroying riverbanks and bridges.

Several farming areas and guest houses in Kundasang were cut off for two months until this new steel bridge was built.

Again, from afar, everything looks normal for this vegetable farm.

Mr Koh is the manager of the largest vegetable farm in Kundasang.

However, his business is facing a substantial loss as a result of intermittent water supply and a shortage of workers who have kept away after the earthquake.

Because of insufficient water and workers to take care of the vegetables, insects have come to attack the crops and eat them up. These wombok could have been sold for a healthy sum in the market.

A typically vibrant tourist industry at the Mount Kinabalu vicinity came to a standstill in the months of June and July after the earthquake. This boutique hotel, H. Benjamin Residence in Mesilou was badly affected and has just reopened for business.

The hotel staff were cleaning up the restaurant adjacent to the hotel. It had a strong stench.

One of the entrances to Kinabalu parked is still cordoned off.

The rocks and mudslide have decimated roads and bridges in the park.

Build your house on top of the hill, next day it ends up at the bottom.

Disrupted water supplies means a small scale strawberry / guesthouse entrepreneur has no choice but to let her plants die.

I could feel the pain and sadness in her as she spoke about her plants.

Famous Desa Dairy at the foot of the mountains.

You can see the effects of the erosion more clearly in this image.

A view of the Kundasang shop area with Mount Kinabalu in the background.

Tun M's brainchild, Project IC means that many foreigners are permitted to open legitimate businesses in Sabah.

The locals don't seem to have any issues with their foreign friends though.

A typical family outing in Sabah is bringing your whole household to a kopitiam or mamak for a simple meal.

The Kundasang shophouse square has been forsaken since it was first launched by the then deputy minister Tun M in 1980.

Buffet steamboat in Cottage Hotel. Fresh ingredients, limited in selection but it costs RM 40!

The Kapitan of Kundasang town has given up on requesting for government assistance to reconnect water supplies for his crop. He laments, every man for himself.

A souvenir of Mount Kinabalu at the hotel reception.

A worker taking a break while sorting and packing vegetables.

Despite all challenges, tourists are expected to return to Sabah soon when Kinabalu Park reopens in early September, hence alleviating the problems facing businesses in the aftermath of the quake.

MIA GST Conference 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 09:02:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've used my 85mm for events. So yesterday during this MIA conference, I took it out and gave it a good workout.

The lens almost wide open at f/1.6.

Using the lens at such a wide aperture increases the tendency for overexposure to occur, especially with JPEGs. I was on ISO 1250 but yet it makes this dark room appear so bright.

Head shots is where this lens shines.. Such a creamy background, even at f/2.

The 70-200 VR2 always gives the best sharpness even at maximum focal length. No regrets having this lens even though I also have the VR1

Matthew Chong Founder & Group CEO of BRANDKER GROUP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 03:33:00 +0000

Visited Brandker Group HQ in Subang SS15 recently. Brought my lights but the venue was small, hence I needed to work quick and fast.

Fortunately my 85mm lens did the trick. The right amount of compression plus sufficient shallow DOF to cream the background.

Shooting from a higher angle has its benefits if you want to slim down a person.

Thanks for reading.