picture of the day - pray & hope
Lens: EF 50mm F/1.8
Focal length: 50.0mm
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: F/4
ISO-400
Lighting: Natural, no flash.
Took this photo during my visit to the Green Mountain Temple (青山岩) in Muara Tebas Kuching.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
first red bomb in 2008
It's the first wedding invitation for year 2008.
A friend has also announced her wedding date this year end.
Again, a heartiest congratulation to the happy couple. :-) (Now, I can use my U2 jacket in this occasion.)
On the other note, I tried shooting with the new Sto-fen Omnibounce diffuser I bought last week. I still can't get the lighting right. Just look at the shots below.
There was no adjustment on the level or curve done on the pics above, and the ones below.
Both shots were taken using 590EX II with both the diffusers I bought. Again, no adjustment were done in PS.
Also, I noticed that when shooting with Stofen, I mostly need to increase my flash compensation to +1/3 step to get better lighting exposure. While shooting with Lambency (aka Tupperware, or the Cup), it hasn't shown that kind of weakness.
I bought Stofen because there are a few photographers using Sto-fen even on outdoor night events, so I thought it could come in handy when I shoot outdoor events, where there are no ceiling to bounce off the flash. But, it isn't working that way so far. Stofen is also less bulky than Lambency, it gives you better convenience to carry it around in your gadget bag.
Has anyone had experience using Stofen before? Do drop me your share of experience here. Thanks!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
bunch of old friends
The bunch of old classmates had a gathering during CNY. Every time this year, we will have people coming back from all over the places, and continent. But the, the size of people coming to the gathering, shrinks over the time. This is understandable due to the commitment everyone has.
Everyone looks so different from last time now. Some have even stepped into parenthood already.
Now my turn to swap a place, from behind the lens to in front of the lens.
Keep in touch my friends! :-)
what happened on valentine's day?
CNY is over now. But I still have CNY related things to post about.
It so happened that Valentine's Day falls on the 8th day of CNY this year. What happened that day? Well, I definitely didn't send any bouquet, nor I had a romantic candle-light dinner.
Instead, I....
... joined in a karaoke session with Irene, Jimmy, Frankie and Adeline. But then, I felt like the odd one out, cos I was the fifth person in the room.
After screaming and yelling in the karaoke room, we were low on energy level. So, we hit the road and head straight to get some food.
When there's food, there'll always be Annna around.
Annna taking picha with her Nokia N-series with N-speedlite.
Irene sui or not?
It has come to my info that someone actually claimed both these ladies look like sisters, you think?
After makan-makan, the gang wanted to take some shots for Valentine's Day post, so we set off to Padungan area.
Last bit not the least, here's another shot of couple of the night. Well, they were the only pair hanging out with us that night.
Valentine's Day 2008.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
jimmy of hornbill annna
What the hell's wrong with the post title? Hmm.. well, that's the title of this photo. It's made of Jimmy of Hornbill Anna. LOL! Sound so wrong.
Just a random post. I'm studying for the Unit Trust (Mutual Fund) Exam. A very last minute effort. LOL!
Friday, February 22, 2008
nba trade deadline deal '08
NBA trade deadline is now over, and there were some big moves triggered by several teams in the dying seconds of the trade window in the league.
Most notable ones are the moves made by Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, both teams are looking to progress with better roster into the playoff in couple months' time.
I'll just highlight the players which the teams are getting from the trade.
Chicago Bulls get:
Drew Gooden (from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Larry Hughs ( from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Shannon Brown ( from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Cedric Simmons (from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Cleveland Cavaliers get:
Ben Wallace (from Chicago Bulls)
Joe Smith (from Chicago Bulls)
Dolente West (from Seattle Supersonics)
Wally Szczerbiak (from Seattle Supersonics)
Seattle Supersonics get:
Ira Newble (from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Donyell Marshall (from Cleveland Cavaliers)
Adrian Griffin (from Chicago Bulls)
and read the rest of the transaction here.
Both Chicago and Cleveland could benefit from the deadline trade running into the playoff. Chicago Bulls have acquired younger frontcourt in Drew Gooden, and with better offensive option (if compared to aging Ben Wallace). Larry Hughes, if healthy, provides one of the best defensive prowess in the league. He's one of the better perimeter defender in the league, which Chicago lacks. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng are probably Bulls' best players, but they aren't known for their defense.
As for Cleveland, Lebron James just found himself surrounded with an upgraded supporting cast, with improved perimeter offense. Both Wally and West are excellent outside shooter. On top of that Joe Smith and Ben Wallace are experienced warhorse, who can provide the inside presence Cleveland needs.
On paper, Cleveland could even field a fearsome lineup in Wallace, Ilgauskas, Lebron, and the ever energetic Varejao. These 'beasts' can throw their bodies on court and dominate the paint. This could be useful against Western Teams like Spurs and Suns, probably Magic too.
Let's see how the story progresses from here onwards. You can read the full trade analysis by NBA.com here.
End note: Sorry, couldn't resist to write another sports review. :-) Happy weekend!
chap goh mei firework
It was Chap Goh Mei yesterday, it was the last time (fingers crossed) people showcase their arsenal depth. The skies were lit up by interesting firework displays, though the number was far too little if compared to the previous year's.
Went over to Friendship Park (马中公园) toshoot some firework display. I went there late, went there after family dinner at grandma's. It seems the epic/peak was over as I arrived.
So, I had to try my luck, see if there are people light up nice ones or not. I guess most of the people there went to sleep early last night.
Anyways, here are two of the shots I had last night.
And last but not the least, I shot this during Valentine's Day. It became a personal favorite. I kinda like the picture as a whole.
What do you think? (Note: The photos weren't taken in RAW format. All were written straight to JPEG.)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
shop at shashinki.com
Since I've gotten the new flash unit -- Speedlite 580EX II, I need to get myself a new diffuser, aka the Tupperware, or the Cup. For those you have seen it before, you should know which one I'm referring to.
The reason is I need to increase the 'cup' size after switching to 580EX II. The size is slightly bigger than of 430EX, hence, the cup I had for 430EX won't fit in. These diffusers are considered rare items, not every camera/photography shop has them on the shelves. So, I decided to do a bit of online shopping.
I browsed through Shashinki.com, that is where I bought my previous diffuser too -- Lambency Flash Diffuser. After placing my order yesterday, 19 February 2008, I got my orders delivered today via Poslaju!
I actually had to wait till almost 6pm before the Pos Malaysia van reached my front gate. Taking that away, it's quite fast actually. To have the order delivered the next 24 hour, it's quite satisfying.
Let's see what's inside the PosLaju package.
Shashinki.com carefully packed the ordered items with the bubble wrap, protecting the fragile items. On the left, there's the blue box, where the Lambency Flash diffuser (aka the Tupperware) is. The domes (4 colors) are place on top of the box, they're also bubble wrapped.
On the left of the picture, the bubble wrap looks bit messy because I have unwrapped it earlier. But when I realised I forgot about snapping photos, I just simply place them back, so that I can snap this photo. Hehe.
When I bought this diffuser for 430EX, it cost me around RM 85. But this time, Shashinki.com has slashed the price to only RM 70.00. It's really a bargain. The diffuser produces amazing, satisfying lighting effect.
It's a bargain! If you're looking for a diffuser, give this a serious consideration. The only drawback is it's quite bulky. That's why me and Pazuzu, both Canon user, sometimes left the diffuser at home, or in the car.
There are three items in the bubble wrap:
- Stofen Omni-bounce
- Battery holder (8xAA)
- Memory card storage (holder)
Item #1: Sto-fen Omni-bounce
I didn't take the picture of that diffuser itself, will show next time la. Next, the battery holder.
Item #2: PowerRex Battery Holder (8xAA)
A battery holder sure comes in handy for you to get your camera bag organized. You need these batteries for either your flash, or your battery grip. Fit in just nice to your camera bag.
The last item -- Matin Multi-card storage.
This storage/holder helps you with getting your camera bag organized. You don't have to worry where you placed or misplaced your storage card. You don't have to leave your memory cards, be it CF or SD, or even Memory Sticks, scattered unorganized in your bag.
This box can hold multiple types of memory cards! It can hold up to 4 CFs. I wish I had gotten this earlier, before I lost my 2GB CF in one of my wedding assignments last year. =(
This useful tool comes with quite a reasonable price too.
Last but not the least, another example of shooting with pop-up flash on 350D, and with Canon Speedlite 580EX II.
The picture on top is shot with the pop-up flash on Canon EOS 350D. You can see a shadow cast on the photography subject. However, with the swivel head of Speedlite 580EX II, you can do bounce light of your ceiling, distributing the flash onto your object. That should give you a better coloring on your pictures.
Now, I'm pretty much geared up for my next shoot. I feel good!
kidd to mavs deal finalized
It's done.
The most speculated trade is finally penned. Jason Kidd is back to where he started his NBA career -- Dallas Maverick.
There has been a string of blockbuster trade recently, when the Lakers started with acquiring center/forward Pau Gasol from Memphis Grizzlies. Phoenix Suns followed the trend by swapping Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks with Miami Heat center Shaquille O'neal. Mike Bibby will be donning Atlanta Hawks jersey after spending several years in Sacramento Kings.
It is reported that both team had to come up with a unique proposal to make this transaction happen, which involves bringing Keith Van Horn, who hasn't played since 2006 Playoff, to fulfill the financial requirement in this deal.
Whatever that deal is, this sums up the latest blockbuster trade, which involves eight players in total.
The Mavericks get:
Jason Kidd, PG, 35 yrs old
Malik Allen, PF, 29 yrs old
Antoine Wright, F-G, 24 yrs old
The Nets get:
Devin Harris, PG, 24 yrs old
Gana Diop, C, 26 yrs old
Trenton Hassell, SF, 28 yrs old
Moe Ager, F-G, 24 yrs old
Keith Van Horn, F, 32 yrs old
Kidd is one of the best point guard in the game, all-time, will surely be seeking the elusive NBA title in his illustrious NBA career.
Hmm.. I just can't help but to put on all these sports and movie reviews, and also some updates/news on the entertainment industry lately. They just draw my attention a bit, so I'm just gonna share it with you all here.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
obituary: lydia shum 沈殿霞 (1947 - 2008)
Hong Kong entertainment industry has just lost an iconic figure in Lydia Shum (沈殿霞), as she passed away at 08:38 a.m. (HK Time) this morning.
I remembered watching her comedies and movies when I was young. It was sad to learn about her departure.
She has been struggling with chronic ailments throughout the years, and only had the illness worsened in recent years. That was when her health development became main concern in the local media.
She was 60, (21 July 1847 - 19 February 2008). You can read more about her Wikipedia write up here.
May she rest in peace.
my new toys
Updated and Edited: Scroll down to read the updates.
I bought new toys last Saturday, and they are...
A replacement to my old and entry-level tripod, which served for its last time on the late night of CNY Day 3.
Since my previous tripod was consider entry-level, which I got it about half a decade ago along with my first digital camera -- Canon Powershot A70, it was very light-weighted, and very unstable. It was even prone to shock wave from a concern stage a yard away.
So, I decided to get a serious replacement. Manfrotto is the leading brand for professional tripods and lighting stand, and its price range lies way out from my budget. -_- So I have to forget about getting that, at least for now.
So, I got a recommendation from the taukeh on this Digipod.
Somehow I feel that I've seen that Digipod logo somewhere. Don't you think so? (scroll up)
Hmm.. I got rid of the box on the spot, and it doesn't come with other form of technical specification. So, I don't know how tall this tripod can stand at its maximum height, and how much it weighs. Dang, should have kept that box myself, but one thing for sure it exceeds 5 ft. This piece is heavier than my entry-level tripod, but it is still considered light, so it eases your convenience to bring it around for traveling. It has a S-hook at the bottom of the tripod, you can add on weight to the hook to stabilize the tripod in windy condition.
That was the first of two toys I got.
The second toy is..
Hmm.. let's just say photos look much nicer with the aid of the presence of flash. It gives better lighting to the photographs we take. All my previous photos were taken with an on-loan Speedlite EX430. I appreciate the generosity for that Speedlite owner to loan the flashgun to me for such a lengthy period of time. Thanks man!
So, I have decided it's time for me to get my own gun..
The flashgun shown above doesn't belong to me, I googled it somewhere. Hehe.
Updated: Since Irene lodged a feedback, here's the response to that. (click for larger view)
Both picture in the set are taken with the same camera setting, i.e. shutter speed, apertures, WB, ISO.. etc. Just that the one on left is taken with pop-up flash on the camera, while the right one is with Speedlite 580EX II. The one on right was taken with the flash bounce off my ceiling here, and the picture is bit yellowish, because I have a yellow wall here. LOL.
The example here is not that clear though, LOL my bad. The one on left should show harsher flash hit, but because I have reduced the Flash Exp Com setting within the camera menu, it's bit softer. And the one on the right shows softer flash hit, because it bounced off the ceiling here, the ceiling is already a huge piece of reflector cum diffuser.
LOL. Oops.. I just burnt a hole in my pocket! But I guess it's all good, as I have just expanded my photography inventory.
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