My Favourite Shots

Water magic

2011-02-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

What the eye cannot see, the camera captures. At shutter speeds of 1000 and above, water is beautiful.

Interesting people

2010-09-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

People that I found fascinating at MacRitchie Reservoir.

Saris

2010-09-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

I have never worn a sari and would love to wear one someday. These ladies were headed for a temple probably for some important temple ceremony. I just love the colours for they really make a bright day even brighter.

Pleasure to be out this morning

2010-09-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Granny and grandchild wondering what it must be like to be on that yacht.

Always here

2010-08-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

These balustrades are like silent guards at the seafront of the Changi coastal walk. They have been freshly painted and look like smart soldiers waiting for inspection.

You look like me!

2010-08-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

Cheeky looking baby lion beckoning the little girl to come and play.

Spur of the moment click of the camera.

Won't you come home with me?

Workman

2010-08-13T00:56:00.000-07:00

I like to steal shots like this. The shot was not planned. It was just at the spur of the moment accompanied with a prayer that the camera would not let me down with poor focusing.

Vehicle

2010-08-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for time to pass and from where I was sitting I only had the traffic to entertain me and of course the best way to observe the things around me was to look out for something that would make an interesting picture. The original of this picture was much bigger and so I cropped it to zoom in on the rickshaw againgst the colourful bus.

West Coast Downpour

2010-08-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

It was a day the sky fell down to earth in an unceasing torrential downpour that lasted a whole morning. At West Coast Park the entire population of a particular school was gathered for a running event. The black clouds approached with no mercy and unleashed their anger on us. There I was stranded at MacDonalds looking out of the window on my right while the body of school boys packed MacDonalds like sardines in a can on my left. It was getting boring when suddenly I spotted this umbrella with the blue sky and white clouds and I was cheered up for a while. Too bad the foul weather did not let up but MacDonalds did a roaring business on that day.

MPH Bookstore

2010-07-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

When I was in school, the bookstore that was like the Borders of our time was the MPH bookstore in this building. Alas, MPH moved out of this building and all I have are just memories. A consolation is that the building is still in its original form.

Changi Village

2010-07-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

Colours always brighten up a day!

Friendship

2010-06-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

The first photograph has to absolutely be my favourite shot. The rest are just to show how appreciative I was of the lunch that my friend had asked her husband to buy back for us during my visit at her house. The pancakes, laksa, prawn noodles and vegetarian bee hoon were the special treats bought from a market near her house. We do not see each other often but when we do we always have a memorable time together.

A journey through the sky

2010-03-21T23:26:00.001-07:00

A journey from the western part of Singapore towards Changi Airport may be a breeze for the driver who enjoys driving but for the passenger, it can be terribly boring doing nothing except look out of the window. So I thought it would be fun to just document my trip by recording the sky.

Labrador Park Sunday favourites

2010-03-21T04:46:00.000-07:00

These clouds inspired me to sing the song "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell as I walked along the sea front. The beginning of the song goes like this: "Bows and flows of angel hair, and ice-cream castles in the air and feather canyons everywhere, I've look at clouds that way."
Brought to me by the powers of my 18x zoom.
She reminds of Alice in Wonderland, barefoot and inquisitive. This little girl broke away from a family group and had her worried mother calling out for her.

Father and Son

2010-03-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

Father and son spending time at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Will the kid remember this moment when he becomes a teenager? I wonder. Right then what caught my attention was really the kid's outfit. If he does not remember this outing, he might remember what he was wearing for better or for worse.

My son told me that when he was a kid he used to hate a particular T-shirt because the label at the collar irritated him every time he wore it. Yet he bore with the irritation because he was only a kid and he did as he was told. No protests because his parents did not know the extent of his suffering. If only he had said, "Mum could you remove the label because it is irritating me terribly?" Perhaps he did and I was not listening. Perhaps he did not and I had no idea.

Communication cannot be silent between parents and children. What is not expressed is not communicated and what is expressed may not be communicated. It takes mutual effort to want to get through to each other. With children, you need to be very patient in getting them to share their thoughts with you. When they do, it will be a joy.

Writing in the Sky

2010-03-05T01:16:00.000-08:00

It was written in the sky
in cloud characters
spilled across the blue heaven
like tea leaves, read them
The weather is fine!

Banana fans

2010-03-03T01:56:00.000-08:00

They look like they were getting ready to entertain us with a dance, these combs of banana arranged so neatly and compactly high above.

Chinese Clogs

2010-02-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

Hey I have not seen these Chinese wooden clogs for some years now. When I was a kid, my mum would always make sure that she bought three or four pairs of these to replace the ones bought during the previous Chinese New Year. There were smaller pairs for children and there were also those with hour-glass shaped wooden platforms. I used to love them for they were so feminine especially when there were flower designs painted on the plastic flap.

I am nostalgic just recalling the din made by the wearers of these clogs - click-clack, click-clack, click-clack. We used to put these clogs in the bathrooms and never wore them out.

These clogs could also be used as weapons if you happened to be waylaid by characters wanting to rob you and they could also be used to 'ta siew yan' (In Cantonese this means that the clog can be used symbolically to clobber your enemies should you suspect them of maligning you or doing things to make your life miserable). Nowadays, people use technology to get even with each other. This certainly cannot compare with the old methods of using clogs to do the job.

Ah, my childhood memories!

Hibiscus in my garden

2010-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Tell me where is the magic flower
that changes one's view of the world?

We open a window and step out of a door
to search for something not in our room
When we reach the outside we think we are free
never looking back at what we have left behind

Left behind

2010-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

I was sitting on the edge of a pond in the Singapore Botanic Gardens one morning admiring the beautiful water lilies when I noticed this strange insect clinging to this brightly coloured water lily.

Leaning forward to take a closer look I realised that it was not alive anymore. It looked like the insides of the insect have disintegrated leaving behind a perfect transparent casing. What a discovery!
So I took it up and played around with my camera to get these shots.

Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

2010-01-30T23:32:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this picture of this old Malay lady sitting by herself probably waiting for her family members who have gone inside the park for a walk. I like the posture, facial expression of wishing that she could have walked along with her family members. I like the strong leaf prints on her kebaya and yes, it is rather sad to see an old lady whose legs are too weak to walk even a short distance but who is otherwise alert and healthy. This could be her family going out to meet her towards the end of their walk.

I have no idea what these ladies are catching. Probaby some kind of shrimps or tiny fish.
It must be lovely to dip one's feet in the clear cool water of the quarry pond.
Taking a lunch break perhaps.

2010-01-25T03:11:00.000-08:00

My favourite elements of nature - water and greenery. Looks like a wonderful office to work at.

Labrador Park

2010-01-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

I achieved this effect where most of the metal poles were sharp using a small apperture. It helped that the time of day was bright and sunny and oh so very hot.
Initially I picked this photo as one of my favourites because of the patterns of the table. Then it hit me that the design of the table was by someone else, not me and I did nothing to make this picture a unique creation other than just photographing what was there - the creation of another. This is an important insight that made me realise that creative photography is more than what meets the eye.

Egyptian exhibits

2010-01-14T06:11:00.000-08:00

Life does not end with death because death is just a transition into an afterlife, another being. Never has history been so interesting and I wish that the history lessons of my day were not confined solely to the teacher and the textbook. These photos were taken after checking with the security personnel if photo-taking was allowed. As long as we did not use the flash, photography was permitted. These are my favourite shots because I was pleased that I was able to get some decent photos despite the low lighting. I used an ISO of 800 on the average and held my breath to reduce camera shake.
The exhibition is here at the the National Museum of Singapore. The entry fee is around $16 for adults though you could get a 50% discount if you use a certain credit card to pay for the tickets. Students enjoy free admission, so if you are a student, bring along your student card.

Interesting ladies.

2010-01-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Caribbean Cruise Legend of the Sea to Penang. I was attracted by the interesting attire.

A Chinese Cultural event at Bras Basah complex. These dancers were from China.

Dancing feet.

Catography

2010-01-02T02:34:00.000-08:00

If I had cat I would have named it Mao because my daughter said that if she had one she would have named it Adolf (Not funny mum!). The fact is I don't have a cat and guess I never will because cats don't really care very much for humans. Though I am not a cat lover I do photograph them a lot. Stray cats that are photography potentials anywhere I see them are usually quite cooperative. Only some would sprint away when I approach. It helps to speak their language and so if you see a woman meowing at a cat at a HDB void deck it could be me.

Malacca photos

2009-12-27T07:26:00.001-08:00

This photo was taken after we checked into our Makhota Hotel apartment on the ninth floor in the late afternoon. I like the combination of colours. All these photos were taken with my Olympus camera with the 10X zoom lens.

Sunset on the mosque partially hidden by the disused building in the foreground.

Like the previous two photos, this one of the swimming pool was taken from the balcony of the apartment.

Mahkota Hotel as seen from the jetty.

The jetty is now revitalised with a restaurant, internet cafe and a spa.

Eye on Malaysia a short distance away.

The fishing boats come in every afternoon with their catch.

This stretch of the beach is called Klebang.

Mothers all over the world are the same.

The best coconut ice-cream shake that y0u can get by the side of a road and under the shade of canvas tents.
Goreng pisang to go with the coconut ice-cream shake.

What machine is this?

North-south highway, going home.

Sunday's favourites

2009-12-13T01:41:00.000-08:00

The truth is that I have been very inspired by the photographs in the book "Zheng He" that I bought on Saturday. Have I said once before that I had wanted to be a photo journalist? If the saying goes that it is never too late to do anything in life then I can resume that dream or resume dreaming.

I like this chance shot - clicked at the right time.

A recycled replacement for the Christmas tree star. The Christmas tree was decorated by the British Council and stands amongst many in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

A Kuwati Christmas.

A shot to test the effects of using a large apperture setting.

Aross the Palm Valley I got these two shots with my tele lens.

Mozart looking very hot and bothered. Who wouldn't, the temperature was madness, the sun was merciless...
...and this umbrella was of no help.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-12-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

Reminds me of youth - so much energy, so many interests, clawing at the future.

Fungi in a cheerful environment. Don't waste space, reach out as much as we can. The painful process of growing. Makes me think of lava flows.

Who visits the Singapore Botanic Gardens?

2009-12-07T05:47:00.001-08:00

Mother and child.

Mother and daughters.

Silver-haired man and spouse.

Old lady and maid.

Kid on a bike with helmet and crocs.

Mum and Mickey mouse biker.

Family of joggers.

Kids from Scandinavia.

Cocker Spaniel.

Slam dunk wannabe.

Lady and pet.

Kid still relying on an extra set of wheels.

Here comes the babies in prams.

I like this photo.

Visitors from India.

Visitors from Malaysia.

The kiddy bikes are a a lot fancier than those when I was a kid.

Photos taken with the Olympus C750UZ with a 10x optical zoom.

Passing through

2009-11-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

Shopping is not something I want to do. Instead of accumulating material stuff, I want to be discarding them. Seriously we live with too much clutter in our lives.
Even nature is so cluttered up in some places.

Chinatown

2009-11-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

She should not be walking alone.

A familiar face on TV - Mediacorp artiste looking straight at me even though I was far away.

Colour unites.I like this one best - they make work look like fun.

Budhist Monks

2009-11-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Monks waiting for their bus to pick them up outside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown.

Sunday places

2009-10-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

Listening to the waves.

Waiting for the God of Fortune to appear.

Appreciating the hard labour of this lone foreign worker hanging heavy Christmas ornaments on a tree from a cherry picker.

Watching a Ferarri roar by.

A humble yellow taxi followed.

Are you surprised by the power of money?

If you have the money, you might go home in a Ferrari. If you don't you will get home too.

Tibetan Temple at Jalan Besar

2009-10-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

Cantonese Opera

2009-10-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Chinese opera when the moon was at its fullest, roundest and biggest and I saw it at the opera. This billboard is the perfect reminder of a memorable evening spent gazing at the Four Legendary Beauties of Ancient China instead of looking at the moon in the sky.

Dragonfly or is it a Damselfly?

2009-10-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

Anything that moves in the air is always a target for my camera. I like to photograph birds but they are usually too swift or too far away for me to capture images of them with my point-and-shoot camera. There were times when I carry a DSLR around with the specific intention to photograph these creatures of the sky and I have got good shots of kingfishers using a zoomz (er, zoom) Nearer to me and usually more cooperative are the dragonflies or damselflies that hover around water plants like water lilies and lotuses. I have plenty of those shots especially of the red damselflies.

These photos are my favourite firstly because I have never seen a dragonfly that is of such a deep blue colour that I mistook for black when I first saw it. I had to approach it very carefully so as not to frighten it away.

It flew around a little and decided to settle on this twig. A slight wind blew and the dragonfly seemed to tighten its grasp on the twig.
It did not fly away even though my camera was almost 10cm away.

I wonder what it saw when I was so close to it. Multiples of a giant with a measuring instrument? I don't know really.

It did not seem to care while I tried to get the camera to focus as sharply as possible. I was not very successful as the light was fading as the sun prepared to retire for the night.

I did have fun trying to get to know this creature better.

Sunday Evening - Little India

2009-10-12T02:10:00.000-07:00

Taken from the many shots while walking around Little India yesterday evening.

Beautiful architecture from the past.

What delicious curries could be made with these vegetables?

Waiting for a haircut outside a barber shop. You could do your groceries next door after that.

Colours of nature waiting to be picked.

The Gods are there to bless everyone for the festive season.

Garlands for prayers.

A Tibetan temple nearby.

Sunday Morning, Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-10-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Blessings for the day from an angel.

Food for energy to walk around the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Indian Rojak - Tauhu, tempeh, potato, sesame dough.

Three dancing sisters.

Onions on the bark.

A tiny butterfly or moth posing for me.

Fern leaves radiant with the sun behind them.

I like these two photos very much.

The ideal family - mum, dad and obedient kids.