Skycraper Nightshooting

I was having a meeting last Friday at Clifford building around Raffles Place that lasted to early night. When I came down, the stark silhouette of the tall buildings against a dark royal blue sky interests me. It's a good think that i brought my handy Nikon D40 (I prefer this over my D70 when I'm mobile since it's small and light) so I took some shots. I could've made things brighter, but not having a tripod limits me to around 1/15 shutter speed and 4.5 aperture setting.



More of these shots HERE.

Tales of Two Churches

The above image is that of St. Andrew's church. An Anglican church said to be founded by Sir Stamford Raffles himself. This is a very famous church located in downtown Singapore, flanked by modern buildings from side to side. Being a famous landmark, the church has been photographed from all sides countless of times so turning an original photo is a challenge and the least I want is to turn out another generic image the same of the many tourist that visits the city. I discarded the photos I took from the church's facade and just look around until I found this spot just outside the gate. It still shows the church but with the tree it becomes more dramatic. Most of the time, trees at the front acts as distruction, but I think it worked on this particular piece. And the fact that it is in silhoutte gives the viewer more focus to the church itself. It also seem to lead the eye upward, to the apex of the church's lit tower, which for me is the one strong focal point of the structure. It also, together with the dark atmosphere, helped camouflage the other buildings surrounding that would be distracting to the view.



This is an image of another church (a catholic one this time), the church of St. Teresa in Kampung Bahru. I go here to reflect and meditate. I like going to this church because it is a bit secluded (but really far from my place) and there's a sense of serenity when you're on its grounds. I took this photo just as dusk sat in, giving that royal blue colour to the sky fading to a darker hue above. Again, I didn't put the whole church in the photo, instead concentrated to what I think represented it most.

*********************************************************************

This is a bit late but I wanted to thank both Ipanema and Carey for including me in their "Thinking Blog Award" list.

*********************************************************************

I also wanted to apologize to (few) people who has been reading my comics and didn't see an update for two weeks now. My scanner has been broken and haven't scanned the new pages. I was supposed to shop for a scanner last weekend but my son's birthday took place. hopefully I can get a new (and better) one this weekend, so I can upload a new one this Sunday night.

Happy Birthday

I wish I Could
(Collin Raye)

Looking out my window
See you playing in the leaves
It's amazing how a little boy
Means all the world to me
When I tell you that I love you
I love you more than words can say

Smile, say cheese pretty-please
I wanna take your picture
How'd you ever get so big
I gotta take your picture
Hold on to the memory before the whole thing slips away

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
But I wish I could

When you kiss me for no reason
It goes straight to my heart
When I feel your arms around me
I almost fall apart
It's time for bed you whisper
Daddy, we forgot to pray

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
But I wish I could

And when I watch you sleeping
All my worries fade away
A little bit of heaven glows on your angelic face

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
I know I can't
But I wish I could

Above is a song by Collin Raye that has since became my unspoken anthem when I became a father four years ago. Being blessed is a very profound thing. And each passing day since then I've learned things so insightful I've never even thought of before. like becoming happy with a single smile, or how a simple hug could mean the world, or how telling stories or watching a small person pray at night can make your heart flutter.

FERGUS RAYE, a very happy birthday, son. Your birthday is always a special day to celebrate the gift of "YOU" to the world. Thank you for being a catalyst, an inspiration and educating me how simple things could mean so much.

Goin' Greek

There's something about being Greek that makes them "sexy". I mean, they generally engineered how we look at beauty, set the standards in building construction and established the platforms for politics (most notably democracy), architecture, mathematics, astronomy, art, poetry and literary masterpieces. They made their gods with perfect bodies and whose quintessence is still celebrated by the greatest sports occurrence that carries its collective name.

In high school I learnt about Ptolemy and Phytagoras, and marveled at how they managed to create theories that is made foundations for modern astronomy and mathematics, amazed how the philisopies of Plato and Aristotle are still studied by today's statesmen, the admiration for a lawmaker named Solon by forging a free Athens, and thought with awe how a blind poet can tailor the two most popular book of tragedy and comedy of all time.

Back then life was more simple. And while most other kids my age oggle with "Hustler" in their private time (I did too, sometimes), I sit back in my room weaving in my mind my own tales of Greek armies fighting for freedom and pride, before putting them in paper in comic form. Doing this is a self-healing process for me. Actually it does something more. It gave me my kicks. It made my body inject more endomorphins to my brain while i was at it and I feel good. And like candle with fire, my mind and hand will just synchronize with unknown rhythm sailing into never, never land.

Until...
Bag! bag! Bag! (door knocking)
Me: Yes?!?
Younger brother: Mama said it's your turn to wash the dishes!

Maaan!!!

Water on Cup

There's something about water that fascinates me. It's gentle noise relaxes me, and the soothing image it brings are something I crave for in a bad day. This is just my coffee cup in the sink anyway. Freezed @ 1/3000 a second.

More of my mediocre attempts HERE.

Mother and Son

"For a mother the project of raising a boy is the most fulfilling project she can hope for. She can watch him, as a child, play the games she was not allowed to play; she can invest in him her ideas, aspirations, ambitions, and values-- or whatever she has left of them; she can watch her son, who came from her flesh and whose life was sustained by her work and devotion, embody her in the world. So while the project of raising a boy is fraught with ambivalence and leads inevitably to bitterness, it is the only project that allows a woman to be -- to be through her son, to live through her son."

--Andrea Dworkin