Art in split second

We all know the value of time. Even a factor of a minute is gold especially if like me, you commute by bus or train. And it's frustrating to see your bus or train went off just before you reach the loading platform. Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.

Beauty is relative with time. The finest wines are getting better as they age, while women are at their loveliest at youth. Flowers bloom with seasons, and trees shed at fall.

Sometimes though, beauty come and go without us noticing it, within our everyday lives. It happens in a split of a second, and then its gone. Beauty that dies as soon as it bore life. Thanks to imaging, we can freeze time and capture moments.




More of this set of images HERE.

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.

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

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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.

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.

Closing Up!

Some Macro shots I've tried in my Nikon D70 with a Nikkor 50mm lens reverse.

fergus' battery- operated toobrush. This is really small.


Since losing weight, Jean's wedding ring has become lose.


Beauty in the most unexpected way


Strands of my body scrubbing net


Tip of an old faucet cap at the back alley

The Quest for Visual Poetry

Realization is amusing. It's the shift of thought from the present into the more "higher" level of thinking, analyzing from the facts and conditions that has been going on so far, and evaluate them to make an assessment for future references and goals. It's this phenomenon that make brides run away before their weddings, or make someone miss his flight to do something important-- or foolish.

I was in the Esplanade last weekend, and in the 3 pm sun was busy taking snapshots with my camera. But while taking shots after shots after shots, it dawned on me: I wasn't really satisfied with what I do. I was not happy. I mean, not with the pictures I was taking, since I know it's pretty descent even to the trained eye. What I meant is that I woke up to the realization that I was doing what most of the photographers there doing-- taking photographs of the surrounding nice views and the magnificent towering buildings afar. Is this really I wanted to do? I guess it was the artist in me shouting within the deep corners of my brain, or rather more like an awakening from the constant insinuation of the devil (the somewhat opposite to the guardian angel, get me?)in your head.

I stopped. And I looked at the number of people taking snapshots after snapshots, from the one with the most mediocre camera to the one with the most high- end, state-of-the- art equipment. Though the result will differ (there's a dramatic difference), they will still end up taking the same pictures. Like the ones i took. And that made my intentions cold.

I went home--frustrated. I need to find a better focus on what I will do with the lens. I guess I've been too preoccupied by the beautiful and colourful pictures of the magazines and tutorials I read and learned from that I forgot what I really want to do with it.

I know I have to went on with the camera, but it would be different now. And when I post photographs again in here, it's because it is ME and it mirrors my emotions. Not because I wanted it to end up in some magazine covers or travel brochures or on-line photo polls. It would be there because like drawing or painting, it will be just another unique expression of unverbalized feelings. A fresh breath from the soul. A primal manifestation of outlook and mindset that are unexplainable in any given language.

Caught Time

More shots...

Photoblogging

Some SLR Shots...