Superstar ...

Literally.... I was experimenting with the camera metering when I took this picture not long ago.

Daydream...

Lately no time to snap photos ... daughter was sick last weekend and this weekend hubby's away for a cycling event... desperate for some posting... here's one from my archive...Just loved those white clouds floating the clear blue sky. There are times when I looked out to the sky during working hours and saw magnificent clear blue sky and told myself "I should be outside photographing those glorious sky and not stuck in this office!".

My new toy

Got myself an AF 85 mm f/1.8D after resisting for 2 months. Original plan was to get a 50mm f1.8D as it was the cheapest good bokeh lens affordable. Then again, I figure that it's no point getting the same lens like brother's as we won't have the chance to explore other lens' capability ( unless super rich lah...then can get entire Nikkor lens collection...money don't grow on tree unfortunately ).

So tahan-tahan the pain to my pocket and buy the 85 mm ( after all, we suffer so much at work mah...gotta pamper ourselves a bit ). So now can share-share use with my brother, especially since he's doing wedding photography too ... might come handy. But of course the 85 mm and 50 mm is different genre of lenses and angle view. Let's see what this lens can do as I do more shots with it...

Some samples of shots with this new lens ... yummy bokeh ...

Little Red Elk as my subject

Hubby's roadie ... bike already so handsome,

use 85 mm lagi handsome lah... :)

My first potrait with this lens... The Artist @ Work again..

Walkabout in Georgetown

Took the opportunity to snap some photos as Monday was replacement holiday for Saturday's Governor's Birthday. Haven't really got the chance to do this as weekends are normally spent for family matters and cycling.With my daughter off to kindy, I can slowly take my time to do my shots. Hubby is my driver for the day ( studying "pakthology" at the same time ...hahaha ). Here are some shots of the place we seldom get to see... I didn't even noticed the monument in front of the High Court before this!

Sun Yat Sen Museum/ Memorial Centre, Macalister Road

Close-up view of The Three Patriots Statue

Who are The Three Patriots ?

Entrance of the Memorial Centre builiding

Menara Centennial Methodist, Madras Lane. Just loved the dark grey and tall structures. Simple yet majestic.

Chinese Methodist church, located just next to Menara Centennial Methodist

SRJK(C) Hu Yew Seah - Almost 100 years of history

Logan Memorial opposite Penang High Court - I never noticed this structure before until now ! Tribute to the contributions of James Richardson Logan Some of the inscriptions on the biography have been eroded Another view of the memorial

Fort Cornwallis -

Ready for action ... but I think cannot fire lah the cannon :) The infamous Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower near the Langkawi bound jetty

More photos of Penang's Heritage places to come as I'm planning for a photography outing with my friend, Swee Fang.

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone...

Taking a gamble to bring my D90 with me on my long distance cycling as I desperately wanted to cycle and also snap some photos. Saturday evening threatened to rain and call off my Sunday morning ride plans with my cam. Thank God ( Hallelujah ! ) by morning, the drizzle has stopped and what greeted me as I looked out of the windows is the sight of the rising sun at 6.30 am. Quickly got ready and started out... cool crisp air... Below the sight that greets me at my apartment's clubhouse.

It's a sunny day after all !

Route taken :

Desaria - Jln Tun Dr. Awang - Jln Yeap Chor Ee - Green Lane - Youth Park - Jln Bagan Jermal - Gurney Drive - Esplanade - Jln Gereja -after that lost track of the roads in town ( it is an experience riding in Georgetown where normally there's lots of cars ) -Penang road - Jelutong highway - passed Jerejak Resort jetty - Queensbay Mall - cut through Lebuhraya Kampung Jawa - PSDC - Jalan Tengah - back to Desaria.

Met some really nasty drivers at some junctions whereby I wanted to go straight ( and I put my hand out to signal I'm going straight ) and they still they sapu corner despite seeing cyclist already halfway thru the juction. If I've had it my way, probably I'm dead by now... there are also drivers shooting out of junctions without taking a look for on-coming cars/bikes/ cyclist. That is why you will never see me"fly" down the slopes on the roads with junctions as I'm afraid of meeting this breed of people. For all you know, they will just leave you to die there if any accident happens.

1459 kcal and 49++ km later, this is what I got... phew...not as easy as I thought and I don't think I will do it anymore for the time - reason being ...

1) My sunglasses got all fogged up when I stopped to take photos ( doesn't help that I'm short- sighted and have to keep my glasses on to take photos ) 2) My bagpack isn't really build for storing camera - taking out the cam proves to be kinda pain in the neck experience cos I put my cam in ziplock bag just in case in rains )

3) My camera almost suffered bodily injury when I took out from the backpack- luckily I have the habit of holding both the strap and lens... else you won't be able to read this post :) My lens got dismounted from the body ( must've accidentally unlocked the lens when putting back the cam into the bag earlier on ).

Anyway, after Esplanade I stopped taking photos as I find it too cumbersome following the 3 reasons above. Also wanted to head home earlier as the sun is up.

The newly erected entrance of Youth Park.

The Gurney Drive roundabout

Low tide at Oriental Restaurant end of Gurney Drive.

Trying my hands on silhouette shot at the other end of Gurney Drive.

E&O Hotel ...celebrating it's 125th years anniversary...

City Hall building at Esplanade

Lastly, reached Esplanade just in time to see Star Pisces docking at the Swettenham Pier.

Panning ...

Panning is photography technique that gives the photo shot a feeling of speed and movement. The basic working principle is to pan your camera along with moving object and get a RELATIVELY sharp image with blurred background. It always fascinates me before this on how this type of image is created and now I learned thru here and below are some of the results ...

This toy car is actually moving really slow

but look what panning did to it!