On the way home I saw a tourist!

On the way home I saw a tourist!, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Took this photo in Cambodia, in the floating village of Chong Kneas on the Tonle Sap lake.. Think this boat of girls were on their way home.. Converted to B&W because the colours weren't superb.. and think this makes it look better somehow because it really brings out the simplicity of their lives and evokes a nice feeling.. I especially like the eye contact with the last two girls.. :)

Today I went out with my gf and her NUS friends to ECP to cycle.. then had dinner at Parkway Parade.. Quite fun.. haha.. just finished sorting my photos from the trip.. took 2891 altogether on my camera, selected 270 for processing, out of which 40 are butterflies and maybe 50 are of me and/or my gf.. :) so hang in there for more!

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Colour.

Colour., originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Was staying in a resort in Vang Vieng, Laos.. Didn't plan to stay there, but the person offered a free tuk tuk ride and a reasonable price, so we took a look, and saw over 50 butterflies flittering about the bushes and flowers.. that sealed it for me!! haha.. plus the small bungalow we had was very nice, and had a view of the river and mountains!

This was one of the butterflies i took, chose to show this one first because i think the colour of the butterfly, while plain, is nicely accentuated by the background.. Processed in Lightroom to bring out the colour (actually just increased the exposure a little bit..)

Anyway, yesterday, me, ray, liz and our respective partners, nic, farid and ys met up for dinner! We had a great time in Swenson's.. and i found myself talking almost non-stop! sorry guys! but honestly, i think i really missed them.. and well, now that we are graduating, will miss them even more.. but thats life right? and anyway, our friendship should be strong enough to last for a lifetime.. due to the quantum mechanical, rotational, and 3-dimensional forces that bind.. haha.. :)

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon 500D

When is it my turn?

When is it my turn?, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey Everyone!!

Sorry i took a while to post since i got back two days ago.. still in the holiday mood.. :)

Anyway, in terms of photographs, this trip was not as intensive as my 20GB Europe trip last year.. Somehow didn't feel very inspired.. haha.. Shared cameras with my gf, and haven't looked at the photos from there yet, but it might possibly be problematic deciding who took what.. haha..

Food wise, I loved this trip.. tasted so many good foods, fruit shakes and fresh fruits everyday!!!

Think the S$1500 for 18 days was quite worth it.. With better planning we could have possibly saved even more actually..

Anyway, back to this photo.. took this in Vang Vieng Laos, when we were walking out for dinner.. Find that its a pretty interesting picture, and the facial expression of the boy watching is very strong, the "i want to play too" look.. then the boy playing has the "i don't want to lend you" look.. haha..

till next time!

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Blue Dragonfly

Blue Dragonfly, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey people.. This is the last post for 18 days!! Because I am going to start my grad trip tonight/tomorrow morning!!

I would like to thank my friends and family and girlfriend for being supportive of this hobby of mine.. without them I would probably not be as good.. I would also like to thank those of you who come and check out this blog, and hope that you like my photos.. perhaps enough to start on this hobby as well??

Today I had to nice comments about my photos, one from my dad's colleague, another from my friend's friend's friend.. Kinda made my day!! Anyway, do tag your comments if any, they'll be very appreciated..

So, this photo of a blue dragonfly, not very inspired i guess, but still a nice specimen, and sharp too.. i took this on the trail to the Macritchie Tree Top Walk.. Quite a tiring trail to walk, lugging the D40 + 70-300mm VR + 18-70mm + Canon 500D + spare batteries + water bottle + the heat!!!

So anyway, till the 16th of June, take care and have fun!! :)

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Girls on a bike B&W

Girls on a bike B&W, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Well well.. enough of nature photos i think.. here's one i took quite a while back at east coast park.. processed it to give it a little vignetting and converted it to B&W for more "feel"..

What i like about it is that it is a candid shot, and an interesting subject on the right hand third line, where she is texting on her phone while cycling..

what do you think?? Like it or not?

Taken with Nikon D40 + 55-200mm VR

Work of Nature

Work of Nature, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey hey.. took this photo in the Botanic Gardens again!! a pity i felt i didn't spend enough time there.. but oh well..

What I like about this photo is that it has a very dark background which lets the flower stand out more.. also, there is a sense of balance with the flower and its unopened bud.. I think.. but most of all i like the colour of the flower.. :) It looks very delicate don't you think??

Anyway, I went to the Tree Top Walk at Macritchie yesterday.. But dunno if i have time to go and process them cos got to prepare for my SEA trip.. leaving this Thursday and will only be back on the 15th of June.. :)

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Self Reflection

After looking through my blog, I noticed that I like to take nature photos recently.. Its either a butterfly or a flower or a bird.. And another thing is that I like colour.. bold strong colour, bright colours.. Hmmm.. Kinda interesting.. But somehow I think that this is just a phase la.. maybe next time i'll move into portraits.. Anyway, what do you think of my photos so far? Hopefully i'm improving.. Anyway, i know its not really your cup of tea la.. haha.. ciao..

Little Heron

Little Heron, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hello!! Saw the new Indiana Jones movie today.. My dad had free tickets from Standard Chartered, and they even had buffet breakfast and free popcorn and drinks.. haha.. cool right?

Anyway, the movie was okay, can really see that Harrison Ford is older, story wise its incredible as usual.. but perhaps more incredible than the rest so far.. Aliens!!

Okay, back to the main purpose of this post.. This Little Heron was spotted by my girlfriend (way to go dear!!) and i managed to snap over 20 photos of it before it flew away.. watching it stare intently into the water waiting for fish was quite cool cos its really really patient!! but it soon noticed us and started walking.. and this is a photo of it walking.. haha.. I find it very cute and much better looking than its larger heron cousins..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Cycad Blue

Cycad Blue, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Took this Cycad Blue butterfly yesterday at the Botanic Gradens.. FInally!! The place was huge!! I walked and walked until my feet hurt.. haha.. But in the process I saw lots of birds, from sunbirds, to parrots to bulbuls to swans and my favourite yesterday, the Little Heron! some butterflies, some flowers, and lots of plants and trees filled up the rest of the time..

Took like maybe 50 shots of this butterfly, had to kneel on the floor, and boy oh boy did my knees hurt in the process.. haha.. but it was worth it when i saw this photo.. gorgeous isn't it?! It was pretty hard to ID this one as there are quite a few with the same type of colour and even the tail.. Anyway, this one is a Cycad Blue or a Chilades Pandava Pandava in Scientific terms.. haha.. Note the orange patch at the bottom of the wing and the white tipped tail.. I like this one!!

taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon 500D

Water Lily

Water lily, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey Guys,

I'm back from Malaysia.. think I really had a blast cos ate so many nice stuff!! Penang Char kway teow, Penang Laksa etc etc.. Even my girlfriend had a blast!!

Only sad thing was I had a fever for a day, that included headaches for most of the day and caused me to miss a 8 course restaurant dinner.. :(

Anyway, this photo is taken in my Uncle's garden, using a close up filter lets me get really close, a nice side effect of which is the blurring of the out of focus areas..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon 500D

Inspiration for stitching?

Inspiration for stitching?, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hi everyone!!

This is one photo i just happened to look at again.. and the natural lighting and colours just jumped out at me.. haha..

I took this one in the Singapore Zoo in January this year, there was this tiny trail called the "Tiger trail" and it was there that i found this shot, simply by looking up.. haha.. the sun wasn't too harsh, the fronds had interlaced and formed this nice pattern!!

Anyway, I'll be going to visit my Grandmother in my hometown in Malaysia tomorrow.. bringing my girlfriend too.. :) so will only be back to update on Tuesday!

Taken with Nikon D40 + 55-200mm VR

My first Dragon Fly Photo

My first Dragon Fly Photo, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Well well.. this dragonfly photo was my first one ever! And I liked it quite a lot then.. but now, looking at it there are ares to be improved, like composition and the blown out whites on the plant.. but otherwise, I liked the colour and details of the dragonfly, especially in the wings..

This was taken in the zoo last year by the way, can't wait to go to the Botanical Gardens!!

Taken with Nikon D40 + 55-200mm VR

Common Grass Yellow

Common Grass Yellow, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Took this butterfly before i took the kingfisher.. it was next to University hall, and it was the only one out of maybe 6 to land long enough for me to focus and take a photo.. so you have to excuse the composition!!

if there wasn't that branch in the background, i think this would have been a pretty nice shot! but oh well, it is a pretty nice butterfly anyway.. haha.. my second one out of Singapore's 286 species!! haha..

Happy Mother's Day!! Today me and my siblings woke up early (6am) to make pancakes for my mom.. haha.. think they came out quite nicely!! So she was quite touched i think.. then for lunch we had sushi at Yotei (the new name of Genki Sushi) in Marina Square, then ice cream at Andersen's of Denmark, then played pool for 1 and a half hours before going home..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon 500D

White Collared Kingfisher

White Collared Kingfisher, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey hey.. look what i found outside the Year 2 Phyiscs lab?? A white collared kingfisher that made its nest somewhere there!! :) I first saw a pair at Buona Vista MRT in February but i didn't have my 70-300mm yet.. then when I got the lens, the birds had left..

So i was really quite happy to find this pair in school.. on thursday after my last paper i went to physics and camped there for maybe an hour or two to take photos of this kingfisher and found its nest too..

Cropped it in Lightroom because it was still kinda small, looks like 300mm is not enough for birding.. HMMMM.. haha..

Hope you guys like it!! I think its kinda cute.. haha..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Physics Lunch Party at Liza's Place

Hmmm, yesterday I had my last paper in NUS, I think it should be the last one lah, I hope all who are graduating can make it!! anyway, so today liza's mom made lontong ( i dunno how to spell) and rendang and chicken wings and it was SHIOK!! haha..

Posting photos ah.. That might take some time.. haha.. Must get a job first.. :) see how it goes k.. till later!!

Oh ya, I finally got photos of the Kingfisher I so wanted to take.. its a white collared one in the Physics area.. Cool right.. I even found the nest.. :)

The Moon

The moon, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

The Moon, something that i wanted to take since i got my DSLR, but the lens that i had then (55-200mm VR) wasn't long enough.. Until I got the 70-300mm VR, then testing it out the other night last month, i was surprised to see the details in the moon, like the craters and lines.. COOL!!!

Took the photo handheld at 1/400 and F/8 i think.. it was a very bright night and clear too.. Of course this image is cropped, I think maybe almost 70% crop, but as long as I can see the details without resorting to buying a 1200mm lens I'm quite happy with cropping and resizing!

Yup, I love my lens!!!

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR

Astronomical Clock

Astronomical Clock, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hmmm, seems like i missed a day.. but oh well.. haha.. exam time la.. This picture today is of an astronomical clock taken in old town Prague.. I chose this picture for today, because it represents Time.. And Time is what i'm running out of for my Solid States exam.. sigh.. its not a nice topic/module at all..

Well, on the bright side, this was taken zoomed in so the details can be seen, and I like how it nicely fills the frame and yet looks complete.. Plus the colours are nicel saturated too (albeit in Lightroom)..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 55-200mm VR (yes, the one i sold..)

Pink

Pink, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hey hey.. was out studying the whole of today.. so didnt have time to post.. so this is saturday's one ya..

This flower, was one of my first applications of the Canon 500D + 70-300mm VR.. taken handheld in school on a windy day.. I liked the colour, and chose a shutter speed that turned the background black.. Wanted to focus on a single flower, so had to crop of some petals which were touching other flowers..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon 500D

Lightspeed!

Lightspeed!, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Hello!!

Just finished my Nuclear exam, had lunch at YIH, reached the Yr 3 lab and before I start on Solid State Devices, I shall post my photo for today!!

So I took this photo of my Plasma Ball on my table, took a few shots and finally found that I wanted to focus on only 1 "ray" of light, so by placing my finger outside I reduced the potential and caused the ray to be "attracted" to my finger.. Using a fast shutter speed gave me the result!!

So what do you think??

Anyway, I'm quite happy with nuclear, should pass.. now its SOLID STATES!!!!@#@$$@_%

Taken with Nikon D40 + 18-55mm

Lesser Grass Blue / Zizina Otis Lampa

Lesser Grass Blue / Zizina otis lampa, originally uploaded by shianghan27.

Its Labour Day today with Nuclear exam tomorrow.. Since I was reading about particles which are really small stuff with strange names, i decided to post this butterfly one today.. Because its also a very small thing, about maybe 1cm large.

This can be considered my first attempt at shooting these small insects at high magnification.. Using the Canon close up filter with my 70-300mm VR i managed to achieve 1:1.1 magnification.. which means i can take an object of the same size as my sensor to fill it up the whole photo.. So was quite happy to see the details on the butterfly coming out clearly!! :)

Only sad thing is there are so many other things that are smaller than my sensor (which is 2.4cm by 3.6cm).. hmmm.. wonder what lens i'll need for those.. haha.. anyway. hope you like this photo, taken handheld in good sunlight just under my block, with a nice clean background and i think, nice colour too.. Btw these butterflies should be found almost everywhere in Singapore..

So just open your eyes a bit more and maybe you'll notice something beautiful right beside you instead of just walking by..

Taken with Nikon D40 + 70-300mm VR + Canon Close Up Filter