Reason for the Season

Carolling in Singapore, a rare enough sight amidst all the misguided revelry, and well, it certainly brings out the reason behind the season...

Emmanuel- God With Us.

Orange

The gardens in Rimkok, Chiang Rai, revisited...


















The orange blooms at Rimkok have always been well kept, and presents a really brilliant display of colours... Comparatively to the 300d in the past, the rendering is really a step ahead, and on the flickr page, a close up onto the images at full scale would even bring to light tiny water droplets and various other interesting patterns...

I've been rather tied up with responsibilities during the trip, hence, the lack of photos... Perhaps, the only outstanding day was at Rimkok, where an hour of relative freedom allowed a little action... More photos to come if time permits...

Jouissance

Gift
A fitting name.



















Dreams
Some, can still afford to do so.
I hope this country doesn't smother yours.

Wonder

All warm and Cosy...
(wasn't paying attention! heh.)

























I Spy with my little Eye...
Captain cosmos and his camera again!
she's incredibly calm for a preschooler...

Espy

Fiona's brother, Gift =)





One Small Step for Man
one big leap for mankind...
To infinity and beyond! (with lotsa love...)

























The World's in Our Hands now...
Shot by Esther... I have no idea how she framed it, but it turned out really nice... (in my opinion at least ^ ^ I really really like this shot!) Glitter comets, glowing stars, and fluorescent pink galaxies on black art paper =)

Glimpse

Some photos simply speak for themselves.

Simple Joy

It was a wonderful week spent with the little ones during the vacation Bible school...

Perhaps, in photography, there is very little else that can compare to the joys of capturing stills amongst them. There is this liveliness, and spirit in it that cannot be found in the most brilliant of sunsets, or in the lofty grandeur of architectural wonders.

Being the mascot (I was Captain Cosmos! An intergalactic astronaut of unparalleled courage) helps tremendously, it removes any apprehension or unfamiliarity you might face...

It was a return, back to the days of childhood, before the simple joys of life, and crystal innocence are tainted by this world.

Above all that, there was no greater joy than to see them discover who God is.

It was a day with the 50mm, plenty of Bokeh, Off hand/hip shots, unfeigned smiles and innocent laughter.

Henderson Wave

Shot during the outing at Henderson Wave.

Get it get it get it?

Henderson Wave, Henderson Waves

Henderson WAVES, Henderson WAVE

Henderson Road Waves.

Get it get it get it?

WAVES - LOOK AT THE YELLOW LINES






Ah. Lameness at its prime.

Spider Lilies

Was down at the henderson wave during the day. Not really impressed. Flora and fauna was lacking terribly, the only thriving species were ants. I'm no macro photographer (I was infatuated with my 50mm all over again) and well, just did what little I could. As you can probably tell, I need a little more practice with aperture management. I tend to shoot at the lowest f-stops possible, but that leads to the lack of details or clarity. Well, practice, practice.

The architecture probably would work out alot nicer at night with the lighting. But then again, unless I have 10-22 or fisheye on me... I've got no interest in heading back anytime soon.

Well, I've got no desire to come back with a load of touristy sunset-with-cablecars-industrialpark-crassjungle-juxtaposed-"scenic" shots. So much for Singapore... I'd save my breath for streets, people, and the Thai trip coming up.

Mugathoner!

2 Weeks to the exams, and we've been having mugathons in the library! This is a typical scene when James does his research papers. I've jut got to have the books laid out around me, and it sort of really reflects upon my scatter-brained, random mind. I flit from book to book like uhm... a butterfly from flower to flower, tasting the sweetness of the writings from ages past... Uhm Yes. Something like that.

Just me, iBernia, 5000+ musty books and God.

The Early Days

Rummaged around lightroom, and found this little piece out of the 15000+ photos.

This was shot during a street shoot at Clarke Quay years ago when I first entered the DSLR territory. This would be one of the 5-foot walkways at the shopping/dining arcade. Architecture and Depth of field remains as one of my pet favourites.

I did compose this shot with a wider angle to the right, but that photo just got too distracting with unnecessary objects in the distance, so well, this was a product of the early experiments. It has a smooth finish due to the fresh renovations then.

Argent

Here's something you won't find in car showrooms, fresh raindrops from an autumn storm...

Argent |ˈɑːdʒ(ə)nt|
adjective poetic/literary & Heraldry
silver; silvery white : the argent moon.

ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting silver coins): via Old French from Latin argentum ‘silver.’

Facing Life

While messing around with fd's flickr toys' ego surf, I happened to find this shot I took some years back, and its sort of recently featured in Presscue's top 10 political graffiti heh.

If I remember correctly, this was shot while we were in Bethlehem, at a street right beside the massive concrete barriers set up by Israel to prevent insurgents from sneaking through. It was taken with my first digital camera borrowed from my parents, a little Creative silverbox that's probably about as good as most phone cameras today.

I guess the trip down to Israel was one that really did expose me to a whole other side of the world, and probably a little spark that did get me pretty much interested into photography, sort of a mini-revival of the photojournalist dreams I had when I was a kid. Its such experiences that makes you grow alot. We were on ground zero during an escalation, the tension hung like a thick blanket in the air. It was pretty much commonplace to hear rockets and jets flying over, and meeting armed men all around the city.

I utterly do detest those who have a whole lot of opinions and comments on the situation, but have never seen a single shot fired in anger, or faced a loaded rifle.
Just to think about all the general paper essays being written and school debates simply makes one sick. Kids playing politicians, having intellectual debates over issues where their only knowledge comes from wikipedia and the mass media.

Being in the face of such reality, it only felt right that such images of daily life be brought to the world.

If I had a choice, I'd gladly return back there, and just wander around at street level. I'd have no qualms about heading down into the heart and heat of things in Iraq either.

Smother

Despite Urban renewal, development, or growth, however you'd want to phrase it, its still nice to see that certain things are left untouched by the hands of men...

Growth. Naturally, artificially.

Spotted this amidst Capitaland's development of ion downa in orchard, scotts, and well, thought that the cranes and construction work would juxtapose nicely with the tree amidst all the grays and harsh lines.

De Opresso Liber!

Sketch ! I've always loved drawing as a kid, and its always kinda fun working with monochrome, even in photography =)

Off the cuff inspiration, well, it pretty much sums up the much-forgotten reformation that flipped the light switches on to a world of darkness...

De Opresso Liber!

Thai Cookout

Saturday morning cookouts in college...

Been joining the Thai-Lahu guys...

Lahu-styled (I think!) Chicken curry, stir fried onions, parsley (yum)

And as a side dish, there's this eclectic Asian mix of barbecued ladyfingers, charred onions and garlic, mashed with dried, pounded chilli, and of course parsley!

The workings of 2 Authentic Thai-Lahus, 1 Aussie, and 1 culturally confused Singaporean...
It has a 3 fireballs rating =) Heeheex.

Perfect Love

Homework =)

Declining/Parsing 1 John 1:1-2:6,

This is from 2:5, where the little phrase reads "the love of God has been perfected" literally...

Refers to the condition where if a man keeps the Word of God, he would be counted complete, and that is a completeness in the Love of God, where his life shows forth God's Love, the agape, sacrificial, unconditional love =)

It's been a rainy day, but well, I'm kind of too lethargic to head out and look for water droplets to shoot, so its back to macro at the desk, and indoors...

Breaking Fast

If there's one thing that I'll never grow tired of munching on, its cereal-

I'm inclined towards the "basic" varieties, Kellogg's Special K has always been a favourite, along with Marks & Spencer's and Post's.
There's nothing more fun than working with basic cereal and low-fat milk, and mixing in condiments and little bits of whatever I can find, from chocolate chips, cubed wafers, diced fruits, to shredded coconut...

and as you might have guessed, Irish Cream blends in surprisingly well =))

Anticipation

This semester's studies have proven to be far tougher than expected...

Well, I've been shooting very little as of late, I'm trying hard not to complain, but Singapore has this certain environment where it takes a fair bit of creativity and effort to bring art out of the land...

Thank God for an upgrade to a 30D, which I've hardly got a chance to fiddle around with to get used to...
I'm looking forward to the year end, where the 2 weeks in Thailand will grant me some time to do more extensive walkabouts, which has always been a brilliant time to relax a little, and work on the brighter side of the gray matter within this tiny skull...

I think since I'm confined largely to my studies and room... I'll try my utmost to bring up little bits of my daily life...


Library Cards!

I've been swotting away, and that requires frequent visits to the college library, and all night marathon stayovers in them...
I think these library cards are interesting, one would hardly have these around in today's age of barcode scanners and plastic gizmos...
We still work on a system of library cards, where all our books have little "borrower" cards in them to record the dates... Its kind of archaic and old-world... but well, in a library where books and works average back to the 1800s... what's new? =)

I'll try to shoot at least one piece every other day or so... =)

I've been writing more these days, on the journal proper...
deivorytower.livejournal.com

Glissade

I've got a penchant for black and white lately.

The Exit.


The butterfly, exiting the water in poise, and form.

Glissade


Gliding without so much as a splash. A proper swim goes without noise, just the light, near silent sound of gentle ripples...

Rippled Soar

He takes flight in water, as if it was nothing but air.



From a recent water shoot, an ol' buddy of mine who's currently a swimming instructor...

Stand Out!

Outstanding...



Go against the flow. It doesn't matter if the rest are green with envy.

I See in the Sea...

Okay, that's not really his name... a friend out walking during the low tide during my sunrise shoot...
Shot this with the cam barely a few centimetres off the water... Thank God it came out pretty nicely =)) It almost seems as if he's treading on water...

The Heavens Open...



Shot at white sands island, Bintan, Indonesia...

I'm in a bit of a photo editing frenzy now, after shooting 2k+ worth of photos after 2 camps... so well, more to come =))

A Snippet of June (So Far!)

I've been busy/lazy... so here's a snippet.
More to come!



Rev. Titus Kilonzo Nzioka... Classmate and friend from Kenya =)
Shot on a bumpy boat ride, where the Image Stabby saved the day...



Low-tide during a sunrise shoot... it was a daily discipline of being ready at 530am >__<
Rewarding though =) Its actually water channels left after the tide receded...

A Quiet Measure...

Under Nature's Arms We Rest...

Glimpses.

As you can tell... I've been Slacking away...



Sunrise at Mersing. Crocs owned by another photographer who decided to go off on a beach hike sans shoes.





A little bit of lomo...

Snippet

The Holidays have just started... so well, hopefully more to come... Shot in the morning light, which beautifully lit up the guitar...

Dance of the Pentagons...

Tiny little pentagons of light caught through the 50mm lens.
It was interesting shooting this, watching the little glissades they made as they danced across the glass, and caroused along the night air, creating flickering patterns.

The 200th Photo to be posted up on flickr =)
Shot in Chiang Rai, where the cheery neon lights, dim streetlights, and the gloomy, inky darkness made an interesting set contrast...

A Time Past

Dug this out of my massive photo archives...



Shot in the streets of a small town in Chiang Rai. Was off on a street shoot, walked past a little opening beside a shop, and caught sight of the scene. Shot it offhand, and it turned out rather nicely.

The clocks and calendars, as well as the two generations of aged women clinched the mood totally, and made the shot really "national-geographically" inclined.

More next time. Exams soon, followed by a massive holiday of 3 months, where hopefully I'll get to shoot and post more...

Beautiful Are The Feet of Them...

Shot this off impromptu while we were on a mission trip off in North Thailand... The nice feet were quite a contrast to the rather stark and stony ground...

A verse comes to mind...
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things- Rom 10:15

Well, not literally of course, heh. It just sort of occurred randomly...

I Dream.

I Dream.
Of the morning light,
Its gentle touch,
Golden shades of bright,
The wood's smoky scent,
Air's cold embrace,
Your presence close,
In that quiet place,
Of which so much was meant.




As a youth, I dreamt,
Flight, wings of steel,
Imaginary feathers, Gentle current,
Freedom, in the mind's reel.

Desolation

Been busy again! Here's just one interesting shot.

Was on the way to SKS books near tanjong Pagar, there's this little hill nearby with some graves, and there's this little road at the side, where the huge trees surrounding it scatter enormous heaps of leaves upon the ground... from a distance it was a carpet of yellow, brown and mottled gray...

Whirlygigs.

Round and round we go... a long exposure shot @ west coast...



A bunch of guys having insane fun on the merry go round... Induced concussion and motion sickness never felt so good...

Weekly Offerings- More bits from Thailand

School's on in full swing now... but I'll try to post some shots up weekly...

Bamboo slats


Memories of quiet mornings sitting on these bamboo slats, reading, and spending time with God, its an environment, a place, a niche which you'll hardly find in Singapore.

A time almost surreal, away from the cares of this world, where you could almost believe there was no worry, no situations.

Just a simple sunrise, and time alone with my creator.



Reading, watching the soft light of dawn creeping above the trees, feeling the gentle caress and warmth of the morning rays, quietly dispelling the cold touch of night air.

Beautiful. I miss Thailand. The tranquility, simplicity of life there.



Some shots from suvarnabhumi airport again...

Guess what's this...


Fellow snapper.



Good day =)