A Travel Blog - One photographer's journey with the Canon EOS 5 Series DSLR Cameras and Lenses

EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Is photography an art? Are photographers artist?


While there are similarities since creativity and art comes from the right side of the brain, there are subtle differences between a photographer and an artist.  Many would think that a photographer is also an artist - the end results are the same.  A photographer has a pre-visualized image in his imagination and uses a camera and photographic skills to record that imagination onto a 35 mm or larger camera sensor.  An artist has also a pre-visualized imagination and uses brushes, colours, pastels and oils to record that imagination onto a blank canvass.  While the end result is the same, the processes to achieve the end results are not the same.


An artist creates their masterpiece by additions - landscape elements, trees, the flow of water and lighting are added onto a blank canvass to create the final output.  A photographer creates their masterpiece by subtractions - subjects, branches jutting out from corners, rubbish and landscape imperfections are subtracted from a chaotic scene to achieve compositional balancing in the final output.


Over the years, I have received many collaboration and exhibition opportunities from various gallery owners locally and internationally.  I have even received an offer to exhibit some of my images in an art gallery in Italy.  However, I found out that most of these galleries specializes in art exhibitions - the water colour and painting types of artwork.  I had felt that my photographic works somehow do not fit into these type of artistic categories.  Most of the time I had to turn down these offers, no matter how exciting it may seem at that time.  The only photography exhibition offer that I had taken up was the KL Guerilla Photography Exhibition at Avenue K and Klickr's My Neighbourhood Exhibition at Capsquare some years back.  I want to be known strictly as a photographer, not as an artist.  Although I did a lot of drawing and painting during my school days, I have no interest at all to dabble with brushes, pastels and oils once again. 


In case I am pilloried by this posting, I am not talking about fine art photography as I do not categorize my works as fine art.


Image 1: The 12 megapixel EOS 5D / Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM


Image 2: EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

There was a time, many many years ago where every photographer just had to shoot the Wilayah Mosque from this location at Publika during sunrise.  You will not be well known if you do not have this classic view of the mosque in your collection.  Not wanting to be left out, I had also joined the bandwagon.  Trying to be smart (or maybe trying to be different), I had opted to shoot the mosque during twilight instead.  The internet has had enough of sunrise images of this mosque.


However, the season has passed.  Times have changed and photographers move on.  We hardly see any new images of this mosque nowadays.  The location and viewpoint has now become like the Berembang Indah apartments.  Everyone who has a camera has shot from here already.  Lots of images by different photographers, all with the same viewpoint and angle.  I have only made one attempt to shoot this mosque during a clear and calm evening three years back.  I have not been back to this location ever since.


If a scene has been shot to death, I will try to avoid that location at all cost.


EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

The Chiling Waterfalls is located deep in the district of Kuala Kubu Baru, one and a half hours drive from Petaling Jaya.  To park entrance to this waterfall opens at 8.40 am everyday.  A 40 minutes trek across rivers and slippery rocks are necessary to reach this location.  The trek is not though, but you will need a reasonable level of fitness to see you through.  Lately, there have been spats of people going missing and drowning (two deaths have been reported recently at Chiling) at this location.  Therefore, only venture into Chiling with a group of friends and never do this trek alone.


This was my second time venturing into Chiling.  Fortunately, both attempts were made without any incidences.  The challenge in photography is to transform a two dimensional image into three dimensions.  Photographers will use depths, perspective and "near and far" elements to convey three dimensions in their final output.  In this image, I had used the foreground rocks as a "lead-in" lines to draw the viewers eye towards the middle distance of the shot.  The middle distance is where I had placed the waterfall or the focal point of the shot.  From the middle distance, the eye is then lead towards the background of the shot which will put the focal point in context or the surrounding element.  With this type of composition, the eye will recognize perspective and depths - hopefully giving a 3 dimensional element to this image.


I had always wanted to venture into Chiling for the third time.  However, plans are on hold currently due to the two deaths from drowning and one reported missing person case at this location.  Hopefully, there will always be another day.


EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF17-40mm f/4.0 L USM

Unlike other countries in the world (Australia and NZ for example), Malaysians come alive after dark.  It could be due to the weather where people prefer to stay indoors until sundown or perhaps it could be due to the working hours in Malaysia where most Malaysians work until late evening.  Malaysians also prefer to eat out rather than to cook after work.


Whatever the reason, empty streets during daytime will be transformed into a place with myriads of colours during dusk.  Two perfect examples of nightlife in Malaysia can be seen in the images above.


The top image shows a typical street scene at Petaling Street, more commonly known as the Chinatown of Malaysia.  Typically, the "makan place" or eating shops at Chinatown would only open after dark.  These eating stalls are not open during the day.  Locals and tourist alike would all congregate to this particular street of Chinatown to sample Malaysia's best Hakka and Cantonese dishes.  These stalls are open till late everyday, which makes me believe that Malaysians do not sleep at all. 


The bottom image shows the hawker activities during the month of Ramadhan or the Muslim fasting month.  During this one month period, all type of stalls selling thousand and one things would commence business at the Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman area in the center of Kuala Lumpur.  All types of foodstuff, clothing, cakes and accessories can be found at this bazaar during this period.  This image was shot from the rooftop of Campbell Complex, a shopping mall overlooking the bazaar.


First Image: EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM


Second Image: EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Before arriving to this location, I had pre-visualized an image which I had wanted to frame the Main Temple of Thean Hou against the lanterns on the ceiling of one of the two pagodas situated across the main temple.


However, this type of composition was easier imagined than executed.  To get this precise framing composition and ensuring that the top lanterns and pagoda on the left do not overlap the main temple, the camera and tripod had to be perched precariously on the roof of the pagoda from where I was standing from.  As I was not able climb over the roof, I was composing and adjusting the camera settings and viewpoints by leaning over the staircase railings.  It took me a good one hour just to set-up the tripod position just to ensure the tripod do not slip and fall during the exposure.  I would have wanted to have more of the top lanterns visible in the frame, but there was no way for me to include more than that without risking the tripod toppling over to the ground below.


This is perhaps my most famous image to date.  No sooner had I uploaded this image to my 500px account, it was "flicked" (flicked means that the image was stolen and used without my permission) and used in not less than 15 other websites all over the world.  Some of these can be seen in the link below:


http://wowola.ga/uncategorized/20-cities-decorated-for-the-holiday-which-turned-into-a-fairy-tale/


https://genial.guru/admiracion-lugares/20-ciudades-de-cuentos-de-hadas-en-ano-nuevo-106205/


http://caglas.rs/fotografije-najljepse-okicenih-gradova-sveta-za-novu-godinu/


I have titled this image as "The Framing of the Temple".  However, these websites had retitled this image as "The Red Dragon".  I have used this title ever since.


EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF17-40mm f/4.0 L USM

The lanterns at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur is only lighted once a year during the Lunar Chinese New Year for a period of two weeks.  There is only a two weeks window to shoot this spectacular light-show.  The lanterns will be lighted for the whole duration of the Chinese New Festival until the 15th day of the New Year, more popularly known as "Chap Goh Mei".  People from near and far, regardless of religion, will congregate to this temple in the evenings just to witness the lighting of the lanterns. 


This viewpoint and location is very popular among photographers - the red lanterns will contrast magnificently against the cobalt blue skies during the blue hours of twilight.  There is only one viewpoint to shoot this image, at the very center of the temple courtyard on the fourth floor of the temple.  To ensure perfect symmetry, the tripod will need to be placed at the very center of the courtyard.  Thankfully, the markings on the floor can be used as positional guides to ensure a center placement.  To obtain the contrasting red lanterns against the blue skies, the camera must be positioned at a low angle, tilted upwards using a wide-angle lens.  The symmetrical element of the composition cannot be achieved at any other camera / tripod positioning.  Due to the huge crowds every evenings, you will need to arrive early to reserve your tripod space.  A very clear and calm day is also essential to get the perfect shot.  If the winds are too strong, the lanterns will be swaying during the exposure.  As a result of this, the lanterns will be less than sharp in the final image.


There is nothing much you can do to ensure that the crowds do not walk across your camera during the exposure.  In this image, I had welcomed the people walking across the frame when making this exposure.  The slow shutter speed used had provided some motion blur to the human elements of this shot which in my opinion had added more drama than an otherwise static shot.


EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF17-40mm f/4.0 L USM

The Indiana Coffeehouse in Cottesloe Beach is one of Western Australia's most famous viewpoints.  It is situated along the Sunset Strip overlooking the Indian Ocean.  To reach Cottesloe Beach, a 20 minutes drive from the town of Fremantle is necessary.  I have been to Perth four times in a span of five years and have never failed to visit this location on every visit.


This was my fourth time to this same location.  For this visit, I wanted to shoot the Indiana Coffeehouse during the blue hours of twilight.  I am extremely familiar with this location so much so that a recce was not necessary.  It was a 10 minutes walk from the parking spot.  I swear that I could still see my tripod marks from my three earlier visits.  The tripod was balanced precariously on top of slippery rocks just below the bridge at the far end of Cottesloe.  The coffeehouse was positioned off-center, using the Rules of 3rds compositional concept.  Sigh-Ray's 105 mm LB Warming Polarizer filter completed the set-up.  From there, it was a wait of around one hour for the sunset lighting to be almost perfect.  The very faint magenta tone in the sky was a bonus.


In Western Australia daylight ends pretty fast.  It was after dark when I had completed the shoot.  There was still another 10 minutes walk to the car park.  As temperatures were dropping pretty fast even during the summer, I wasted no time in packing up - the thought of walking back alone in the dark at minus 10 degrees Celsius did not appeal to me at all.  Since that summer in 2015, I had not returned to Perth ever since.  I have now shifted my sights to the South Island of New Zealand for more adventures.


EOS 5DS R / Lens EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

The Blue Mosque in Shah Alam is also known as the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, named after the reigning Sultan of Selangor.  It is the largest mosque in Malaysia and also second largest mosque in South East Asia, after the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Most images of the Blue Mosque are mostly shot from either one of two viewpoints - from the overhead bridge overlooking the mosque after the Shah Alam Square or from the Shah Alam Library overlooking a lake.  The second viewpoint from the Shah Alam Library is the more famous of the two as you will also get the reflections of the mosque in the lake.


The composition of this image is simple.  I had wanted to use the light-trials below the mosque as a lead-in lines to lead the eye towards the mosque, which is the focal point of this image.  The mosque was also positioned at the upper two thirds right of the frame using the Rules of 3rds compositional concept.  Some negative space was intentionally left at the top of the frame.  This is to make this image wore enticing for copywriters or magazine publishers to include the magazine title for editorial sales.  As with all shots, I had used Sigh-Ray's excellent 105 mm LB Warming Circular Polarizer filter to increase colour saturation and contrast.


Nothing much was done in post-processing.  I had just used the Levels, Curves and Saturation in Photoshop to enhance the already vibrant colours of this image.  A slight sharpening was also applied globally using Nik's Output Shapener 3.0


EOS 5DS R / Lens EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

The temple of Pura Luhur Poten in the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is situated in a vast plains halfway towards the volcanic crater of Mount Batok.  It was an arduous 40 minutes trek from the entrance of the park before we arrived at this location.  What had made this trek even more laborious was the choking sulfuric ashes that was spewing out of Mount Batok's crater - making this trek even the more impossible.  Our eyes were red and watery and our lungs felt like bursting just by breathing in the sulfuric fumes.  The freezing cold weather also did not help us much.


As with all Milky Way shoots, it was completely dark upon arriving at this location and we really did not know what was in front of us while making this shot.  We only knew that a temple was in front of us - the shape and size of the temple was an unknown element.  Manual focusing had to be made in pitch darkness.  Small torchlight was used to enable the camera to lock focus before switching back to the manual focusing mode.  Shooting the Milky Way is completely a "hit and miss" affair - I was just pressing the shutter with various combinations of ISOs, Shutter Values and Aperture Openings, just hoping that one exposure out of the hundreds would work.


In post processing, the White Balance, contrast and clarity of this exposure was adjusted to enhance the stars and the milky way.  A slight post sharpening using Nik's Output Sharpener was used.  Localized adjustment in Lightroom was used to selectively brighten the temple and to ensure that the temple had stood out from the completely dark background.


EOS 5DS R / Lens EF 17-40 mm f/4.0 L USM