The Red Lanterns of Tian Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur is a six tiered Chinese Temple opened in 1987 built to pay homage to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. This syncretic temple with elements of Buddhism, Taoism and Confinucism is a grandiose structure and represents a successful combination of modern architectural techniques and authentic traditional design featuring imposing pillars, spectacular roofs, ornate carvings and intricate embellishments.
The red lanterns are only lighted once a year, for a period of two weeks. It is lighted during the eve of the Lunar Chinese New Year until "chap goh mei" or the 15th night and last night of the new year. With it's splendor and the fantastic red colours of the lanterns contrasting against the cobalt blue skies during twilight, it is a must visit location for tourist and photographers alike.
The prayer hall houses 3 altars, each with a sculpture of one deity or goddess. As one enters the prayer hall, the altar on the right is dedicated to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Tian Hou is in the centre while Shui Wei Sheng Niang (the Goddess of the Waterfront) is at the left. In the middle of the hall and between the altars are two pairs of Kau Cim oracles that can be used by visitors.
In addition to her altar in the prayer hall, there is also a smaller statue of Guan Yin to the right of the hall, set amongst rocks and falling water. Here one can kneel and receive a blessing of water from the statue. Outside the temple at the entrance to the grounds, there is a larger statue, similarly set amongst rocks and falling water.
Other features include a Chinese Medicinal Herbs Garden, a Wishing Well as well as a Tortoise Pond. Finally there is a large statue of the goddess opposite the temple, along with a collection of other large statues that include representations of the twelve animals of Chinese astrology.
EOS 5DS R / Lens EF17-40mm f/4L USM
Breaking Up The Rules Of Thirds.
While I am aware of the power of the Rules of Thirds, I have never allowed any compositional rules to dictate my way of shooting. More often than not, I will still incorporate the Rules of Thirds in most of my images. There are also times whereby compositional rules will not do justice to the architectural landscape in front of you. The Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque shot from Ayer 8 in Putrajaya is one such example. To enhance the symmetrical aspect of the composition, I had placed the horizon dead center in the frame - dividing the image into two equal half. The Rules of Thirds composition will not work in this case. I do not think the viewer's eye will be confuse on which half is the more prominent half of the frame. The reflections of the mosque and buildings on the lower half of the frame will always play a supporting role to complement the upper half of the frame where I had placed the main focal point of the image. In this composition, I do not mind the vast negative spaces left on the bottom and upper top of the frame. These negative spaces had "isolated" the mosque from it's surrounding which to me had portrayed a stronger composition.
Two images were blended to make the single image you see above. The strength of this image relies on the stillness of the reflection and the lighting of the buildings during the blue hours of twilight. Close to the blue hour, a catamaran had powered across the lake. This had created ripples and waves which had broken up the stillness of the reflection. I had wanted to use an earlier image before the catamaran, but the lightings of the buildings were not prominent yet. As a last resort, I had blended an earlier image before the catamaran had caused the ripples and a later shot of the mosque where all the buildings were lighted.
Canon EOS 5DS R / Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
The Kuala Lumpur Skyline From Lake Titiwangsa Park, Kuala Lumpur.
Many, many years ago when I was just starting out in photography, the Kuala Lumpur skyline from the Titiwangsa Park was among my very first few locations that I had visited to develop my photographic skills. Back then, I was still using Canon's excellent EOS 3 and the Mamiya RZ67 Pro II medium format systems. The Velvia 50 slide exposure was my sensor then. Although I still have these fine cameras, it is now collecting dust in my dry cabinet today. At that time, Putrajaya had not existed yet. Seasons changed, weeks became months and months became years - different locations were identified and visited, to an extent that I had almost forgotten about this location.
It was a very surreal experience coming back to the Titiwangsa Park after all these years. I am now using Canon's EOS 5DS R - an evolution in resolution! Besides my camera system, nothing else has changed. I still know the exact location to set-up the tripod for the best viewpoint. Most of my images from here was always cropped very tightly focusing only on the KLCC Twin Towers and also the KL Tower on the right. For this visit, I had wanted to shoot a wider angle view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. The EF 24-70 mm standard lens was used at a focal length roughly at 35 mm - to ensure the skyline still retains it's function as a focal point of the image. To enhance the symmetrical aspect of this shot, the horizon was placed dead center in the frame - mitigating the use of the Rules of Thirds. Rules to me are only guidelines - it is not etched in stone. Sometimes, you will need to break all compositional rules to ensure a better image.
This image is perhaps one of the last few images that can be shot from this location. The Titiwangsa Park will be closed to the public very soon for the next two years. This is to accommodate Kuala Lumpur's River Beautification Project which is scheduled to start next month.
Canon EOS 5DS R / Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Dawn at the Busselton Jetty, Western Australia.
The Busselton Jetty which is overlooking the Geographe Bay is a must visit destination everytime we are in Perth. The journey to Busselton is not difficult - unlike Malaysia, the roads in Western Australia are relaxing, easy and most important, toll-free. I woke up extremely early in the freezing winters of Western Australia just to shoot the sunrise at Busselton. It was a ten minutes drive from our apartment to this location. Due to the freezing temperature, I had the location all to myself. Using The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) apps, I knew that the sun would be rising in front of me and behind the Busselton Jetty. To get this angle, I had to wade half-way out of the sea - risking extreme frostbite at my legs due to the icy seawaters.
As I was constantly battling the extreme weather and winds, I had to complete this shoot as fast as possible. If not, there would be one dead photographer floating on the shores of Busselton later. Within 10 minutes, I had wrapped up the shoot and making my way out of the waters to head back home. Any longer, I would have succumbed to frostbite and that will be the end of my adventures in Western Australia.
EOS 5D MK II / Lens 24-70 mm f/2.80 (L) USM
The Perth City from Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth, Western Australia.
I admit, this is not an original image. I had seen this viewpoint in numerous postcards sold all around Perth. Determined to also shoot from this location, I bought two of these postcards at London Court and started asking the location from where the image shot was shot. All of them told me that this was shot from South Perth. The Australians were very helpful, some even started to draw the maps to show me how I could get to South Perth. The only problem is that South Perth is as big as PJ.. and no one could pinpoint me the exact location of this shot. I always knew that this was shot from South Perth, but where exactly in South Perth?
I then remembered that there was a park called Sir James Mitchell Park in South Perth that is overlooking the Swan River. Taking along the postcards that I bought, I started scouting Sir James Mitchell Park for this location. It was only after walking for two hours in the freezing temperatures of Perth's winter that I managed to discover the location of the shot. Yes, it was taken from Sir James Mitchell Park, but from the other end of the park, a location that I had missed during my three previous visits to Perth.
There was a 500 meters walk from the car park. I also noticed that there were lots of ducks and geese swimming in the lake. I realised that this would pose a problem as ducks swimming across the lake during the exposure will be recorded as blurry streaks. Ducks not moving would be recorded as dust spots on the sensor. The ducks would also "break" the reflections on the lake thus preventing me from getting a smooth reflection of the Perth skyline. I then tried to chase the ducks away, but the more I chased, more ducks had dived into the pond, swimming across my frame during the exposure. Out of the almost 20 shots I took from this location, this shot had the least "duck streaks" in them. I was not able to eliminate the "duck streaks" completely. You can still see the ducks swimming across the frame at the bottom right corner of the frame.
As my family was waiting for me back at the apartment for dinner, I had to wrap-up the shoot at 6.30 pm. At that time, it was also getting dark and extremely cold. There was still another 500 meters walk back to the car-park. Due to the falling light levels (it gets dark around 6.30 pm during the winter), I had completely forgotten where I had parked the car. It was only way after 7.30 pm that I made it back for dinner.
I then remembered that there was a park called Sir James Mitchell Park in South Perth that is overlooking the Swan River. Taking along the postcards that I bought, I started scouting Sir James Mitchell Park for this location. It was only after walking for two hours in the freezing temperatures of Perth's winter that I managed to discover the location of the shot. Yes, it was taken from Sir James Mitchell Park, but from the other end of the park, a location that I had missed during my three previous visits to Perth.
There was a 500 meters walk from the car park. I also noticed that there were lots of ducks and geese swimming in the lake. I realised that this would pose a problem as ducks swimming across the lake during the exposure will be recorded as blurry streaks. Ducks not moving would be recorded as dust spots on the sensor. The ducks would also "break" the reflections on the lake thus preventing me from getting a smooth reflection of the Perth skyline. I then tried to chase the ducks away, but the more I chased, more ducks had dived into the pond, swimming across my frame during the exposure. Out of the almost 20 shots I took from this location, this shot had the least "duck streaks" in them. I was not able to eliminate the "duck streaks" completely. You can still see the ducks swimming across the frame at the bottom right corner of the frame.
As my family was waiting for me back at the apartment for dinner, I had to wrap-up the shoot at 6.30 pm. At that time, it was also getting dark and extremely cold. There was still another 500 meters walk back to the car-park. Due to the falling light levels (it gets dark around 6.30 pm during the winter), I had completely forgotten where I had parked the car. It was only way after 7.30 pm that I made it back for dinner.
EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Photographers Vs Artists - Are Photographers Considered Artists?
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
The Federal Mosque, Kuala Lumpur.
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 Waterfalls of Chiling River, Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor
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
Malaysian Nightlife After Dark - Petaling Street and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.
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
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