Old stuff using GX100
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Light and Life
Singapore Garden Festival 2008
The Singapore Garden Festival is a biannual event that celebrates the artistry of Mother Nature, choreographed by human hands. It is also a mass dance of shutter bugs, camera up, camera down, flash, flash snap.
The one thing I hate is having to negotiate the contorted bodies obstructing the displays. Seriously, do they think their cutesy poses would make them even remotely as beautiful or interesting as that above. Stay out of the frame please!
Singapore Garden Festival 2010, 15 - 22 July, Suntec City. Please hold the bunny ear fingers and enjoy the natural beauty instead.
Singapore Garden Festival 2010, 15 - 22 July, Suntec City. Please hold the bunny ear fingers and enjoy the natural beauty instead.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Julie/Julia
Just seen the movie. (Who has time and energy for books?!!) . So how does this chick flick relates to this blog? The film recreates 2 lives and connects them visually in seemingly disparate worlds.
Ok Ok I am definitely no film critic but I can appreciate the different themes.
Who am I?
This question bothered both Js. What are we doing with our lives? Where are we heading?
What am I doing with this blog?
Passion.
Julia found her place in life and pursued it passionately, tenaciously. The scene where she is intensely slicing onions into a small snowy hill is the cover picture to her life as a chef. Of course it is also a masterclass in comedic acting by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Very subtle, very simple and very funny.
Food
The love of food binds these two women separated by time and distance. Interestingly, there were very few scenes where the food is clearly seen, although they were carefully prepared. The DVD extras (who has time and money for Cinema??!!) had a small section on the food and I think the director Ms Ephron mentioned the limited shots even though she loves "food pornography"
Food pornography is why I am writing this post (see I did learn a little about setting up the scene). Most casual photographers like me will have a collection of food photos. It is a primal connection between the eye and the stomach. Very few can resist. Yet like the movie, food while taking centerstage does not overwhelm everything else. The plate, the table and silverware, all are part of the scene, without which the food falls apart and has no meaning.
The final scene, where Julia and Paul enter their kitchen, settles into their position and culminates with Julia rejoicing is masterful in its simplicity. Each kitchen element naturally in place, a low evening light with long gentle shadows on the floor. On opposite side of the scene, Paul seated looks up at Julia standing with her book in hand. It is a beautiful study of still life.
That would be something I aspire to.
Just seen the movie. (Who has time and energy for books?!!) . So how does this chick flick relates to this blog? The film recreates 2 lives and connects them visually in seemingly disparate worlds.
Ok Ok I am definitely no film critic but I can appreciate the different themes.
Who am I?
This question bothered both Js. What are we doing with our lives? Where are we heading?
What am I doing with this blog?
Passion.
Julia found her place in life and pursued it passionately, tenaciously. The scene where she is intensely slicing onions into a small snowy hill is the cover picture to her life as a chef. Of course it is also a masterclass in comedic acting by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Very subtle, very simple and very funny.
Food
The love of food binds these two women separated by time and distance. Interestingly, there were very few scenes where the food is clearly seen, although they were carefully prepared. The DVD extras (who has time and money for Cinema??!!) had a small section on the food and I think the director Ms Ephron mentioned the limited shots even though she loves "food pornography"
Food pornography is why I am writing this post (see I did learn a little about setting up the scene). Most casual photographers like me will have a collection of food photos. It is a primal connection between the eye and the stomach. Very few can resist. Yet like the movie, food while taking centerstage does not overwhelm everything else. The plate, the table and silverware, all are part of the scene, without which the food falls apart and has no meaning.
The final scene, where Julia and Paul enter their kitchen, settles into their position and culminates with Julia rejoicing is masterful in its simplicity. Each kitchen element naturally in place, a low evening light with long gentle shadows on the floor. On opposite side of the scene, Paul seated looks up at Julia standing with her book in hand. It is a beautiful study of still life.
That would be something I aspire to.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Alive for 365
Noticed some people have started the new year with the aim of taking a photograph every day.
Noticed some people have started the new year with the aim of taking a photograph every day.
These masters of light are putting up their artwork for a noble cause.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Canon G6 continued.
Still using the G6, which thankfully recovered slightly from age related infirmity. The swivel screen is working a little better now. Sadly the jog dial remains in intensive care.
These were done with bouncing the Sigma ring flash off the walls. I am probably going to burn out the flash if I carry on blasting it at full power.
Does one get arrested for appliance abuse?
Still using the G6, which thankfully recovered slightly from age related infirmity. The swivel screen is working a little better now. Sadly the jog dial remains in intensive care.
These were done with bouncing the Sigma ring flash off the walls. I am probably going to burn out the flash if I carry on blasting it at full power.
Does one get arrested for appliance abuse?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A little memento from a dear friend in celebration of friendship.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Ricoh GXR
Seems like there are a few Ricoh fans in Singapore. About 3 have posted in DPReview and Clubsnap Forums their GXR experience.
I have had only few minutes to try it out recently and it felt both familiar and yet something a little different. Guess that is what plastic surgery feels like?
The chief complaint of most people is the auto-focus, which I do find slow too. Even compared to their CX1 which is surprisingly snappy for a compact camera. I don't expect it to lock on like an SLR, but slower than a compact? That is a bit sad.
Another thing strange is the in-camera JPG capture. While testing both modules, the RAW pictures seem to turn out quite nice in terms of exposure and even image noise. The JPG seems to be overexposed and noticeable noise reduction.
The composite above was made in Picasa, picture taken with the A12 module. Left is the rendering of the DNG file by Picasa and right the JPG. (Ricoh has the option of RAW+JPG, which gives 2 files of the same picture.) Strange the JPG is even more overexposed compared to the Raw file.
That said, the Raw picture of the S10 module seems much better than the GX100, and that is just "processing" with Picasa.
Another thing that Ricoh is weak in is flash photography. At least I can never seem to get it right with flash, so I tend not to use it. The old favourite, Canon G6, is better.
Seems like there are a few Ricoh fans in Singapore. About 3 have posted in DPReview and Clubsnap Forums their GXR experience.
I have had only few minutes to try it out recently and it felt both familiar and yet something a little different. Guess that is what plastic surgery feels like?
The chief complaint of most people is the auto-focus, which I do find slow too. Even compared to their CX1 which is surprisingly snappy for a compact camera. I don't expect it to lock on like an SLR, but slower than a compact? That is a bit sad.
Another thing strange is the in-camera JPG capture. While testing both modules, the RAW pictures seem to turn out quite nice in terms of exposure and even image noise. The JPG seems to be overexposed and noticeable noise reduction.
The composite above was made in Picasa, picture taken with the A12 module. Left is the rendering of the DNG file by Picasa and right the JPG. (Ricoh has the option of RAW+JPG, which gives 2 files of the same picture.) Strange the JPG is even more overexposed compared to the Raw file.
That said, the Raw picture of the S10 module seems much better than the GX100, and that is just "processing" with Picasa.
Another thing that Ricoh is weak in is flash photography. At least I can never seem to get it right with flash, so I tend not to use it. The old favourite, Canon G6, is better.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Ricoh Fanboy
I was recently branded a Ricoh fanboy over their latest incarnation, the GXR model
Can't explain it, I like it, I am intrigued by it. Unfortunately or perhaps a good thing, I can't afford it. Yet.
Sigh! Fanboy, capital F and in bold.
Advertisement for the GXR in The Straits Times
Updated 1st January 2010
I was recently branded a Ricoh fanboy over their latest incarnation, the GXR model
Can't explain it, I like it, I am intrigued by it. Unfortunately or perhaps a good thing, I can't afford it. Yet.
Sigh! Fanboy, capital F and in bold.
Advertisement for the GXR in The Straits Times
Updated 1st January 2010
Food!
Anyone with a camera will have at least one food photo!
My current favorite food pic
A delicious way of eating air. Souffle from Chalk.
Anyone with a camera will have at least one food photo!
My current favorite food pic
 |
Wall Pic of the rest
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Cellphone Panoramic pictures
Nokia E52 has a built in panoramic function. It is a totally automated process, take the first shot where you intend the scene to start and pan either left or right. A red frame marks the spot you pan to, the phone then automatically takes the next shot and on you go. Satisfied with what you need, the phone then stitches all the frames into one panoramic shot.
The problem is the framing image is very small, about a third of the height of the phone screen. Also you can only appreciate the actual image off the phone
Nokia E52 has a built in panoramic function. It is a totally automated process, take the first shot where you intend the scene to start and pan either left or right. A red frame marks the spot you pan to, the phone then automatically takes the next shot and on you go. Satisfied with what you need, the phone then stitches all the frames into one panoramic shot.
The problem is the framing image is very small, about a third of the height of the phone screen. Also you can only appreciate the actual image off the phone
 |
Friday, August 28, 2009
.jpg)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
