In Search of Peace and Serenity V - Still I Rise

STILL I RISE



You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
I'll rise, eventually.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of regret and fear
I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise

Bringing the gifts that my faith gave,
I am the dream and the hope of His slave.
I rise. I rise. I rise.

-Maya Angelou-

*Special thanks to Nazaruddin @ Damak for recommending this poem for this shot

High tide, Pantai Jeram, Jan 2011

Hasselblad 553ELX, CZ 120 makro planar
Fuji Acros 100, Hc110 Dil E (1:47) 7mins @ 20C

Temple in the Clouds

I went up to the Chin Swee Temple in Genting Highlands to capture something special there, if there is any. It was around 10-11am if I'm not mistaken, a sudden rush of fog started to engulf the temple, creating a sense of mystical atmosphere to the environment. This is what I was looking for! Went up one of the trails to get a higher point of view of the temple, and make my shot. This shot was actually untitled (as you can see on flickr), but when I was about to write about this shot, it finally struck me! "Temple in the Clouds" .. yea, that's it, "Temple in the Clouds".

Temple in the Clouds, Genting Highlands, December 2009
Yashica MAT 124G, Kodak Tri-X 400
Ilford LC29 1+29, 7mins @24C, agitation continuous first 30sec, 10 sec every subsequent minute
Ilfostop 1 min
Ilford Rapid Fixer 4 mins

Going larger than 35mm..

A couple months back, I took the plunge venturing into film photography. The chosen format, medium. My first medium format camera is a Yashica MAT124G that shoots in 6x6cm format.





Yashica MAT124G is the last model of the Yashica TLR. TLR stands for Twin Lens Reflex where it uses 2 lenses, one for viewing, one for shooting. Made between 1970 till 1986, this camera is basically a copy of Rolleiflex, hence similarities in controls configuration. Equipped with a built-in lightmeter, Yashica MAT124G is a perfect tool to start your journey into the medium format world.

Lovely camera, takes both 120 and 220 type films be it. Market price is around RM650-850 for a used unit, depending on condition.

I've been shooting for a couple months now with my Yashica MAT124G, and I'm loving it!
Will share some of the works soon =)