A Trip to An Old Train Depot, Penang

I have recently visited Penang for a lovely vacation with wifey and good friends. Over our stay there, I have managed to meet up with a few good friends for chats and catching up. I've always wanted to visit this one old train depot located on the mainland. Finally, with the help of these good friends, they took me there for a visit at the old train depot. I stepped in, and wow! What a wonderful sight! Perfect for B&W lovers like me.

Here's my take on the old train depot.

This would be one of my fav. of the series.

The above shots were taken using my Hassy 553ELX with CZ50/4 Distagon on Fuji Acros 100 developed with HC110. The following shots were taken with a newly acquired Leica M6TTL with CZ50/2 Planar on Kodak TMax400 developed with HC110 Dilution E.

Here's another fav of mine from the series.

In Search of Peace and Serenity VI - Au Revoir

Au Revoir

The sun says goodbye for the day, the other one says goodbye forever.



High tide, Pantai Jeram, Feb 2011

Cambo Legend 8x10, Caltar S-II 300mm
Ilford Delta 100, Hc110 Dil E (1:47) 7mins @ 20C

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

In Search of Peace and Serenity IV - Resemblance

I found myself again at the same spot. This place has been presenting me with massive photographing opportunities but I would like to take my time to digest and capture the content of what this place can bring to me. Here's another shot called Resemblance. If you look closely, you'll notice that the shape of the tree on the foreground is about the same as the shape of the island at the back.

Resemblance

High tide, Pantai Jeram, Jan 2011
Hasselblad 553ELX, CZ 120 makro planar
Fuji Acros 100, Hc110 Dil E (1:47) 7mins @ 20C

In Search of Peace and Serenity III - The Journey of Life

The journey of life is an adventure into the unknown. The lifespan varies. This applies to nature, human and even the invention of mankind.

"To some, life is a very long journey,
To some others, it never even started.."

Dead trees pond, near Pantai Remis, Jan 2011

What attracted me to this shot was the 2 different elements of nature and manmade structure. The massive curls and bends of the trees symbolizes the long life lived, and the winding path thru life. The absence of leaves shows the presence of death or 'end of the road' for the trees. On the other hand, there's this small piece of concrete that was meant to be an architectural structure of some sort, perhaps a hut, small building, etc. that was left abandoned. For the structure, life was very short, in fact it's life ended prematurely.. in contrast to the life lived by the trees.

Shot on Hasselblad 553ELX with CZ 120 Makro Planar, on Fuji Acros 100. Developed with Kodak HC110 Dilution E (1:49) 7 mins @ 20C

In Search of Peace and Serenity II - The Struggle for Life

Continuing the "In Search of Peach and Serenity", me and wife together with another friend, Malee, ventured to Klang for another quick trip there. One particular tree caught my attention there..

The Struggle for Life

It really caught my attention to see how the tree sort of balanced itself to gain a strong grasp of the Earth.. to live. It was an overcast day, but for a very short time frame, the sun shines giving the tree its glow, enhancing the details of the tree with beautiful highlights and shadows. Sort of like a blessing. If you look further into the photo, you'll see a fishing boat symbolizing the struggles of human for life as well, against the vast sea.

Shot with Hasselblad 553elx, Zeiss 120 Makro Planar CF on Fuji Acros 100. Developed with Kodak HC110 Dilution E (1:49) 7mins @ 20C.

Away from the bustling city....

....lies a very peaceful fishing village in the state of Kelantan. Kampung Canggung, located in Bachok, Kelantan where the source of income for most of the villagers comes from the sea.

A local walking towards his hut to prepare for the next trip to the sea. This is where they spend most of their day if they're not out in the sea. Repairing the nets, fixing the boat, resting, drying the fish and a whole lot of activities goes here. Here are some photos of their tools of the trade..

Part of the preparation before they go out to sea is inspecting the fishing nets before being put onboard the boat.

Once they have loaded the net and other things on the boat, they're set to go.

In the old days, fishermen use logs to roll their boat from the shore to the sea. In the modern days, they use a carriage to assist them in pushing the boat until the boat floats on its own. These type of fishermen goes out to the sea for several hours. Those in bigger vessels go out for days, weeks or even months.

During my visit there, I realized that the villagers are very helpful. When the boats come back from the sea, they'll queue up and take turns to be landed and pulled back to the shore. Everybody lends a helping hand, regardless of who owns what boat. It's good to see how they worked together in a group.. sincerely helping out each other in their community, a vanishing trait especially in the city, where a lot of people just care about themselves and don't even know their neighbors, let alone lending a helping hand!

It was a very memorable trip for me. Thanks to Eddieputera who brought us here, I have learned so many things, witnessed in some places, people trust and help each other without any prejudice. I have also learned to be thankful to Allah for what I have, as there are people out there who are struggling just to make ends meet. I hope to be able to visit them again next time..

PhotoMalaysia.com 3rd Annual Exhibition at Nikon Center, Berjaya Times Square

Photomalaysia.com is currently running it's 3rd photo exhibition at the Nikon Center, 1st floor, Berjaya Times Square. The "People and Places" exhibition goes from Nov 1, 2010 till Dec 12, 2010 curated by Mr. Alex Moh and Mr. Azrul Kevin Abdullah. Admission is free.

http://thestaronline.tv/v/6371

I have two photographs showcased there. This is my first participation in an exhibition and am very excited that 2 of my photographs are selected to be showcased there.

Temple in the Clouds




Fisherboy

The End of a Journey

I went for a photo roadtrip to Kelantan with two buddies - Eddieputera and Sarip sometime in July this year. We went to a fishing village (Kampung Canggun) in Bachok and spend about 1 1/2 days there. Armed with my Hasselblad 553ELX and a bunch of films, I spotted a shipwreck on the beach. I've been wanting to shoot a shipwreck for sooo long, so I'm not gonna miss this opportunity.

The End of a Journey



Hasselblad 553ELX, Zeiss 50mm Distagon,
Fuji Acros 100
Rodinal (1:50) 13mins @20C

I like this shot because there's two subjects in the frame that shows a full cycle of a fishing vessel. The main subject (the shipwreck) shows that it's at the end of its journey, no longer needed, left alone letting nature to take its course, while on the far end, you can see another boat still in good shape, in its prime giving its fullest service to the fishermen.

There's more shots from the Kelantan trip. Will be sharing 'em on the other entries very soon.

My Triptych Inspiration - Rolfe Horn (www.f45.com)

In the B&W Magazine, issue 74 (April 2010), there was an article on an American photographer, Rolfe Horn. An avid landscape shooter, most of the time he shoots in square format. In an interview with the B&W magazine, he mentioned that during one of his trips to Japan, he realized a need for a wider vision when shooting seascapes. Since he doesn't own a panorama camera, he started making diptychs and triptychs to include more peripheral elements in his photographs.

An example of one of his Japan series triptych,

Dawn, Study 2, Izumo, Japan 2004 (Rolfe Horn)
Source : Rolfe Horn Photography (www.f45.com)

After viewing his triptych photos, I personally find that presenting my shots in triptych is such an interesting format to explore. Many triptych combination can be planned and executed. Triptychs photos can be viewed as three separate photos that would stand on its own, but is strongest when viewed as a combination. Triptychs can also be planned in which;

1. The main subject (placed in the center) is supported by the other two shots on each sides, or;
2. The two supporting shots are placed on the left and center, leading the viewer to the main subject (placed on the right), or;
3. Replicating a scene with static subjects in all three shots, but with different dynamic/moving subjects, or
4. Any other way that you can imagine to portray your shots as 1 master shot or as a series.

The key to creating your own triptych is "CONTINUITY". Each shot must be relevant to the other shot, be it as a master shot, or as a mini-series. Plan your triptychs and execute them according to what you visualize the final outcome to be.

Explore it, you'll have FUN with it. I have done a few triptychs, will be working on more triptychs in the future and I'm loving it.

p/s : Rolfe, thank you for being an inspiration to me, and hopefully to others as well.

KL Sentral Urbanscape

I frequently go to or pass by KL Sentral for meetings or hanging out with buddies, but I haven't really brought my camera to shoot those awesome architectures there. One fine day, I took my Hassy together with me, and with a fellow photographer, Sarip @ Guillotineman, we went for a quick scout with our cameras.

I love this shot with the train passing by in between the high rise buildings. Very modern look.

A shot looking up the tall buildings. I love the lines and the curves in the shot. Some gave feedback that they prefer some details of the skies as in this one the skies are blown. I personally think that the skies details does not carry any significant meaning to the shot as the key elements are the two buildings, colored in shades of grey. IMO, the blown skies contributed to a simple yet elegant look to the shot. Skies with details would've distracted viewers' eyes from concentrating on the lines and curves of the buildings. That's what I think. Others might have a different opinion. Either way, I appreciate the view.

This is another shot on the other side of KL Sentral. The building where the train came out from is the city's main transportation hub, linking up 5 train lines and services, including an express rail service to the airport in Sepang, city bus service as well as taxi services. I also like this shot because as you can see on the background to the right, there's massive building construction going on. In a couple years, this shot will be appreciated even more because another shot from this angle will have buildings (which will probably be taller than the KL Sentral itself) surrounding it, not like what can be seen today..

All shots were shot with a Hasselblad 553ELX with CZ 50mm Distagon on Kodak Tri-X400, developed with Rodinal 1:60, 14mins @ 20C.

Passing By triptych

I was working on a project to capture the life at the KTM station at Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin with a group of PhotoMalaysia.com members. The project was shot entirely with film. A lesson learnt during the execution of this project. Visit the site repeatedly. There will always be something new to be captured. Always look from a different perspective on the subsequent visits. Try to live the life. Be the workers, be the passengers instead of being the tourist.. if you see the place from a tourist's point of view, then what you'll get are tourists' shots.

For this particular trip, I brought my Linhof Technika V (which I have sold off recently) to the station. At this time, the station was dimly lit. I resorted to a ASA3200 to limit motion blurs. A 3 stop push during developing process was required.

On to the triptych shot. I saw a man and a elder lady waiting for the last train to come on the platform they're facing. Between those two, there were very little activity done by them. They were just waiting there patiently, very less movement. I knew there will be a train coming on the platform behind them, and there will be activities happening behind them, adding a dynamic element into the almost static shot. A triptych of a train passing by would definitely show how time passes by as opposed to waiting. See it large on flickr.

Passing By, Triptych, KTMB KL station, February 2010
Linhof Super Technika V | Kodak Tri-X400 pushed to 3200
Rodinal 1:100 for 120mins @24C semi-stand development. Slow inversion first minute, 10sec gentle swirl every 30mins.
Ilfostop 1 min 30 sec
Ilford Rapid Fixer 4 mins 30 sec

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

Vacancy For Two - Charcoal Factory, Kuala Sepetang

Had an opportunity to visit again the Charcoal Factory in Kuala Sepetang, Perak a couple months back to make some photos using my Yashica MAT 124G. Shot about 2-3 rolls of B&W film there. One of the shot was taken then I saw a chair and a bicycle parked next to each other, with some light from the outside. There was something special about this shot. Went back home, developed the roll and scanned the shot. Was very happy with the outcome.

Vacancy for Two, Kuala Sepetang, January 2010
Yashica MAT124G | Ilford HP5+ 400.
Ilford LC29 1+29, 6mins 15sec@24C, agitation continuous first 30sec, 10 sec every subsequent minute
Ilfostop 1 min
Ilford Rapid Fixer 4 mins

Several months later, a very good friend has offered to print it for me. Here's a scan of the print that he did. There's 2 versions of the print.

Version 1 - Paper - Ilford MGWTFB, Lith Printing and Selenium toning



Version 2 - Paper - Ilford MGWTFB, Lith Printing, Selenium toning, Bleached and Redeveloped

Thank you Morpheuse for the prints =)

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 =)

3 different versions of 'The Lone Tree'

I don't know why, but I've been getting this urge of shooting something that has element of emptiness, darkness, eeriness, gothic, scary or horror. Maybe it's because my mind has been clogged with ideas on a gothic shooting theme that I was supposed to do with Steph. The session got canceled because Steph had an accident. Steph, hope you recover from your injuries soon. Take good care of yourself. Once you're back in your hyperactive mode, lets get some unfinished business done. :D I need to get this gothic theme out of my head :P

Anyway, there I was at UPM's Farm, with a friend whom just started his photography hobby, another friend and my wife. We went inside, shot a silhouette of the tree on top of the hill.. for the post processing of this shot, I decided to give several different treatments to it.

Here's one with the sunset (that I normally do) look,



Here's on with a twilight or midnight with moonlit (this is experimental) look,



Here's another one in B&W, but to get this, I had to combine 7-exposures of the same shot, injected with HDR treatment to get the tones, and converted to B&W plus some dodge and burns.



I love all three versions of this. Don't know what to do with the threesome. Maybe I should do a triptych, print it large and hang it on my wall.

The Living Fossil

I apologize for not being able to update my blog any sooner. During this time, I have visited Zoo Melaka twice. One creature that really grabbed my attention this time is the iguana. Me and a couple friends went to the iguana enclosure and spent a good hour there. Yes, an hour inside the iguana enclosure. Hard to believe, but when me and a few photo-crazy guys go to the zoo, we'll be there from the time they open, until the time they close! Anyway, the lighting from above was dramatic and my brain starts working.. Dramatic light + Iguana's beautiful details = B&W!


#1 - "The Living Fossil"



Click here for bigger resolution of this photo.

#2 - "The Living Fossil 2"



Click here for bigger resolution of this photo.

Kuala Sepetang Charcoal Factory - A memorable phototrip

In conjunction with the ShutterAsia 2nd Anniversary celebration, a photo trip to the charcoal factory in Kuala Sepetang, Perak was organized. A group of 15-20 members came in from the Northern, Central region and KL. Despite of the coming in from different places, we managed to meet up at the charcoal factory in between 9-10am. One of the factory managers was kind enough to give us a briefing on the process of producing charcoal.

I have set in mind that I'll be producing black and whites, so most of the shots are in B&W to add a historic/nostalgic mood to it. However, some shots are left in color as it was best to do so..


#1 - Boats are used to transport the woods from the mangrove forest nearby to the factory.


#2 - The barks are skinned off before being put in the chamber.


#3 - Hardworking villagers been doing this job for generations.


#4- A hardworking villager


#5 - An old school transporter


#6 - The burning chamber



It really was an interesting and memorable photo trip. I wouldn't mind visiting this place again..