photonic crap

foreign talents

2011-04-26T21:10:00.000+08:00

The no-entry sign, the gardeners / landscaper in front of City Hall, the palm tree. Who can do it better than them?

(if only I can focus on them and not the centre of the frame...)

gardeners by the bay

2011-04-25T20:54:00.000+08:00

Without the hardworking gardeners who work under the hot sun, where will we have our garden city?

no mirage

2011-04-23T20:57:00.000+08:00

The old City Hall, and the building where City Hall MRT Station is under.

Blur in the back, but definitely real.

showing its age

2011-03-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

Taken in the City Hall, above the courtyard. I just thought you can't get rid of those stains at the building's edge unless you spray it with water jet or repaint it. Something like a person's wrinkles.

different top

2011-02-17T21:17:00.000+08:00

The dome of the old Supreme Court against the bank towers in the background. Such contrasting difference between the two banks of Singapore River. Ok, this "bank" is different from that "bank". Actually the dome does not belong to the building where I was taking the shot from, so in a way the photo looks a little mutated.

Oh well..

pillar of the nation

2011-01-30T16:04:00.000+08:00

Not really a nicely taken photo, although the pillars are pretty nice.

The roll of pillars at City Hall.

above justice

2011-01-22T09:11:00.000+08:00

Although not taken squarely right in front of the old Supreme Court, I kind of like the straight lines coming in at different angle and joining at the base of the dome. And of course the leaf add to the interesting meaning. Law of nature?

triple justice

2011-01-12T20:58:00.001+08:00

This is the triple-exposure shot I was talking about.

I don't remember doing it, but you can see the dish of the new supreme court as well, then the more obvious ones on the left and right.

Weird weird.

morning glory

2011-01-11T09:02:00.003+08:00

If I recall correctly, the shot was taken in the afternoon, but the photo looks like it was a morning in foreign land.

Taken at City Hall.

double justice

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000+08:00

Double exposed shot at the City Hall.

Dizzy yet? Since the 2 exposures are on the same spot, it seems a little boring and meaningless. The details in the middle are sharp though. Must plan my shots next time.

angmoh building with angmoh film

2011-01-09T11:37:00.000+08:00

I don't know if there is such a rule, but the Agfa Vista 100 gave me some pleasant surprises on these old colonial buildings.

Taken at the City Hall. Image is sharp and colour is accurate. In fact I have pushed too much on this iso 100 film as you will see in coming posts. You can expect crazy triple exposure shots :X

I think I like the Agfa.

it feels like time has stopped

2011-01-01T08:38:00.001+08:00

Taken outside Japan Creative Centre. Somehow it gives the feel like time has stopped, cos the building looks so old-school, so elegant, it feels like old time.

Well, today is 1st Jan, happy new year! (and this is the last photo from my Kodak roll. Next up is Agfa, stay tuned!)

another not black and white enough

2010-12-31T08:36:00.002+08:00

ok, this is supposed to be a white tiger. Doesn't matter.

not black and white enough

2010-12-30T08:34:00.000+08:00

I blame it on the poor lighting. But do people calibrate on zebra?

watered down

2010-12-29T08:32:00.000+08:00

I seldom take this kind of motion kind of picture. Still a pretty interesting composition.

elephant

2010-12-28T08:29:00.000+08:00

The elephant show at the Singapore Zoo. Surprisingly sharp in the middle on the tree. Of course the rest is blur.

the messed up dna

2010-12-27T08:34:00.002+08:00

In the other direction, the Helix is in sight, but intertwined with the F1 lightings and fences.

By the way nice weather.

the fence

2010-12-16T08:32:00.003+08:00

Of course the fences weren't for that soapbox race, but for the real F1 race. Was trying some special effect by placing the camera on the railing, but didn't happen.

start your engine

2010-12-15T08:29:00.000+08:00

I took this shot during the G1 race at The Float. The effect of this plastic lens can be seen in this photo, with the blurs at the sides.

The Merlion is blur also.

cranes and clouds

2010-12-14T08:27:00.000+08:00

Another cloudy shot. With the cranes at the bottom, and the vignette at the top.

Do you see that different density of clouds as though there is a boundary there? Also, what do those 2 circles in the middle remind you of?

now the white crowd

2010-12-13T20:26:00.000+08:00

Another crowd at The Float. Do those balloons remind you of War of the World?

cranes outside the window

2010-12-03T09:45:00.000+08:00

Some more cranes, more clouds, and the rising sun. Rise and shine!

intersection of oriental and mandarin

2010-12-02T09:42:00.000+08:00

Taken at The Float. Funny combination with flying saucer and girls in the same colour as the seats.

The brightness is a bit... bright isn't it?

same same

2010-12-01T09:41:00.000+08:00

Every shot of the sky looks similar, yet different. I think I should snap less photo of the sky.

stand up for singapore

2010-11-30T09:39:00.000+08:00

Cute antenna on top of the stadium light tower. I know I know, it's a lightning rod.

track and field

2010-11-29T09:36:00.001+08:00

Taken outside the National Stadium. This camera always gives you funny effect when you snap close to any surface. Due to reflection of light? Not sure.

looking tall

2010-11-26T09:35:00.000+08:00

Stadium Station on the left, Stadium on the right, and is that Suntec in the middle? Very soon the new stadium will catch up with the new buildings.

flower and laurel

2010-11-25T09:32:00.000+08:00

This is one of my favourite photos. I believe the coarseness is from the expired film. There are sort of 3 layers, namely the flower in the foreground, the sharp flowers in the middle, and the stadium itself.

It does feel a bit emo, this shot.

tall and taller

2010-11-24T09:31:00.001+08:00

I don't think this is a double-exposed shot. But the texture on the tall building seems interesting. I think I focused wrongly...

old wave

2010-11-23T09:28:00.001+08:00

The National Stadium at Kallang that is in the process of being pulled down.

I remember watching a S-League match there when I was Primary 6. When I was in secondary school I would visit it every year for the inter-school track and field meet.

Time to move on.

cranes on top of building

2010-11-22T09:25:00.000+08:00

Cranes sitting on top of the building. You do wonder if the building can take the weight, don't you?

when buildings merge

2010-11-19T09:16:00.000+08:00

This photo will take some time to understand. One shot is looking in the direction of Collyer Quay, the other is at that christmas tree. Wait, is that double-exposure or could it be triple?

Confusing.

sit sit chat chat

2010-11-18T09:14:00.001+08:00

At the Marina Promontory, overlooking Marina Square area. The colourful thingie is The Float. Root beer sold separately.

skyward

2010-11-17T09:12:00.000+08:00

At Raffles Place.

Nothing much to say, other than I really like to take skyline.

human christmas tree

2010-11-16T09:10:00.000+08:00

The human christmas tree at Raffles Place. It isn't a tree, and the human ain't real human.

How many of those white collars take notice of it?

metroplex

2010-11-15T09:07:00.001+08:00

This building does not transform into an Autobot, although it appears like it does. The Singapore Power building, aka 111 Somerset Road.

now can underground

2010-11-12T08:29:00.000+08:00

Surprisingly, this time round I could capture a photo in the MRT. Perhaps cos it's iso 400?

no more insurance

2010-11-11T20:26:00.000+08:00

The former Asia Insurance Building at Raffles Place. Now it's a serviced apartment. I don't know what had caused that funny thing on the lower left corner, but the whole feel of the photo is pretty cool eh?

cc6 stadium

2010-11-09T20:47:00.000+08:00

Onwards to my 3rd roll of film on the Gakkenflex! This time round it's a little treasure, a roll of expired Kodak Max 400.

I like this photo a lot. It shows the National Stadium which is currently being demolished. The CC6 Circle Line station is of course, new. So by doing a double exposure of the old and new, you get, well, old and new in one photo. And just in case you can't tell it's a stadium in the background, the name of the MRT station should help.

private property

2010-11-05T09:56:00.000+08:00

Private property. Erm, ok. Let's not trespass.

pigeons below a mosque

2010-11-04T09:54:00.000+08:00

I don't know why, there are so many pigeons near the Mosque at Shenton Way.

Is that sunlight on the right side?

this side and that side

2010-11-03T09:49:00.000+08:00

One of the busiest pedestrian crossing in Singapore, I bet. The pillar at the bus stop, the empty road this side, the filled road on the other side, people crossing, old building, trees, traffic light post

wrong sign or wrong place

2010-11-02T09:41:00.000+08:00

That's definitely not the sign for trolley.

Somehow the effect just doesn't come out. Wait, maybe that's the effect.

the departing

2010-11-01T09:28:00.000+08:00

This film / camera really cannot make it indoor.

fly away

2010-10-29T09:52:00.000+08:00

I hate to admit but some photos really sucks.

Still, I'm going to post them so that the nice ones look nicer.

frangipani blurs the background

2010-10-28T09:48:00.000+08:00

Ok, the frangipani takes the spotlight and you don't see the background HDB flats. 2/3 rule fulfilled?

Blue sky could have spoiled the picture, so grey isn't always that bad.

blur cat

2010-10-27T09:43:00.000+08:00

I don't know, it's like marking a composition and you are undecided whether to pass it or fail it. You think the flaws are unique and want to give credits to them, but it's hard to justify.

the tree behind the slope

2010-10-26T09:40:00.000+08:00

Ok this is one of my nicest photos taken so far. The slope, the tree behind, the vignette effect, the sunlight, the blur yet distinctive branches, the different shades of green. It feels a bit spiritual. Film is fun.

sands' reflection

2010-10-25T21:37:00.000+08:00

Taken at the corner between Promontory and Custom House. Somehow the water surface looks weird, like it is elevated. The tower at Custom House is kind of cute though.

meow

2010-10-22T09:24:00.000+08:00

Ok this one I really don't know how to deal with it. Too dark? A white cat wouldn't have helped.

curly road

2010-10-21T09:20:00.000+08:00

In geography class we learned about rivers meandering. But roads?

promontory no pomegranate

2010-10-20T09:14:00.000+08:00

Standing at the Promontory and looking at Marina Bay area. Lots of metallic birds (aka cranes). Interesting how the clouds covered the top portion of the photo while the patches of blue is in the middle.

I've got a feeling this scene is nicer unfinished.

fly robin fly

2010-10-19T21:11:00.001+08:00

Control tower at Changi Airport. A bit lack of lighting and badly aimed.

3 eyes above ground

2010-10-15T09:00:00.000+08:00

My twin lens reflex (TLR) camera only has 2 eyes, this one has 3. At Orchard Road.

curved straight road

2010-10-14T09:00:00.000+08:00

Above Tampines Expressway (TPE)

fly somemore flag

2010-10-13T09:00:00.001+08:00

Some more flags, this one from Bishan. This photo was on display in Switzerland at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

fly our flag

2010-10-12T09:00:00.000+08:00

Close to the National Day period, people flying the flag outside their flat. Gosh this photo is 2 months old! One of those few shots I like from this roll of film. Wonder what cast the big shadow. Ultraman?

puma in the sky

2010-10-11T09:00:00.001+08:00

Caught a Super Puma helicopter in the sky, the stream of cloud dividing the sky. Why is the sky so much darker on top?

full steam ahead

2010-10-08T09:00:00.002+08:00

Now the other direction. Sure feels dramatic cos I was not supposed to be on this side of the train. That is Church of Saint Teresa in the background.

Still can see the vignette effect.

on the ekspres rakyat

2010-10-07T09:00:00.000+08:00

Ok, I'm done posting photos from my first roll of film, the Fujifilm Superia 200. Now on to the second roll, the efiniti UXi super 200.

Taken at the start of my trip on the KTM train. The morning Tanjong Pagar Train Station, with the reflection on the old train carriage.

3-in-1

2010-10-06T09:14:00.000+08:00

They've actually left out the taxi sign, cos there really is a taxi-stand there.

working hard

2010-10-05T09:11:00.000+08:00

Would have been nice if I could zoom it in on the worker with the wheelbarrow. Oh, spot the blurred crane at the top left corner?

more cranes

2010-10-04T09:08:00.000+08:00

And my obsession with cranes continues...

bridge over troubled camera

2010-10-01T08:59:00.002+08:00

Maybe it would have been better if I shifted my focus to the left, on the supporting pillars, so that you can see the difference in depth.

the lone crane

2010-09-30T08:55:00.000+08:00

In focus? Out of focus? Bird? Dirt?

the battlefield on road

2010-09-26T21:02:00.004+08:00

This year I didn't take any photograph of mock-up F1 racing cars, except this Renault on top of a bus shelter.

Hardly see advertisement from this brand other times of the year.

photo of the cool

2010-09-17T09:06:00.000+08:00

Now this is one of my favourite shot, taken of the Punggol MRT Station. One thing is, this structure was featured in some design magazine.

This camera has successfully blurred out the details on the metallic exterior. I could have waited for a LRT train to pass by...

celebrating construction

2010-09-16T09:03:00.000+08:00

Looking at the Marina Bay financial centre. The colourful balloons sure blend well with the toy-like effect. The reflection on the water is kind of cool too.

too blur also not good

2010-09-15T09:01:00.000+08:00

Taken from Marina Bay.

I realize sometimes too blur also not good. I've learned that it is sometimes pointless to aim with the sky in the middle, cos you can't tell if you are focusing on anything, but you will definitely get blurry stuffs at the side.

be blur at the right time

2010-09-14T09:00:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it helps to be blur at the side, so that you can blur out whatever you are not interested in and concentrate on the focus.

cranes in gloomy weather

2010-09-13T08:57:00.000+08:00

The metal birds (aka cranes) at Brani Terminal.

I realize I have this fetish for infrastructure stuffs.

from a different angle

2010-09-10T09:46:00.000+08:00

Looking at Marina Bay Sands from the area next to Singapore Flyer. Hmm, didn't realise it looks like a banana from this angle.

still building resort world

2010-09-09T09:43:00.000+08:00

Now the focus is on Resort World Sentosa, still under construction in the photo. The cloud is quite threatening...

flower under the gloomy sky

2010-09-08T09:31:00.001+08:00

The flower ball at VivoCity, with Resorts World Sentosa in the background.

*take a deep breath* I shall not repeat what I say about the effects...

poor lighting

2010-09-07T09:24:00.001+08:00

Indoor shot from my room. A little bit vignette effect can be spotted. Can faintly make out the building opposite.

building blocks

2010-09-06T20:22:00.000+08:00

Blurry on the outside, toy-like in the middle. Such is the effect of plastic lens.

dark underground

2010-09-03T10:00:00.000+08:00

Like I said, the Gakkenflex + iso200 combination doesn't work well indoor. That's inside the MRT train by the way.

Perhaps it gives a special feel that digital can't achieve, if you want to put it that way.

flying into gloomy sky

2010-09-02T10:00:00.001+08:00

The gloomy sky kind of adds to that "sad" feel. Shouldn't ferris wheel be happiness-linked? That bit of vignette sure adds to the weather.

people mountain people sea

2010-09-01T10:00:00.001+08:00

A bit of lighting issue. Should have been fun if I did some double-exposure tricks :P

flyer in a net

2010-08-31T10:00:00.000+08:00

Singapore Flyer. If we look at the supporting cables, can see how the blurring effect is.

By the way, this is not a double-exposed superimposed shot.

hdb wetland

2010-08-30T10:00:00.000+08:00

The camera is focusing on the reflection in the swamp. Nearer to the sides the image gets more blurry, creating a bit of toy-like feel.

Kinda fun isn't it?

fare gate

2010-08-29T08:52:00.001+08:00

The iso200 film doesn't perform well indoor, it seems. On this analog toy camera, you can't change the iso like you do on digital, and on this particular toy, you can't change shutter and aperture settings. Although they say there's a bulb mode...

the playing earthworm

2010-08-28T08:48:00.002+08:00

Earthworm at the playground. See how the vignette effect becomes greater at close range?

Pretty interesting shot on the Gakkenflex.

doesn't look like cloud

2010-08-27T21:29:00.003+08:00

Lately I'm into 35mm film photography after getting a Gakkenflex Twin Lens Reflex toy camera. Must admit it was an impulsive thing. But going analog has been fun so far!

This toy camera with its plastic lens captures some unique shots. For example, this photo has some vignette effect.

More to come!

delicious food items

2010-07-31T09:51:00.003+08:00

You have to be very confident about your food quality to put that as the column header.

Anything less, it won't appear there :) And true enough, my parents like that place. I suspect many tourist guidebooks recommend that place too.

castle in the sky

2010-07-22T17:48:00.003+08:00

They say you are only limited by your imagination in interpreting clouds. They are so full of possibilities.

In the sky above Pasir Ris, it was my first time seeing something like this. Shadows formed by clouds, projected onto another layer of clouds.

I say they kind of look like castle. What say you?

i'm dome

2010-06-23T08:32:00.002+08:00

One day I decided to pamper myself and bought a cup of coffee from DOME. The paper cup is so pretty I almost wanted to keep it.

(btw, even after the barista added sugar, it wasn't sweet enough for me, so I had to go to McDonald's and stun some sugar :P)

mega magnum

2010-05-28T18:21:00.001+08:00

Saw this giant ice cream advertisement at the MRT station.

How I wish it's the real thing, especially when it is so hot out there...

where titans meet

2010-04-19T18:03:00.001+08:00

Now I know where is the top of Mount Olympus.

Ever watched Percy Jackson?

破晓时分

2010-04-15T18:25:00.002+08:00

The morning sun shinning.

Another day of work.

queue to immortality

2010-04-07T18:17:00.003+08:00

So many people are queueing up on a quest of immortality...

At National Museum of Singapore, on the free entry day of the museum.

new in old

2010-04-03T20:11:00.002+08:00

Went to this retro bak ku teh place at Balestier Road this morning with the GF. Food aside, I really like the feel of this old eating place. It surely has endured the test of time thus far.

The interesting contrast between the cash register and the "white board" above it. It seems like they no longer use the board to record down orders. I wonder what machine will come in next.

our mrt map

2010-04-02T20:59:00.003+08:00

Gosh, our MRT network is getting more and more complicated. And we haven't included the Downtown Line yet.

Do you remember the days when the MRT only went to as far as Choa Chu Kang and Yishun?

parasite machines

2010-04-01T20:50:00.002+08:00

Seriously, the air-conditioner units are sticking onto the exterior like some parasites.

Taken behind Amoy Street.

i am back

2010-03-31T21:07:00.001+08:00

After so long of inactivity, I think I am back, with a new toy...

Wait, all this while, why didn't I post photos of my China trip last year??

no post

2010-03-17T08:50:00.002+08:00

There is a reason why I haven't updated here for so long.

I don't have a camera phone now.

caged up singapore

2009-09-24T22:13:00.002+08:00

It's the Grand Prix season in Singapore and the town area is pretty fenced up for the race.

All lights up

Seriously I have no idea what the cage is for...

I wonder if the old bridge can take the heat of the race or not.

Kinda looking forward to the Formula 1 race this weekend. I wonder what drama will we have this year in Singapore.

rubbish chute kitchen

2009-08-15T21:51:00.002+08:00

Can you imagine if your neighbourhood's National Day dinner is prepared right next to the rubbish /refuse chute? (see centre of the photo, where the stove is)

Well, I was just a passerby.

big wind

2009-07-17T08:50:00.002+08:00

Must have been a very strong wind to be able to uproot the trees... and to cover the holes at the same time.

land rover land

2009-06-03T09:21:00.001+08:00

At Brinchang, which is in the Cameron Highlands area. This place is really full of old Land Rovers, maybe cos of the hills? In the background is some eating place.