they're not kidding when they say that early mornings are the best for portraiture photography. i'm hoping that i get to do more of these in the near future.
23
20131229
Belum Rainforest Resort
for some time i have been in want of embarking on an adventure across the country. a year ago, after i returned from Australia, i had a route map planned out that encompasses a driving route across the eleven states of Peninsular Malaysia - basically a road trip around the country. i love the idea of exploring regions i never thought i'd ever visit in my life, and finding things i'd never expect to find in these places. i'm still rather bummed out that i haven't made this expedition yet - i keep putting it off for the lamest of reasons (mostly just me being lazy).
somehow the universe works in strange ways, and i find myself taking not one, but three trips in this month of December alone. i'm glad i made my way to Pulau Banding, where the place was relatively teeming with nature in all its splendor. rafflesia blooms, bamboo kayaks, and elephants by the roadside certainly make trips like this feel like an adventure - and it was then that i realized how much i love adventures, despite how pessimistic i am about going on adventures. all i needed was a kick, and i'm enveloped by adrenaline and endorphin. the cliched saying of "stepping out of one's comfort zone to experience new horizons" does hold some truth to it, after all.
Fraser's Hill (Again)
it feels really good to be taking pictures with the Flexaret VII again, after nearly a year of not touching it. i feel like i've taken some of my best TLR shots during this short trip to Fraser's Hill. plus the film works wonders especially when it is exposed correctly. it is results like these that get me really excited about taking pictures again. that, and the joys of post-processing DSLR shots as well.
Meopta Flexaret VII
Fuji Pro 160NS
How I Learned To Stop Caring and Love To Shoot Digital Again
once again, i cannot profess how much i adore VSCO Film. i was actually excited when they announced VSCO Cam for Android. i sound like a fanboy, but i'm actually trying hard to contain my excitement and how much i really want to go out and take more photographs, just so that i could see how my photographs will turn out under VSCO Film filters.
on a side note, December has been a wonderful month for me - friends and family, gatherings, dinners, Christmas gifts, and lots of laughter to go all around. plus it's slightly colder than the rest of the year. i wish everyday is like December.
Sendat Falls
there is this huge gap within my catalogue of photographs that indicates how i hadn't been shooting with my Canon 400D DSLR for about six months after my trip to Taiwan. somewhere within that time frame, i was toying around with the Olympus E-PL3 and also with the Canon AE-1 - both cameras require little to no post-processing in Lightroom. i guess for some reason, i decided to take the ol' slugger out of the dry box for a spin at Sendat Falls, and as i was post-processing the photographs, i realized how much i missed the routine of taking photographs, uploading them onto my PC, and post-processing them in Lightroom. it had always seemed like a chore to me whenever i had to post-process my photographs, but now i see the process as something that complements the taking of photographs.
i guess the discovery of VSCO Film catalyzed my appreciation of the post-processing procedure. i absolutely love how VSCO Film's filters are capable of enhancing or altering the mood of a photograph. do i belong in the camp that supports the usage of filters? probably. if filters are capable of representing the mood that you are trying to inject in your photographs, then by all means, use a filter. filters are kind of like selecting a particular film you wanna shoot with. want something more vibrant? use a Velvia. how about a more neutral feel to the photographs? use a Portra NC. what about those funky colours? go crazy and cross-process your Lomography Slide Film! want a really contrast-y black and white photograph? give the Tri-X a spin! i personally feel that there aren't many distinctions between film and digital, when it comes to how you want to represent your photographs. for that, i'm always glad that i'm able to decide how i want people to view and feel my photographs.
20131228
Superheadz UWS
i received the Superheadz UWS as a gift from a dear friend of mine. i've always admired the UWS's simplicity and its no frills approach to shooting with it. it also happens to be the widest camera i've ever owned - and i absolutely love taking wide angle photographs. so it isn't a surprise that i've grown quite fond of this plastic toy camera.
technical-wise, the UWS certainly would have benefited from a Bulb mode and a flash hotshoe. the lack of these features takes away a lot of the fun from shooting with a lomography camera. i'm rather happy with the sharpness of the center of the pictures, although i'm surprised at how strong the vignettes are, but that doesn't really bother me. as with other lomography cameras, you are limited to shooting solely under daylight, and to a certain extent, indoors. as much as i liked this camera, i rarely bring the UWS out of the dry box unless i'm out in the day time (which i've been doing a lot less lately, unfortunately).
i find this to be a significant problem with all my other toy cameras (and also my Flexaret VII) because they basically are rendered useless in low light situations. it really is a shame that most of my toy cameras have been relegated to the one-time-use-and-never-use-them-again-ever category because i really like all of my cameras - but their impracticality makes me think twice before i load in another roll of film into any of these cameras. nonetheless, the UWS excels in that it is relatively easy to use - you just point-and-shoot. no focusing, no fuss with the exposure metering, a very streamlined design (unlike the Diana and Holga), and some really fantastic pictures.
20130910
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