Reflection: Tasik Biru

Assalamu'alaikum w.b.t.

 

It was a long time since my last entry as I am a bit busy recently. However, I will try to make a room for updating this blog whenever possible.

 

Today, I would like to share some photos of Tasik Biru or Blue Lake, located at Kundang, Rawang. The following is the excerpt from Wikipedia

 

'Tasik Biru Seri Kundang is a lake located at Seri Kundang, Rawang, Selangor. It is an ex-mining lake that used to be developed long time ago during the British period. During its olden days, the lake was used to be the biggest mining area in Rawang district, and one of the biggest in Selangor as well. It is about 25 km to the north from Kuala Lumpur.

 

After the colonial time, Tasik Biru is set to be a water sports and recreation centre for the local and foreign tourists. The area surrounding the lake, encompassing about 32 hectares (80 acres) would be upgraded with a recreation area and a jogging track around the lake'

 

Wow!! It seems that this Tasik Biru is one of the famous spots in Malaysia! However, now Tasik Biru is being developed and we can see housing estate starts to emerge near the surrounding.

 

The photos below were captured from 17 storey apartment building, standing tall beside the lake. The sky was a bit cloudy but still good for photography. The calm weather and absence of water activities in the lake enable us to see good reflection on the surface of water. Maybe this is how the lake got its name.

 

Anyway, please enjoy the photos.  

 

Beautiful bungalow house beside Tasik Biru..

Calm weather cause good reflection of the sky

Another serene view....

 

 

Thank you.

 

Photo review

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

 

Today, I would like to share on some photos and the review of them. This review is solely based on my understanding and my own opinion. Others may view them differently and have their own comments.  

 

The following photos of my nephew were taken several weeks ago while he was playing at varandah of the house (I was not able to shoot the other children as they were actively running here and there...).

 

Background 

 

We usually forgot to consider the background while taking photographs especially in having candid shots.

  

This close-up photo was taken such that the subject to fill the frame. The subject was placed at the center, defying the rule of third. The eyes was looking toward outside of the picture making the viewer to wonder what was he looking at?  

 

Aperture f/5.6 was used to get shallow Depth of Field in order for the subject to stand out from the surrounding. However, the flaw was in the background. The square, dark crystal glass on the wall seems 'protruding from his head'. I should have move to the right a bit and 'separating' the cristal glass from his head. :)  

 

Companion

Still with Irfan Naim as the subject, but the frame is zoomed out a bit to have bigger view of the surrounding area. Now, the viewer can see other subject on the scene. Looking at the Rule of Third, both subjects were placed near to the 'points of interest'. It seems that Irfan Naim was pictured with his Lego set at the porch.

 

But still with flaw in the background where the cristal glass seem 'attached' to the main subject. However, the impact might be less. And, there was no interection between the main subject and his Lego Set.  

 

Activities

Timing is important in taking candid photograph. Waited a bit longer and after a while he ignored my existance and continue with his activities.

  

The following photo shows the activities and interection of the subject (Irfan Naim) and his Lego Set. These make the photo seems 'alive'.

Thank you.

"Water Fall"

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

 

Many of us might have came accrossed photographs of waterfall with a nice smooth water flowing among the boulders. But how to capture the photo with the smooth water flowing effect? Today I would like to share my 2 cents experience on capturing those effects.

 

My visit to Japanese Garden at Bukit Tinggi had given me the opportunity to explore and experiment with photography. Lucky that I brought along my tripod during the visit.

 

The Japanese Garden is a garden with nice views, located about 3000m above sea level with cold weather. I was made to undestand that it was raining nearly everyday. A small stream flows through the garden, in between boulders and hard rocks, creating small waterfalls. Visitors have to walk through the garden to experience the beautiful scenary.

 

We came accross a small bridge crossing the stream with nice waterfall at upstream. Setting my EOS1000D on a tripod, I set the aperture to the smallest (f/22), lowest ISO that my camera have (ISO100), shutter 1/2 sec. and auto white balance. And the result... tadaaa....! :)

 

I wish that I have a Natural Density filter in order for me to get longer shutter exposure. Without the ND filter, shutter exposure time is limited. Longer than that, the image will be over exposed. For the time being, I satisfied with what I have.        

   

 

 

Waterfall view....
 

Thank you.

Rambutan

 

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

 

Rambutan is a native fruit of Malaysia and Indonesia and very popular amongst the local people. Rambutan ripen on trees with either red or yellow hairy skin, when peeled off exposing white sweet and sour juicy flesh. Yummy......

 

Details:

 

Aperture          :  f/5.6 (Aperture Priority)

Shutter            :  varies

Focal length    :  varies

ISO                 :  400

Exposure bias : +0.3 step

White balance :  auto

 

Big aperture opening was used to achieve shallow Depth of Field, therefore focus was given only to the subject with blur background (bokeh). Long focal length (between 100mm - 200mm) was used in order to have the subject to fill the frame. It is a close-up for the details.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

 



Oil Palm 2

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

Oil palm a.k.a. sawit in Malay language. Slowly it become the heart and pulse of Malaysian economic activities. The palm oil industries become one of the major contributors in the export commodity of Malaysia, and yet many of the people who are fully involved in the industries (small players) are still left behind. May be due to lack of technology and still operating in a traditional way.  

The fluctuation of the palm oil price is beyond their control. So, when the price is high, the small farmers may enjoy the benefit, however when the price goes down, they suffer while the maintenance cost keep increasing. Something needs to be done in helping the farmers....     

left alone on the ground while the rest are taken away.....

Thank you.

The green....

 

Assalamu'alaikum w.b.t.

 

It was Sunday morning and the sun was yet to show itself. The sky was cloudy. The earth was wet due to prolong rainfall the night before.

 

After we were done with some exercises, I let my children enjoyed themselves playing at the playground adjacent to the lake of Taman Tasik Shah Alam while my wife prepared some breakfast. The photo below was shot afterwards.

 

Details of the shot:

• Aperture: f/5
• Shutter : 1/80 sec.
• ISO : 100
• Focal length : 50mm
• White balance : cloudy

 

 

I like the green floor..... the green background...

Thank you.

Sun Halo

 

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

 

It was a sunny day on 2 Oct 2012 when suddenly I recieved a call from my wife describing a rainbow forming around the sun.

 

I checked the sky. It was nearly half past one and the sun was very bright with clear sky. Obviously I saw a circle of 'rainbow' arround the sun. It was a sun halo.

 

Based on my search in the internet, halo effect is an optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals creating coloured or white arcs arround a source of light. In the case of the sun halo, it may caused by ice crystals formed in the upper cirrus clouds (5 to 10km high) at troposphere region. The crystals act like prism and mirror, refracting and reflecting the sun light that create the beautiful 'rainbow'.

 

As I didn't bring my DSLR, I had to utilize whatever possible gadget in hand. Lucky that I had my handphone with me, thus I used my handphone camera to capture the event. 

 

The last two photos were shared by my friend. Beautiful shot using handphone camera.... Credit to my friend.... :) 



 

 

had to shield the sun to have a better view...

From another angle...

Sun halo: a good framing...  

From another angle...... credit to my friend
 

Thank you.