I have been busy blogging about my adventures in Bali at my personal blog, so that’s why you see some irregularities here.  But, that’s no excuse as Adrian’s been a good slave driver fella, and I intend to help out as much as I can.

Let’s talk a bit on photography anyway. Why? Of all hobbies, why did you choose photography? Is it because you were taking pictures of your friends and the turn out crappy and enjoyed it? Or is it because you once took a picture and the bokeh is just astounding, it made you feel like a million bucks and you think you’re pro? Or you like taking pictures of booth babes, which in time nobody really gives a damn anyway.

Well, for me, I can’t draw. Yes, if I were to draw a dog, it would look like a PC. But somehow, I have always felt the need to express myself, to try and show people what I see. I have always liked the oxymoron theme, but then again I am a lousy photographer and can’t really see through it.

taken by me ages ago, was playing quite alot with photoshop then.

So you have bought a new camera, be it a DSLR or a toy camera, you have spent a few hundred on your hard earned money on this wonderful contraption that has the ability to capture light. You take pics of your lens cap, your dog, your dinner, your parents slippers and also your stationary. Wow, your pictures are sharp, heck it’s vivid too, the colors pop out. Vunderbar! Then you occasionally use it to take pictures of your friends during a wedding dinner, y’know, those typical warm coloured, blurry pics you take in the wedding banquet? And that’s it. You think your camera is lousy, why la the colours are so lousy one? It’s ORANGE! And gosh, I have applied plenty of makeup and my face looks super greasy like pimples are going to launch a Mardi Gras on my face.

That’s the problem boys and girls. We buy a camera and we don’t use it. It’s like owning a car with automatic gear. Slip in the keys, shift to “D” and press the stop and go paddle.  We never even bothered to appreciate the qualities of the tool you posses.

Yes we have all heard it before, it’s not the camera but the person holding it that makes a difference.

How to improve your camera skills then? I do try to keep my method simple. I used to join forums, www.photomalaysia.com or www.shutterasia.com is a nice place to start out. You post your pictures there and ask for comments. One thing you have to be aware of. Some of the forummers there are rather direct, so be prepared to get comments like “your pictures suck”, or “rather pointless picture you got there”. All in all it was meant for your benefit. Take in the suggestions you think is beneficial and leave out the ones which you think are childish or pointless. By joining forums you can get the general sentiment on how people view your pictures and also get a few pointers in technicality or composition. Do try to make a few friends while you’re at it. Be on a look out for outings, try to participate.

this uncle won’t be stripping at your home for sure.

Here’s the second part on how to improve your photography, by joining outings you learn a few things. Yes, it’s fun to shoot indoor stuff like your shoes, lens and anything on your table, but in reality the world is outside there waiting for you to be photographed. The mountains can’t come to you, the sunrise/ sunset won’t come to you if you don’t bother to step outside. There’s more to shooting lens and group pictures you know. Now that you have a few friends who knows a teeny bit more about photography, you can all shoot in groups, it’s much safer for first timers and it builds confidence. You will get to see what other people see and why didn’t you think of that before. You also get to know more about your camera, what can it do and what it can’t do. Think of outings as free photography workshop with intense practical application.

Oh wait, something wrong here? What about improving composition? Composition is very subjective. My friend once told me before that a blurred picture of a soldier killing a civilian is much better compared to a picture of a sharp tip of a screwdriver. Yes composition is very important, it is the very essence of expressing yourself, this is something that no one can take away from you. But of course, before one starts doing weird funky stuff one has to go through the basics like rule of thirds, leading lines and so on. But to make it easier, go to flickr and look at other people’s pictures, try to learn or emulate their shots and try to enhance your technical side, discuss it with your mates or in forums, see what did you lack of. One must learn to float before one learns how to swim.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Don’t be a slouch on weekends and sleep it off. Get to know your gear, learn photography, get some sun tan, work off some sweat and most importantly, have fun! If you fail the shot you wanted, try again, if you entirely missed the shot, laugh it off and don’t be so hard on yourself.

Remember! Remember to have fun!

no, this is not a photoshopped picture, firemen were testing this hose, and i did something this impulsive. LOL!

That’s a really bad intro anyway. Ah, it has been a while since I posted anything, I am pretty sure I am about to be treated with a fried squid (that’s calamari for you sophisticated ones). The reason? I was away on vacation at Bali.

Well Adrian said we contributors were extremely handsome and pretty hardworking in contributing to his site, he decided to give us the Plamodel DIY Super Kengchau 135 Toy Camera each! Since this was meant as a Christmas gift, I decided to open it at Bali.

Like what Renee described earlier on one has to do a bit of reading on the manual to get the assembly right. I’d love to do some camwhoring while fixing it, but I was too lazy to set up my tripod and my wife was asleep anyway.

Yes, even as an impatient person, I really had to pore through the manual to roughly know what to do to avoid screw-ups.

i spent about 3.8 seconds to study the manual thoroughly and i got cracking. actually, it’s extremely easy. even a butterfingered monkey IQ fella like me managed to get it assembled succesfully. the assembling part was actually the fun part.

You get to feel like you’re a craftsman to the highest degree…

yes, i have the most delicate and accurate touch, in the world

mm, yes, the lens, rated at 28mm F/9.5

the viewfinder…

and voila! it’s complete!

only i forgot to install the strap in, it was a bit of a struggle when i was trying to get the cover together. but it’s still functional never the less. the end result was pretty much satisfying.

Now, for the specs, it’s fixed shutter speed at 1/125 and aperture at F/9.5, that is pretty much for sunny days with a teensy hint of underexposure for iso 200 film. Well of course then, i then plonked in an iso 200 film (duh!). the film i used is konica centuria DNP.

Now, since it’s christmas, i have spent my day in Bali pretty much by chilling out, none of those exciting trips like mountain trekking or cycling. all i did was accompany my wife to Ubud town central to do some souvenir shopping. here’s some shots

yes, you can do panning shots with it.

was rather surprised when i got the films developed, i was expecting helluva light leak (and secretly hoping for one too) but it turns out to be right as rain. overall, i’d grab one if i were you, toy cameras don’t come as cheap, you’d be surprised how much bang 75 bucks can give you.

till then, merry Xmas and a happy new year!

PS: When they say it takes 20 minutes to fix, they were dead wrong, it took me 20 minutes and 3.8 seconds!

You also get to choose various formats on how you want the camera to capture pics, there’s normal (24 X 36), Square (24 X 24) or full (36 X 36). This time I chose full and plonked in a iso 200 film into it, considering since I am limited to 1/125s and F/7 or F/11. anyhow, I got it processed and forgot to tell the lab that I needed the negatives to be scanned at full, so I ended up in 24X36 format. haih…

Like I was saying, since the weather wasn’t really co-operative, the lighting wasn’t as dramatic as I wanted it to be. And since this is a toy camera, I thought I might as well just try it out without thinking much about rules or composition. Looking at the pics, I think I went somewhere wrong, maybe my approach to it is not right. hmm…

This here is a pic with the flash attached to it, and in the meantime i was also trying out multiple shots on the same frame. If you have a Nikon SB-800, it works well with it.

and a few days later, I got a bunch of friends of mine to go out to have some photography outing at kepong:

Well my friend here never had much of safety in mind. Am hoping to get clearer skies to come up, till then keep shooting!

Really, what kind of photographer are you? after somewhat years of photography, you motice that there’s many kinds of photographers. Note: this is merely a speculation if my observations are wrong, please don’t send a rocket launcher my way, ok?

The Optimus Prime

Yes, that would his name if he could get it registered with the government. His collection of lens consists mostly of prime lens and sometimes exotic ones (for example some lens made in a little town located in the west ukraine), he knows (sometimes not) what lens is the best for which situation. “this looks like a job for a 85mm!” that is what he/ she usually mutters while taking pictures. this will usually result in him missing alot of moments while he is busy changing lens or blowing away dust particles from his lens. and also a occasional drop of lens. he would love to have a 3rd hand surgically implanted if possible for quick lens changing action

Optimus Primest

He uses only one and only prime lens. only shoots objects that are ONLY suitable for the lens that the person is using, and is willing to forego the scene if it doesn’t suit his focal length. some people say they’re crazy, some people say that they got guts and some say, probably that guy can only afford one lens. this kind of pig headedness usually gains respect among fellow photographers if the pictures produced are stunning, or respect among fellow asylum mates if the photos aren’t what as desired.

The Boy Scout

“Be prepared” that’s the motto that has been upheld by these kind of photgraphers. they are sometimes humourously known as “pack mules” or if very hardcore “brokeback cowboys”. these guys are known to pack everything they own into a bag or pickup truck whenever they’re out for a shooting event. their “basic” gears consists of Camera (3 units), Lens (covering from wide angle to telephoto), 4 flashes, slider plates, tripod, monopod, softbox, reflector, diffuser, lens cleaning kit, drybox and sometimes if needed their mother in law. these photographers usually don’t last quite long in the field, unless he has sherpas or porters. and if he is unlucky, he will need to pay medical bills for treating his back. their pictures are usually technically right.

Anything Goes

These are a rare breed, they’re usually unfazed by the peer pressure created by the boy scout or optimus prime friends. They are usually aware of their limitation of their current gear and still can create wonderful pictures. they’re the kind of person that can make stunning photos even by using pinhole cameras. to them, they’re just tools to capture light.

You’re Kitting Me

what!? 20mm? 50mm? i have kitlens that goes from 18 to 55? why bother!? if possible, they would be delighted to have a lens that goes from 12mm to 300mm. saves alot of leg work for taking shots. usually think that optimus prime is nuts. they usually have little understanding of things like “Big Aperture” or “Fast Lens”. they’re also fond of using the built in flash and of course doing self portraits with one hand. (sometimes showing armpits)

Shutter Galore

These shooters have a very poor grasp of concept over quality over quantity. What they do is they set the camera in burst mode and shoot away, probably ending up with 20 over pictures of the same subject, and they later wonder why their camera isn’t good enough and they have to spend 3 hours in front of the computer just to edit pictures and weed out the useless ones. These guys will usually end up as boy scouts mentioned above.

The Invader

with deep dedication of photography, these guys will intrude almost all personal space the public has. from toilets to metal smiths they have seen it all, they pretend to chat with you then once showing signs of acceptance, be prepared to get your life documented. your spoons, your slippers your clock, or whatsoever will be well documented. and if you’re lucky, the photographer might develop and give you a copy of your pictures, but don’t hold your breath. and also be prepared not to do stupid stunts otherwise your picture will be spread wide over the internet

The Lamprey

These are the fellas which usually tag along the invaders, just like those fish that tag along with the sharks, they’re small and quite bluntly not much of a social person, has difficulty in even uttering simple words like “hello” to strike up a conversation. But once the invader has succesfully got past the introduction part to the subject, the lamprey will suck on and shoot along like nothings happened. they come and go quietly. favourite phrases include “eh, go talk to that unker lah!” and also “Let’s see how good are you socially”.

i think i have covered pretty much of it, have i missed anyone out?

1. Each shot is carefully considered, you don’t just shoot gung ho
2. I have always liked the effect of film, it looks so original and sincere.
3. I dig mechanical cameras, they are fuss free and basic
4. I don’t know how to count

In overall, I have been trying to break the rules, you know the good old rule of 3rds, the leading lines. You know how it goes, LOL. But in truth I have been failing miserably to do so. So with luck I hope I can break all this using a toy camera. not the toy camera lah! The rules!

Anyway, I was saying, with toy cameras, they offer much more basic requirements. Introducing the blackbird fly,

it’s a TLR, a toy TLR that is, also known as Twin Lens Reflex, it has 2 lenses, one for you to view through for you to do your composition, and another for the film to take pictures.

Why 2 lens? well this is based on a very popular format long ago, try googling for rolleiflex, and you’ll know what I mean. You can actually shoot from your waist down.

Well, it’s easier for fat people like me who have to squat down just to get a different angle. haha!

It has 2 modes of shutter speed, one which is at 1/125 seconds and another is bulb mode, it too has 2 aperture settings, that is F/8 and F/7.

I have not really finished my roll of films anyway. Will try to post them up in a few days. Till then ciao!