un-Happy Anniversary

phone rang...

Me: Hello
Her: Hi...I'm calling from xxxx Foto ar...Can you talk now?
Me: Sure...(here it comes)
Her: Regarding your camera...the quotation came back...
Me: Uh huh...(shit!...this better be good)
Her: Apparently the SQ Plate needs to be replaced...it'll cost RM500
Me: So big wok ar?...it's really that problem huh...(why can't it just be some gears jammed or internal battery died or something!)
Her: Ya...uh...so you want to repair it?
Me: Um...ya
Her: Confirm ar?
Me: Yes...(I don't have a better choice do I?)...thank you

August 2009...after researching and surveying the market and saving for more than a year...I finally made the single most valuable purchase with my own cash...well most of them were savings and leftovers from study loan...on a used camera

first photograph made with my used camera

it opened up doors to a new world...the world through the lens...a lot of new things to study and to learn...
like most hobbies...photography requires knowledge...curiosity...patience...passion...practise
and also like most big boy's hobbies...this one can be quite expensive too

first time making photograph of the moon

regarding the cost...it really depends...
whenever I want to buy something...I remind myself...
do I really need it?...or I just want it?
this is just a hobby...I don't make any money out of this...if I spend too much...it's just an investment with no return

trip to Penang Island

auto-focus...built-in metering...auto-exposure...unlike the olden days...one don't really need a lot of studying to operate a modern camera...just point and shoot

my model who never complain about the photographs I made of her

now that it doesn't take much effort to shoot...there's a whole lot to learn about pointing...and in photography...it's known as composing

first time making photographs at friend's wedding

I'm not up to offering any advice to beginners in photography...but if you ask me...I'd say...read more...
there are lots of photography books...if you don't know how to choose...don't...just read any...I think they are more or less the same...after a book or two...I think you'll know how to differentiate the good ones with the better ones...

August 2010...after a year...honestly I think I've grown a bit...from Point n Shoot...I try to do a little bit of Point n Think n Shoot...a little bit of composing...pay more attention to the frame...

trip to Teluk Batik

and learn quite a bit of post-processing...
beginning with simple cropping...I learn to adjust exposure...curve...colour balance...sharpening....hue-saturation-lightness...and recently...channel mixer...
and lots more to learn...

an alley in Betong, Thailand

August 2010...supposed to celebrate one year anniversary...but was struck by an unfortunate event...my camera gave me "Err"...couldn't do anything with it...and so I sent it for repair (a rather costly repair)

sad but I have to get it done...after all I can't afford a new camera...
also I never intend to let it die just like this...it is my dream to pass this camera on to someone who'll appreciate it...to inspire that someone to learn photography with it...

recent trip to Taiping...before the camera failed

so on this one year anniversary...my camera spend the month away from me...lying on a bench somewhere in the Klang Valley I guess...

but that's OK...just make sure you come back safe buddy

(p/s: to relieve the itchiness...I loaded a roll of expired Centuria 100 into the "old man" [F65]...after a year of learning with CCD...it really changes the way I handle film...can't wait to get them developed)

I don't feel like swimming anymore...blame USM-LG

recently stumbled upon a short video clip taken from the days I'm still with USM-LG and posted here...that brought together old friends...chatting and interacting over the cyberspace...

also reminds me of something...I haven't dive into the pool for quite some time...quite some long long time...

the last time I went with my beloved to the public pool...few years back...her bag which we put on the pavillion...got stolen...

luckily her handphone and purse weren't in the bag...the most valuable item she lost was her...ehem...new brassiere...(you know how expensive lady's undergarments can be!)

but we also lost the car keys...which gave us lots of trouble...

for peace of mind...I have to alter the locks and make new sets of keys...

and I'm public-pool-paranoid since then...

still she always ask me to the pool...I know she loves swimming...but I always give her reasons not to...

security lar...(still paranoid)

lots of people lar...

pool dirty lar...

toilet smelly lar...

bathroom no door lar...

water very small lar...(you know what I mean)

lazy to bath lar...

period lar...(just kidding)

"Last time you go to swim everyday...didn't hear you complain?"...she says

well...last time different...very much different

it was free...

I don't have to worry much about security...

got dedicated lanes for us...

we were still swimming when the public all left the pool...

nobody cared about the bathroom doors...

the shower was gushing...seriously miss the shower...

and most important of all I got my own pigeon hole loaded with shampoo, shower foam, facial wash, swimming cap...essential stuffs I can just leave it there and don't have to carry around...which makes it very convenient...

younger days but old LG

all this little privileges made it such a joy to go swimming back then...

I got so pampered by them...

now that I'm without them...I became so lazy to go to the pool...

USM-LG...it's your fault that I haven't swim for so long!!!

well...for whatever reason...I can say this was the best year

p/s: its nice to look back once in a while...especially on a raining saturday night...and smile...

but we must not dwell in it for too long...since I find it so troublesome to swim now...I'd moved on to running to stop my BMI from going into "overweight"

Half Marathon in KLSC Marathon 2010