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)