A Sad Day - Steve Jobs 1955-2011

"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"

Portrait of an Orphan

I met this young orphan boy at the perimeter of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I think his vacant and blank gaze tells us a lot about the difficult life he leads.

Orphans are found in many of the poor and underprivileged Third World countries but Cambodia has a significantly high proportion of orphans and abandoned children. This disproportionate number of orphaned children is a result of around thirty years of war, foreign occupation, civil war and the infamous Khmer Rouge Regime which had some dramatic and deadly effects on the people of Cambodia.  In addition to the brutal events during those dark days one of the current ongoing problems is the continuing effect of land-mines on victims and the healing and rehabilitation of Cambodians who have suffered through land-mine incidents. Cambodia is a country with one of the highest occurrences of death by land-mines. In addition, deadly diseases such as AIDS, coupled with the scarcity of health care resources, compounds these problems into leading causes of death which all contribute greatly to the increasing orphan population in Cambodia.

Death For Drug Traffickers

This sign painted on the walls of the infamous Pudu jail in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia very clearly points out the penalty in Malaysia for being caught in the trafficking of drugs.

Capital punishment in Malaysia applies to murder, drug trafficking, treason, and waging war against Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the King). Recently, the law has been extended to include acts of terrorism. Any terrorists, and anyone who aids terrorists, financially or otherwise, are liable to face the death penalty.

Only High Courts have the jurisdiction to sentence someone to death. Juvenile cases involving the death penalty are heard in High Courts instead of the juvenile court where other juvenile cases are heard. Appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court are automatic. The last resort for the convicted is to plead pardon for clemency. Pardons or clemency are granted by the Ruler or Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of the state where the crime is committed or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if the crime is committed in the Federal Territories or when involving members of the armed forces. Death sentences are carried out by hanging as provided in Section 281 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Pregnant women and children may not be sentenced to death.

Between 1970 and 2001, Malaysia executed 359 people. As of 2006, 159 people remain on the death row. Malaysia also uses Sharia law.

Six Feet Under

These rows of old headstones are in an Christian graveyard in central Kuala Lumpur known as the Birch Road Cemetery. This cemetery has a very large Chinese section but this older part of the cemetery was retained as a Christian burial area. I like the rundown and delapidated feel of this graveyard which adds a very atmospheric feeling to your photos particularly with all the overgrown, lush undergrowth and tropical plants which are obviously thriving on the rich nutrients of the soil!

Life After Death

These mushrooms had sprouted up on an old dead palm oil husk. Fungi are important decomposers of dead animal and plant matter and break down the organic material into simpler compounds that can be absorbed into the soil and  used by other plants. During this process they return carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which green plants then use during photosynthesis to produce food and these green plants then produce oxygen.

R.I.P.

The Birch Road Christian Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur is a wonderful place to wander through and take photographs. The place is run down and overgrown offering a multitude of moody and atmospheric images portraying decay, collapse, death and destruction. I don't know why but I really like the place and although you have to suffer from the many mosquitos that inhabit this place you usually get some worthwhile images, particularly if you are shooting multiple brackets for some HDR post processing.

This shot is a normal 3 bracket shot post processed in Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro, then converted in Silver Efex Pro 2 and the colour recovered in the red lettering for effect.

Life After Death

This flower appeared to be thriving in this old graveyard in Prague, Czech Republic demonstrating the power of life while surrounded by death.

The Cursed Coffin Shop

When I die I am not worried how I go .... just take me to the f*%&#@ Coffin Shop!

Birch Road Christian Cemetery

Once again I continue my morbid theme on cemeteries. To me, however, they provide an atmospheric and peaceful setting for photography and particularly so when combined with HDR photography which seems to add to the mood of the images. 

The Birch Road Cemetery is a Christian Cemetery which lies just to the north of the Kwong Tong Chinese Cemetery and sits in the corner between Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Dewan Bahasa.  Birch Road originally ran from the small roundabout at the end of Petaling Street, now enlarged to Bulatan Merdeka, in front of the Chinese Assembly Hall, past Stadium Merdeka and Victoria Institution to the Edinburgh Circle, no longer a circle but a large junction with an underpass. Birch Road is now Jalan Maharajalela, named after the local Malay chief who was, ironically, involved in the killing of James W. W. Birch, a British Resident in Perak, in 1875.

Video slideshow can be see here.

Kwong Tong Cemetery

The Kwong Tong Cemetery is a Chinese cemetery located in central Kuala Lumpur which covers around 343 acres and houses the largest number and oldest graves in the city. It has been in existence for 112 years and is the final resting place of the prominent city pioneer Yap Ah Loy.

In 2007 the Kwong Tong Cemetery was renamed “Heritage Park” and landscaping turned the park into one of the few city’s “green lungs”. In addition a cultural museum was built housing a comprehensive collection of information related to the prominent Chinese pioneers.

Rest in Peace

There's a strange air of peace and tranquility in a cemetery. Even in the heart of a bustling city such as Paris a few steps into the grounds of the Montparnasse Cemetery provides a reflective environment to ponder life, death and of course photography. Interesting shapes and designs of tombstones provide a wonderful opportunity for interesting photos.