Sikh at The Peacock Door

The wonderful and ornate Peacock Door at the City Palace in Jaipur, India guarded by an equally outstanding Indian Sikh with a bright red turban and beautiful mustache.

Back Door of the Taj Mahal

This is a different and not so common view of the famous Taj Mahal taken from the river at the rear of the building. This shot was taken in a poor and fading light giving a rather different and somewhat gloomy interpretation of the landmark

Taj Mahal

A visit to India is never complete without a visit to the famous Taj Mahal. It is recommended to get there early and beat the crowds so you can hopefully capture a photograph without hundreds of tourists thronging around the walkways. This RAW image was re-processed using Photomatix Pro and has produced a great HDR image from an original photo which is already very good. All the fine details of the shrine and the water reflections are brought out giving a final image which is more like the one you remember and perceive when you are actually there.

Reflections

Another re-processed image from my India files, this time from the City Palace in Jaipur. This HDR image, created from a single RAW file, has brought out the rich dark tones, colours and fine details of the palace walls and floor as well as enhancing the reflections from the giant urns. You can spot the photographer (yours truly) in the reflection sporting a rather flash pair of red shorts!!

Mowing The Lawn - Asian Style

It's sometimes wonderful to go back through your old catalogue of photographs just to see what's lurking there and see what you can extract out from these older images. I went through some images taken in India in 2004 and took the opportunity to re-process some of them. Using the single RAW file I had originally taken I used Photomatix Pro to create an HDR image and the results in many cases were astounding, bringing out colour, depth and tonality to create more of a 3D like image. 

So if you cannot go out to shoot new pictures, for whatever reason, take some time and revisit your older images. Using the latest processing and imaging software you can sometimes unleash some great images that would otherwise remain in the dark recesses of a forgotten photo folder.

Blue Canyon

Asia has many top class premier golf courses and one of my favourites is the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand. The Blue Canyon Country Club rose to fame when the Canyon Course was selected for the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic. This was followed by the 1996 Honda Invitational Tournament of the Omega Tour. The Canyon Course's reputation as Asia's best was reaffirmed in 1998 and again in 2007, when the Johnnie Walker Classic returned, making it the first golf course to ever host the tournament thrice in the JWC’s history.

Architect Yoshikazu Kato took great care to mould his design ideas for the Canyon Course around the natural environment of Phuket Island, making use of the natural woodlands, water features and topography of the land. The result is a striking, organic design giving a feeling of unperturbed spontaneity to the intimidating natural hazards and lush fairways.

The Canyon Course features 80 bunkers and water at 10 of its holes as well as plenty of narrow tree-lined fairways, several dog-legs, narrow landing areas and well guarded, slick Bermuda Tidwarf greens to challenge the most proficient of golfers.

The golf clubhouse commands one of the best views over the course that I have seen anywhere and what better way to finish a day's golf but to sit at the clubhouse terrace supping a cold Singha beer and eating some great local Thai food.

This panoramic HDR photograph was created from 7 separate RAW images taken with a Canon G9 camera, using AutopanoPro to create the panorama and Photomatix Pro to generate the final HDR image.

Singapore Transformation

Singapore has always been close to my heart as this was the first place I lived when I moved to Asia in 1984. The Singapore River waterfront has changed dramatically since then, from rows of run down godowns to a modern high-rise bustling financial centre. The river front now offers a wonderful variety of local and international restaurants, bars, night spots as well as museums, galleries and pedestrian walkways or river cruises to take in the views of the city.

The old post office that I remembered back in the early 80's has now magically been renovated into the top class 5-star Fullerton Hotel which commands a strategic location right at the river mouth and offers its visitors a nostalgic flash-back to those earlier colonial days of Singapore.

ION Orchard

ION Orchard is the latest shopping centre in Singapore built over the Orchard MRT station with 335 food and retail outlets and a unique futuristic and organic-like design. An integral part of the development is the Orchard Residences, a high-rise residential condominium, which is still under construction and will have 175 units from the 9th floor to the 54th floor. Layered across the walls of ION Orchard, the Media Facade is a multi-sensory canvas media wall made with cutting-edge technology. 

ION Orchard will also have the largest sheltered public square along Orchard Road, ION². It will span over 33,000 sq ft (3,100 m²) wide and are able to set-up any large-scale events. Everyday, over 220,000 pedestrians will be within its vicinity.

"Let There Be Light" with Joe McNally

Louis Pang and Joe McNally said "Let There Be Light" .... and there was.

One of the biggest names in photography, Joe McNally, has been in KL all week conducting workshops and seminars, all due to arrangements made by Louis Pang of wedshooter.tv. Joe is a renowned photographer of Life Magazine fame, a major contributor to National Geographic magazine since 1987 and the "Guru of Light". His recent books "The Moment It Clicks" and "The Hot Shoe Diaries" have been highly successful and to get the opportunity to attend one of his events is not to be missed.

350 photographers from Malaysia and many countries gathered at the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 6th February to attend a one-day seminar called "Let There Be Light" arranged by local photographer Louis Pang. Louis presented a session in the morning entitled Guerilla Lighting Techniques.

Joe presented the audience with a large variety of lighting techniques interspersed with his usual funny stories. Apart from be being one of the world's leading photographers Joe is an entertaining presenter and just a "really nice guy"!

Federal Territory Mosque

The Federal Territory Mosque or Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan is a major mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located near MATRADE complex and the Federal Government Complex off Jalan Duta.

The Kuala Lumpur Mosque was constructed between 1998 and 2000. It is situated on a five hectare site near the Government Office Complex along Jalan Duta. The Wilayah Persekutuan (Federal Territory) Mosque was opened to the public on October 25, 2000 and was officiated by the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Syed Putra Jamalulail. It is the 44th mosque built by the Government within the city limits. The mosque can accommodate 17,000 devotees at one time.

The mosque's design is a blend of Ottoman and Malay architectural styles, heavily influenced by the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. It has 22 domes made from a composite material of glass fibre fabric mixed with epoxy resin to make it durable and light.

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.

Burns Supper 2010

On 23rd January 2010 the Selangor St. Andrew's Society held their annual Burns Supper at the Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur with over 300 people attending.

After cocktails in the foyer the guests sat down to dinner and the Master of Ceremonies, Hector Ingram, welcomed the members and the guests. During dinner there was the traditional piping in of the haggis, the address to the haggis delivered by Paul Henderson and a performance by the St. John's Alumni Pipe Band. The Toast to The Lassies speech was given by Paul McLaughlin and the Reply on behalf of the Lassies was then given by Tracy Dale.

After dessert, coffee and the raffle draw Sue Paterson accompanied by George McKie gave a recital of Scottish songs before the evening moved onto the serious part of the entertainment.

Scottish comedian Craig Hill burst onto the stage to the sounds of Madonna and gave a wonderful belly-aching performance of gay Scottish humour delivered in his own inimitable style.
Craig Hill entered the comedy scene in 1998 after training as an actor and as a result of a frined booking him for a gig without telling him. His renditions of Shirley Bassey singing "Who Ate All The Pies" and Julie Andrews singing Punk songs made him an instant hit and won him an award for the Comedy Stores "Stand Up for Hooch" competition that year. He was quickly spotted by the BBC and asked to be one of five stand-ups on BBC Scotland's "Live Floor Show".

 

After two series on BBC Scotland, Craig became part of the cast when the show went national with a regular slot on Saturdays on BBC2. He was then invited by BBC Scotland to be the host of another rendition simply known as "Floor Show" and eventually given his own show "Craig Hill's Out Tonight", a chat show and guide to what's on in Scotland. For more on Craig, visit his website.

The evening then continued with Scottish country dancing until Auld Lang Syne and the close of the evening.


More photos of this event can be seen here.


A slideshow with video can be seen here.

Rachel Guerzo - Live at Alexis Bistro

Rachel Guerzo played a two night concert at Alexis Bistro in Great Eastern Mall, Kuala Lumpur on 22nd and 23rd January 2010 to launch her new album called "Just Friends".
Born into Malaysia’s most influential music family – the Solianos – the pianist and singer Rachel Guerzo has emerged as one of most exciting and innovative jazz musicians in her own right. Having studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, she honed her art and cemented her reputation by playing to discerning live audiences in the time-honoured tradition. Influenced by consummate performers such as Shirley Horne, Tania Maria, Diana Krall and Eliane Elias, she both learned from them and gradually discovered her own unique voice.

In addition to playing regularly with her father, the saxophonist Salvador Guerzo and her uncle, the drummer Rizal Soliano, Rachel has worked with some very fine musicians such as Michael Verrapen, Steve Thornton, Valtinho Anastascio and Farid Ali. She headlined the Sunrise Jazz & Rhythm Festival and in April 2010 Rachel will make her debut at the prestigious Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS as part of its Spotlight: Jazz series. 

The Water Palace (Tamansari), Yogyakarta

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia there is an interesting structure called the Water Castle or Tamansari. Formerly Tamansari was a recreation garden or a resting house for the Sultan and family. The other function is it was used as hiding place for the royal family to defend against the enemy assault.

Tamansari is located about 2 km south of Yogyakarta Palace and built by a Portuguese architect in European aquatic construction adorned with Javanese symbols and ornaments. Tamansari was built in the Sultan Hamengku Buwono I period in the end of XVII Century. Tamansari comprises a compound of bathing pools, canals, rooms and an extremely large swimming pool.

The above image was post-processed using Topaz Fusion Express which offers a large range of post processing options to enhance images. This image was done using the "Spicify" preset.


The two images below were processed using Photomatix HDR software from a single RAW file.

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.