Thaipusam

One of the most interesting festivals to witness for travellers to Singapore is the Thaipusam festival. It is a Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). This year (2008), it was held 21-22 Jan.

Generally, participants of the celebration make an offering of a kavadi (burden) to Lord Murugan either for tiding over some misfortune or granting of some favor. This kavadi can be as simple as a pot of milk, or as elaborate as a huge altar of sorts that is pierced into the devotee.


The whole process usually starts the day before , with the preparation of the kavadi and prayers and rituals at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at Serangoon Rd. Then a pilgrimage is undertaken along a fixed route to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple at Tank Rd, carrying the kavadi. The carrying of the spiked kavadi involves alot of piercing of flesh, tongue, cheeks etc, so it is really a test of their faith and devotion.

At the end of the pilgrimage at Sri Thendayuthapani, before offering to Lord Murugan, the devotees typically perform some trance like dances amidst lots of singing and prayer. Once done, they will proceed out of the temple to dismantle/remove their kavadi. The whole affair is very bonding for the devotees as the whole family will be around to give their support, and very colourful for tourists and bystanders. Of course, for those documenting the festival, respect must be given, and in no way should a person interrupt or hinder the ceremony. For tourists or locals alike, do check out Thaipusam!

Tasmania

For those who love scenics, landscapes, the outdoors etc, Tasmania is hard to beat. Not just one type, you actually get to see many types of landscapes...

From mountains


to meadows


There's rocky coasts


and sandy beaches


See forests


and nice streams


You can see it all!
This is best achieved by self-drive though. The roads are generally easy to drive and the tourist information over there is excellent, so do not be afraid to try! For my planning, I used this website alot : http://www.discovertasmania.com/
For photographers who love shooting landscapes (like me), its a dream destination!!

Photography on the move

Travelling entails commuting. On the bus, on the train, or on the plane, you'll spend time on the move. Many a times, the journey passes through scenes which screams to be photographed. Well, you can! Here's 2 simple steps to help you get a shot while on the move.


Use the fastest shutter speed possible. You know a fast shutter speed will freeze action, and thats precisely what you want to do. Of course, for really fast moving vehicle (bullet train etc), you may not get the required speed. Thus it's best used when it's bright; you could also increase your ISO setting to bump up your shutter speed. For compact cameras without manual controls, the best bet is probably the Sports mode where the concept is also to freeze action. The image on the right was taken on the train ride from Hue to HoChiMinh!


The second useful trick is to set your focus to infinity. Typically, on the bus/train etc, the subject you want to capture will be a distance away. Thus you can preset your focus and not let your camera go wild trying to find your target. This is especially true when you have to shoot through windows in the bus/trains etc! Also, place your camera as close to the window/glass as possible to cut down those reflections seen in the window. This trick can be used on any window/glass situation, and not just on bus/trains!
For compact cameras without manual control, you can use your Landscape mode which automatically places the camera's focus to infinity. The above image of the Himalays is taken using a compact point&shoot using the Landscape mode through the thick glass window on a commercial plane!

While you may not get the perfect shot on the move, the above 2 steps does enable you to maximise your chances. So, whether you're on the plane or on a cruise, keep shooting!

Travel + fireworks

First blog post of 2008! Sorry for such a late entry as I was in Taipei during the New Year countdown and was only back a couple of days ago. So, first off, a Happy New Year to all!


Fireworks seems to be pretty much everyone's favourite since every year, thousands would flock to the Esplanade area to shoot them. Or whenever there're some events with fireworks, lines of tripods would be seen stationed at various vantage points. So, during your travel, it would be nice to be able to have shots of fireworks at some travel destination. However, it will be slightly trickier....
How so?

Well, the following points have to be noted :
- Location
While in SG, you would have known where the fireworks would be. Hence, you will have time to look for vantage points and be prepared.
- Tripod
You don't bring your tripod on all trips (Although it is recommended :))
- Space reservation
You have to be early at the best viewing place; however, we all know we can't plant ourselves at the spot 3 hrs in advance because, well, we are sightseeing somewhere!

Well, here's a few things you can consider :
a) Bring a compact portable tabletop tripod in your travels like the Ultrapod or Gorillapod.
These can be attached to railings, poles and branches etc which definitely is better than handheld
b) A compact camera (point & shoot even) can take fireworks as well. Just use the timer mode, and it works really well with the compact tripod mentioned in (a). The above fireworks is taken with a Ricoh Caplio compact camera! Set to 2sec timer setting for faster firing. Then its a matter of anticipating the fireworks.
c) If you arrive at a destination in the day, where you know there'll be fireworks, then try to incorporate your recce in your sightseeing. Fireworks, of course, are fired at night, so in the day, go around and see which spots are suitable.
d) Better still, if you can afford a hotel room with a view, then you can shoot/see the fireworks from the comfort of your room! Eg. in Disneyland, there are hotels that afford fireworks view, which are fired every night!

My year end trip to Taipei of course allowed me to see/shoot the countdown fireworks at Taipei 101. So here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year again!

Whose tour is it?

First off, Merry Christmas to All!!!
I'm a strong believer of self-organized trips. I shun packaged tours. And I'm not even talking about photo travel!!
There are many reasons people travel. Some travel to savour different cuisines while others travel to taste different cultures. Some travel to trek the world's mountains while others may just want to walk the cities streets. Yet some others may just want to get a stamp on their passport, to say that they have been there, though I don't think they have "done that".
But for whatever purpose you want to travel, you would want to meet and satisfy that purpose. However, my experience with packaged tours is that they are created to satisfy the travel agency's purpose (ie. to earn money), and not to satisfy yours. And I'm often reminded by people's complaint about being ushered to shops they do not want to go, and being left with too little time at the various scenic destinations. Sure, there are people who love jet-setting to various places just to spend 10 min there so that they can plant their flag of 'I was here'. But for alot of others, the itinerary just doesn't seem to suit them. Yet, they are willing to fork out their hard-earned (generally) money to suffer these injustice, in the name of convenience, fear and laziness.

So, whose tour are you going? If its your own, take charge of it! Why do you have to follow an itinerary fixed by some travel agency? Isn't it your holiday? There is no issue getting an agency to manage/book the trip as long as you customise your own itinerary. It'll cost more but isn't it better that you pay more for a trip you want, than to pay less for a trip you did not want? That's why for me, in order to save costs, I do-it-myself.

Read up in the library. Surf for info online. Ask your friends. Make your next trip your own. And for those who doesn't have time to do all that "research", why not take a trip without an "itinerary"? Just go and explore and immerse yourself locally. You may enjoy your trip more than you expect! :)

Dramatic weather

Dramatic weather, like storms & lightning, makes wonderful photography! I still remember an incident......

Location : Coles Bay, Tasmania. Was hoping to catch the sunset, but the dark clouds look evil. The winds are screaming strong too, as the waves crash angrily onto the rocky beach.

I felt drops of water hitting me, from the rain or the sprays from the waves, I dunno. The winds showed no signs of stopping and the clouds are looking more ominous by the minute....

I cursed as my camera got wet. Should I go back to the car to get my ziploc bag to protect my camera? Ziploc bag?? The winds seemed to laugh and blew even harder. The setting sun shone hard, trying to break through the clouds, and the clouds danced and raced forth, aided by the howling wind.

Perhaps the sun, the wind and the clouds were having such a ball of a time, the rain decided to join in. I threw caution to the wind (pun unintended) and continued shooting....

As the sun dipped over the horizon, it seemed to signal the end of a game as the wind blew the dark clouds away. Like a child sticking to the mother, the rain clung to the clouds and dispersed as well. I stood looking at the stark contrast of the scene in front. What a rush!

Dramatic weather gives dramatic photos. For those who are afraid that your cameras may get damaged by water, you can always pack a ziploc bag with you which can act as a raincoat for your camera. Also, the scenes just before and after a storm may be well worth waiting for. After the above display, I waited/rested in the car for a while as it was evening time, where the light is best. At the same time, I did some emergency cleaning of lens since it got wet. What followed is one of the most beautiful, serene, and magical scenes I've seen in Tasmania.

Early Christmas Gift!

Greetings all!
Every year, I've always made my own personal calendars using my travel images. This year, I've decided to share my calendar, and make it available free for personal use!! All you need to do is download my image files and print them. Detailed instructions are further below. Here's a preview of the calendar :



The images are all shot in various countries I went in Asia and I've tried to include various genres in travel photography, from landscapes to architecture, and people to wildlife etc. Perhaps next year, I will do a themed one, eg. Landscapes of Asia, but for now, I'll just have this "Best of Asia" :)
Please note that these images for download are granted for PERSONAL USE only. They are NOT for resale or commercial use. Thanks!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Instructions for creating the calendar

1. Download the image files here. There are six 8x10 images which you can print either using your own home printer, or you can send it to your favourite lab. Sending it to the lab is probably more expensive, but printing on your own, you may need to adjust the colors if they don't come out right. For paper, I think thick matte paper is best.


2. Each 8x10 print consists of two square images. Cut them out so that you'll have 12 square prints for 12 months. If you're printing it at home, note that the image properties is set to 150dpi, and if you just follow that, you'll end up with 4.75in (12cm) square prints which fits right into a CD case.


3. Get a CD jewel case. Remove the jewel case cover gently, reverse it, and connect it back. Becareful not to break the "tooth" that clips the cover in place.



4. Insert the prints as appropriate and there you have it!