Night Street Photography - Empty Cans Collector

Empty Cans Collector

© 2006 Martin Liew

Empty Cans Collector

6th October, Friday (Lunar Month 15th August) was the Mid-Autumn Festival. As usual every year Chinatown would be beautified with colorful giant lanterns. This called for celebration where families come down to take memorable photographs with their loved ones.

Well due to the recent hazy air pollution caused by the forest fire in Indonesia, the South wind brought us the haze with PSI value up to 130. During the early evening on Friday, it wasn't that bad until the late night which lasted for the whole Saturday. Well anyway nothing would spoilt everyone's mood in celebrating this Festival.

I wasn't really out to take such celebrative pictures in which kids are carrying lanterns nor any of the road-show performances. I was more keen in looking out for something special or any "happening" for the night. I wanted to take pictures that say alot about the people in Chinatown and the people coming to Chinatown. Night life/people in the street, that's what I was looking out for.

After walking through the busy bazaar, I came across this old lady on an overhead bridge where she was stepping on disposed canned drinks. It's quite a common sight where many old folks are searching for empty disposed canned drinks so they can sell them for money. What a good way of recycling these cans, but it's a tough job for them. They have to search through every waste bin they can find and they dun earn much from selling them to the junk yard owners.

While everyone is having fun taking pictures, she is still working hard and I could see she has had collected a huge sack of cans. Perhaps from a hard day's work. I stood there for a few moment, observing her every movement. Suddenly she caught me looking at her and she smiled at me. I smiled back. It occurred to me she really enjoys what she is doing. No resentment, no regrets.

I decided to pick up my camera and take her photos. Then a kid came by and was kind enough to pass her a few cans. She's more happy to accept them. Well I could have taken a few more shots but to the very low light condition in that area, I'm lucky to have these 2 shots properly exposed, though they are alot grainy as I used Fujifilm Superia 1600 rated at 800. It might perhaps due to the photo-lab scanning and editing.

Nikon FM10 • 50mm f/1.8 • Fujifilm Superia 1600

Empty Cans Collector

© 2006 Martin Liew

Michael Busselle remembered

Michael Busselle remembered

Photographer and writer Michael Busselle has died at the age of 70. Having begun work as a photographic assistant he established his own studio in London working on commercial shoots for the advertising and publishing industries. His first book, Master Photography: Take and Make Better Pictures set him along a path in which his name became synonymous with photographic writing. Alongside articles in the photo press, Busselle wrote over 50 books including several volumes on travel and wine.

Despite failing health Michael continued to work into 2006 with his last completed project, A Better Digital Photography Guide to Landscapes: Seas and Skies, published by Argentum earlier this year.

Michael is survived by his wife Patricia and son Julien. To see examples of his work, visit Michael Busselle's website here.

TWO ORCHIDS

Two Orchids #1

© 2006 Martin Liew

Two Orchids

Who says we can only shoot floral photographs in the daytime? Well of course we are making full use of the natural sunlight to make the best floral pictures be it close-up or macro format. What I did here was to make floral photography more creative in a way that I make the pictures in the nighttime, in a dark area of the garden away from stray light sources, particularly from those lamp posts. The pictures featured here were taken on Kodak slide film with my favorite manual SLR, Nikon FM10, handheld.

Well, you might ask how did I do it handheld when the surrounding area was so dark? It definitely requires a longer exposure timing and a sturdy tripod is a must here, you might say. Yes, you are correct on that point. Didn't I mention it was a night of light painting or should I put it more appropriately, color-splashing?

For the setup, I used 2 flash units each mounted on a normal tripod. I placed each on the left and right side of the Orchids. The left side flash head was fitted with a DIY blue-colored gel and the other with a DIY magenta-colored gel. With the help of a wireless flash transmitter and 2 receivers, I was able to take such pictures handheld. Though this shot was quite under-exposed, I still like the blending of the color effect. I could have set the flashes on full power or used a wider aperture, say f/5.6 or f/4 with a shutter speed of 1/125sec.

The picture below was taken with a different color gel i.e. replacing the blue with red but the results aren't that good.

Two Orchids #2

© 2006 Martin Liew

Matilda House

Matilda House

© 2006 Martin Liew

Matilda House

Located at Punggol End, Matilda House was built in 1902 for Mr Joseph Cashin whose family history in Singapore can be traced back to the early 1840s. The building is a fine example of an early style tropical bungalow. The tropical style of the building is accentuated through its architectural features such as open verandahs, raised floors and the use of timber framed lattice and louvres to permit cross breezes. As the only remaining historical bungalow in Punggol, the conservation of Matilda House will serve as a significant landmark for the future Punggol new town and as a reminder of "old Punggol".

There are many stories about this house especially of haunting & spiritual stuff. I was thrilled about making nocturne pictures of such old house and did not bother much about it. As mentioned in my early blog, nocturne photography, to me, is a experimental and creative way of expressing on how I see this world in another dimension. Well I think the nocturnal effect I did here does add up the spookiness and makes it look more eerie. But ultimately that wasn't my main objective.

For the above photo, I was using a wide angle lens, setting my camera at a very low angle point in such to frame the whole house. I exposed it for a full 10-minute during which I used 2 colored gels to light-paint. Same exposure timing for the photo below which is the back area of the house.

Matilda House

© 2006 Martin Liew

Club Moss Trees

Clubmoss Trees

© 2006 Martin Liew

Club Moss Trees

Lepidodendron is the name given to a giant Lycopod or scale tree which formed an important part of the coal swamps of the late Carboniferous which grew to heights in excess of 40 meters. The extinct genus of primitive, vascular plants were related to the Lycopsids (club mosses) and are sometimes called giant club mosses. They thrived during the Carboniferous period.

My Nocturne Photographs

Orchids Spectrum

© 2006 Martin Liew

Orchids Spectrum

I first came across this art form of photography at The Nocturnes (www.thenocturnes.com) and I was really impressed by the works of many famous night photographers in US. I particularly like the works by Andy Frazer, Tim Baskerville, Troy Paiva, Larrie Thomson, Michael Frye, William Lesch and many more.

I was so inspired and motivated that I got myself all the essential tools for nocturne photography, such as colored gels, strong flashlights (torchlights in Asia term), external flash units (cheap ones from Yin Yan, China made which I bought online recently). I use a fully manual 35mm film SLR, Nikon FM10 with 2 lenses i.e. 17-35mm & 35-70mm. Well most of the time I use the former lens for a wider coverage and perspective on architectural structures and landscapes. The film I used is Kodak Ektachrome E100VS. For "Orchids Spectrum" I used an expired Kodak E100GX therefore there are color shifts but I still love the color it produced. I use E100VS becuz I like the color sdaturation it produces.

I never intend to record any "true colors" of the night or make pictures of the "real" world in the night. Nocturne photography, to me, is experimental and a creative way of expressing on how I see this world in another dimension. To create an unworldly pictures with bright colors. Making nocturne pictures isn't as easy as it seems especially here in Singapore, where stray light sources from street lamps, house lightings, traffic lights, etc etc. So it's hard to come by any area or spot that is in near darkness. Well I do enjoy the whole process of making nocturne pictures and it does make me see and feel things differently in my surroundings. Of cuz it challenges me on the technical as well as artistic aspect of photography.

Here's one of the many photographs I made early this year and I will post each picture from time to time. Do come back and check them out.

What is Nocturne Photography?

As defined in the dictionary, nocturne has two meanings:

(i) a painting of a night scene;

(ii) an instrumental composition of a pensive, dreamy mood, especially one for the piano.

The word photography comes from two ancient Greek words: photo, for "light," and graph, for "drawing." "Drawing with light" is a way of describing photography. When a photograph is made, light or some other form of radiant energy, such as X-rays, is used to record a picture of an object or scene on a light-sensitive surface.

Therefore Nocturne Photography is all about light-painting/drawing of a night scene.

I'm Back

Well after taking a 2-week break from blogging, I'm back. It was a hectic 2 weeks for me, busy working and rushing for deadlines. Of cuz I never stop photographying. I've joined 2 outings so far over 2 weekends i.e. last Sunday and today, basically just on street photography. Didn't really get any good subjects to shoot but managed to finish up a roll today.

I used a toy camera, Holga, with flash guns i.e. Yin Yan 30STZ and Nikon SB-800 on Fujifilm 400NPH and Kodak TMAX100 respectively. I've sent the color negative for d/o & 3S print which cost 50cents per print at Ruby Photo Store. Can't wait to see the results. Will send the B&W roll film for d/o asap. I've stopped using Holga for more than a year now and impulsively I pick it up again, playing with 2 different flash guns to find out the "right" techniques for correct exposures.

Well I won't be featuring those works in this blog but I do have ideas of setting up another blog entirely on Black & white Photography with my favorite topics on nature/landscape, still life, fine art, portraitures and street. Until then I'd focus on my night photography.

Stan Kay

Moonlight Huts

© 2006 Stan Kay

Stan Kay

Last week I came across Stan's night photos at a local forum and quite impressed by his digital works. I'm still pretty new in digital night photography as I shoot in film all the time. Though I've never met Stan in person, I decided to correspond with him, seeking his permission to feature his work at my blog site. He agreed.

Stan Kay started out with film camera, He used it for his travelling trips but only knew about the 'Program' mode. He was introduced to digital photography about 3 years ago through a basic photography course. Learning the basic was just the beginning till he went travelling overseas and started to face with countless photographic challenges that make him want to keep learning and shooting for better results.

"Basically, I am a travel photographer who likes travelling and shoot whatever comes by. Back in Singapore, we don’t really have varieties so the only way to keep me going on with photography is to keep thinking of new ways to make my photography more interesting. It is more for my self satisfaction followed by showcasing and sharing with other keen photographers or people who have the same interest. Creatively my mind's eyes help me to overcome my lack of camera techniques and knowledge in my photography journey." stated Stan Kay.

The two night photos featured here are part of Stan Kay's Late Night series. To view the rest of his work, please click here.

CALM
© 2006 Stan Kay

Loo Gu Tai

Man In The Park

© 2006 Loo Gu Tai

Loo Gu Tai

Loo is a fellow member of PSS, whom I first met through Selina last year during one of the Photo Clinic sessions which is held every Friday night. She owns a Nikon F80 and she insists on using films and not interested in digital camera at all. After seeing some of my B&W night photographs, Loo got interested in night photography and since then she, Selina and I went for night shooting on most Saturday nights early this year.

On April's Fool night, Vincent Hau joined us at Fort Canning Park. FYI, the above featured shot was done by Loo and the man in that picture is none other than Vincent Hau himself, who volunteered to pose as a model for her. Loo used Kodak color negative film with aperture setting at f/8 exposed for 8 sec.

The shot below was taken on a separate night at Changi Boardwalk. Loo was drawn by the harsh shadows of the wooden railing casted on the wooden boardwalk by the only light from the lamp post. The light also brings out the wooden textures of the boardwalk which has this jagged line patterns that makes the whole picture more interesting. Things to watch out for are a.) the 'No Swimming' signboard right next to the lamp head, which was cropped into half off the edge of the frame. It was a slight composition error there. Always watch out for details. b.) On the background, anchored boats and yachts are blur not becuz of camera shake but due to 2 factors; 1. there were other ships sailed by in the distant causing some sea-water waves that spread towards the anchored boats and shook them causing motion blur and 2. the long exposure timing. Camera and exposure settings are not recorded.

Boardwalk by the Sea
© 2006 Loo Gu Tai

Selina Ng

Sentosa Park

© 2006 Selina Ng

Selina Ng

Selina takes on any kind of photography except portraitures. She's drawn to subjects that catch her attention i.e. found-objects in the street, old buildings, sceneries, etc. Her approach in photography is quite comtemporary. Selina prefers to shoot in B&W more than in color. She takes infra-red photography as well and do all her own film developing and printing at home where she converts the bathroom into a traditional wet darkroom. She does digital photography occasionally with a Canon 350D.

Here are two featured photographs by Selina. They were taken separately during two of our weekend night photography outings. These two pictures were strongly inspired by renowned night photographer, Andrew Sanderson's works. All pictures were taken on B&W ISO100 film, exposure settings not recorded. Film is scanned with minor adjustment in Photoshop for brightness and contrast.

Changi Boardwalk

© 2006 Selina Ng

Fireworks Festival 2006

NDP2005 Fireworks by French Team

© 2005 Martin Liew

SINGAPORE NDP 2006 - Fireworks Festival

It's that time of the year where we celebrate for our 41st Independence Day this year. Fireworks Festival 2006 is held in conjunction with our National Day Parade. Organised and managed by UnUsUal Productions Pte Ltd. This year's festival consists of 4 fireworks shows lead by 4 teams. It will be held at Marina Bay at 9pm.

Here are the dates:
• 5th Aug 2006, Sat - Team Italy lead by Mr. Francesco Ambrico of Magic Events
• 8th Aug 2006, Tue - Team Singapore lead by Mr. Henry Ng of SpectaWorks Pte Ltd
• 11th Aug 2006, Fri - Team New Caledonia lead by Mr. Charles Germain of Inter-dis SARL
• 12th Aug 2006, Sat - A complimentary musically choreographed fireworks display by the French team of Signapore Fireworks Festival 2004.

For more information and details, please log on to this site.

NDP2005 Fireworks by Vincent Hau, LPSS

NDP2005 Fireworks

© 2005 Vincent Hau

NDP2005 Fireworks by Vincent Hau, LPSS

Vincent Hau is a digital photographer and a fellow member of Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS) where he attained his Licentiateship distinction title (LPSS) in 2005. I first met Vincent at a night photography course we took at PSS mid last year. Later on we took up Studio Lighting course at PSS. Though Vincent is not particular into night photography, he has constantly attended various photography courses to upgrade his skills and working hard for his next higher titles i.e. Associateship (APSS) and Fellowship (FPSS).

During last year's pre-National Day period, there was a series of fireworks activities held at the Singapore River which attracted thousands of people crowded in the vicinity, catching the magnificient colorful fireworks. Vincent suggested that it's a good opportunity and a challenge to take fireworks pictures, be it digitally or on film. So we gathered another fellow course mate and went for it.

Honestly speaking, Vincent took better fireworks pictures than I did. The above shot was taken by him. If you like to find out more about Vincent's work, here's his website.

A Shed In The Park

A Shed In The Park

© 2006 Martin Liew

A Shed In The Park

A Shed In The Park was taken in the late evening during the last 15 minutes before the sky was completely dark. It wasn't my first attempt at making this picture and finally I found this one more satisfying.

This is what I like about night photography. Going back to the same locations and you'll bound to see things differently with some lurking surprises awaiting for you to discover. I'll go there again on the next few full moon nights and try to make a few more exposures with the full moon, if possible.

From there I have to find out and predict what will be the best time to take when the moon is set hgh or low and in which direction, so that I can capture every element in the frame. I'm sure that will make the whole picture more dramatic and attractive, or rather in a poetic and romantic sense.

Shanghai TLR • KODAK TMAX400 • 3min 40secs

A Night In The Park

A Night In The Park

© 2005 Martin Liew Photography

This photograph was made after a couple of early attempts and I wasn't satisfied with the results. Like landscape photography, night photography requires not only one-time exposure at a given time at one fixed vantage point of a selected location. Initially, it requires the photographer to find the right vantage points and make a couple of bracket shots. It also requires the photographer to come back to the same location on different days and timing for more different feel and mood to get the perfect image from the mind's eye, if the early results aren't good.

So on this particular night, I was walking in this residential park in the North area, hoping to make some good night pictures. I came back to this bridge where it's right across a huge canal towards a big field. After walking around to find the right vantage point I wanted, I set up my tripod, mounted the camera, and made the shot.

I really enjoyed this part of the area where the lighting caused this wonderful ambiance to the surrounding, as much as I enjoyed the process of making this picture. It makes me feel like I'm being there every time I see it. What a night in the park!

Shanghai TLR • KODAK TMAX400 • 3min 40secs