Our Own Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I want to take ya
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go, Jamaica

Off the Florida Keys, there’s a place called Kokomo
That’s where you want to go to get away from it all
Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand
We’ll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo

~ The Beach Boys

From the Pasir Gudang Kite Flying site, we drove down to isolated Desaru beach where Sharon indulged in her favorite macro photography on the beach. I just enjoy the view; the peaceful casuarina trees, the swaying palms, the gentle pounding of waves and the fine sand on my feet. This is life! Didn’t we get enough wind at Pasir Gudang? Haha.

Not many girls will enjoy macro photography because one needs to get one’s hands and knees dirty. It is tough work plus most girls dont like looking at bugs upclose.

Olympus OM-D ISO 200, f8, 1/500 sec.

#jb #johor #pasirgudang #kitefestival #desaru #beach #seaside #landscape #macro #kokomo

Tiny Chewbacca Flowers

Trampled by humans and decimated by grass cutters, the plants survive somehow.

Each pod is smaller than a finger nail and a closer look reveals its understated and strange beauty.

Macro photography with the Sony FE 55mm prime and Raynox DCR-250.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 1600, f4, 1/1250 sec.

Macro At The Night Market – Putu Mayam

Outdoor macro is hard enough in the daytime with a close-up lens’ extreme shallow depth-of-field. It requires very precise focus. At night, at the pasar malam, it can be a nightmare.

I not only need to light the subject but also to handle the side effect of a curious crowd attracted to the lights like moths to a flame.

Is a challenge but doable if you can find a stall with tables. The ‘assam laksa’ stall usually has some tables and chairs to dine in. They won’t mind you shooting other food there provided you order from them, and explain what you are going to do.

Putu Mayam is the popular Indian vermicelli dessert made from rice flour, steamed with coconut milk and fragrant pandan (screwpine) flavoring. The string hoppers are eaten with grated coconut and golden (gula melaka) coconut palm sugar.

Because the ingredients are nicely textured, the aim was to light it in such a way to create dimension while highlighting the textures of the coconut shavings and golden sugar crystals.

Two Litepanels units were deployed.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f9, 1/60 sec.

Rendang

Historically, the Minangkabau people of Sumatra were of a migrating (merantau) culture. Many left home to start new lives in other Indonesian cities, as well as at regional countries. Soon, Padang restaurants were everywhere.

But there was one problem when they wanted to take food along their long journeys through rivers and oceans. Refrigerators weren’t available in the 16th century.

So the enterprising Minangkabaus came up with Rendang, a form of drier curry meat. The special recipe used a combination of spices and cooking methods that resulted in a dish that will last when stored for weeks at room temperatures.

There are now, of course, many regional and different adaptations in both dry and wet versions. The rendang curry, be it chicken, beef or mutton, goes very well with lemang.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 2500, f13, 1/160 sec.