Tag: documentary photography

The Rusty Bridge

I was told there is a nice waterfall and hot springs in the jungles of Kerling. There is a sign by the main road but it turned out to be quite a long road in. The drive started parallel to a railway track, twisted through rustic villages and ended up alongside rolling hills.

With such picturesque scenery, is easy to miss a follow-through sign, if there was one in the first place. At certain crossroad, road split or T-junction you are on your own.

You can either make a wild guess or an educated guess. At one sign-less junction, I stopped by the roadside and waited a bit. Sure enough, two helmet-less village girls on a motorcycle came flying out. They were speed-drying their wet hair in the wind. By following the road they rocketed out from, it should take me to a swimming area.

The deeper I went, the narrower and lonelier the road became. I think most people driving alone would have turned back. Somewhere along the way, I saw a rusty bridge over a river. Was quite wobbly to walk on but its appearance against the sunny landscape today made the stopover worthwhile.

Panasonic GM-1, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec.

Rain Or Shine, The Show Must Go On

One of the things I decided from the get-go was to proceed come rain or shine. It would be impossible to find a continuous stretch of sunny days with the vagaries of our weather.

If it shines, the camera will absorb the colours. If it rains, I get to capture the wet landscape and activities. After all, this is documentary photography and I will go with the flow.

For this cinema in Rasa town, the show didn’t go on. Sad to see a building from 1957 left dilapidated and forsaken. Even sadder to see what looks like an equally old tree by its side; beheaded.

Rasa is the first town on the route that hit me as a dying town. Many of the buildings there are from 80 to 100 years ago but are are left abandoned. I have to find out why.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/200 sec.

Beauty In Our Backyard

This is one of my favourite pics and was captured during a previous trip. Autumn at the Sungai Liam Waterfalls in Ulu Yam.

The lonely spot is only about 15 to 20 minutes from Federal Route 1 via Ulu Yam Bharu. It is literally the backyard of Klang Valley.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 125, f5, 1/200 sec.

Night Riders

Sitting by a roadside tea stall somewhere between Serendah and Ulu Yam, I thought for a moment I was on Pangkor Island. There was a golden sunset, a coconut tree and a pack of motorcyclists.

Nevertheless, there was also a telltale sign to remind me of my actual location. Those are electric wires that overhang the track of the Electric Train Service. It runs parallel to Federal Route 1, for most parts, between Rawang and Tanjung Malim.

Along the way, I might look at some of the new stations, remnants of a few old ones and its historical impact on the landscape.

Panasonic GM-1, ISO 250, f5, 1/500 sec.

The Watermelon Brothers

One of the things I like about this trip is the chance to chat with local small traders. They are an important component of a small town’s economy and that role is seldom acknowledged. I asked Yusof the watermelon trader and native of Batang Kali about business at day’s end. He said he was breaking even. Yusof, who is 21, started trading when he was 11. Perhaps it is a family tradition as the younger brother who is helping him is now also 11. Small town people are friendly and are happy to chat with out-of-towners. There is one special quality about them that you will notice right away. I told Yusof he is quite enterprising and successful for his age and he replied by saying he is just doing his small part to help out the family.

Glad to feel the unique Malaysian (and Asian) cultural trait of humility alive and well in the countryside. In the city and in the corporate world, western-influenced training teach people to say “never been better” or “awesome”, even if you didn’t ask. The coaches and practitioners claim it is to reaffirm their success and to spread (or hype) positivity. On the opposite side, their rural counterparts intentionally downplay success through modest words. That I admire and respect. Nearest comfortable hotel to Batang Kali is The Leverage Business Hotel in Rawang. Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f7.1, 1/100 sec.