Tag: light

The Last of the Mohicans

As such, I wasn’t expecting cooperation when I asked to take a picture of him standing next to the barbecue fire.

I had to. The scene behind him had such wonderful ambience and I needed him to complete the picture. What an opportunity for a mood shot at a ramadan bazaar, I thought to myself. He shouted back “No”

Before I could respond, he asked: “Why me?”

Instead of explaining how beautiful the smoke will look seeping through the rays of the directional sunlight or that the picture is meaningless without the seller, I said: “Cos I like your hair” (which was also an honest reply).

With that, he walked towards the grill and cooperated like a sweet baby.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f5, 1/200 sec.

Four, Says The Glove

Shadow of the ice-cream man’s bicycle cart and a dropped glove. Plenty of photo opportunities outside, at the street leading to the temple. Hawkers, panhandlers and buskers create a carnival-like atmosphere. And you may be stepping on a photography tip.

What time is best for such street photography? Post-4pm. Lower sun means longer and more interesting shadows. It also enhances the texture of the asphalt and other surfaces.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f5, 1/1600 sec.

Wesak Day – Bokeh Paradise

At the Buddhist Maha Vihara Termple in Brickfields is a tent where hundreds of oil lamps are kept lit. It is a photographer’s paradise.

Some newbie photographers think ‘bokeh’ is as simple as an out-of-focus background. It is more than that. It is how the lens render the out-of-focus point(s) of light in relation to the part that is in focus. There is an aesthetic and subjective quality that depend on the lens, aperture and distance.

Here, I manually set the focus of the Sony FE 70-200mm G OSS lens onto the middle row of glass lamps. The blue blobs are daylight from outside and the orange is a monk in saffron robe.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 160, f4, 1/250 sec.

Wesak Day – Eternal Flame

Silhouette of a volunteer topping up the oil lamps. Love how the camera handled the colour balance of warm colors from the flames and cooler bluish daylight seeping through.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4, 1/125 sec.