Travel Photographer Malaysia

7/29/2019 Travel Photographer Malaysia

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/travel-photographer-malaysia 1/84

The Unplanned Career of

Michael Yamashita

2 8

C o l u m n

O f G l a s s & P h o t o j o u r n a l i s m

3 2

R e v i e w s

S o n y R X - 1

5 0

D o

m e s t i c

M a b u l I s l a n d

w w w . t r a v e l - p h o t o g r a p h e r . a s i a

B r i d g i n g t h e d i v i d e

01 | i s s u e

may 2013

THE GREAT OUTDOORS



travel photographer malaysia4

Editor-in-Chief

Vinsant Huang

Editorial Team

Licensed by

Berkeley Advertising Sdn Bhd(1008821-P)

Content Provider

Berkeley Advertising Sdn. Bhd.(1008821-P)

B-3A -1, The Tube, Menara Prima,

Prima Avenue, Jalan PJU 1/39,

47310 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

(O) +603 7887 5515

Editor-in-Chief Vinsant Huang

[email protected]

Publisher & Sub-Editor

George Wong

[email protected]

Editor-at-Large/ Photographer

Szetoo Weiwen

[email protected]

Art Director

Archee Moong

[email protected]

Designer

Jasper Yong

[email protected]

Sales Director

Edward Chong

[email protected]

Advertising & Enquiries

[email protected]

Travel Photographer Malaysia is published every other month by Berkeley Advertising Sdn. Bhd. Berkeley Advertising Sdn. Bhd. reserves

rights to works that are done by its editorial team. Images in this magazine are the property of those credited, and are published here with

their consent. No part of this magazine may be reproduced wi thout prior written consent from the Publisher. The opinions expressed in Travel

Photographer Malaysia are those of the writers and the contributors and are not necessaril y held of endorsed by the Publisher. The Publisher

accepts no responsibility for use of unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials.

It’s a grand season of change, and I’m not (necessarily) talking about our current political climate!

While smartphones steadily overtake the compact camera market, Google Glass looms in the horizon

– a wearable device that may change the world, perhaps? (see page 28). Then there is the sufferingmarket of the medium format cameras, pursued from behind by full frame cameras which offered

comparable quality at a lower price point. Yet even the full frames can’t rest – the Sigma DP Merrill’s

are being discovered by studio photographers for their outstanding color reproduction and detail at

low ISO’s, again at a fraction of the price.

Exciting, no? Technology never stops, and we have everything to gain.

The ideal that drives Travel Photographer Malaysia is this very same season of change – embracing

the modern age of freely accessible social sharing. We aim to bridge the gap between professional

photographers and casual cameramen (and women!) to learn from each other, and to inspire each

other. To that end, expect our in-depth interviews with professional photographers like Michael

Yamashita (page 18) and Gary Friedman (page 24); or simply short Words of Wisdom from teachers

like Fairuz Othman (page 48). Perhaps best of all are our quick and easy reviews that are submitted by

users much like yourself!

And of course, for travel, we’ve outlined Survival Gear that you might like to have around, destinations

both Local (page 50) and International (page 56), as well as a photo contest with great prizes!

All of this will be wrapped up in a neat little bow called a theme, and this issue is The Great Outdoors.

Broad and Beautiful, much like the future of our nation, and this magazine!

The Great Outdoors

EDITOR’S NOTES




TABLE OF CONTENTS

Discovery Raptor Watch 2013 pg 8

Zung : Come Fly With Me pg 9

Sony α Experience 2013 pg 10

Air France pg 11

On On Camera Outings pg 12

Feature The Myth o Local Light pg 14

Insight Mike Yamashita pg 18

Gary Friedman pg 24

Mike Yamashita

What’s in the Bag Gary Friedman pg 27

Column O Glass & Photojournalism pg 28

Reviews Sony RX1 pg 32

Ricoh GR pg 33

Nikon D7100 pg 34

Samsung Galaxy Camera pg 35

Zeiss 18mm pg 36

Tamron 10-24 pg 37

Tamrac Zuma 9 pg 38

Giottos Vitruvian Reverse pg 39

Sony RX1

Mabul Island

Survival Gear Sony Xperia Z Tablet pg 40

Ion Air Pro Wif pg 41

Goal Zero Lantern pg 42

Travel Gear Must Have Gadgets or the

Traveling Photographer pg 43

Backend Services Giclee Art pg 44

Mobile Skyscanner pg 46

TripIt pg 47

Words of Wisdom Fairuz Othman pg 48

Domestic Mabul Island pg 50

International Rottnest Island pg 56

Road Trip Nada Lama Jamu pg 62

Food Indulgence Dinner at No. 22 pg 65

Frequent Flyer Pack Light, Carry On pg 68

Reservation Avilion Admiral Cove pg 70

Photo Contest The Great Outdoors pg 74




For those o you unamiliar with the

Raptor Watch, it is THE event orbird watching enthusiasts this side o

the peninsula. This event groups nature

lovers around the country to witness

the amazing sight o wildlie migration,

particularly that o what is termed as

‘raptors’ or birds o prey. This is its 14th

year running, an amazing eat in its

own right, and it has been conducted in

Tanjung Tuan since the year 2000.

The choice o Tanjung Tuan or the Raptor

Watch is not one that was decided purely

on its aesthetic merit but primarily due

to the act that its a strategic location (inot the most strategic) or viewing this

migration in process. This down to earth

event was peppered with booths rom

relevant third parties like providers o

sport optics, nature escapes, eco tourism,

nature photography workshops and so

orth, making it a great starting point or

beginners in nature observation. Support

or the Raptor Watch will help saeguard

the unique heritage that is Tanjung Tuan so

look out or it the same time next year at

the same place. n

Raptor Watch

2013

DISCOvERy



april 2013

9

DISCOvERy

Zung held his rst solo exhibition at the

Leica Store @ Avenue K on the 24th

o April 2013. A crowd o over 100 people

arrived to see the world amous “Ninja

Photographer” who displayed photographs

he had taken both or his proessional

work as well as his own personal interest.

Among photographs o Donald Trump and

the Dalai Lama were poignant moments

captured rom countries ar and wide as

Hong Kong and India. n

Zug :Come Fly With Me




On the 16th o March 2013, Sony hosted

their annual Sony α Experience 2013,

a 2-day program which allowed over 600

registered participants an opportunity to get

up close and personal with great photographic

minds rom around the globe. Notably Mike

Yamashita rom National Geographic ame,

renowned stock photographer and Sony

camera author Gary Friedman, both rom the

US, as well as spiritual photographer Melisa

Teo rom Singapore. This event is part o Sony’s

direction to not only oer great solutions or

photography but also to engage with their

users emotionally.

More great activities rom Sony can be ound

at www.sony.com.my n

Soy α Experiece2013

DISCOvERy




O n On Camera will be holding two

events around Sabah in the coming

two months. On the 18th o May rom

2-6pm, an Outdoor Portraiture session at

Tanjung Lipat where participants will be

able to try out Tamron lenses to capture

provided models next to the seaside.

On the 15th o June rom 2-6pm will be

a Street Photography session in Segama,

Kota Kinabalu town with Ricoh cameras

or participants to try. Both sessions

are ree or members, and RM30 or

non-members.

To participate, contact On On camera via email -

[email protected] or by calling

088-233 724 n

O O CameraOutigs

DISCOvERy




FEATuRE

Welcome to Malaysia! It’s a ery land o amazing opportunity

or the traveling landscape photographer. There are the rain

orest reserves and national parks ull o untouched primary

orests that are green al l year round; we have the Titiwangsa

mountain ranges that separate the east and west coasts, and

the much disputed tallest mountain in south-east asia, Mount

Kinabalu; we also have great long beaches along the coast or on

the many picturesque islands like Langkawi and Pulau Kapas.

Yet, have you ever ound it hard to take good photographs

o these wondrous places? Many photographers get

conused by this, especially when they come back with

many keepers rom countries like Australia or Spain yet

can’t seem to have the same luck on home ground. As a

result, most local landscape photographers turn to post-

processing to get the job done – lightening shadows,

tuning up colors, the works.

The Myth of

Local LightTet by Vinan Hang



april 2013

15

In general, you’ll nd that you will get stronger colors and

contrast rom countries with our-seasons – less so rom

countries like ours that are near the equator. In act, photographs

that are taken near the equator have much denser shadows that

hide directly beneath the subject, rather than at an angle. Let’s

take a look at the actors – direction as well as quality o light at

the equator

Let

Yarrawonga, VIC, Australia

Right

Tanjung Tuan, Melaka,

Malaysia




feature

As we all know, the earth is spinning on

its own even as it orbits the sun. It does

so with what is called an axial tilt. This

aects the angle at which the suns light

reaches the earth, as we can see rom

the diagram above. By observing the axial

tilt and constant orbit o the earth around

the sun, researchers at the Astronomy

department o the University o Nebraska-

Lincoln¹ have ound that in equatorial

countries like Malaysia, the sun is almost

directly overhead us throughout the year.

However, as you move towards the poles,

the sun starts to shine at an angle even in

the middle o the day and only passes by

directly over at the height o summer.

These variations show how the direction

o light is dierent across the world. Atthe equator the light comes rom above

us throughout the year, or the most part

creating a very lieless and at scene,

hiding and pooling long shadows beneath

trees and creating very little contrast in

composition. Photographers in our-

season countries will only experience

top-down lighting during the height o

summer, and can take advantage o the

ever-changing directional lighting during

the dierent seasons or compositions

with more compositional contrast.

Another advantage o being at an angle to the sun is that light

gets scattered through the atmosphere. In a study on solar rays

and radiation, Paul Burgess² rom Cranfeld University in the UK

ound that the urther you go rom the equator, the more light

gets spread out due to the angle at which the light reaches the

surace o the earth, but also because light gets reected out o

the atmosphere.

When you translate it to a photograph, as we can see rom the

diagram above, people urther rom the equator will have an

easier time balancing shadow and highlight detail because lightis more evenly spread throughout the atmosphere, creating

soter shadows and a more balanced exposure throughout.

Perhaps this explains why we seem to be obsessed with High

Dynamic Range composites?

So what we’re getting at is that it’s not (necessarily) your ault

that Malaysian landscapes are hard to photograph. The earth has

gited us with wondrous locations or photography all around

the world, but it seems that when it comes to lighting we have

drawn the short straw. Aside rom throwing up your hands in

dismay and deciding to just concentrate on photographs o

owers, we’ve got some ideas to make your lie easier.

Diused light

Direct light

Earth in January Earth in July

Locations at the equator receive direct, harsh

sunlight. Locations away rom the equator

receive less direct, soter sunlight.

Sun light

Latitude : 3.1° N

Malaysia

12pm | September

Direct top-down sunlight, harsh

and small shadows

Latitude : 27.0° S

Australia

12pm | September

Light comes rom the north, soter

more diused shadows

Latitude : 38.0° N

USA

12pm | September

Light comes rom the south, soter

more diused shadows

Sun Path

Casting Shadows

Diffused Light Versus Direct Light

Diused light towards the poles

creates soter shadows

Direct light at the equator

creates harsh shadows

1 - http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/animations/sunmotions.html2 - http://www.ccg.org.uk/conerences/downloads/P_Burgess.pd



april 2013

17

Timing and Positioning

For out-in-the-open landscapes, avoid

shooting in the middle o the day. There

is much better light or these in the earlymorning and towards the end o the

day when the sun is behind the horizon

and gives o a more diused light - aim

or these time slots or your landscape

photography. It also helps to arrive at your

destination earlier than these time slots –

use the extra time to scout out the best

locations and angles so that when the

light becomes just right, you are prepared

to grab a keeper.

I you don’t have the luxury o time, make

use o what Mother Nature has provided

– shade. The rainorests are great atdiusing light, and you’ll nd many gems

within them, like wateralls, rivers, and

natural rock ormations.

Set Up Your Camera

There are a ew things you can do in-

camera to ensure that your photographs

o the Malaysian Great Outdoors comeout well. The rst thing that will help is to

shoot in RAW. It may not be a necessary

step, but you’d be surprised just how

much shadow and highlight detail can

be saved with just a couple o additional

steps o post-processing.

I you’re unwilling to shoot in RAW,

perhaps because you don’t have the

necessary sotware to properly access

it, another option is to go with in-camera

HDR. Certain consumer level cameras

have this option in-built. Set it to a

comortable setting (low, in most cases),and shoot. This option lets you retain

shadow and highlight detail, just make

sure it doesn’t look too ake.

Another tip or landscapes is to over

expose slightly – a hal stop or third o

a stop will do. Doing this livens up the

colors and lits the shadows without

endangering your highlight detail too

much. I you have access to Jpeg

settings, you can also lessen contrast to

achieve a more balanced look.

Useful Filters

I balancing your exposure proves too

troublesome too oten, you may want to

look into getting yoursel a square ltersystem and a good Graduated Neutral

Density Filter. Graduated ND lters

are a piece o glass that is hal tinted

to reduce exposure in only part o the

photograph – normally the sky. Unlike a

circular Graduated ND lter which can

only be rotated, the beauty o the square

lter system is that it oers you control

over rotation as well as actual placement

o the glass. So i you’re ocusing on the

sprawling landscape and placing the sky

on in the upper thirds o the photograph,

you can adjust your graduated ND

accordingly.

Another piece o handy kit is the Circular

Polarizing Filter, or CPL. In practice, the

CPL can remove troublesome highlights

rom refections – whether rom large

bodies o water or rom shiny green

leaves ater the rain. There’s also the

added benet o deeper and more vibrant

colors, and all at the cost o a stop o

light.

Tips to HandleMalaysian Light




insight

Te Unanned Career of

Michael Yamashita

We spent an aternoon ater the recent Sony Alpha Experience

with Michael Yamashita – the longest serving National Geographic

photographer who is still serving today. The masterul story tellertalked to us about the season o change in the industry, deusing

tense travel situations, and his reusal to bribe or a story.

According to your biography, you have a degree in Asian

studies rom Wesleyan University. Why do you think you

chose that area o specialty so early on?

Actually, it was a very personal decision because I had

consciousness, suddenly, about my roots over a social situation

where some girlriend’s parents sort o objected o my dating

her or racial reasons and I became very suddenly interested

in my background - Japanese American. When you grow up in

the States as a minority, you’re not particularly conscious o

your racial background until you’ve experienced some sort odiscrimination. That’s what lead me to think that I would like to

know more about my home country, where my parents were

rom. I became interested in university; I decided to take Asian

history - just or those personal reasons, not because I was

looking or a career. In act in those days, it was a dicult time

or young college students because there was the Vietnam war

going on and we were all ocused on staying out o the army.

Not so ocused as today’s culture where everyone is interested

in their job or their uture. I went to a very liberal school where

they said study what you want and you’ll learn the skills it

takes to be whatever, in graduate school or later on. It wasn’t a

conscious decision to be a photographer. In act I didn’t own a

camera until I got out o college.

You’re quite well known or your series on historical gures

like Marco Polo and Zhang He, was it your academic

pursuits that inspired it?

No, as a long time Geographic photographer I’m always looking

or the next best story. Actually, there’s one other photographer

who is very well known or this, his name is James Staneld,

and he did Kublai Khan and a lot o the big epic stories. He

retired and somehow the timing was right - I booked into Marco

Polo which is my proposal, my idea and that started me in this

direction o ollowing history and doing big stories. Following

that, I did Great Wall, and that became a book. I did the Silk

Road o course, with Marco Polo. I did Zhang He, who is noted

here especially in Malaysia since he spent a lot o time here.

You know, a photographer’s career is rarely something that is

planned. I never planned to be a photographer. It just happened.I never planned on working or the Geographic, that is the kind

o picture I wanted to take and it led me to that direction. But

none o these things happened in any order, it was just the next

step. The stories became books and that also has been key to

my career as I had more books than any photographer anywhere

in the world on Asia. That isn’t something that I planned either, it

just happened that way that I have done these stories that lend

themselves to bigger coverage in books.

Are you working on any historical gures now?

I’m working on the Grand Canal which is a huge story and

probably will be a book, you’ll see that in April or May in the

National Geographic. These stories I keep revisiting, like theTibet book or Shangri-La, so I have a passion or a subject and I

keep going back until I have enough material considered to be

a book and I have been very ortunate to have good publishers

who agree with me.

As an Asian American, do you nd yoursel more at ease

with Asian cultures that you’re engaging?

Yes, absolutely and I think it helps in my photography, I think

there’s a rapport that I have with people who look like me. It’s

dierent rom the United States or working in Europe where I’m

surely a minority. Plus the other thing I always say is the ood.

I always tell my editors I’m not interested in going anywhere

unless they’re serving rice. I eel most comortable in this part o

the world and vice versa, I think people react to me as an Asianin a more positive way than other nationalities, cultures or races.

Do you think that Asians make or more engaging subjects?

Yeah. Plus, this is the center o the world as ar as I’m

concerned. Asia is booming, the rest o the world isn’t. All the

big changes happened here the last 25 years easy and my

career has risen as Asian countries have risen because I’ve done

a lot o work in these areas or the tourism bureau, or example.

I’ve never worked or the Malay tourist oce but Singapore

certainly and Singapore Airlines was one o my rst clients. I

brought a lot o tourist to this part o the world. As Singapore

took o, so did all the Asian countries.



april 2013

19

A otoraer’scareer is rareysometin tatis anned.




insight

How did you get started with the Geographic? You naturally

progressed into it, as you said.

It’s like boxing, you start out and you are against an opponent

with whom you beat easily and they move you on to the nextopponent, and you keep progressing until you hit the big time.

I started here in Asia working or small magazines. Traveller in

Tokyo, there was a magazine called Pacic, American Express,

Asian Magazine and lots o small magazines out here. That’s

where I started doing stories and photographs or them.

And then I got the big one back in the late 70s, I got the

biggest assignment at the time you could get in Asia which

was Singapore Airlines. And they sent me to all their Asian

destinations to make pictures or their brochures - not the

Singapore girls - and the posters and all other cultural related

photography. And I did that or about a year and that gave me a

portolio that had everything - landscape, architecture, people,

culture - all o these elements that you need to be a generalistshooter or the Geographic. That exposure plus making money

allowed me to go back to the United States and take a portolio

around and one o the places, o course, I went was National

Geographic. I got a pretty immediate response and the rst

assignment I had or the Geographic, they sent me to Hokkaido,

Japan. And that was 33 years ago.

You’ve had a long career in photography, have you ever elt

disillusioned?

No, I think this is the best job in the world. Certainly in

photojournalism it is, there’s no other client like this. It’s very

ortunate that they still exist; they’re the only ones let. So I

started at the top and I’m still there, which is a nice eeling

because most o my colleagues have not lasted. Either they’veretired or dropped out or something but I’m only one o, say,

our photographers that’s still there ater 30 years.

Do you have any directions or any o our readers i they

were to consider pursuing the same path as you did, getting

into the Geographic eventually?

Everyone gets in the same way - by showing a portolio. That

portolio really has to be able to communicate to somebody, The

viewer has to look at that and nd something special out o it.

That’s always been the case. O course it always has been a 1%

o 1% o 1% kinda job, you know? It’s not like you go to college

and get a degree and say that I’m gonna be a photographer. You

just really have to have a passion and obsession with the idea obeing a photographer; that you’re going to be able to weather all

these challenges - and there are many. There are too many good

photographers out there so you really have to have something

worth showing. Some o my younger colleagues are saying,

“I wish I was your age so that I don’t have to worry about this

stu”. It’s the next generation that is going to have to gure

out how to make a living in a much dierent world than what I

started in and what I still do basically. I work or magazines, I get

paid, I work or magazine agencies, I get paid a day rate, that’s

been the model. But now, it’s never been easier to get a picture

published, you can just put anything you want on the internet.

The problem is nobody is paying or that. Somewhere along the

line somebody has to gure out a system where photographers

can prosper and make enough money to make a living.

Otherwise, it will be a ‘gentlemen’s hobby’ where somebody

who has lots o money can make pictures and i they’re good - it

doesn’t matter who’s making them, as long as the pictures are

good - that person can make a living. It’s getting very hard, as

you know. There’s no more saety net.

You made a good living or what you do since you’re

established but or the new guys...

Very hard to come in. I have many who want to be

photographers, who knock on my door o my studio. I get

e-mails every day rom people who want to be my assistant

and want to learn how to do it. I take two interns every year,

who are committed to becoming photographers. They assist me

and then maybe they’ll get an internship in a newspaper and i

they’re really good, they’ll continue on rom there. It seems like

the only job these days are weddings. When I rst started, that

was like the lower level o photography but now you got really

superb shooters getting into the wedding business because it’s

the most consistent and it pays the bills

Do you work on any o your own projects, in this case?

Well they’re always my own projects in that we own our own

photography. Fortunately, what I like to shoot is what I get paid

or. My personal projects come out in books. And as I said,

I’m ortunate to have so many published because I spent two

years on Marco Polo. That was a huge magazine story; it ran

over 80 pages in a series o three. So, any photographer will

be quite happy or proud o that. Then the next thing I did: a

500 page book. The dierence is, even in an 80-90 page story,

you’re only seeing 40 photographs. Whereas a book, you’re

seeing hundreds. I showed today, 250 photographs (at the Alpha

Experience 2013 event), whether you realize it or not. Today’s

show had 250 rames, 251 to be exact. It’s not showing o, it’s

just showing a much broader range in storytelling and o course,

you’re always wanting to take your pictures and you show em’.

Obviously your interest is showing the best that you got.

Do you go back to share these pictures with the people that

you’ve shot?

Yeah, that’s always a great thing to be able to go back and

share the pictures. My rst story on Hokkaido was done in

1980 and a ew years ago, I went back to shoot at Daisetsuzan.

I walked into this little restaurant, there’s this guy who looked

vaguely amiliar. Then he looks at me, I look at him and he says,

“Yamashita-san” and I was like “Ah!”. So we had this meeting

I’m ony one of, say,

four otoraers

tat’s sti tere

after 30 years.



april 2013

21

and it was just like 25 years have passed and still we sort o

picked up where we let o. This guy was my guide and he took

me to a lot o place in Hokkaido many years ago.

Have you gotten in trouble with local authorities?

Many times, I got in some trouble here shooting a story on the

res. Remember the Indonesian res in the late 90s? Smoke

everywhere and so I shot in KL rom the highest buildings to

show how bad the smog was. There was some resistance bythe local authorities. They didn’t want photographers wandering

around showing how bad it was because it was not good

or tourism. I had some resistance to that. Then we went o

to Borneo, to Kalimantan and Sarawak. We had to sneak in

across the Indonesian border because i they didn’t like us in

Malaysia, they really didn’t want us in Indonesia because that

was the source o res. China is always a challenge because

they consider journalists and photographers to be an enemy.

So there’s always a lot o distrust about people with a camera.

I want to look like a Japanese tourist, I don’t want to look like

a proessional photographer. That also helps (pointing to sel,

indicating his outlook).

What about North or South Korea, have you dealt with that

issue?

Yes, I’ve been to North Korea three times. I don’t know

anybody else who has. Again, tremendous restrictions about

photographing there and I can’t say I got much more or better

than anybody else has because o the restrictions. Everybody

gets taken to the same place.

Were you escorted? Or were you ree to go around?Oh no, o course you’re escorted, you can’t get into that country

without an escort and it’s very hard to make any pictures that

they don’t know about.

And do they claim that it’s also or your protection?

Oh god yeah, in countries like Iraq and Iran where I also

photographed or Marco Polo there was a lot o restrictions

because I’m not working with a xer in those cases, I’m working

with a minder. A minder is provided by the government. In

China, up until 2000, all the way through Marco Polo even, I was

working with minders. They didn’t want me to shoot oot binding

in China, I got arrested or that. I’m constantly getting hassled by

the authorities or doing stu. I’m shooting a story on Chinese

trains. It’s illegal to shoot in stations, I’ve gotten thrown out o a

lot o stations, thrown o a lot trains.

Have you been in a lie endangering situation? You’re not

exactly a confict photographer but you seem to travel to a

lot o these locations that is quite sensitive.

Yeah, the story at high altitude shooting the worm story, my

xer got HAPE - high altitude pulmonary edema - and we had

to get him down to a lower altitude. He almost died, he was

coughing up blood. I limit my danger actor to the photograph

I’m trying to shoot. The most dangerous thing is climbing up a

telephone pole to get a higher angle, balancing o the edge o

I want to ook ike

a Jaanese tourist,

I don’t want to ook

ike a rofessiona

otoraer.




insight

a cli or something; I don’t shoot places where they’re shooting

at me. I’ve been close to those areas but obviously it’s not in my

interest to put mysel in harm’s way

How would you advise a travel photographer, who perhaps

is unlucky, to avoid or deuse a tense situation?

Well, you just have to wear a smile at all times and just don’t go

there. I was in Aghanistan when there was a war going on and

obviously i I was captured by the Taliban, they would obviously...

Yeah. I put a lot o responsibility on my xers, these people that

I hire in dierent countries to be my guide, be my interpreter, do

the logistical work, get me the driver, and arrange or interviews.

We work out in advance, here’s where we wanna go, this is

what I need, I want to nd this situation, where do we go to see

this, what’s coming up as ar as estivals are concerned, what’s

the status o the border, can we cross easily, what kind o cars

do we need, I need a 4WD, a Toyota Land Cruiser, whatever.These guys are invaluable and they’re well paid or local hire and

we depend on them and share them with colleagues. So i I’m

gonna go to India, I’m gonna get a riend who shoots in India

to recommend a good xer and i they’re going to China, they

come to me because I know the best. They usually have some

sort o journalist background and i not, they have a journalist

sense. And they know my success depends on their being able

to nd me the subject and putting that subject in ront o my

lens. They have to be diplomatic because sometimes we’re

down in a situation where it’s tense, because the police want

to take your camera away; they want to kick you o the train or

whatever...

Do you deal with bribes just to get the story?No, I don’t deal with money. I’ve never been in a situation…

well, once or twice in China where you knew they wanted

something rom me but I ignore it. Well I don’t pay my subjects,

we don’t set them up. Obviously, I have to get access but we do

it without paying money. I remember once shooting at a estival

in China where this minder basically was telling me i we paid

him some extra money he would nd a better position or me.

Coming back to lighter topics, we’ve listened to your talk and

we hear you make a lot o reerences about the equipment

and the eatures that you use and we understand that you

picked up the A900 awhile back. What actually caused you to

consider that? I mean to switch systems and everything.

Well it was the highest resolution camera at the time and that

was a big thing. I do big prints. I have a gallery in Hong Kong.

I you’re ever there, go check it out, it’s called Picture This and

they sell a lot o big prints. When they were developing the

camera, I was shown a prototype and they explained all this

new technology beore it was a reality and they asked me

many times, or several years at least, i I would consider using

the camera. I never got around to it, I was too busy and I was

perectly happy with my Canon 5D. Then 5 years ago when it

came to light and they showed me this, what really impressed

me, other than the speed o the camera, were the Zeiss lenses.

I thought this was a game changer because the les just looked

better and you could control contrast. I started using the camera

in the story on Jiuzhaigou and that just blew me away, that color

and clarity o the water. Whether it was the camera or whether

I could have gotten that with any camera, I’m not sure, but itwas pretty amazing. Subsequent new technology, especially

the A99, i it isn’t obvious now it should be, everybody is going

to have to ollow that. I mean the mirrorless technology means

you do not miss the moment. Shooting that catwalk just now,

when you’re shooting with a DSLR, the mirror is going up and

down - you don’t know what you’re shooting. You’re guessing

where the next step is. That’s why I get 6-8 burst o pictures

where I’m watching in what seems like slow motion o a model

moving through your rame. That’s an amazing advance or

street shooters. It’s not a guessing game anymore; you’re going

to get it. With these amazing motor drives, you’re not going to

miss the moment and that’s a big deal. That old adage i you saw

the picture, you miss the moment. You don’t miss the momentanymore.

I have to ask this, what would you consider now as the

perect camera to work with?

No camera is perect. I still have a couple o bees about some

eatures on the A99. I think it needs more ocusing spots. It’s

pretty narrow in the middle. Anybody who likes long glass, long

lenses, there’s not enough o that yet. But, I do believe that

there is a reason why the top camera o the year in America has

been Sony or the last three years. They’re thinking out o the

box. It’s not a mechanical camera world anymore, it’s electronic.

So where are the new cameras coming rom? Panasonic with

Leica, Sony with Zeiss and the rest are gonna have to ollow,

because nobody thought o mirrorless technology beore. Thisscreen, it’s a total game changer. I shot the HSBC Asia campaign

about 2-3 years and the art director had this little camera, Sony

or Canon, I don’t know what it was but he shot everything rom

the back screen and he shoot something and he say, “Can you

do that?”. He had a zoom lens that could go rom like super close

up to you know, whatever and I was like “I can’t do that”. And he

was using that back screen all the time and in the end, Live View

is an absolute game changer. Just being able to look at whatever

it is happening in ront o you and compose on the back screen,

tremendous advantage.

We know you have an Instagram account. Do you shoot that

with a smartphone? Or you’re just using that to share?

I’ve been using it basically to urther the Geographic because

they asked the photographers to start Instagram. It went rom

40 thousand to 1.2 million or 1.3 whatever it is now in a very

short time in about a year. So now it’s the biggest entity on

Instagram and that has been built by the photographers in

National Geographic. So it got them a ollowing or notoriety that

they didn’t have beore and o course the photographers are not

stupid, we could see that this is good though I must say nobody

has earned a dime rom it. Nobody knows where this is going

to lead; this is why this is such an interesting time. Everybody

is doing all these things and putting photography in ront o the

world, nobody knows where it’s all leading to. Everybody is



april 2013

23

just getting inundated with photography. I’ll look at themes like

what’s in the news. So North Korea is in the news, so I throwup a North Korea picture and it gets 2300 comments - that’s

amazing! I got 40 thousand hits. I try to be timely, i its stu

coming rom my archives. I just took a picture just the other

day, I carry my iPhone, occasionally something personal goes

up there and that’s o course something people really seem

to like is something very personal. I’m not the sharing kind o

person, I have Facebook but I don’t spend a lot o time sharing

on Facebook but I realize that every time something personal

goes up there, the number o likes goes way up. That picture o

that magic mountain in Yunnan, that went over 50-60 thousand

people. And the same thing, I was in the eld working in Brunei

a month ago and I throw up a photograph and the people romthe tourism oce who I was working with in Brunei couldn’t

believe it because they threw it up there and immediately we

had like 40 thousand people going yeah (thumbs up). I don’t

have a lot o time when at home to be making new pictures. I

carry a camera but it’s not that my lie is that boring or anything,

it’s just that I have other priorities when I’m home because I’m

not thinking o taking pictures. But when I’m on the road, my

whole ocus is making pictures so i I’m gonna put photographs

on an Instagram page or Facebook or anything, it will be more

rom being on the road.

Last question rom us, where do you see yoursel 10 years

rom now?Well you know, photographers like to say, a photographer never

retires, they just grow old. Eisenstaedt was shooting when he

was like 90 or something. I don’t know i it will be that way or

me. I have a lot o projects yet let to do and a book or three

that I still haven’t published so I don’t think I see things changing

very much in the next 10 years. Dierence is I have a amily –

years mean something or amily. I’ll have a daughter who will

be an adult, who knows what that’s going to be like. n

Michael Yamashita’s work can

be found on is ortfoio site and

eriodicay on Instaram. Wen

e’s not workin a story, e can be

found sendin time wit famiy in

rura New Jersey, and is an active

vounteer fire fiter.

www.micaeyamasita.com

Instaram – yamasitaoto

Everybody is doin

a tese tins anduttin otoray

in front of te word,

nobody knows were

it’s a eadin to.




insightINSIghT



april 2013

25

Gary Friedma An enineer wose ideas coud’ve caned te word –

now a stock otoraer and e-book uru for otoraers

te word over

Tell us about your journey in photography.

I’ve been taking pictures seriously since I was 15 years old. Ieven built a darkroom in my parents’ house to process B&W

lm. However, I’ve also always loved electronics and computers

more, and so my rst career was at NASA’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory working on the Voyager and Galileo spacecrat

systems - it’s the best job any engineer could hope or. But I

became rustrated that I couldn’t commercialize my patents

while I was still there, so ater a decade I let to learn how to

run a business. I started an inormation technology consulting

rm and grew it rom one person (me) and a telephone to 22

employees and USD $10M in revenues. Then the dot-com crash

came. Broke, I went to China to teach English (what else do you

do ater you’ve punted and lost everything?), then came back to

the States and got married. “What now?” I asked mysel. I had

a lietime’s worth o images in slides and negatives, and I didn’t

want to start a business where I had to rely on other people.

Stock photography seemed like the way to go.

What area do you specialize in photography wise?

The images that get licensed the most are the travel images

rom the various countries I’ve visited, and so naturally those are

the kinds o pictures I now tend to shoot. I have also started

doing commercial studio work, some o which ends up on the

website i I’m the copyright holder.

You have a popular series o e-books or the Sony system.

Tell us more about that. Do you have more readers in Asia?

I’ve discovered that my largest reader base is in theNetherlands, which I thought unusual until it was explained to

me that Minolta had a very large presence there. This is ollowed

by the U.K. and the US. Malaysia isn’t even in the top 100

top-selling countries, so I was a little surprised at how popular

I was when I rst came here. The marketing director or Sony

Malaysia at the time explained that this was due to rampant le

sharing in that country and he advised me to implement copy

protection to protect mysel rom that sort o thing, which I did.

I love the act that Sony is now the most innovative company in

photography today, and because o my engineering background I

can appreciate what they do.

It is quite unique or a photographer that has his own line

o books. Do you see that as an advantage? Does it work inyour avor?

Anytime you can have synergy between multiple businesses,

it’s a good thing. Much o my commercial work can be used in

the books to illustrate a eature, and there can be tremendous

overlap so one thing I do can be leveraged multiple ways.

Your books are in a digital ormat only I believe, could you

share your thoughts on the reasons behind that decision?

I can give you two reasons: The arrogant reason: “Printed books

are SO last century!” and the more truthul reason: “I couldn’t

get a publisher”. That turned out to be a good decision because

nowadays people are using their iPads or smartphones to read

my books. With the instantly-downloadable PDF le I can reach

audiences where traditional book distribution doesn’t go. There

are still some people who preer a printed book, and or them I

utilize a print-on-demand publisher so I don’t have to tie up any

cash in inventory.

In your view, how has the digital platorm changed the game

or photography?

Those who are just learning benet greatly by getting instant

eedback and being able to try new things or ree. The

downside? The stock photography business has been fooded

by low-priced entries taken by people who don’t understand the

value o good light. My images might be better, but the chances

o a buyer nding my images are now that much less because

he’d have to wade through all the others - who has the patienceor that? A higher-level problem is that people don’t believe

what they see anymore. When I was growing up, there was an

adage that “The photograph doesn’t lie”. That’s no longer true.

Do you only write and shoot ull time?

My wie and I also travel and give beginning photography

seminars all over the world. They’re popular because so many

beginners nd the learning curve to be dicult, and rankly I

think they’re all trying to learn the wrong things. So I teach

them how us old-time Kodachrome shooters were able to take

“Wow!”-type pictures beore ancy cameras and




insight

Photoshop, and people come out inspired to be more creative

and an appreciation o the things that are really important inphotography!

I also am a distributor or a most awesome musical instrument

called a Maui Xaphoon Pocket Sax. It’s small but sounds big,

and I carry it in my camera bag. Wherever I go in the world, I can

make riends just by sitting down and playing. Then I warm them

up and take some portraits o people I meet. Synergy!

How would you describe the photographic industry in the

US? How does it dier very much to Asia in your view?

It’s hard to answer since I’m not that amiliar with the market in

Asia. I can tell you that the stock image business is not what it

used to be 10 years ago, and I see no signs that it will ever goback to what it was. Once upon a time there were photo editors

who had a licensing budget and who had high standards or

image quality. Today those positions have been eliminated and

replaced by interns who sur the web looking or images to copy

and use without permission. There’s no going back. Fortunately

the books and the commercial work is stepping in to ll the void.

What genuine advice would you give to photographers

coming up in industry?

Other than, “Stay away!!”? Seriously, many jobs look like a

lot o un rom aar, but the surest way to take the joy out o

photography is to turn it into a business. Instead o enjoying

taking pictures you’re more worried about your income stream

and marketing yoursel. Keep your day job and continue to usephotography as a creative outlet. Used in this way photography

will never let you down, or it gives you an excuse to get out and

do things you’d never normally do, and meet people you’d never

normally meet.

You’ve been to Malaysia quite a ew times now. Ever

thought o making the switch to Asia permanently?

Not really, although I did seriously consider living in China when

I was teaching English there back in 2003. But my parents and

grandkids are all in the States. Plus, there’s no humidity in

Caliornia! n

Gary Friedma maintains an

arcive of is trave otoray at

is website, as we as a bo wic

udates semi-consistenty wit is

own insits into otoray, as

we as tis and tricks to e any

eve of otoraer.

www.friedmanarcives.com



april 2013

27

SMAll BAg• NEX-7and18-55lens

• Rokinon/Samyang8mm sheye lens

• Minolta5600ash+diffuser

• SonyHVL-F20AMash (to trigger 5600 wirelessly)

• Prinztelescopingtripod (it gets to be pretty tall!)

• Extrabattery,memorycard,

• Lenscleaningcloth• PocketSax

WhAT’S IN ThE BAghorses for courses, tat’s wat my teacer used to say to me. It reay just means to use te rit

toos for te job, and sometimes tat imies to carry ess. Wat do you tink of gary Friedman

ten, wo as a basic kit for trave and a bier ba for wen te job requires? Take a ance and

see if you can fiure wat is most basic needs are. Wo knows, you may be temted to ick u a

ocket sax yoursef.

BIg BAg• SonyAlpha77

• Sony16-50mmf/2.8

• Minolta100-300mmAPO

• Minolta11-18APS-Cwidezoom

• Prinztelescopingtripod

• SonyF58ash(anddiffusercard,stand)

• Minolta5600ash (and diuser card, stand)

• BlackRapidstrap

• CableRelease

• Extrabatteries(camera+ash + cell phone)

• Diffusercloths(forthe5$studio)

• Honeycombgridarray(lightmodier)

• Flashlight

• Lenscleaninguidandcloth

• Extramemorycards

• LensPens(oneforlenses, one or the sensor)

• Insectrepellent,medicineforinsectbites

• PeptoBismoltablets

• “Fisherman’sFriend”lozenges

• PocketSax




column

OF GLASS &

PHOTOjOURnALISM

Tet by Gerge Wng Imges Courtesy of Ggle Inc.



april 2013

29

column

In days long past, drawings and paintings were the earliest

orm o visual historical documentation which persisted until

the invention o the camera. Initial incarnations o the camera

were impractical and cumbersome and it wasn’t until 1913 when

Leica introduced their prototype o a small camera called the

Ur-Leica that visual documentation really became a mainstream

vocation. The creation o the 35mm lm ormat camera made

documenting the world accessible and gave birth to a vocation

called photojournalists and the business o photographic

images.

The business o photography has seen many hurdles since

its short inception with the switch rom analogue and digital

being the most proound. Digital cameras, unlike its older lm

counterparts, allowed or instant capture, preview and transer

capabilities. This simple advancement greatly diminished thevalue o images as it allowed the masses the opportunity

to take credible images without any prior training. Today, a

ormal education in photography is merely a bonus and not a

prerequisite or an assignment. Sotware applications were

developed to oset one’s lack o skill and even enhance images

at minimal cost and eort which has greatly increased the

spectrum o quality while drastically reducing expectations o

investment. Despite these stark impediments, photographers

adapted and, with the right business acumen, some even

fourished rom this change.

The rise o social media and 24/7 mobile connectivity has

incited a greater cause or alarm with many o the traditional

providers struggling to adapt and monetize in a world where

content is essentially almost ree. Copyright inringements and

stolen intellectual property have become so commonplace that

it has leveled to normality within the last 5 years. Despite the

many laws and legislations in place, enorcement is proving

to be dicult with no easible standards to trace and validate

ownership o content. Certain quarters have experimented with

platorms that capitalize on ree user created content but the

lack o clear validation, curation or basic photography technique

have proven stumbling blocks or its replacement o mainstream

news reportage. With the many challenges already in view, a

new paradigm is looming on the horizon.

Early 2012, Google showcased early prototypes o Glass, awearable computer which is mounted onto a pair o spectacles

that projects inormation via a prism screen to the top right

corner o your vision. Signicantly, it incorporates a camera

providing it the ability to capture images as well as video,

opening up whole debates on privacy and saety concerns

that such a technology may entail. The state o West Virginia

amended its state laws to include a ban on driving while using

wearable technology with a HUD mounted display, in ear o the

possible saety risk that the use o Glass suggests. There’s even

a movement called ‘Stop the Cyborgs’ that was ounded as a

response to Glass in ear o a uture where ‘privacy is impossible

and central control total’.




review

IN ThE FIElD

IMAgE QUAlITY

FORM•Evenweathersealed,theD7100isonly

slightly larger than the D7000

•Comfortable-in-hand–Nikonhas

ergonomics down to a science

•Newusersmaybeoverwhelmedbythe

layout

•Itinheritedthe51pointAFsystemfrom

the D4 – useul or ast subjects

•Weather-sealed!Badweatherisno

longer a worry

•Thein-cameraHDRtakessomeeffort

out o dicult scenes

•Photographsareremarkablydetailed

•24Megapixelsisverygenerous.Itlets

you crop without losing ne detail

•Moireisveryrare,despitethemissing

Anti-Aliasing lter

•Auto-focusisfastandaccurate,andthe

51 point AF doesn’t disappoint

•After5continuousRAWshotsthe

camera becomes sluggish or a ew

seconds – even with a class 10 card

•At950shotspercharge,batterylifeis

good, but not amazing

OVERALL VERDICT

Review by Zakir Haan

nIkOn D7100 RRP. RM4298 (Body Ony) DIstRIbutoR. NIkON MalaYSIa

FEATURES

It’s smaer and iter tan te D300s

and te D700, yet it sti acks a

manificent unc wen it comes to

imae quaity. Addin weater-seain

and te 51 oint AF makes tis a reat

coice for te great Outdoors!

VERDICT VS TEST BED SpECIFICATIONS

sill Relin 24.1 Megpie

aPS-C CMOS

Vide Relin 1080p

Iso Range ISO 50-25600

Len Mn Nion F

RAW NEF

baery Life 950 shots

screen size 3.2”

Dimenin 136 107 76 mm

Weigh 765g

U aainst te Canon 6D,

te Nikon D7100 is sti

a formidabe oonent,

eseciay amon non-

ixe eeers. It’s a iter

system to carry around, as

amazin resoution for wat

it is, and certainy erforms

we. however, it isn’t

enou to usur te trone.



april 2013

39

review

IN ThE FIElD

pORTABIlITY

FORM•Giottosiswellknownformakingsturdy,

well-engineered tripods. This one is no

dierent.

•Thecarbonbreusedinconstruction

gives it a really nice and cool sheen, as

carbon ber does.

•Everyonehasanopiniononcliplocks

vs twist locks. Giottos has done well to

ease that by making these twist locks

that are almost eortless to lock and

unlock.

•Thequickreleasemechanismcomes

with a dual stage lock

•It’salighttripodthatfoldsawayintoa

neat little package that makes it easy to

carry around

•Themonopodisnotascompactat

77cm long when olded. It doesn’t t

well strapped to a bag, so make do and

walk with it

•Fullyunfolded,theVitruvianstandsat

1.36 meters. Pretty average, quite usable

•TheVitruviancanalsospreaditslegs

and get down low to the ground - a

good quality to have or dirty

macro work

•Thesuppliedheadcanholdupto4kgof

gear – most gear combos are ne

OVERALL VERDICT

Review by Vinan Hang

GIOTTOS VITRUVIAn

PROFESSIOnAL

REVERSE VGR 8255

RRP. RM1151 DIstRIbutoR. SHRIRO MalaYSIa

FUNCTION

It’s ard to faut te giottos Vitruvian

professiona Reverse, and if you are

ookin for a ood triod tat doesn’t take

u too muc sace on ikes, tis mit

just be it for you. Te ony disaointment

is te monood, wic is sturdy but ard

to justify brinin aon on its own.

VERDICT VS TEST BEDSpECIFICATIONS

Maerial Crbon Fiber

Maximm Heigh 1.36 m

Minimm Heigh 39 cm

Maximm Weigh 4 g

Leg Lck Twist ocs

Leg sage 5

Flded Lengh 40 cm

Weigh 1.27 g

Te giottos Vitruvian

professiona Reverse is our

test bed due to its comact

size wen foded and its

dua function as a monood.

In terms of buid quaity it

doesn’t souc, and a in

a woud make an idea

comanion wen you fee

te need for a triod

on tris.



april 2013

41

survival gear

IN THE FIELD

FEaTurEs

FOrM

•Beautifullymachinedanddesigned–

morecamerasshouldbedesignedlike

this!

•Asimpliedlayoutofjustaslideranda

button

•Diveto9metersunderwaterwithouta

bulkyoutershell.

•AnysettingsaredoneoverWi-Fi.Set-

and-forget.Lifeiseasy.

•Thecameravibratestoconrm.Good

forwhenyoucan’tseetheindicator

light.

•Itpowersonimmediatelywhenyou

slidetherecordbutton.Recordingstarts

acoupleofsecondslater

•Ittakesstillphotographs whilerecording!

•TheAndroidandiOSapp(bothfree)

allowsyoutouploadyourmediastraight

toFacebookandYoutube.

•Usethemobileappasawireless

viewnder!

•TheWi-FiPodzcomeswithalifetimestorageof8GBonIon’sowncloud

storage.

•CrispandclearFullHDvideosare

saturatedwithcolour–perhapsalittle

toomuchforsubtlepalates.

•Whitesettingstendstowardsthecooler

blueside.

•Youmayexperiencetherollingshutter

effectifyourmovementsaretoodrastic.

OVERALLVERDICT

Revew b Vnan Hang

Ion AIr Pro WI-FIRRP. RM986 fr te W-f bsc kt DistRibutoR. ShRiRo MalaySia

FuNcTION

The Ion ai Po Wi-Fi i n idel

ppoting ompnion fo high qlity

video domenttion of yo tvel.

Hving ppoting mobile pp tht

mke hing ey i imply iing on

the ke.

VErDIcT Vs TEsT BEDsPEcIFIcaTIONs

Vde Reln 1080p t 30 fps

sll Reln 5 Megpxes

iso Range N/a

Len 170 degree f2.8 fsee ens

Memry Frma Mcr-SD

baery Lfe 2.5 hurs f vde

(1 hur wt Wf Pd)

screen sze N/a

Dmenn (HxWxD) 37x37x107mm

Wegh 138g

The Ion ai Po Wifi i

o pik fo the tet bed

bee it’ n tion

me withot the need

fo dditionl ing

nd eoie. a

imple nd light pkge

good fo tvel.




backend service

Giclee Art

Beautiul rainorests, expansive

vistas, calm island scenes - thegreat outdoors provides many

excellent opportunities to take

antastic photographs, and the

best way to show it o is to have

it printed – big. Nothing conveys

the grandness o landscapes like

a big print.

Large and impressive prints

are the domain o Giclee Art, a

company that specializes in art

reproduction and catering to the

high standards that proessionals

demand. The co-ounder, Wesley

Wong, is known among these

circles as the Master Printer, and

he has a portolio o amazing

jobs, including work with Leica,

Hasselblad, and the Maybank

Photo Awards.

I this all sounds a little daunting,

don’t let it be. Giclee Art has

consumer-centric packages

available to photographers, and

you can be assured that the same

level o care will be aorded toit. As an added bonus, many

photographers compliment prints

produced by Giclee as looking

“better than the original”.

The best part is you can get all

this done while you’re on vacation.

Simply go to the website and hit

“Upload Images” and you’ll be

able to start a conversation with

a sales representative to get the

process started.

Tet by Vinan Hang

What is a Giclee?

(zhee-clay)

“A ne art print created by a printmaker adhering to strict standards that

utilizes special high resolution digital equipment throughout the workfow

process leaving no evidence o the technology used, while providing archival

quality consistent with that o a collectible ne art print.”



april 2013

47

mobile

Tripit

Minimum Requirements

○ iOS 5.0

○ Android 2.1

○ Blackberry 4.5.0

○Windows Phone 7

○Windows Phone 8

Price : Free

Tripit

The closest thing to a personal

assistant, Tripit keeps track o your itinerary rom ight to hotel bed.

Stories abound about travelers missing

fights and connections because they had

misread the date on their itinerary or had

simply orgotten what the actual date was

beore heading to the airport. No more,

with Tripit.

A Pocket Personal Assistant

What Tripit does is basically put all o your

trips essential reservation codes andinormation into a place where you can

have a good and clear overview o your

trip. You can set it up to scan your email

address or do it manually.

For example, when you book a fight

online and a conrmation email is sent

to your email, Tripit can be set up to

recognize that email and immediately

input it into your Tripit account. With the

app, it will store this inormation ofine

so that you can access your fight details

(rom destination to fight number) even

i you’re in a place with no internet

connection.

Social Network For Travelers

TripIt also unctions as a sort o social

network or travelers. You can make

connections with riends who are

also using Tripit, and see what grand

adventures they are on, or i you’re

planning a trip together you can sync

details. You can, o course, choose not to

divulge inormation on certain trips i you

wish or personal and private getaways.

TripIt Pro

TripIt also oers a paid service. In addition

to the already very comprehensive

solution that the ree version is, or

49 USD a year you can also choose to

benet rom a number o other services,

including being privy to fight delays and

cancellations, nding alternate routes,

keeping tabs on requent fyer points and,

among many other things, get access to

over 1200 business lounges worldwide.

It does seem a little costly, but i you’re

a requent fyer it may very pay or itsel

– especially i you are notied early o afight cancellation.

Conclusion

Tripit is an essential app or any traveller

to keep a close tab on their itinerary.

Being able to access everything rom

fight details to car rental codes and

hotel reservation numbers even while

you’re traveling without internet can be

a god send. It’s ree service is already

antastically comprehensive, so give it

a try.




Words of Wisdom .

BY FaIRUZ OTHMaN.

Four Elemets

for a Good TravelPhotograph

1. Documet

“This is the most basic thing. It’s the part o the photo that

tells the viewer that you were here”. So to speak, it’s an

establishing point. A travel photograph should be recognizable. It

may not need street names lit up with neon-lights, but it should

certainly hint as to where it was shot.

2. Details“I I’m abroad, I look or details that you can’t fnd in

Malaysia. I it’s a normal every-day item I can fnd at home,

it doesn’t interest me. I want to fnd elements that make my

travel photographs dierent. You must ocus on the whole

picture as well – the background is just as important as the

subject – you wouldn’t go to Paris and take a photograph o

a pair o shoes. Context is everything” The children o Mabul live with minimal resources ,

their ground is our sea .



april 2013

51

How long have you been pursuing photographyas a hobby?

My interest in photography started as early as my

school days, way back in the 80’s. I used to save

my pocket money to buy a RM20 compact camera

with a cube fash. I got my rst SLR in 1983 when I

bought Yashica FX-7. Later on, I moved to Canon AE-1

Program while studying overseas. There was a long

hiatus in my photography journey beore I jumped

to the digital SLR in 2007. All in al l, I would say, my

passion or photography had spanned more than 20

years.

Where do you nd inspiration or your

photography?

To me, inspirations are all around us, but most o

the time we ail to recognize them. It comes rom

my heart through observing the changes in the color

o the sky, the wonders o wildlie, the diversity o

people and the relentless fow o running water.

I love the work o Peter Sanders and Steve

McCurry. I’m also inspired by the work o Reuters

photographer, Bazuki Muhammad, who happened to

be my school mate.

How do you develop your skills as aphotographer?

Just like any other skills, “practice makes perect”. I

sharpen my “art o seeing” through creating pictures

rather than taking pictures. I practice with my camera

control and unctions and try to know my subject

well. I develop “anticipation skill” which I believe is

the key to getting the right moment, thus creating a

rame o picture that is unique in its own way.

Do you have plans to evolve your photography

into a business or a ull time job? (How would

you go about it?)

The idea did cross my mind, but I eel that i I delve

into business, I won’t be ree to pursue what I love

to do in my own ways. Having said that, I don’t

mind i anyone wants to buy my work. I did sell ew

photos and at the same time I also provided ree

usage or nonprot or charity purposes.

What is your workfow like? (rom camera to

nished product)

I’m more o a landscape and nature photographer.

Most o the time my camera is set to Aperture

Priority and I always shoot in RAW.



april 2013

53

Generally my workow can be categorized

into 3 main steps:

Preparation and captureTo me, this is the most important part.

Normally, I‘ll research the places that I

want to go, understand the environment

including the weather,lighting, the people,

other subjects and their surrounding. This

help me to choose the right equipment

such as lenses, flters etc. Creating and

capturing pictures will be a lot easier

when you know what are your potential

subjects and storyline.

File transfer and Raw conversion

I always shoot in RAW ormat. Hence

post processing is essential to enhancethe pictures. I use Aperture as the

post processing tool. I like it due to its

simplicity and comprehensiveness.

Aperture is a good tool, not only or post

processing, but also or managing photos.

Post processing and archiving

My post processing sequence is

generally quite simple. This include

horizon alignment, cropping, white

balance correction (when necessary),

exposure adjustment, level and/or

curve, color saturation and sharpening.

I also do selective HDR processing

using Photomatix, particularly when the

dynamic range o the scene is too high.

Archiving is very important and seldom

overlooked. I learned through a bad

experience when my hard disk crashed

beore I managed to back it up. Now, I

make a point to have my data backed up

regularly, archived on CD and uploaded to

Flickr.

Do you print your pictures?

I seldom print my pictures, but I sel-

publish photobooks. So ar, I have

published 3 photobooks and I’m working

on another book based on my 2012 tripto Sri Lanka. I’m quite proud with my

“Fascinating Mabul” which I co-authored

with a riend.

Have you thought of how you can

share your knowledge with other

photographers?

I have had ew ways o sharing my limited

knowledge with ellow photographers,

particularly the beginners. These include

conducting sharing sessions on basic

photography and HDR photography,

Top left. The morning sun

casts shadows o the wooden

pier on Mabul’s sandy beach.

Bottom left. Children in

Mabul paddle through the

water on the traditional “lepa-

lepa”. The Lepa-Lepa, which

literally means ‘boat’, was

actually home to the Bajau

Laut community, until they

started to settle down along

the coasts or on an island

such as Mabul.

Above. Aminah, a girl o

Bajau Laut tribe who lives

in the settlement at Mabul

island.




participating in various orum and

photography retreat. I also receivedemails and requests or advise on

my acebook which I tried my best to

respond. I would be happy to conduct

ree basic photography class, particularly

to students which I did at my children’s

school.

Do you have any advice or words o

wisdom or other photographers?

Photography is a refection o us. It

reveals our view about lie, people,

society, and the environment. There

are dierences in us, our values andperceptions which we must accept and

respect. Knowing ourselves and what

we love will shape our pictures. It is not

about the camera, it’s about us and our

subjects. n

Above. The colours o the sky

change as the sun sets behinda pier in Mabul island.




international.

ROTTNEST ISlaND.

Photogrpher // Szetoo Weiwen

Rottnest Island is located about 20 kilometres o the coast o

Perth, administered by the Rottnest Island Authority, an agencyo the Western Australian government, set up specically or

this purpose. During the World War I, the island was used as an

internment camp or Italian and German Civilians and several

large artillery guns were built on the island’s highest hills. Today,

the island no longer serves the military and is instead a beautiul

getaway or tourists. Rotto, as it is ondly known to the locals,

prides itsel with bays and beaches eaturing hidden caves

and rees that are perect or swimming, snorkeling and diving

activities.

One o the main attractions on the islands are small marsupials

thesizeofcats,namedQuokkas.Earlysettlersmistookthemas giant rats and named the island ‘Rats Nest’ hence its name.

However, avoid eeding them as they may turn violent and

persistently stalk you or ood.

Cars are not permitted on the island to preserve the

environment as much as possible but there is a regular bus

shuttle to take you around to attractions such as the lighthouse

and wartime memorials. The best way to get around however is

to rent a bike rom the erry terminal or $30 a day. It can get

Bottom. TheQuokkaisa

small relative o the kangaroo

and is endangered because

the wetlands where it lives

are disappearing and because

it is easy prey or animals

such as dogs, cats and oxes.

Right. The Wadjemup

Lighthouse is the rst

Western Australian lighthouse

made o locally quarried

stone rom Nancy Cove in

1849 by Aboriginal convict

labour. The lighthouse did

not operate until 1851 when

the revolving lamp and

clockwork mechanism was

tted. Morbidly, the rst three

lighthouse keepers committed

suicide!



april 2013

57




A black cat curled up on a wooden

deck blinks and yawns lazily as

I walk up the steps to the large multi

storey wooden house perched atop a

cli surrounded by lush green oliage.

Meanwhile another gorgeous white cat

struts past ater the gardener sashayingher fuy tail to and ro. I kitty heaven

ever existed, it would look like this.

Welcome to Nadalama Jamu Bar & Spa,

an authentic Balinese spa that will give

you a taste o Bali minus the fight tickets.

Located just ve minutes away rom

The Curve, Nadalama Jamu Bar & Spa

wooden kampung house sits atop a

sloping hill which blends seamlessly and

sustainable with its surroundings, almost

like an extension o the jungle setting. In

Bali, also known as the island o the Gods,

cleanliness is akin to godliness so trade

that blazer or a sarong and you’re in or a

divine experience at Nadalama Jamu Bar

& Spa.

The name Nadalama Jamu can be

translated to mean rhythms o old andood or the soul, a mantra we can all

embrace and practice in our hectic lives.

As we were handed the menu to pick our

treatment o the day, we were served a

little shot called Jamu. Nadalama serves

six types o Jamu which are akin to

health supplements. Popular ones include

Jamu Jaher made with ginger to lower

blood pressure as well as the popular

Jamu Kunyit Asem made with turmeric,

tamarind and ginger or slimming and

good skin. All Jamu are made with organic

ingredients and retail rom RM3.80 per

nadalama jamu Spa & Barat Buit LaaTet & Imges by sze Weiwen

ROAD TRIp



april 2013

65

Private kitchens have surged in popularity

over the past decade and whilst it’s not a

new concept, Huck’s Caé is as exclusive

as you can get on home soil. For the past

two and a hal years, Huck Seng, the

owner and che o Huck’s Caé has sent

thousands o happy customers through

his doors, many who are repeated

customers. The beauty o Huck’s is the

opportunity to sample dishes that are

unconventional and adventurous as your

palate permits.

Located along a quaint road along Jalan

Abdullah in Bangsar, Huck’s Caé sports

no signage yet patrons claim to have beenput on the reservation list or weeks in

order to secure themselves a table at the

restaurant. Indeed, a testament o the

man’s skills despite having no proessional

culinary training or experience who

dabbles in a diverse array o cuisine such

as Asian, Western, Italian and Mexican.

Huck Seng humbly comments that it

is a blessing to receive such wondrous

compliments rom his customers and

by the end o the night, it wasn’t hard

to see why. Every bite was magic rom

start to nish and each dish only served

to heighten that experience which we

would describe quite closely to a divine

intervention. Every dish was colorul,

cheeky and not what you’d quite expect.

With every bite, our eyes would light

up and upon liting our heads we’d nod

excitedly with stued aces. Service was

impeccable and Huck Seng makes it a

point to bid his guests arewell towards

the end o their dinners.

Customers usually make their

reservations and menu selections viaFacebook where a three course menu

starts rom RM88 to RM150 per pax.

It is important to note that all ood are

purchased resh on the morning o your

dinner (no lunch service). n

Huck’s Café

22, Jalan Abdullah, O Jalan Bangsar59000 Kuala Lumpur For reservations, call 03-2282 2126

To view Huck’s complete menu,visit Huck’s Caé on Facebook

FOOD INDuLgENCE

Dier at

no. 22Tet & Imges by sze Weiwen

Let / Right.

Pesto Salmon – Grilled

salmon steak served with

Homemade Salsa and Pesto

Sauce with Olive oil

Sea of Love – A popular

item rom Huck’s 2012

Christmas menu which made

it into his permanent menu

due to repeated requests.

Baked Prawns, Scallops and

Mussels topped with sliced

Capsicums, Cheese and

Herbs served with Angel Hair

Pasta and a homemade spicy

Lemon sauce




thing), a sae or valuables and even an

iron with an ironing board included in the

closet. The lack o WIFI and sucient

power outlets might be a deterrent or

the insanely connected Malaysian but

being a getaway location, perhaps this is

a blessing in disguise. Our visiting teamcertainly never elt wanting and we’re

all as insanely connected as the average

Malaysian.

Given the price we got o Agoda or

RM240 a night or a premium room that

caters to 2 people, it’s a wonder any prot

is made at all making it a great value or all

intents and purpose. We nd that Avillion

Admiral Cove is well deserving o its 4

star status and it’s high on our value l ist

especially to wedding photographers. We

recommend mixing work and play,

just this once. n

You will notice we have madeparticular eort to mention thislocation as Avillion Admiral Coveas it is easily mistaken or itspremium sister hotel Avillion PortDickson which highlights waterchalets with modern luxuries atup to 3 times the rate.

RESERvATION

N o t e




The Great

Outdoors

phOTO CONTEST

WINNER



april 2013

77

Kintamali, Bali, Indonesia

Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia

Terry Lew

Toh Eng Chye




Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

phOTO CONTEST

Chai Mingyang

Travel Photographer Malaysia

Documents

Transcript of Travel Photographer Malaysia