Mount Kinabalu Climb 2012

I have the honour once again to climb Mount Kinabalu after I last climb it at 2003. This time with a little bit of a difference - I'm bringing my DSLR for the first time (in hope to get some great photos along the way for my collections of landscapes photos). It took me a while to decide whether I should bring my 5D or 50D. But due to overwhelming encouragements from friends, I've decided to bring my 5D instead and I tell you, it's the wisest thing to do (This is where the Weather Sealing technology comes in handy for DSLRs) :)

We started off from Mesilau trail. It is my first time using that trail (I've climb the mountain 4 times before but via Timpohon trail). So it's kind of new for me. But I have got to tell you it is also the best trail I've been in climbing the mountain. If you're looking for beautiful scenery for the mountain, this is the trail to go. I didn't manage to capture a lot of photos during the trek (my camera remains in the bag most of the time because I got tired hanging it on my shoulder most of the time LOL). But here are the ones that are my favourites.

No wonder it's being sealed off. It's so-not for the faint of heart ;)

A scene from "Avatar"?

Found modern day Little Red Riding Hood in the woods. The wolf was the one taken this photo :p

The human|animal connection

My only bird shot during the event. Not so much of a birding shot eh :p

A Closer look of the "Mountain Bird" which many claim to be one of the rarest to be seen nowadays

As of now, you might be wondering whether I make to the peak or not. Well... the photos says it all (LOL). But then again, I've reached the peak 3 times, so why bother, right? ;)

Sunday Outing with Fellow Photographers

Took these photos while I was in my 11-day "holiday". I enjoyed every minute of the outing. It has been a while since I shoot these kinds of shots. Got up early in the morning and followed Fred, Dhillon and Jolene to this place as early as 6am on a very sunny Sunday. These shots were taken at Mengkabong and around the City of Kota Kinabalu. 70-200mm and 17-50mm (personal favourite) lenses were used.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

Another Addition to my Gears

I got myself the Canon BG-E2N Battery Grip and my Canon 50D looks even bulkier now! In truth, the weight really put some strain to my neck when it's clipped on, but it had to be there for some reasons. I love to take portraits and with this grip I can do so with ease. Not that I can't take any portrait shots without it, but by having it make my portrait shots more stable and vertically aligned. This is due to the positioning of my hands when shooting that way. I've tried shooting vertically when I first bought the 50D and I feel kind of awkward by doing so without the grip (It seems I'm too used to battery grips ever since I used one with my previous 450D and 1000D). So this grip solves that problem.

The extra battery compartment helps alot! There are slots for 2 batteries, although I only managed to use only one at the moment. This will be crucial when it comes to shooting a one-whole-day weddings or events as the extra power proves to be useful. It even has a weather seal foam that helps to prevent water or dust from entering the compartment and disrupt the electrical parts of the grip. I guess this thing is really engineered for harsh environments. Very useful if you're a nature photographer.

The battery grip is just one of the things that are in my gear list in preparation for my next wedding assignments. I'm also considering the Canon 580 EX II Speedlight, but at the moment, my Nissin Di622 would do just fine.

There's a NEW Toy in Town!

Images courtesy of KenRockwell.com

Got the Canon EOS 50D SLR that I've been craving for after I sold my ever-so-reliable 450D to a friend of mine :). The 450D's got its new owner now and I know it will be well taken cared of.

Bought the 50D for a "reasonable" price at one of the local shops here and it's been with me for the past 10 days now. The reason I'm buying it is due to the experience I had over the last few wedding shoots I've been doing. I really admire the 2 customizable settings of the 50D which the 450D was lack of. It's very useful when I want to switch from shooting with flash to not using one. One flick and you get the right settings in an instant. Apart from that, I really like the magnesium alloy body which is very durable, yet light (lighter than 40D, i think). Bigger body means more space for my big hands to hold on. No battery grip is needed to fit your hands unless, of course, you want that extra battery clipped and hand grip for vertical shootings.

I don't really mind the 15.1MP and the DIGIC 4 processor that are being offered, though. For me, they're just added bonuses. Was thinking of getting the 40D with its 10.1MP at first. But what turned me away from it was the lack of the 920,000 dots LCD screen with 3 anti-reflecting layers, which the 50D is offering. Viewing my photos under direct sunlight has never been better!

The 50D's ultra-sonic shutter sound really comes in handy when shooting in quiet areas such as churches. I remembered the time when I was shooting extensively during the priest's reading in the church and he was staring at me as if i was bugging him. That's because the 450D's shutter sound is quite noisy. Try shooting a 450D continuously at 3.5 fps in a church while he's giving his speech. That would totally pissed him off! :P

All in all, I'm glad I have this baby. I can't wait to shoot with it. But for now, I have to rush on some unfinished matters. Till then, guys!

Oh, will post some photos with my new baby soon. So stay tuned. ;D

The Beginning of a Fellowship

I finally came up with a banner design for our group, FOP (Fellowship of Photographers). These photos were taken by Arthur "The StiXX" Lee using Tnuz's Canon 1000D during our photo shoot with Calista Liew the other day. Why I said "These" instead of "this" is because these are actually a compilation of 9 photos of each individuals. So, I thought why don't I give it a go and come up with a group photo instead. I've also enhanced the photos in Photoshop to make it more stand out and Voila!

Basically, FOP is just a group of photography enthusiasts which consists of 9 (thus far) photographers - Arthur, Ah Phin, Yours Truly, ManChew, Sidney, Tnuz, Fred, YaZid and Casey. We've just started this group about few months ago.

By the way, I will be posting the shots of Calista Liew soon enough. So stay tuned!

Gettin' Crazy with ma' Flash!

About a week ago, my relatives organized a barbecue at my uncle's house. So I figured it was the right time to get few shots of each of my family members. At first, I was planning to hone my skills in black & white photo shooting, but then I was distracted by my fellow cousins (mostly half a younger than my age) at the backyard. Seeing them jumping and playing around makes me wonder if I can take photos of them to make them quiet a little bit (at least before my intimidating uncle started to scold them for being too noisy :P).

It was fairly dark at the backyard. So I have to rely on my flash together with the right exposure to get some good shots. Even managing them to pose was a challenge! Kids running around without listening to your instructions can sometimes lead to a certain "disturbia" in your head. Fortunately, I happened to be quite a convincing type of person - told them that if they don't stop running, I won't allow them to be in the photos. It worked well ;). Check out the photos of these little rascals.

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

EDGAR'S Miss Borneo 2009 : Heat 1

After settling in well with my newly purchased flash gun, I finally have a reason to shoot in the dark (missing out the Miss D'junction event was due to the excuse of not having an external flash :P). I was informed by Arthur "The StiXX" Lee and Man Chew about it. So i figured that will be the right place to flag off my flash capability. Here are some of the shots that I managed to get with my new toy.