Supposed to have a model shoot with some friends on Sunday, but the girls cant make it at the very last minute, so I became damm free for the whole Sunday. I dun think I want to sleep coz I've already slept away my Saturday ( went out twice to tapao McD, only ). So I called Maxx, as I remember it's his offday ...

Click on image to view it big


:Pasar Seni -> Petalling Street
:Petalling Street -> Dataran Merdeka ( Lost and walked extra 15mins )
:Dataran Merdeka -> Tugu Negara ( Lost and walked extra 45mins, minimum)
:Tugu Negara -> KL Bird Park ( again lost, but not too far this time )
:KL Bird Park -> Low Yat Plaza ( Bare foot, don't asked me why )

Meet at Pasar Seni 1:30PM and begun our journey ~ Should have meet at Masjid Jamek, so dun need to walk the extra Kilometer. Damm, should have asked. Anyway, we decided not to drive, to avoid the Jam, getting lost in no where and the parking hazard. So the whole journey was on foot, just for your information...


Massive jam that we want to avoid. It's Sunday in KL ler.




While walking...walking ... walking ... I realized that I don't actually really 100% sure about the correct way to Tugu Neagara, as the lat time I been there was quite some times ago. As expected, we were lost. Thanks to the very informative road signs. We all that all the roads are linked, just a little further around if you got the wrong road.


Bumped into some participant of the Canon Photography Marathon.




Looking at those building that I never knew and I know that we were lost, at least not on the right road. Damm . But not worst coz there's someone else ( Maxx ) to talk to, I think I will probably call a cab if I'm lost all by myself, we know that it's not save in KL anymore, if you have been reading newspapers and know what I'm talking about.

It's Merdeka Day alright, you can tell from all the flags that's hanging around all over the place, once a year. So does that means we love our country once a year? Of it depends on how many flags you hang or how big is the flag you hang ? I love my country Malaysia, because .........



Even thought we know the name of the place we're at, we were at Tun Hussien Onn Memorial, but where the hell is that exactly ?!?!? Damm ... No GPS, no map, but there's a small Police Station there to ask, ask I think the police man was amazed by my fluent Malay, Maxx also amazed and said:" Damm, I would BELIEVE that you are malay if I don't know you ..! "

Getting lost and have a chance for good pictures ? Not as bad as we thought mah ~ At least we know that there's still places with hell alot of trees and warm breeze, for once I thought I was back in Sabah, with the same amount of green and the gentle wind that seems can go thru your body any bring away the tiredness and stress, God I love nature ~


Finally reached Tugu Negara, half dead. The weather was perfect for photography, but not for walking and not for the skin, I think I'll be 30% darker the next day. And thanks 100 PLUS ! You saved my life !



Didn't spent too much time in Tugu Negara thou, coz I've been there shooting before and the TUGU are backlit by the sun, so can be too creative with that. And also the tourist.

Maxx asked:" Eh, last time you come what day ah ? Why your picture so clean ( no HUMAN ) one ?" I answered:" I come in weekdays lah ... ofcoz no people to kacau lah ..." The Japanese couple have been standing for about 10mins as I waited for them, I'm not sure if they love the sunshine or they are really amazed by the Tugu, forgot to asked.



Even the sun were burning us sky hi, but there're shelter from the tree. It might be very Yao Yeng to walk like a tourist under the hot sun, but we try not too. Don't want to go work with sunburn the next day.

Over all it's not very fun for youngster ( under the age of 45 ) to visit, but it's worth going there to look at tourists that were amazed by our history, to look at the nicely build building, to understand the meaning of Hari Merdeka ( it's not just another pulic holiday, okay?) and to look at some Japanese Chicks if you are lucky.


About 15mins of walking and we were at the biggest bird park in the world ! or izzit Asia ah ? Initially we want to visit the Butterfly farm that's just a stone throw away ( throw it really really hard ! ), but the RM15 stopped us. Coz we have not time to wait for the butterfly to stop infront of us and let us take pictures, and by the looking of the 'farm' I doubt it will worth the RM15. So we go to the KL Bird Park that's the largest in the world, or it's Asia ah? For RM15 I think it's more worth it. At least we can see 'birds' ~ hehehe.


Dont worry about peacock, there's hell alot of peacock and we thought we went to the Peacock Park instead ~
This is what we've been waited whole day long ... The Open Tail Ceremony ... An uncle even run down from the hill side to take take pictures, I bet we is running as the speed of stopping the police man to give saman ... hahahhaha.

And the Peacock backside .... As rare as the Open Tail Ceremony.


The second bird we come across. A very Yao Yeng Pelican. 1 Day must eat 2KG of fish. It just stay there and let people to go very near to it for taking pictures. A Guai Lou even have it Video-graphed ~ The nearest I can go is 4 inches from it's eye, but the picture not nice so didnt post.





Another frequent bird around the park. They are everywhere, and I must say they are the best poser. They can stay there and pose for you as long as you want ~

Without the Hairdo ....

And a candid shoot ... how's that ?

And some other birds in the park ........


This is the bird with the funniest voice. It sounds something like Sport Cars at 7000RPM ... Or more like Mat Rempit's bike. Ngeeeenngg ~~~ nggeennnngg ~~~


I wish I had a longer lens for this picture, at least the bird will appear along bigger in the picture.


Can you see my in the eye ? And sorry for waking you up from your sweet dream MR Owl.

Walking around in the bird park was fun, or at least more informative than the road signs in KL. We tend to know the bird's name lah, their habitat lah... The downside would be no chicks around to look at loh. And the overdose perfume from the tourist. I guess the birds will faint if they are too near to the tourist ... OOhh... no wonder the birds keep their distance from human lah ....

Taken on the way out ...

And I just cant stop laughing ... And I saw something unpleasant scene. A car is park at the road side ( single lane ), just at the corner. The owner of the car stopped and actually parked there to look at the monkeys and let the kids to feed the monkeys. Oh man, I truely believe that the owner should know how dangerous it is to stopped the car and the road side, summore corner, as every parent will claim they have the most driving experience in the world and then they are still doing it. The spot where they stopped are just 500 meter away from the Carpark and how difficult it can be to park the car there and have your owns sweet time to feed the monkey? I wonder if it's the Law's not good enuff or is the Ethics not good enuff. Double Park lah ( I prefer to call it Illegal Parking ), cutting queues lah, no signal lah, driving 30kmh on the Hi Way lah. .... damm ...

Continue our journey to LowYat Plaza, bare foot. We want to experience the earth with our feet ~ We just had enuff of our shoes ~ hahahaha. Some dumbass ~ heheheheh. Well, other than the irresponsible driver and his family, the day was great. Get the chance to walk around KL to know more about the place we are living in, to feel the Malaysian Heat, to get a blister on my foot .... Thanks Maxx, for the company ~

Suppose to have a model shooting in somewhere but end up doing street photography in KL, dun ask me why...

Please click on the image for larger and clearer view of the ACTUAL road I walked with MaxX



Will come back and blog about the event later, when I have time. I promise

Went to the Jazz Festival in Mon't Kiara after some rushing at home and some rushing during dinner. Thought that I don't want to even miss 1 second of the event, that I thought it's gonna be great...

I went on that night bcoz of this guy, name Roger Wang ( click on the name to know more ). A very good guitar player from Sabah.



I can say that the overall show was not bad, despite that's every one is late and made the whole show was late for about 10mins, as usual as how they handle things here in Malaysia. It the TIME stated 9PM, that will be somewhere 9:10PM to 93:30PM, never 9PM.



From 900PM to 1030PM, performance from the team of Roger and Farid Ali. They played a few songs that's not too bad, 1 of the Ocean's 13 sounds track Caravan which I only recognize the intro, not too bad .



The session was performed by 2 of them and sometimes some of each. Roger's solo part was really awesome that I wished the song can last for another few more minutes before the spoiler do his solo.


Spoiler of the night.

Not going for anymore Jazz Festival as long as this guy above are there. I just had too much "Dangdut" and Minor Scales from him. He makes me think that I'm in "Dangdut Festival" instead of Jazz Festival, even my GF who know nothing also asked me: "This not malay song meh?" Alamak ... I've have nothing against Malay music and infact I like some of it and I can even sing a few of them ! Thanks to Roger who brings me out from the nightmare, check out his music if you got the chance to do so.

First time in Jazz Festival, and I am disappointed ... I thought it's gonna be something like this:



Picture from sunrisebhd.com


Starting from this friday, that will be the Annual Jazz Festival held in Mon't Kiara... I always wanted to go but have missed it last year and last last year. And this year I've got my own transport, maybe some free time, I dun want to miss ler ~


Preparing the performing stage.


Schedule would be, every Friday and Saturday night, 9.00PM to ~11.30PM for the first session and 11.00PM to 12.30AM for the second session... and the performing artist:

17 August: first session:Farid ali & Roger Wang second sesseion: Zainal Abidin
18 August: first session:Shannon Shah & The Cintas second sesseion:Funk Mob

24 August: first session:Arthur Kam & Vitalque second sesseion:Sheila Majid
25 August: first session:Sharizan & Swing Inc second sesseion:Aseana Percussion Unit

31 August: first session:Gyro second sesseion:Saharadja
1 September: first session:Asiabeat second sesseion:Saharadja

I will be going for the Roger Wang and Sheila Majid's session, but if the Gyro on the last night is this Spyro Gyro, I will go. Anyone going also then let me know lah, so can chit chat if the songs are sianz ..


Ngeee ngeee nge ...... let me out to play ...
Ngeee ngeee nge ...... I want eat burger ...
Ngeee ngeee nge ...... I want go to park ...



Nepok: Your daddy mommy damm jialat one lah, sleep inside aircon and leave us here so hot ...
Batt Zhai: yaloh ... got koropok summore... Diu ! Your daddy mommy also what !!!
Nepok: Hmm .. What do you think ? Want to teach them a lesson ? hehehehe...
Batt Zhai: Can ah ???!! How how how ?! I want do them long time already ler ~
Nepok: Ok ! Lets do this together. You will go in and pee on their bed, then I will cry and make noise here non stop.
Batt Zhai: Wah lao ... pee sure kena wack one wow ... you do lah ~
Nepok: I bigger than you what ~ How to sneak ?! You stupid ah ?! Go now !!!
Batt Zhai: ..... *yalah yalah .. you big lah ...*

Apple have just announced a brand new iMac. With new designs, new specs ...



with the new Apple keyboard that comes along ...



Anyone thinking of sponsoring AhTak.blogspot.com one of these ? So AhTak.blogspot.com and have more frequent and quality updates. Kindly contact us.



Revisited Gabai Waterfall last weekend with MaxxX, as he wanted to try out taking slow-shutter speed pictures and wanted to ask some tips from me also. No problem lah, just get me in the car and hit the road !! yeah !!! There's nothing like 'too far' or 'too early' for photographers ler ~

We started the outing slightly off plan as when I called him at 540AM he was still in the bed, damm ....

Anyway. Things goes smooth all along bisides me looking for a place to park my car and a little lost just before we reached the water fall.

We reached there abit early, just have enuff time for us to set the camera and do some test shoots before 'actual' start. Good thing about going there early is that there'll be NO ONE at all before 9AM, and the dim sunlight are essential if you want to capture the flowing water of the waterfall. So If you are planning to go there to take picture, please be abit early. And make sure you don't jump inside the water before 10AM, I can guarantee that you'll freeze your balls ...

Early sunlight thru the trees and mist. I just love to look at that Mysterious and Surreal look. So fast fast captured a few before it goes off ( didnt last for even 5 mins, be quick ! )


The key to get these kind of picture: Wake up bloody early ....


I think Gabai was the most beautiful waterfall I've been to. No much people around to kacau ( that's early in the morning before 10AM), the water is crystal clear, the environment is clean if you compare to streets in KL, also the air was amazing, there's still mist around untill 9AM. Nice ....

I'm not sure if I can find anything like this back in Sabah, but I will however try my best to take some pictures during my holiday trip back to Sabah coming September, for about a week.


This is the kind of picture that MaxxX wanted to try out and learn from me. Seriously I am not master in this but there're some basic I can share lah.
1. Wake up as early as you can. Maybe 530AM and get ready.
2. Ask someone to go together, going alone will be so bored that you might want to suicide.
3. Get a steady tripod, which means those RM35 ones will not be good enuff.
4. Switch to A mode ( Aperture Priority ) and put on the smallest aperture the lens can go.
5. Try to set ev +0.3 so the picture can be abit brighter, coz the water will fool the cemera and hence over exposed.
6. If you smoke, make sure you have enuff. For smoking and chasing the mosquitos and bugs away.

There are 4 waterfalls in total. Lowest one will be pack with people around 900AM~1000AM, we skipped that to avoid the people and the BBQ stove in our pictures, smoke from the BBQ may not look nice in my the pictures too, but you may have a different thought. Second one is kind of impossible to swim or 'play water':

Picture taken at the second waterfall. Please dont risk you life here. I think it's at least 50 feet tall, not so tall but tall enuff to kill if you fall from there. So please before extra careful. I think the third one is the best among all, the first picture in this entry was taken there, and there's were we spent most of the time. The last one we didnt go explore coz it looks creepy and nothing much to shoot also.

So while taking the usual "water flow" pictures. I was trying something else also :

A cool tone, water from the water fall splashing on the biggest rock there. I kind of like it. The Rock solid against The Flawless water, guess who'll win.

And another approach:

A warmer tone to show the energy of the water. Also zoomed out abit to show more rocks and water flow. As I'm not so good in taking landscape pictures, why not take something I'm familiar with (still life pictures), so I won't fell that I wasted the effort coming all the way from PJ to Gabai.

Here's another experimental pictures:

Higher contrast in the picture to make it more dramatic. But I think most people wont like it ...


 

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