click - safra photographic clubtel: 6377 3681 or email: [email protected] cover picture by andrew aw 03...
TRANSCRIPT
CLICK
Founded 1972
CLICKA BI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF SAFRA PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB Jun 2007 – Dec 2007
Editorial
Editorial
28th SAFRA Photographic Club CommitteeName Email Add AppointmentMr Desmond Teo Puay Chuan [email protected] Chairman1SG (NS) Andy Lau Chiang Hwee [email protected] Vice-ChairmanCPL (NS) William Tan Wee Liang [email protected] / [email protected] Vice-ChairmanSSG (NS) Koh Beng Chye [email protected] Vice-Chairman2SG (NS) Guek Peng Siong [email protected] SecretarySSG Daniel Tang Mun Wai [email protected] Asst SecretaryMr Victor Chick Wing Hang [email protected] EditorCPL (NS) Edmund Low Meng-Yu [email protected] Asst EditorMr Tan Kay Hian [email protected] MemberSSG Joseph Lew Yeow Koon [email protected] MemberCPL (NS) Robin Ng Teck Hua [email protected] MemberCPL (NS) Victor Yeo Thiam Huat [email protected] Member3SG (NS)Then Chih Wey [email protected] MemberMr Bernard Teo Tiat How [email protected] AdvisorMr Raymond Chua Seng Chye [email protected] AdvisorMr Eric Goh Wee Seng (PBM) [email protected] AdvisorCPT (NS) Dr Looi Hong Cheong [email protected] AdvisorMr Bernard Luey Kwong Yuen [email protected] Member (Co-opt)1SG (NS) Calvin Ng Weng Wah [email protected] Member (Co-opt)CPL (NS) Kelvin Wee Chee Yee [email protected] Member (Co-opt)2SG (NS) Felix Tan Thiam Kim [email protected] Member (Co-opt)
Club Opening Hours:
Mon, - 9am to 6pmWed& Fri
Tues& Thur - 9am to 9pm
Sat - 1pm to 6pm
Sunday, - ClosedHolidays eve& Public Holidays
Club Contact Number:
Andy -Tel: 6377 3681 oremail: [email protected]
www.safraphotoclub.com
Cover Picture byAndrew Aw
03
It’s been two busy years for Photo Clubat Mount Faber!
SAFRA Photo Club was establ ished in1972, the same year i t s parentorganization formed. We have come along way. From a small darkroom in thePrice Edward Road clubhouse to the thennew Toa Payoh clubhouse, and findinghome with the biggest non-commercialdarkroom in Bukit Merah, and now at MF,we have not on ly captured thedevelopment of SAFRA with our cameras,we also grow with it.
At our new home, we are proud to hostthe first major event at the grand lobbybarely three months after moving in. Weare now the only interest group that keptthe lift busy going up to the 3rd level inmany evenings and weekends either forcourses or activit ies. We are also theonly interest group that brings membersand guests together at the cozy “roof-topgarden” just behind the darkroom!
The first committee term after moving toMF is ending this June. A new committeewi l l be taking over though not muchchange is expected. We need membersand head counts to make every eventsand activities a success. So why not makean extra effort to be with the rest of themembers at our activates?
This year, we are celebrating our 35th
anniversary. Besides supporting SAFRA inevery way we can, we are also planninga series of activities for members. In thepipeline is a pure black-and-white photoexhibition. The committee will also stepup in organizing more outings, as requestby some newer members.
For details of these program as well asother information, log on to Photo Club’swebsite at safraphotoclub.com; or go toour Forum at www.safraphotoclub.com/forum.
Happy 35th anniversary!
8th SAFRA Photographer of the Year8th SAFRA Photographer of the Year
Photo Club News
04
Text by Joseph Lew / Victor Chick; Photos by Guek Peng Siong
Winning entries in this year’s SAFRA Photographer of theYear have one thing in common, strong colors.
Among those short listed for the final selection, it was allbright, strong colors. Even the only set of monochromeprints that was awarded a consolation prize has a verystrong tone. The panel of judges settled for a set of portraitformat photos by Lester Koh Meng Hua.
A dancer, a painting framed by a viewer’s profile, rubyplayers and Raffles statue “looking” at a mural drawing,Lester used the bold shape of human form as the commonicon to depict the four themes he chosen for the set.
Relatively new to photography, Lester takes this winningas an encouragement and recognition for hiscommitment to this hobby.
Joseph Lew, Organizing Chairman, said at the prizepresentation and opening of the exhibition that “theenthusiastic response received from the photographiccommunity, especially from new participants, is definitelymost encouraging.”
A record number of 302 sets of entries comprising four printseach were received from 119 participants. This shows thecontinued support from photographers here in this formatof photo contest since its introduction in 1992.
Photo Club advisor Dr Looi Hong Cheong who chairedthe inaugural PTY observed that a group of regularparticipants actually accumulate photos over the yearsin order to get the best set for each season.
Judges (from right) Patrick Ee, Foo Tee Jun, Eric Goh, Tan Cheng Hai and Wang Qing Gui.
Participants are excited during the final round of selection.
Officials at work.
Concentration at the score board.
An over view of the judging in progress.
Judges deciding the winners. The Photographer of the Year: Lester Koh
Photo Club News
05
8th PTY Exhibition @ Page One8th PTY Exhibition @ Page OneSponsors:Nikon Singapore Pte LtdEPSON Singapore Pte LtdImation Singapore Pte LtdOcean2u (S) Pte LtdPage One The Bookshop Pte Ltd
Champion:(Prizes: S$1000 cash, NikonD200 dSLR camera, EpsonStylus Photo R1800 printer,return air tickets to Bangkokwith 3D2N accommodationfor two, Challenge Trophy)
Lester Koh Meng Hua
Merits:(Prizes: S$150 cash, $50 SAFRA Rewards Voucher,Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer, Nikon Coolpix S5camera, Imation Lightscribe Internal DVD Burner,DVD+R 8x Lightscribe disk)Lawrence Yeo Kok LipDanny Kwan Sai HoeLow Soon LeongTan Choon WeeGoh Koon Peng
Consolation:(Prizes: S$100 cash, $50 SAFRA Rewards Voucher,Epson Stylus Photo R230 printer, Nikon Coolpix L3camera, Imation White Inkjet Hub Printable DVD)Lee Hin MunTan Choon LaiJason Ho Fook SzeMicheal Ee Choon HockRoyston Gerard Cordeiro
Accompanying Prof Koo Tsai Kee, President, SAFRA, taking a closer look at the Champion’s work are club advisor Dr Looi HongCheong (left), Chairman Desmond Teo (right) and Organizing Chairman Joseph Lew.
Guest-of-Honor, Prof Koo Tsai Kee, President, SAFRA, addressing the crowdduring the prize presentation.
An exhibition with a twist: among the shelves of books at Page One the Bookshop. Lester Koh with his rewards.
Organizing Chairman Joseph Lew presenting atoken of appreciation to Guest of Honor, Prof Koo.
Members and participants supporting the 8th PTY at the exhibition opening and prize presentation.
06
Gallery
Champion: Lester Koh
Selection of PhotographeSelection of Photographe
07
Gallery
Consolation Prizes
Tan Choon Lai
Royston Gerand Cordeiro
Jason Ho
Lee Hin Mun
Merit Prizes
Tan Choon Wee
Goh Koon Peng
Lawrence Yeo
Low Soon Leong
Danny Kwan
er of Year winning entrieser of Year winning entries
08
SAFRAPC Annual Members’ Competitions
Top Prize WinnersTop Prize WinnersTop Prize WinnersTop Prize WinnersTop Prize Winners
Merit : Colour SlideMerit : Colour SlideMerit : Colour SlideMerit : Colour SlideMerit : Colour Slide
Colour Slide : Toh Say Jen
Monochrome:Joseph Lew
Ng Chee Eng
Robin Ng
Lim Chai Meng
Bernard Poh
Steven Tor
Digital Print : Ee Choon Hock
09
SAFRAPC Annual Members’ Competitions
Merit : Digital PrintMerit : Digital PrintMerit : Digital PrintMerit : Digital PrintMerit : Digital Print
Merit :Merit :Merit :Merit :Merit :MonochromeMonochromeMonochromeMonochromeMonochrome
Danny Kwan
Kenny Chew
Ng Wei Chean
Sim Kok Beng
Gina Ng Chin Poh
Toh Say JenSim kok Beng
koh Meng Hua Tay Kay Hian Robin Ng
Best Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works Showcase
Photo Gallery
10
Editor’s Note: Most of these images are scanned from original submitted works.While much care is taken to reproduce these works, some loss in details and color balance is unavoilable.
Best Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works ShowcaseBest Students’ Works Showcase
Studio Portraiture Course by Winston by SY Loong
Outdoor Portraiture Course by Andrew Aw Studio Portraiture Course by Andrew Aw
Associate Exam
11
Nature Course by Ang Kee Thye
Nature Course by Louis Chong Joon Yow
Sri Lanka - Lost in Time
12
Member’s Article
A traveller’s tales and photos by Felix Tan
It was one of those twice a year ‘must-leave-Singapore’ sojourns that I wouldusually embark on and I’ve chosen SriLanka to be my destination of my little 12days getaway. Arriving Sri Lanka’sBandaranaike Airport in the evening, I wassoon quickly whisked away in a van myfriends had rented, and thus begun mytravelling experience.
get a good view of the town centre andanother famous landmark – Kandy Lake,one should stay in the guesthouses that arestacked along the sides of the numeroushills surrounding this city. But if you want toindulge yourself, then the grand ‘oleQueen’s Hotel next to Lake is the choice.
Amidst the torrential rain, we continued upto the mountainous region of Nuwara Eliya(pronounced as Nu-reliya). Do take a pitstop at one of the many tea plantationsalong the way for lunch and take amoment to just chill out in the coolmountain air, but more importantly, take
this opportunity to watch tea pickers goabout their work. After a good Sri Lankanlunch, I continued with my journey up themountains, past majestic waterfalls, finallyreaching this charming town before dusk.Dotting the entire city are the remnants ofold colonial styled buildings, which, onceagain, have been converted toguesthouses and hotels. Wanting to get abetter view of the city, I stayed at the 4-level Greek-inspired Hellenic Guesthousethat boasts a spacious lawn and afireplace. Besides the town centre, you canpay a visit to the lovely Victoria Park to snapa few pictures of flowers and insects. Staya day or two there because Nuwara Eliyadoes provide one with a sense of being‘lost in time’ that harks back to the earlydays of colonialisation.
Due to the bad weather in the last fewdays, most of the roads leading to placeslike Horton’s Plains Nationals Park andfamous World’s End have been madeimpassable. And so, we had to make adetour down treacherous improvised roadsdown the sides of the mountains. Afterfacing an almost uphill battle to get thevan through the makeshift roads, I soonfigured out that it was much better to walkdownhill and experience the freshmountain air a little – plus it never hurts totrek and explore the unexpected pathsthat occasionally pop up along the trail inany trip. Nonetheless, having had to make
First stop, the former capital of Sri Lanka –Kandy. This place is a rather quaint townfilled with a mishmash of old British colonialbuildings – that has been converted intohotels or guesthouses – as well as an arrayof gaudy decrepit post-independenceshop-houses. At the town centre is wherethe famous Temple of the Sacred ToothRelic, where one of Buddhas’ tooth issupposedly to have buried and which isalso regarded as a national treasure.Another noteworthy place in Kandy is theNational Museum, but do not expect toomuch from this place, which resemblesmore like a storeroom than a museum. To
Sri Lanka - Lost in Time
13
Member’s Article
last minute changes to my plans, my nextpit stop was Haputale, a largely Tamil townperched along a narrow mountain ridge.An unexpected stop as it was, it turned outto be my most enjoyable stop – not onlycould I indulge myself snapping away atthe life of the town, this place wassurrealistic as it was mystical. Do make ashort trip to the Adisham Monastery that isrun by the order of the Benedictinefraternity. Take your time to walk leisurelyaround the beautifully maintained groundsof the monastery and experience theserenity that this place exudes. But doexplore the insides of this stone-blockmonastery where most of the furniture andbooks have been well maintained. I stayedat the Sri Lak Holiday Inn, which was nearthe edge of a cliff overlooking the vast SriLankan plains across the horizon. Plus, thisplace could also served up a scrumptiousSri Lankan meal of curries and fried rice.
No words could aptly describe the feelingsas I walked through this town – in theevening the day I arrive and the nextmorning. Filled with small shops – sellingtrinkets and daily provisions to chickens andslabs of lamb; from providing laundryservices to a small pub catering to theneeds of workers going back home aftera hard day’s work – this town centre reallyis underrated. Strong winds also did quitea nifty job in kicking up a small dust stormin the town, although most of theinhabitants were strangely oblivious to suchhappenings. A short walk and you will findthe railway station surrounded by moreshops and push carts selling hot pastries,string hoppers and assorted Sri Lankandelights. The beautiful thing about thisplace is that there is nothing toocommercialised here and it sure providesa spectacular view of the Sri Lankan plainsas well as a great moment to just get away
from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.
We soon made our way back to Colombo.After travelling through dense jungle forestsand facing landslides on perilous mountainroads, I finally told myself I had to live it upfor the remaining days of my trip in thecapital and checked into the CeylonContinental Hotel. Take a leisurely strollalong the beach at Galle Face Green andjust enjoy the cool sea breeze sweepinginland from the vast Indian Ocean. Or paya visit to the bazaar of Pettah for a goodbargain, but avoid the place if you do notfancy yourself jostling for walking spaceamong the throngs of people. Forsomething less crowded, make your waydown to the Independence Hall or theNational Museum. However, the best partof Colombo wasn’t the sights, but rather adrive around the city and get lost in themaze of turns that the Sri Lankan roadspresent. If you have the time, take a 3-hourdrive up north, past the beach resort townof Negombo and to the ancient cities ofSigiriya and Dumbulla, where you will beenthralled with the Royal Rock Temple andexperience the Buddhist influence in theSinhalese culture.
Whatever you decide to do in Sri Lanka,take the necessary precaution for this is notsomething for the faint-hearted or theimpatient. Take the road less travel and donot plan too much, for this is one placewhere the unexpected is where beauty liesand a moment lost too soon.
What Do I See When I Travel?Learn a Trick
14
Text and Photos by Calvin Ng
Word of advice to photographers, do not travel with non-photographers, you should especially avoid group travel. Well, itworked both ways, depending on whom the advice is given to.For the non-photographers reading this, if you see your travellingcompanion carrying a heavy looking tripod, and the camera bagis bigger than the luggage, watch out!
Just to name a few unique travelling habits of a seriousphotographer that will irritate the typical traveller:-1) Start early. To catch a sunrise shot, one has to rise very
much earlier then the sun to be at the correct place at thecorrect time.
2) Loitering at one location. The serious photographer will neverhit the place, take a few shots and leave. He will walk allaround, look at all the angles, and quite often visit the placerepeatedly at different time of the day.
3) Waiting. The serious photographer spends a great deal oftime waiting. Waiting for the clouds to pass, waiting for thesun to hit just the right spot, waiting for the desired pedestrianto enter the frame, waiting for the undesired pedestrian toexit the frame, and the list goes on.
While travelling with a photographer is trying, seeing the resultingimages from a photographer’s trip can hardly be described as achore. Usually it is not so much that the images are unique, butthat the photographer managed to capture ordinary thingsuniquely and beautifully.
Perhaps one of the most valuable assets a photographer couldhave is keen observation, the ability to see details beneath thefamiliar, to see beauty in the mundane.
However, one does not have to travel to see different things, allwe have to do is to see things differently. Case in point, have youhosted a foreign friend, only to have him or her point out thingsthat we never notice before, things that we have taken for
granted because wewere numbed by itthrough everydayoccurrences.
P h o t o g r a p h i n glandmarks is usually avery important eventduring travelling. It is the“evidence” that wehave visited someforeign land.
But a majority of travelphotographs focusedon culture, people, andthe similarities anddifferences of our dailylives. These allow the
photographers to experience the culture, speak to the people,achieving a greater understanding of the places we travelled tothan is possible when travelling in a tour group.
Here are some parting tips on getting started with travelphotography:-1) Know your equipment well;2) Attend a travel photography course or workshop;3) Practice locally, try to see familiar places with a fresh eyes;4) When travelling, seek out back roads as well as well-known
places;5) Interact with people.Long tail boat at Railay Beach, Krabi.
Muslim fishing community at Koh Pang Yee,an island near James Bond island
Karon Beach, Phuket
Architecture of buildings at KaronBeach seen through a reflection.
What Do I See When I Travel?
Text and Photos By Raymond Chua
The Red Cross Home for the Disabled cares for severely disabledpersons aged 5 to 58 years old. Both long-term residential servicesand short-term respite care are available. It is also the only homethat provides residential care to the severely disabled populationin Singapore. Residents may suffer from various disabilities such asDown Syndrome, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy and otherdeformities. The home takes care of the residents’ daily needs, as
well as organizes beneficial activities for the residents, includingphysiotherapy sessions, befriending volunteers who organize socialand recreational activities, outings, and art and craft sessions.
Through his camera, Raymond Chua captured the daily activitiesand care given to these residents.
Photo Essay
15
Impression of a home for the disabledImpression of a home for the disabled
Shooting With Available Lights
16
Shooting With Available LightsText and Photos by Koh Beng Chye
Picture 3 and 4When shooting night scene,photographers usually useslong exposures to createlong traffic trails fromheadlights of cars and thestreet decorations (left).Another way of shooting is touse short exposure with starfilter to create a sparklingshot (right).
Photography is about painting with light. Without lightings, there will be no photos. Therefore, the study of lighting behavioris as important as photographic techniques. A good practice is shooting in available lights.
Picture 1 (left)An indoor shot with natural lights comingthrough the window creates a greatpicture. The frame of the window createsa depth between the outdoor and thewindow. Placing the face of the modelsideways contour the model faces andcreates a better depth.
Picture 2 (right)When the sun is high over head, lighting maybe too harsh of many photographers. If you areobservant enough, you can find lots of niceshadow on the ground and on buildings, etc.With green grass, the colour is smoothing withpatterns of the palm tree.
Picture 7With two LED torch lights, you can createa nice spot lights for small objects. It alsogives a natural day-light tone.
Picture 5 and 6Without blue sky, there are still opportunities to get great landscape photos. When thesun is low, you can get good warm toned photos from the setting sun. A little longerwait, the same scene transform into great silhouettes.
Learn a Trick
Learn a Trick
17
Photographing Snow andother high key subjectsPhotographing Snow andother high key subjects
Photos by Guek Peng Siong, Text by Victor Chick
Photographing high key subjects like snow scene needs extraattention in exposure. First thing to remember is that your camera’smetering measures everything as middle grey (18% reflectance).When you frame your view with white, the camera gives you a middlegrey, thus your photo turns out a “dirty grey snow” (as in picture 1Below).
There are details on the snow, butit lacks the brightness youexperienced in the actual scene.
With editing softwares, it is easy tocorrect the fault simply by usingauto level or brightness/contrastadjustment. However, withoutcorrect exposure, auto level maycause a slight color shift.
Just like shooting in color slides(positive film), an over-exposure ofabout 1/3 to 1/2 stop shouldovercome the problem (topright). It will also give a correctexposure to other elements in thepicture, especially the face of anyhuman subject.
For compact camera users, there are two options. In “Scene” mode,select the “Beach/Snow” mode. This mode will favor some over-exposure. But be careful. Check the histogram to ensure that there isno excess washout highlights. (Too much over-exposure causes thebrightest area in the scene to be recorded as pure white, withoutany details.)
If this happen, you may want to consider using thesecond option, if available on your compacts: exposurecompensation. You are free to select how much over-expose youwant, normally in 1/3 stop increments. You will need to check theexposure on the display if the exposure if just right. However, you
must take note that theLCD display screen onthe camera may notgive you the mostaccurate display. Somecomparison betweenactual print-out andresult against screendisplay must be donebeforehand.
You can now havebetter controls on theexposure. This feature ismore helpful if thescene is split 50/50 withhigh key and low keysubjects (right).
With a +1/3 stop exposure compensation, the snow will look brighter.
A normal exposure in the Landscape mode gives an average exposure with details in the highlight area.
Snow does not look as bright as it should be when thecamera metered it at 18% grey.
If the scene framed is 50/50, anormal exposure is good enough. (onleft and right)
User Review
18
OUTLOOKA nice handy entry levelcamera, this is an“upgraded” version of theD40, which was released justa few months earlier. Puttingthe two side-by-sides, it
seems to have no physical difference. The major change insidethe new body is a 10 mega-pixels CCD sensor, replacing the 6mega-pixels. ISO rating can now go to a low of 100; and incontinuous drive mode, the camera fires off at 3 frames per sec(fps), slightly faster than the 2.5 fps in the predecessor.
The rest of the review of D40X should be appreciable to the D40..
The large 2.5" LCD monitor not only used to playback images,but also doubles as information display panel which is usuallyanother panel on top of the camera, one way of making thecamera body smaller.
FOR BEGINNERSSo user friendly is this camera, youcan leave the manuals at homeand yet you have the “instructor”with you all the time. The built-in“Help menu” is literary at your fingertip: press the “?” button. Most of thekey functions are explained in brief
anytime anywhere. As many of my course students hadmentioned they do not know how and when to use many of thefeatures on their cameras, this help button will sure help thosewho want to explore their equipment.
Forever confused with “big aperture number means small apertureopening”? No more confusion on the D40X. The camerainformation displayed in graphics on the LCD monitor will showclearly the “size” of the aperture as you turn the dials. Amazing!
If you are sick of going through all the folders in the Menu to finda setting to change, this camera saves you the trouble. Press the“i” button brings you to all shooting related settings which youcan select and change.
There are 8 Digital Vari-Program modes, similar to those compactcameras function, for different shooting situation. The “Child” and“Auto (flash off)” modes are new features worth trying out.
“Child” mode pays attention to color balance to ensure naturalskin tones against vividly rendered clothing and backgrounddetails. In “Auto (Flash off)” mode, as the name implied, the built-in flash will be switch off for available-light photography or whenuse of flash is prohibited.
The other modes are auto, sports, portrait, close-up, landscapeand night portrait.
FOR THE MORE SERIOUSAmateur photographers who wantmore control of the shootingexperience can opt to use the P/S/A/M, or Program, Shutter Priority,Aperture Priority and Manual,selections. In these modes, you alsohave controls over white balance,ISO, shooting mode and exposurecompensation.
Other features and controls are 3 focus areas with 3 different focusingmodes, 3 frames per second in continuous shooting, and TTL exposuremetering in 3 modes, all that are found on any professional dSLRs.
Add more fun to your regular photography, the D40X allows in-camera image editing in the Retouch Menu. Seven effects forvarious purposes are available. D-lighting is used for correctingexposure errors especially back-lighted subjects. Red-eyecorrection for correcting the red-eye effect caused by flash. Filtereffects allows adjustment to color balance and cast. You canalso convert your photos to monochromatic effects like black-and-white or sepia tones. You can crop your pictures or down-size them for web use. If you shoot inRAW format, there is a Image Overlyoption to create a double-exposedimage. All the new images createdare saved separately in the memorycard, leaving the original intact.
IN A NUTSHELLA truly “small, compact, portablecamera designed to enhance theentire camera experience, withevery feature, button and menuworking together for a smooth,seamless performance” entry levelcamera for beginners. Easy to use,with built-in help guide, full dSLRfeatures and purpose made vari-program.
A quick look at thenew D40XA quick look at thenew D40X Text and Photos by Victor Chick
