CK Photography

Singapore’s Chinatown At Dusk – Re-shooting An Old Shot

Posted on January 19, 2012 by ckng

Many years ago, I took a photo of Chinatown from the Chinatown Food Centre at Smith Street on my Nikon Coolpix 950. It was a long exposure shot showing the “food street” along Smith Street as well as the iconic 3-storey shophouse in Chinatown. It was close to the Lunar New Year, and a night market has been setup. People were walking through the streets, looking for new year bargains and goodies, and the long exposure rendered them as a blur trail. The few people who happened to stand still during the exposure remained still in the shot, contrasting against the river of moving people.

Chinatown at Dusk, 2002

It was one of my favorite shots, but it was “only two megapixels” although it made a nice 8×10″ print which I used to show many people what a measly 2-megapixels is capable of.

I had always wanted to go back there and reshoot the scene using modern day equipment and also get a higher resolution file, but always put it off as I don’t quite enjoy bashing through the crowd.

Recently, Kit, YS, David and I went for a short walkabout in Chinatown one afternoon and we went to the upper floors of Block 353B above the food centre for some aerial shots of the place and I kind of like the view.

Chinatown from the above.

Still wanting to replicate my 2002 shot, I bashed through the crowd one weekday evening after work. Before that, I thought I wanted a evening shot of the above before the sky goes black. So up I went to Block 335B, put my Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom on the parapet wall, mounted my Panasonic LX-3 on it and took a shot.

Modern skyscrapers of the city forms a contrasting backdrop against the conserved old shophouses of Singapore's Chinatown at dusk.

Happy with the shot, I tried to go back to the location where I took the 2002 shot. Alas, 2 trees have now been planted in front of that viewpoint, so it’s no longer possible to get a proper shot. A white tentage has also been setup along Smith Street (you can see it in the photo above.) Worse, a bright spotlight is also erected which essentially ruins the shot.

I was disappointed I couldn’t replicate my earlier shot anymore, but the consolation is that I now have a new angle of the place, which I also like.

To all the chinese out there, here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!

Posted in Photography | Tagged chinatown, dusk, heritagae, Singapore, smith street | Leave a comment

Dawn of a New Day

Posted on January 1, 2012 by ckng

On this brand new day of this brand new year 2012, David, Kit and I, along with several ClubSnappers went for a morning shoot. We went to the waterfront in front of the Artscience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands to shoot the Singapore Skyline. I usually prefer the view over from the Esplanade Theatre but went along to try out a different angle.

David and I arrived at about 6am and noticed that there were some interesting cloud formations. They were rapidly changing and we took many shoots, here’s one. I am still puzzled why the reflections were skewed the way it is.

Interesting cloud formations behind the Singapore Skyline before daybreak.

Soon it’s daybreak and we start to see some blue in the sky.

Singapore Skyline at daybreak

And before long the sun started to rise and some pink hues appeared in the sky just like what I saw in a previous shoot from the Esplanade outdoor theatre. However, they weren’t as pronounced as before, so the shot below has been slightly enhanced.

Pink hues appear in the sky as the day breaks at the Singapore Skyline

I had originally hoped to do a “first sunrise of 2012″ kind of shoot on this trip but it was not to be. Shortly after the shot above was taken, the sky remained cloudy. This time round, we did not manage to get shots of the skyline lit by the golden rays of the sun, it remained drab and gray.

Kit gave a short briefing to the group on some basic architectural photography tips before we adjourned for breakfast. Along the way, we noticed a lot of people standing around the Helix Bridge looking towards the Marina Bay Sands. Looks like there is some event going on. We waited around a bit, and realised that there were some BASE jumpers getting ready to jump off the Marina Bay Sands Skypark. This was an event organised by the Marina Bay Sands where 7 professional BASE jumpers launch off the Skypark, parachuting down on Bayfront bridge.

Gin Pak kindly lent me his 75-300VR lens to shoot them. However, in the excitement I forgot I was still on ISO 100 and didn’t get a fast enough shutter speed to get sharp pics of the jumpers. Here are some of the better shots.

A base jumper parachutes off the Marina Bay Sands Skypark.

A base jumper jumps off a platform at the Marina Bay Sands Skypark

Another base jumper parachuting down the Marina Bay Sands.

That’s all for now. Here’s to a great year ahead!

Posted in Photography | Tagged 2011, 2012, base jumping, Dawn, daybreak, marina bay, marina bay sands, mbs, new year, Singapore, skyline, sunrise | Leave a comment

2011 – Year In Photos

Posted on December 31, 2011 by ckng

As 2011 draws to a close, I thought I’d share some of my favourite photos from 2011. So here goes.

Western Australia Trip

I went for a short trip to Perth, Western Australia with my friend Clarence where we enjoyed ourselves a lot. It was also fun to catch up with our respective friends and making new ones in the process.

Perth Skyline At Dusk

One of the rocks silhouetted against the sun at the Pinnacles National Park, Western Australia

The sun sets behind the Sugarloaf Rock Formation in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, WA. This is a HDR image of 9 shots, tone-mapped using Photomatix.

Lightkeeper's Cottage, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

General Elections 2011

2011 is the year which we have 2 elections — the General Elections as well as the Presidential Elections. I had the opportunity to shoot a couple of the election rallies and it was quite an experience to be there. The election rallies of the opposition parties drew large crowds, and this one by the National Solidarity Party is of no exception. Nicole Seah was a hot favourite.

The crowd cheers when Nicole Seah finally gives her speech.

24-year old NSP candidate Nicole Seah giving her speech at the NSP Rally @ Tampines Stadium on 4 May 2011. Her appearance garnered loud cheers from the crowd who had waited patiently for her to show up.

An ardent NSP/Nicole Seah fan proudly holds up a placard with a marriage proposal to her. In her speech, she thanked him for the proposal and said that she's already married... to the NSP.

KTM Railway

2011 sees the return of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway land to Malaysia. It triggered a lot of public interest in preserving the Rail Corridor left behind when it’s returned to Malaysia, and the final closure of the Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah railway stations. On the night of 30 Jun 2011, the last train finally left Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Gilbert, David and I covered the last few weeks of operation.

Daybreak at Bay East Gardens

Posted on December 1, 2011 by ckng

Situated near Tanjong Rhu, the Bay East Gardens is part of the massive Gardens By the Bay project which is dubbed the “Garden In the City” by the Singapore Government. As part of the 2010 Youth Olympics, an interim garden was developed on Bay East and it’s fronted by a 2km promenade which faces the conservatories of the Gardens By the Bay, super trees, Marina Bay Sands and the rest of the Marina Bay Skyline.

The idea of getting to this location started with these shots of the skyline which Jed has found on Flickr. We spent quite some time on Google Maps locating the possible vantage points and decided finally to just go for it.

On the day of the shoot, Jed, Gilbert and myself met at City Hall MRT and took a cab down to the location. We do not know the exact location so we told the taxi driver the rough location of where we want to get to. To our pleasant surprise, he knew where we are talking about and promptly took us there.

On arrival, we were glad that it’s not undeveloped land which the outdated Google Map’s satellite view showed us. That’s when we also learnt that the location is named the Bay East Gardens.

We promptly setup our equipment and began our shoot as dawn breaks. There is no time to waste! Unfortunately, just as we got our equipment ready, the lights of the Singapore Flyer turned off right at that moment.

Marina Bay Skyline at Dawn as seen from the Bay East Gardens.

It’s quite a wide scene and I am unable to squeeze it into one frame even though I am using a pretty wide 12-24mm on my Nikon D200 (18-36mm 35mm equivalent.) Time for a panoramic shot. The following is stitched from 8 individual shots. I had to work quickly as the dawn is also breaking quickly. By the time I reached the right side of the scene, it was quite a bit brighter than when I started. The exposures were matched during post processing.

Panoramic shot of the Marina Bay Skyline from the Bay East Gardens. Click on the photo for a bigger version.

Soon enough, the sun rose and cast the wonderful golden glow on the buildings. Not having a ND filter, I used the multiple-exposure technique I learnt last week to smooth out the ripples. Annoyingly, speedboats have also started to race across the bay, disturbing the otherwise quiet waters. We had to wait a bit for the water to calm down before making our shots.

The Marina Bay Skyline bathed in the warm golden rays of the morning sun.

And once again, a panoramic stitch. Each individual shot is actually made up of 10 merged multi-exposures.

Panoramic shot of the Marina Bay Skyline bathed in the warm, golden light from the morning sun.

I’m glad that I battled sleepiness in the god-forsaken hours to make the trip down. It’s sure worth it, and it’s a new viewpoint that we can come back to in future.

Posted in Photography | Tagged bay east, Dawn, daybreak, gardens by the bay, marina bay, marina bay sands, mbs, Singapore, singapore flyer, skyline | Leave a comment

Capitol Theatre Revisited – Part 2

Posted on November 29, 2011 by ckng

This is a continuation of our visit to explore the innards of the Capitol Theatre of Singapore. You can read the first part of the writeup here.

On one of the visits we decided to venture backstage, which was accessible via a door from the outside of the building. Nothing much to see here, apart from some scaffolding and supports.

At the back of the stage.

Venturing upstairs, we arrive at the control room. Lots of switches, wheels and stuff which probably control the lights and curtains. Being a very old theatre, a lot of the equipment is manually operated.

The control room of Capitol Theatre.

Close-up of one of the control panels, showing an array of old-school switches. These probably controlled the stage lighting.

Another control panel, with circuit breakers and power sockets. Some of the equipment appears to have been removed.

Taking the stairs all the way up leads us to a corridor facing the back of the stage. From here, we can see the hoisting equipment, cables, and other gear for controlling curtains and other stage gear.

A narrow corridor facing the backstage. The open door leads to an open rooftop area.

View of the backstage from the top.

Old wall facing the backstage.

An old wooden door which leads to the rooftop area outside.

After this trip, we tried to gain access to the theatre again. However, this time there’s a security guard who chased us out and we were unable to continue shooting. There were also another group of photographers doing model shoots inside.

By this time, some of the chairs have been removed as are most all the wall panels. It’s sad to see it in such a state which is worse off than when I first discovered the theatre.

Outside the theatre, we did a stitched shot of the building. The one below is made up of 22 individual shots and stitched in Photoshop.

A 22-shot panorama shot of the side of Capitol Theatre. The wide-angle lens used as well as the proximity to the building has caused some fisheye-like distortion after stitching.

Nearby, demolition works has begun on the Capitol Centre, which once housed private schools and a Gramophone CD shop which I used to frequent. It was also once the home of the Design Centre.

The Capitol Centre next to the Capitol Building/Theatre being demolished to make way for new developments. This was shot "blnd' through an opening in the safety net.

Leaving the location, I hope that whatever work is done to restore it can bring it back to its former glory.

Posted in Photography | Tagged Capitol Theatre, cinemas, heritage, Singapore, theatres | 1 Comment

Capitol Theatre Revisited – Part 1

Posted on November 28, 2011 by ckng

After I chanced upon the interior of the Capitol Theatre sometime ago, I decided to revisit it to see if I can get more shots of the interior. This time round, I got Gilbert and Boon Hwee along and we visited it another 3-4 times, each time covering a different section of what was the grand dame of theatres in Singapore.

The auditorium is fairly large, and like most theatres, it’s split into 2 levels – stall and circle seats. The stage is flanked by 2 side panels with maidens riding a flying horse.

The left side of the stall seats with the statue of a pair of maidens on winged horses in the background.

Close up of the statue of a pair of maidens on winged horses (Pegasus?)

Partly due to age and partly due to all the works going on in the interior, the bottom of the statue and the wall near it are actually in a bad state.

The wall on the side entrance to the right of the stage is in a state of disrepair.

Despite being disused and dilapidated now, I can imagine that it must have been a very grand place back in its heyday. There’s also a domed roof at the top, with mosaics of the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

Interestingly, although I heard that the theatre was air-conditions, many ceiling and wall fans can be found throughout the theatre.

The dome roof of the Capitol Theatre featuring the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

Dress Circle

The dress circle is upstairs, accessible by a short flight of stairs. Unfortunately, I did not have a good shot from inside except for the dome shown above. Gilbert however, has a great shot of the view from the circle seats.

Here are some photos taken outside the dress circle.

The stairway leading to the dress circle section of Capitol Theatre.

The stairway leading to the dress circle section of Capitol Theatre.

Entrance to the dress circle section.

Old and stained posters notifying patrons about the legal age to watch R(A) movies.

Stairs leading to the Gents and exit via an external staircase.

Another staircase leading to the exit.

It’s been a very eye-opening peak into the interior of this majestic theatre. I hope that the works which are being done now will be able to restore it to its former glory and once again make it a grand dame.

Continue reading the next post, where we explore the backstage.

Posted in Photography | Tagged Capitol Theatre, cinemas, heritage, Singapore, theatres | 1 Comment

Moonrise Over Supreme Court

Posted on November 24, 2011 by ckng

Ok, not quite moonrise, but I was kind of surprised to still see the moon at 10:05am. Against the blue skies (rare in Singapore), it makes a good backdrop for the dome of the old Supreme Court of Singapore.

A barely-visible moon behind the dome of the old Supreme Court of Singapore

Posted in Photography | Tagged moon, moonrise, Singapore, supreme court | Leave a comment

Slow Shutter Techniques

Posted on November 24, 2011 by ckng

We all know that we can use a Neutral Density (ND) filter to slow down the shutter speeds to get really smooth water when shooting waterfalls, or to smooth out the ripples on the water surface, something like this:-

Singapore Skyline shot through a 10-stop ND filter. The long exposure helps to smooth out the ripply water surface.

During our recent morning shoot, Jed taught us another technique we can use. This involves taking multiple shots of the scene and merging them together. Thankfully this can be done in-camera on my Nikon D200. All’s needed is to go into the menu, enable the Multiple Exposure mode, set Auto Gain to On and set the number of exposures desired. Ten is the maximum we can go. Auto Gain will automatically compensate the exposures for the 10 shots so that it’ll still be correct when merged.

The results are slightly different. The Multiple Exposure method smooths out the water as well, but also retains a bit of the ripples, giving a little more natural look.

Singapore Skyline after sunrise. 10 stacked exposures to smooth out the ripples on the water surface.

For comparison, this is a shot (from another shoot) without any ND filters or Multiple Exposures.

Singapore Skyline without ND filter or multiple exposures.

So the next time you need a slow shutter speed and do not have a ND filter handy, remember this trick.

Posted in Photography | Tagged multiple exposure, nd, neutral density, Singapore, Singapore Skyline, slow shutter, tips | 1 Comment

Singapore Skyline At Dawn

Posted on November 23, 2011 by ckng

I am never quite a early morning person, but my friend Jed who came over to visit wanted to do a nice skyline shot after I showed him what I got earlier this year. From past experience, the best time to get a good skyline shot with near-perfect reflections is in the early morning. Besides, it’s the monsoon season again, and it’s been raining in the late afternoons for the past few days, ruining the chances of a good evening shot. So Jed, Boon Hwee and myself decided to head over to the outdoor theatre at the Esplanade to get shots of the Singapore Skyline last Saturday morning.

I took my first shot at 6:13am. The water is reasonably still on this day, giving the nice reflections that we were after.

Singapore Skyline before the break of dawn

Soon came first light and dawn starts to break. From this moment on, the light is changing very rapidly. Not wanting to miss the action over at the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, I setup my second camera, a Panasonic LX3 on a Joby Gorillapod Original clamped to the cable supporting the roof of the outdoor theatre, as I had done on previous shoots. The last time I shot it, it’s still partially under construction but today, it’s finally completed.

Marina Bay Sands At Dawn, shot using a Panasonic LX3 on a Gorillapod.

Just for kicks and to see how well the much touted iPhone 4S would perform as a camera, I took a handheld shot of the same scene on it. I gotta say I am pretty impressed.

Marina Bay Sands at dawn, shot using an iPhone 4S handheld.

Yes, the Panasonic had richer colours, but I think overall it performed darn well. Part of the loss of colours might be due to the iPhone doing auto white balancing, which tends to flatten subtle colours slightly.

As the sun begins to rise, we started to notice pink streaks of clouds appearing in the sky. The scene before us is a sight to behold. Plus, despite the fact that the Merlion has begun to sprout water now, the water surface has remained very still. I guess the effects of the Merlion’s water will take a while to get to this side of the bay.

This is my best shot of the Singapore Skyline to date. Waking up in the morning and making the trip down has been worth it.

Streaks of pink clouds appear in the sky as the day breaks over the Singapore Skyline.

Posted in Photography | Tagged Dawn, marina bay sands, Singapore, Singapore Skyline, sunrise, Twilight | 4 Comments

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Water Wheel

Posted on October 16, 2011 by ckng

The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was built in 1895 to safely guide ships traveling to Australia’s eastern ports. It’s situated at the most southerly point of Australia at Cape Leeuwin, and marks the point where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. Unfortunately on the day when Clarence and myself visited it during our trip to Western Australia a few months ago, the lighthouse was closed for maintenance so we can only explore the surroundings. A short path flanked by the lighthouse keepers’ sheds lead us to the lighthouse from the ticket counter.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Sheds

View of the light keepers' sheds from the lighthouse side.

One of the light keepers’ sheds is in the form of a lovely cottage-styled house. HDR imaging was employed here as the overcast sky was giving a rather large contrast range which was not possible to properly capture as a single frame.

Lightkeeper Cottage

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

You probably can’t tell from the photo but this is apparently the point where the Indian and Southern oceans meet. Click on the photo to view a larger version.

Panoramic shot of the point where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

Close by to the lighthouse is an old water wheel. Originally built in 1895 to bring fresh spring water to the light keepers, it eventually became disused. Over time, it was encrusted in a coating of limestone, “freezing” it in rock and time. Again, HDR imaging was used here to manage the high level of contrast in the scene.

Old Water Wheel near the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.

Another view of the old water wheel near the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, showing the Indian/Southern Oceans in the background.

Posted in Photography | Tagged cape leeuwin, HDR, lighthouse, water wheel, western australia | Leave a comment

Singapore’s Chinatown At Dusk – Re-shooting An Old Shot

Dawn of a New Day

2011 – Year In Photos

Daybreak at Bay East Gardens

Capitol Theatre Revisited – Part 2

Capitol Theatre Revisited – Part 1

Moonrise Over Supreme Court

Slow Shutter Techniques

Singapore Skyline At Dawn

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Water Wheel

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Links

Blogroll