Top 10 Photos of 2016

2016 was another good year for photography with a number of great shots to choose from. 70% of my photos in the top 10 were taken with my iphone 5s as I made the transition from carrying around my bulky DSLR to using the convenience of the iphone. The iphone camera produces best results outdoors in the natural light and a few of my top 10 were taken in those precise conditions.

#10

We stayed at Laman Sentosa Boutique Hotel Kuantan in October and had a great time there. The children went for a dip in the pool and I naturally looked for photograph opportunities. The abstract image I came up with is a view of falling water. There was a little waterfall at the pool so I walked behind it, took some videos and pictures, and was delighted to come up with this highly artistic shot! (iphone)

#9

I love being at the beach. Sometimes it is a simple image that can endure long in the memory, like this birds eye view of seashells taken at Batu Hitam, Kuantan. (DSLR)

#8

It was indoors with artificial lighting, which is not my preference for good iphone photography, but it is the content and not the quality that gets this one into the Top 10. My wife and her four sisters are the subject for this shot that I captured crouching down and to the right of centre. Sometimes a change from the regular angle makes a difference. We were in Kuching attending our cousin's wedding on this occasion. (iphone)

#7

Welcome to Pavilion shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! As you can see from this viewpoint I shot, it was all decked out in lavish Christmas decorative elements when we went there in December 2016. The two-tier carousel was provided by Swarovski and contained a world-first 3 million crystals, embedded in the floor, horses and everywhere. We queued for a long time and were grateful that we did because it was a great ride! (DSLR)

#6

One of my favourite photos of the year! My two girls with their favourite aunty. Aunty Urai determined to do a photoshoot with them before she went back to Kuching, and we took a load of really lovely photos. For some reason, I am drawn to this one above the others. I just think it's very cute! (iphone)

#5

The only tussle with in-flight photography is ensuring the camera focuses on the outside landscape and not on the plane window. Once it does that properly, you are good to shoot some fantastic images. This picture is part of the Kuala Lumpur landscape just minutes after take-off from KLIA during our short hop back to Kuantan. (iphone)

#4

I love this atmospheric shot which is full of texture. It takes me right back to the moment it was shot! There was a storm brewing up and the humid heat had turned into a cooler breeze with spots of rain. I like the fact that there are people walking on the beach, sandwiched in between the fierce storm clouds and the plants in the foreground. I literally spent about 10 minutes out on the beach snapping photos of the weather system before I had to take cover. (iphone)

#3

The sunrise on our 6:30am flight from Kuantan to KLIA. It is thrilling watching the sunrise and sunset on an airplane. You get a whole different view to the one from the ground. On this particular morning, there was a splendid mixture of grey, silver and white wispy clouds punctured by the blazing yellows, oranges and reds of the rising sun. It was just a 30-minute hop but I spent near enough the whole half hour snapping pictures out the window. (iphone)

#2

This lady has featured prominently in almost all of my yearly Top 10 photos. It's easy to see why. Florina is a natural model and the camera loves her. More perfect settings at the beach half an hour down the road from Kuantan. Storm clouds beginning to whip up, lots of natural light, and slightly cooler-than-usual temperatures. Florina and I wanted to make the most of these favourable conditions and I took a couple of dozen pictures and videos in a 10-minute spell. There were a lot of good results but this one was as close to perfect as I have ever taken with my iphone. Thanks to my sister Florina for her flash and eager modelling skills! (iphone)

#1

So my top photo of 2016 is this magnificent family photo (Malaysian side) we took at the Riverside Majestic Hotel in Kuching near the end of 2016. Since we all live in various parts of Malaysia, it is always a highlight when we are all together once or twice a year. We had booked 3 rooms to accommodate us all, but upon check-in, we learned that the hotel had overbooked and didn't have enough rooms for us all, so out of the goodness of their hearts, they gave us the one and only PENTHOUSE in the entire hotel! You can imagine, we ran around in a state of joyful panic exploring every inch of the two-floor suite we were given! Taking a family photo in the grand living room was at the top of our list and this was taken right before we attended the wedding ceremony of our cousin. It is not the sharpest due to the low light, but it sure is our overwhelming favourite!

That's a wrap for 2016. Looking forward for more photography adventures in 2017!

Night Lights

Driving home one night I picked up the camera and started shooting images through the front windscreen. (My wife was driving!) I set the shutter speed to two seconds and wiggled the camera around in circular shapes while shooting.

And here is "Shutter Wiggle #1":

Jalan Dato' Lim Hoe Lek, Kuantan. Car headlights and tail lights appear in circles while the blue and green in the background is The Zenith Hotel and Menara Zenith

What do you think to this style? Different and interesting? Silly and boring? It has a nice abstract quality to it. I'm making a very popular and ordinary place appear in a very abstract and unique fashion.

Let's hope I can replicate this technique in other photos!

A great image on the internet!

So I'm doing my usual visiting of my favourite blogs on my blogroll and I came across this magnificent piece of art by Leovi, who was a guest blogger here last week. This is so good that I have to share it with you! Follow this direct link:

Leovi's amazing abstract image!

I'm always amazed by the quality of Leovi's work. I'm a big fan and hope you appreciate it too. If you missed his guest post here on my blog, it is well worth you clicking right here!

Wishing you a happy and joyful day wherever in the world you are!

An Abstract Mind - A Guest Post with Leovi

I don't remember the exact moment I first discovered Leovi's blog. I think it was when I was going through an abstract photography fever of my own and I googled "abstract photography" to find out some more ideas.

Leovi is one talented guy who posts his fantastic work at his abstract photography blog, and I'm delighted that he's accepted the invitation to share some of his work on my blog today. His is one of the blogs I go to visit every single day. These are not return visits, they are visits simply because I love his work and seeing what he has come up with.

So let me introduce you to Leovi, he'll fill you in on some interesting stuff on how he became a master abstract photographer, and share some special images of an Asian flavour which he has intriguingly created . . . . .

"First I want to thank you Duncan for your hospitality and invitation to post on your blog. I want to pay tribute to Malaysia with these pictures.

Hantu Air (Espiritu del Agua - Water Spirit)1

As a child I wanted to be a footballer and collected the trading cards of players.  I knew all their names and statistics. 

After I had learned them all, I invented a new game. The game was to look at the border around the edge and try to guess the name of the player according to the tones of the sky in the photo. There were over 400 cards in my collection (at the time the photography was analogue).  I found that not even one of the skies was the same. I spent days trying to guess the names by just looking at a piece of heaven. I think subconsciously that learning how to see the difference in the colour helped me a lot.

Hantu Air (Espiritu del Agua - Water Spirit)2

As a teenager I loved playing with a flashlight, projecting light onto the ceiling. I would cover the light beam partially with my fingers and create light, shadow and movement. At the same time I was listening to music and trying to create music-related images. With Sierra symphonic or progressive rock ie: Pink Floid, Yes, Camel, Genesis... the rate of movement and form was more leisurely. If I listened to hard rock ie: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Ramones ... The speed of the images increased. 

Hantu Air (Espiritu del Agua - Water Spirit)3

With this experience, I created abstract images that were very suggestive. They woke up my imagination. Since I didn't know English, I created images and stories not related to the subject of songs. This didn't happen when I used Spanish songs.  I felt closed and it did not work.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Later, I started adding layers of painting and drawing.  I would gradually increase the intensity of an area (I was listening to the music of Alan Parsons, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream ....). Listening to music helped me feel the change of color tones according to the intensity of light. For me this was just fun. But at one point I wanted to make representational work. I tried painting, but I wasn't trained in ​​painting and it was a disaster.

Hari Wesak

Eventually after purchasing a SLR camera I discovered that my imagery was based on light and the only way of painting with light was through photography. Simultaneously, I had a passion for the paintings of Van Gogh and his freedom working with colour. Thus, I began my adventures with art and the documentation of my early works in 1987. My art studies are minimal. I haven't been in many competitions or contests, since they ask for a Curriculum Vitae.

Thaipusam 1

The biggest challenge in the beginning was technical. It took a while for me to find the right type of film and lighting for my needs. At the time we only had analogue and my resources were very limited. I could not afford to have a laboratory, so I got used to creating the image before shooting. I learned to enjoy creating the scene before shooting, and I think that influenced my creativity and my photography.  I have a way of working and an approach to the art sessions. Each time I take the camera is a challenge.

Thaipusam 2

My dream is to have my style recognized when it is viewed by others. I have and want a personal style. Light inspires me.  The light in a restaurant, at a friend’s house, walking in the street ... This makes it easy for me to make photographs. It is also easy for me to disconnect and go some place else in my mind.

Thaipusam 3

The privilege of seeing and feeling things, capturing a moment in time. I see more beauty than is represented. I think that happens to everyone. But capturing that moment is very exciting and unique. The inspiration comes first, and then the question of how to represent them, often I am not successful. Ultimately, I try to capture a moment in time."

Thank you Leovi, that was a really interesting post on your early life and interests, and how you became what you are today! I think it's safe to say that your style is clearly recognized as Leovi's! Great stuff!

Don't miss out on a visit to 

Leovi's Abstract Photography Blog. 

You will not be disappointed!

What was your favourite image?

   

Blog Hopping

During a spare hour this afternoon while my oldest daughter was colouring, my youngest daughter was sleeping, and my wife chatting with her sisters on Whatsapp, I had a hop around the blog world, to check in on what my friends are up to today. I enjoyed seeing the variety of different friends I have and posts they displayed. Here's a run-down of what people are up to today:

FOOD

First up is Mary's food. Mary has a plethora of tasty recipes just waiting to be discovered!

PHOTOGRAPHY

My friend Doug takes some wonderful photos with well-explained captions, like this one:

TRAVEL

Follow Travelling Hawk as she takes you on a journey of Japan

EXPAT LIFE

My fellow-countryman, John, and I, really enjoy the Malaysian sun. Here he is in Johor Bharu:

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lotta from Sweden takes lovely photographs of the Swedish countryside

WRITING

Rosalind and I are both from Leicester, England. She's a really good writer. Today she wrote a reminiscing piece about a teddy bear and her grown-up daughter

HEALTH & LIVING

Andrea is busy tending her garden:

ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHY

Leovi is sharing more of his mouthwatering images

Hope you enjoyed that little blog hop around America, Europe and Asia. If you have a few minutes, go and pay a visit to any of these people who catch your interest. I'm sure they'd appreciate your visit!

Have a great day!

Abstract Samples

The last several days I've been experimenting with abstract photography once more. It seems to be a very rewarding field.

Yesterday the Australian Open began in Melbourne too, and I enjoyed watching Roger Federer progress from the first round. He's so smooth and professional. Australians will be sad to see home favourite Sam Stosur eliminated just an hour ago in the first round. That was a real surprise.

Today I'm sharing some of my recent abstract photography work. Tell me if you like it . . .

Have a great day. I'm pleased to announce that the sun has returned and the rains disappeared in Kuantan. That makes me happy!

Top Ten Photos of 2011

Hello and welcome to Kuantan for my top ten photos of the year review. You may remember some of them from earlier posts. I had around 30 pictures, all of which could have featured in the top ten, but after much consideration, these are the best of the best.

10. At number ten is a hanging bridge over Lembing River, in the quiet town of Sungai Lembing. My wife, Lauren, and a friend stand midway down the bridge.

9. In at nine is this hot photo from Bukit Sekilau. Children stand in front of the raging fire as the fire crew make their way to the scene.

8. In eighth position is this lovely perspective picture of a road bridge in Singapore overlooking Marina Bay.

7. At seven is this picture of Lauren and her aunty Urai surrounded by sun, sea and sand at Damai beach, near Kuching.

6. This abstract image makes sixth spot. A torchlight shines down on a diamond to create this light show on the wall.

5. From the 18th floor of Park Seven condo, I captured the raindrops on the window, with the iconic Twin Towers in the background.

4. In fourth slot is this lovely yellow flower. It wasn't until I reviewed the image later that I noticed one bug homing in on another sitting on the flower.

3. In third place is this fascinating image of 'the smiling gecko'. After spending half an hour getting him out of the kitchen, we got him to the balcony on a Cornflakes box, where he smiled for a photo!

2. Second prize goes to these two flies on an orchid branch, copulating fully oblivious to my lens. I held a piece of white paper behind them for focusing purposes, whilst snapping the picture with the other hand.

1. My best picture of 2011 is undoubtedly this night scene of Marina Bay, Singapore, from the wobbly Helix bridge. It was dark, I was tired, the suspension bridge was bobbing up and down, but the picture came out crystal clear.

Which photo did you like the best? Would you have chosen a different number one?!

Top Posts of 2011 - Part 2

Today we are having a walk down memory lane from May - August 2011, looking over some of my favourite blog posts of the year.

1. In May 2011 Fidelia and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, and on my blog I posted some of our pictures from our marriage in 2006.

2. Also in May, I had a fascinating delve into abstract photography which yielded some really intriguing results, like this picture below:

I indulged myself in a second round of abstractism with images such as this:

3. On 15th June, 2011, our second daughter, Leah, was born. Here is the blog post containing some of the very first pictures of Leah 

4. In July 2011, I had a great time photographing Kuantan old town and sharing the pictures here on my blog. These historical buildings are still standing and are in business today. It was great to see the sights and sounds and smells there.

5. In August 2011 I made a short trip to the splendid Singapore. It is guaranteed that I'll always return with a treasure trove of photos from this fabulous city-island. Four blog posts about Singapore were barely enough to do my trip justice!

Raffles Place

The Fullerton Hotel

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay at night

The final part tomorrow will include January - April 2011.