Messing around with my photos

So when I am bored, I do what every one my generation (and younger) does and surf the internet. It's so easy to find out and learn new things nowadays when information is just a Google away. Lately I've been reading up on post-processing techniques for photographs, and all the interesting things that can be done in Photoshop. There are lots of easy tutorials out there with step by step instructions.

Here's some of my work... You should be able to click on the pictures to see the larger version. The original photos were taken using my Ixus on a pretty cloudy day. Post processing wise, I just tweaked it slightly using Photoshop's "auto levels". It change too much from the off-camera original, so I didn't bother showing those.

For the first set below, you can see from the original on the left that the colours are still pretty washed out. What I did was to adjust the colour levels and apply a mask so that the colours on the statues in the middle "pops out", without affecting the background.


The lomo effect is pretty popular nowadays. I think the iphone has an app that automatically makes your shots look like it was taken with a lomo camera, but I found an easy tutorial online that allows me to tweak my normal looking photos. I quite like the final product on the right below! It looks quite suitable for this particular shot. Definitely a lot more dramatic looking.


The last set shows a few special effects combined together. Here's the dull looking original:


... and here are the 2 edited photos. First I added a reflection in. (Yes I know the photo's not the best for making reflections of, but I didn't have a better one handy) I would have liked to make the ripples more spaced out, but there seemed to be some limitations using this particular method.

For the one on the left, I added in a graduated blue sky. Actually it could have been done better, but I was too lazy to redo it. For the one on the right, I made it into a lomo picture after doing the reflection.


Which version do you think looks better?

Frivolous Stuff: My Kelly Moore bag!

I love my new Kelly Moore bag!

A friend of mine posted a link to it on Facebook, and it was love at first sight. I spent days staring at its beautiful form online, looking at it from all angles and imagining how I would pack my stuff into it. I could so see myself carrying it about town or while traveling, with my SLR safely hidden away in this nice stylish bag. When I finally dragged *Shinta down to the shop (TKFoto at Funan) and held it in my hands for the first time, I knew right away that I would be getting it. You can read more about how I got permission to purchase it here.

So here it is! I chose the heather gray version which I figured would be most versatile and fit most of my outfits(although *Shinta thought the mustard yellow was nice). The material is a man-made water resistant material which reminds me a little of fake leather that is not fake enough to say that its pretending to be leather(go figure)... Most importantly, unlike all the other camera bags out there which are bulky rectangular nerdy (man) bags that scream "I am a camera bag", this one boasts a nice slouchy hobo shape with enough structure to stand on its own.

The flap over the bag contributes mostly to its looks rather than serving any real function because the magnetic clasps for it is too weak to be of much use. It doesn't matter if the bag is not stuff too full, because there's a full zipper securing it.

Side, front and back slit pockets are too shallow to put a lot of things, but they can hold a few small items which is pretty useful.

Purple lining wouldn't have been my first choice, but it can't really be seen from the outside so it doesn't matter. The bag has a bit of padding, and 2 removable velcro dividers. The position of the dividers is not adjustable by much (unlike say the Crumpler), because only part of the lining has the velcro strip.

I've already used the bag once and I love it! My D20 fits nicely inside, with sufficient space for my 70-200mm lens and my compulsory knick-knacks like my wallet, blackberry, staff pass, handphone... There are 2 straps for the bag, so you can hold it 4 ways (on the arm, shoulder short, shoulder long, crossbody). Suits all needs and habits!

Frivolous Stuff: Camera Bags

You see, the fairer sex needs the perfect handbag for the perfect occasion. For example, what we look for in a work handbag is different from what we need from a casual weekend bag, which of course is totally different from evening handbags.

And even within the world of a certain type of handbags, different situations call for the need of different functions. eg A weekend handbag for a quick-and-short-meet-up-with-friends is not the same as a handbag for a spend-the-whole-day-shopping-with-friends situation.

So this time, the trouble was trying to get *Shinta to understand why I needed another camera bag. The object of my desire this time was a Kelly Moore bag designed specifically for ladies.

~début~

*Shinta: (in stubborn tone, not willing to give in so easily) I don't see why you need another camera bag...

KK: (cautiously, trying to decide approach) I don't have a bag like this... It will hold all my camera things nicely...

*Shinta: Didn't we buy you a Crumpler specifically for your camera stuff?

KK: I will use Crumpler when I need to bring out all my heavy duty gear. This one will be when I just want to bring the main SLR only.

*Shinta: Why can't you use your Crumpler still? Or my Lowepro?

KK: Because the Crumpler and your Lowepro are heavy duty bulk camera bags. I need something for when I go shopping or travel for work and don't want others to know I am carrying a SLR.

*Shinta: (considers for a while) But you have (many) casual shopping bag(s). Why can't you put your camera in that? You can use your little Lowepro...

KK: (quick to retort) Because that's a shopping bag. It can't carry/protect the camera properly. And the Lowepro won't fit inside my other bags with my wallet and blackberry and sunglasses and handphone and...

*Shinta: (interrupts) But this one won't protect it as well as the Crumpler!

KK: (slight hint of panic in voice) But this is just nice! I can use it for both shopping with or without the camera.. I can also use it to carry the camera...

*Shinta: (decides to be nice) Ah.. do you mean to say its a "dual-use" bag, whereas your other bags are not?

KK: (sees ray of hope and quickly agrees) Yes! It's dual use!!!

pause

*Shinta: (in a "pretending to be nice" tone) Since this is a lady's bag, does that mean when we travel or go out together you will use this bag for the camera and I don't have to carry it in my bag?

KK: (cautiously, sensing a trap) er... I will use this bag when I go shopping and want to bring the SLR... (continues for the sake of being honest) ... but anyway you carry my ladies handbags for me now anyway, when they get too heavy.

pause

*Shinta: (pretends to consider) But you will use it. And its dual-use.

KK: Yes. Dual use. So that when I travel without you and want to bring my SLR, I can just use one bag instead of two.

*Shinta: Fine.

KK rejoices not so silently

~fin~

A new look!

Yes, I changed the look of the blog. Actually I wasn't intending to make so many changes. But Blogger went to change the templates and once I started I found I couldn't revert back to the old look. So I had no choice but to soldier forward and make even more changes... Oh well.

Killing me softly...

Nothing like a trip to Hong Kong to make me grateful I live in Singapore...

My remaning lifespan would probably be shortened by half if I had to move there...

What I'm listening to...

I can't stand long traveling times in my daily routine, so thankfully I stay a 15min bus ride away from work with 2 buses to take. In the mornings, since the bus frequency is higher and the ride is so short, I don't usually bother untangling my earphones and listening to music.

On my way home however, my timings are more irregular and the frequency of the bus I can take is much lower. The evening crowd is also a lot noisier and younger. So I am more likely to want to listen to music and try to de-stress and block out the world.

On my playlist recently, is Emil Chou 周华健 . Listening to his songs makes me terribly nostalgic! This is the stuff I listened to in secondary school (I had the tapes back then!), and probably the only thing that has ever made me even vaguely interested in learning Chinese.

Here's a youtube clip of one of my all time favorites. I love the lyrics.. We used to write it in each other's autograph books.