Sunset

Sunrise at Punggol

I love sunrises and sunsets. Maybe it is the anticipation of not knowing what to expect. For a photographer hoping to capture a sunrise or sunset, there is about a 5 minute window between darkness and the sun rising or when the sun sets beyond the horizon. 

You never really know what to expect. Some days, you are greeted with a wonderful hue which splashes the sky with hues of orange and red. It almost feels like the sky is speaking to you through a painting in the sky. On other days, the sun rises or sets uneventfully like someone turned on or turned off the lights.

Last weekend, I took my trusty range finder camera to Upper Peirce Reservoir to capture the sunset. It seemed like an uneventful sunset which was going to go out with a whimper. The photograph below says it all.

Not a bad reflection

As I was about to lament my wasted effort, the sky seemed to have heard my thoughts and injected a tinge of red hue which tickled my fancy.

That's better !

Before long, the red hue turned into a spotlight and casted an orange tint on a patch of adjacent clouds.

As red as Rudolf's nose?

This drama lasted barely a couple of minutes and before long, it was "lights out".

As I was taking the photographs, I took a couple of shots with my iPhone and the results amazed me. See it for yourself. 

Taken with my iPhone 5

My trusty range finder camera

The photograph taken with my iPhone 5 is crispier and appears to have more depth. There is a reason for this. I had the HDR (High Dynamic Range) option turned on. HDR is particularly helpful when  the photograph has a broad range of lighting exposures. From what I understand, the camera captures several images at different aperture settings. It selects portions of the photograph which is correctly exposed and combines the results into one photograph. This gives the photograph great depth. To see samples of HDR photos, just type "HDR Photo" in google and check out the awesome images. If overdone, the photos look "overcooked" but if done well, the photos look almost 3D. I am not a big fan of HDR as I am a purist. I don't even like filters. Admittedly, I do tweak my photographs slightly with a photo editing software, akin to "light make-up".

 

Krabi

Krabi is a nice quiet town which has all the amenities of the modern world but at the same time, rustic and charming. It is quite a busy tourist spot. On a recent trip, I took some photographs which captures the charm of this place. Do pardon the lack of a theme in the photos as I was simply snapping shots when the opportunity presents.

I guess Hello Kitty was also taking a break

Another Day In Paradise

Home for the Night

End of the Day

Safely Home

It Glows

A Time Gone By

The "Kickapoo" Factory

Along Serangoon Road sits a building which has been around since I was a kid. It is the former National Aerated Water Co Ltd factory. I have driven past this factory countless times and each time, I tell myself that I should bring my camera and shoot some photos for posterity, before it is torn down and lost forever. Some folks may view this as an eye-sore but to me, it adds character to the area. I know it is a matter of time before it is torn down and becomes just another condominium.
I never visited the factory in its hey day but recall buying Kickapoo (aka Joy Juice) from my school canteen. It cost $0.25 a bottle. It was a simpler time and this drink brought a lot of joy :) Yes, I was easily pleased as a kid.

"Joy Juice"

There are still clues that this was the home of Kickapoo. If you look carefully at the photo below, you will see a washed out "Kickapoo" decal on one of the windows.

Can you see the Kickapoo decal on the window?

How I wished I was able to get into the factory to take some photos. That would have been really neat. Being a law-abiding citizen, I kept on the right side of the fence but but still managed to take some photos to share. Enjoy :)

Is that an awesome looking pump or what?

It does not say "No Entry"

I guess that means "Do Not Enter"

A bird made a home on the roof

A view from another angle

Look at the design above the door. This was from an era when there was no air conditioning :)

This padlock stands guard, day and night, rain or shine

Closer shot of the frontage

Soon, it was time to call it a day. As the sun receded behind the horizon, my stomach reminded me that it was time for dinner - my third favourite meal of the day :)

Thank you, Kickapoo factory for the memories. You remind me of a simpler time - when we were not rich, but we were happy. We had enough. 

I wish you enough :)

Sunset

The Sky is our Canvas

As I get older, I have begun to appreciate the wonders of this world, and my life. I first took up photography in my late teens. As I got into the army, studies, career, family, etc, I put it aside. Sometime around Christmas 2003, as I was rushing around with my son to buy Christmas presents, we were sitting at a traffic light waiting for the light to change. My son remarked that the sky was beautiful. I acknowledged with a "Uh huh" without even glancing at the sky. He made another comment about the cloud formation and when I glanced at it, I was in awe. It was a awesome looking evening sky. It then dawned on me that nature provides - We sometimes look but not see :)

That was when I decided to pick up my old hobby. Over the years, I allowwd the various priorities to overcome this  hobby and I had become a "rat" in the rat race of life. I got myself a DSLR and reignited my passion for photography once again. I dabble in all types of photography - scenery, macros and the odd social event. I am usually the unofficial photorapher at family and company events :) "Unofficial" so there is no pressure and I can enjoy what I do.

I decided to dedicated this blog to the scene that rekindled the joy of photography - the beautiful sky. As I said, I am no expert and all feedback is welcomed. Some of the photographs may have appeared in some of my earlier blogs.

One afternoon in London - Love the looming clouds

Ominous looking clouds over Trafalgar Square

Arc du Triomphe seem to be the centre of cloud activity

Ray of Hope

Early morning at Seletar

Something's brewing

Crack of Dawn

Like a splash of water colours

Not a Fisherman



This scene remind me of the childhood story - A Fly Went By

Another Day in Paradise