Chasing Spider Session with OMD E-M5

Chasing Spider Session as I called it is actually my mind relaxing and patience enhancement excercise which other photographers called Macro Photography or mere close to nature time.

Why chasing spider?
Many times I have told my friends that I will NEVER buy a macro lens for my Nikon D7000 and true enough I do not buy any so far. Psst! Budget constraint also as one of the factor. But I never knows what lays ahead when we bought another camera Olympus OMD E-M5 which come a macro capability lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ (splash proof lens).
That was back in April 2013 and ever since I practice my skill daily in chasing spiders as spiders are the easiest insect to find at the back of the office where I work. Trust me, if you want to master or good in one thing, you have to practice and practice and dig some more information to make that one technique suits your way of shooting.

Sound crazy right?
Well, that's how we master a simple technique in Tae Kwon Do to make it a deadly single blow. No other way but PRACTICE until it's yours.

Location: Behind our office in Petaling Jaya.

Gear for this Spider Chasing session are:
Camera Body: Olympus OMD E-M5
Lens: Kit lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ
Flash On-camera as flash trigger: Olympus FL-LM2 Flash
Flash Off-camera : Nikon Speedlight SB910 (set as SU-4 Remote)

(Note:If you are really serious to grow, Robin Wong blog is a very good place to start.)

Lets walk and meet our tiny friends.
Wait a minute....Spider is a very shy creature and it senses the motion which trigger it to hide behind the leave or under small stick. Walk like a cat hunting for it's food...slow, silent but super alert.

Lynx Jumping Spider lives in your garden.

PJ Section 17: Thursday Morning Wet Market

I am always itchy to shoot either weekdays or weekend, morning or evening or anything in between. Capturing photo for me is something that I have to do everyday in order to practice and grow in photography. It's the push from within, it's a scream from within and it's something others called passion. When you did not do it, you feel reckless and powerless but when you do it, the whole world is yours. You can do anything and your confident sky high. That's what I get when the camera is in my hand.
Why this happen to me? I think when you drink too much fermented water you get drunk and transform you into a new person and that fermented water is photography. It's very addictive if you are striving for your best from within. When the best come forth, satisfaction is overwhelming even when your body is dead tired.
How I release this desire to shoot daily?
In my case, it's real easy as office is in Petaling Jaya and before office hours I can go to daily morning market at Taman Sentosa, Section 17, PJ and also to Thursday Morning Wet Market at Jalan Universiti.

All images taken with Nikon D7000 and Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G

The walk begins

Olympus: OM D E-M5 meets OM D E-M1

Early morning of Saturday, September 14th 2013, I was really excited of what to expect during our KL Street Photographers' First Gathering.

Which camera to bring Nikon D7000 or Olympus OM D E-M5? Do I need to bring flash as it is an event? Do they allow me to capture the moment? I just can not sit still when there is an event. What activities they have in store? Street Walk and shoot before and after the gathering?!

In the end, I packed all the tools (2 camera, lens and flash) I have in my camera bag with a bottle of boiled water. Still I prefer 100Plus when I am really thirsty.

I started off with Olympus OM D E-M5 with it's kit lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 as that's the only lens I have which I intend to utilize to the fullest. In the future, I may add two more lens for lower lighting condition and longer focal reach.

Let's follow my journey for the day and see who I have met and what I have seen along the way.

All images taken with Olympus OM D E-M5 with Lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3

Breakfast with Nasi Dagang which is very famous in the East Coast of West Malaysia.

KL Street Photographers: First Gathering 2013

KL Street Photographers which make up of various genre of photographers who come together and have passion to capture in the street either in characters, action, daily life, joy and sadness or just buildings and motor vehicles.

Their reaction and reflects are lightning fast as of the gunfighters of the old wild west. Their precision and timing are as the archers of Robin Hood's days. And yet their minds are faster than the best computer ever build in composing and framing their subject matters. Their eyes are always alert as the bird of prey. Their survival instinct are as sharp as the fighter in the ring. The best of all, they shoot with a smiling faces and friendly gestures. Some may despise them but some gave them thumb up. They are real passionate people who really fall in love in their photography passion.

Last Saturday, September 14th will be remembered by them as special as on that day they have their First Gathering at Coliseum Cafe & Hotel, Jalan TAR, Kuala Lumpur.

All images taken with Olympus OMD-EM5 & lens  12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 and Nikon D7000 & lens 50mm f/1.8G

Robin Wong with Rees

Robin Wong with Luke Ding, Nick Wade and Kelvin Ng

 

Luke Ding: Let's move inside

Luke Ding is the man of the moment cum Organiser for this event

 Entering the Coliseum Cafe

Interior of Coliseum Cafe & Hotel

Nick Yoon shares his awesome works in a form of photobook.

Nick Wade has a tough choice: E-M1 and E-M5

Nick with OMD-E-M1 + 45mm f/1.8

The Camera Man: Dom

All eyes on the two OMDs: E-M1 & E-M5

Nick with Dominic's tools

ChokPing gets a feel of OMD-E-M1

Mun Keat on e-communication

Best of Friend: Yeow & Scott

Luke Ding: Bill, please.

Photographer in Action

Robin Wong leaves the cafe

Time to leave

Thank you all for the special occasion. Thank you, Luke Ding for inviting me to be part of the group.
Thank you, Robin Wong for the walk.

Should my itchy fingers offended you, dear friend, forgive me. I just could not sit still when my camera is in my hands. Beside I just love event shooting.
Hope to see you all again in the future.