Saturday Photowalk .01

I have been walking the street of Kuala Lumpur alone most of the time since I started street and candid photography end of 2011. At one time, I was walking the street with a talented street photographer Ivan Tan (Flickr's name Foxama) until his work takes more of his time. He may join me again in the future. I also joined others like the Olympus Photowalk organised by a well-known blogger and Street Photographer Robin Wong which introduced me to Pudu Wet Market. I have many good things to tell about Pudu Wet Market but most memorable one, it's a Street Photographer's paradise.

What drives me to walk alone in the street and shoot?
Two powerful active words: Interest and Passion.

When you have interest, you tend to dig deep into what you are doing, learn whatever it takes to be the best you can, practice the technique until it become yours, sharpen your tools until you know when you lift your camera you are 100% sure you will capture what you WANT as it is already drawn in your mind. It's like in the martial art, when you strike the target; actually you are going through the target and are one with it.

When you have passion, your do not use much of your brain but your heart which move you beyond the limit of your brain. You brain said with reason, "You cannot do it because .....", but your heart which engulf with passion said, "There is no mountain too high to climb, no current too strong to swim." That's make you a passionate person and you shoot with passion. You do not need others to push you as you have the push from within yourself. Your friends may move on but your passion keeps you going and shoots the more.

Being having these two tenets and I am selfish if I do not share them as it is a gift from the One who created me.

Hence that give me a thought of sharing with my fellow street photographers that gift and last week I posted on my Flickr (KL Street Photowalk) and Facebook (Saturday Photowalk ) which open to all. This is just the beginning and more bi-monthly street photowalk will follow.

Why Bi-monthly? That is the final agreement with my wife for me to have date with people on the street. In marriage life, a promise with your wife is very important.

My time of walking in the KL street always start at 9.45AM as agreed with my partner. We start from home at 8.00AM. After having breakfast with my beloved wife at a Malay stall in Puncak Alam, she drives to Petaling Jaya, she drops me at Kelana Jaya and I take a train from Kelana Jaya LRT Station at 9.10AM to Pasar Seni LRT Station. Last saturday, I should be late as the train was having a technical problem yet I am in time. Thanks God for that good timing.

The street photographers and student photographers participated in the KL Street Photowalk were Mahfuz Jaafar aka My JumpStreet (a seasoned street photog), Rosli Natiman aka Wak Li (Flickr & FB's friend), Chek Mat's student which comprised of Naufal Nasir, Aiman Ariffin and their friend and last but not least my fellow Sarawakian from Sibu, Alifga Wausin Alwie.

We covered Petaling Street and its surrounding area, Jalan Masjid India and Jalan TAR with three stops for two drinks, one lunch and fellowship to share our passion on street photography during those stops.

The Walk and shoot was good (could be better) and the mood was great. Everyone seems to be enjoying their time in the street except I was walking too fast which I need to improve. I still need to improve with walking in a group as most of the time I walk alone and I walk fast and shoot fast.

Note: Mahfuz Jaafar and I have created our own group on Flickr namely Malaysian Street & Daily Life (Documentary) and KL Street Photographers respectively. Should you want to join these Flickr group, you are most welcome.

Here are some of the images taken during the Saturday Photowalk.

All images taken with Olympus OM D E-M5 and lens m.zuiko 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 and 45mm f1.8

My train delay due to technical problem

KL Photowalk: Petaling Street-March 8th, 2014

It's a hot clear day on the Saturday, March 8th and we continued our shooting spree to Petaling Street in the hope that we will meet some of the Fotografi Jalanan Malaysia's (FJM) member whom were having their Photowalk Event on this same day. We parked our car at a Methodist Church compound and walked toward Petaling Street to continue our shooting adventure.
We could not see any of FJM members at Petaling Street or we could not recognise them. Maybe next round we will meet them.

Earlier on at Pudu Street, Joey Tai lended me his precious M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 which I felt it's very good for documentary shooting or environmental portrait. Based on my previous shooting with 12-50mm f3.5-6.3, most of my focal length were at 19mm to 25mm (38mm - 50mm on 35).
17mm f/1.8 good for shooting from the hip though.

Here are the images that I captured during our walk at Petaling Street.

All images taken with OM-D E-M5 and lens 12-50mm f3.5-6.3

Dancing in the street

KL Photowalk: Pudu Street - March 8th, 2014

I thought it's over with Pudu Wet Market but later I realised that we have to walked all the way back to our car. Along the way back we come across these characters which attracted me.

Here are the 2nd part of Pudu Photowalk.

All images taken with Olympus OM-D E-M5 and lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 and 17mm f/1.8 which belong to Joey Tai



Joey Tai ready to capture me in action.



KL Photowalk: Pudu Wet Market - March 8th, 2014

As I turned around searching for my friend, Joey Tai's car, I saw as a man waving from inside a car parked at the arrival portion of KL Central. My heart cried with joy and thought, "That must be Joey Tai!" whom I never meet physically. Sure enough and as I approached the car, the man in car beaming with friendly smile wave with his hand invite me to come into his car.

At that moment, I lost my surrounding including the car, I only concentrated on this man like a detective in a movie. Friendly smiles and apprearance, soft tone and commanding voice, his words were straight and selective with no bad words which indicate that he must be a very good example father to his children. Ah! I thought, I have a good new friend here! Further on as we drive towards Pudu, he drives with confident which indicate that he knows this city road like the back of his hands and his driving is skill is superb.
That is abit of my new shooting buddy, Mr. Joey Tai.

How about his shooting? Go to Joey Tai's Facebook and see for yourselves as photograph speaks louder than words.

This is my second time, shooting at Pudu Wet Market and the first was during Olympus Malaysia Photowalk back in December 2013. which was organised by Olympus malaysia and led by Robin Wong and his team. My first outing was more of an event coverage which I loved to do and getting close to subject for portrait shots.

This time around, I will concentrate on capturing the moment in the subject's daily life at the wet market without any posed shot. I may stage some of the shot (the last shot with birds) and let the characters enter into the scene but without stop and pose for me. Lights and perspective will play the major role in my shooting which I believe with give something extra to the photograph but not to ignore the facial expression and the mood of the moment.

Here are some of the images that I took during the photowalk last Saturday, March 8th.

All images taken with Olympus OM-D E-M5 and lens 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 and Joey Tai's lens 17mm f/1.8.



Car Park Ticket Machine