KL Street Photowalk.02

Since the last KL Street Photowalk.01, I have been walking the KL Street alone or joined other's event. Many things had happened ever since my last post and you may see the images in my Flickr.
Actually on Saturday, 23rd August I was also on the street of Kuala Lumpur alone. And on that same week, my Olympus OMD E-M5 was sent for annual service which left me with Nikon D7000.

I got a kick of this DLSR camera again. On Saturday, 30th Auggust 2014, I armed myself with Nikon D7000 and lens Nikkor AF-S 50mm F1.8G.

Late previous night, I posted a status mentioned about the KL Street Photowalk.02 and my Street Photographer's friends responded namely Mahfuz Jaffar, Rosli Natiman (Wak Li) and Zamri Arch.

These are the images taken during our KL Street Photowalk on Saturday, 30th August 2014.

All images taken with Nikon D7000 and lens Nikkor AF-S 50mm F1.8G.

Kelana Jaya LRT Station

My Photog Buddies: Zamri Arch, Wak Li and Mahfuz Jaffar

MahfuzJaffar.com.my | Laman Medan Pasar

Eyes to Eyes

Photokaki | Dataran Merdeka

Street Photog in Action | Lebuh Ampang

Street Portrait | Central Market

Messaging | Street Moment



Tattoo | Light and Shadows

Arch

Private Moment

Living Better | Street Portrait | Petaling Street

Admiration | Street Moment | Petaling Street



Darren and family from Seremban having a holiday in KL

Darren and his daughter

Darren's family playing with the birds



Joseph Wong | Pasar Seni LRT Station


You may view the rest of the photos taken during our Photowalk in my Flickr in the following Album...Darren's KL vacation 30-08-2014 and KL Street Photowalk.02

Pen Lovers Gathering - Capturing Pudu in Artistic Ways

Pen Lovers Facebook Group's admin, Simon Leong had organized a gathering and photowalk with a theme Capturing Pudu in Artistic Way early on Saturday morning. Fifteen members responded to the gathering where each one of them armed with various version of Olympus camera from film to digital. The latest camera in the OMD category is OMD E-M10 which belong to Kelvin Ng.
We meet at Pudu Plaza and we start of with breakfast at the nearby Coffee Shop. After breakfast, Simon Leong as the organizer instructed the members to split into smaller group of four for easier movement in the Pudu wet Market later.

Images taken in RAW and covert in-camera to JPEG.
Art filter used:  Grainy film and Fish-Eye.

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

The members coming for the gathering are: Simon Leong (Organiser), Yeow Chin Liang, Kelvin Ng (thank you for taking the group picture), Jefferey Ho, Ripi, Thomas, Mun Keat, Scott Chung, Alvin, Jasper Lock, Jonathan Chin, Jonathan, Jia Seng, Yap Tzee Meng, Wang Seok Moi and John Ragai

KL Street Photographers: Meet and Street 2

KL Street Photographers group had their second Meet and Street event on Saturday, April 26th, 2014 of which I am doubt of joining in the beginning as we have planned our own KL Street Photowalk.02 following our good KL-Street Photowalk.01 outing on April 12th.
The good memory and the friendship which we foster during our KL Street Photographers First Gathering in September last year melt my heart and with heavy heart we cancelled our outing and join the KL Street Photographers event instead. From the abyss of my heart, I am really sorry for the nine wonderful friends and passionate photographers who had responded of going for the KL Street Photowalk.02.
The KL Street Photographers Meet and Street 2 started off with the gathering at MacDonald, Bukit Bintang on the 1st Floor but some seems to confuse of the place of meeting. We are sorry for being not more specific of the place of meeting. Rosli Natiman aka Wak Li, dear friend, I am sorry.
I was moving around meeting wonderful passionate photographers whom I admired for their passion and sacrifice for the art. I love the friendly and cheerful faces of the old and the new faces alike and willingness to share their passion with each others. As an event photographer, I moved around a lot and seek for those lost their ways and later I understood that organizers namely Nick Wade and Luke Ding had divided the photographers into four groups which is very good for better street walk and shoot approach. Luke Ding informed me that I am free to choose and I choose Raja Indra Putra group which consist of Scott Chung, Alvin Lau, Leong and the man in Blue.
I am very active in Flickr as there is where I share and store my images for EVERYONE to view and I have created one particular group for KL Street Photographers to pool our good images. At the moment, I promise to comment every images and critique ONLY upon request. Feel free to JOIN if you are on Flickr. By the way, Flickr gives 1 Terra bytes FREE. If you want unlimited storage, then you have to pay extra.


Here are the my journey images and the images taken during the event.

All images taken with Olympus OMD E-M5 and lens 12-50mm f3.5-6.3, 45mm f1.8 and flash FL-600R.

My Journey begin at Kelana Jaya LRT Station

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

KL Photowalk: March 8th 2014 - KL Central

I have planned this photowalk specially for my fellow St. Ignatius Church's photographers who wish to have a feel of street photography and have fun along the way. I can explain to them the theory but I believe in the street itself gives them a better understanding.

I knew about the Photowalk organised by Fotografi Jalanan Malaysia which I longed to join but my own plan has to go on. Beside my time at 9.30AM and their time 7.30AM is a bit out. My transport depend on my wife and I can not force her to come earlier that the time she had decided.
Maybe one I will join their walk.

My initial tavelling plan was from Kelana Jaya LRT Station with a stop at KL Central for a few shots of street images and then head for Brickfield Monorail Station with some more shots. Then from Brickfield Monorail Station take a train to Berjaya Times Square.
Follow by a walk on foot while shooting any intersting characters or activities on the street from Berjaya Times Square to Pudu Wet Market. Pudu Wet Market will be our main shooting area.

At the eleven hour, they decided not to go as that same Saturday night, there will be a Church Event namely RCIA 2013/2014 Rite of Election. By the way, I am also one of the photographer that will shoot that night. Well, passion is a very strong motivation.

I kept my mind on going and on the same late Friday night a fellow street photographers from KL Street Photographers group whom I knew as Joey Tai who is also an Olympus OM-D shooter but never meet him before, called me on another event called 'Holi - Festival of Colours'. He ask me whether I am interested and told him that I am not free for the shooting and ended with "I am going to Pudu Wet Market this Saturday."

The next thing I know, I have a new shooting buddie. The plan changed and he will pick me up at KL Central instead. KL Central is not my area and one area with another is almost the same at KL Central.

While waiting and looking for Joey's car, here's my shots to cool the day.

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

Photowalk: Chow Kit Wet Market

Last Saturday, I made my first lone Photowalk for the year 2014. Initially I plan to walk with my fellow street shooter, Ivan Tan but he could not make it as he works on Saturday.

As I used to be a Lone Street Shooter, I continued with my plan. My walk will start from the Pasar Seni LRT Station and the route will cover Petaling Street, Pasar Karat, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan TAR, Chow Kit and the Chow Kit Wet Market. I will be back to Pasar Seni LRT Station via the same route.

Choice of gear:
I carried both Nikon D7000 + 50mm f1.8G and Olympus OMD E-M5 + 12-50mm f3.5-6.3

I start of with Nikon D7000 + 50mm f1.8G as my main theme is Street Portrait beside the low lighting in the Wet Market required the wide aperture.

All images taken with Nikon D7000 + 50mm f1.8G



Tourist | 1/200 F1.8 ISO800