Thursday, November 27, 2008

10:39:00 PM

The Day I Went Bald!

0 shouted back



I shaved all my hair a few months back. It was actually to collect funds for Persatuan SLE Malaysia (PSLEM) that is focused to help SLE (a.k.a. LUPUS) patients and families. From the shaving, we managed to collect a total of RM2700 from the generous Shutter Asia's members. You guys rocks. To read more about the whole shaving story, please visit Shutter Asia.

If you wish to donate to PSLEM, do get in touch with them.

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Friday, November 14, 2008

1:31:00 AM

Dopod 818 Pro is Prophet

0 shouted back

I wanted to sell my Dopod 818 Pro yesterday because I wasn't really use all the features. However, I have changed my mind after I saw these cool videos about upgrading the 'classic' Dopod into the latest and coolest HTC and iPhone interfaces which they called "Prophet". Check out these videos.

Part 1


Part 2


I'm still reading the guides on how to do it. It seems complicated at the moment. I will do it over the weekend when I have more time to read and understand. I'm very excited at the moment and I don't know whether I can sleep tonight. Anyway, if you are interested to know, feel free to visit Prophet Mobile 6 section powered by xda-developers.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008

7:04:00 AM

Apple Online Store in Malaysia!

0 shouted back

This is a few days back news. Apple has finally open its online store for Malaysia's market! This is a good news, my fellow countrymen. I'm not sure how Apple and all its authorized dealers work together, but since their authorized dealers don't give any discounts or whatsoever, saving petrol cost (and parking cost and etc.) by ordering at Apple Online Store is not a bad option after all.

Feel free to visit Apple Online Store - Malaysia!


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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

8:50:00 AM

Good Morning, Penang!

I rarely shoot landscapes and natures as they are not my forte. However, once in a blue moon I do get up super early in the morning to catch the first light of the day. This is one of the very few moments in my life.



This was taken along Jelutong Expressway, Penang. I did a pseudo-HDR which is generating 3 different exposures from a single RAW file. A real HDR should be done using exposure bracketing technique (well, at least that is what I think it should be). This HDR was created using Photomatix and with further enhancements using Photoshop. I personally prefer less dramatic HDR. It gives more realism in the photo. Well, I do lack in "Imagination Department".

HDR is currently the new pink in post-processing. Some people even applied HDR to portraits; some were extremely nice, some were extremely awful. However, don't strict yourself like I have limit myself from not pushing the boundaries. Explore and be bold! Creativities have no borders.

If you are not familiar with HDR technique and want to know more, don't hesitate to email me at candidciku[at]gmail.com.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

3:31:00 PM

Nikon D2X Camera Profile

3 shouted back

I've heard about this profile for a while now and haven't give it a try until a few weeks back. I'm very impressed with the D2X Camera Profile. It boosted the color, tone and the clarity of my photos.



The original photo is on the left and the photo that was using D2X Camera Profile Mode 3 is on the right. I didn't do any changes to the RAW except for changing the Camera Profile from ACR4.4 to D2X Mode 3. You can view larger photo here. For more information, please go to Adobe Labs.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

11:13:00 PM

SA-Penangkia™ Post-processing Sharing Session

2 shouted back

A few Penangkia™ turned up for Digital Post-processing Sharing Session tonight. Two sessions were held for beginner & intermediate level. The sessions went out smoothly even though one of the instructor can't make it due to personal reasons.

After the sessions, I "snatched" Justin's new Nikon D90 and captured a few videos using my Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Ai-S at ISO3200, f/2.8. The video feature is addictive! Haha! This is one the video that I took. Video was edited using iMovie on MacBook that took me less than 10 minutes from start to finish. Video was compressed from 150MB to 3.5MB. The original full-res video is so much better.


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Thursday, October 16, 2008

2:43:00 PM

www.nutmegstudio.com

8 shouted back

Finally, after a month+ of discussions, planning & preparations, I would like to present, nutmegstudio; a group of 5 photographers that based in Penang that is able to cater your needs for photography jobs. The uniqueness of nutmegstudio is, we work in a group of 5 individuals that specialized & focused on different areas. nutmegstudio is ready for corporate events, weddings and portraitures. We are very fortunate to have the chance to collaborate with RapidPenang for the annual event in Gurney Plaza a few months back.


Don't wait! Get in touch with us now! Visit www.nutmegstudio.com


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2:19:00 PM

I'm Back In Business... Almost!

0 shouted back

For almost a year in 2008, I have stopped taking commissioned photography jobs because of my full-time job's commitments. Now, starting in January 2009, I will start taking commissioned photography jobs again. Yay!

You can view my temporary online portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/candidciku but most of the photos are just fun snapshots. I'm in the process of selecting & compiling photos for my portfolio. I'm also doing some photoshoot sessions to be added to the portfolio. Stay tuned for a comprehensive portfolio from yours truly!

If you are interested to hire me as the photographer for events (including weddings), do contact me at candidciku@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can get in touch with me at +60129669345. Hope to hear from you soon!

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10:20:00 AM

Why Photographers Charge So Much?

1 shouted back

First of all, thanks to ShaolinTiger for sharing the link at Shutter Asia. A very interesting article about why professionals charge so much. You can read the article here.

Me myself as a photography enthusiast who take some part-time jobs once in a blue moon think that it is hard to justify the amount that I want to charge especially when dSLR are becoming dirt cheap and everybody want to have one (at least) because most people think that it is easy money. Most of the cases happened in wedding photography.

From my little experience of doing wedding photography, it isn't easy money especially when you are a one-man-soldier like myself. The post-production works are much more than prior pre-production & production works. Since I'm a full-time web-apps programmer during the day, I can only do the post-production works during night time. I need to spend many countless hours to go through each & every photos that I have personally filtered for post-production works.

So, when you paying a photographer for your wedding, it seems like you are paying for the amount of photos that you are going to get, the albums that you are going to get or the soft-copy of the photos that you are going to get. But really, you are paying for the time & idea. That's why photographers' charges are expensive. Coming out with new & refreshing ideas each & every time is not a walk in the park. Spending countless hours in front of the workstation while your family & friends are having a great social time, it is a sacrifice.

As photographers, you need to work hard if you want to be successful in this field. It isn't easy money. It requires time, money & sacrifices. If you can't give out everything, it is better if you give out nothing.

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9:20:00 AM

MacBook & MacBook Pro Re-Everything

3 shouted back

Yesterday, I've received a text message on my mobile from a friend who once in a while works in an Apple Store in Seberang Perai, Penang. He told me about the new MacBook & MacBook Pro. I was driving that time and I was not able to check out the news and I thought "Here we go again, Apple is releasing their "new" Mac. So, I wasn't that excited.

When I reached home, I totally forgot about it until when I was about to go to bed. I checked out Apple.com and "WOW! Apple really releasing their NEW Mac!". Both MacBook & MacBook Pro have totally new designs. You should check out the videos as well even though I do think that guy in the video looks very personally-attached-to-the-Mac when explaining about the new MacBook & MacBook Pro. Haha! But hey, the background music (Coldplay - Viva La Vida) really brings back the mood!


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Saturday, September 20, 2008

4:00:00 PM

SA-Penangkia™ Portrait Shoot-Out

2 shouted back

We were supposed to do a portrait session with a couple today but due to some reasons, we have to cancel it. We did a portrait session among ourselves instead.


These were the people who were there. From left; behyc, acidict, xavier and justin.


The lighting setup was simple. I put 1xSB600 (bare) on camera left, 1xSB800 (bare) on camera right and 1xSB600 (white brolly) on camera top. SB600's were triggered via Cactus V2s while the SB800 triggered by SU-4 mode. Here are some shots that I took using a Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens. These photos were undergone a quick post-processing.





It was a great session even though it was during the Ramadhan where I have to fast. *smile*


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Thursday, September 18, 2008

6:02:00 AM

Comment Problem

6 shouted back

Thanks to my friend, Juha for letting me know about the problem at the comment section. It seems not working. I'm trying to fix it. *smile*

7.55pm: I have fixed the comment section. It seems like the template mess it up. Will have to go through the codes to pin-point the bug.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

10:33:00 PM

Canon Fights Back Hard?

0 shouted back

After spending some time going through the specifications of the NEW Canon 5D MKII, I noticed two major things that really bothered me.

1. 3.9 fps continuous shooting
Why 3.9fps? Why not more? Well, some Canon users (I think they are hardcore fan-boys) think that 5D is meant for portraits & landscape shooting; and same goes to 5D MKII. Fair enough but don't you think by paying almost USD3000, you deserves more than 3.9fps? Some said 5D MKII can't have high fps simply because there is this Canon 1D MKIII that able to do that. By putting high fps in 5D MKII, it will kill 1D MKIII's market. Again, looks fair but don't you think by having higher fps on 5D MKII it will make it more versatile? Higher fps in not necessary but it is good to have. I'm not talking about super high fps on 5D MKII, but at least have a decent fps maybe 5fps so that you don't have to buy a unit of 5D MKII to shoot landscape and another unit of 1D MKIII to shoot sports. Well, if you have plenty of moolah, it should not be a problem for you to buy both, right? *grin*

2. 6 invisible Assist AF points
This is funny. Why invisible? They should just leave out the 'invisible' part. Imagine this, an average joe bought the 5D MKII, and he can't seem to find the invisible Assist AF points. So, he take to the shop to complain. And the shop's owner said "All the invisible Assist AF points are there. If you can see them, then you can come again because your camera definitely have an issue because YOU CAN SEE THE INVISIBLE ASSIST AF POINTS". It sounds stupid, isn't it.? *laugh*

Anyway, these are my pre-thought before testing the real unit. What I've said especially on the invisible Assist AF points might be incorrect. *smile*

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12:22:00 PM

Canon Fights Back!

1 shouted back

The news that just got out from the oven. The long wait has finally comes to an end. Canon has announced the replacement model for its legendary Canon 5D. This time Canon came out with a BIG bang! Canon 5D MKII is a 21 megapixel camera and guess what? It able to record full 1080p HD video. *faint* The 21 megapixel will definitely broaden photographer's potential to more versatile job scopes. The RRP price is USD2,699 which is about the same price of Nikon D700.

I say Canon has made a very good comeback and has answered Nikon straight on the face that they also can play rough. *grin* Let's hope that Canon 5D MKII will not suffer focusing issues as Canon 1D MKIII. *grin*

Read more at dpreview.com!

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

11:22:00 PM

SA-Penangkia™ Exclusive T-Shirt Is Ready!

1 shouted back


Finally, the SA-Penangkia™ t-shirt is ready! *happy* For those who have place your order, you can come to a special collection session. You can read more about the session here.

Even if you didn't place any order for the t-shirt, you are welcome to join us to get to know each other. You need to stop your online life and meet real people. *grin* Don't worry, normally we don't bite! *laugh*

But seriously, do join us especially if you are from Penang! We done a lot of outings and events; and we did them on almost every weekend. See you soon! *smile*

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

8:44:00 PM

The New Nikon D90!

0 shouted back

On 27th August 2008, Nikon has announced its new camera that takes DSLR technology a step further. It is Nikon D90; a 12.3 megapixel DX camera that able to record 24-fps HD (up to 720p) video with sound. Yes, HD video recording capability. *grin*

Now, there have been arguments about combining DSLR and video recording is a bad move by Nikon. Some people said, only point & shoot should have that feature. I say, why not? Just look at handphones technology. Most handphones come with a built-in camera (some even come with high megapixel built-in camera) that enables users to take photos and record videos. I think you can draw your own conclusion by now. *grin*

The video recording capability is not a compulsory for users to use. It is an additional bonus. If you want to use it, just turn it on. If you hate the feature, get another model; or get a Canon. From the rumors, the replacement model for Canon 5D will come with video recording capability as well but it is only rumors. No one knows when Canon will launch even though there are some Canon fan-boys already wet their pants with the rumors.

Anyway, if you are interested to know more about Nikon D90, you can head to these sites. Enjoy! *grin*
1. Chase Jarvis blog about Nikon D90
2. dpreview.com has some previews on Nikon 90
3. A blog about Nikon D90 videos
4. Comparing Nikon D90 and Canon 50D

17th Sept. 2008, 4.00PM
Nikon D90 with Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-f/5.6 VR is RM3900.
Nikon D90 body only is RM3000.

p/s: I will update this post with the Malaysia's street price when I get the price from my dealer. *grin*

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8:00:00 AM

My First DSLR!

0 shouted back

It is time for GEAR-TALK! *grin* I have been 'playing' with DSLR since December 2006. Before that, I was using point & shoot cameras to take daily personal shots.

My first camera was SONY Cybershot DSC-S75; a 3.3 megapixel camera. Well, it was not actually my camera. *shy* It belongs to my eldest brother. He loaned me the camera for my trip to Medan, Indonesia. It was somewhere back in 2002. It was an awesome camera. It was powered with 64MB Memory Stick™. Yes, 64MB of storage. Back then, a high capacity Memory Stick™ will cost you a kidney! OK, I did exagerated a bit. *laugh* But it was expensive back then.

My second camera was SONY Cybershot DSC-N1; a 8.0 megapixel camera with touch screen feature which I bought somewhere in 2006. *grin* It cost me around RM1600 for the camera, 2GB Memory Stick™ and a leather casing. It was a great camera. Colors from the camera are superb. But like other point & shoot cameras, it is only good when you have a good amount of lights. Don't expect too much when taking indoor shots or in low-light conditions. It served me well until one fine day, someone accidentally dropped it while taking photo of the Golden Gate Bridge, SF.

After many sleepless nights, I have decided to go for DSLR. I did some studies & readings over the Internet and asked people who owned one. It is important to get a good DSLR for a good start. After a few weeks, I have decided to get myself a Nikon D50; a 6.1 megapixel DSLR. I also got myself a decent kit lens; Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-f/4.5 which is actually a kit-lens for Nikon D70s. To complete my starting kit, I got myself an external flash unit; Nikon SB-600. The whole set (including 2GB Sandisk Ultra II SD card, Lowepro Nova 2 shoulder bag & a few accessories) cost me about USD1000; which I bought online from B&H Photo Video.

So, there you go; my very first DSLR. A few key notes that you need to be aware of when you plan to get your first DSLR. A good complete starting DSLR would be consisted of
1. A decent basic DSLR
2. A decent lens that can produce good image quality
3. An external flash unit (don't depends on the built-in flash as it is not flexible to cater your needs)

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Saturday, September 13, 2008

4:00:00 AM

No More PRO Account

1 shouted back

Today, my flickr is accout is no longer a pro account. *sad* The free pro account that I got (and also the cool t-shirt, buttons, flickr 24 hours book and etc.) during the flickr 24 hours party at Maison, KL; has expired today. I want to renew it but considering I’m quite busy these days and don’t have much free time to take photos; I give it a hold first. From now on, I will dedicate my time here in my new blog! *happy*

It has been a great year with flickr. I have the chance to meet and get to know great and talented people across the globe. My journey with flickr started with the Klickr, a flickr group that based in KL. Whole loads of talented people are in that group. Some of them have become my dear friends.

I got so many great stories that I want to share about KLickr but I just don’t know where to start. Let’s make the photos do the hard work! *grin* The first meet-up that I went was on June 28th, 2007 that was held at Izzi, KL. The group photo was taken by lovely Han Ghazi. And of course, my favorite photo. *wink*


I wanted to share more photos that I took but I can't seem to access them because they have been archived due to the expiration of my pro account. Anyway, there are a bunch more photos during my very few meet-ups with KLickr which you can view at group pool along with photos from other members. KLickr, thank you! *happy*

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12:00:00 AM

The New Chapter

0 shouted back

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim
(in the name of ALLAH, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful)

Ya Allah, bukakanlah ke atas kami hikmatMu
dan limpahilah ke atas kami khazanah rahmatMu,
Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang,
Wahai Tuhanku, tambahkanlah ilmuku dan luaskanlah kefahamanku.
Wahai Tuhanku, lapangkanlah dadaku dan mudahkanlah urusanku.

Amin.

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