• circus of my life •

sick & tired

2010-07-26T00:30:00.002+08:00

i'm just sick and tired. kthxbai!

:(

2010-07-17T06:59:00.000+08:00

woke up this morning with a mixed feel of sadness, frustration, crushed and disappointed from yesterday's news.. but having to know that things do happen (or do not happen) for reasons set by the Almighty Allah, i accepted the reality and hoping that someday my prayer will be answered.

but it is a sad day tho'... :(

orang minyak

2010-07-16T00:26:00.000+08:00

at 12 o'clock just now, prices for petrol and diesel in Malaysia increased by RM0.05 or 5 cents. the increase is quite OK compared to the previous increase and fluctuation that Malaysians experienced for the past 2-3 years. the Government of Malaysia (GoM) decided to reduce the subsidy and try not to put too much burden on petrol/diesel consumers. i believe GoM is doing the right thing by cutting this subsidy. for a nation to grow, a nation need to be competitive inside out. i'm strongly against on those who condemned this move by GoM. i personally think that this group of people is bunch of cheapskates and lazy bums.

through out my working experiences, i traveled to few countries. from my personal opinion, the price for petrol and diesel is Malaysia is cheap, but not the cheapest. even in the so-called great Singapore is far more expensive. but again, that tiny Singapore has no resources so it does make sense.

"but we are petroleum producer nation, why we are paying more than other petroleum producer nation?"

brotherrrr... if you have something that you can sell for higher price, would you rather sell it and use the money to generate more money or consume it to suit your thirst for free (or relatively cheap) stuffs? i don't have any experience of managing a nation but i believe it still based on the basic concept of doing business. if we don't generate money, how can a company grow? for example, you developed a good product that is marketable but you keep it to yourself, will that be a wise move? let me tell you... IT IS STUPID!

but the issue is not about selling our resources to other nation at other price. it is about some cheapskate Malaysians want to pay so little for something so precious. they are comfortable driving their big cars that consume petrol/diesel like nobody business. they love driving their cars to groceries stores that are 100m away. they love driving their glorious car alone and get stuck in many hours of traffic jam. well, your time is over and it is time to wake up. if you think you can't afford for your car's petrol, then don't drive your car. trade for better fuel consumption cars. trade your comfort with the smell of someone's armpit in a bus. trade your ego by sharing your ride to work. that's the way to get around the situation. you can expect the whole world to evolve around you. you need to evolve yourself around the world.

ok, enough blabber. i broke too many hearts already. time to sign off. ta-ta!

kerja untuk hidup atau hidup untuk kerja?

2010-07-15T01:18:00.000+08:00

whatever it is, make sure you don't forget your root even if it was not a good one. a tree will not grow without its root. a problem will not happen without a root cause. everything related to 'root'. so be wise in life because life is short, too short.

long story short

2010-07-15T01:07:00.000+08:00

it has been a year since i let go all my drop-dead-serious photography stuffs. looking back all the fun that i had with photography when i was in Penang, the urge to get back into photography is mounting. however the same reason why i let it go still remains as of today.

what's the reason?

well, it is for me to know and for you to find out. :D

tutup kedai

2010-07-14T22:02:00.000+08:00

oh... belom tutup kedai lagi. just that i have so many other things to do than updating this little blog of mine. will try to update with stuffs (i hope). :D

Namewee? Name Wee Wee?

2009-10-27T23:01:00.004+08:00

Watch this video first...

I'm not sure whether this dude got some sort of illness or what, but I seriously think that he should use his God-given brain once in a while. Always f**k that people, f**k this people. Never say "f**k me-lah".

The TNB dudes clearly explained (even though not in the most VIP kinda way-lah) that it was a breakdown, not shutdown. How the f**k can TNB announce in the newspaper about an unexpected breakdown? So far, if TNB want to do maintenance shutdown, they will announce it. Plus, when there is a breakdown, you think TNB people will be happy ah? They need to go out and rectify the problem no matter what.

Ok, about the phone call. Good customer service is not a thing that you see everyday in Malaysia (this is also a problem). Even when I was in US, some of the customer services were not very kind to me too. What's the big fuss? Should I go and cry like a big baby?

BTW, if you want an almost-breakdown-free electricity, go to TNB, ask for 3-phase electric supply but you have to pay more-lah (yes, yes... Malaysians hate to pay more). Even with 3-phase, there is no 100% guarantee that there will be no disruption. Why? Because there will be always some dudes at home pull some crazy extra power. Not to mention, illegal wiring.

Go tulan here, tulan there will not solve any problems. *sigh*

BTW, you can check-out his blog. There are more interesting non-f**k posts that you can read. Oh, I don't know how to read Chinese but google have some pretty neat features on translating web pages.

p/s: I also tulan with TNB because they DQ-ed my submitted tender. I also want to rap-lah. Errr... which number should I dial to complain ah?

Goodbye, Cheekoo! :'(

2009-10-26T10:18:00.005+08:00

My male sugar glider, Cheekoo died on Oct 23rd 2009. He's been with me & wife since Dec 22nd, 2007. Even though he was very crazy & stubborn, cheekoo also very close to both of us. He has shown great values as the leader of his pack, a father to his joeys and a good friend to me & wife.

On the same event, Miki (Cheekoo's daughter) also died. They managed to find their way out of their cage and tried to glide out of 2-storey house's window. There was no place that they can glide or hang on to and they fell to the ground. There is more to the story but I rather not tell it here. It is too heartbreaking to tell.

This is a photo of Cheekoo that I took on the very first day that I got him.

Cheekoo & Miki, you will be missed. :'(

Love,
Azmi & Sharina

Introducting RAWREPUBLIC.wordpress.com!

2009-10-01T18:39:00.002+08:00

Hey all...

I would like to introduce RAW REPUBLIC; a place where we can share tips, informations and tutorials as our contribution to the community. Visit us at http://rawrepublic.wordpress.com/! See you there! :D

Single Babies

2009-09-30T10:13:00.001+08:00

This cute kid in diaper danced to Single Ladies MV. This is hilarious!

Why I Like Apple Macintosh #1

2009-09-28T13:08:00.004+08:00

#1: I can run AutoCAD 2008 on Windows XP via Parallels Desktop 4 on Mac OSX. I can enjoy the best of Mac and the least worst of Windows at the same time. r0x0r!

The Day I Tied The Knot

2009-09-17T14:22:00.005+08:00

August 7th, 2009 is the day to remember. It was a beautiful day. It was the day I got married (yeah, finally!). It was a small & simple wedding that was held on both sides of the families that took place on the 8th and 9th of August 2009.

Never Give Up!

2009-02-24T20:14:00.003+08:00

A lot things have happened and still happening to me and around me. Times are rough and it started to get the best of everyone. This little man is a reminder for me to never ever give up.

This is a dedication to a dear friend who have lost his dearest friend recently.
This is a dedication to my colleagues across the global sites who have lost their jobs last Friday.

When you fall hard to the ground, when you see no hope, don't ever give up! Keep the spirit alive, get back up and move forward as there are wonderful things in life ahead of you.

Warmest wish from Azmi Rahman

Square

2009-01-14T20:46:00.010+08:00

Who would have guessed that the crazy-craze that I have 'buried' a long time ago has came back to hunt me. I've been trying so hard to forget about it but it seems pointless. Just like what people say, "resistance is futile'. You might be saying "Azmi went nuts due to this depressing recession that hit his company". Well, it is partly true. Being broke ain't fun! Eating canteen's RM1 fried mee, RM4 lunch and bread for dinner are now a routine. Anyway, let's put it aside and talk about this 'nightmare'.

It is all about the square. It is Hasselblad 503CW.

Gosh, this is the sexiest thing I have ever seen. Everything just fits nicely; perfect! Well sadly, I have to put this wet-dream away for a bigger and more important thing. Tying the knot ain't cheap! So, to feed the hunger of the square, I dig all my old photos and cropped them to square.

One day... One day...

You can also find me at here and here.

The Day I Went Bald!

2008-11-27T22:39:00.004+08:00

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.

Dopod 818 Pro is Prophet

2008-11-14T01:31:00.005+08:00

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.

Apple Online Store in Malaysia!

2008-11-13T07:04:00.003+08:00

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!

Good Morning, Penang!

2008-11-12T08:50:00.005+08:00

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.

Nikon D2X Camera Profile

2008-11-11T15:31:00.012+08:00

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.

SA-Penangkia™ Post-processing Sharing Session

2008-10-17T23:13:00.004+08:00

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.

www.nutmegstudio.com

2008-10-16T14:43:00.002+08:00

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

I'm Back In Business... Almost!

2008-10-16T14:19:00.010+08:00

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!

Why Photographers Charge So Much?

2008-10-16T10:20:00.005+08:00

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.

MacBook & MacBook Pro Re-Everything

2008-10-16T09:20:00.007+08:00

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!

SA-Penangkia™ Portrait Shoot-Out

2008-09-20T16:00:00.006+08:00

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*

Comment Problem

2008-09-18T06:02:00.003+08:00

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.

Canon Fights Back Hard?

2008-09-17T22:33:00.009+08:00

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*

Canon Fights Back!

2008-09-17T12:22:00.008+08:00

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*

SA-Penangkia™ Exclusive T-Shirt Is Ready!

2008-09-16T23:22:00.007+08:00

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*

The New Nikon D90!

2008-09-14T20:44:00.010+08:00

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*

My First DSLR!

2008-09-14T08:00:00.001+08:00

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)

No More PRO Account

2008-09-13T04:00:00.005+08:00

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*

The New Chapter

2008-09-13T00:00:00.012+08:00

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.