what would happen if the camera was the fast-moving object?

Very cool :)
Read this

Nieuwjaarsduik, the ultimate dive

Winter swim is a tradition that I thought to be widespread only in Scandinavian countries. That is the huge mistake! After seeking help on New Year's Eve from my best friend - Google, I realized that the most happening version for winter swim is the New Year’s Dive (Nieuwjaarsduik). The amazing part is that it would take place at a location 20 minutes away from where I stay. Every 1st of January, the Pier at Scheveningen Beach bears witness to some 10,000 people that will fulfill their annual tradition by diving into the North Sea at 12 noon sharp!

This morning, the streets appeared cold and quiet with the aftermath of firecrackers littered all over the city. It was really beyond my imagination to think how anyone would really go and dive in the icy cold water. Like...how? In fact, the sunny weather was just great for cuddling in bed! So, there goes another mistaken assumption.

20 minutes later, I arrived at the pier and walked into an excited crowd. Some were wearing orange beanie with the word Unox embroidered in front. Guess what does Unox do? Unox, the event's annual sponsor, is a sausage factory and they provided a canned pea soup in the goodie bag. How thoughtful.



Prior to the kick off, DJ blasted upbeat music with usherettes leading the crowd for a warm up party dance. It was just another lively post NYE street party. There were families, friends, couples, grannies, grandpas, children and puppies. Occasionally, I walked into some swimmers with impressive outfit - the kings and queens, policemen and pole-dancers or both, superheroes and alike. I was truly inspired by the madness and courage of these people. So, my new year resolution for 2010 includes getting fit for the cold and my new year resolution 2011 is topped with doing the new year's dive!


Unox rocks


Sisterhood


Headstart!


Make it twice

According to holland.com:

The dive began in 1965 at the initiative of Jan van Scheijndel, who was an English Channel swimmer. In that year seven people took part in the plunge. Over the course of time the New Year’s Dive has grown into a massive event and is sponsored by the Unox sausage factory. In 2007 the event had to be cancelled for the first time in 39 years due to bad weather conditions.

He made it, did you?

For more information visit: www.unoxnieuwjaarsduik.nl.

Headshot

(via)

Argentinian photographer, Catalina Bartolome, shot a couple of interesting photos portraying women who all cover their faces with unusual household items. It's idea like this that keeps photography lively and interesting! And don't get the message wrong - women are so much more than these!!

With the rest of Catalina’s work, here.

Photography Between the Sheets

(via - Photography Between the Sheets: Love Hotel Series by Grace Kim. Visit this link for more pictures. )

New York native photographer Grace Kim caught glimpses of aftermath of visiting pay-by-the-hour hotels in Seoul. It questions what's left after the absence of love for a couple. Well, at least this is what I get out of it. It's the emptiness that gives me an eerie feeling.

And Grace's take on this project is:

“Love hotels in South Korea are commonly known to be where lovers go to carry on secret affairs. I was given access to photograph the rooms of a love hotel in Seoul after couples had checked out and before the rooms had been cleaned. Korean culture has many rules and formalities that have always felt very restrictive to me, so I was intrigued by the idea of being where I shouldn’t be and observing things I shouldn’t be observing — remnants of love affairs that were presumably forbidden as well. Absence of color, like the absence of identity, extracts the bed from their original context and realism, leaving space for personal projections and imagination.”

Excerpt from Flavorwire: Works from the “Love Hotel” series — including three 40″ x 60″ prints – will be on display at Melanie Flood Projects through October 7. Under the Glass Bell, A Dream is photographer Grace Kim’s first solo exhibition. The gallery is open by appointment only; email for more information or attend the opening on Wednesday, September 9, from 7-10 pm.

If you're in New York, there you go:

186 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11205

Reuters Editor’s choice - Best photos

I found this in my daily Google Reads. Powerful pictures? Of course I've seen even more powerful epics in image form. But second picture on Winton’s children struck me the most.

( Source: Reuters Original Post )

The melted metal from a vehicle that burned during the Station Fire is pictured in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles, California September 1, 2009. The so-called Station Fire has charred 127,000 acres (51,000 hectares), an area nearly the size of Chicago, destroyed at least 62 homes, and is still capable of terrible destruction, fire commander Mike Dietrich said. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

A girl, re-enacting a scene from 70 years ago, stands in front of the Winton train before its departure from Prague to London September 1, 2009. The historical train departed from Prague on Tuesday to re-trace the original route from Prague to London with several survivors and descendants of 669 so-called “Winton’s children” on board. The “Winton’s children” were rescued by Sir Nicholas Winton in 1939 from being sent to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps. REUTERS/Petr Josek

A woman mourns inside the Beslan school gymnasium September 1, 2009. One thousand children and parents were taken hostage by Chechen separatists on the first day of the new school year on September 1, 2004. After three days of siege, Russian forces stormed the school and some of the rebels blew themselves up. A total of 333 hostages — more than half of them children — were killed in the chaos and hundreds were wounded. REUTERS/Stringer

Military and forensic experts inspect the body of a man who was killed outside a nightclub in the border city of Ciudad Juarez August 31, 2009. A man was handcuffed to a fence and shot several times by drug hitmen outside a nightclub, according to local media. The assailants also left a warning message, known as “narco mensaje”, at the site of the shooting. REUTERS/Alejandro Bringas

Kimiko Yoshida

Photographer Kimiko Yoshida transforms herself into the brides of the world in an ongoing series of self-portraits taken over the last seven years.

View more from her site http://www.kimiko.fr.

The Sakura Bride, 2006

The Cyber Bride, 2003

The Green Tea Bride, 2006

The Mao Bride, 2006

The Pokemon Bride, 2002

The Tamates Bride, Vanuatu, 2003

The Afghani Bride with a Bukhara Cap, 2005

The Shinto Bride, 2002

Marilyn Minter

Marilyn Minter, one true artist that creates visual projection through motion capturing photography or motion pictures itself.

Read The Year in Pictures for more. This will say enough about her.

Open Door

Front door, originally uploaded by Craft & Creativity.

Knock knock? Anybody home?
Knock knock who?
Knock knock, it's just me.

Then, you open the door and let someone in.

It's just 27 May and I have no words of wisdom for you

Life's a mess, and we have long known this but are just reluctant to accept the fact. Perhaps, when the childishness was lost that long long time ago, and when responsibility is what keep you going in your life, when the decision that seems appropriate is not what you wish, when all the happen is not what you imagine. It all starts when when you start learning the meaning of life.

Today, yours truly, me, have no mood for everything but the mood to write an emo post. Thus, my complaints below:
1. Politics are for power hunger people. You're either one of them, or the victim of the game.
2. Life's a bigger mess than you think it is. So, deal with it.
3. The more you want to stop thinking about it, the more it will stay in your mind. So do something else.
4. Do not forget dinner and Thursday night is for friends. ( You didn't see this one coming, did you? :p )

Post #101

For this 101st post made after the blog was revamped, all I have is something sad to say. Change is constant. And this realistic rule applies to friendship, relationship, and non-human relationship matter. That sounds exactly like a non believer of everything. Well ... meet "me".

Writing at an impulsive moment can be rewarding to capture some hidden personality/traits that you never realize you would have.

Smug.

Sharing with you some nice pictures behind the scenes of 007 Quantum of Solace.

Direction

Photography was a license to go whenever I wanted and to do what I wanted to do.

---- Diane Arbus

BW

James Craig takes beautiful black and white landscape photographs. He is clearly a master in the art of black and white photography, and knows how to use nature's textures to create his unique works of art.

(via)

The Sun

I read this from The Sartorialist's blog. And this confirms my theory that the sun in Australia that lil bit different from here !

A few of you commented that the light in Australia seems very different. You're right. Actually, it is not that different - but since they are going into Winter the sun is much lower in the sky as opposed to in the Summer when it is very high and has a harsh shadowing effect. That's why I could take a midday beach shot without all of the hard light reflecting off of the sand.

The must-have wedding shots!

Just to let you have a taste on what's on my mind lately. Yes, it's THE Must-have Wedding Photography Shot List! This will be my bible reference list although it's more suitable for western ceremony. Hopefully, no screw up on D-day.


By Ryan Brenizer

1. Prep Shots - Bride & Groom
2. The Dress - Hanging or Draped
3. The North Window Shot - Bride facing out northern most window
4. Bride walking down stairs
5. Bride looking out (window or door)
6. Maid of Honor & Brides Mom - Zipping Dress
7. Bride Applying Make Up
8. Groom Fixing Hair
9. Grooms Father & Best Man - Attaching Boutonnière to grooms lapel
10. Groom Checking the Time
11. Groom with Grooms Men & Fathers
12. Bride with Bridesmaids & Mothers
13. Bride with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
14. Groom with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
15. Bride Limo - Groom Limo
16. Bride & Groom - Exiting Limo (Bride being helped out)
17. Groom waiting at altar
18. Church Wide Shot (with & without guests)
19. Bride walking down aisle ( Side Profile & Front )
20. Father giving away bride
21. Groom over the shoulder shot of bride ( & Vis Versa)
22. Holding hands - Bride and Groom
23. Bride & Groom Kiss
24. Bride & Groom Leaving Church ( Receiving Line)
25. Bride & Groom - Inside Limo Shot
26. Reception/Banquet Hall Outside shot
27. Food Shots (Cocktail Hour, Drinks, etc.)
28. Shot of each table full of guests
29. Shots of Bride & Groom with & without family
30. Bride and Groom Portraits
31. Bride & Groom with Bridesmaids & Groomsmen
32. Bride and Groom Hand & Ring Portraits
33. First Dance
34. Bride & Father Dance
35. Groom & Mother Dance
36. Bouquet Toss
37. Guarder Belt Toss
38. Cake Cutting, Bride and Groom Feeding each other
39. Misc. Guests Dancing
40. Bride & Groom Eating
41. Best Man & Maid of Honor Toast/Speeches
42. Bride & Groom Toast/Speeches
43. Centerpieces & Flower/Decorations
44. Guestbook Signatures
45. Small Children Dancing with Bride & Groom
46. Bride & Groom’s Parents Dancing (Plus Grandparents)
47. Venetian Hour Photos (Coffee, Ice Cream, Etc)
48. Bride & Groom giving away wedding favors
49. Groom Giving Coat to Bride
50. Bride & Groom “Just Married” Vehicle - Driving Away

（Source: Digital Photography School)

Pick One

Prayer flags, Langtang, Nepal

It's the sour grape effect talking when others have done what you dare not attempt.
So, you'll go " wow, that's so amazing...I wish I could..." and that kind of crap.

Please start doing something for yourself today.

Fashion Photography

Brief from NotCot.org
" An amazing editorial by brilliant photographer Steven Klein for Vogue Italia 'Future Couture' with Guinness heiress Daphne Guiness. It's pure art. "

Ditto.

Read it at The Arab Aquarius blog.

The pay day

Since I don't have a telly, my only access to Olympics updates is, the usual way, HD cap files that I only will only finish collecting 2 days after Olympics Closing ceremony.

Then, just like all others that are fascinated by Gymnastics since young, a gymnast by the name of Nastia Liukin caught my attention. So, naturally, I went on a google and wiki about this athlete. Interesting enough, I have landed this search result that kept me wondering about sports management. You do make a big buck out of it, if you've good talents and marketing strategy. See, you don't have to be great!

Read this. The Pay Day, an interesting article about Nastia Liukin's sports agent.

Olympics

This is what you have missed from Olympics.
And now I know what the 400mm lens is all about!
It's ok if you do not understand German. I don't, as well.

View the best moments of Olympics from Stern.de

Through the light

Through the light
I see hope

I am all ready to leap





Taken at unknown empty carpark in KL | 2008

Story of a girl

She was part of the flock of kids that tailed most tourists that visited Red Sand Dunes in Mui Ne. This girl was definitely different from the others that kept "Buy from me! Buy from me!" hanging by their lips.

Far behind the cluster of shadows, a tiny figure was tailing behind them. I was taking my slow steps from far, not being disturbed by any of the kids since I looked like poor Asian or non-Korean that wouldn't sled sand. Then she stood there, without the plastic board in hand and asked,"Sand-sledding? " I said No because I just came from White Sand Dunes and I have done sand-sledding over there. Well, it was a lie because I didn't fancy much of this sand-sledding thing ( Come on, it was real crap! ) so I just spent all my time over there strolling on the white sand and the huge lake.

Then she said,"Ah, White sand dune is beautiful". I was hoping that she would leave just like the others, giving up and not disturbing me anymore. She did not. She walked next to me, quietly, not saying a word. So, I realized that, she was not part of them, she didn't have the big plastic board to sell her service, she didn't ask a lot of top-ten-annoying-kids-must-ask questions. My observation just encouraged me to start a conversation with her for the next hour.

She's the only kid I have met that would let me take her portrait and not asking for money in return. (This is a complement, trust me. ) At first, she was shy and reluctant whenever I pointed my camera at her. As time went by, we sat on the sand dune, played with the soft but burning sand.

From then, she started to let down her guard and smile in such innocence that I hope will stay with her as long as it can.

Note:
Most kids you see in Vietnam will sell you something. If they don't, their parents might, too.