First of all, the picture above is NOT a postcard. XD

Since young, I enjoy eating Indian food. Maybe it's the spices that attract me. Enough said, here are some shots of the food I ate during the trip in India.

First off, we had the authentic Tandoori Chicken.



Next in the line would be the yummylicious Nasi Briyani with Chicken.



Other than Indian food, we had western breakfast in one of the hotels.

Short Talk: I finally got back my internet connection!!! Sorry for the long wait.

Here comes the anticipated post - my India trip.

Was I excited when my sister told me that she’s bringing me to India for a pre-wedding shoot? Well, I was actually delighted to be invited for trip because I would get the opportunity to learn from the wedding photographer himself, Yeh.

Many people asked me: “Why of all places, India?” and my reply would be: “I seriously have no idea?”

India, best known for its majestic forts and ancient monuments such as the Taj Mahal would be a great place for one to expand one’s creativity in photography. I couldn’t agree with it more.

In this post, you’re going to experience the condition in India as what I have seen and experienced. I didn’t really take much scenery photographs because most of the time I was juggling with speedlites and reflector.

The moment we landed in New Delhi, I was terrified by the dusty condition. It may seem foggy like Genting Highlands, but trust me; the air you’re about to breathe is not chilly but dusty.



I can say that I am now contented to be a Malaysian. Extreme poverty is no longer a problem in our country. But in India, you can see its poverty-stricken people flagging down cars to beg for a living.




The contrast between the rich and the poor is big; the rich can be very rich and the poor can be very poor.



I could still remember there was this lady who came to me during the first morning at the hotel entrance. She was begging money from me but being a foreigner, I could hardly understand what she was trying to say and ignored her instead. Some of you might think that I am cruel for not donating money to her. But if I was to do so, the whole village would come after me. It was a decision between humanity and safety in which I chose the latter.

And there was this boy who wanted to offer me a shoe-shine. Sadly, I rejected his offer because I wasn’t wearing any leather shoes but a pair of sneakers.



I was advised to eat hygienic food because foreigners are vulnerable to food poisoning in India. After seeing the condition in India, I had convinced myself to at least eat in a restaurant compared to the roadside hawker stalls.



We even drank countless bottles of mineral bottled water and soft drinks to keep ourselves hydrated.



Majority of the people in India are concerned about cost compared to comfort. For instance, they would prefer to fit as much passengers as possible in a bus to reduce the operation cost.



Besides that, they would prefer using man-powered bicycle to transport goods everywhere. Trishaws are commonly used as taxis to chauffeur tourists as well as the locals.



One thing I like about India is its vibrant colours. From trucks to buildings as well as clothing, each of them is colourfully painted which makes a good photography opportunity.



Please stay tune for more to come.

My internet has been down since last Thursday, hence, the lack of updates. Will get back to this blog as soon as my internet service is back.

Regards,
Patrick

Short talk: I just came back from India yesterday and have been suffering from minor tummy aches. :S Must be the food back in India. xD

Two weeks ago, the aunty turned twenty and most of us celebrated her birthday at Delicious by Ms. Read in One Utama.



It was supposed to be a surprise party for her but eventually she found out about it. I had even invited her secondary school friend but due to my carelessness, she found out about it, AGAIN!!



KNNCCB POTONG STIM BBQ MASALA CHICKEN!!!. Enough said.

But in the end, she was "surprised".

Food in Delicious is as mentioned, delicious. It is affordable and tasty. Besides that, the cozy feeling and the ambiance make you feel like home. Not to forget having pillow fights with your fellow friends.







What is a birthday celebration without birthday gifts?*wink wink*
I bought her a PSP lite crystal casing and a soft-toy keychain.


That's the birthday girl posing with her birthday present from Tysern.

And lastly, a group picture of all of us. =)

I'm currently blogging from my hotel room. India trails Malaysia by 2.5 hours in terms of time difference.

You can view the sneak preview photographs here:
http://wondrousvision.wordpress.com
http://wondrousvision.wordpress.com/latest/

Will be heading to Taj Mahal tomorrow.

I will be going to India tomorrow (13/03/2008 - 18/03/2008). Will be reaching Malaysia next Tuesday morning.

Taking a break from the current life. It is going to be an exciting trip! Wish me luck.

Meanwhile, taken this two weeks ago during Gene and Charmaine's wedding.



More to come..

The STPM results finally came out yesterday. The one that is going to determine my future.

Basically I was sitting at home and bumming around, not to forget working as a part-time teacher in SMKDJ since the last paper which was Physics paper 2.

Three months later, what I have been waiting for finally came. I was enjoying my life 12 hours before the release of my results at Tysern's place winning the pool of chips in mahjong.

As the time drew near, I couldn't really sleep because I was too worried about my results. In my mind, I was thinking of the mistakes I made when answering the questions.

And then, the time to face my results came.....



He's the top scorer in my school. He scored 5As and a smart ass. xD



You see how excited I was in the picture above when I was about to receive my results.

I even ripped off my exam slip which I had taped it back once I got home.



This is what I scored.



I missed Pengajian Am by a small margin!!! But it is still considered as straight A's. =) I was very happy with my results that I did a mexican wave.



While others were taking their results,



I was sitting at another corner being interviewed by the school's editorial board.




The first person I called was my mom. She was basically my strength in this examination who encouraged me throughout the way. And she actually bought it when I lied to her I got 2 A's and 2 B's but I still love her. Thanks mom! =)


Kok Joo and I



The smarties and the not so smart (the girl got 4A's).

*Photo credits to Dan Clam (Chen Lam) who is also the school's photographer.

*Edited*
In approximately less than 12 hours, STPM results will be announced. Part of me is excited to know the results and the other part is holding me back.

Questions such as : What if you didn't well? Should I check my results via sms now? What should I do if my results are bad? have been puzzling in my mind right now.

Well, as what they always say : You cannot change what has been done but just hope for the better. I have been receiving such quotes from friends and family, but deep down inside I know that I need more than just quotes. Ahhhh!!!! Just shoot me!!

Anyways, to all my other form 6 peeps, all the best!!!

*You might have to wait for a while for this post to load. Thank you for your patience.*

Two weeks ago, I was invited to attend Dreamgirls 08 organized by Models Magazine as media in Bangsar Avenue (a club).

For a moment, I thought I was going to attend the newly launched model reality show - Malaysian Dreamgirl.

But it didn't turn out to be what I expected.



It was a small competition between young and fresh models to showcase their "virgin walk" (walking on the runway for the first time). I only have two words to say regarding their runway walk - TOO FAST.



One of the hosts, Leng Yein is also the founder (boss) of Models Magazine.

Using a 400D, I was trying very hard to focus the models with the camera as they walked too fast. Despite using a fast lens (85mm f/1.8), I was having difficulties to ensure their eyes stay focused.



There were a total of three events - casual, bikini and glamor outfits.

I didn't have pictures on the glamor outfit session because I was using my friend's camera.

Overall, the models are not too bad. Here's my favorite model.





If not mistaken, she's only 21!! *OMG WTF BBQ*

Stay tune!

Just came back from Quin's Birthday Celebration.



More pictures to come. Heck STPM results!!!

"Thou should stay cum calm... "

The title says it all. =S

The answer is simple.

And by basic I mean the very least that you need to prepare.



What is a wireless flash trigger? Have you heard of Pocket Wizard?
If you have not, a wireless flash trigger is basically a radio transmitter device that triggers your flash remotely without connecting your flash to the camera's hot shoe.

Unlike the Pocket Wizards, the wireless flash trigger shown in the picture has a shorter range than its counterparts but the price is way much cheaper.

Next question, what is a softbox?

"A Soft box is a type of photographic lighting device, one of a number of photographic soft light devices. All the various soft light types create soft diffused light by directing light through some diffusing material, or by "bouncing" light off a second surface to diffuse the light. - Wikipedia "

There are many ways to set up your mini lighting system and it is totally based on personal preference.

As for me, this was how i set up my soft box.


Almost 45 degrees above the subject's head.
For some of my self portraits, I used a black sugar paper as a background.

And here's the results.



Only resizing and no editing was done. =)

I attended the launch of Models Magazine's Dreamgirl 08' in Bangsar Avenue(a club).

Here's one of the shots taken: