Night Birding ... (my 1st night birding)

I was use to night macro thought it is tough but then compare to night birding, think it is far tough compare to macro ....

my very 1st night birding, it is really tough as the viewfinder is almost totally dark, no AF, and we only able to use torch light direct close to the bird else it will fly off ... use the little available light from torch to get the bird focus is like a "guessing" game :( ... try and error need to make sure my object is focus but then it may have possible to make the bird fly off

few catch from my 1st night birding

this owl just amazing shy/sensititve .. almost not possible get close





was lucky got the Owl got the prey :D








more owl collection from me click here

2009 Oct 23-25 : Belum Rainforest Outing

Was join an outing with 30++ Natural lovers/photographers some introduction for the Belum Rainforest

One of Malaysia's premier eco-tourism destinations. The Belum-Temengor Rainforest is more than 130million years old, encompasses 300,000 hectares of paradise that is home to a vast number of unique species of animals and plants. It remains as one of the largest, untouched forest reserves in the world.

where is it ?


Our destination is more on Tasik Banding (South Belum) compare to the real Belum (Royal/North Belum) but then we still went to both side by boat ....

I will get start with few pictures here and more picture will be add later @http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/sets/72157622534424943/

We stay @Pulau Belia where 15min boat ride from Banding Jetty and think this is a good place where locate in the middle of the south and north Belum (if we going for 1st time)

At first here was place (5 * room) that I stay for 3 day 2 night ... wow .. I never stay at this type of "room" before and we had 5 people fit in this room :D

"where I sleep ... "


"view near our "resort" jetty"


4 of my wishes/plan to be there (photography)
i. hornbill (saw few type but still far to capture)
ii. lattern bug ... boat man say .. it is rare :(
iii. Rafflesia ... oh we make it
iv. Star Trail

"macro lenses finally can rest", is big enough that don't need a macro len :D


"am I look small ???"


my 1st Star Trail, look ok ?


Group picture for the Photocamp



ok .. stay tune for more pictures from Belum Rainforest, Tasik Banding
@http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/sets/72157622534424943/

News - my Macro pictures are published

am busy to pack for 4days 3 nights Belum Trip but think going to share this news before I leave Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning.

My pictures was sold and use for a Macro Education Book publish @Netherlands



about 20 pictures used and my profile was share in the book of

Digitale fotografie: Macro by Lars Polder
and available for sale @http://www.pearsoneducation.nl/produkt.asp?isbn=9789043018333&cat=com

even my pictures was use in book before but I am happy for this because my profile is share in a education book for the 1st time .....

bye .. and I will be away for 4 days to Belum Rainforest ... wish me good luck :D

Natural Outing 1 : Tanjung Bidara

will start arranging and post here for outing for spot I found so far ...

will be going to Tanjung Bidara, Melaka again for "Tiger" Hunting , slow shutter , sunset .. relax ... and after this outing may have another sharing for how to pp for macro, landscape on pictures captured


where : Tg Bidara, Melaka
when : 2-8pm, 31 Oct 2009
how : arrange car pool or drive own , NS highway follow Alor Gajah then look for Tg Bidara...
who :
1. liewwk ()
2. Shunfa (Tehtarik)
3. Hanne from Melaka
4. Sony Gang from Melaka
5. non photographer pretty girl .. can ask to be model .. depend your's skill ..
6. Densim
7. rotiplanta (Han Lin) (PM)
8. monkey drum (PM)
9. kit kat (PM)
10. yuck2kiss (PM)
11. dausz (PM)
12. akuchess (trying his best)
13. tipah696 (PM)
14. fareq2004 (PM)
15. Din72 (PM)

So far confirm car poor as below (for those not mention how to be there, will be assume go by own transport)
1. liewwk (from Seremban or PD)
2. Tehtarik (from PJ)
- total 3 pax already


few pictures from previous visit






i will sponsor a ipod shuffle for those get >=1:1 mating tiger of this on that day ... (aikssss , I failed to chase one ...) with conditions (will let u know when there and will share how to chase them based on past experience)

How I Shoot MACRO - few common poses of Dragonflies and how to capture them

thinking to share how DF poses to us and how we try to get it's best angle ....


- spent 2-3 hours to look for same dragonflies for some common poses ...

a very common or classic pose .. and not easy to get good view or capture of this :( ... may be you someone can comment or give some recomendation


DF seldom open their wing, but they do and this is one of them and beside the front view (other DF show below) .. angle is important to affect the DOF ... trying to hit/shoot @90 degree horizontal toward the DF body

common ... and as not 90 degree hit on the body the back body look OOF


change little angle
- whole body will look focus after small change of angle


(other DF)
front view look good too


from top ..
- not bad but not easy to get on top of it


face closeup ..
- not easy to get close like this .. but easy to do it while they sleep ... early morning or night time


a classic closeup ..
- can show beauty of the DF head
- take note on DOF .. normally need stack for both eye focus

Landscape Spot 2-1 - Genting Highland

this is continue from previous post @http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2009/08/landscape-spot-2-genting-highland.html ... but then this is another spot where I had travel there for 3-4 times for this spot before get a beautiful series as share below



... the warmer moment ...


details of above picture

this is little warmer after the freezing moment but then still really cold and after few more shots after this I need to run back to car .... ~~really cold for me ~~ @Genting Highland, Pahang, Malaysia 5dm2 + SIGMA1224@12mm + tripod # Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 160/100 second ===> 1.6 second (exp 0) # Lens F-Number / F-Stop = 1600/100 ===> ƒ/16 # ISO Speed Ratings = 50 pp - 3 raw exp HDR - burn sky - smart sharpen 150, 0.5, opacity 60% - crop bottom ~30-40% as too many distracting foreground object - frame resize to 300pix (end up 1800@long side)


this is little warmer after the freezing moment but then still really cold and after few more shots after this I need to run back to car .... ~~really cold for me ~~

@Genting Highland, Pahang, Malaysia

5dm2 + SIGMA1224@12mm + tripod
# Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 160/100 second ===> 1.6 second (exp 0)
# Lens F-Number / F-Stop = 1600/100 ===> ƒ/16
# ISO Speed Ratings = 50

pp
- 3 raw exp HDR
- burn sky
- smart sharpen 150, 0.5, opacity 60%
- crop bottom ~30-40% as too many distracting foreground object
- frame resize to 300pix (end up 1800@long side)

... Flaming sky ...


this was view just before ... the warmer moment ... (share below) and I really happy that this outing have 2 pictures that I really like ...

@Genting Highland, Pahang, Malaysia

5dm2 + Canon1740@24mm + tripod (with hand holding.. it was too windy)
# Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 25/10 second ===> 2.5 second
# Lens F-Number / F-Stop = 16/1 ===> ƒ/16
# ISO Speed Ratings = 50

pp
- curve increase contrast
- increase little saturation
- burn shadow on sky
- crop bottom
- frame, resize
- smart sharpen 140, 0.4, opacity 45%