Tag: Martin Parr

First Roll of Film from Spotmatic F (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on by eddietay in Colour

Holding a Spotmatic F reminded me of my first encounter with an M16 rifle.

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Could something that felt so clunky really work?

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After having learnt how to disassemble the rifle and put it back together, I felt no better.

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It looked suspiciously uncomplicated – I actually understood how the rifle worked.

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How could that clicking sound when I pull that trigger be taken seriously?

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As I eventually discovered, after zeroing that rifle (aligning the sights to my eye for projectile accuracy) at a 300m range, it was powerful indeed, and not something to be taken lightly. I’ve never forgotten that feeling (and the recoil).

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It’s the same with a camera – after all, it involves training, preparation, positioning, proper gripping, sighting and shooting.

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And you’ll need to control your breathing to maximize shot accuracy.

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The rifle (and camera) is supposed to be an extension of your self and will.

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Did I mention I was a marksman in my previous life (2 decades ago)?

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In case you think I’m some kind of gun-crazy nut, it’s actually a common experience, if you’re a combat-fit Singaporean male who had to do national service (30 months of it in my time).

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As you can see, I’m sublimating all that weapons training, channelling it into street photography.

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It’s all about vision, discipline and decision points.

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You are what you shoot.

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You are how you shoot.

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Street photography, especially with film cameras, have taught me to respect mechanical tools and appreciate the history that came with them.

The evolution of Leica, Asahi Pentax, Voigtlander, and so on, is a history of modern life.

It is this history that gave us our Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivien Maier, Diane Arbus, Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, etc.

Thanks for reading.

 

Camera: Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic F

Lens: S-M-C Takumar 24mm F 3.5

Film: Kodak UltraMax 400

 

 

 

 

 

Yuen Long: Hello Kitty Organic Farm and Harbin Ice Festival

Posted on by eddietay in Colour

So, my family did the excursion package thing again and we went to the Hello Kitty Organic Farm and Harbin Ice Festival.

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First stop – Hello Kitty Go Green Organic Farm.

Check out the landscape here – I’m beginning to think it’s a myth that Hong Kong does not have enough land.

This is usually cited as an explanation for high property prices.

I’m beginning to think: if this is indeed a myth, then who benefits from this?

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There’re activities for kids here – they get a map and they’re supposed to get stamps at various stations.

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There’re handmade toys for sale.

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Plants for sale.

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Turn left for Hello Kitty.

Turn right for Hello Kitty.

Walk ahead for Hello Kitty.

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Run for Hello Kitty.

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Hello Kitty refreshment corner.

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It’s actually a very beautiful and intriguing place if you’re into (street) photography.

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Shady scarecrow.

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You could rent a plot of land here for a few months to tend to your crops.

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It’s all very properly laid out, with your name written down so you won’t end up tending to someone else’s plot.

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Feed the goat!

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Ditto what I said earlier about land in Hong Kong.

Look at my clever composition.

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Tiny windmill, tiny scarecrow.

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Ah – the pastoral life…

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Chrysanthemum tea for sale.

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Washing hands after feeding the goats.

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My very suave shadow.

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Our cheerful excursion guide.

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Boredom in the tour coach.

Yes finally, we arrived at the Harbin Ice Festival.
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The colours and lines look well-balanced to me.

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Nice looking cable tower…

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We were in the exhibition hall at Harbin Ice Festival.

It’s minus 10 degrees Celsius in here.

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Psychedelic penguin.

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Everything here is carved out of ice.

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I paid close attention to the colours.

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I’m having a Martin Parr moment.

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Bye bye and thanks for stopping by!

 

All pictures were taken with Canon G11, which you could now call a classic camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for Singapore II

Posted on by eddietay in About Singapore, Colour

I usually have 2 cameras with me during a photo-walk.

The previous post was with my stealthy Olympus XA2 loaded with Ilford XP2 400 film, while this is a Summicron 50mm Type II Rigid on a Leica M6 loaded with Kodak Portra 400.

I sometimes go all Daido Moriyama with my Olympus XA2 (or I try, at least), while with the Leica, I get that understated Martin Parr social commentary look (or I try, at least).

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So that’s the flat visible from Bras Basah Complex, my favourite haunt since when I was a teenager as it’s the place to go to for secondhand books.

I took an Irish colleague there once and he said quite accurately that he could see that Bras Basah Complex was a formative part of my education.

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Good old civil defence!

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Singapore, along with its many historical landmarks, are works under construction.

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That’s just outside the Arts House. I supposed you could call this commissioned graffiti.

“If You Dream Too Long” calls to mind If We Dream Too Long, the title of a novel by the late Goh Poh Seng. I met him once at a literary festival.

The author of yet another great Singaporean novel, Heartland,  Daren Shiau, once told he admires the writings of Goh a lot. Heartland is many ways a response to If We Dream Too Long. Read these two books if you want to know Singapore.

Yes, yes, that’s my inner Singaporean literature nerd emerging.

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That’s outside Ngee Ann City, a very appropriately named shopping complex because it’s so gigantic.

Yes, the humongous bookstore Kinokuniya Books is in there. It’s a place I go to for inspiration.

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The stone lion outside Ngee Ann Complex, representing prosperity and all the good stuff and guarding all that conspicuous wealth inside the shopping mall.

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That’s the ice-cream uncle at Orchard Road. I’ll usually buy a durian ice-cream wrapped in bread from him. It costs all of SGD$1. Pretty amazing.

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That’s “Urban People”, the art sculpture in front of Ion Orchard, delighting tourists always.

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We’re always being framed by brand names at Orchard Road, with fashion models watching over us, reminding us of what we could be if only we’re willing to spend just a little bit more …

Thanks for reading!