London Photowalk 2
Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010
Well, the marathon idea sounded quite 'fun'. At that time I thought of challenging myself and perhaps doing a half-marathon would be a fun thing to do the next time around. Unfortunately, after a 28km walkathon in London left me with a 2-week bruised foot, I don't think I'll be joining another endurance activity anytime soon.
So I was told by aerobic-bodybuilding enthusiast CW Lim that he was able to take 1hr 45 minutes to complete a half marathon. Doing the math, I estimated that he would take up to 3hr 30minutes to complete a full run. I even deducted 10 minutes just incase he was exceptionally fast and fit.
Well I won't say how long he took, but I basically got there quite late, and had given up waiting. Fortunately I bumped into him along the way back to my car. At least he finished it before my stomach started growling.
Weather was beautiful. It drizzled in the morning and then the scorching sun started to come out which I dreaded at that time. Ironically, as I write this post I am longing for the blue skies and sunlight to appear in this fantastic English weather. It was my first time witnessing a marathon. It was amazing and inspiring to see so many fellow Malaysians out and about, from all ages and walks life taking part in this endurance-breaking feat; including the many that are walking or leisurely strolling.
A nice change to see people taking part in such events, which really helps to add colour and fun in one's life. Putting a break to the usual weekly routines and experiencing something different, especially with your loved ones.
It is even more inspiring to see so people challenging themselves, supporting each other and going all the way pushing the limits of their endurance. To some extent, I was able to relate to their experiences, with the thought of stopping and resting persistently attacking your tired mind.
It is very much a test of one's mental endurance as much as one's physical abilities. Throughout the final leg of the marathon, many supporters kept cheering on the participants to not give up. It felt great seeing all the energy and vibe going around; moments like these make me proud to be a Malaysian.
I must express my utmost respect to many of the seniors who were participating in the marathon. Despite their age, they were able to complete the run, regardless of how long it took. Their strength and determination really puts an unhealthy young runt like me to shame.
It was quite a worthwhile experience waking up early in the morning (7.00am) to come witness the marathon. Deep down, I hope that I am able to take part and successfully complete a run like this, in the (distant) future. Something to add to my bucket list.
And finally, the picture below of our champion! Feel free to guess his time (Hint: 4:30 - T - 5:30). Congratulations CW!
Bernard Chandran Autumn Winter 2010-11
Early 2010, as the cold winter is ending, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend a fashion show. It was my first time attending such an event, and I was super excited. Furthermore, I had the chance to use the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 L lens, which was insanely awesome (first time handling an L lens).
Anyways, please enjoy some of the few shots I dared to post. The others didn't really come out that well. And the problem with using the 70-200mm, is that I was too CLOSE! I was only at the event as a guest and not an official photographer.
And if you are puzzled over what sort of 'unique' fashion this is, hi-5 to you as I really have no idea whats going on.
Maybe its just my lack of understanding for art =) Enjoy!
London 2010 Countdown
The 2010 London countdown coverage comes in 8 months late. Yes it is indeed mega procrastination. Thankfully it is out before the 2011 countdown, otherwise I might never post it up, ever. For this photo series, I did not go for long exposure method, with the long light trails. But I would definitely want to try them next time.
2009 marks another amazing year in university, with plenty of amazing and fun experiences. It also marks the start of next step into DSLR photography. And it ended with a good display of colourful fireworks. I won't really delve into how the 2009 year has been as I'm sure you are not interested. Instead I'll just stick to the photographs.
This is my favourite scene of the fireworks show. It isn’t the flashy blasts of lights display or the bombastic explosions in the sky. I was mesmerized by the millions of floating lights in the sky, which is like a brilliant display of stars in the sky. And the stars seem to be drawing nearer as it floats down.
The countdown was held at the London Eye, along the Thames River. The entire area was literally filled with people, and the few of us were waiting in the freezing cold about 3-4 hours before to get a good view.
Seasoned countdown-goers were there with mini chairs and hot chocolate, picnicking in the cold while waiting. That is something to note for those of you going for the next one. The above picture contains few of the many colours the London Eye lights up in. Quite a beautiful mix of colours.
Unfortunately, things weren't so rosy after the countdown. Drunk or overly excited people started to get rowdy, and being stuck with thousands of people taking the tube at once is hardly a pleasant experience. Best to have an accommodation nearby to avoid the mass exodus of people going home. Do be careful when you are going for these events!
Hungry Ghost Festival 2009
As the 2010 Hungry Ghost Festival draws near, I hope to share some of the pictures I took last year. In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
The Ghost Festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. During this month, the gates of hell are opened up and ghosts are free to roam the earth where they seek food and entertainment.
dThese ghosts are believed to be ancestors of those who have forgotten to pay tribute to them after they had died, or those who have suffered deaths and were never given a proper ritual for a send-off. They have long thin necks because they have not been fed by their family, or it is a sign of punishment so they are unable to swallow. Sourced from Wikipedia
Its been almost a year since the 2009 Festival. Well, I'm slowly uploading the shots I took whenever I can, sort of like revisiting the past. I hope this series does not contain any scary silhouettes though. In case those of you who knows me are wondering where the chinese words come from; Google.
Old Trafford - MU vs WW
On the 15th of Dec, Alex and I went to Manchester to watch a match. Well I don't really know football, but according to Alex, tickets were cheap at GBP50? I wanted the experience, so why not. Went down to Manchester for a night.
Many thanks to my college mate Siak Gee for having us over. Also had a tour around the city courtesy of Alexis. Didn't really spot anything extraordinary in the city, so no pics there.
Oh, if you are still wondering what were the words at the bottom of each picture, they are the chants from the fans. You can hear them here at http://www.fanchants.com/football-team/manchester_united/. I've only included the ones I like, but you can find more over there..jpg)
Well I must comment in a cliché manner that, the experience was so surreal. Outside the stadium everything seems normal and you keep seeing bare concrete walls and metal stairs. But once you come across the door which leads inside the stadium, its like an opening into another world. With seating capacity of 75,957 (wiki), it feels amazing being in the stands.%20copy.jpg)
In the Owen Hargreaves pic, directly opposite from where the view is in the corner the opposition stand. Just the 2 columns. If I'm not mistaken less than 1000 Wolverhampton fans were present.
I'm not really a football person, but it was fun. Especially exhilarating when goals are scored. Other than that, the ball just goes back and forth across the field. Luckily the funny chants from the fans were quite the amusement.
We went for the Old Trafford tour the next day, which takes you around the stadium and into the off limit places. You even get to walk right next to the pitch (not on it though). It was an interesting experience, but I doubt I'll be paying so much to watch a football match again.Christmas + Ski Trip to Les Arcs, France
In the winter of 2009, we went on a Skiing trip to Les Arcs, France. Although it was a skiing trip, a few of us, myself included opted for snowboarding. We had to go through a crazy long bus journey (20 or 30 hrs, can’t remember) which was held up due to adverse weather conditions; the crazy snow.
Since the trip was for about 7 days long (minus the bus trips), we had to spend Christmas over at the Ski Resort. It was such a beautiful place, sort of like entering a fairy tale. I can’t help but wonder how Switzerland or Austria would be like.
There was a Christmas countdown-fireworks show along the slopes of the mountain. It was my first time taking photos of fireworks, which was quite a good experience. Had to tweak a lot of the settings to try getting the best light paths etc. It didn’t work out that well, but still acceptable I guess.
It was rather difficult to take photos while snowboarding. Can’t imagine falling and having my dslr fly into the air. So, was only able to take out the camera on the last day, and even then I had to set it aside and take shots when I’m not on the board.
Snowboarding, is just awesome. Although skiing may seem to be the more practical safe choice, snowboarding seems really cool. Well I can't comment much considering I did not attempt to ski, but it just feels good. Although the first 3-4 days of learning nearly cost me an arm and a leg (bruises from falling), it was definitely a worth while experience.
A tasty shot of the 1950 special. 1950 is the level of the mountain the village is on, which I’m assuming is 1950 meters above sea level. This amazing waffle is so delicious, with chocolate sticks skewered into the waffle itself.
Siberian husky? My favourite breed. I find the dog's glare really cool, and the fur is just nice, not too fluffy or naked. Feel like hugging it but didn't want to die so fast.
More shots of the fairy tale village.
First attempt at Panorama shot. It didn’t work out that well as I didn’t have a tripod with me. The gradient of the ground is also extremely tilted. Click to enlarge!
This is a lovely pic of Cik Sophia/Sophy. I actually flipped the picture horizontally cause it felt better this way. Apart from that, very minor touches to the contrast and the shot turned out great!
Ahem, this shot is dedicated to the special couple of the trip. I’m sure you guys have had a great time together on the trip =)
Last shot, an attempt at B&W + Vintage look. I still can’t achieve the type of warm gentle vintage feel that I’m looking for. Still need a lot of practice. Cheerio ~