Semi-Frozen Mountain Stream - Swiss Alps

D700 70-300mm @ 135 ISO200 f/8 1/250

It is cold... These thin gloves allow me to operate the camera while keeping my hands from freezing... The camera is cold too... To get close enough, there was a patch of fresh snow 30cm thick to cross... Nice exercise... The reflection in the stream is a mountain that is receiving the first sun rays of the day.

Chamois & Kid In The Swiss Alps

D700 70-300mm @ 165 ISO200 f/5.6 +0.7EV 1/60

The camera bag followed me for this trip to Saas-Fee in the Swiss Alps. A first morning walk was extremely rewarding with the encounter of a herd of chamois. They were curious and let me approach them till approx. 15 meters. The kid was shy, seeking protection behind its mother.

To ensure the correct exposure of the snow, slight positive compensation was required. Saas-Fee being located at 1800m altitude, temperature was around minus 6 deg C. Problem was condensation on the glass of the view finder. Best is to use an eye cup to avoid the photographer's breath to cloud the finder. Furthermore, battery was used 3 time faster than when used at higher temperature. I had kept a second one in a warm pocket close to the body but did not need to change it as I still had three bars after 100+ shots!

Explosion of Lights - Singapore

D700 24mm ISO200 f/16 1/8

If you walk into the large Christmas tree in front of the new Ion building, look up, a surprise awaits you.

Lady Reindeer - Singapore

D700 50mm ISO200 f/2 1/15 handheld

An easy shot. I could not resist to post it though.

The Floating Xmas Trees - Singapore

D700 50mm ISO200 f/2 1/60

When I saw these floating Xmas trees within the modern metal and glass structure of Wheelock Place on Orchard Road, Singapore, I could not resist taking the shot.

The Spirit of Xmas in Singapore - Lights on Scotts Road

D700 70-300mm @ 70 ISO200 f/16 1/2

An evening trip was organized to try to catch a little of the spirit of Christmas in Singapore.

After some testing, it appeared that a white balance set at 4'500k gave relatively pleasant colors. The car trailing lights could have been lengthen by extending the shutter time. This would however have been at the expense of having a few sharper vehicles and passer-byes on the frame.

The Pagoda Flower

D700 500mm ISO400 f/8 -0.7EV 1/250 tripod

The Pagoda Flower can be found in secondary forest where the canopy is breached and allow some sun to reach the ground. The 500mm was used for this shot as the plant was located out of reach.

Little Egret at Sungei Buloh

D700 500mm 1.4 converter ISO800 f/5.6 1/500 Tripod

Little egrets are common sightings at Sungei Buloh during the Northern Hemisphere migratory period. What was interesting here was the way the egret was "puffing up" its feathers, a behavior that I did not quite understand.

The Blue Dragonfly

D700 70-300mm @ 300 20mm ext. tube ISO400 f/5.6 1/250 Tripod

A blue dragonfly in equilibrium on a pondweed.

Grasshopper on a Winding Path

D700 70-300mm @ 300 +20mm ext. tube ISO400 f/11 1/125 Built-in flash -1.3EV Tripod

Some macro for a change. In fact, the 70-300mm lens works quite well with an extension tube. It gives you sufficient range not to disturb the animal as well as a decent magnification. A tripod is however absolutely necessary as the VR does not help sufficiently to reduce handshake.

I liked the "Mile a Minute" plant (the creeper plant) as much as the grasshopper and felt that the composition was rather interesting...

Back to the Mangroves of Khatib Bongsu

D700 70-300mm @ 70 ISO200 f/5.6 1/30

Back to the mangrove of Khatib Bongsu, here at sunrise and low tide. The mist was very much present this morning. It gave a particular soft feel to the picture.

Portrait of a Wild Pig - Pulau Ubin

D700 70-300mm @ 70 ISO400 f/5.6 1/60

Oink, Oink - Further to a special request, here is a second picture of the wild pig we met on Pulau Ubin!

Pulau Ubin Mini Series – End of the Day

D700 70-300mm @ 125 ISO400 f/11 1/500

The bicycle rental shops were packing for the day. It was time to go. Contented of our excursion, we boarded for a trip back to the present. It was a refreshing experience and we promised ourselves to return early in the new year.

Pulau Ubin Mini Series – Power Generation

D700 70-300mm @ 170 ISO400 f/11 1/60

There have been some talks about installing landlines to the island. Till today, all the electricity required is produced by diesel generators and some solar panels. This is astonishing as Pulau Ubin is located not further than 15 minutes away by bumboat from Singapore, one of the world’s most modern metropolises.

Pulau Ubin Mini Series – The Red Bicycles

D700 70-300mm @ 85 ISO400 f/11 1/125

After returning the bicycles, we walked around town. The sun was lower in the sky and shadows were softer and longer. I liked the light and tried to take advantage of it in this picture.

Pulau Ubin Mini Series – The Old Hawker Cart

D700 70-300mm @ 110 ISO400 f/8 1/250

On the way back to Ubin Town, we noticed this disregarded hawker cart in front of a washed out blue door… A stop was required to take the shot!

Pulau Ubin Mini Series - The Wild Pig

D700 24mm ISO400 f/5.6 1/30

While reaching Chek Jawa Visitor Centre by the old rubber estate, we had a surprise encounter with a wild pig. It was a pretty tame animal that almost paused for its portrait. I could not avoid picturing Obelix carrying this poor creature for its dinner after a successful hunt in the forest of Armorica.

Pulau Ubin Mini Series – The Coconut

D700 70-300mm @ 92 ISO400 f/5.6 1/15

Caught in a sudden downpour, we sought cover in a side road hut, where two ladies were selling beverages and fresh coconuts. While waiting for the rain to go by, I noticed the shiny pot, used to keep drinking water in the absence of water on tap, and thought that it would be a perfect subject for a picture… The rain stopped as quickly as it had started and we pursued our cycling tour of the island…

Pulau Ubin Mini Series - Ubin Town

D700 70-300mm @ 75 ISO400 f/11 1/500

To start this mini series on Pulau Ubin, here is a typical postcard shot of the first two houses of Ubin Town, the last kampong (village in Malay) of Singapore. The 17:30 light gives a nice warmth and reduces the harsh contrasts of earlier hours.

A Lotus Flower - The Pond at Ang Moh Kio Park

D700 500mm ISO400 f/11 -1.7EV 1/500 tripod

A lotus flower with a slight back light. Taken at the pond of Ang Moh Kio Park. The 500mm was an overkill but the extra reach helped the composition as one is not quite allowed to wade in the pond.

Ang Moh Kio Park - The Lotus Pond

D700 24mm PC-E ISO 200 f/22 1/8 tripod

First visit to this park. While the purpose of the trip was to photograph the lotus flowers, a landscape shot seemed appropriate.

Green Crested Lizard at Lower Pierce Reservoir

D700 70-300mm @ 300 +12mm ext tube ISO200 f/11 1/30 built-in flash -0.7EV tripod

It always seems that the the green crested lizard has looked through binoculars with ink on the rubber (the old prank). This picture was taken at Lower Pierce Reservoir.

Walkways At Lower Pierce Reservoir

D700 70-300mm @ 92 ISO400 f/22 1/15 tripod

Another interesting park with wooden walkways within a secondary forest and along Singapore's second largest fresh water reservoir. Here, the first rays of the sun piercing through the canopy.

Rain Forest Mini Series 4/4 - The Bird Nest Fern

D700 14-24mm @ 14 ISO200 f/16 -0.3EV 1/4 tripod

These ferns are quite common in Singapore. I thought that this one deserved a picture anyway!

The undergrowth in a rain forest is restricted by the lack of sunlight at ground level. This makes it possible to walk through the forest. If the leaf canopy is destroyed or thinned, the ground beneath is soon colonized by a dense, tangled growth of vines, shrubs, and small trees.

Photography in this environment presents a few challenges:
- low light,
- requirement for high depth of field,
- difficulty of access (muddy forest floor, insects…)
- high humidity

For the low light and high depth of field, usage of wide angle lens and tripod is recommended. A burst of flash might be useful to bring up some colors, maybe with some compensation to decrease the output if subject to brighten is close to the camera. Just choose old shoes and be prepared to be muddy from head to toe. Use insect repellent and avoid stepping on ants’ path… To keep the camera dry, a towel is useful, perfect as well to wipe out the sweat… These are just some ideas, as I am still learning the trade!

Rain Forest Mini Series 3/4 - Young Fern Leave

D700 14-24mm @ 14 ISO200 f/16 -0.7EV 1/4 tripod

A young red fern frond.

Rain Forest Mini Series 2/4 - The Bat Flower

D700 14-24mm @ 14 ISO200 f/16 -0.7EV 1/4 built-in flash -3.0EV tripod

The bat flower [Tacca chantrieri] in its natural environment.

Rain Forest Mini Series 1/4 - The Creepers

D700 14-24mm @ 14 ISO200 f/16 -0.7EV 1/2 tripod

First pictures of a series of four to attempt to represent a rain forest environment. Super wide angle was used that meant that a trip deep in the muddy forest floor was required to fill in the frame with the subject. At some point, tripod legs went down 10cm into the ground... So they had to be placed on pieces of wood close to tree roots to ensure stability.

Scarlet Sunbird on a Bottle Brush Tree

D700 500mm 1.4 converter ISO400 f/5.6 -0.7EV 1/250 built-in flash -2.0EV tripod

These little fellows feed on nectar so they will come back to flowering trees on a regular basis. There again, patience and good reflex are required... Photo taken at Lower Pierce Reservoir.

Portrait of a Cassowary

D700 70-300mm @ 145 ISO400 f/4.8 -1.0EV 1/125 built-in flash -1.7EV

This picture is of a captive cassowary at the Animal Resort off Jalan Kayu. Although the bird is easy to approach (it just runs at you if you wave some bread at it - bread that you have to buy at the resort for this purpose), the framing of the shot was a challenge. Go and try. It is fun.

Upper Seletar Reservoir - The Viewing Tower

D700 24mm PC-E ISO400 f/22 2sec tripod

My take of a very common subject. The picture was shot in the evening just before the rain. No HDR.

Long-Tailed Macaque - Yawning Away...

D700 70-300mm @ 270 ISO400 f/5.6 1/125

This is not an aggressive behavior. This macaque was so bored of watching the photographer waiting for him to do something worth a picture that it started yawning. Bingo! The following scene was interesting with the photographer forcing a yawn to encourage the monkey to do it again - without any success.

Forest Canopy Early Morning

D700 24mm ISO400 f/4 1/60

A picture taken lying down! Easy for a Monday.

White-Crested Laughing Thrush - A Friendly Bird

D700 70-300mm @ 185 ISO400 F/5.6 1/30 built-in flash -2.0EV

This is one tame and quite curious bird! The picture was taken at Hort Park in Singapore late afternoon. A group of three white-crested laughing thrush were busy picking bugs and seeds from the forest floor. Light was low so flash had to be used.

Collared Kingfisher with his catch

D700 500mm 1.4 converter ISO400 f/8 1/125 fill-in flash -2.3EV tripod

Patience was finally rewarded! Bird photography is actually more difficult that it seems... It is not just a question of having the right equipment; one needs patience (a lot of it), persistence and a good share of luck!

Smooth Otter at Sungei Buloh

D700 500mm 1.4 converter ISO800 f/8 1/500 tripod

The otters have no table manners. This one could be heard 10m away chewing on her fish. That is how I was able to locate her. She was in partial shade and it was difficult to find a view clear of leaves and branches. This is the only decent shot out of 8 taken. Even at 1/500, the chewing was so fast that her mouth was blur on all other captures. I was glad to be able to bag this one though.

Large-Tailed Nightjar - A Portrait

D700 60mm ISO200 f/16 1/125 fill-in flash -1.0EV tripod

Nightjars are resting during the day. I could therefore approach this sleepy bird with the camera mounted upside-down on the tripod to allow for the built-in flash to compensate for the lower light on the belly. The flash sync cord was not in the bag that day.

The Mud Flats of Sungei Buloh

D700 500mm 1.4 converter ISO800 f/8 1/500 tripod

Migratory birds started their long trip from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere. Along the way, some decide to stop over in Singapore for "refueling" and for a good rest before pursuing their journey South. Here is a Mongolian plover on the mud flats of Sungei Buloh.

Hazy Sunrise - Khatib Old Fishing Ponds

D700 70-300mm @ 70 ISO200 f/11 1/250

It was particularly hazy that day and the tide was low. Taken at around 7:45 when the sun is still low on the horizon.

Upper Pierce Reservoir - Before the Storm

D700 70-300mm @ 110mm ISO400 f/11 1/125

This is my first post on Blogger. It was a struggle to get a picture of the size I wanted. Frankly, the quality of the upload is rather disappointing. Would it be be better if uploaded on a different server? I might have to test it.