Sultan Mosque - Kampong Glam - Singapore

The light softness of the image was achieved in photoshop by blending the backgroud layer with a new layer where some gaussian blur was applied. Just trying different techniques in Ps.

HDB Heartland - Singapore

The sun is finally back after a few rainy days.

Bras Basah Subway Station - Singapore

Kudos to the architect(s) that designed this project.

Bras Basah Subway Station - Singapore

This image was taken another day when the light piercing through the ceiling of water was seen dancing against the walls.

Bras Basah Subway Station - Singapore

Inspiried by "The Magic Of Black And White", an ebook written by Andrew Gibson, I have been trying my hand at monochrome images as and when the subjects seem suitable. The transformation of digital pictures from colour to black and white is a pretty simple process in photoshop and other similar softwares.

Bras Basah Subway Station - Singapore

A second look at the amazing roof structure. Buildings on the side of the pool can be seen through the glass and the water. At full resolution, one can see that a thin screen has been placed below or above the glass to reduce the strenght of the sun light.

Glass ceiling or reflecting pool?

U turn from the kampong to the city with a visit to the new Bras Basah subway station under the Singapore Management University. A particularity of the building is that the glass roof is actually the floor of a reflecting pool.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (10)

The kampong houses have running water, electricity and telephone lines. It is one of the rare area in Singapore where overhead cables are still being used.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (9)

Another typical sight in the kampong.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (8)

The letterbox of house 17-c...

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (7)

The door of one of the houses.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (6)

A line of chairs seem to be waiting for the spectators of a singing and dancing show organised by the kids of the village...

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (5)

Pet dogs and cats, as well as the occasional hen roam freely between the houses. Here a game of cat and (mouse) lizard was captured by chance!

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (4)

While the houses of the kampong are connected by a mud paths, plenty of care and love are applied by the residents to the decoration, with lush gardens, vases and antic lamps, all kept neat and clean.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (3)

Shades and colours in the kampong.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (2)

The kampong is located on a private land with a 999 year lease. While the value of the land can be estimated to over SGD 50 mio, the owners charges residents a rent in the range of SGD 10 to SGD 30 per month per house plot.

Residents however hesitate to invest in renovations or improvements as Kampong Buangkok and its surroundings have been marked for redevelopment by the URA. Consequently and in line with this development project, the owner might be requested to sell the land to the government, which would then spell the passing of the kampong.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (1)

On a land soon to be redevelopped hides the last real kampong on the main island of Singapore. Comprised of 28 tin roof houses, it provides a sight of day past, when such villages were common across the country.

While kampongs are still prevails in most of South East Asia, the rapid development and the optimization of the land use in Singapore have erased most signs of this once familiar rustic lifestyle.

Burmese Buddhist Temple - Singapore

The Buddha statue was carved out of a block of white marble weighing more than 10 tons. Its travel to Singapore involving part in barges on river, train, steamer, is described in details on one of the wall of the temple.

Burmese Buddhist Temple - Singapore

The temple was originally established to receive a Buddha image sculpted out of a block of marble from Mandalay, carried over to Singapore in 1921. The temple was then relocated to its current premises built following the traditional Burmese style in 1990.

Singapore Secret Gardens

If you like nature in Singapore and enjoy walks on the wild side (by that I mean in the less travelled usually mosquito ridden areas!), you may find well attended gardens as pictured above in the most unlikely places. They are often guarded by abandonned dogs that are fed by the gardeners and the loud barking frightens most who would dare to approach the sites. I spoke to a person working at one of the gardens I stumbled upon. He wasn't quite willing to talk at first. As I was observing his vegetables patch and complimenting on his eggplants, he commented that if the garden was found by the authorities, plants would be unrooted or cut off and the place left in jumble. Looking at the size of the papaya trees, the above patch must not have been found. It is in fact extremely well located, beside a natural pond in the forest, from which water can be collected to water the garden. Another evidence of the entrepreneur spirit that is so strong in Asia!

Mountainscape - Swiss Alps

The first person I showed this image to told me that it was a sad photograph perfect to accompany a death notice... I did not see it this way... The back light brings up the top of the pine trees and emphasizes the thin clouds pushed up the valley by a morning breeze... The bell tower of the local church breaks the tree line to improve the composition... Well, what is your opinion?

Mountainscape - Swiss Alps

Back to black & white to show the air flows carrying the clouds above the mountains.

Mountainscape - Swiss Alps

As the sun goes down, the cable cars will cease their operations soon.

Chalet with flowers - Swiss Alps

In the Alps, many of the wooden chalets are decorated with colourful flowers during the Summer.

A curious sparrow - Swiss Alps

This sparrow came so close that it was at the shortest focus limit of the 70-300mm. While a very common bird almost all over the world, I thought that this cute one would deserve a post!

Ibex - Swiss Alps

Young ibex on a mountain ridge.

Ibexes - Swiss Alps

Playful fight between young ibexes.

Ibexes - Swiss Alps

A female ibex with two kids resting on a green patch between the rocks.

Ibex - Swiss Alps

The carrying of the "big gun" 500mm lens around for a few days, complete with tripod, finally paid off. It allowed me to stay at a safe distance from the ibexes and catch them undisturbed.

First sighting of an Ibex - Swiss Alps

On the third attempt to find some of the large mammals that inhabit these mountains, I was finally successful. I met with a herd of ibexes close to the summit of the Plattjen, at 2'570m. Pictured above is a young male, which was observing the rocks it had just dislodged and that were rolling off the crest it was walking along.