Photo of the day - 22 April

A photo of leaves from a liquid ambar tree.

The liquid amber tree leaves are very much similar to maple leaves, in terms of palmately lobed shape and fall foliage color. Also, both these trees are adapted in similar growing conditions.

Liquid Ambar (also known as American Sweetgum, Redgum, and sometime also spelt as "Liquid Amber") is a genus of 4 species of deciduous trees in the witchhazel (Hamamelidaceae) family. With a somewhat discrete distribution range, these trees are found in North and Central America, East Asia, and Turkey. These impressive trees produce some of the most spectacular autumn foliage known, and Liquid Ambar styraciflua, in particular, is a breathtaking sight when in full autumn color. The genus name literally means liquid amber, and refers to the resin exuded by the winter buds. Known as storax, the resin is used in perfumery and cosmetics.

Photo of the day - 3rd September

I am very tempted to call this image "Footprints" or "Footprints in the sand". There are a few of variants of this poem which can easily found on the web. This poem is commonly attributed to Margaret Fishback Powers (who wrote this in 1964). However, it appears that this poem was actually written much early in 1936 by another lady, Mary Stevenson.

Here is Mary Stevenson's version:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Finally, a note of this image... I took this photo at a place called Perry Sandhills near the town of Wentworth in NSW. Perry Sandhills is a vast 400 acres of continuously shifting sand dunes. From the vantage point in which I took the photo one could easily imagine being in a desert. I was also trying to explore minimalism and capturing the wave patterns in the sand in within this landscape.

I hope you this photo as much as I do.

Photo of the day - 20th August

Bordered by a wide stretch of the Murray River, home to majestic River Red Gums and a fantastic variety of birdlife, Kings Billabong Reserve is an ideal place to discover nature and history within minutes of Mildura.

Local Aboriginal people enjoyed the billabong's rich life-supporting wetland food supply. Shell middens (kitchen hearths), burials and scarred trees indicate a lifestyle celebrated on these banks for centuries.

Kings Billabong took its name from Captain James King, who navigated the Murray River and its tributaries in the late 19th century. The Chaffey Brothers, supported by Alfred Deakin who later became Prime Minister, selected Mildura (originally a sheep station) as a suitable location for Australia's first irrigation settlement. The reserve was logged until the 1950s to supply fuel for steam-powered paddleboats and pumps. There was also cattle grazing, cultivation and dried fruit rack sites in the reserve until 1989.

Photo of the day - 19th August

I just came to read the following piece of news:

Largest Wind farm to be built in the southern hemisphere

The largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere is to be built in Victoria's southwest. The 140-turbine, $1 billion Macarthur wind farm, which will produce enough energy to power more than 220,000 homes, is slated for completion by early 2013.
...

Wow, 140-turbine wind farm. This is definitely something unheard of in Australia, something I thought would never be accomplished in Australia given the lack of political will to invest substantially into renewable energy.

I thought the Greens will be shouting against this scheme, participating in rallies, holding placards with the mobs against building the wind farms to protect some native plants specimens or some migratory parrots.

Before everybody started accusing me of being a supporter for the climate change camp, let me put this straight. I believe that the world is warming. Whether the warming is caused by purely human activities or but some natural factors, the verdict is still out there. The science is still rather inconclusive. But I believe we all have a part to take care of our environment the best we can. We know that burning fossil fuel is definitely not the way forward for generating our ever increasing energy needs. We need to look at something more sustainable, cleaner and cheaper! Wind energy should definitely be part of the solution.

It is surely good to see that Victoria is getting some meaningful investments into renewable energy. I sure hope my home state of WA will do the same one day. The size of the wind farms in Esperance and Albany are just pitiful but nevertheless encouraging. I do hope that Verve Energy that runs the Albany Windfarm and Horizon Power that runs the Esperance Wind Farms will put up more wind turbines than their 12 and 15 respectively.

Note:The photo above is in fact taken at the Albany Wind farm last year.

Photo of the day - 16th August

Crossing over the border from Victoria to South Australia, I had to stop at the quarantine roadblock for vehicle inspection. Noticing in the distance field across the road, 5 trees stood in a neat row. I soon parked my car at the roadhouse just beside the quarantine station and crossed the road to snap this.

Photo of the day - 11th August

It has been more than a year since my last blog post. I have been too busy with both family life and my newly established photography business.

God has been gracious to us and we are truly blessed with things that are both good and bad. A healthy, stable and happy family, and time to enjoy family life and pursue a bit of my passion, what more can I ask?

Well, I am trying to recommit blogging more, perhaps putting up more photos and sharing a bit of my thoughts and latest happenings.

Here a photo to share. This was taken on two Saturdays ago. Woke up on a foggy morning to drop my sister in law to the airport, I saw beautiful scenes all along the highway to and back from the airport. I grabbed my camera and headed down to the river near my house to capture this awesome photo. The sun was just rising above the distant hills, piercing through the thick layer of cloud and fog. Alas, I was a touch too late to capture the purplish hue in the sky when I finally parked my car and got my cameras out of my bag, but nevertheless, a beautiful sight of the rising sun over the bridge still to behold.

Thank you God your for your lovingkindness as it indeed never cease, for Thy compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Beautiful Butterflies at Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport has many unqiue features. One of which being having a Butterfly Garden inside the airport. Claimed to be the world first, it is rather special to be able to unwind or kill some time in this garden. Although the garden is rather small (in fact some may not even call it a garden as it has some potted plants and a small man made waterfall), to be able to see the butterflies up close, or even letting some come to rest on your shoulder or fingers are indeed a unique and wonderful experience. The Butterfly garden is located at the Terminal 3.

I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Changi Airport earlier this year while transitting through Singapore. Here are some of the photos that I took.

They don't build cars like this - no more

On the way home from work last Friday, while driving on the road, half day-dreaming about what I should shoot for a photography assignment based on the Nostalgia theme, I came pass this really cool looking 1950s/1960s car. That was it. The car would be my main subject. I promptly parked my car along the roadside, jumped across the road with my camera strapped around my neck. Apparently, this car was some sort of a chartered vehicle. Sat inside this convertible were 4 or 5 young ladies, whom I believe were on their way to their prom night. One of girl's father was taking a video of the girls in this "vintage" car, and the driver was patiently waiting at the side of the road.

Sensing I wouldn't have much opportunity to take too many shots, I asked the driver for the permission to take photos of the car and quickly snapped a couple. Satisfied I had half a dozen shots of the car from various angles, I reluctantly saw the car departed.

Here are some of the shots. Hmm... a car with back fins (or sometimes also being called "wings") indeed looks cool, not only in the late 50s or early 60s, but even now. I could daydream and let my imagination run while about Elvis driving in one of these, with one of his hand stretching across the front seat caressing the young Priscilla Presley, while Priscilla busy trying to keep her beehive hairdo intact from the blasting breeze! Ha ha..

Leighton Beach discovery

I was photowalking with a few friends on Friday when I saw this:



Some poor kid must have lost one of his "Ants Attack!" Crocs sandal. This photo was taken at somewhere between Leighton Beach and Port Beach, East Fremantle, Western Australia.

Perth Skyshow 2008

The Skyworks is a fireworks show that is held over the Swan River in Perth city in Western Australia. It is held every Australia Day on the 26th of January. This year, I went to the Jeff Joseph Reserve with my family and shot some photos of the skyshow from there.

It had been quite an experience shooting the skyshow. It was difficult enough trying to setup my camera in the dark, and having to frame my shot at the start of the firework and in the process got some people annoyed apparently because I was blocking their view. It was good thing that I got it done relatively quickly was able to shoot most of the time using a remote shutter release button.

I shot approximately 40 over shots and here are some of the pictures I took:

Project Dullsville Update - East Perth Powerstation

I went to the old East Perth Power Station to take some photos with a group of photography friends from Flickr. The photowalking was great. The weather was a little warmer than I would have liked but nevertheless, the exploring and the adventure of getting into the power station compound made up for any discomfort. It was an interesting photowalk.

Here's a bit of the history of the power station:
"The East Perth Power Station consists of two buildings containing three power stations each of which retain their equipment and fittings. The buildings themselves are large, economical and stylistically of their time, the second building still embellished with its ‘art deco’ stylistic features. The three power stations, ‘A’ ‘B’ and then ‘C’ stations, were established over a 40 year period from World War One to the mid 1950s so they represent an extraordinarily complete sequence of technological development and provide the opportunity to tell the story of the provision of power to Perth through most of the 20th century. This remarkable heritage will be severely compromised unless arrangements are made for adaptive re-use of the complex that requires the retention and conservation of the machinery and associated fittings within the building. The power station complex represents the pioneering phase of the Western Australian electicity system, and dates from the era when the industry world-wide was in a formative stage. It has historic value for its role in the development of WA and the metropolitan area in particular, for its influence on the standard of living enjoyed by the community throughout the greater part of this centry as the only public power station supplying the metropolitan area from1916-1951, its role as part of the interconnected south-west electricity system. Vacant since 1981, current proposals would ‘gut’ the main power station building, removing plant and equipment, thereby reducing the heritage significance of the plant, and destroying the opportunity to interpret the whole site. Despite the expenditure of over $ 500,000, there has been an alarming lack of public consultation by the East Perth Redevelopment Authority and the site remains unoccupied, its fabric and contents deteriorating, and its future uncertain. The delay by the government in developing solutions for this significant place is inexcusable and has led to its continued decay through exposure to the elements and to vandalism."
Ref: heritage WA, East Perth Powerstation.