Some Tourism Places In The World

Venice Flashback

2011-10-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

We believe Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The 5th century city is built on the water, just two to four feet above sea level. Cars are banned, so the only way to get around this city is by foot or by watertaxi. You'll be awed by the magical beauty. It is filled with extraordinary architectural masterpieces and art. Yet, these are just some of the unbelievably fabulous things to do. Whoever comes here, I'm sure they'll fall in love and bring home a dream; a dream of coming back. Not only for adults but for children too. I know it for fact, it was our kid's most fun city during our 5 weeks traveling through Europe. Both of our kids brought home a dream of coming back here to attend the Venice carnival when they become teens. Yes, to everyone, Venice is a magical city on water.

Here are more Venice pictures to share. Click here and here to see more of Venice in my past posts. Hope you enjoy it!

Rialto bridge at nightfall.

Grand canal at night.

Basilica Di Santa Maria Della Salute seen aross Grand Canal from the Bauer hotel.

Bridge of Sighs.

The last view prisoners saw when they crossed the bridge from Doge's Palace to their prison.

Glass shoes. Recycling from Coca Cola bottles.

And here is the reason why our kids fell in love with Venice:

Enjoying a Gondola ride while wearing the Venician mask.

Having fun to shop and try on different masks.

Enjoyed making their own masks.

Excited every time to ride on water taxi.

Had a chance to blow Murano glass.

Attending a cooking class at a local chef's apartment. Making tiramisu and pasta.

Had a chance to watch and learn how to make marble papers from an artist.

Learned and practiced to steer the gondola.

So much fun to feed those pigeons at Piazza San Marco.

Wish you all a wonderful day! xo...Hanh :)

Carsten Bockermann: The Sunderbans

2011-10-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

Carsten Bockermann is a German photographer who specializes in photographing everyday life in different cultures around the world using a combination of direct reportage and visually interpretative style. He has photographed in West Bengal as well and, as I just returned from Kolkata, I thought I'd feature his work on the Sunderbans.

The Sunderbans is located at the southern tip of West Bengal, and is a stretch of impenetrable mangrove forest of great size and bio-diversity. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans is a vast area covering 4264 square kilometers in India. The area is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests.

While I have already featured Carsten's photo essay on the Ambassador cars on this blog, you may want to revisit his photographs on his website. These are the type of cars that form Kolkata's yellow cabs fleet...literally thousands of them can be seen on its streets on any given day. Battered, painted over many times, and literally held together with strings, these taxis are key to Kolkata's commuters.

A word of caution to those who are 6 feet tall and above...do not sit in the front with the driver.

Canon EOS 1-DX Is Launched

2011-10-18T01:10:00.000-07:00

Canon just launched the EOS-1DX, a digital SLR with a full-frame sensor. It's Canon’s new flagship professional DSLR, and boasts an 18MP CMOS sensor. It can capture RAW bursts of up to 12 frames per second, and is replacing the 16MP Canon 1D Mark IV and 21MP Canon 1Ds Mark III at the top of Canon’s professional line. It's obviously targeted at pro sports photographers, nature photographers and photojournalists, with a 14 frames a second super high speed mode.

But before we start salivating and get all excited, the DSLR is scheduled for March 2012 availability and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $6,800.

Canon Europe has an intro movie advert for those who like that sort of thing. And for Canon USA's press release, click here.

Would I consider it as a replacement for my Canon 5D Mark II? I don't think so. I may change my mind in due time, but now having a Leica (not that it's comparable in any way) has altered my tolerance for big, heavy and complicated cameras. In the meantime, let's see if Canon (or Leica) has something up its sleeve for a mirrorless camera. That's what I'm really waiting for.

Alexander Wang

2011-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Wearing this outfit to have lunch and have a shoot with my friend Carlos Alonso who has a product called "WTF Are You Wearing" street style page on DFW Style Daily.

Carlos Alonso's career in fashion styling has taken him across the country and around the world. His editorial resume includes Harper's, DNA, Beautiful magazines, and many more...He's a young, talented man. It was surprising to me that he shot with his old camera and his cell phone, but the pictures turned out so good.

Also, thank you to Jorge Rivas for helping editing!

Check out this outfit featured in DFW Style Daily today, click here.

Weaing: Alexander Wang tail blouse, sweater vest, and silver bag. F21 shorts, Alaia boots, Nina Ricci sunglasses, The Woods beaded necklace, Forever 21 leopard pendant necklace, and blue fur from INA consignment store in NY.

Have a wonderful day to you all! xo...Hanh :)

Al Jazeera Documents Mustang

2011-10-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Tibetan Buddhism still survives intact in Upper Mustang - a once forbidden kingdom high in the Nepalese Himalayas. Here is Al Jazeera's Steve Chao's documentary on his travels to Mustang, the former Kingdom of Lo and now part of Nepal.

Mustang was once an independent kingdom, but tied by language and culture to Tibet. From the 15th century to the 17th century, its strategic location granted Mustang control over the trade between the Himalayas and India. It now relies on tourism, animal husbandry and trade.

I also noted the recent death of Michel Peissel, who was a French explorer and an ethnologist who devoted a good part of his life to recording the culture of Tibet. He managed to gain access to the Mustang region in the early 1960s; which led to his book “Mustang: A Lost Tibetan Kingdom.

Al Jazeera also features a wonderful gallery of photographs of Mustang.

Readers of The Travel Photographer's blog may recall that I wrote of a cashier at a corner store near my building, who told me she was born in Mustang! A Mustang born woman working in a corner store in New York's West Village. How incredible is that?!

The Indian Express Features The Travel Photographer

2011-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Piyasree Dasgupta, Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express newspaper, interviewed me for an article she titled Visual Documents Of Culture which appeared today in its Kolkata edition.

The mutual introduction was initiated by Chhandak Pradhan who assisted me during the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop, and is the second article feasturing the workshop and background information.

Famous Soon Lai Kuey Chap at Batu Pahat, Johor.

2011-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Soon Lai 'Kuey Chap' (顺来) (N1.84924 E102.92769) is located at at the junction of Jalan Mohd Salleh and Jalan Fatimah of Batu Pahat, Johor. It's just next to Silver Inn Hotel and diagonally opposite the Famous Tian Hao Gong Temple (the locals called 'Mah-Coh Keng') at Batu Pahat.

We were recommended by my buddy from B.Pahat and he said this is the must try food when visit the Batu Pahat small town. The shop start business from morning till early evening. We were lucky enough they still open when we were there at 3pm...

The Famous Tian Hao Gong Temple of Batu Pahat, Johor.

It was a simple and traditional type of coffee shop and not crowded during that time, we placed our order immediately!

The shop environment

The boss was busy preparing the meal...

It's basically a pork intestine mixed with some tau-fu and stewed egg. The Kuey Tiaw (Rice noodle) served was not the ordinary type but in bigger pieces...(photo below)

Soon Lai Kuey Chap

The special type of rice noodles with some dry garlic

Well, the Kuey Chap was Delicious! The pork intestines were well stewed and tender, tasty and Nice! Furthermore, you won't feel thirsty after it...less MSG. All of us enjoy the meal very much especially with the Very Reasonable price!

The business is operating for more than a decade till today, before they move into the shop, they were selling the Kuey Chap business by the hawker stall along the street...it's run by all family members, and the boss is their father, he was friendly and allow me to snap one of his handsome photo. :)

The owner of the shop

Do drop by if you happen at Batu Pahat, try the Unique food of Batu Pahat and I believe you will like it! :)

The Location Map of Soon Lai Kway Chap at Batu Pahat, Johor.

View Larger Map

Color Combo at The Moment

2011-10-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

You're probably tired of seeing me with these kitty cat face wedges, but I can't help it. They keep calling my name. Ok! I will face them into the corner of my shoe closet. Hopefully, in next post, you will see a different pair.

Anyway, as you see in my last few outfits, I've been crazy about wearing the color combo, cream-red-gray-white. It gives me an elegant, easy feeling. Actually, what I wore here is almost the same with the last outfit in the past post. However, it's not the same look. I just switched a couple things: the outer layer, sunglasses, and added a necklace, a belt to fancy it up for the evening. Yet, it's more

glamorous.

Wearing: underneath Rick Owens tank dress is Wang tail blouse. Faliero Sarti scarf, Nina Ricci sunglasses, Charlotte Olympia wedges, Kimme Winters necklace, and Banana Republic belt.

Wish you all a happy Sunday and a great week ahead! x0...Hanh :)

The "Gamsha"...Yet Another Scarf Fetish

2011-10-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll be at the Delhi Photo Festival for most of the day, reviewing photographers' portfolios, and then presenting a seminar Introduction To Multimedia in the afternoon. I shall post something on the event as the day progresses.

However, I discovered yet another type of scarf that fits extraordinarily well in the panoply of photojournalists' scarf collections. It's the gamsha...a cotton scarf worn by many Bengalis, and especially useful for the rickshaw pullers of Kolkata who use it for virtually everything. They range from 35 to 60 rupees depending on quality, and haggling skills of the vendor.

The rickshaw pullers use it as a sarong when they shower, as umbrella when it rains, as face wipes when it's humid and they sweat, a fly swatter....almost exactly like photojournalists use their own scarves.

The one above at 35 rupees is the cheapest version, and is super absorbent.

Seriously, this is a must have for photographers who suffer of scarf-fetish.

My Favorite Shoes of This Season

2011-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

There are many different prints of Buddha's hand on this scarf and this print is my favorite.

As you clearly see, these kitty cat red velvet Charlotte Olympia wedges are my favorite shoes of this season. I've been wearing them like crazy which I usually don't like to do. It wears them out and they get old too quickly, thing is, they're so comfy and cute....I can't help it!

Wearing: Rick Owens tank dress and cream cashmere dress, Celine sunglasses, and Faliero Sarti scarf.

Have a wonderful weekend to you all!! xo...Hanh :)

Kolkata's Tramways

2011-10-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

For our final day on the my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop, we rode one of the famed Kolkata's Trams as long as it took us. The ride wasn't too long by Kolkata's standards, and lasted 45 minutes one way. The return was more crowded, but the ride was comfortable and almost breezy! A far cry from the cramped and uncomfortable old Ambassador taxis we used most of the time during the workshop.

The Kolkata tram is the oldest operating electric tram in Asia, running since 1902. The cars we rode in were certainly old, battered and painted over many times....but they were functional, and its wooden seats relatively comfortable. Our route was on tram #5, running from Esplanade to Shyambazar, a total distance of just over 5 kilometers, and stopping at Bidhan Sarani, College Street, Nirmal Street and Lenin Sarani. The fare was about 5 rupees (or $0.10).

I took some risks by jumping off the first class compartment/car to the other car, and had to run to make it. As I'm writing this from my Kolkata hotel, I survived the experience.

In a few hours, I'll be flying to Delhi to attend the Delhi Photo Festival. Stay tuned!

Kolkata's Cult of Durga In The Hindustan Times!!

2011-10-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Our workshop is prime news in Kolkata this morning!!!

I was initially interviewed by the delightful Debarati Chakraborty of the Hindustan Times regarding the objectives of my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop, and shared what were our intentions to document the festival of Durga. Debarati also interviewed the remainder of our group, and penned a wonderful article on the photo workshop, with many quotes from Kris, Zara, Tony and Ron. Sandy Chandler wasn't available for the interview, and that's the reason why only four participants are mentioned in the article instead of five.

The article can be read in full here.

A salient quote from the article:

"It's easier to get seduced by colours (in India). When you use black & white, you focus more on the expression, the story behind the images."

I have only managed to get 4 copies of the newspaper so far...some of which were through the kindness of the Lytton Hotel's reception manager....so they must be selling out at a brisk pace!!!

Cross

2011-10-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Kimme Winters necklaces incorporate unusual artifacts and mixes them with a variety of pendants such as: Buddha, cross, charm of Mary, medallions, heart charm..ect...and beads which make her necklaces are different.

This red beaded with mixed pendants and Cross is my third one from her design. I love the bright red shade of these beads and I've got a fun idea to wear it across the shoulder. Yet, it is my new way to wear a long chain necklace. It's different and fun.

To see my other Kimme Winters necklaces, here.

These colorful plastic bracelets is a gift from one of my friends. And I got this photo below from my friend's twitter, Carlo @cfashionstyle, to share. I really like the way that he captured the object and the lighting of this photo, I think it's very artistic.

Wearing: Top from Free People, Rick Owens skirt, Johnny Farad clutch, and Nina Ricci sunglasses.

Have a wonderful day to you all!! x0...Hanh :)

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: Rickshaw Bell

2011-10-10T05:10:00.000-07:00

This may only happen in India.

Walking in the center of Kolkata, I photographed a number of rickshaw pullers for a planned multimedia project, and having seen that Tony Smith, one of the participants in the Kolkata's Cult of Durga workshop, had acquired one a few days ago, I asked a few of them where I could buy one. Getting head wags, I gave up and resumed my shooting.

Three hours later, I get a call from the Lytton Hotel's reception advising me that a rickshaw puller was asking for me, and had a bell!!! How did he know where I was staying is beyond comprehension.

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: Lakshmi Puja

2011-10-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Having spent most of the morning (and part of the late afternoon) in the vicinity of the Kali Temple and Kalighat, we crossed over the main street and entered a small version of Kumartuli....the potters neighborhood which produces the gigantic effigies used for the Durga Puja.

Here, however, the area is much smaller and its artisans produce smaller figurines of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both in material and spiritual terms. The effigies are much smaller since Lakshmi Puja is traditionally celebrated within the confines of private homes. Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud, which stands for beauty, purity and fertility.

Yes, it does seem we are getting a whole gamut of puja celebrations...from the gigantic public Durga puja to the private Lakshmi festivities.

In the meantime, we are taking the day off from photography, and are ensconced in our hotel rooms completing our individual Durga Puja multimedia projects.

Light Layers

2011-10-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Light layers outfit for early Fall. The weather has been perfect to wear light layers; around 60 Fahrenheit in the morning and at night, mid 80 F during the day. I had repeated wearing this outfit in the last two weeks and I love it, especially the colors combination.

Those wedges are so comfy too, and I absolutely love them. I've gotten so many compliments every time I've had them on.

Wearing: Wang sweater vest, Rag&Bone cream top, RO tank dress, Charlotte Olympia wedges, Givenchy nightingale mini bag, The Woods necklace, Celine sunglasses, and ring?? bought it at a local store in Paris for over 10 Euro.

Wish you all a wonderful day!! xo...Hanh :)

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: The Puja Is Over...

2011-10-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

As per the planned schedule, the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop completed the coverage of the Durga Puja yesterday night. Whilst there still are some immersions taking place in the Hooghly river at various ghats, the main immersion event was last night. The local media, in all its manifestations, was out in force and included a large number of accredited photojournalists, as well as amateur photographers wanting to document this important religious and social event.

With the completion of the Durga Puja, our group has started to edit the images made during the past week, shaping them into individual multimedia projects on the event as seen and recorded by each member. To make matters slightly more difficult, I requested that the still images be all in black & white. Perhaps counter-intuitive for such a colorful festival, but black & white forces the photographer to visualize the composition rather than being seduced by the colors.

We are in search of other projects in Kolkata; one of which will be to document the rickshaw pullers. Also in black & white, the group is photographing these hard working individuals as we move along the streets of Kolkata.

Mooncake Festival Party @ Macroview Care Centre

2011-10-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

Time flies....I was attended the Mooncake Festival Party at Macroview Care Centre again! The respond is getting better and better compare with the previous year. The centre was packed with peoples even around 6pm.

The parents were having their foods and waiting for the Party to begin!

The party started with the simple workout of a group of children...

The two young MC of the night...

Piano performance...
Many of them can play very well...

The young pretty teachers of the centre...(below)

And also the satisfied smile from the Principle - Mr Tan (below)

The shows continued with groups and groups children on the stage...they had the singing, dancing, telling the story, ballet, magic performance, diabolo performance, Pop dance and also parents performance.

Youngest children in the centre

Singing...

Story telling...

Ballet performance

"Nobody" Dance!

In within the performance, the teachers also presented the Encouragement Award to the children.

Encouragement Award

Then the shows continue...

Pop Dance

Diabolo Performance

Diabolo Performance - The Moment!

Group performance

Little Magic show...

And at last, the teachers performance!

Teachers Performance!

After 3-4 hours show, the party came into the candles session where I like the most every time I visit Macroview Care Centre Mooncake Festival.
All the children found their comfort place and started to light up the candles one-by-one...the whole area was quiet down and I felt the same atmosphere every year...Peace!

Cute little boy lighted up his candles.

Candles session...

The session last for about 1 hour more, that end the Mooncake Festival Party 2011 at Macroview.

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: The Immersion Of Durga

2011-10-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

There's little doubt that today's day-long photo shoot was one of the most exhausting I've experienced...I would rank it just under the day-long photo shoots during the Allahabad Maha Kumbh Mela in 2001. Kolkata's legendary heat and humidity, over and above the incessant in-motion kaleidoscope of colors and sound, all contributed to an immensely rewarding day, but also fatiguing.

The day's photo shoot started with thousands of Bengalis married women performing the sindoor (vermillion powder) ceremony, which symbolizes the farewell to the Durga goddess. This ceremony is held at pandals all over the city, and it takes place before the immersion of Durga in the river.

Following the farewell ceremony held at a private residence to which we were invited, the representations of Durga and her four children are loaded on trucks for immersions, a tradition that symbolises her return to her marital abode.

We followed the idols to the ghats, and witnessed at least three large immersions. These ghats were extremely crowded, but I am accustomed to wiggle through the crowds to find a good spot. The rest of the group also did very well in that respect.

Some of the Durga idols were taken for immersion in raucous processions. The loud chants of 'Bolo Durga mai-ki jai' and drumbeats accompanied the idols to the Ganges river. The climax is when the Durga idol is cast in the water. This symbolizes the departure of the deity to her home with her husband in the Himalayas.

From Balenciaga Spring2011

2011-10-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Finally, I had a chance to share this outfit. I've been wearing this Balenciaga top and sequin jacket so many times with leather leggings, skinny jeans, and wide leg jeans. Although, I really like this look; with shorts.

I like sequin clothing, but I normally don't wear it much because of my feeling that it is too bright and I'll get too much attention. However, this sequin jacket is not too sparkling, shiny.

Nina Ricci sunglasses, Charlotte Olympia wedges.

Wishing you all a wonderful day ahead! xo...Hanh :)

FULL HD Video by The Light and Sexy - Samsung Galaxy SII

2011-10-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

The SAMSUNG Galaxy SII Smartphone is also A Full HD (1080p@30fps) Video Recorder. It allow you to carry the video recorder anywhere you go because it's so light & sexy!

This was one of my dream many years ago, that I can carry A camera + video camera with me anywhere I travel, even every phone capable to capture video, the quality is Not as good as the Samsung Galaxy SII, it's all because of the Full HD Recording.

There are some video taken by Samsung Galaxy SII below....take a look...

Travel with Galaxy SII

I wish one day some talented peoples will just use the GALAXY SII to shoot a whole 1 hour 30 minutes movie! That will be GREAT!
Have you try to shoot a video with your GALAXY SII before? Do it now and upload to the site http://bit.ly/pa8JrF. Don't bury your talent! Please upload and share with everyone, you might be the lucky one if your video use it for the next SAMSUNG campaign!

GALAXY SII On The Go

The Galaxy SII with the Full HD Video Camera will be the good point to motivate you to start a simple video shooting, even I'm not good in video shooting, but I just can't stop myself to press on the 'Record' button once I hold the phone! Haha!

Beside the Excellent Video from the SAMSUNG GALAXY SII, it's also a powerful phone to complete your daily task. So...once it complete your important task, don't forget to try on a short video shooting and share with us! :)

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: The Bauls, Mystic Minstrels

2011-10-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

One of the high notes planned (or rather hoped for) for the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop was to document a performance by a Baul. After obtaining contact information by Chhandak Pradhan who's assisting me on the workshop, all arrangements were made surprisingly quickly, and we were successful in setting up a private photo shoot, and ultimately fortunate in meeting Satyananda Das and Hori Das.

We photographed both Satyananda and his partner Hori, who's Japanese (with fluent Bengali) and the music and the chants were just mesmerizing. We all had our audio recorders working full time to capture the various pieces by Satyananda. One of the participants said that if this had been the only thing he returned with from this photo workshop, he's be perfectly content.

Wikipedia defines the Bauls as "a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal. They constitute both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Not much is known of their origin."

To the unversed, a Baul may appear as a musician sadhu with a one string instrument, but they are much more than that. Baul philosophy has mixed elements of Tantra, Sufi Islam, Vaishnavism and Buddhism. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.

Chhandak in action during the photo shoot and recording session of Satyananda and Hori.

Happy Girl

2011-10-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

My little girl's birthday was yesterday, but we had a slumber party for her to celebrate with her friends on last Saturday.

She had a cookies cake with her 7 friends.

The kids had a blast at the slumber party. It was a great group. Everyone had fun, behaved themselves, and had a good night sleep. Lucky me, no one woke up in the middle of the night and cry. This is a photo of colorful nail polish of 7 girls after they left nail salon before heading to The Main Event for games.

At school, yesterday, she had donuts to celebrate with her classmates. Everyone waited for her to have a first bite.

Yesterday, after school, we celebrated her Bday at home with a huge red velvet cupcake, baking by me (it was my first time and the cake turned out delicious).

She had on a snuggie blanket, a gift from her sweet big sister.

Have a wonderful day ahead! x0...Hanh :)

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: Flower Market & Interviews

2011-10-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

Our game plane this morning was to visit the famous flower market in Kolkata, near (and under) the Howrah Bridge. Known as the Mullik Ghat flower market is a sensory overload of sights, and is the destination of small businesses and consumers who are readying themselves for the Durga Puja.

Marigold garlands, roses, lotus flowers, young banana trees, leaves of every shape and genus were on display by the vendors, who either have stalls or just spread their flowers on the ground. The porters are in high demand to carry the loads of flowers back to cars and trucks.

While stopping at two pandals afterward, two of the group members were stopped by local television chains for interviews. Kristine Bailey was interviewed by a local television chain, while Ron Mayhew's interview was with CNN India.

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: The Dhakis

2011-10-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Braving a sweltering morning sun, and an accompanying humidity, we drove to Sealdah train station in Kolkata where the dhakis were expected to congregate and beat their drums.

An Indian newspaper wrote “Durga Puja does not assume the festive aura without the maddening beats of the dhak, the large drum that men hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm into listeners. Those enchanting beats are enough to conjure up the sights and smells of Durga Puja."

Dhakis perform their drum beating in pandals starting from Viswakarma Puja till Kali Puja, but especially during Durga Puja. Pandals without drum beaters would be unthinkable, and organizers vie to hire the best and most energetic of the small bands for their neighborhoods.

Kolkata's Cult of Durga: Report #1

2011-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

I've never sweated as much as I did today at Kumartuli!!! Well, maybe I did...but let me put it this way, it's been a while since I did.

The area or neighborhood is a traditional potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata, which is abuzz with workers applying the finishing touches on the variety of clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses that are to be placed in the pandals for the Durga Puja in a few days' time.

We were met by Chhandak Pradhan, who's assisting me during the workshop, at Kumartuli, and spent over two hours photographing the lading of the finished idols unto the trucks, the artists applying paint on the unfinished clay statues, and even the fashioning of the straw armature on which the clay is applied...and yet, all the clay idols have to be delivered by tomorrow!

The objective of the workshop is to produce a a multi-part multimedia documentary on the Durga Puja festival as it occurs in Kolkata; the preparation of the clay idols, the flurry of shopping, the transportation of the idols to the pandals, the rituals and the processions to the river for the idols' final immersion in the river. I shall be working in black & white...but it's up to the rest of the participants whether to do the same or work in color.

Interactive video by SAMSUNG Microsite

2011-09-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever try the Interactive video from SAMSUNG site? (http://bit.ly/pa8JrF). It's fun! Click on the link provided and take note the "Click Here" button on the page, then fill in the empty box on the left bottom corner...yes! Any words you like, and see how's the video react! Haha!

The Samsung Microsite

Beside this fun interactive video, you can also submit your interesting video taken by SAMSUNG Galaxy SII, and who know your video might be the One who use for SAMSUNG next campaign! Do it now by click on the link : http://bit.ly/pa8JrF

Have you take any video by this phone before? It will be appreciate if you can share it.

Key-in any word you like to see how's the video react. (The Red arrow)

I did some video shooting on my GALAXY S and it's be able to produce a decent video clip...and I confident with the SAMSUNG GALAXY SII can even provide much better clip because of the Full HD feature. SAMSUNG Galaxy SII equipped with 8mb camera and be able to take FULL HD movie (1080p@30fps), that really produce nice and excellent video clips whenever you go!

Just imagine that you carry a Full HD Video camera with you everyday - 24 hours that you Won't miss out any Precious moment around you, Great! :) Try it to Believe it!

I will try to shoot some videos by using the SAMSUNG Galaxy SII and will be post on this blog next week, do visit it and give some comments. Thanks.

It Was One of Our Best Nights

2011-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Wearing: Yohji Yamamoto fall2011 dress and mesh leggings, American Apparel spandex shorts, McQueen boots, Wang handbag with my old blue mouse faux fur , Nina Ricci sunglasses.

Sometimes bad things happen at bad time but it turns out to be the best. I wore this outfit last Saturday for dinning out. We planned to stop at a place to take some photos for the blog. Guess what?? When we were there,...we got a flat tire. My husband called Triple A to come to the rescue. While we were waiting, we got some good photos of me and the sunset. This flat tire was a good thing for us to have a chance watching and enjoying the beautiful sunset in Dallas that we almost never do it. It really cheered us up. It was romantic. The nightfall was beautiful with a very pleasant breeze. 45 minutes of waiting and our car was back on the road. I have to say Triple A rocks; fast and friendly.

We had a delightful dinner. It was a gorgeous night to be outside for an after dinner drink. We enjoyed, talked, laughed... Wow! Almost 11:00pm. It was rare for us not to be home this late. It was one of our best nights.

Have a lovely day to you all!! xo...Hanh :)

ps: I also wore this outfit for attending Yigal show in NYC for NYFW.

Khari Baoli: Delhi's Spice Market

2011-09-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places in Old Delhi for street photography is in its spice wholesale market located just off Khari Baoli street. The smell of the various spices is overpowering, and I spent a few moments sneezing and coughing, much to the amusement of the onlookers. The market has been operating (probably unchanged to a large extent) since the 17th century, and can be accessed by walking to Fatehpuri Masjid on Chandni Chowk, and turning left.

It seems there had been a murder of a jewelry storekeeper a few days before on Chandni Chowk, so a handful of merchants of electronics and other stuff were shuttered in protest. The police was out in force with barricades, but outnumbered the protestors.

I recorded some ambient sound from the spice market, which is punctuated with spitting, coughing and hawking by the porters...this will add considerable authenticity should I decide to produce a multimedia piece on the spice market.

The Leica M9 functioned flawlessly...and eagerly jumped to action in its first view of India. Its baptism of fire seems to have been successful. It unobtrusiveness allowed me to remain unnoticed for a while, but of course, India is India...and someone will notice you and eventually engage you in some banter.

By the way, this photograph is the in-camera jpeg version of the larger DNG. I haven't processed it at all, except for a minute touch of sharpening.

I LOVE SAMSUNG GALAXY SII - The Sexy and Powerful Smartphone!

2011-09-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the dilemma on selecting the Smartphone? Yes...I had the same situation before. There are too many brands and models in the market, sometimes it makes us really difficult to choose a phone for ourselves.

But all is over now! The new Samsung Galaxy SII is one of the nice and best performance Smartphone in the market for the moment. I had been attracted by the Sexy look for the first sight! It has a solid finishing outlook and equipped with the Dual-core 1.2Ghz ARM Cortex -A9 powerful CPU to handle all Hardcore App in the market. Click here for Full Specification.

Photo from : http://www.techdigest.tv/2011/05/review_samsung_12.html

The Samsung Galaxy S already became my Best Companion when I travel. I share my travel photos & videos along the way to Facebook and Twitter. Check my email anytime and do some browsing on the internet. Beside that...the phone also provide my exact location where am I, I use it as A Navigator. It's really Help! I believe the Samsung Galaxy SII can do much more better than this!

Hey! Do I mention about video? Please click the URL (http://bit.ly/pa8JrF) where you can enjoy the videos shared from the owners of Samsung Galaxy SII. Take note of the word - "Clcik Here!".

Well, I like the Sexy phone very much! Do you?

In Focus: Hindu Festivals

2011-09-23T23:10:00.000-07:00

Photo © Dibyangshu Sarkar—AFP/Getty Images

Photo © Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Photo © AP Photo/Manish Swarup

What an incredible but timely coincidence!

In Focus, the photo blog of The Atlantic, has just featured 39 photographs of Hindu festivals...and yes, you guessed it, 3 of those are of the preparations for the Durga Puja in Kolkata.

I am traveling this evening from London to Delhi, where I'll spend a couple of nights, then on to Kolkata to for my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop.

The expedition/workshop will involve a lot of street photography, and at its core is the Durga Puja festivities. We plan to document the festivities from the making of the clay idols and their delivery to the neighborhoods' pandals to their final immersion in the Hooghly river.

It appears that the weather for Kolkata might be intermittently rainy during the Durga Puja week, but I also expect we shall have glorious light quality when the rain stops.

Delhi Photo Festival: October 15-28, 2011

2011-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in earlier posts, Delhi Photo Festival is progressing steadily, and now includes an array of workshops, lectures, portfolio reviews, gallery walks and seminars.

I am very pleased to be participating in the festival, where I will teach a short multimedia module on October 15 aimed at photographers and photojournalists to produce audio-slideshows that rivals in quality and content then the more elaborate multimedia productions.

On the morning of the same day, I will be reviewing portfolios of non-working photographers at the same venue, the Habitat Learning Centre.

The above image is the official poster for the 'Delhi Photo Festival'. Feel free to make copies and disseminate to photo enthusiasts as widely as you can.

Autumn Leaves

2011-09-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Merriman vineyard in Carlton, Oregon.

I woke up this morning and looked out the window at the front yard. I saw yellow leaves falling and realized that autumn is here. Yes, today is September 22nd. The sky was gray and it was sprinkling the whole day. I enjoyed the first sign of autumn. Autumn for you, feeling romantic, happy, lonely, or a mix feeling??? Happy Autumn to you all!! xo...Hanh :)

Modern Revelations Restaurant at Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.

2011-09-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Modern Revelations Restaurant (N1.52985 E103.79364) is located at Jalan Molek 2/3, Taman Molek - Johor Bahru.

Modern Revelations Restaurant at Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.

Visited the restaurant for Japanese BBQ dinner on one of the Saturday night, and it was crowded with customers!
The decoration is nice and every table provided with a chimney which suck out all the BBQ smoke.

Cozy and smokeless environment

They have many type of different foods and package and we decided for the Japanese Seafood BBQ package. The foods served on our table fast and the staffs provide good service!

The squids, fish and abalone.

We only chose the chicken and pork, didn't take any beef or mutton package...

The pork and the chicken

Salads

The special sauce

After all the foods served, the waitress put one unique and small BBQ pit on the table. That was really cute! :)

The BBQ seafood and others were Nice & Delicious! Especially the sauce! We were satisfied with the foods and the service here! I like the pork, it was tender and juicy! Yummy! All of us enjoy the BBQ session that night!
The Damage : MYR150.00 for 4 adults and 2 children included drinks. Well, it was reasonable and cheaper than the Korean BBQ Restaurant we visited before but there are totally different on the foods and the taste.

They have total of 3 restaurants at Johor Bahru located at 3 different places. Another 2 restaurant are located at Taman Sentosa and Taman Sutera Utama.

Modern Revelation Restaurant

44, Jalan Molek 2/3,

Taman Molek,

Johor Bahru.

Tel : +607-3521803

http://www.modernrestaurant.com.my

Location map of Modern Revelations Restaurant at Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.

View Larger Map

Chinese Lion dance Competition on July 2011 at Jalan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru.

2011-09-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee (N1 27.385 E103 45.814) was having the Chinese Lion Dance Competition (High Poles) on the street for the first time in the month of July 2011.

There were total of 8 teams from other states of Malaysia participated in the competition. We were there slight late because we missed the first Lion from Malacca...

The whole area was packed with peoples! Luckily I found a nice spot just beside the poles.

Every participants were seriously performed in the competition, and that was really a nice show for the night at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee!
It also an eye opener for me because I'm never be so close to the competition area!

The jumping Lion!

It was Tough for me to take the photo that evening because of shooting fast moving object in low light situation. Most of my photos turn out blurred!

The judges of the night

The organizers had warning those photographers that 'Please Don't Use Your Flash Light!'...but seems like none of them got the message! Everyone still Flash like nobody business!

The Lions came out one-by-one and they did the Best they can on the Poles, but unfortunately...some of them fall down! (cause by their skill or the flash?! I'm not sure...)

Too bad I had to watched the exciting show through the lens that night...

I really admired their fantastic skill (all the 8 teams), and they did well through all the difficulties on it! One of the amazing moment was when the lion bend down... (below)

The lion bend down, not falling!

The fall of the Lion

Total of 5 Lion's teams had fall from the poles that night, and most of them fall down at the highest pole at the back...

The Lion before it jump on the poles...

The Result : 2nd runner up belong to the Lion's team from Kelapa Sawit, Johor. 1st runner up was grabbed by the Kuala Lumpur team and the Champion belong to the Team from 'Kuan Sen Kong' Temple - Muar, they are also the World Champion for the past few years.

The Champion of the night! Kuan Sen Kong's Lion.

We were really impressed by the skill when they 'Fly', 'Jump' and 'Dance' on the poles!

The performance of the Champion!

We were totally enjoyed the 2 hours Lion dance show that night especially my daughter! She was very excited! Haha!
Hopefully they will organize this type of event every year!

Location map of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee at Johor Bahru.

View Larger Map

John Kenny: Kenyan Portraits

2011-09-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Guardian newspaper in London alerted me of an exhibition opening next week of John Kenny's new portraits from Kenya.

John Kenny started a journey in 2006 that took him though many of Sub-Saharan Africa’s remotest communities. He spent hours walking, hitch-hiking and driving across African countries making photographs of people, ancient cultures and traditions.

The Guardian and the exhibition venue (3 Bedfordbury Gallery) has a selected number of these portraits, but the collection can be best seen on John Kenny's website.

He tells us that the images were taken during his second trip to the far North of Kenya in 2011. With major drought across the Samburu, Rendille and Turkana villages in the region, he wanted to to convey a little more on how climate changes are undermining traditional pastoral ways of live in East Africa.

I have featured John Kenny's work a number of times. You can the posts see here and here.

Should I go and see the exhibit at the Covent Garden gallery whilst I'm in London, I'll post my impressions.

I just noticed that John Kenny used a 10x8 format Chamonix camera for some of his work.

New! Nikon's V1 Mirrorless Camera

2011-09-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

As readers of this blog know well, I am a big fan and supporter of the interchangeable mirrorless cameras. I have the Panasonic Lumix GF1 that I just love and while it's a shame Panasonic decided to pimp it up so mindlessly with its new GF3 iteration, the fact remains that I believe this type of cameras will eventually be preferred by enthusiasts and professionals over bulky (and overly complex) DSLRs.

Nikon has just announced a new crop of such cameras, and the one that caught my attention is the Nikon V1.

The Nikon V1 is claimed to be the world’s smallest and lightest camera with interchangeable lenses and an electronic viewfinder. It ought to be in retail stores on October 20th with a 10-30mm lens for $900.

Nikon also released a collection of 4 news lenses (Nikkor 1 System) for its new cameras: the 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, a 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 (81-297mm equivalent) for $250, a 10mm f/2.8 (27mm equivalent) for $250, and a 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 (27-270mm equivalent) power zoom lens for $750.

Intelligently, Nikon also announced a FT-1 F-mount adaptor that will allow Nikon fans to use their SLR lenses. This indicates to me that Nikon predicts that many photographers will be encouraged to migrate (as back up or second body) to its new system since their investment in lenses will be preserved.

Good move, Nikon! Let's see what Canon (and perhaps even Leica) has in store.

POV: Gear For Kolkata

2011-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

As i have not used my DSLRs for quite a while (well, since the Foundry Workshop in Buenos Aires in July), I decided to give them an airing today...a very brief one; just for a photograph to accompany this post.

For the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop, I am taking the Canon 5D Mark II, the Canon 7D, a 70-200 f2.8 (not shown), a 28-70 f2.8, a 17-40mm f4.0, a Marantz PMD620 recorder, a 28mm Leica Elmarit, a 40mm f1.4 Nokton Voigtlander (not shown), a Holga for Canon lens (not shown) and the Leica M9 (used to take the picture).

The workshop will involve a lot of street photography, especially during the Durga Puja festivities, and I intend to use the M9 for that...for the low-light situations or for those that require quick focusing, a Canon will be used. I have a couple of projects in mind in which I will try to use the Holga lens...these will involve environmental portraiture. Should it rain, the Leica will remain dry in the Domke bag.

That being said, everything depends on the 'facts of the ground' as politicians are prone to say.

Sweet CdG Blouse

2011-09-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wearing this outfit on this 9/11 in NYC. 10 years ago, I remember when seeing it live on tv when the second plane hit. I remember it clear that when I was pregnant with my first child and I was running up and down the stairs, shaking, and screaming loud to wake up my husband to see it this news. What I remember most about the rest of that day was the quiet of mass shock. 10 years later, it happened I was in New York. What a day! Yet, New York is still strong, beautiful. There is no other city like New York in the world. I love New York! and always....

I love the background with American flag and yellow cab, so New York. It's just great to be here on this day. I should post this post much sooner.

(Comme des Garcons vintage silk top from fall 2011 collection, Comme skirt from past seasons, Celine sunglasses, and Jeffrey Campbell Lita)

I'm so in love with this fall 2011 CdG collection, especially pieces made from vintage silk scarves that Kawakubo herself collected over the years. So, each of the pieces are one of a kind, and as always, her clothing design is asymmetrical. I love the idea of a detached sleeve on this top. It's different and fun.

Custom made Japanese lucky cat from Hanna Bernard. F21 belt.

Layers of Hermes bracelets and watch. Dries van Noten bag.

Have a wonderfulday to you all! xo...Hanh :)

Antonio Mari: Candomble

2011-09-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the work of Antonio Mari, US-Brazilian photographer living in both countries, and specializing in ethnophotography. His work appeared in the New York Times, The New York Post, Newsday, Gannett Newspapers, Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Veja Magazine (Brazil), Time Magazine, Science Magazine and the Boston Globe, as well as Geo Magazine (Germany).

I was drawn to his Bahia of All Saints (Candomble) gallery which depicts the practice of the Afro-Brazilian syncretism called Candomble in the Reconcavo Baiano region of the northeastern state of Bahia,Brazil. The images were made during an offering ceremony in a small village called Milagre San Roque.

Countdown To Kolkata

2011-09-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few lines to start the countdown for my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop. In exactly a week from today, I'll be in Delhi enjoying the company of various friends, and looking at my first Leica images made in Delhi! I can't wait.

A couple of days later, I fly off to Kolkata to officially start the workshop.

I am currently in London until next Sunday, enjoying it as always despite having to wait till Tuesday for a BT technician to repair a fault in the internet connection. It's unreal how we've become accustomed to having the internet...it's almost like being accustomed (and expecting) electricity, heat, water...If I had to choose having television of internet, the latter would win hands down.

Kim Chi & BBQ Korean Restaurant at Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru.

2011-09-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

Kim Chi & BBQ Korean Restaurant (N1.48170 E103.77479) is located along Jalan Perang of Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru. The restaurant is crowded during weekend, but they have different levels dining area for customers.

The Smokeless Environment was great! We waited for about 10 minutes for our table....

The nice environment of the restaurant

It is a BBQ style Korean restaurant just like some of the Japan Restaurant around Johor Bahru area.

We oedered the package which was served with : Pork Spare Ribs with bone, Thick Sliced Pork Belly Special, Roasted Saury, Ginseng Chicken Soup and Kimchee Pancake. (stated for 2-3 person) And also with all the Korean small side dishes...

The Korean side dishes were served on the table...

The Kinchi

Follow by the package we ordered...

The Roasted Saury

Marinated Pork Spare Ribs

Thick Spiced Pork Belly Special

Special vegetables

The vegetables above was nice!
The waiter/waitress here were friendly and one of them lighted up the charcoal to prepared the BBQ pork for our table. Their service was good!

Before the pork ready, we already finish the Roasted Saury and some of side dishes. Well, the Nice aroma from the BBQ pork! Less than about 10 minutes, the both type of pork were ready on the table!

The BBQ Pork from Kim Chi & BBQ Korean Restaurant

Our table was full of Korean foods

After they completed the pork, the Ginseng Chicken Soup and the Kim Chi Pancake were served...perfect timing!

The Ginseng Chicken Soup

Kim chi pancake

We were satisfied all the foods served by the restaurant. The Ginseng Chicken Soup was Special! The Saury was tasty, BBQ Pork was Delicious! My wife and daughter like the Kim chi pancake very much! I like the BBQ Pork Belly very much!
But...the portion served was too much for small family like us! We really sorry about some wasted foods on the table. The package was just nice to serve 3-4 adults, but we were only 2 adults and 1 child.
The Damage : RM120.00 included drinks and white rice.

The boss - Mr Park Sang Jun was a very friendly guy and he provide the Yakult healthy drink for every children for Free!

Beside the package, they also serve Ala Carte foods. This was a nice experience for us to dine in the restaurant, especially with the nice & friendly staffs around!

We will definitely visit the restaurant again! Of course with more peoples...

Kim Chi & BBQ Korean Restaurant

24, Jalan Perang,

Taman Pelangi,

Johor Bahru.

Tel : +607-3331700 / 6700

Location map of Kim Chee & BBQ Korean Restaurant at Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru.

View Larger Map

My Kitty Cat and His Flowers

2011-09-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Wearing this outfit for Narsico show of New York fashion week; Miu Miu blouse and bloomers, Dries scarf and handbag, Celine sunglasses, and my beloved kitty red velvet Charlotte Olympia wedges.

As you see, my outfit was polka dot again...and my nails. Yes, I've been enjoying polka dot trend of this fall. It's perfect to mix with different prints to make your outfit more interesting and fun.

Wishing you all a happy weekend and a fabulous week ahead! xo...Hanh :)

Charles W. Cushman: New York City

2011-09-17T02:25:00.000-07:00

Photo © Charles W. Cushman

I don't know why The Daily Mail, as a British newspaper would feature an extensive gallery of New York City photographs made in the 1940s and later by Charles Weever Cushman, but it did and these show us how much (and how little) has changed in this wonderful city.

Charles Weever Cushman was an amateur photographer and Indiana University alumnus, who bequeathed approximately 14,500 Kodachrome color slides to his alma mater. The photographs in this collection bridge a thirty-two year span from 1938 to 1969.

Most of these places shown in the photographs have either been demolished or altered, except for one or two in the East Village. My favorite is the one above of Chinese store windows in Chinatown made on October 7, 1942.... I wonder where that is.

Which brings me to street photography. I read a day or two ago that Scott Strazzante got into trouble because some random guy took umbrage to his shooting from the hip, and shoved him. You can read of the incident here. I also got some grief when an older fellow, whom I was photographing quite openly, hurled the vilest of epithets at me but he wasn't physical. You can read about it here.

The guy who shoved Scott said that photographing people from the hip was "intellectually unfair". I don't know what he meant, except perhaps he thought that it wasn't really photography, and for it to be fair, people being photographed had to be aware that Scott (or I and other street photographers who shoot from the hip) were photographing them...otherwise it was a sort of surveillance photography.

Scott actually thinks that "shooting from the hip is kinda creepy". I don't disagree (which isn't quite the same as saying that I agree) with this notion, but I would qualify it by saying that it depends who the subjects are. For example, if provocatively dressed young women are being photographed
surreptitiously with a different intent than pure street photography, then it's creepy. Otherwise, shooting from the hip is no different than shooting candid portraits with a long lens.

Street Photos of Taichung, Taipei and Yehliu - Taiwan.

2011-09-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Let me share some interesting photos which I took along the way in my 6 days 5 nights Taiwan trip...

The building with Full of signage

Unique super narrow building, I wonder how to get up to the 1st level...

The old man with his dog...

I like her strawberry helmet and her groves...

Don't Drink And Drive!

The petrol price of Taiwan

The LED lighting in the mirror...

We are going to NeiHu Road...

The street at Yehliu, Taiwan

The Mini Eiffel Tower on the building...

Below are the interesting Betel nut girls (槟榔妹,Pin Lang Mei) which were spotted along our way to Yehliu. (The photos taken from our van...)

It was not like those pictures which published on the internet where the girls are wearing Bikini to sell the Betel nut...:)

And follow by our Party Van which traveled with us for this 6 days 5 nights in Taiwan! You can get the phone numbers from the photo below and the driver name is : My Yew.

The Van which toured us for the Taiwan's Trip

And this Van was Full of Gadgets! You can see it from the dashboard...

The Dashboard with full of gadgets

This is my Last post for our May, 2011 Taiwan's Trip.

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

Francisco "Kit" Reyes: Globetrotter Photographer

2011-09-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

I would not be exaggerating if I described Francisco "Kit" Reyes as a human National Geographic magazine. He's a videographer and photographer who's been to over 100 countries, and is thrilled to have made his passion into a career.

His resume includes working with Fox 5, CBS New York, CNBC, Channel News Asia, as well as being a freelancer videographer and photographer. If you glance at his field experience, it'll add up to the 100 countries he mentions in his biography.

Aside from his video work of Machu Picchu, Galapagos, Dubai, Brunei amongst other exotic places, Francisco has photo galleries of his work in Ladakh, Cuba, Egypt, West Africa, India, Penang, Kosovo, Borneo, Vietnam, Nepal, etc. His imagery is both documentary travel, NGO styled work, and commercial (resorts and hotels for example).

You'll spend quite a while viewing Francisco's portfolios...and you might agree with me that he's a human National Geographic.

Reminders Project Asian Photographers Grant

2011-09-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

The five finalists of the inaugural Reminders Project Asian Photographers Grant were announced on September 12th.

These accomplished photographers were selected by a jury panel from submissions received from all over Asia, and will have their work showcased at this year’s 7th Angkor Photo Festival, which is held from November 19 to 26, 2011, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The winner of the grant will be announced during the festival, and will receive financial support of US$3,000 for his/her winning project. The project will also be shown next year at the 8th Angkor Photo Festival.

2011 FINALISTS
AGNES DHERBEYS
South Korea / France

ANDRI TAMBUNAN
Indonesia

GMB AKASH
Bangladesh

SHIHO FUKADA
Japan

ZISHAAN AKBAR LATIF
India

The Colours of Ferris Wheel - Miramar Complex, Taipei - Taiwan

2011-09-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

While we step in the Grand Victoria Hotel after the walk from Xi Men Ding, we decided to take the photo of the Ferris Wheel of Miramar Complex (N25.082936 E121.557065), which we was no chance to ride on it for this trip...

Miramar Complex

It was about to shut down when we stand below the wheel...

The Green Giant Wheel

Luckily, it still continued to change its colour...it was Beautiful!

Less than 15 minutes, the colourful lighting were shut down and left the Only Green colour on it. I decided to try the Long Shutter technique which I learned from Ong.

Taken in long shutter - 0.5 second

Taken in long shutter - 1 second

We spend about 30 minutes for the Ferris Wheel shooting and walked back to the hotel...the area was calm and peaceful.
Packed everything, but just can't sleep...even after few bottles of Taiwan Beer...

BYE TAIWAN! I will be back again!

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

Location map of Miramar Entertainment Park at Taipei, Taiwan

View Larger Map

Polka Dot and A Touch of Fur Trend

2011-09-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

With Nini in NYC.

Wearing: Yohji Yamamoto dress and leggings from fall 2011 collection, MMM faux fur, Alexander Wang silver bag with a mouse blue faux fur which I bought long ago, Sam Eldelman boots, and Nina Ricci sunnies.

Have a wonderful day ahead! xo...Hanh :)

Yatin Patel: Sutra

2011-09-14T02:28:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to have been directed to Yatin Patel's website whose title Sutra in ancient Sanskrit translates as "a thread or line that holds elements together".

Yatin Patel is an Orlando-based photographer, internet entrepreneur and native of India, and his "Sutra" project consists of images of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat. The project uses high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, which gives photographs a distinct artistic feel.

As explained in Yatin's Wikipedia entry, he chose Ahmedabad as subject because it's a partitioned city, with ancient gated communities, small enclaves of different cultures, and lots of hidden courtyards.

Some of the "Sutra" series of prints have been printed on Japanese kozo (rice) paper, and the process is explained in a number of posts on Yatin's blog. The combination of monochrome HDR imaging and rice paper is an interesting one; the photographic style is certainly one of street photography, processed with HDR techniques and then printed on a textured medium.

The choice of Ahmedabad is an excellent one. Founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah, its architecture is a fusion of Hindu craftsmanship with Islamic architecture. I would think that Yatin will eventually do the same in Varanasi and Old Delhi, to name but two similarly compelling cities.

My thanks to Ron Mayhew, an accomplished photographer himself, who suggested Sutra to me.

Xi Men Ding (西門町) of Taipei, Taiwan

2011-09-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

After the Nice Goose Noodle dinner, we walked around this vibrant and lively Xi Men Ding (西門町)(N25.04282 E121.50751). And that will be our last night at Taiwan, we intended to buy some souvenirs back...

The area is well known with all the Giant signage...there were everywhere...

I saw many shops and food stalls still remain the same area as 4 years ago...well, there were some good memories down the lane...
One of them was this MRT exit...

One of the Ximen MRT Exit nearby Xi Men Ding

There were many talented artist along the Xi Men Ding area, they always perform beside the streets. We spotted one young lady drummer who played marvelously that night. She had been surrounded with almost 100 audiences around the area.

The talented young lady drummer

Beside the lady drummer, we saw another street painter who painted the beautiful landscape picture within 10 minutes! He used those sprays with different colour and A small piece of card to produce the nice and beautiful picture! The picture Only cost TWD100 each!

The intelligent street painter

He used the fire to dry the paint instantly...

The whole area was packed of peoples!

I remember the shop above where I waited for my wife for more than 2 hours...haha!

Decided to walk to the hotel where we stayed on last visit - Han She Hotel. Still the same old alley, but with a strong bright spot light now...

Entrance of Han She Hotel

After we bought some local foods and souvenirs, we back to hotel and pack...we have a plane to catch tomorrow 8am!

Bye Bye Taiwan! I miss you!

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

Location map of Xi Men Ding, Taipei - Taiwan

View Larger Map

Books: Holy War

2011-09-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of book that makes my pulse quicken. It's about the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama who sailed from Lisbon in 1497 to lead an expedition to find a new route to India. I haven't read it yet, but will certainly do so before I set for my own expedition The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition/Workshop™ scheduled for March 2012.

There's a review of the book on The New York Times' Sunday Book Review, from which I quote this (and you'll understand why my pulse quickened):

As Cliff recounts, the “landing party had assumed that Hindu temples were Christian churches, they had misconstrued the Brahmins’ invocation of a local deity as veneration of the Virgin Mary and they had decided the Hindu figures on the temple walls were outlandish Christian saints.” True, “the temples were also crammed with animal gods and sacred phalluses,” but these surely reflected exotic local Christian practices. What mattered to the Portuguese was that these long-lost Indian Christians permitted images in their “churches.” Thus, whatever their idiosyncrasies, they could not be Muslims. The Portuguese joined in the chants and invocations with gusto. When the Hindu priests chanted “Krishna,” the Portuguese heard it as “Christ.”

As one of the underlying objectives of The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition/Workshop™, like some of my previous photo expeditions in India, is the visual documentation of its syncretic religious traditions, the publication of this book seems have been timed perfectly.

I will share my views as soon as I read it!!

Los Angeles Times; Mature Burlesque

2011-09-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

In order to break from the gloom of September 11 and its coverage, I thought I'd feature something both different and uplifting. From The Los Angeles Times, this audio slideshow seems perfect to do just that...it's about Monday Night Tease, which is the longest-running weekly burlesque show in Los Angeles. It's known as a venue for dancers of all shapes and shades, as well as for its cheeky humor.

The audio slideshow features Lili VonSchtupp, who draws crowds to bar in Hollywood every week to celebrate real women with real bodies. "One of the troupes taking the stage just before midnight at VonSchtupp’s weekly Monday Night Tease calls itself the Rubenesque Burlesque. For four minutes, the women shake, bounce and bump to a hip-hop song, eventually stripping down to black leather bras. When those come off, the crowd at Three Clubs erupts. They hoot approvingly at these dancers, each of whom weighs over 200 pounds."

According to Wikipedia, American burlesque shows were originally an offshoot of Victorian burlesque in Britain, and when those went out of favor at the end of the 19th centruy, the American style of burlesque flourished, but with increasing focus on female nudity.

Goose Noodles Stall at Xin Men Ding (西門町), Taipei - Taiwan

2011-09-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

We had our 6th day dinner at Xi Men Ding (西門町) Taipei. Well, I still prefer to try the Goose noodle again which I tasted 4 years ago. All of my friends agreed.

The stall is located at one of the alley which you can walk from the Xi Men Ding Square towards the main road. Apologies because I forgot to take down the GPS Coordinates, but you can base on the address below to find it - 27 alley of ChengDu Road.

Goose noodle stall at Xi Men Ding

The shop is always crowded because of limited tables...
Once we had our table, the order was placed immediately! Even there were many customers around the shop, the noodles were served less than 15 minutes.

The crowded Goose noodle shop at Xi Men Ding

The Goose noodle of Xi Men Ding

The meats and the soup were still delicious as before, but the noodles seems not as tender as before. Anyway, it was still a Tasty dinner for us. I forgot how much it cost in TWD, it was about MYR5.00 after conversion.
The customers were continue walk in to the shop non-stop, and they will stand beside our table before we leave...

Anyway, if you ever try the Goose Noodle before, please give a try! You might like it! :)

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

September 11, 2001: The Fringe

2011-09-12T02:12:00.000-07:00

For those who have no press passes, access to Ground Zero was prohibited yesterday. Nonetheless, the areas around it did provide opportunities for good street photography. Naturally, any event of such a magnitude brings along the fringe...the conspiracy theorists, the government haters, the religious minded...and the Obama supporters.

Shoe Collection Update from NYFW

2011-09-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have attended a few runway shows of New York Fashion Week while enjoying my shopping in between shows. I should update what is going on in the runways, however, I think it's more convenient for you to see it on Style.com. So, I've updated my shopping instead.

I love this McQueen boots. They are so LADY GAGA.

I always wanted a pair of chic sneakers shoes. Finally, I found them. Chanel.

I love these Alaia shoes. They are so flattering on.

Finally, here is my kitty cat wedges; Charlotte Olympia. I'm so in love with the cat's face and the red velvet.

Have a wonderful day ahead! xo...Hanh :)

Parth Sanyal: The Kadaiwallahs

2011-09-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks before the start of my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo-Expedition/Workshop, I am particularly pleased to have stumbled on Parth Sanyal's website through a link on Global Post's photo blog PlanetPic, because one of his galleries depicts the Kadaiwallahs (men with large pans), the gold scavengers of Kolkata.

About 200 gold scavengers make an meagre living by collecting gold dust from the narrow lanes housing the small gold factories of Kolkata. They collect the dust in large metal pans, and burn the impurities with acid hoping to be left with tiny gold particles.

Indians consider it auspicious to buy gold during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, when the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is worshipped. The period from October to February is high seasons for gold buying, however with its price skyrocketing, consumers are looking for alternatives, and this impacts the Kadaiwallahs livelihood. Their occupation is an ancient one; they've been doing this traditional and crude means of collecting gold since the 16th century during the Mughal Rule.

Parth Sanyal has been covering South Asia over the last 18 years for various Indian newspapers and global wire services. He has worked for The Independent in Mumbai, The Hindu group of publications and Reuters. His photographs appeared in the International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Boston Globe, National Geography online and Global Post.

Stephane Sednaoui: September 11, 2001

2011-09-10T02:55:00.000-07:00

Out of the many images of the aftermath of September 11, 2001 that were published in the past few weeks, I thought the most compelling were by Stephane Sednaoui featured by TIME's LightBox, which is one of the best photo blogs.. Perhaps it's because I hadn't heard of him nor seen these images before, and were in many ways different from those I had seen before.

Stephane Sednaoui is a photographer and a movie director, and has also worked as a documentary photographer covering the Romanian Revolution of 1989. He has photographed many music album covers, and directed more than 50 music videos.

Interestingly, Sednaoui's ancestors were originally from Syria, who moved to Egypt and established one of the country's first top notch department stores. The Sednaoui brothers, Samaan and Selim, established the Sednaoui (pronounced 'Sednawee') store in the early 1900s. The store still exists to this day, but is a shadow of its grandeur after being nationalized in the 60s.

The school I attended in Cairo required that all students buy their uniforms; blazers, caps, shorts and keen-high grey socks from the Sednaoui store, and I recall quite well my excitement each year in getting these new uniforms.

From Kenya To The UK - Catch Up With Crazy About Kenya Artist, Shake Makelele...

2011-09-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Determining The Future (c) Shake Maklele

This week we're coming at ya all the way from the wildlife capital! Artist Shake Makelele is one of our Crazy About Kenya partners and he's about to leave his home in Taita Taveta county to exhibit in the UK. A Royal Overseas League scholarship award winner, Shake has been invited to share his artworks at London's OXO Tower from 06-23 October (details below). Entry to the exhibition is free, but if you can't wait until then, here's a taster of his talent on the blog!

Up for a 2011 Travolution award under the category of Best Travel Information Website, Crazy About Kenya features a list of the top ten reserves and gives you an insight into the wildlife capital from the Kenyan perspective.

You can find out more about Shake's favourite safari hang out, inspirational locations and hip and happening Nairobi on the star studded URL.

Shadows Of Dawn (c) Shake Makelele

The Uprising (c) Shake Makelele

The Sisters (c) Shake Makelele

Cross Border Traders (c) Shake Makelele

Natural Blossom (c) Shake Makelele

Shake Makelele will be exhibiting at the Royal Overseas League Annual Scholars Exhibition 2011, to be held at London’s OXO Tower (gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9PH) from 06-23 October (open daily, from 11am-6pm). The exhibition is an international showcase for artists from all over the commonwealth, all of whom have undertaken a month long residency at the Patrick Allen Fraser Foundation, Hospitalfield in Arbroath, Scotland. For more information visit Royal overseas league; email culture@rosl.org.uk; or click through to www.roslarts.org.uk.

Asit: Indonesian Photography

2011-09-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

Another instance of a talented photographer who neglects to provide full background information on his or her website is Asit. It's a shame because I am certain that photo buyers may want to get in contact with Asit. Having a contact form is insufficient, since a biography provides background information to the buyers and editors. A pseudonym is fine (if warranted) but having no background information signals a disinterest in marketing.

Most of Asit's photographs appear to have been set up very carefully, with meticulous attention and effort given to details, lighting and, in some cases, make up. It's more akin to fashion photography than travel photography.

Polka Dots for Fall

2011-09-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost ending. Are you ready for fall? Of this fall's latest trends, which one is your favorite? and which one are you planning to rock? from naive ethnic, python, fur trim, apres ski, graphic prints, mixed materials, mixed textures, men's shoe on the heels, and color-block is still continuing strong through this fall with less circus colors. Also, polka dot is another fun trend that you will notice, as you can see it from Stella McCartney, Marni, Prada, Dolce&Gabbana, Yigal...For fun, I've up-dated my nail polish with polka dots and I love it; so many compliments!

I picked this 10 Professional Nail Lacquer-459 showtime from CVS.

Ring from Sue Gragg Jewels.

Have a lovely day ahead! xo...Hanh :)

Francisco de Souza: Travel Photography

2011-09-08T02:12:00.000-07:00

The website of Francisco de Souza is populated with galleries of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam...large images which grab viewers the way images should. None of this silly small photographs to "protect my work" from Francisco. He wants to show his images, and he does.

His biography tells us he was born and raised in Zimbabwe, where he started to photograph his Shona tribal neighbours since he was eleven. Subsequently displaced from his Zimbabwean home, he travelled to many developing countries in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and South East Asia. It is there he started to actively work with and support Non Government Organisations in Indonesia, India and Zimbabwe.

Francisco's work has been shortlisted in the Digital Photographer of the Year competition in 2009, and he received a Diploma in Photography from The Photography Institute of New Zealand in 2010.

In his India gallery, Francisco features an elderly woman in a red sari, possibly a Gujarati or Rajasthani tribal judging from her tattoos, being helped unto the back of a truck...a perfect capture in time and motion.

Thierry Riga: Lalibela Portraits

2011-09-07T02:14:00.000-07:00

Here's another case where the photographer is not forthcoming with personal details, but Thierry Riga appeared on my radar screen when he subscribed to my email newsletters. I looked him up, and except for his website, there isn't much...which is a shame because perhaps photo editors and buyers will want to know more about him after this post.

Thierry has three manin galleries on his website...three galleries with large images. The kind of large that pleases me and photo editors and buyers, because they can see them properly. The three galleries are of Buddhist novitiates from Myanmar (Burma), of portraits of deacons, priests and devotees during Timket in Lalibela and the fishermen of Lake Inle in Burma.

I choose to highlight Thierry's Lalibela Portraits for no other reason than it's one of the handful of galleries mentioned on this blog that deals with the Christian faith in Ethiopia.

Timket is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 19 (or 20 on a Leap Year). It celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. During the ceremonies, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, is reverently carried in a procession. Timket is celebrated all over Ethiopia, but it's particularly spectacular in Lalibela, a Biblical mountain town famous for its 11 churches hewn out of solid rock over a thousand years ago. Many Ethiopians believe they were built by angels.

I recall being awakened at 3:00 am or so in Lalibela by Timket ethereal chants...enough to give goosebumps to the most secular of humans. My own gallery Footsteps in North Abyssinia has some portraits from Lalibela.

Mitsui Cuisine Japanese Restuarant (明水三井餐廳) at Taipei, Taiwan

2011-09-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

We were invited to the Mitsui Cuisine Japanese Restaurant (明水三井餐廳) (N25.08192 E121.55161) for our lunch on the 5th day of our trip to Taiwan. The restaurant is located along MingShui Road of Taipei.

Mitsui Cuisine Japanese Restaurant

Our table had been reserved by our friends from Taiwan, and they had even ordered the meals. The environment was really nice and it was a luxury restaurant around Taipei.
I noticed the Manager was using the Tablet PC to take order from customers! Surprised!

The Manager of the restaurant taken the order from customers...

After chatting for about 15 minutes, our lunch served on the table...well, the first course was 'raw prawn and fish served in the ice bowl'...

2nd course was...'10-20% cooked of lobsters'.

They served very fast!
After about 5 minutes, they brought Two Giant Crabs and put it on our table! Oh! Ok...just wanted for us to make sure the crab was live! My goodness! Haha!

Live Giant Crabs...

And follow by the 3rd course...Deep fried fish. (Do you know what kind of fish from the photo below?)

Deep Fried Fish

The 4th course was...the Giant Crabs.

The Crabs

The 5th course was...20% Raw Beef.

The Raw Beef

The 6th course was...some king of Asparagus?!.

Asparagus?!

7th course was...Foie Gras. (aka duck or goose liver). This was my first experience tasting this meal.

Foie Gras (aka duck or goose liver)

8th course was...Sushi.

Sushi of Mitsui Cuisine Restaurant

9th course was...Ops! I forgot what was that?!...

The 9th course...forgot the name of the dish...

The last was...small cup of soup.

Well, we were Totally Overloaded for this lunch!

I like the beef very much! Even it was almost raw...
Other dishes...average to us...and I felt the Foie Gras was OK. I'm not really taste the few dishes after the 6th course because it was too full for me! Too bad!
Actually, I like the atmosphere very much, it was quiet and you can enjoy your meal perfectly. Every dishes were served less than 5 minutes! Good services!

If you don't mind about the price, it's worth for a visit. You can contact the restaurant for reservation on their official website : Mitsui Cuisine Restaurant.

* Apologies for the low quality photos above, all photos were taken by my camera phone.

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

Location map of Mitsui Cuisine at Taipei, Taiwan

View Larger Map

POV: I Am Awarded The ACIEL Famous Prize!

2011-09-06T02:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read the headline correctly...

I am the proud recipient of the 2011 ACIEL Hall of Fame award. I was recognized by the makers of the legendary camera ACIEL-N as having contributed the most outstanding photographic work during the past years. I faced enormous competition from a myriad of well known and famous photographers from every segment of the industry, who all deserve the prize as well...but I won....and there's no second place in that kind of award.

I will be traveling to the Kingdom of Backhairistan next week to accept the award, and to pose for my picture being handed the prize; a brand new ACIEL-N43 camera with my signature engraved on its top plate. It will be presented by His Excellency Von Herr, the owner of ACIEL and president of the country. Wine with bubbles, tilapia roe on white bread flavored with Marmite will be served...and buxom Backhairistanian models will be in attendance.

The ACIEL cameras are recognized (and lusted for) all over the world because of its faultless mechanics/electronics, ergonomic and modern design, its flawless operations...and by its trademark; the famous yellow dot. The above photograph is of my ACIEL-N42...last year's model. The new one looks similar, but has no yellow dot.

Okay, folks....this is a satirical post. On a more sober level, let me say I would respect camera-makers' marketing ploys in awarding such prizes if these were awarded to photographers such as Michael Kamber, Maggie Steber, Asim Rafiqui, Stanley Greene to name but a few. But of course, like sugar attracts flies, the marketing departments of camera makers go after the so-called name recognition. It's a shame...but that's the world we live in.

But note that while I speak of the marketing departments whose mandate is to increase brand awareness with such gimmicks...camera makers also use well thought recognitions to honor deserving photographers and photojournalists. For instance, Leica and Alex Majoli. So while I make fun at awards designed to titillate undiscerning consumers, I'm glad there are others that reward non-celebrity photographers for their outstanding work.

Summer at Lake Saint-Cassien

2011-09-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

If you are in the south of France, you should visit lake Saint-Cassien. It is only about 12 km west of Cannes. This lake is about 430 hectares, beautiful, wild, natural, and is easy to get to. The lake is bordered almost completely by forested hills, the shoreline is undeveloped, leaving its beauty for picturesque views and for people to enjoy. It is a very popular place for carp fishing, and a great place for family to enjoy water activities such as windsurfing, pedalos, swimming, and rowing. We had a wonderful time there. It's one of our favorite places in Provence.

Have a wonderful day ahead! xo...Hanh :)

Gian Marco Agazzi: The Red Men Of Indian Wrestling

2011-09-05T03:11:00.000-07:00

I tried my damnedest to find information on Gian Marco Agazzi, the photographer of The Red Men of Indian Wrestling, but to no avail.

The Red Men of Indian Wrestling refers to Kushti; the traditional and ancient form of wrestling that was, and still is, practiced in India, Pakistan and other neighboring countries. The Kushti (also known as Pehlwani) wrestling performed on clay mixed with ghee. Its practitioners face grueling daily training, a strict diet and celibacy.

(Brief post...as I'm on hols!)

Delhi Photo Festival: New Updates

2011-09-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Mentioned in earlier posts, Delhi Photo Festival is progressing steadily, and now includes an array of workshops, lectures, portfolio reviews, gallery walks and seminars.

The Event Calendar is up on its website, and a number of photographers and readers of this blog will either attend it in person, or have sent in their work for consideration.

As per the partial screen capture above (click to enlarge), I will be participating in the festival, where I will teach a short multimedia module on October 15 aimed at photographers and photojournalists to produce audio-slideshows that rivals in quality and content then the more elaborate multimedia productions.

Due to time constraints, I am unfortunately unable to attend the whole festival as I'm flying back to New York on October 16th after three weeks in Kolkata.

I would have liked to attend my friend Asim Rafiqui's presentation of his long term project "The Idea of India" on October 18, and the module on Basics of DSLR Film Making by my friend Anamitra Chakladar on October 23.

POV: 12 Out Of 30 Is Not Bad

2011-09-04T03:11:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to note that about 12 out of the 30 photographs featured in the Denver Post Photo Blog's Pictures of the Week: September 2, 2001 are by non Western photographers.

The above photograph is of an Indian offering Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Jama Masjid mosque in New Delhi on August 31, 2011.

Except for the images of the Libyan uprising, all the photographs of non Western subjects are by non Western photographers...Muhammed Muheisen, Vahid Salemi, Fareed Khan, Manan Vatsyayana, Anupam Nath, Khalil Senosi, Noah Seelam, Rajesh Kumar Singh, and Rahmat Gul.

The world is changing!

(I'm still on holidays...so brief posts!)

Sayulita

2011-09-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

Sayulita, Mexico, is a small town, a 45 minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. It was perfect for us to take a day trip to Sayulita while we were in Punta Mita. The town is small (about 1500 residents) and super-friendly, making it a great place to practice and improve your Spanish. The atmosphere is about as laid-back as it gets. Shirts for men are optional. The beaches are perfect-long, beautiful stretches of sand set under a backdrop of jungle and palm trees. Yes, it is a great place for your outdoor adventure: horseback riding, zip-lining, hiking, surfing...

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!!xo...Hanh :)

Along The River: Idan Hojman

2011-09-03T02:35:00.000-07:00

Photography Book Now Winners 2011 were announced by Blurb, and amongst the books that won awards for Travel, I liked Along The River the best. Thoughtful and very well photographed.

It's by Idan Hojman, a photographer who, with a Rolleiflex in hand, flowed along the Ganges over three years, "discovering the story of the holy river from its source, in the Himalayas, to its nearby death, in a small fisherman village."

Short post as I'm on holidays!

First Friday Wild Post Round Up!

2011-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

To date, we’ve featured heaps of awesome First Friday Wild Posts, so we thought it was about time for a round up! Get ready to feast your eyes on everything from grasshoppers to Africa's game, and watch out for next Friday’s blog post, as we’ll be chatting with Crazy about Kenya artist Shake Makelele, an award winner who is due to exhibit in London this coming October.

A Big Five thanks to all the First Friday Wild Post pundits who’ve come on board, and if you’re up for a shot at commentating and would like to put your travel bug in the spotlight, email us at info@acacia-africa.com. Feeling inspired? Check out our new look website and get yourself in the mood for Africa!

Adventure pundit, Rob Fitzsimmons (a.k.a. Adventure Rob), gave us his take on fried grasshoppers, and whether or not to hook up while out on the road! A laugh out loud post that's well worth the read...

AfricaFreak shared some Big Five humour and a link to his Safari Tips 101 e-guide – downloadable from the number one Africa blog! Click on over to our Facebook page, as AfricaFreak also left us with some great copy and pix from his 58-day Ultimate African Overlander...

If you’re after some overland insight catch up with Conny Kaufmann, an Acacia adventurer, Editor of Shoestring Travel Magazine, and your guide to travelling on a budget...

April Mescher of ZipSetGo sent us some spellbinding shots and gave us the low down on how to mix it up in Africa!

The Crazy About Kenya gang shared their top tips on the best cultural hot spots in Nairobi. The website is up for a Travolution Award so a Big Five thanks to all those talented guys in the wildlife capital!

David Lee, Editor of Go Backpacking.com threw in some cracking South Africa photography – his wildlife shots including an Ostrich, a waddle of penguins, a jaw droppingly awesome, blue Koppie Foam Grasshopper from the Drakensberg, and more...

Caz & Craig Makepeace of the hugely popular YTravel Blog offered their insight on family safaris in South Africa. And we’d like to pass on our congrats as they’ve just welcomed their latest addition into the world! Yes, we can already hear the pitter-patter of itchy feet! All the best guys x...

Thinking about Zim…? Catch up with Craig Zabransky, journalist and editor extraordinaire of Stay Adventurous, as this is your chance to find out why the country is a hot spot to watch!

Erin of GoErinGo.com shared her insight and top tips on adventure philanthropy (try saying that one after a few Tusker beers!) Watch out for Erin's updates as she'll be heading off with us on the 19-day Desert Tracker...

Bloggiest Bloggy Blog Editor, Tom Harvey recounted his safari session in the Serengeti, with no less than “Ebra the singing Zebra” (running naked down a sand dune to follow…) This is one blog to hop on board with, as Tom has been bitten by the travel bug more than once!

And last, but by no means least, Andrea Spirov – one half of the Inspiringtravellers.com duo shared her tips with us on getting along for the long-haul. Definitely one to read if you're ditching your the solo travel lifestyle, and bringing your BFF along for the ride...

Miehina the Kyoto Geisha

2011-09-02T02:34:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely well made short documentary of a day in the life of a Geisha in Kyoto. It's by Glen Milner, a London based documentary and commercial director, who produced a number of U.K / U.S broadcast films. His work includes ongoing Video-Journalism for Telegraph.co.uk and camera work on feature films.

(I'm technically on holidays, so I'll upload just quick and short posts for a few days)

New! FujiFilm x10

2011-09-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

The rumors were accurate...Fujifilm announced its new compact digital camera. The X10 features a 2/3″ 12 megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor and a high-definition F2.0 wide-angle and F2.8 telephoto Fujinon 4x manual zoom lens (28-112mm)*1, and it follows the footsteps of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 released a few months ago.

As I sort of predicted (well, more like wishful thinking) a few days ago, I am more convinced now that Leica will come up with a Micro Four Thirds camera, and will announce it during Photokina 2011 in September. This type of compact sized cameras (whether Micro Four Thirds or otherwise) are the future...perhaps not for professionals (unless they're used for back-up or for specific gigs), but certainly for the rest of the photography consumers.

The new FujiFilm x10 is gorgeous...but we don't buy our tools for looks...do we?

For more on FujiFilm x10 and some commentary, drop by Steve Huff's blog.

Lock Circle Camera Caps

2011-09-01T02:38:00.000-07:00

I thought this product would appeal to those who simply obsess over well crafted (and expensive) camera appendages. The LockCircle was designed with a minute eye for details, and as the video above demonstrates, it may well be indestructible.

The question is, of course, whether photographers and DSLR videographers will spend $79 on such a luxury item, when body caps come for free or are available for a few bucks. I seldom use body caps unless my cameras are in storage, but others may.

Now, if Lock Circle would manufacture a titanium model specifically for the Leica M9-P, and charge an arm and a leg for it, I bet it would sell like hot cakes. Currently, it's only available for Canon and Nikon.

Durga Puja: The Idol-Makers Of Kumartuli

2011-08-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

It's less than a month to my forthcoming photo-expedition/workshop Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo~Expedition & Workshop™, whose primary aim is to photograph the innumerable rites associated with the Durga festivities, documenting some of the ornate pandals (platforms on which the deities are displayed), and ultimately their immersion in the city's Hooghly river.

Coincidentally, Time's LightBox featured the above photograph of artisans work on semi-finished clay statues of the Hindu goddess Durga in Kumartuli, a neighborhood of Kolkata famed for its clay idols. It seems that ongoing monsoon rains have made it hard for idol makers to finish on schedule.

Also coincidentally, the Photo Blog of MSNBC has a gallery of photographs by AFP photographer Dibyangshu Sarkar , who paid a visit to Kumartuli, the village of the idol-makers in Kolkata.

It seems that in the past, wealthy families would invite the idol-maker artisan to their homes and fashion the idol there, instead of at a workshop. According to the narrator, "the most intriguing part would be the painting of the third eye of the Goddess. The artisan would sit in meditation sometimes for hours and then suddenly in one swift stroke of his paint brush, it would be done."

In April, I posted Chhandak Pradhan's The God Makers, a gallery also documenting the clay artisans of Kumartuli in Kolkata.

Diamond Tony's Restaurant at 85th Floor of Taipei 101, Taiwan

2011-08-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

We been invited by a friend from Taiwan to the Diamond Tony's Restaurant at 85th Floor of Taipei 101 (N25.03313 E121.56510) for dinner on our 4th day of Taiwan trip. I believe reservation is needed if you intend to dine in.

Diamond Tony's Restaurant at Taipei 101

The environment was perfect with soft music and especially the night view of Taipei City. But we were not in the luck that night because of the whole city was covered by mist...

I was amazed by the washroom design! You can even enjoy the city night view while you doing your business! :)

After about 30 minutes after our ordered, the first dish served on our table...it was the mushroom soup with bread.

Mushroom Soup with Bread

I was surprised with the portion of the bread! Anyway, the soup was rich and good with the bread.

After we finished chatting for about 15 minutes, the second course served...Bacon with vegetables.

Third course...(apologies! I forgot the name of the dish...some kind of abalone...)

Fourth course...The Sausage.

And here was the main course...The Beef.

Main course - Beef.

(Apologies for the blur photo)

The last was the dessert...Chocolate cake.

The Chocolate cake

We were satisfied with the meals over here. Some of the dishes were just average, but the environment is the main attraction of the restaurant! (Too bad we saw nothing that night...)

Anyway, we were thankful for the dinner which provided by a friend, appreciated. We visited the Shilin night market again after the overloaded dinner! :)

Apologies for the blur and yellowish photos above.

Taipei 101 of Taiwan

Related post :-
* My Taiwan Trip on May, 2011

Location map of Taipei 101, Taiwan

View Larger Map

POV: Is Leica Making A Micro Four Thirds?

2011-08-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

I am not in the prediction business, and I'm not a technophile...I'm just a camera user, who just a few months ago, bought a Leica M9 as a street photography tool, and use a Panasonic GF1 for everyday photography. I'm also a long time Canon cameras user, but those I use for my travel photography business.

Having laid down my iron-clad qualifications for being an "fallible predictor", I read with interest many of what has been written in blogs by people with more industry insight and technological expertise than I, and who predict the advent of a Leica M10 (and possibly a new series of more advanced M lenses AF capability) and others who say that a smaller new mirror-less design is in the offing.

I throw my hat with the latter. The electronic viewfinder interchangeable lenses cameras offer the image shooting quality and flexibility of a digital SLR and the portability of a digital point and shoot....and have been a huge hit with consumers, pro-consumers and professionals. Why wouldn't Leica seek to enter that market?

The current line-up for Leica digital cameras are the S2 DSLR ($23,000), the M9 rangefinder ($7000), the X-1 ($2000), the D-Lux 5 ($800) and the V-Lux 30 ($750). I can see a gap between the X1 and the M9 in terms of price point...a $3500 Micro Four Thirds could fit very well in that gap.

Naturally, it would require a couple of new AF lenses...could they'd be manufactured in Japan? I know. That's the weakest link in my predictive chain.

That being said, I really feel there's an enormous market for such a camera in Leica's line up. It would not cannibalize sales from the range finder crowd, and would induce the buyers of the point and shoot models to spend more to acquire a more versatile tool.

How much would I bet that Leica will announce such a product at Photokina? About $5.

Darkness Visible Afghanistan

2011-08-29T03:15:00.000-07:00

I occasionally post on projects that I believe ought to be supported by the public at large, and one such project is Darkness Visible Afghanistan by photojournalist Seamus Murphy, whose aim is to raise $10,000 to create a documentary movie based on his many years traveling and photographing in Afghanistan.

"My mission is to promote an understanding of this mysterious, complex and fascinating culture."

Seamus Murphy has been photographing Afghanistan since 1994. He published a book, also titled A Darkness Visible: Afghanistan, as a chronicle of the country and its people over those tumultuous years. For two decades, Seamus has also worked extensively in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America and most recently, America. He has won 7 World Press Photo Awards and a World Understanding Award (POYi) for his work from Afghanistan.

Of the book Darkness Visible, Afghanistan, Philip Jones Griffiths wrote that "Seamus Murphy was a poet with a camera who captured the essence of life in one of the oldest countries in the world. It is a humanistic view of a misunderstood country and a rare glimpse into the nation's soul."

Many of the documentaries on Afghanistan that I've read about are focused on war, on the Taliban and its excesses...so I'm happy to dedicate a post to Mr Murphy's project...a documentary that hopes to promote its culture, its history and its people.

Love, Rock!

2011-08-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

I should have shared this post about 6 months ago.

As you know, my little daughter who loves art is very creative. I've been sharing with you her drawings, her clothing designs for herself and her doll. Once more, I'm proud to share these rings which she also designed. Remember, she's only 7!

One day, months ago, when my little girl and I had a chance to have dinner with my sweet friend, Sue Gragg, Sue asked my girl: "What would you like to be when you grow up?". My girl said, "Designer". Sue said "I'm a jewelry designer and have my own store, so can you design jewelry for me?". My little girl confidently said "sure", and quickly grabbed a piece of paper and sketched these rings without thinking. She sketched them in a seconds with a crayon. Thank you to my sweet friend, Sue Gragg, for transforming my girl's sketches into real rings! Sue did wonderful work keeping the original design, especially the way she wrote the words.

Rock!

I love my little girl's expression with the exclamation mark

Love.

The heart outline is so cute!

Check out Sue Gragg's website (her jewelry is the best quality and exquisite) and you could place a special order for these rings if you wish.

Have a wonderful day to you all! xo...Hanh :)

Charlotte Rush Bailey: Nominee B&W Spider Award

2011-08-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to report that Charlotte Rush Bailey was presented with the 6th Annual Black and White Spider Awards Nominee title in the category of "Amateur - Portrait" for her image of Mother India at the Nomination & Winners PhotoShow watched by 40,000 online viewers who logged on live from 154 countries to see the climax of the industry's most important event for black and white photography.

The Black and White Spider Awards is in its 7th year, and is a international award honoring black and white photography. This event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers in a annual competition and globally webcast event, reaching photo fans in 154 countries.

The judges reviewed the entries online for eight weeks before making their final nominations and Charlotte's "Mother India," which they described as an exceptional image was honored by nomination of the Jury.

The image was made during my Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition™ in which Charlotte participated.

For more of Charlotte's talented photography, be sure to visit her website.

Monsoon...

2011-08-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

With all the hoopla about Irene and its impact on New York City (this post was written yesterday evening before the big 'hit'), I thought I'd feature another gallery of monsoon photographs as shown on The Sacramento Bee's photo blog, The Frame.

I chose this particular photograph because of the man clutching the bag...his expression is just priceless. Enlarge it by clicking.

That's all I have time for...

The Big Picture Does Janmashtami

2011-08-27T03:16:00.000-07:00

The Big Picture featured a gallery of photographs covering the festival of Janmashtami, a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu, and is one of the most popular festivals in the Hindu Religion.

Houses are beautifully decorated, and sweets are offered to the deity. Many of the devotees fast for that day and break it after the birth of Krishna at midnight. People also make child footprint marks using some flour mixed with water in the entire house and sing devotional songs.

The Big Picture site tells us that children and adults dress as Krishna and his consort Radha in bright, elaborate costumes and jewelry, while human pyramids form to break a large earthenware pot filled with milk, curds, butter, honey and fruits.

Dark Light: Abbas & Melisa Teo

2011-08-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm glad I stumbled on Dark Light, a joint exhibition by Abbas (Magnum) and Melisa Teo, who traveled for 3 years documenting the spiritual traditions of Buddhism, Shamanism and Hinduism.

It's an interesting contrast of styles: the black & white photojournalistic photographs of Abbas and Melisa's more abstract, color-filled and blurry images. The contrast between the sharp black & white imagery by Abbas and the colorful intentional (or not) photographs by Melisa shows that there is ample room for either and both disciplines and styles.

I liked Abbas' relaxed conversational narration, probably honed through years of public speaking, while Melisa's is somewhat stilted and strained. Photographers usually make awful narrators...but Abbas did his very well.

The exhibition is held in Singapore from September 1 to 23rd, 2011. Further details are available here.

A few days ago, I expressed my POV that travel photographers could learn from fashion photographers, and that having such a two-way exchange of ideas, concepts and techniques is a good thing for both types of photography. It's the same for the styles espoused by Abbas and Melisa.

In a part of the narration, Abbas tells us that he would photograph a wide angle documentary image of the Ganges, while Melisa would choose a small flower floating on it...the whole versus the part. Similarly, on some of my photo workshops, I had the experience when shooting alongside photographers who have a fashion or interior design background...they see less in documentary style and more in abstract terms....or the whole versus the part.

POV: A Leica S2 As A Travel Camera?

2011-08-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

A recent post on The Luminous Landscape seems to have prompted my good friend Eric Beecroft to suggest I should get one. Perhaps made half seriously half jokingly...but his suggestion got me thinking and now prompted this POV.

I tend to distill all such suggestions by using a return on investment yardstick. Pretty basic, huh? According to B&H, the price of the S2 is $23,000 (the more posh S2-P is $28,000), while a Leica Summarit-S 35 mm f/2.5 ASPH Lens is $6,500 and a Leica Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH Lens is $5,000. The grand total for this hardware is $34,500...excluding tax.

So what do I get for a capital investment of over $35,000? Well, The Leica S2 is said to provide imaging quality of digital medium-format, and create 37.5 megapixel files. It produces 72.5 MB RAW or 106.6 MB JPG files, which open to images over 16 x 24" at 300 dpi.

There's no question that the Leica S2 is a phenomenal camera, but in my view its price point and technical specifications are aimed at commercial photographers, not travel photographers. The return on an investment of that magnitude for travel photographers is tough to justify (unless they're one of the celebrity travel photographers), especially in the current industry doldrums.

The most expensive Canon is the EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR Digital Camera with a price tag of ("only") $7,000 and it provides 21.1-megapixel full-frame images. The more modest Canon 5D Mark II, and a favorite of travel photographers, has a comparative paltry price tag of $2,500...half the price of the Leica Summarit-S 70mm lens mentioned above.

"the computer sez no"

A travel photographer would need to sell 10 photographs at $250 each to recoup the investment in a Mark II, and almost a 100 photographs just to recoup the investment in the Leica S2. Would the S2's image quality do that for me?

Simplistic? Sure...there are many other tangible and intangible factors that also enter in this logic. That being said, this is more or less how CFOs and CEOs decide on capital expenditures.

So in reply to Eric's suggestion: "the computer sez no", as the famous line in Little Britain* goes.

* A classic British comedy tv series.

Yuri Kozyrev: On Revolution Road

2011-08-24T02:44:00.000-07:00

With the fall of Libya's regime, I thought I'd feature Yuri Kozyrev's On Revolution Road, a reportage on the past months' uprisings in the Middle East against the sclerotic and despotic regimes that governed these countries for decades.

Kozyrev's focus was on the youthfulness of the revolutionaries, their clever use of social media websites, their embrace (for the most part) of nonviolent protests as a political tool.

As an award-winning photojournalist for the past 20 years, Yuri Kozyrev has covered every major conflict in the former Soviet Union, including two Chechen wars. Immediately after September 11, 2001, he was on the scene in Afghanistan, where he documented the fall of the Taliban. He spent much of the past eight years based in Baghdad, as a contract photographer for TIME Magazine. He has traveled all over Iraq, photographing the different sides of the conflict.

AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini

I also thought I'd feature this priceless image of a man, wearing a t-shirt with the design of U.S. flag, taking part on Friday prayers at the main square of the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya, on August 12, 2011. It's part of a larger gallery in The Atlantic's In Focus.

Shankar Laxman: The Beedi Factory

2011-08-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

Shankar Laxman describes himself as a "multimedia journalist working towards helping socially conscious organization visually illustrate their causes" but his biography is rather sparse, except for telling us that he seeks to make an impact and foment understanding through the use of new media techniques. He has been traveling throughout India documenting social issues pertaining to the lives of rural and urban population.

I chose to feature Shankar's photo story The Beedi Factory , which was photographed in Mysore, Karnataka. Beedis are thin cigarettes, filled with tobacco flake and tied with a string in one end. They are considered the poor man's cigarettes, and tend to be associated with a lower social standing and account for about half of India's tobacco consumption.

According to Wikipedia, workers in the industry roll an average of 500-1000 beedies per day, handling 225-450 grams of tobacco flake, and inhaling tobacco dust and other volatile components...causing a high degree of respiratory and other ailments.