I am back....

Feel so bad to abandon this blog for months. Friends who following up my blog for the aquascaping and keep asking me to update my blog for field trip and etc. Sorry guys... I am not into this hobby anymore. But I am not totally giving up. Still have an aquarium running at home. And there are still lot of aquatic plants keeping in immersed form.

Well. I am into photography since i first got my Nikon D80 + kit lens from my beloved on end of July 2008. I am never regret to have this camera. And I was fully utilized the kit lens. (I will show you my works later on)

Lot of people out there able to hold a piece of good camera...high end DSLR. But they don't know how to take a good picture or fully utilize their camera. Saw some of them just use the Program Auto and just all fully auto to take the photo. Asking them what is ISO for and what is the aperture for? A fella who holding a Nikon D700 giving me a weirdo look when i was asking him why using auto. After seconds, he replied that he is lazy to adjust and explore all of the functions! Lazy!!! What a good excuse. How i wish i can have his camera.

And there are few of the weathy friends basically just a collector. 3-4 pieces of dry cabinets full of camera and lenses. Guess i can have those in my dream only...

Cut it short. I will tell slowly on how I am picking up the photography in the next few updates here. Feel free to visit my flickr at : www.flickr.com/photos/itssg

MicroK SMS + Maxis!

I was informed by a 68 years old friend of mine last month about this issue. He is a non IT and non SMS or any advance technology guy. He just know how to make call and answer call from his mobile. Don't even know how to save number or read SMS.

You can still see a 70's black and white TV working fine at his house. He didn't really watch TV. But reading. One fine day he brought his mobile and his maxis phone bill to me and ask what is the MicroK SMS thing inside his bill. I got no clue about this. So, decided to give maxis customer service a call.

I was kind of pissed off with the explaination of the Maxis customer service representative. Said that the customer agreed on the terms or the conditions of this serrvice. So that this MicroK SMS will charge into his bill. Asking him when did he registed or applied this kind of service. He said he don't even know how to turn on a PC. Don't know how to read or reply SMS. Don't goto any dealer of mobile to register any kind of service. How to get this done?

It is useless to talk to Maxis Customer Service. They insisted the customer registered this service before. I've told them to block this service. And yes. It is done. After that, I am back at home and check on my bill... OMG!!! This MicroK SMS appear in my bill as well. A month charging RM20-30. If a year, will be RM240-360! That is a lot...

For those who know me well. I am using my company mobile to do all the sms and calls. I am not into all this web games, enews or any eservices. And i am an IT guy. I know what to apply or subscribe if i am really need it. But the truth is, I don't ever have enough time to shit. What for I want this service for. Called up Maxis Customer Service. Same bullshit given by them. They don't even want to rebate to customer. What done is already done. What they can offer is to block that service only.

Glad that i found out early. But guess what. I am going to stop using this fxxx up and irresponsible mobile service. I will switch to their competitor. Better service and better offer and package.

So, for those who using post paid line. Please check out your bill now. I am wondering they are doing this to the prepaid user or not. Since there is no bill provided.

p/s: I will take a picture of my bill which stated this MicroK SMS service next time. If I am not, please remind me.

Pulau Ketam aka Crab Island - Part 2

Kind of lazy to update my blog recently. Time always not enough for me. Going out to work before I can see the sunshine. When back at home...I can see only the moon. Normally I will spend a bit of time with my fishes, garden and aquarium after I am back from work. Watering the plants and flowers, feeding my fishes and trimming my aquatic plants. And i am a TV guy. I have to spend an hour at least to watch the TV everyday. No matter there is a good programme or not. No TV. No life... :p

Here is our group photo.. Start from the most left.. myself, Stan with a cap, Steven who opened his mouth big enough for a fly, Wai Ye in white and Shaun the cool man with sun glasses.


See...I've told you. Don't open your mouth so big...


My belove in orange.


See... Girls always like photographer. Check out Wai Ye's expression.


Ok...enough for non-sense. Back to photography talk..Below are the residents in Crab Island. Some of them are used to the camera. Some of them are not. As you can see from their face.... Some of them prefer to walk faster or cycling faster to pass by. (There is no car or motorcycle in Crab Island. The main transport is bicycle or the bicycle with a small cc engine to make it run automatically. Can't recall what is it called.)


Here is one of the doggie found in the island. Most of the doggie hunting for food at the sea side. And they are not taking care well. Pity....


Oh...he is not the resident over there. But the Malaysia version of Bugs Bunny... hahahaha....


One of the pretty...she looks like kind of worrying of something...


An indonesian resident showing her happiness...


Here is their kitchen...


The baby....


Friend said he is David Beckam's fan...


But when made it into B&W...... Remind me of my grandpa...


Check out how much she hates us. And the kid as well. hahahaha...


The only Ramley burger stall owner in the island.


The chic...


Another cute chic... :p


Friend once asked is he died? hahaha... nope. He is in his sweet dream...




Has not see this kind of service since many years ago...


I was waiting for him to finish. So that I can try also... But he taking his own sweet time... I will be back!! And try your skill.


We left the island around 6pm+. Don't have time to shoot the sunset. My brother asking me to go with him again to shoot the sunset and sunrise in the next trip. So, we are planning to have an overnight trip. Gonna get a fishing boat and fishing at the midnight....

Pulau Ketam aka Crab Island -part 1.

Sorry for long waiting. Being busy with works and new toy recently. Friends non-stop sms, msn, ym and pm me for the new update in my blog. Hey dude... I am back.


New toy came with the standard kit lens. 18-135mm lens f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED. Guess it is good enough for a beginner like me to pratice. But still feeling like forever not enough or satisfy me. Eyeing on the 80-200mm f/2.8D ED, 14-24mm f/2.8G ED ultra wide angle lens and the 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED macro lens. Oh man...this will cost another RM10,000!!!

Forget about it. Must get the dry cabinet and flash gun first.

Sometime shooting alone is quite boring. Because of can't share the opinion and others. So, decided to join this trip to Crab Island http://www.pulauketam.com/ which was organized by my photographer friend - Shaun. Knew him through the aquascaping forum. A young man full of energy who giving up aquascaping recently. Gonna brain wash him back into aquscaping later on.


Actually we were msn for quite sometime. But never meet up in person. Managed to get few of my friends to join this trip... This shaun seems like too excited and non-stop msn and sms me to confirm the time and venue to meet up. Hahaha..and the last sms was around 8:30pm a day before the trip. Said he is going to sleep now for tomorrow trip! Wow....sleep at 8:30pm!!!! Or... may be he got an agenda with his gf? Who knows? haha...

Woke up at 6:30am (was slept around 12am). Feeling blur and tired. Steven sms said that he is arrived at Stan's house and waiting for him to wash up. I can't waste a single second and quicky wash up. Waiting for them to arrive and we will car pool to KTM station (Keretapi Tanah Malaysia) aka train station. 7:30am...didn't see their shadow and Stan called up. Said they were lost and stop somewhere near my living place.


Promised to Shuan that we will arrive in Port Klang at 8:30am. And the trip from my living place to Port Klang will take an hour +. Ai.....gonna screw by Shaun later on. I was drove like F1 and meeting up with Steven and Stan. Then to KTM station. We were quite lucky. Because of the train yet to depart. Manage to get in around 7:45am. If we miss the train, we hafta wait for another hour...

It was quite a cooling morning in KTM, Thought to ZZzzzzzz along the journey. But this 2 fellas - Stan and Steven talking non-stop. Guess I gonna have a sleepless journey. Shaun arrived around 8:20am and he sms me....While we were still 10 stations away. Then Wai Ye sms me said that she is going to arrive. Get her Shaun's number and lets Shaun give her a warm welcome hug. :p

We were arrived at 8:45am when the first boat to Crab Island has left. Settle our breakfast at nearby Kopitiam (Local coffee shop) and had the ice breaking session.

The Port Klang...


The speed boat to Indonesia. I was mistaken it is the boat to Crab island.


The cabin of the ferry to Crab Island. Air-conditioned and load with tons of life jackets.



My rangefinder camera Argus C-3bought from ebay...Yet to try it out.


The ferry to Crab Island. They just load all the stuff on top of the ferry.


The ferry which allow to take 100 people. RM7 per trip...

Above pictures courtesy from Wai Ye.


Peeping out from cabin. Check out those old folks just standing outside the ferry while it is moving quite fast.


Shaun busy with his toy...


Ferry vs fishsing boat...


I was quite blur and didn't really take out my camera to shoot any potraits before reaching the island. I should shoot some pictures of the workers in the Kopitiam. I should should shoot pictures of Stan, Steven, Shaun, Wan Yee and Wai Ye... I think I need to have enough sleep for my next trip.

Here is the first potrait of mine.... He was just standing there and let me and Shaun shooting on him. Was kind of worry that he will punch us or slap us. Hahaa... I didn't use PS (Photoshop) to do the cropping or color adjust. Just use the Microsoft Office Picture Manager to do some basic and simple cropping. So, please be patient for my lousy skill.. Trying to shoot more and learn...


Owner of Chinese clinic. Shooting next to his herbs garden.


Shaggy...


Main transport...

Stan (with cap), Shaun with sun-glasses, Steven at the bottom...

Lazy sunny day...

Look Out Point!

Really have no time to go for photoshoot after got my new toy. New office hours. New assignments and etc. Back at home late. Too tired or too lazy to go out again. (Hahaha...actually I am just got the new toy last 2 weeks only.)

Look Out Point. http://allmalaysia.info/news/story.asp?file=/2006/5/1/state/14076874&sec=mi_selangor (You can get more info from the link) Passing by this place few times. But I am never pay attention on it. Perhaps, I am the driver most of the time and just pay attention on the road. It is around 30 minutes drive from my living place. Was told by my friend that it is a cooling place...IF RAINING! And he mentioned this in the email. But all of us just skipped this or never pay attention on it. So, all of us keep thinking it is a cooling place. (Guess what? I went with a jean, a long sleve shirt and brought along a sweater!)

Journey start at 4:45pm. Reached LOP around 6:00pm. Friend - Jason drove slow as there is a pregnant lady with us. Were kind of enjoyed on the journey. Topics were all about photography, lens, cameras, lighting and etc.

Weather is hot. No rain for weeks. Littar and his wife just run to the restaurant which nearest to the car. Sit down and enjoy the cold drinks. The rest of us climb up to a 4 storey height tower for photoshoot. A newbie like me was thinking that...So damn hot. Not yet sunset. Anything to shoot? Once we reached the top floor...we found this cloud and sun light....



I couldn't stand of the thirst and quicky running down to the restaurant after 30 minutes of the shooting. Due to lack of experience. Nothing much i can get. Friends had the best shoots.

We settled down at one of the restaurant near to 7:00pm. Occupied 5 tables which full with our kits and accessories. And where we were sitting giving us the best view of Kuala Lumpur city. None of us can sit steady. Squeezing here and there to have a better shoot of the day. I was kind of busy with testing different apperture and shutter speed. Missed out lot of nice scene....

Sunset...


Had around 20 pictures of this.... Just with different settings. Sky isn't clear enough. Due to air-pollution and make the sky look very hazy. (Guys, please car pool or take public transport, don't use air-con so frequent, reduce the usage of hair spray and etc.)

Petronas Twin Towers.

Working in Petronas Twin Tower for years. Never take a camera to shoot any picture here. Kind of shame. As I can see lot of tourists everyday and having different kind of posing to take the best angle of the towers. Perhaps, this make me feel like it is nothing great about.

Was invited by my belove to Philharmonic Orchestra in KLCC on 7th July 2008. To attend the Hossan Ramzy (Tabla King) & his Egyptian Ensemble feat. Serena Ramzy (one of the world wide famous belly dance super star). While waiting for her friends and with a new toy on my hands. Spent around 15 minutes to shoot the below pictures. No tripod was used. No Photoshop CS or Element to adjust the color or cropping.

The horizontal is a bit out...Friend said over exposed. I am remember that. Will try again to figure out the correct apperture.


Was told by many friends that this is the best angle.


And this angle is not nice?


This is the nicest... But horizontal is out! Damn...


Hahaha...Friend said this look like the ID4 spaceship. It is the ceiling at the Tower 2 entrance. Hand shake a bit... (Old man hands shake all the time ya...)

Muar photography trip.

Has been a month didn't really update my blog. Busy...busy and busy... Too many things to pick up and learn. Works, life, relationship, family, my hobbies.... Yes. I have many hobbies. Hafta slow down and just concentrate on something i am really want. So, I am stop buying any fishes, aquatic plants, nepenthes (pitcher plants) and others.

I am the lucky one to have my belove sponsor me. (Actually not really sponsor. But just borrowed some $$$ and will return to her by 0% interest free installment.) Thank you dear. You are the greatest.

7th June 2008. A big day for me. But I am trying not to make my blog too personal or publish too many personal stuff and life. As there are too many psychotic fellas out there. Invited a group of my friends who are into photography from Kuala Lumpur to my home town - Muar.

Muar, was a small jetty and fishing village many years ago. But now, it is a big and busy town where famous with Otak-otak* and fried Oysters. Living standard getting higher. Price of a glass of drink is same like in Kuala Lumpur. Nothing is cheap nowadays.

I was kind of worried that my friends will cancel the trip to Muar. It is because of the petrol price just went up. But, I feel very touching that most of my friends able to make it. But guess one of their target is to stay in a famous haunted hotel room. (Nothing happen to them. As there are 6 big guys stayed in the same room.)

Below are some pictures from my lovely friends - Steven and Jason. Pictures taken from 11th floor of one of the hotel in Muar which is next to the Muar river. I am grown up in Muar for so many years. Never stop and look at the Muar river so clear.

Above pictures are taken by Steven. Sunset, Muar River.

Above 2 pictures are taken by Jason Ong. I love the night view of Muar town.