Tag: photographer

B&W

The theme for this week’s photography club competition at school was man-made in black and white. I just knew I had to edit this photo I took a few months ago. My dad is a hardware fanatic. When he’s not cutting people open (he’s a qualified surgeon don’t worry) , he’s busy cutting wood in his workspace at the side of our house.

This time last year we went out together to find a plywood board for my art project! After acquiring the board he indulged himself in window shopping around the warehouse. I foresaw this happening so I brought my camera along with me.

My dad was interested in power saws and drills and I found interest in the shapes around me.

This photo was edited with Lightroom.

small things

Of course the big moments are cherished. Birthdays, Christmas, graduation, marriage. But the big moments are destined to be big. It’s the small moments that we didn’t expect anything from that are a big deal when they turn out better than we could imagine.

It springs up as a surprise. A sunset at the beach turns into a memory that you smile at when you think about it 20 years later. A impulsive jog in the rain creates a sensation of thrill and delight that you’ll remember when you walk in the rain years later. A last minute lunch at a cafe with a friend provides a photograph that you’ll look back on and send to that friend no matter the length of radio silence between you two.

It’s the small things that matter the most because we didn’t expect anything out of them.

a window of opportunity

Date: (March 2020) A week before life as we knew it changed.

Location: On a ferry from Labuan to Sabah

Mid-March 2020, my grandfather celebrated his 71st birthday as he visited Labuan Federal Territory. This trip marked his completion of visiting all the 14 states of Malaysia. I’m very glad I got to do it with him.

Since that trip, I’ve only seen him once and even that was only for an overnight stay.

During our Labuan trip we knew the unavoidable was coming. The virus had already hit China and was rapidly spreading. It wouldn’t be long before it hit our country. However, what nobody could expect was the impact of the virus. Thus, nobody was prepared for it. I naively assumed it would be over in a few months, yet here we are in our third lockdown with thousands of cases daily. I still naively hope that we will be in the clear soon. My greatest wish of last year was to be able to spend Christmas with my family. It didn’t happen. Despite that, my greatest wish this year is still the same.

I frequently contact my grandparents through video chat but it’s just not the same as being in their arms.

I love looking back at photos from my previous trips. Even photos as insignificant as this window on a ferry, brings me back to a time where I could feel the sea breeze on my face and wrap my arms around my grandpa.

lanterns at Labuan

2 weeks before my country announced a movement control order due to the Covid-19 outbreak, my family and I took a trip to Labuan Island. It was a 2 hour drive from our home to the jetty in a small town and then another 2 hour ferry ride to Labuan Island. It was not my first trip to this island but it was a first for my grandfather. He had visited all the states in Malaysia except Labuan Federal Territory. He had always planned to visit with my grandmother but unfortunately she passed away before he had the chance to. To fulfill my grandfather’s adventure across the country, we took him there on the weekend before his birthday. We spent one night there. It was a lot of fun to visit the small shops in town, the botanical garden, the beach and the Labuan War Memorial for the soldiers of WW2.

This photo is of lanterns outside of a Chinese shop open at 10pm. My family and I were headed to the shop next door to buy some snacks. These lanterns caught my eye as I was looking away from the glances of the tipsy men at the shop.

on the streets of Taiwan

My family and I preferred walking around Taiwan and only took Uber when necessary. It was almost winter and the weather was lovely. We often found ourselves walking through back roads that were known only to those living around that area. Ever so often, we would stumble upon quaint shops that you can’t find in the main city area, such as a shop that was solely selling everything to do with postage stamps.

I took this photo because I was attracted to the simplicity of this flower shop. This shops on this street mainly sold souvenirs for tourist. This dark flower shop really stood out among all the brightly lit shops. It showed a small part of the town’s everyday life. The gorgeous flowers caught my attention from across the street.