The Mountains of Datuk & Nuang

The barren rocks at the top of Gunung Datuk.

A crowded morning - few groups of school children were climbing with us that day.

Along the hike up to Gunung Nuang via Janda Baik village, lands are cleared by orang asli for agriculture.

Orang asli settlement.

Manual labour. An elderly Indonesian worker carries a hefty basket of four-angled beans to the lorry pick-up point a good distance away.

Perth

A grouchy looking wombat at Caversham Wildlife Park - my favorite shot of the trip! I knew very little about the wombat before this trip, and certainly did not expect it to be as big as a bull-dog in actual size! I remember its sleepy red-eyes following my every movements as I got close to him. The wombat carer said this fella is just a 4 year old teenager, with its grouchy demeanor & sleepy red-eyes ~ it certainly was full of character! I am still amused looking through the photographs now :)

Jogging along Perth's beautiful Swan River - what better way to start your day. The sun illuminated the city skyline & we had the privilege of enjoying the inspiring views & sunrise as we jogged along Swan River.

Took a short drive & ferry ride across to Penguin Island - we chose to explore the island using the well-constructed boardwalks but didn't see many wild penguins (saw just the one!), instead we were squawked at by thousands of gulls who were all ferociously guarding their eggs (it was hatching season!) ~ & it was fantastic being able to get so close to them & taking photos. Picnic lunch couldn't get anymore adventurous as we took shelter inside a cove as the rain had started coming down just as our tummies started growling.. the wife got it right when she said it was such a Nancy Drew setting! :)
 

Bushwalking at Bells Rapids - sadly there weren't any rapids & the river was totally dried up. I learnt it is usually in the winter months when there would be more rain & water flow. Nonetheless the walk was certainly challenging (plus we got a bit lost!) & was a good primer to the flora faunas of Oz (& the intensity of the Ozzie sun!). Our picnic lunch had the perfect setting ~ on some big boulders overlooking Bells Rapids, in the shade & with a lulling & much-needed breeze, and a view of Perth city at a far distance. We later saw our first wild kangaroo as we explored deeper towards Mount Mambup (& it was huge roo!), which without a doubt got our hearts pumping a bit & had been unanimously voted as our first Ozzie moment! :)

Chilling out at King's Park with the locals and tourists - the weather picked up towards the end of the week & we were happy just to spend the afternoon lying on the soft grass & taking in the city view. The skies were gorgeous & we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful wrap-up to our visit to Perth.

The Glorious Sunset of Kota Kinabalu

It's hard to imagine the beautiful sunset of KK is a daily affair, it's no surprise why many wedding photographers are based here in KK! I had the privilege to photograph this glorious vista at the beachfront over Labor Day holidays & I hope the pictures chosen are worthy of its beauty!

Awaiting the sunset..

Rolling skies lighting up as the sun starts to set.. towards the horizon, a light shower from the low hanging clouds adds to the dramatics..

Hues of purple starts to set in not long after, and the sea calms as the tide recedes further.

The final scene sees the skies torching up &  finally consumed by darkness.. this glorious vista knows little parallel in Malaysia.

Ching Ming 2012

The Ching Ming Festival is an opportunity for the Chinese to remember and honour their ancestors. For my family, this means a visit to the ancestral graves, followed by a visit to the temple where grandma's ashes are kept. This year's Ching Ming took place on 1 April in Malaysia and our family observed the same procedures as previous year's.

The young and old with offerings to be burnt in the temple for their ancestors.

A lady reaches out for the Chrysanthemums she left by the window. This building is where ashes of the departed are kept, and whose spiritual presence are believed to reside.

Throngs of visitors share the limited space to place food offerings for their ancestors.

Back from a long day of Ching Ming celebration, father relaxes with his newspaper & is briefly disturbed by a distant thunder. The cool evening rain is a welcome relief after a warm & humid morning.

POTY 2012 (Portrait) - Submissions

These are the pictures I chose to submit for Photoanswers.co.uk's competition for the Portraiture category:

I chanced upon the camel herder and his family on my way back from visiting a sandstone tower called Faisal's Finger in the desert outskirts of Riyadh. Evening was upon us when we drove near a camel herder rounding up his camels for the day. We were greeted kindly & after a brief exchange were asked to stay for some tea & dates with his family (I later learnt of Arab's well-known hospitality!). As we chatted, I asked for a picture of him with his favourite camel, he was more than happy to oblige! Choosing this particular shot, I felt it tells a little bit more of his story, of his children & of the simple happy life they lead. His smiling face will always remind me of the warmth of hospitality & friendship he offered a complete stranger on that faithful evening.

This is Andrew, an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, immersing himself in the beautiful scenery of Klang reservoir set against the rugged ridges of Tabur Hill in Malaysia. Nature is where Andrew calls home, and he has been on countless nature expeditions in Malaysia. This particular hike up Tabur hill began in the early hours and the mid-morning light lit up the landscape perfectly as we reached the top. Positioning myself trecherously at the edge of these sharp ridges, I was able to get Andrew against the stunning scenery into this picture. The cloudy sky had some texture which I was able to highlight, & the reservoir was calm & mirror-like and reflected the skies beautifully.

(This pic was not submitted) This is little Ryu Iskandar and he had just gotten into a little tussle with his cousin brother & was upset. He was searching around for his father's comfort but did not know that daddy was away from home for couple of days. I took this shot as he approached me asking where his papa is :)

Prayers

May 2011 - Dad informing my divine protectors through prayers and offerings my status of becoming a 'man' the night before I was married. Details are vague but my parents have sought the help of the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) when I was ill as a child. I have since became the 'adopted' child of his divine presence - whereby the protection would end on the day I marry. Such traditional customs still widely practiced amongst Malaysian Chinese.

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Tabur

The crystal quartz ridges of Bukit Tabur overlooking the Klang Gates reservoir - a favourite spot for local hikers. The stunning views has no parallel in this region of Malaysia & the ridges form an extremely unique rugged natural beauty. My personal trips here are always refreshing, sadly it faces threat of housing development as it sits on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. If there was one place worth saving from the onslaught of commercial chainsaws - there is little doubt it is this place.

Trail Running

A man called Marvin Skagerberg once said... some days you just have to run in place & wait for the finish line to come to you..

Personally the biggest thrill of trail running is this - it makes running come alive. Being back in nature engages the basic instincts & every step taken brings you closer to nature. To me, trail running is an exciting combination of hiking & running, and for those who have yet to venture into it ~ I urge them to try it out. Prepare well for what the sport requires, take the first step & get ready to set your senses free :)

Taiwan

Dr Sun Yat Sen memorial.. a lady is ready to have her picture taken & waves for her cameraman.

Officer of the memorial urges the crowd to stay back as the guards came through - Dr Sun Yat Sen memorial.

Temple gate of Bao An Gong 保安宫

The scenic Jhuilu trail （锥麓古道） of Taroko Gorge.

The grand blue skies & green mountains of Taroko Gorge.

People of Toba

Lady serving corn either 'rebus' or 'bakar' style at Brastagi market.




You can't help but notice the lines on her face & her hardened hands. She did smile for me and I'm glad I spent the moment lowering the camera to smile back.




During the bumpy rides between Medan & Toba, I had the privilege to see rural folks going about their daily lives, and catching these smiling kids as they walk home from school..

Rising Sun

A lucky catch of the rising sun as we drove along the east coast of Malaysia enroute to the beautiful island of Redang.

Washington D.C.

A young girl stands with me.. about 200m further from the white house fences than usual (yes that's the white house in the distant) as we were instructed by stern officers to do so (for reasons they would not reveal).


A visitor reads Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address at the Lincoln Memorial


A young family enjoys the view on top of Lincoln memorial as the evening sets in (shame the Reflecting Pool was under renovation)


Lincoln memorial lighting up for the evening..


Atlantic City - casinos, booze & beach

Marriage

My beautiful bride

New York

Time Square's dazzling billboards & hordes of tourists

A buzzing Grand Central station, to me - nothing epitomizes New York more than this place :)

Riyadh

I have never thought of myself as a big fan of the dessert sands.. but the warm smiles of these camel herders in Riyadh had totally changed my perspective. That evening spent in their warm hospitality was easily the highlight of my trip.

Beirut Sunset

Stunning sunset over the Mediteranean sea. This was our view as we enjoyed our evening tea in Petit Cafe in Beirut.

Abandoned

Wanted to achieve a sense of dereliction & abandonment with this shot.. this was a burnt-out car in ipoh & was really tempted to re-shoot this in the evening when the sun wasn't directly in front of me. But i think my cause was helped by overexposing the background further & neutralising all irrelevant colours - leaving just the details of the horrids that has besieged this car.. hopefully enough to lead the audience into wonder what possibly happened here.. hmm.. wonder whether how that evening shot would've turned out tho.. !