Bugged Again!

A closer view of the same bug. Again shot with flash and with the lens stopped down for greater depth-of-field. If anybody knows the name of this insect, please do put a comment on this blog, as I'd really like to know. Nikon D70, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Bugged

Yes I never get tired of shooting insects -- maybe it's because it gives me a glimpse of what goes on in a typical day in a bug's life. Trying to get a shot of this cute little red and white bug was a major feat in itself-- this insect was only about half the size of my thumbnail and would not stop moving no matter what. I must have taken about 15 shots or so with off-camera wireless flash (thanks to Shu Ping for holding the flash!) before I managed to get just TWO acceptable shots. The flash allowed me to stop down the aperture to about f/18 which was necessary due to the very shallow depth of field. This shot is slightly cropped to get rid of too much of the boring background. Nikon D70, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Unclear on the concept

The colour and composition of this abandoned cart caught my eye. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

Tea houses

Well, they're not really teahouses, but are in fact the residences of the workers of the Boh Tea farm. This was stitched together from just two images. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

Boh Tea Farm

This panorama is stitched from 3 images. These vibrant green tea fields are from the Boh tea farm in Sungei Palas. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

Strawberry View

This panorama is stitched together from 4 images -- the finished image equals a 12-megapixel photo! This view can be seen from Strawberry View restaurant on the way up to Brinchang in Cameron Highlands. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

Grandstanding

I've been to Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang numerous times, yet I never get bored taking photos of the place. I always seem to have a new take on the same places I've visited many times before. I took this picture with the intention to turn it into a black and white image to emphasise the three trees and the white road. Nikon D70, AF-S VR DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

Falls

A more conventional waterfall shot. Slightly cropped on either side. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6IF-ED 

Together

Another one of my frequent visits to Kanching Waterfalls in Rawang. Kanching is an interesting place with lots of falls, some of which are quite pristine as you go higher and higher away from the picnickers. However, a straight waterfall shot isn't always interesting and I always try to include some people in it to inject some colour and human interest. This was taken at I think the 3rd waterfall up. The falls have an artificial wall built to act as a dam to create a pool. This was of course taken on a tripod with an exposure of several seconds to blur the falls. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6IF-ED 

Bottles

This picture was shot handheld at MidValley Megamall reecently at a little booth showing a new Italian car. There was coincidentally a fashion show going on but who's interested in that? Certainly not me -- I happen to find taking pictures of models on a catwalk (whether male or female) incredibly boring. Nikon D70, AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Egret

The Cattle Egret is a pretty common bird in Malaysia and is usually seen in the rice fields in my hometown. It's so named of course, because it tends to hang around cows which stir up grasshoppers and other insects which the bird feeds on. However, this is a shot taken at the local bird park while testing my new AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED. Yes the lens has a ridiculously long name but performance is brilliant! This shot was taken at the 200mm end of the lens' range and it's as sharp as I could possibly want. While the lens is pretty sharp even wide open, best results are obtained when you stop down the aperture a couple of stops down from maximum. Nikon D70.