Chameleon

This shot was taken at the Flower Parade and Bazaar in Putrajaya recently. Generally, the floats on show this year were quite poor, except for this one -- the entry from Sabah. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

Pitcher Plant

Another shot using wireless flash at the flower bazaar. Just to give you a sense of scale, this pitcher plant was actually only about the size of my thumb. By the way, the reason the background is black is because I used a very small aperture, which means that the already dim lighting conditions in the bazaar tent did not impact the exposure at all -- instead, the exposure relies wholly on the light provided by the on-camera and wireless flash which were adjusted to light only this small area. Nikon D200, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Fun with flash

Although it looks like it was taken in controlled studio conditions, this shot was actually taken out in the field at a relatively chaotic Flower Bazaar in Putrajaya. This ginger flower bud was actually part of a float used in a flower parade. This shot was taken while holding an SB-600 flash just out of frame, triggered by my Nikon D200's built-in flash, which also did double duty by providing a bit of fill-in light from the front. The one thing I love about modern Nikon DSLRs is the amazing level of built-in wireless flash control -- with the D200, you can simply hold a flashgun off-camera and still have the ability to control the flash output level or leave it on automatic and get perfect TTL flash autoexposure. Nikon D200, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Das Boot

Well, just goes to show you that sometimes, the best pictures are the ones you take on the journey rather than at the destination. This was shot as I was walking back towards the car at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

The Eye III

When shooting landscapes I always try to find some foreground interest to help lead the eye to the main subject. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

Striking a pose

I thought this shot was rather funny because I managed to take it when the two ushers were doing the same pose. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

Looking out of the Eye

The view from the cab in the Eye. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

The Eye II

A closer shot of the Malaysian Eye. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

The Eye

The Malaysian version of the UK's Eye, seen from afar at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur. Sometimes a shot is better if framed by something in the foreground (the foliage of the trees here, for example), especially when there's a lot of sky involved. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4

Delta

A close-up shot of two fern leaves on a recent trip to Hulu Langat -- I was quite taken by the fact that the dark space in between looked almost like a river delta. Shot handheld with the camera's built-in flash. Nikon D200, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Bright star

Somehow I'm pretty happy with the framing of this shot. Most photographers will spout the infamous "Rule of Thirds" and suggest that I put the flower slightly off centre about a third of the way to the left or right (hence the name of the rule) but I think in this case the arrangement of the lily pads and the dark water work very well to frame the flower right in the centre. Nikon D200, AF Nikkor 60mm f/2.8

Zen

Sometimes some subjects lend themselves very well to a black and white conversion. I was quite taken by the idea of this rock being swept by the swirling waves, so I shot it at a slow shutter speed to emphasise the movement of the water. I converted it to black and white later and cropped it slightly on the right. Because somebody asked me, here's the original shot for you to compare. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6VR

Gone Fishing

A shot taken in Port Dickson. I have cropped it slightly on the right, but the framing could still be better (for example, I should have included more of the fishing net) but considering this was a grab shot, I did okay -- at least the fisherman is rendered pretty sharp in the shot. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6VR

Nepal!

Phew! From October 15-30th 2006, two of my friends and I embarked on a holiday to Nepal. The trip was something I'd been dreaming about for a while now, and delayed because of the unrest in the country.

However, when things settled down somewhat we decided to take the opportunity to go. Our holiday involved a long trek (over 120km) from Naya Pul in Pokhara to Muktinath in the north. I have to say that the walk was really tough but worth it -- on the trip we really got a feel for the country. The red line in the map on the right shows the distance we trekked -- click on the photo for a larger view.

In case you're wondering, I booked my own tickets at a travel agency for Royal Nepal Airlines and we engaged Binod Mahat, a Nepali guide online at his website at HikeNepal.com. Binod is a very nice guy and has my personal recommendation. Unfortunately for us, he couldn't be our guide because he had a family emergency, but he kindly arranged for another guide, Shanker K.C. for us who was also a funny and conscientious guide.

Anyway, the pictures that follow are arranged in roughly chronological order, starting with our first days and going on to the later days as you go down. Unlike my previous posts, I've opted to mix in mundane shots with the nice ones just to give the reader a feel for the trip and to give a flow to the pictures.

Click on the link that says Nepal for a full listing of the photos or just click here to go directly there. Enjoy!

Clothesline

Perhaps this clothesline represents just how colorful Nepal is -- buildings are usually painted bright colours and Nepalis also prefer bright-coloured clothes. It's actually a Kodachrome photographer's dream! Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Broom seller

Broom sellers are a pretty common sight in Kathmandu. This shot was slightly cropped and converted to black and white for more impact. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Man on the street

Point a camera anywhere in Kathmandu and you're likely to see a host of interesting people to take pictures of. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Dhal Bhat

A typical dinner/lunch spread of Dhal Bhat in nepal. This, minus the chicken curry, would be our staple diet throughout most of our trek. Nepali food is much like Indian food, but the proportion of spices and preparation is slightly different. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Khukri seller

The streets of Kathmandu are filled with people selling all kinds of wares and knick-knacks, including the famous Khukri knives used by the Ghurka warriors. Ghurkas are said to be the toughest soldiers on the planet, handpicked to serve in the British army. Some also end up in the Malaysian and Singaporean armed forces as well. Somehow, I just wasn't satisfied with the original picture I posted here, so did some tweaking in Photoshop and produced the main shot you see, with a desaturated background to make the sellers stand out a little more. What do you think -- which do you prefer?Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR.

Trumpets

I caught this on the streets of Kathmandu. I'm not really sure what this shop is offering but I assume it's a brass band for hire. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Temple detail

A close up of one of the temples on Durbar square. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Durbar Square

A quote from a travel guide: "Protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durbar Square is the religious and social heart of Kathmandu’s old city and is a complex of palaces, temples, shrines, statues and courtyards built between the 12th and 18th centuries by the ancient kings of Nepal. " Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Taking a break

On any given day there's lots happening in Durbar square -- street sellers peddling their wares, fake Sadhus (holy men) asking for money, tourists and of course beggars. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Devotee

A religious icon in the middle of Durbar square. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Nepali Soldier

A fully armed Nepali soldier in Durbar square is the only sign of the civil unrest that has been going on in the country for a few years now. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Dolls

A display of marionettes for sale at Durbar square. Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Dyes

A street seller selling multi-coloured dyes. A good test for a camera's colour reproduction abilities! Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR

Mmmm milk!

This cute dog and its equally cute litter on the way up to Swayambunath. The puppies seem a little too old for milk already! Nikon D200, AF-S Nikkor 18-200mmVR