Moody Beach

Moody Beach on Coney Island Singapore

A little blue, a little moody, a little fluffy. This beach was taken on Coney Island Singapore one cloudy morning. When the sky is overcast, the color tone tends to be a bit dull. The light shifted for a moment and this scene was captured with a bluish tone. I was using an ND filter for this scene so there is a wee bit of blurry motion in the clouds and water movements. For the most part, the water here is pretty calm. We are having such a wet morning today. This scene somehow fits my mood. 😉

 

Flora Fauna Collage

Wild Tropical Flora and Fauna and Colorful Flowers

For today’s posting – a collage of our flora and fauna – some are wild and some are grown. The top three items were found in a nearby forest. I would really like to know the name of that fruit on the top right corner. Is that a fruit or a flower? The early morning hours are great times to photograph such interesting flora and fauna. Dewdrops cling to tropical inhabitants and the sun is not yet too strong for humidity to set in.

The flowers on the left bottom frame are lantanas. They grow in a variety of colors. Pungent but oh so vibrant! The yellow flowers to the right I believe are marigolds. My favourite flowers combination are bright red and yellow. The colors really photograph well. I have another collage of that nature for future posting.

Tomorrow is Earth Day 2012. Do your part. Remember to switch off all lights at 8.30pm. Till next time, have a great weekend!

 

Singapore World Water Day 2012

Boat cruising along Serangoon Reservoir in front of Lorong Halus Wetland

Today, 24 March 2012, is Singapore World Water Day 2012. To celebrate the event, PUB organised various events around Singapore to create awareness and education about the importance of saving water.

For more information, visit PUB website at http://www.singaporeworldwaterday.com/

I was around Punggol Promenade at Punggol Waterway opposite Lorong Halus Wetland this morning and took some snapshots. The weather had been hazy for the past few days and today as well.

Quite a busy day along the nature parks in Singapore. Have a great weekend, everybody!

A big tent in front of Lorong Halus Wetland in celebration of Singapore World Water Day 2012

Cyclists and walkers on the red bridge on their way to Lorong Halus Wetland

 

Forlorn Forest….Running out of Time

Standing tall, a wee bit out of wear....thin branches reaching for the sunlight.....nature fights on for survival

I am a little out of time. These pockets of greenery are earmarked for destruction to make way for more developments. Behind the trees, the area is boarded for more construction. There will be a new broader road leading to Punggol Beach.

Meanwhile I don’t know how long these trees will stand. So much potential and beauty to be seen, in low light and full sunshine. At night, the area can be eerie because it is quite isolated. When the mist lingers in the early hours, the landscape is transformed into a mystical fantasyland. Some of the trees have been cut down but young branches fight on for survival. There is a certain charm about this place.

I hope I am wrong about the future of this place. I see so much potential on how existing landscape can co-exist side by side with new development. Hope you see the beauty and essence of this place through the pictures.

 

Misty Morning at Serangoon Reservoir

Misty Landscape at Serangoon Reservoir with a red dawn background

Specs : 7.07am 17 March 2012, F14, 1/2secs, ISO 100, -1.3EV, White Balance =  Shade, Aperture Priority

Misty Landscape at Serangoon Reservoir with a golden glow background

Specs : 7.10am 17 March 2012, F14, 0.77secs, ISO 100, 0EV, White Balance =  Shade, Aperture Priority

These pictures were all taken yesterday morning. Only three minutes apart from each picture but the results are all different. Yesterday’s post on the red dawn was taken at 7.02am. So, it was interesting to observe the lightning conditions, the specs for each picture and the results shown.

There was no mist on that day. There was some condensation on the polarizer when I put on the filter. I just remembered reading a photography magazine that a photographer used his breath and blew on the lens filter to get that misty look. It worked!

In the first picture, the lights were still on. Three minutes later, in the second picture, they were off. All these different hues and the sun had not risen yet!  It is always a delight to observe nature spectacular light shows and appreciate all the things we have back home.

While it is very tempting to click on the camera constantly, I also invite you to put the camera aside for a few moments. Be early, even at 6.30am there are already people here. Observe how the day awakens, hear the buzzing of insects, the chirping of birds while the sun slowly casts its warm glow on the landscape here at Serangoon Reservoir and Lorong Halus Wetland. Smile with delight as white egrets, grey herons, white terns, brown eagles and blue feathered kingfishers fly by trying to catch the early worms. A splash in the water! Whoops, something just got eaten or those are just fishes. Every day is a delight.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

 

Red Dawn, Red Sunrise at Serangoon Reservoir

Sunrise at Serangoon Reservoir. Punggol Promenade/Punggol Waterway on the left, Lorong Halus Wetland on the right.

What a beautiful gorgeous sunrise we had today. Some mornings could be so magical. Technically, it was not yet sunrise since the official sunrise time was at about 7.13am. This picture was taken at 7.04am, so a red dawn seemed more appropriate. The red hue lasted less than 5 minutes. Minutes later, the color changed to a golden hue instead. No filter, no post processing. Just a little trim to make this a landscape panorama and that’s it.

Specs : F11, 1/5sec, ISO 100, -1.3EV, White Balance =  Shade, Aperture Priority, Camera Setting = High Saturation. Taken with AF-S Nikkor 35mm lens. The good thing about this lens – it is much sharper than the kit lens. The down side is there is no Image Stabilizer, so either need a tripod or a steady support for sharp pictures.

Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

 

Moody Sunrise

Sunrise over Pulau Ubin

Some mornings, I thought “Well, it is just another cloudy sunrise”. A few minutes passed and then everything changed. Sunlight breaking through the clouds, patterns and swirls here and there. Cloudy mornings can be good. All it takes is a bit of waiting for some bit of light to change from a dull sky to a moody morning….in a good way.

 

Golden Hour After Sunset

The Magic Golden Hour when the Sun goes down at Punggol Reservoir and Punggol Beach

Top Picture : Punggol Reservoir at 7.49pm on 15 Jan 2012. F4, 1.3sec, ISO 800, 0 EV, Night Landscape Program .

Left Picture : Punggol Reservoir at 7.49pm on 15 Jan 2012. F3.5, 1sec, ISO 400, -0.3EV, White Balance – Shade.

Right Picture : Punggol Beach at 7.28pm on 15 Jan 2012. F11, 0.77sec, ISO 100, -0.7EV, White Balance – Shade.

I just realised these photos were all taken on the same evening on 15 Jan 2012. Writing down the specs so I can remember next time.

From Punggol Beach to Punggol Reservoir, it takes between 5 – 10 minutes if you cycle depending on traffic and your speed. After taking the sunset picture at Punggol Beach on that day, I lingered a bit buying a can of cold drink. No more sunset when I arrived at Punggol Reservoir but definitely not time wasted.

By the way, if you are keen to cycle, there is a kiosk for bicycle rental at Punggol Beach and Punggol Park. Since the sunrise is not too spectacular today, I spend the whole morning cycling from Punggol Promenade at Lorong Halus to Punggol Beach, Sengkang Riverside Park to Buangkok PCN, Punggol Park, Serangoon PCN and back again. The whole North Eastern Riverine Loop PCN. Easily done within 3 hours with plenty of stops in between. Have a lovely Sunday, everybody!

 

Sunrise, Sunset, Twilight Panorama

Sunrise, Sunset, Twilight along Serangoon Reservoir and Punggol Reservoir

This is a collage of the various pictures taken around Serangoon Reservoir and Punggol Reservoir during sunset, sunrise and twilight. Taken as they are with no editing. The top and left pictures were taken at Serangoon Reservoir during sunrise using an orange ND filter. The clouds picture was taken during sunset at the Sunrise Bridge, Punggol Waterway with a polarizer for company. The twilight picture was taken at Punggol Reservoir close to 7.40pm with a polarizer. That was very hard to capture. There wasn’t much light and the shutter won’t fire. Had to use the light from the dam on the right frame, press the shutter half way, then recompose.

The North Eastern Riverine Loop PCN is now officially opened. Photo opportunities around these areas are endless. Have fun shooting!

 

Winter Collage in Engelberg, Switzerland

Winter landscape in Engelberg, Switzerland

Winter is not so easy to photograph especially when white is so prevalent. When the sky is dull, I find that changing the pictures to sepia or black and white reveal more of the texture and tone of the scenery. Well, I finally figured how to use the collage preset. Just add the pictures into the box template then…Voila! Here is one collage for today – a mixture of color, sepia and black and white winter landscapes in Engelberg, Switzerland.