Secret Garden

Secret Garden

Welcome to the Secret Garden. I only wish it was mine. 😉

Alas this was taken on a trip to Pulau Ubin. Do spend some time exploring the right side of the island. There is also a spice garden and a section with tropical plants. All labelled for easy identification. I know there is a mini plantation at Sengkang Riverside Park but over here it is more rustic and closer to nature. I grow up with some of these plants in my backyard so it is like a trip down memory lane. This is a place to get away from all the chaos of city living.

Wherever you are in the world, in rustic or urban landscape, I hope you find some corner to make it your own secret garden. Have a great weekend!

 

Peaceful Morning in Interlaken

Peaceful scenery along the river in Interlaken, Switzerland

A revisit to a familiar place – Interlaken in Switzerland. A quiet morning walk along the river. It was winter and not many people were outdoors on that sunday morning. Peaceful, misty, serene – all that you hope to see while on vacation. If only, everyday is that peaceful.

 

Lights Abstract

Some things can happen by accident and the results quite interesting I must say. This photo is one of those “accident”. When you switch off the camera but the shutter is not yet ready to close, something like this can result from it. I end up liking it especially the “tyre” pattern on the bottom. Amazingly, the blue laser lights in the background are not jarred by the camera movement. Could never re-create this scene again. How about you? Do you have some “accidents” you end up liking?

 

Twilight at Pasir Gudang

Photo for the day – as seen from Punggol Beach – twilight at Pasir Gudang. Waited a while after sunset to get this view at 7.31pm. The lights had been switched on and reflected on the water while the blue sky still lingered and golden rays of sunlight still rested on the horizon. A few minutes passed and the night scene darken all too soon. Time to go. Have a great weekend, everybody!

 

Vertical Landscape – Cloudy Sunrise

Vertical photos, I think, are not as much photographed as horizontal photos. I love verticals! Such composition tends to add depth and contrasts. When I want to emphasize the cloud patterns against a foreground subject, I use vertical composition, like this picture. I notice that switching from horizontal to vertical, the same object (taken from the same distance) will appear smaller in the vertical composition. The effect of compression. Well, if you are used to taking pictures horizontally, try taking vertically instead. Always good to experiment. Happy shooting!

 

Neon Red Dawn Sunrise

Glowing red lights reflection at Serangoon Reservoir at Dawn, 3 minutes before Sunrise

It is really a lucky streak to have seen a red sunset and a red sunrise on consecutive days. Yesterday was a red sunrise. This morning, the light was even more spectacular. I call this neon red because the sky was really glowing with red lights. Taken at 6.54pm about 3 minutes before sunrise. The best colors usually comes about a few minutes before sunrise. Straight from the camera with no editing. I will attempt HDR blending modes one of these days. Focusing on silhouettes for the moment. Have a wonderful Sunday, everybody!

 

Red Sunset at Serangoon Reservoir

Red Sunset at Serangoon Reservoir. Silhoutte of Nature Walk Punggol Promenade on the left and Coney Island on the right

Just came back from a sunset photo shoot at Serangoon Reservoir, on the riverbank of the Serangoon East Dam. It rained in the morning so the path was muddy and not many people venture here when it is close to darkness. The sky were thick and dark with grey clouds. Not a promising start for an evening photography. Being patient has its rewards at times. What a glorious red sunset this evening! Glowing water reflection and fire in the sky. Hope your weekend are just as good!

 

Catch the Light!

Waiting for sunrise at Lorong Halus Wetland

If you come by early enough, the lights at Lorong Halus Wetland are still on. This was taken at 6.42am. The lights around the area are switched off around 7.05am.

Somehow on that morning, I lingered on this side of the river because I was captivated by the contrast of the street lights glowing against the golden and red skyline. The original picture was heavily underexposed with the bottom half in complete darkness so it looked like the lights are floating on air. Some editing was done to lighten the scene.

The heavy clouds look dark and grey at the moment but after many early mornings photography, I notice that these are the sort of clouds to look for in vivid dawn and sunrise landscape. With side lighting, these statocumulus clouds can burn bright red in puffy patches just a few minutes before sunrise.

Have a great weekend and Happy Vesak Day to those celebrating! Catch the Light!

 

Red Dawn – Fire in the Sky

One of those breathtaking scenery at dawn is to be greeted with a red sky before sunrise. One moment, grey clouds blanket the morning. One second later, nature’s light switch has been turned on. Red rays, like a torchlight lights one section of the cloud. Then a few moments later, crank up the saturation – the whole sky is red!

When there is water reflection, the vivid color glows and all the surroundings are either in shadows or scattered with red rays. Simply breathtaking to be in the presence of such nature’s brilliance. I hope you have the occasion to see such fire in the sky. Once seen, never forgotten.

 

North Eastern Riverine Loop (NERL) – Thunderstorm Warnings

Update : Please read the advisory from National Parks Board “Public should exercise caution and refrain from visiting parks and nature reserves during stormy weather“. Apparently 13 trees near Changi Beach Park were uprooted due to gusty winds during the thunderstorm during the weekends. Please check the latest weather forecast before going out. Refer to NEA’s weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, website ( http://www.nea.gov.sg), mobile weather service (Weather@SG  – weather.nea.gov.sg) or Twitter via @NEAsg.

If you are heading outdoors to the nature parks and any outdoor settings – check the weather forecast before you leave. For Singapore weather forecast, check out NEA Website. Another alternative – Wunderground.

Singapore is in the midst of the Inter-Monsoon season with mostly short-duration afternoon thundery showers. Morning thunderstorms are not spared. Rain, thunder and lightning are prevalent during these times. For more information, refer to the Monsoon Update.

Too many times for the past few weeks, I was caught in one of those thunderstorm while outdoors cycling the North Eastern Riverine Loop (NERL). Weather patterns can change drastically and forecasts are not always accurate. Thunderstorm warning signboards along this route are there for a reason. The NERL is one of the most scenic Park Connector Network (PCN) in Singapore. I believe it is also one of the most hazarded areas during thunderstorms as everywhere there is water. Water is a great conductor for electricity and lightning storms are occuring almost everyday along these region nowadays.

How to spot when a lighting thunderstorm is imminent? See pictures below on the progression of thunderstorm clouds called cumulonimbus.

6.13pm – Three columns of cumulonimbus clouds over Punggol Waterway

6.24pm – Cumulonimbus clouds towering above Lorong Halus Wetland

6.38pm – All three cumulonimbus clouds seem to merge

6.43pm – Embracing cumulonimbus clouds with a small gap in the middle

6.49pm – Merged cumulonimbus at its mature stage – lightning started to appear then

Do you see how fast the thunderstorm clouds change within a space of 36 minutes? If you see these cauliflower shape clouds in the distance, best to seek shelter immediately. Nobody can outrun a storm, much less lightning.

The last reported lightning incident was in November 2011 when two guys were hit by lighting at Coney Island (formerly Pulau Serangoon). One survived, the other did not. Let’s not be one of the statistics.

I still see parents and grandparents pushing the pram along this route while a lightning thunderstorm rumbles. Maybe they think since there is no rain, it is still safe. NO – it is not safe! The storm clouds may look far away but lighting can travel many kilometers away. Even if it is not raining, a bolt of “out of the blue” lightning can still occur.

My advice – avoid crossing all the bridges along Punggol Waterway or even the red bridge heading to Lorong Halus Wetland during the thunderstorms. There is no shelter on the bridges and they can be counted as some of the highest elevation among the surroundings.

The red toilets along Punggol Promenade (though looking metallic) can accommodate more people than the small shelters along the waterway. If you are already there on the riverside of Lorong Halus Wetland, there is a shelter as well. The shell-like shelters along the Nature Walk section of Punggol Promenade are made of aluminium and are not much protection in severe storms.

At Punggol Beach, there is shelter underneath the Viewing Gallery at the Jetty, bus stop, toilet, a small shelter (usually used by anglers) somewhere in the middle distance between Punggol Jetty and the Marina Country Club and then there is the Marina Country Club.

Along Punggol Waterway, there are small shelters and underneath the road highways. The PCN tracks next to Punggol Reservoir and Serangoon Reservoir have small shelters as well.

Take heed, be safe and please be careful.

What to do if caught in a thunderstorm outdoors?
– seek shelter in a covered building, vehicles
– if no shelter outdoors, go to the lowest elevation, crouch down on the balls of your feet with heels touching, hands on knees/calfs, head down
– do not lie down on the ground, sit under a tree or stand near tall objects like street lamps, touch metallic objects like fences and railings
– if in swimming pool, open field or water, get out immediately
– avoid riding a bicycle, motorcycle or golf cart
– remove all metallic accessories
– if on an open area with groups of people, spread out
– even when the storm stops, wait another 30 minutes since the last sound of thunder

What to do if a person is struck by lighting? First 4 Minutes are Crucial
– it is ok to touch a person struck by lightning, there is no electrical charge left
– call the doctor or ambulance immediately
– while reports said it is safe to use a mobile phone, I am not too sure, best avoid using the house phone during a lightning storm
– remove the victim from immediate danger zone (eg open field), if possible
– perform CPR if victim is not breathing

Related articles
Thunderstorms and Lightning (www.nea.gov.sg)
Lightning: the scariest thing on the shores (wildshores.blogspot.com)
Angler was killed by lightning strike on Coney Island: Coroner (www.straitstimes.com)
Lightning strike left canoeist brain dead (www.straitstimes.com)
Man struck by lightning while playing golf (news.asiaone.com)
The Lightning Capital (http://www.rappler.com)