Blog -- isightphotography.com

Luxembourg & Trier -- People & Places

Roy Teo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:36:00 GMT

Yes, it has been something like 4 months since I last wrote an entry. Definitely too long and whilst I would like to say that I have since caught up with the backlog of photographs, I probably am only barely touching the surface -- the only thing is my lack of traveling has put a halt of sorts to the accumulation of new material =)

So here's one from a weekend trip one fateful weekend almost a year ago (yes, some of you may recall why =p) when we went to Luxembourg via Trier after landing in Frankfurt (thanks to trying to save ££ on our 'favourite' budget airline).

1) Air -- so this is a shot out of the plane window. Kind of looks like the river is enveloping some of the fields/town.

2) Heights -- the first of a few views of the old town. I try to keep them away, but cranes just keep popping in my vistas (don't ask; there're lots more that you don't see!)

3) Bridged -- the second one. We went at kind of the wrong time because one of the 'main' attractions turned out to be undergoing some renovation.

4) Railed -- What every decent town needs. A railway running through the middle of town.

5) ES -- While not really in chronological order =p, I thought I'll insert some 'portraits' taken on the coach whilst we were moving around between countries/cities

6) LSE -- Not the university, but yes you can guess =). If not already obvious, this one is the typical posed tourist shot. Is it any different from those shots though? =P Hopefully!

7) V -- not for Vendetta. But yes, the last shot from the coach nevertheless =)

8) BSC -- Private joke. Hint: that's a Canon camera =) But for the rest, yes we're back to just overlooking the old town with all its views and stuff.

9) (D)ABS -- Yes, a lame joke which I shall not make =p. These things were lying around where we were having all those views that I started out this entry with. I guess we got bored and started taking, well, other things besides the views of the old town I suppose =)

10) Fiery -- This smoking structure was seen nearby as well as we wandered around wondering what this wonder is all about. No, it wasn't an unplanned fire so I didn't have to ring the fire brigade or something.

11) Tired -- At one of the parks nearby. So while we had been wonderingly wandering, this seemed like a good place to rest. However ...

12) AD -- some of the others had other ideas.

13) LSBS -- More people had the same idea too. I'm wondering whether I'm actually having the camera pointed in the wrong direction. Doesn't really matter in the end I suppose =P

14) Serenity -- Quaint houses lining a calm river on a lovely day. Can't ask for much more. Maybe .... a few more clouds would help define the sky I guess =)

15) Hallowed -- I'll more or less end the scenic set of Luxembourg with this one from just outside one of the churches we visited. I'll leave interior views for another time yes? =)

16) N -- we ended the night after dinner in a bar for some drinks; at least those who drank. We had quite a bit of nuts though.

17) Street -- The street scene in Trier. We stopped over here for a few hours the next day enroute to Frankfurt for the flight back.

18) Lined -- The old-ish looking building you see in the distance, brings out this dated photograph when we went nearer.

19) LS -- And it yielded some on-location portraits.

20) ESDA -- Plus the cover shot of the latest boyband in town. Who love shopping at ASDA. =)

21) Queue -- Somewhere around town, there's a sitting queue for ... nothingness. Hmm .....

22) Curved -- Though the architecture is amazing! We were walking quite a distance to go and see what's coming up next, and this was what we saw along the way =p

23) Amphitheater -- Yes, we walked a long way for this.

24) Gladiator -- Imagine being in the stands and looking at fights etc going on in the middle. Entertainment in those days sure were different! They had a really cool feature at the other end of the amphitheater where just conversational speaking at one end allows one to hear at the other end some 80m away!

25) Stared -- The last photograph in this set. Some toys outside one of those neat little shops selling every imaginable display piece you can think of =)

Rotterdam -- where are the dams?

Roy Teo — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:57:00 GMT

In a 'super-fast' next entry (considering my time interval between entries is usually in the weeks or months time frame), this one is from Rotterdam. Whilst I would say that I'm trying to clear the backlog from last year, it's unfortunately not going to be this fast all the time =P

This set is from Rotterdam, Netherlands where, I wasn't actually really expecting to see dams. Really. Again, only a short while spent here and thankfully at least the visibility wasn't that bad, unlike some of the other Netherlands sets.

1) Craned. We arrived at night and enroute to the hotel, I couldn't help but take this. Some of you may be well aware that somehow wherever I travel, and I really mean Wherever, like even right now at this time of writing, there are cranes around to spoil my shots *for the rest of you, hopefully you don't start looking out for it in my landscape shots =p*. This one looked kind of artistic hence the shot.

2) Dusked. I guess I have a weakness for wanting views from the room if it's possible. Kind of more advantageous than say, trying to brave the cold for such shots right?

3) Snaked. The non-harbour view as the sun sets. Don't look for cranes please =).

4) Darkened. By now the sun has really set, like obviously, and now you see why it's advantageous not having to brave the cold wind when you just want to take one frame =P

5) Silhouetted. The next day now obviously, and so thought I'll try one of those over-used, often abused, yet still amused? shots. This is the result.

6) Walked. I'm probably rather blind at night or something for having missed this famed walk. At least I got it in the day I guess *consoles self and chucks glasses*

7) Loned. By coincidence *as if*, we see a fallen autumn leaf. Liked the texture.

8) Revealed. Of course it wasn't just the one lone leaf. Here's the rest for some perspective.

9) Bored. So while waiting for the elevator at Euromast to arrive .... I guess some of us are kind of wondering why the wait.

10) Distanced. The reward for patience (and technology brought to you by -- insert favourite tech company here -- of course). And of course God for the fair weather.

11) Posed. I seldom take posed portraits whilst on holiday, but here's one for the tourist books.

12) Curved. This is probably the type of shot that will grace a restaurant magazine? Maybe. It definitely is one high restaurant though, at least one of the higher ones that I've been to -- 'cafes' at mountain intermediate camps don't really count.

13) Checked. Always do so to ensure you have enough memory especially. Though admittedly I don't really look at my shots in camera much (and it's not because I'm shooting on film).

14) Gazed. High cafes with strong lattes causes people to gaze? =)

Hope you lik-ed the set!

Jungfroch --- an outer world tour

Roy Teo — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:23:00 GMT

After a long hiatus and some rather strange happenings in the interim, here's another 'quick' upload of photographs from last Christmas (yes, you didn't read it wrongly! heh). More from another set to follow shortly as I try to get them out faster now =)

So this set is from when we made the ascent to the tallest place in Europe. This is found in Switzerland, on a snow peaked, freezingly cold, and exorbitantly expensive (at least for this poorly student) train ride up to a place known as Jungfroch Joch. Nevertheless, I've got to be really thankful for the pleasant weather especially since it was apparently very misty the day before and visibility was really bad!

In any case, here's this out-of-this-world set, brought to you from somewhere actually just shy of 3500m above sea level. Enjoy!

1) Alignment. In order to see the view we first had to leave the planet. And, there had to be in some kind of celestial alignment before the skies would clear and we would get a clear view.

2) UVed. After leaving the planet this is where we arrive. A desolate ground with white tracked snow and .... something like some brown rock which managed to emerge out of this blanket of whiteness.

3) Rivers. In another corner, we see this sun trying it's best to have its effect felt. However, this river of ice is probably too resilient to actually be affected. Appears almost nonchalant it seems.

4) Life. Amazingly though, we see some form of primitive life-form that has learned flight. It probably requires that skill in order to escape from the throes of freezing death we see all around.

5) Habitation. However, it appears that the lone flying organism wasn't really alone. This terraform seems to some sort of structure that the local inhabitants constructed which allows them to somehow survive in this inhospitable environment. Plus they modify their movement with long poles on their feet.

6) Work. Apparently, the structures are not foolproof and they tend to suffer from issues. Here we spotted two workers trying to remove some of the ice that had somehow built up inside their hardy structures -- on something called 'wind-dows'.

7) Alike. After their work was done, view was again restored for the inhabitants and the wind-dows are a source of some form of amusement. It turns out that these two actually look really similar morphologically except for some white frilly like appendage on one of them. This interesting finding begs further study.

8) Relaxed. It seems that these local natives are generally rather non-hostile. The superiors would be glad to hear that.

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I hope you like the set and ... don't mind the random comments from an alienated alien =P

Burn Baby Bern

Roy Teo — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:44:00 GMT

Now that my Photoshop is out of action, I've had to resort to other tools to get the job done. Usually there's lesser control than I would like but that would have to do for the time being until I fly halfway round the world again =P

So this set is from Bern, Switzerland. Yes, I again did not just go there recently; it's actually been like 8 months ago. Yes, yes, I shall attribute it to the lack of post-processing software =). Nevertheless, better late than never yah? We were there over Christmas so it was a white snowy one in addition to being rather different from the typical Christmas-es experienced before.

Enjoy the series!

1) Burn Baby Bern. Kind of like those title tracks you get in CDs? There would be one song whose title would be the title of the album (or vice versa =p Who knows which came first?). This is one. Do note that no guides were hurt in this process.

2) Rivers through the streets. You may or may not know the song that title is derived from but anyway, this was what greeted us on Christmas morning. Sleepy desolate streets =P

3) Lake@Dawn. Don't try that email address. I woke up a little late so no golden hours unfortunately. Besides, it was really overcast actually, kind of making that grey hours I guess?

4) Trees a crowd. Well, just wandering around so, random street scenes on a quiet morning I suppose.

5) Bridge over calm waters. I think I may have used this title before. Or I'm sure you've seen it somewhere definitely =) I should add that I wasn't really wandering around in a zigzag fashion through the town =P

6) Welcome Home. On this Christmas morn.

7) Greetings. The first sight that greets us when we step into this church. However, mass is already over, hence the lack of people around.

8) Peaceful Pews. I guess the theme for this series is calm and collected? Or something to that effect. The pews along the side of the church. Pardon the noise (of the digital non-sound kind). For the record, I was really quiet -- no mechanical shutter plus no flash makes for a quiet shoot yes? =)

9) Endless reach. This corridor is just outside the church (still within the grounds). Doesn't it make you wonder what's at the end? =)

10) Fields of White. Surely you'll have expected that title yes? =p We saw this after climbing up a slope to try and get a view of the old city. This erm .... isn't the view of the city but rather a meadow at the 'top'.

11) Call to the Lost. This is the view of the old city. A pity that the weather couldn't have been nicer! Especially since we could only be there for a couple of days.

12) Overlooked. It certainly is nice to be on higher ground. Kind of get to see broad vistas then =)

13) Middle ground. As the day's drawing to a close, where is everybody! *Ok ok, I didn't edit people out of the photographs, just chose the less/not crowded ones =P*

14) Dusked. It had to come to an end yes? Was hurrying to try to get to a good spot for the golden hour stuff, but I could only catch something like dark blue hour =p.

15) Dark reflections. So I guess with the light quickly fading, I had to do it quick. If you run fast enough you wouldn't sink on water? =P

16) Dark stretch. I was still trying to do panaromas without a tripod and in the 'dark'. And on water to boot. =P Chicken feet? *Duck's are probably more apt in this situation though*

I hope you enjoyed the short expose. Until next time, take care!

Portraits of a Swedish Wedding kind (Part 1)

Roy Teo — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:44:00 GMT

After a really really long absence -- here's an entry which I should have written a while back. Admittedly, for some strange reason Photoshop refuses to open on my computer anymore and sadly, I have left the original disks halfway around the world =I

In any case, here's a selection of frames from one of the folders I managed to review before Photoshop decided to give up on me. These were taken on a 'recent' trip to Sweden where I got to experience, first hand, a Swedish wedding =) Kind of different from the usual Chinese ones which I have attend -- 3 course dinners over 9 hours versus 9 course dinners over 3 hours =P.

So anyway, here are the frames of the guests who attended the wedding =) Not so many comments/captions from me this time though =p Hope you like the series! And congratulations to Emil and Sarah too =)

1) Photogenic yes? =) Actually ... everyone is =)

2) Well all of them here were singing =) Photogenic and talented.

3) And this group were giving speeches. Photogenic, talented and verbose.

4) And.... all smiles =). Photogenic, talented, verbose and elated! The happy couple are among these frames too. No cheating to guess!

5) Once again, congrats to Emil and Sarah! *It's been a while already by now of course but nevertheless .... =)

Chillon -- a small-ish scenic place .... in .....

Roy Teo — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:48:00 GMT

I'm currently on one of the most atypical back-packing trips I'm making and, I guess future entries would reveal why. So here's an entry from quite a while ago. Again. I think it's starting to be a trend that I only complete the review of photographs like 4, 5 months after heh. It's not the full-time job that's why yah? =)

This set is actually .... from a castle. I'm no historian, but Veytaux Chillon is quite the scenic place now. Pity that due to the time of year (winter versus summer), there are no ships to allow us to catch those from-the-water-shots =P. I'm going to let your guess how long we were hanging around there for all these photographs!

1) Take it in. So to start us off, this is the all-encompassing view of well .... what you see in the picture =P

2) Fairy Tales. Moving nearer to the Chateau, we get this =). Kind of looks Disneyland-paste-the-castle-into-the-photograph like yes? =P

3) Framed. No, there's been no crime committed, just a out of (my =p) textbook type of shot where people try to talk about framing a photograph within a frame =)

4) Toned. It didn't suddenly become the night =P. Though there's actually something missing from the picture which, kind of took a bit of trouble to get out =)

5) The other side. Whilst tempted to put the 'dark' side, this is actually the .... light side? =P Let's just stick with other side =).

6) Entrance. At some point it time, I should venture in, so this is .... one of them haha. There are actually a couple of other people shots but I think they shall be reserved for the people-while-travelling entry =)

7) The dark at the end of the path. Ok ok a lame pun for a tithere (don't worry if you don't get it =P)

8) Caught. So even 'Flash' can be caught with fast enough shutter speeds =) And of course a fast enough burst speed =P

9) Caverns. One of the dark hallways in the castle. Where's the modern lighting? *Or the flaming torches for that matter? =P

10) Window views. If we look out one of the higher windows, this is what we see =)

11) Spider views. The spider chooses a slightly different viewing spot. Fantastic choice nevertheless =)

12) Darker. So a wide view again, when it's .... getting darker?

13) Setting. Golden hues at dusk.

14) Nightfall. So at the end of the day, this is what we get =)

Hope you enjoyed this series!

Hague here, Hague there, Hague ... everywhere =p

Roy Teo — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:37:00 GMT

This would be one the longer sets which should hopefully be more welcome? =) Pardon the lame title (especially to those who are cringing at the poor English =p) but it just seemed a bit short if I just wrote the Hague =P

If you don't know where it is, the Hague is in the Netherlands! Spent a day here and again, my blog entries are not really following any 'day order' but .... that shouldn't be an issue anyway =) I've been asked how come there are no photographs with .... people. I shall humbly say that there are, just, not that many and, there are actually places where I've uploaded photographs with people (event blog entries aside =p) which I shall leave you to guess where =p Maybe I shall upload a solely people-while-travelling entry sometime =)

Anyways, without further ado, let's Hague to the photographs! =)

1) Breakfast not in bed. I guess this is supporting the idea that some people just have to take pictures of the food they are going to eat =P. I don't do it that often and by the way, I wasn't having breakfast in a period drama or something =)

2) Street seens. This was taken in the city centre. I really like this bus idea =).

3) Autumn leaves. In fact though, the trees are bare, and autumn had left like months earlier =p.

4) Fields of pink. Unfortunately, not gold. But nevertheless, still a rather unusual sight right? =) It's actually mid-winter and the water bodies are frozen =p

5) Refreshing. In more ways than one =)

6) Grounded. In reality or on the grounds or can't leave the house or .... taken at ground level =)

7) Mirror-aged. So it was a fine day and .... a mirage in the city??? =)

8) Pan-o-rama. Doesn't the buildings in the middle look like a pan for something from the sky? =P Ok ok, I'm starting to kind of stretch my random title-wordplay here =P

9) Museum Restaurant. Ok I'm totally stabbing in the dark here =p I have no idea what the name on the building means *short of using Google translate or some similar program =p*

10) Red hot chilli peppers. =) I did not falsify the colours! Though there aren't any chilli peppers =P nor hots for that matter heh

11) Fall in. A pun that well, I guess some of you will catch it and others won't =p. The trees lining the bank look like they're doing that yah? =P

12) Point here, Point there, Point ... everywhere. Starting to sound familiar? =P There are actually quite a lot of countries listed on the signs (for the record, there were others dotted around as well).

13) The long and ... straight road. Not winding =P As you can probably tell by now, it was partly cloudy and partly sunny. Any weather man should be able to get that much right =).

14) No Idea. If one has such a name on such a sculpture, it would be rather apt don't you think? =)

15) Last but not least. I admit that I've been struggling to name the photographs with the same 'theme' towards the end =P. The shoots were surely not with such random thoughts/names in mind!

And so we've come to the end of this short tour around the Hague =) I hope you enjoyed the shots! (and the random comments heh)

Lausanne -- Would you know which country it's in? =)

Roy Teo — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:24:00 GMT

So a long overdue upload with photographs from like .... ages ago. Without giving it away, or using your favourite search engine, would you actually know where Lausanne is? =) I certainly didn't! It's actually a small town on one end of Lake Geneva in Swiss-land. Not as famous a Swiss city as the big names, but did you know .... this city is actually the capital of the Olympics! Yes, the Olympics that's held every four years and most recently, at this time of writing, in Beijing 2008. Wonder whether I can catch some actual action live in London 2012 =P That'll be pretty amazing!

Nevertheless, here's a snippet of photographs from Lausanne. It's not the best of sets again, well, due to the really short time spent there (like only hours in the city itself? =p) ok ok ... I'm grasping at random excuses here =). Anyway hope you like it! =)

1) The train station. So we first came to the city the night before and this is the view outside the train station, proudly announcing Lausanne to the the capital city of the Olympic games. Yes yes, I seem to have a train station shot for every (other?) set I upload. Pardon me for that yes? I'm still the tourist! =)

2) The next morning. I'm greeted by this scene as I sleepily crawled out of bed. Lack of imagination and fore-planning means this was just the view out of the window. I guess I was just captivated by the colours in my clouded state of trying to get awake =P

3) Train station again. So this time, we were going to take the train to get to another town for a few hours (erm, that would be another upload since it's .... not Lausanne? =p). It so happens that this really really long train passed by -- or rather train with many carriages and hence 'long' =p -- and it's actually full of cars! Do pardon my ignorance, but it's a rare sight for inexperienced me =P

4) Sunset .... err set 1. So with the middle of the day going to be in another city post, we returned in the evening and thank God for opportune moments like this. The sun was setting albeit behind lots of clouds. Still, at least I could see the sun setting! =) By the way, that isn't a ship in the photograph; it's probably some breakwater of sorts but I've no idea what the sail-like thing on it is for.

5) Sunset set ....2? =p Not that the sun has set twice or that this is another day =). We were by the coast *as if it's not already obvious from 4) =p* and this was some structure err .... by the coast. No idea what is is actually again. Seems like my lens is pointing at random stuff now.

6) Coasts. Being in a landlocked place for the last few months (The backs doesn't count ok! =p Besides, that's just a river heh) means that I ended up taking a few more frames when there's a coast. The sun has almost properly set by this time and with all the clouds ...

7) Arty. Since it was getting 'boring' outside, this and the last few frames are from scenes inside the Olympics Museum. This one here is one of the galleries. Patience is definitely a virtue! Was impatiently waiting for the odd person to move out of the frame before I took the shot =P

8) Arty 2. Well, I guess in the same theme as earlier. This one is actually the torch from the games in Munich in 1972. One of the games that has gone down in the history books.

9) Logo. So to end on a brighter note, here's a frame with the Olympics logo. I begin to wish I had carried an SLR with a fast lens on occasions like this =P. Would certainly have made this shot easier!

With this, I'll end this short photo series about Lausanne. Hope you enjoyed it. Watch this space! Or the one above actually =P A more extensive set should be in the works next =)

Amsterdam

Roy Teo — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:51:00 GMT

A really long hiatus due to the busyness of ... stuff =P And also hence a really concise entry this time =). This definitely wasn't the next city on the Swiss-land trip, but it's well, my shortest currently reviewed city 'folder'. The weather was gloomy and it was a public holiday hence the rather boring set here (I tried, but I'm not the most proficient photog around yes? =P). So without further ado, here's my gloomy =I Amsterdam, Netherlands set.

1) So this grey, altogether uninteresting sight greeted us when we first got out of the Amsterdam railway station. Misty and gloomy start to 2009.

2) The new year party's mess still hadn't been cleared up yet. So there were bottles here, there and everywhere (and no, the song wasn't stuck in my head when I was there =p). I'm quite sure this particular bottle wasn't because of some ship's maiden voyage =)

3) This is a public toilet. For guys only erm ... like of course. Certainly something that I have never seen in any other city before!

4) So due to the female rights movement (I think?), female toilets were installed as well. Unfortunately, they turned out to be pretty unsafe and now they are used as advertising boards.

5) So when the weather doesn't look great, one has to think of other random shots to fill the memory card with =). This isn't someone's shoes. They are ..... edible ....... chocolates! =P

6) Last but not least, one must include the customary canal shot when in the Netherlands yes? No blooming tulips or windmills at this time of the year, so .... kind of limited to this =P

Hope you enjoyed this short, practically monotoned (and not all are because of photoshop =p) set. More to come soon! =)

Geneva

Roy Teo — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:51:00 GMT

So in the first of a long(er) essay, and of 2009!, here are excerpts (I say excerpt, but actually I believe it's the most photographs I've uploaded for a single blog entry =p) of the first couple of days of a recent trip to Switzerland. The city of Geneva, while not the capital, is probably one of the larger cities and well, has international flights and what have you =). So without further ~~adieu~~ erm ado =), here goes.

1) First stop -- the train station. Essays (photo or otherwise) should have an introduction, body and ending yes? =P Though I guess that means I should apologise for the probably normality of this scene =p. I'm just being a tourist yes? =)

2) Found -- almost. I'll leave this photograph open for interpretation =)

3) Basilique Notre-Dame de Geneve. So a more typical shot of the church. This church can be seen from the train station and hence, we gravitated towards it.

4) Awestruck. So much so that ..... they couldn't move from the spot and stop looking after photograph 3 was taken =P

5) Halo 3. The interior of the church hall. The grandeur of this (and all the other churches which, you'll see in due time =p), I'm afraid my photographs can't do them justice. You're just got to be there to appreciate it (yeah a thousand words aren't enough =p)

6) Light plays. So as with most churches, the windows are stained glass and, it happened that during the time I was there, well, I just thought it rare to have strong coloured light in the church =P. Guess I've usually only been inside at other times =).

7) Wrong directions. So after leaving the church (don't get the wrong idea k?), we made our way towards the river/lake/water body to catch (a glimpse) of this fountain that spouts water like really high into the air. The arrows are pointing the wrong way =P.

8) Fountain scenes. So after crossing that road-with-the-erroneous-directions =p, we are treated to this scene.

9) Aged fountain. Since everyone was busy taking photos, I thought I'll move 'closer' and grab another shot for good measure. Good thing I wasn't wasting film I suppose =P

10) Thirsting lion. So unlike us who could go nearer for a look/drink etc, this lion can only forlornly yearn for that drink of refreshing water =P

11) Sunset views. So as the sun was setting, and we're camping/on the lookout for the golden hours, here's take one. Too bad that there's no snow on the leaves or something (though, I was feeling cold enough, thank you very much =p)

12) Sunset views take 2. It got better/lower yes? With this shot being the result =)

13) Sunset views take 3. Ok maybe it was getting a tad too late, but I guess, still managed to force a shot out =P

14) Longing. Enroute, the next day, to the UN and stuff. I am so longing for a circular polariser =P

15) Perspectives. So this was shot erm, not with a macro lens in a light tent or something.

16) True perspectives. Coz it is actually ..... quite large =)

17) Colour tastes. So not too far from the UN place (we couldn't go in but I doubt I would have been able to take photographs anyway =p), we spotted this mansion/museum. I did not change the colours -- it's really pink!

18) Through. So we (correction I =p) didn't go into the pink house museum place but nearby to the Red Cross and Red Crescent museum. This is one of the first exhibits.

19) Through the ages. A wall depicting some of the major events (I think) -- I couldn't understand a word that was written *sheepish*

20) Through the roof. A room this size once imprisoned something like 20 people. No joking matter.

21) Caught. Ok I think I was worse off coz, I think something was happening behind my back as I was taking this shot =p. We were on our way to another church (St Paul's is the name I believe?).

22) Be still. So the interior of St Paul's? church. Another awesome sight.

23) Chapel. The small side chapel where, I have no idea why the chandelier hangs so low. It looks a little hazardous.

24) Songs. So this is where the choir sits/stands and sings. I think?

25) Organs (of the chuch kind). As with most churches, the organ is well ... inside the church =).\

26) Exits. Tramlines crisscross the roads throughout Geneva and while we didn't take a tram to leave Geneva, I couldn't really think of where to fit this photo in the story. So, it's stuck here at the end yes? =)

I hope you like this short tour of some of the spots in Geneva. More cities to come (and yes, I hopefully won't take like 3 months of something to get them out =p)

Ely -- the Cathedral

Roy Teo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:55:00 GMT

So on a chilly (frosty? =p) day, I made my way to the nearby town of Ely. It's probably only 10miles away thereabouts and an offpeak return on the train costs £3.50 at this time of writing. Not too shabby for a trip out for a spot of 'small-towness', though, Cambridge isn't the largest town around anyway =P.

Well, Ely being a town, it does have shops, supermarket(s?), eating places and all that jazz, but undoubtedly, the main attraction (for non-Ely residents at least I suppose) has to be the Cathedral. I shall spare you the historical rhetoric since, google is probably going to tell you lots more anyway and jump straight into the pictorial essay. Saves my writing too since each frame should be worth a thousand words now yes? Hopefully mine are =p

1) My contribution to the stereotypical tourist snapshot =P. I did not photoshop 'Ely' into some random rail station. Honest! =)

2) The road/walk up towards the Cathedral. This is shot in England, so this isn't a literal translation from some other language =p (or another photoshop trick). Kind of brought to mind the sometimes literal translations I'm 'used' to? Though, it did make me wonder where the three cups are =) *don't say in the shade =p*. Or.... maybe it should have been Three Cups' Walk?

3) The outside of the cathedral. I am so in need of a wider lens. I'm certainly not doing the Cathedral justice.

4) A more artistic rendition of the exterior of the cathedral, in my humble opinion of course =P. Still, wider lens! =).

5) Well, I should really go in sometime, instead of just focussing on the exterior architecture. This is the bridge photo. Well, strictly speaking, it's a photograph of the entrance door to the interior of the cathedral, not a bridge =).

6) So when one first steps in, we're greeted by this =) *erm, not really in this colour, or lack thereof, but you get the idea I guess =p* Besides no behind-the-scenes events are being mentioned here *sly smile =)*

7) So instead of just looking straight ahead, looking up gives us this. I was actually kind of envisioning like someone crashing through the windows on the top left, swinging masterfully into the church and landing acrobatically on the ledge in the middle before shimmying down the central pipe and deftly reaching the ground unscathed, maybe dodging hundreds of flying arrows for good measure =). Ok ok, too much Hollywood influence, my apologies =p.

8) I was kind of pressed for time so, rather than waiting for a nicer placement of the light *I guess this also reveals how 'much' photoshop was applied to this frame =p*, I took this shot instead. I shall call this photograph 'To the cross'. It was a pretty humbling moment. Especially if we imagine ourselves to be along this path.

9) This actually does not point the way into the deeper parts of the Cathedral =p, I'll leave you to guess where it is =).

10) Hallways. One side of the main hall leading further into the church. I wonder when they started to install/have central heating. Or Or coloured lights for that matter =p.

11) The view from the middle of the church. It's a really tall hall -- look how small we are! Pretty amazing (and I'm not referring to the number of 'all's in the previous sentence =p

12) The Dome of the church. This one is really a dome; I can't remember which church in Europe is famous for having a painted dome i.e. it's actually flat on the exterior but when inside and looking up, one sees the dome.

13) The organ(s) *musical instrument mind you, don't get the wrong idea =p* and choir. Imagine a conductor right behind the stand leading the choir in the stands. *Niceeeeeeeee*.

14) Ok, see one for real here, no need to imagine it anymore =P. They sang really beautifully in an adjoining room instead of the main hall above. Nevertheless, it was some fantastic singing =)

15) So the light started to get more even after their singing. So here's one of the last of the hurried shots. It is not a photograph of an old 18th century newspaper =p

16) The sun was setting so, an opportune time for this shot. Unfortunately, as with all the others in this series, I was tripod-less =I. Think I'm getting a wee bit lazy to carry all the gear around when I go shooting =p.

Well, so that's my minor foray into location architectural photography; probably not my strongest series and probably occasionally boring? I hope you like it anyways =). Do visit Ely Cathedral (in Ely of course) if you're in the region! =)

God Bless.

Campod event: Pathology on the screen -- fact of fiction?

Roy Teo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:03:00 GMT

The Cambridge Fund for the Prevention of Disease (Campod) is a charity that raises money to support medical research into a range of diseases. As part of the fund-raising, an evening with guest speakers and an advanced screening of a popular British television series called 'Silent Witness' was organised. Here are some of the frames taken whilst covering the event.

1) These events almost always start of with a reception =). I don't drink, but somehow I can't seem to get the horizon straight. Arty or tipsy? =P Maybe I was under the influence of secondary drinking -- kind of like secondary smoking? =P

2) The kind sponsors from Cambridge Research Biochemicals. They are actually not based in Cambridge. I suppose it's not too unexpected since there are no tennis courts along tennis court road anyway (self reference to photo 17 in the other blog entry here, which I guess holds probably as 'much' weight as self-praise? =P). There did start out in Cambridge though, just that they have relocated.

3) Sharply dressed gentleman at the reception.

4) Another one. Distinguished gentleman that is; not another change of clothes =)

5) By this time I was feeling kind of under-dressed. Maybe I should have worn a tux as well, and invested in one of those Bond-gadget cameras which don't require a huge camera bag and come with like 20 built-in functions or something =P

6) Especially for moments like this? =)

7) I suppose I really need Q to come up with a 300mm F2.8 lens which can fit nicely on my -insert brand here- mobile phone. And it must not have too much grain at ISO 3200 =P *my apologies to the non-technically inclined; I'm just hankering for a nicer lens =)*

8) The movie was screened and I took up my front seat. I guess I was shooting more than watching the movie though =P. Yes, if you didn't yet know, cameras are not allowed in cinemas. Except for mine that is =).

Hope you enjoyed the series =) Don't mind the light heartedness yes? I'm not drunk. Seriously. And I'm not saying that because I'm drunk =P

Cambridge Sights -- A short expose

Roy Teo — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:57:00 GMT

So after a long hiatus, especially on the blog front (not like it was really regular anyway, but there you go), this should hopefully be an interesting read for everyone =). As some of you may know (and if you don't, you'll know now), I've pretty recently relocated to the lovely city of Cambridge, UK.

Therefore, instead of the usual new flash movies and album photographs, this upload will get it's own blog entry commentary/story =). I hope you will enjoy this short snippet of some of the scenes.... *Permanent link to this Cambridge photo gallery here*

1) Cambridge Rail Station. We begin with one of the ways to get into Cambridge. By rail! Cambridge is approximately 45mins away from Central London; by the fastest train of course. Velvia 50, F11, 1/200.

2) Where Trumpington meets King's. This street gets really busy especially during the weekends with many tourists moving around; simply because King's College (in the background), is kind of a photography spot (I shall spare you that repetition of photos =p). Velvia 50, F8, 1/125.

3) Pembroke College dining hall where, we have meals. Obviously. =) It's quite atmospheric in the evening, even more so during formals and the like but of course, I shouldn't be whipping my camera out then. Velvia 50, F11, 1/10.

4) Pembroke College grounds (Croquet Lawn). Where, you guessed it, croquet can be played =P. I haven't actually seen anyone doing that though. Probably due to my long hours. Velvia 50, F9, 1/125.

5) Pembroke College grounds (Chill out zone). I obviously just invented that comment, but it's definitely quite a nice place to relax =) and I suppose get chilled in winter. Velvia 50, F9, 1/50.

6) Pembroke College Library. If you haven't realised by now, I am a member of Pembroke College =). However, I haven't really actually spent a lot of time in the library. Velvia 50, F13, 1/50.

7) Pembroke College U staircase. As opposed to 'I' staircase I suppose ;P Velvia 50, F3.5, 1/50.

8) Pembroke College Cross. I bow my knee. Kodak HIE, F11, 1/50.

9) Pembroke College Orchard. I was really tempted to call it shrubbery, simply because that's such a roll-off-your tongue word. It would be kind of wrong vocabulary though. Kodak HIE, F9, 1/100.

10) Pembroke College need I say more =P. Then I ran out of IR. Kodak HIE, F11, 1/30.

11) Pembroke Street. I would have to come out at some point right? =). Velvia 50, F11, 1/320.

12) Wedding Procession. Only to run into a wedding procession. Pity I was shooting light though, no lens change available. At least it isn't IR =P. Velvia 50, F11, 1/45.

13) Our Lady & the English Martyrs. One of the many churches in Cambridge. I don't think the bride and groom were heading to this one though. Velvia 50, F11, 1/60.

14) Street scenes. Lots of things happening around (yes, it was a weekend) and it isn't green paint in the can that got into his hair =P. Velvia 50, F11, 1/8.

15) Street scenes. The quiet alleys have something to offer too =P. Probably not immediately obvious, but it did bring a smile to my face when I saw this scene. Seriously. =) Had to be in IR surely. Kodak HIE, F11, 1/15.

16) The Backs. The name of the river with the aptly named Anchor pub is in the background. Kodak HIE, F11, 1/200.

17) Autumn leaves Hill Road. I leave you with this last frame as, the autumn ends and the dreary winter beckons. Hill Road is actually quite a flat road (and tennis court road has no tennis courts) =P. Kodak HIE, F11, 1/20

So we have come to the end of this pictorial weekend-out entry; I hope it hasn't been too long or a boring one! Feel free to leave comments of course and for larger views and other stuff, the link to this Cambridge gallery is here. More varied photographs to come as soon as time allows, so do look out for it! =)

God Bless
Roy

Moving

Roy Teo — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:59:00 GMT

The popular phrase 'the only constant is change' is probably pretty relevant to this site (and author) especially at this time. As we move to different places in our short earthly pilgrimage, the change in environments, lifestyle and others is certainly inevitable and something which should be embraced, especially since, that is the probably the only constant (change that is =p). *that was quite a mouthful to write =)*.

So once all the administrative matters are settled, and the move has been made *kind of sounds like chess or something*, it should result in a refreshing change here =)

In the mean time, may His Word continually be a lamp to thy feet and a light to thy path.

God Bless!

Flash movies - the desktop play

Roy Teo — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:13:00 GMT

Flash, easily recognised by files ending with .swf or ~~flashy~~ stylistic animations, has pervaded many websites (mine included =p). Hence, it should come as no surprise if you receive such files in emails/msn/aim or even downloaded them yourself.

How then can we play these files 'offline'? One way is to actually open the file in your favourite web browser. If you can usually view flash movies in your browser, it stands to reason that the flash movies on your hard drive should be playable. If that doesn't work, an alternative would be to download this little application from macromedia. Now, all you would need to do is run the program and open your favourite flash file in the player. No installation required!

Hope this little tidbit is useful for you!

Running the walk

Roy Teo — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:38:00 GMT

I shall begin the first post here by submitting to you that the life as a Christian can be likened somewhat to a race ... which is probably not entirely new information anyway ... i first thought of a marathon actually *i was on a run at the time ya =p* but finally felt that the steeplechase race is probably slightly more illustrative *maybe the recent Beijing Olympics had a part to play in all this =)* so here I'll expound some thoughts on that ....

1) in this race, we're not umpires/spectators/timekeepers ... we're actually the athletes and so, we are participants in the race; not watching from the sidelines .... Christianity shouldn't be a 'watch the world go by' activity ...

2) a race can be 'completed' in many ways --- one can fall out at the beginning or halfway, or ideally finish it by running past the finishing line ... if we liken the finishing line to be something like fulfilling God's purpose for our short time on this earth, or the Judgement .... the same few scenarios are applicable .... do we, seeing that the race is a long, arduous one, give up without even starting or falter halfway?

3) athletes don't simply run a race occasionally ... they train and train and train ... and train even more .... Christianity shouldn't be limited to weekends only, or casual convenient times ....

4) gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top few who complete a race most excellently .... God wants all of us to complete the race well (which is probably akin to everyone getting at least a bronze medal), there are more rewards (silver, gold) for those who do it better ... *more on that later =p*

5) athletes are more concerned (or at least likely to be in most cases) with the outcome of the race; in other words how well they run the race ... the income from endorsements, prize money etc, is mostly secondary .... such focus is surely needed in this materialistic day and age ...

6) there are different levels of competition ... be it nationals, regionals or Olympics .... athletes compete at the appropriate levels before moving on to tougher competitions .... similarly, we have unique, probably seemingly smallish, starting phases in the Christian walk ... as we remain faithful in these smaller issues, we can then move onwards ....it would be quite rare for one to immediately be successful at the big stuff without having first tackled the smaller ones!

7) there are ups and downs in a race .... (hence the steeplechase illustration ha! =p like he's finally talking about it only at point 7 right heh) the athletes have to jump over hurdles and land in ditches of waters along the course of the race .... yet again, indicative of the many peaks and troughs experiences in the Christian walk ...

8) no cheating is tolerated from the athletes! such individuals are banned and humiliated ... needless to say, there is only the straight and narrow path in the Christian walk; the broad, easy way would be pointless since one wouldn't be completing the race appropriately ....

having said all that, there are some differences .... there isn't a need to 'do better' than other people running the race hence the Christian walk isn't really a race/competition with others (there is in fact some degree of cooperation) but is more personal, with each of us being accountable for what we do in our personal experiences .... also, we are all expected to complete this race ... any deviance would be tantamount to failure, with devastating consequences ... at the same time, not everyone is 'built' like an athlete nor be able to find within us the strength to complete such a gruelling event and yet, we, as Christians, are impelled to finish this race well ...

as such the race/steeplechase example alone isn't entirely accurate enough to depict the whole story .... since it isn't 'that' easy to complete, God has allowed us to be yoked (Matt 11:29-30) with Him .... in so doing, this race becomes somewhat like a relay and an easier course (though still by no means easy!) ...

a recent message in church had this imho very meaningful phrase -- 'abandonment with expectation', indicative of the need to abandon our carnal mindsets and seek out God's presence, following His ways, focussing on things that matter in our walk and expecting more (not referring to income! =P) .... indeed, this is similar to a professional athlete who trains for his/her race only, with no worry about daily necessities ... of course in our flawed world system, not all professional athletes get appropriate remuneration, but you can see the parallel here...

so with that, i shall end this rather lengthy (and fairly disjointed =P) first post ... i'm personally by no means doing everything expected of a good 'athlete' but i hope this has been a useful read for you ...