Stoutlager. Music, Food, Fashion, Travel, Discovery and Adventuring Photography!

Swedish Apples

2011-11-18T12:32:00.001+08:00

Swedish Apples

Trying my hand at black and white portraits again. Been a while since I've been more involved in colours as the explosion of colours do attract the eye better. Black and whites are the true test to the artistic eye, by which, I do not have...but I do know what I like and I'd like to share it. Artistic eye? What is that?

This here was taken on the highest point in Stockholm, Sweden. If I am not mistaken, it is called Fjällgatan. Honestly, it's not that high, but visitors and tourists have been warned, Sweden is mostly flat lands while Norway is mostly riddled with fjords. Either way, the vantage point wasn't to my liking with the strong noon sun and the uncanny blue sky and I've only got 10 minutes.

As luck were to have it, two cute and sweet kids walked by the group to sell their apples. They obliged me as I took a quick shot and thanked them. People in Sweden are really friendly and sporting towards strangers especially with me. I can vouch for them.

18-300 kit lense, baby! First time with me on my trips. The range and sharpness of this baby is truly amazing. Not so hot about the lense vignetting, but that's easy to control.

Stout out!

Visit Carlsberg, Original Carlsberg Brewery, Copenhagen, Denmark

2011-10-03T06:05:00.002+08:00

Visit Carlsberg

Original Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen, Denmark. Original...but seems rather simple and plain on the inside. I'd suggest visiting for a quick walk through and a beer with some BBQ on a Sunday in the summer. Was a bit disappointed as this wasn't what I'd expect seeing as how much I really looked forward to this. I did manage to get a few shots on the inside so we will see how that turns out.

HDR attempt #12, me thinks. As I have not touched photoshop in about 2 months, this proved rather interesting. I do not feel jaded and yet I am blessed with some sort of mental clarity and stability on the methods and techniques needed to produce this. I am perfectly well aware of how odd it is to read the "Visit Carlsberg" sign a little upside down and how skewed and distorted this frame looks, but I think that this is best to show off the #1 wide angle interior and landscape lense that I have. My baby, Nikon's 14-24...which is definitely a girl, and daddy needs to take good care of it. *sweat* If only you could see the size of her bubble, and that is the single definite factor preventing others to purchase this little devil. Despite the "Less than perfect" composition, the fantastic coincidence is that this is composed and framed perfectly according to where my icons are laid out. *WIN*!

HDR setup is pretty simple. The general rule is, bracket at 7 exposures when shooting into the sun. When I did this, I ended up with the -3 and -2 extremely dark and was not needed. I probably need to experiment with this more when I am grounded here in Malaysia before I accumulate a gagillion overly underexposed shots of the sun on my travels. Yes, there is a technique to reduce ghosting in moving humans. It works best if they are all exposed evenly with the surrounding background. Pick the highlight or over-exposed shot and then brush it over in photoshop. Simple and clean.

For those stalkers who manage to read until the fourth paragraph, I salute your loyalty. I am now on my second month of my 4 month break. It will be the usual. Travel, photography, gyming, lunch/dinner with familiar faces, shopping and getting reved up for the next half of my course. I am currently waiting on the arrival of my new system and setup. Decided to go with Dell's flagship and upgrading from the 24" to the 30", as they have proved that their customer service can be pushed around ;) Bye bye, bottleneck in my workflow. No news about Nikon's highly anticipated flagship yet and their newly releases of P&S and mirriorless just wasn't worth my attention. I have put in an order for the Really Right Stuff TVC34L...The last system support that I will ever purchase, unless someone out there comes out with some nano machine incorporated android/walking pod that will even take the shots for me while I am sleeping.

One final note: I am on the lookout for web and art designers to put a little something together for me. Go forth and spread...the word.

Stout out.

The Sampan and The Cloudy Hong Kong Night Line

2011-08-03T18:45:00.000+08:00

The Sampan.

HDR attempt #11-ish?

Single exposure HDR attempt #3-ish probably? Not too sure...but it's generally when you have to shoot for moving objects in the darkness.

This was shot after a brisk walk after a huge dinner...And a huge dinner in Hong Kong means that you will have to walk every slowly and be careful as to not exert at any amount because you might just have to retake your dinner. =)

Clearly it is a lot different from what I had perceived and the light show wasn't on. Such a shame, really. I'm always fascinated by bright and colourful lights like I'm a goldfish, probably. Anyway, I walked up and down the Starwalk for a good half hour to get a better view and composition...and to find a freed up pillar to lean against. I took this just when I heard that a motor sound getting louder. Talk about noise polution over the many tourists and Hong Kong islanders' hustle and bustle. Let's not forget the loud speakers from the performers and vendor stalls. I turned and saw something that is perfectly suited to be in the frame. I must not miss this chance. Who knows when I'll get the next tourist sampan coming by. I had to act fast.

I was in the usual tripod HDR settings, ie, bracket exposure, low ISO, high Had to switch my settings in a quick go and if anyone have been using a Nikon, the switch can be very time consuming. Luckily, I play plants and zombies, so my fingers and queue of settings to change in my head lined up perfectly.

Handheld, ISO1600, speed of 1/30 against the fast moving huge sampan...and that's why I roll with a f/2.8. *high nose*

Hands steady without exerting too much strength...Hold your breath...burst it... Done.

Food Street in Tian Jin

2011-08-02T04:34:00.000+08:00

Always take the vantage point for sceneries.

Always take the vantage point for sceneries that encompass the scene. Beyond that, you are free to go about getting down and dirty exploring up close and perhaps get some shots of street photography, documentaion and candid shots. Feel free to wonder around and enjoy the samples and admire how the alligator and a pigeon are in the same coo and are peacefully awaiting slaughter.

These days, when it comes travel and photography, simply living the experience isn't enough for people like me, or in my case, just me imposing on those around me. I feel the need to shoot from morning until morning for days on end. I make it a point to point my camera at every single distraction which can be caught on National Geographic and the Travel and Adventure channel. It isn't practical and a tremendeous pain and burden on the workflow, especially HDR in my case. Hence, instead of getting 300 rubbish repetitive shots of an area within 25 minutes...

Get to the highest point. In this case inside an enclosed mall, the center court.

Blast your camera (bracket) before security notices and bring the beat down on ya.

Take your time to allign and do another round of blasts.

Check the allignment, reallign, and do another 2-3 sets of blasts in that "money shot position/framing" just in case some dumb person just so happens to walk into an open area.

Leave to hunt for souvenirs and food producs because I'm an Asian Asian. =P

Go home happy.

In this case, I left the camera on a pillar to fire away hence not completely alligned. I did not attempt at any post processing cropping because I really like how the 2 red and blue sign boards gives a frame to the composition. Ghosting of pedestrians was intentional to show movement, though I could have done a better job at it. Taken around late afternoon after lunch with lots of clouds moving in and out.

Thanks to BB for giving me her time, instead of exploring, to put up with my "afternoon" attitude and babysitting me.

Stout out.

Stoutlager's Stock Photos

2011-05-04T04:39:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! In case you're wondering, my back up hard drives are fried and I'm trying to scavenge what remains of my stock collection from around the world that have been published and unpublished. After speaking to many photographers with lots of experience, they do say that it gets ridiculous because as time goes on, you have to back up the back ups and store them seperately in different sites. HAH! The next thing to really kill my life is the death of my 6 year old ipod...which is then, when I do have to reload all my cds onto a platform before storing it in a new ipod. *prays*

"Don't! That's 60GB of my life in there!"

Damn Apple. The number of ipods, original, shuffles and nanos, iphones and ipads available in this house is impressive, working and non working.

Anyway, get to the point!

I am rather surprised that for only the past 3 days since May 1st, my flickr account has accumulated 4,300 individual photo views, bring it up the total of individual views to touch 40K! Wow, and all I did was just upload photos and don't interact with anyone on that site! I primarily started the account so that I am able to share and post photos directly to this blog, since I'm a 'photo-resizing' noob! Well, since I shoot and upload more than I write, I suppose that that is common. Speaking of which, at most times, this blog is dead, yet I manage to scrounge up almost 7.5K page views. It's uncanny, really. Oh well, I'm not really promoting nor am I marketing any of this, yet I can't find out why would anyone come visit and how do established inviduals and global bodies have found me and contacted me to share my articles. Really, it's just a handful, you know.

Yet, I am thankful, as I have something to focus on and to look forward to.

I've been scouting around and many of the pros who are into photography and blogging requests that I create my own website to blog and well and move from Flickr to Smugmug for a higher view count. Bah, switching platforms once I got the hang of one really isn't my forte, but it is inevitable. Time to have a looksee.

Ciao~

Hennessy Artistry @ Opera, Sunway 2011

2011-05-04T04:05:00.002+08:00

Hennessy @ The Opera

I was there...only thanks to a generous invite from Grace Hong. Thank you! At first, I wasn't feeling up to it, but then once the show starts pumpin', I suddenly was pumped up and going into trigger-happy mode.

Grace Hong @ the media wall holding a bottle of...

Limited Ed Hennessy Gold...Or So I've Been Told!

You Ready?
Best to continue reading with a theme song, aye

Let Me Hear It One More Time

There were quite a few acts throughout the night, but none as note worthy as a performance by Luciano De Jesus, MC Ivory and Arina. Here are some shots from their really hot and sizzling show!

Luciano De Jesus, Arina and MC Ivory

Rocking the house!

Let Me Hear You Say...

Luciano showing you some Samba moves...
As he is from Rio De Janeiro, Brasil! =)

Ok, give me two years of intensive training
and abolish McD from my diet!
10 packs FTW!

Did I mentioned a sizzling performance?
MC Ivory, burning it up!!
All the way from from Las Vegas!

"Thank you and party on!"

And the party goes on!

Chronicles of the night.

You got to have some of this!

Gents from the VIP corner.

*Smile Smile*

Bloggers?
I don't know. I don't blog.

Party Rock Is In The House Tonight!

Chantelle Chuah, Wong Yu Jin, Rachael Tan.

The lower floor is amazing and the setting is one of my favourite places to shoot. Everything is white with colourful ambient lighting and you know what? It's mostly empty since it is away from the view of the crowd. A lot quieter and private for conversation, a working fan and it isn't so HOT! Serves food! Perfect!

What's Happening in the Floor Below?

MC Ivory with Evonne and Sophia.

Evonne, Luciano De Jesus, MC Ivory and Sophia.

Peace out!

Full Flickr album can be found here!

Cheers~
Stout Out! \m/

A Silent Moment Before Prayers

2011-04-06T13:13:00.002+08:00

A Silent Moment Before Prayers

Taken in the Ummayad Mosque in Damascus. A lone worshipper taking a moment for herself while waiting out the rain.

The Ummayad Mosque is the largest and oldest mosque in the world at the moment. Its religious significance is placed 4th in the Islamic world.

Manuel Librodo: March 2011 Kuala Lumpur

2011-04-02T17:27:00.007+08:00

March 2011, I was given the honor to be the VA (Volunteer Assistant) for one of the many Manuel Librodo's workshops organised by Dr. Teh Ban Hup. Before I start off, thank you, guys! Really!

Technical wise, these images were neither cropped nor alligned, yet. And from here on out, I thank the models, designers and MUAs by showcasing their art and talent.

The Slightest Crystal Tear

The costume and design, makeup and modelling were all done by this single mysterious creature, Kharunisia Jazmin...who also happens to be a photographer herself, but she uses a Canon (pfft) *smirks*

I really like looking at how the light just manage to hit only the face and parts of the hands. Although technical wise, as a critic I'd whinge that the rest of her skin tone (her body itself) is dark and in a weird skin tone.

Post processing was done with the inspiration by a song called Innocente, by Delerium ft. Leigh Nash.

"You can't see my eyes, and they don't see your's, Hear me when I say, "I don't mind at all.""

Shot with an 85 1.4 at full burst bracketting.

PS: I'm no longer scared of clowns. I mean, look at her. "Nakakainis ka" *Huff a snicker*

Sunrise in the Morning

This is Kharunisia Jazmin again. She's really quick when it comes to changing and reapplying make up on location. If it were me, I'd need to take a bath or something along those lines. Props for gunning it, Spartan Stylin'!

Here, I wanted to have a little bit of contrast with the cool and warm colours with a little bit of inspiration after reading books by Joe McNally. To paraphrase, "Skin tone will always look better in warmer tones.) And on a more scientific aspect, the human skin lacks the colour blue, so if you were to dress in blue, or be put in a blue surrounding, the colour contrast itself will bring out the magnitude of that fine skintone.

Was listening to this CD which I just bought and the image of what I'd like to portray just hit me. It happened along the lines of a song called Satellite Of Love (Fabio XB Rework Dub), by Bartlett Bros Vs. Mazza, taken from the album In Search Of Sunrise 8: South Africa [Disc 2], compiled by Richard Durand. Dub voice is the in thing for me ever since I heard Ferry Corsten's opening track from Mixed Live: Spundae, Nothing (93 Returning mix) by Holden and Thompson.

Just by lowering the exposure and changing the colour temperature, you can produce results such as the background looking as though Mr. Sun hasn't awoken yet...but further analysis of the light and shadows hitting Kharu's face suggests that it is indeed an afternoon sun.

I'm Not Abandoned

This is Dian Sharlin. Her name is pronounced as how Diane Arbus wants her 'Diane' to be pronounced. Cute coincidence, really. I think she's a TV hostess. =P

MUA, costume and design are all done by the very talented and meticulous Nigel NJ.

It was rather difficult to light up her shadows as I had to catch sufficient light, that wasn't blocked by others, through a very small and tight opening by the window...without getting in the way of the photographers. Somehow, the lack of full fill light does produce some exceptional modelling shadows...and that's what it's about.

No real inspiration for this one, although other fellow photographers were inspired on how Dian looked like a princess in an abandoned castle. If that was the case, I'm glad to be able to show off this princess' pride in the title...as the only reason I picked this shot was because I had eye contact and good exposure on the white lace.

Added a little bit of diffused glow to show off an imaged of her possibly being a beautiful ghostly spirit who decided to materialise in front of unsuspecting intrepid adventurers. Hey, princess in an abandoned castle. There had better be lots of GLOW!

The Black Widow

Looking at how Kharunisia is in black and white like the Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus) crawling across the web to deliver that red 'kiss of death'.

I've come to my own understanding that when someone goes through the trouble of creating a fantastic design, it will always look best by being showcased as it is...and to actually make it seem real and as vivd as though you're present in front of the scene or person. I was amazed in the detailed and meticulous transformation of Kharunisia that I figured that I'd better "document" it properly. Don't blow out the whites, keep the details in the shadows in check and show off that red lipstick. I am showing you what I saw...if I weren't squinting from the harsh afternoon sun.

More to come, stay tuned.

Stout out...or rather back to homework and studying.

Japan

2011-03-20T06:45:00.000+08:00

One of the most beautiful countries in the world to me. I am deeply interested in the culture, nature, language, people, music, fashion, food, technological, industrial and commercial products, and history of of all things Japanese. The 8.9 earthquake hit off the coast of Japan on Friday, March 11th, 2011, at 2:46:23 pm local time.

Japan is one of the highest media connected and culturally integrated societies in the world. Much of the devastation, victims and first person's encounters are being flooded onto the internet and covering the majority of the media channels across the world. I, for one, am currently deeply engrossed by what has happened and cannot bear to stay away from the news.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Here is NHK's livestream in english. The encounters that were related by the ground zero victims are truly heartwrenching. I am completely amazed with respect by the victims' stoic and dignified manner despite the complete wipe out of everything that they hold dear. There have been no reports of looting so far. The patience and understanding of the Japanese during this troubled time has far surpassed the global standard of what it means to be civil, and I am sincerely amazed.

News reports that the slew of aftershocks are still going on. However, the current count on the countires and charity organisations flooding relief aids into Japan doubles that that was recieved during the the Great Hanshin earthquake (Kobe earthquake) in 1995.

On a more personal note, I am truly glad that my friends and family, and their friends and families are safe. Just being able to know this fact is a gift for the rest of us who feel powerless. The only way that I want to help right now would be to actually fly to Japan and photograph...everything. It may sound selfish for my own personal gain, but I do sincerely feel that being able to convey what I see to the outside world will be important to what I want to do with my life.

If someone out there really cares, I'd suggest donating directly to the Japanese Red Cross. Currently, the victims and survivors are in dire need of food, clean water and warm blankets. As Japan and the rest of the world struggles with the relief effort, recovery is going to take a while. As always, my family and I have been supporting the Japanese economy from our side of the world.

To all my friends and peers around the world who are reading this, do keep in touch.
I will be visitng your country soon. I'll bring my camera. =)

Ganbatte, Nihon!

Sun & Moon

2011-02-17T02:48:00.002+08:00

Sun & Moon

In Peru, there are many animals that have been worshipped and depicted in every turn of a page as traditions since ancient times. The three key animals that come to mind would be the llama, condor and the jaguar. Depictions of these are usual symbolic and the idols, whether majestic or comical, are seen at every corner of the slightest human civilisation here.

Wooden carvings are the more solid local Peruvian crafts that, I would honestly say, is justified in terms of quality and the best bang-per-buck to take home. After a disappointing first wash of the tourist destination souvenir t-shirts, I'd suggest never buy cloths from South America unless it is from a well-known designer ie, Hard Rock Cafe! *hint nudge hint* or extremely delicious quality leather from the leather factories in Argentina.

I took this shot inside of a very tiny arts and crafts shop as I am purchasing these two items. I had been hunting for the best price for this specific design since the night before and I was in glee as a souvenir store right smack in the center of town gave the best 'on-tag' price.

I was browsing through my favourite artists and I read that this song at the moment is one of the most anticipated tracks early this year. It is because that I am drawn by the description, it'd be unwise if I didn't just post the official youtube video and quote the entire text As I was listening to this, I figured that this is the perfect inspiration for this shot.

Yes, I will buy Above & Beyond's "Group Therapy", as per usual. Richard Bedford's songwriting and vocals for Above & Beyond is stuff of legends and what immortality is made of.

Sun & Moon

It's raining, it's pouring,

A black sky is falling,

It's cold tonight.

You gave me your answer,

Goodbye, now I'm all on my own tonight.

And when the big wheel starts to spin,

You can never know who we are,

If you don't play you'll never win.

We were in heaven, you and I,

When I lay with you and close my eyes,

Our fingers touch the sky.

I'm sorry, baby,

You were the sun & moon to me,

I'll never get over you, you'll never get over me.

""Sun & Moon" is the first single taken from Above & Beyond's forthcoming artist album "Group Therapy" for full details see http://anjunabeats.com/above-and-beyo...

Inspired by a song that combines bittersweet lyrics with uplifting electronic melodies, the video for Above & Beyond's 'Sun & Moon' focuses on the pain and release of a couple's break-up; showing that relationships live on forever in the memory.

With the video drawing its aesthetic cues from the legendary Northern Soul era, the lead male is seen re-living the relationship and the final breakdown through a series of emotive flash back scenes and some lonesome, drink and music fuelled longing.

Just as 'Sun & Moon' finds its release through its emphatic, riff-based breakdown, the lead recognises the song and finds his own peace of mind the only way he knows - by dancing. Through a set of skilfully twisted and visually arresting dance moves straight out of the Northern soul era - where sad love songs like 'Sun & Moon' fuelled a generation of late night dancers lost in lyrics. In doing so, he finds his freedom... in the moment.

Receiving BBC Radio 1 support from Pete Tong, Scott Mills and Cosmic Gate (Essential Mix), Above & Beyond's 'Sun & Moon' (feat. Richard Bedford) is out on 21st March."

http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu
http://www.facebook.com/aboveandbeyond

Cap Goh Meh is over, so back to work!
Stout Out!

Tunupa Love Birds

2011-02-15T00:23:00.010+08:00

Tunupa Love Birds

A quaint yet well maintained and exquisite restaurant, the Tunupa Restaurante, in Cusco, Peru. Here, you may find the andean delicacies, alpaca (cross between a lamb, a deer and a camel) shashimi and BBQ cuy (guinea pig)...Buffet stylin'! Nyam nyam!

Upon arrival and after sieving through the very punctual touristy souvenir pushers, you will be greeted by a pair of love birds that, for me, were busy munching on some local purple corn. In this shot, it was after dinner time and dusk was fast approaching. As the evening breeze picks up speed and gets more chilly, I had the advantage of shooting this lovely pair huddling together without a tourist crowd around them.

The front side of the building is laced with arcs of red roses creeping just above the very posh souvenir shops, where the sales people are a little bit more cultivated. And, as per usual, here is today's inspiration. A lovely song from back in 2008! =)

Burning from the inside, by Tenishia, featuring Tiff Lacey.

"Crushing down like water,

It's when you say my name,

Then I realise,

I'm in love again,

Passion like no other,

And life won't feel the same,

You can see in my eyes,

I'm in love again."

Happy Valentine's day!
Stout Out!

Mount Nebo, Jordan

2011-02-13T03:10:00.002+08:00

Har Nevo, Hebrew for Mount Nebo, Jordan.

The Brazen Serpent

This pinacle is known to be a very sacred place for the Christians and the Jewish, for this is where the Hebrew prophet, Moses, stood and showed his people the promise land, Jerusalem.

The Brazen Serpent was created by an Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, and is a symbolic representation of Moses turning his staff into a bronze serpent in the wilderness( 21:4-9). The serpentine figure is dicpicted to be coiling around Jesus crucified on a cross (John 3:14).

27KM in the direction in front of the Brazen Serpent is Jericho. The Mountain of Olives in Jerusalem would be west of Jericho, at 46KM from the Brazen Serpent. On a clear day much better than this, it is said that a clear view of the promise land could be seen from this vantage point.

Story of A Little White Cheongsam

2011-01-30T18:00:00.001+08:00

Vintage Rabbit From The Moon

The title and theme of this are influenced by a song by Nine Days, Story of A Girl. I thought it a pleasure to get Ashlynn Ng to smile for me long enough for me to capture it.

Many many months ago, I spoke to Ashlynn to do a photoshoot together, but in the end, we ended up not taking any initiative for it. One night in Bambo9, to my surprise, she appeared in that little white thing and I thought, it'd make great black and white and sepia shots.

Voluntariamente Personaje

This would be my first shot of Ashlynn which was sort of impromptu. The title is in Spanish, as to rub into the faces of those who supported Germany as Spain took the win during the South African World Cup 2010! Thank the octopus~

Voluntariamente Personaje, literally means 'Voluntary Personage', which in this case, would refer to her lending me some of her time and letting me shoot her. It was a privilege for me.

Have An Apple New Year!

Fast forward from Spain's Victory for the 2011 New Year's Eve, I met her again and she just so happened to be in apple green. This was when we decided that it'd be perfect to do a cheongsam theme. Great! Now comes the hard part, the planning and the timing.

Invitation

Guess what, this looks like it's being set up, but really, it's just another impromptu shoot. Since I manage to get a hold of her for the night, I suppose I can test out the capabilities of the D300 that's being held together with an awesome lense.

Winsome Smiles

Inside, I tried shooting while hiding much of the clutter and the other patrons. I shot this against one of the tables with a light being bounced to the right side...against a black backdrop, hence, this is where the magic bounce card comes into play. I think I did pretty well in capturing her well-defined curves. Verdict?

Vintage Noir

Oddly enough, she managed to really twist at an angle that wasn't favourable. It's rare that you are able to find someone who is good from all angles. Perhaps I'll try to pay a little more attention to the details from now on.

Conclusion: Lense > Camera.

I'll be looking around for a cheongsam to do this more seriously, but me thinks that it might be a tad silly to do a cheongsam shoot right after the Chinese New Year. Oh, who am I kidding. It's definitely a 'Good' silly. *Smirk*

Gong Xi Fa Cai, every every everyone!

Stout signing off. Will continue to pack for Jordan and Syria.

Look forward to more of my adventures.

Cheerio~

Winter in Summer

2011-01-23T02:09:00.009+08:00

Winter Solace

This shoot was in the making for about three months. After months of discussion, I was finally able to meet, greet and shoot Michelle Chuah of Supermodel's Secrets for the first time together with Soo Suet Li. I was pretty nervous at first, but I thank the ladies for being very accommodating with my requests. Believe it or not, this was shot outdoors at Putrajaya's Pullman Lakeside Park in the late morning.

I'll Remember The Summer Forever

Music has always been my passion and inspiration. My first tribute to Svenson and Gielen for their beautiful single, Beachbreeze. The title is of this shot happens to be the start of the chorus, which IMO, is the catchline of the song that everyone recognise from around the world.

Sheltered Dreams

While having a go at this shot, the words of my first master, Manny Librodo, played in my head...that, and the fact that that song from The Cranberries, Shattered, was being looped in my head. Was I wrong to reduce the contrast and highlights on the white fur? Hmmm...

Sultry Summer

In trying my best not to overdo it and in order to preserve some details in the textures, I did some pre-emptive planning in my head even before I opened up Lightroom. Surprisingly, the results were astonishingly easy to obtain. Mind you, my eyes can't tell colour very well and the planning came a week after I had shot this. Similar to pre-writing, planning ahead in photography works wonders. I dedicate this to commercial photographer, David Lok, for his guidance is my journey to properly refine my fundamentals.

Model: Michelle Chuah and Soo Suet-Li.

MUA/Designer: Michelle Chuah.

Photographer: Jonathan "Stoutlager" Khee.

Organiser: Michelle Chuah and Jonathan Khee.

More to come.

Please look forward to it.

Cheers.

Catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco

2011-01-03T16:17:00.004+08:00

Convento de San Francisco, Spanish for The Saint Francis Monastery.

The monastery is situated in Plaza de Amas in Central Lima and is considered to be part of what is known as the 'Old Lima'. The Old Lima (what I would call downtown as opposed to uptown, 'New Lima') was declared to be a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

The catacombs was not discovered until 1951. There are bones of over 24,000 people buried here, but experts have claimed the estimate was over 70,000.

In the old days, the monks used to throw the bodies into this particular 13 feet deep well. It was filled with hot lime (quicklime) to accelerate the decay of the flesh in order to leave only the bones and to dampen the rotting smell. The bodies were left in the well for many months and the bones of the individuals would then be indistinguishable. Due to the strong nature of the the acid, many of the smaller bones, such as those of the fingers and toes, would not survive the process. Most of the bones that were easily discerned were the femur, tibia and the skull. It is estimated that from the top most level of the visible bones, it extends to about 6 feet below, all filled with bones.

The bones that are displayed these days are the ones which actually survived vandalism. Archaeologists have expressed concern about the number of missing bones and the main suspects were, of course, the visiting tourists. In an effort to reduce the amount of bone loss, the tour guide mentioned that if you do not stay within close proximity to the group, you will end up getting yourself lost beneath the city of Lima...and be added to the collection.

Rakuzen

2010-06-30T06:26:00.003+08:00

Before I introduce this little piece of overpriced Japanese food, I will briefly explain what I am doing on my own time...because this is my blog =P

From the top of my head, I will be hitting the gym almost every day now and will be confronting with a vigorous workout routine in order to push up my stamina and to burn off useless tissue in my body, ie, anything that feels soft or can be pinched. Honestly, every time I get comfortable with a day's workout, the following session I push myself even more and over the edge that will just make my body take a dip down the spiral of exhaustion. Every time I get off the last few machines, I feel as though if I pushed it just a little more or took a wrong step, I would have sprained something in a really really bad way and would have taken months to recover. My strongest believe since I was young is that in order to learn how to swim, you need to be thrown into the deep end to fully understand your situation and how far below you really are.

Anyway, here's Rakuzen. =)

Yes, I am impressed with the aesthetics.

What's inside? Let's take a closer look.

Rakuzen.. It is a literal translation to 'Comfort Food'. Yes, food, especially "Comfort Food", is the bulk of the Malaysian culture embedded in all who seek and delve into the finer things in life...and also for those who can't keep their own weight and psychological health in check. I kid you not and neither am I being sarcastic.

Nice mug.

I have this thing for cups and mugs.

These actually get in the way

more than what seclusion

that they're suppose to provide in the first place.

First off, the area where the smaller booths for "couples" which what I presume was suppose to offer the blatant privacy and intimacy are what I would think also divided into a couple...Meaning that the booth opposite yours will definitely share and overhear most of your conversations and not to mention, DIRECT/FULL FRONTAL eye contact most of the time. Perhaps if it was setup in such a way that the booths were a little more alternating as to avoid this. Well, I will give props that the alternating entry point of the booths will mean that the both kings on the board will not have a clear open field of vision.

Onward... to satiate muh belly!!! (An episode of 'How I met your mother' comes to mind)

Unagi Set.
Around the world...it's the same damn thing.

Sashimi~

Unagi... UNAGI~~ Broiled Eel with the same uniform flavour and uniform sauce over it.. No complains...but I am unimpressed. Rice was dry. If I were to cook perfect rice (duh) and leave it overnight, it'd be what was served to us. Do NOT open a Japanese restaurant if you can't get the rice right...is what goes on in my mind every time I sit down to dine at any oriental cuisine restaurant.

Cod Fillet set~

I vaguely remember it being decent.

Rice aside, this Cod Fish was seared pretty well...However, here's a tip. Prepare the tray of the set or bento with all those ornaments before finishing it up with the main entree. Reason for this is because if it isn't a hot plate, the food will get cold and the oil will start to congeal and feels more greasy. Then again, since when it oil good for you ;) The portion was good enough to satisfy my hunger, but not my taste buds.

On a side note, I got macaroni and cheese as a side...dish. Why, oh why....

Anyway, Cawanmushi, Pickled Radish and Miso soup... Pass!

Fermented Nato Beans
with Lotus Roots.

Let's see.. The appetiser came TEN minutes AFTER the first main meal was served and had to be reminded for about 3-4 times. We were one of the first few to arrive for dinner that day and there was about four servers hanging around the front desk. Was the kitchen backed up or something??

Nato Beans and Lotus Roots... it's a rare mixture of gooey-ness and crunchiness. Fun dish to share with someone and laugh out loud. This one was seasoned with a little too much soy sauce and the saltiness from that overpowered the flavour of the Lotus Roots. Sad, because I like Lotus Roots =(

Green Tea(?) Ice cream
Red Bean Paste
Green Agar-agar
And to top it off,
Soy Bean Milk

I like it, but it is really difficult to go down the throat. With all those ingredients, the gooey-ness is overwhelming. It would definitely be pulled off if there was some other texture to contrast with all the softness. One thing I learn in my travels...is that moderation is key and that contrast is the key to a vibrant dish.

What I would suggest is for the bowl to be frozen (or at least chilled) and then served with the CHILLED Soy Milk on the side where patrons can decide to pour it over. This will avoid the ice cream from melting. Serving melted ice cream is a sin. Remember that.

Conclusion.

Service is dreadfully awkward and a little on the slow and absent-minded side.

For a satisfying and full meal for two, it rounds up to about RM120. It all boils down to whether you want a quiet and dark restaurant to chill with someone. What you are paying for is for a generally for a decent and quiet surrounding. I REALLY enjoyed myself just sitting and chatting over refillable green tea. When I am deep in conversation, I tend to ignore my surroundings so being given stares is hardly something that I would care. However, I came here for the exploration of what the Malaysia Japanese could offer. I was disappointed. I should have taken a strong hint that this place was recommended by an ex-pat tin some magazine. Well, I shouldn't blame my very slow processing skills, but to take this as a lesson. Listen to my parents when it comes to eating in KL ;)

You want to know where all the Japanese folks in KL pay good money to eat? Hakka Restaurant. Which is what I am currently craving for in the AM ;P

Photo info.

This would be the very first time that I tried out my brand new 24-70mm f/2.8, and as practice and breaking in for using the lense before Manuel Librodo's workshop which is only a few weeks away from the time I ate at this place.

Seeing as how I am horrid at white balancing ambient lighting in low lighting conditions and in the absence of flash, I immediately updated my firmware in my D700 (finally) and I would suggest everyone to check the firmware in their own cameras ;)

- A final note. Is this a negative review? No, it is not. This is the cold and hard truth of my experience and my perspective. In my opinion, the establishment is already in place and it looks really good, hence I sense the potential. However, if one would choose to specialise in Japanese food, the deliverance and attention to detail is very important and was not present at all.

I'll leave it at that,

Until next time,

Stout out! \m/

Restaurant Kin Kin

2010-06-26T03:08:00.003+08:00

Yes. Hello!

Where have you been? I've been up and about, keeping myself busy. Been months since I actually even checked my blog since I've gotten back to KL...No worries, a ton of updates will be flooding in soon ;)

And now? What's up with you?

What's up is ME! Rawr... The first few days I was back, Alexis (a guy, yes, I know it's a girl's name) and Dong took me out for some cheap and great eats at a place called Restaurant Kin Kin.

Boo Yeah!

So, what have we gotten ourselves into??

First off, when it comes cheap eats in Malaysia that differ from the usual mixed rice or everyday chicken rice, you have got to be wary about the amount of germs or detergent in your food. I ate here once...and it passed MY health check.

Although we came in late, we've got a good seat at the back of the area...albeit it's hot as a freaking oven to me.

Backdoor View doesn't look that dodgy
ie, cleanliness.

Watch out. =P

Messing around, I decided to play around with some toys while waiting. As a general rule, when ordering a feast, best to order more and before than because it does take a LONG while for the food to arrive.. About 15-20 minutes. The entire restaurant sells ONLY Chilli Pan Mee and it's REALLY crowded.

Well, Hello there~

Fishballs and dried soy bean curd...With these items as a base, you can deep fry then, boil them, grill them, sautee them, stew them, drop them together with your insta-noodles, and heck, one day I will throw them on a barbie while skewered together with some pepper... *drool*

To my delight, the fishballs were amazingly soft and chewy...Ahhhh, nostalgia where I used to eat fishballs when I was a kid, alternating with chopsticks to cool them one by one.

A lovely appetiser, so far =)

Chilli Pan Mee

\m/

What's this I've gotten myself into?? Chili Pan Mee!! Ohh man.. Thick dried yet succulent noodles with what looks like a kickass Poached Egg (In Malaysia, no less) topped with tasty Mince Beef, crunchy, fresh and golden brown Ikan Bilis (Anchovies), Fried Shallots and of course, topped off with some Spring Onions.

Here's the thing about what I've discovered on my own while comparing cuisines. In most Chinese/ASEAN dishes, the garnish usually serves to enhance the flavour giving the dish a more robust kick to your tongue. This is probably where I developed the habit to always grab more 'garnish' when preparing my own dishes. ;)

However, for this, I only added a tiny bit of spicy chilli because I have been only taking "spicy" Korean food back in Buffy/Melb, that I don't think that I can handle the spiciness that will be coupled together with the heat from the food while it's hot..

First Victim.

Lighting Assistants. ^^

Barely enough for 3 dudes.

Let's see.. 1 bowl of fishballs etc, 5 bowls of Chilli Pan Mee, 3 bowls of soup with veggies and egg dropped into them and a ton of iced herbal tea =)

Wow, noodles will never make a person really full...which is why for those who constantly eat noodles and binge on starch, they'll surely gain weight. When I left, I felt as though I could down another bowl...Oh well..

Where is this place?? Sorry, I have a general idea, but I have really no exact address to this place...so Google Maps ftw.

Photo Info.

D700, 17-35mm. Extremely bad lighting.. Harsh noon sunlight from the outside, florescent lighting on the inside. Bump up that ISO.. <3 DSLRs these days.

Damn, writing this got me really hungry.
Stout Out!

Return of the Stout.

2010-04-19T10:07:00.000+08:00

Back in Malaysia for the third day now. I have lots of things happening around me, lots of planning to do and to "look forward to". I am tired.. physically...and feeling very jaded.

My pick-me-up this morning was the call to Dell customer support to get someone to replace the hardware in my laptop. At the end, I had a lovely chat with a chick with a very sweet voice that really made my day. Who needs caffeine when you have someone over at the line at tech support to cheer you up! ;)

So...anyway... I'm settling down and getting used to the weather once again. This time it isn't so bad because of the extension of the house, my parents do not leave doors to the outside and therefore there are less mosquitoes hunting on the inside of the house. Hah.. so full of WIN!

Lots of things to update and to catch up, actually, but I shall save it for more appropriate channels ;)

PS: Yes, I do have a number... No, I do not know my own number.

Ciao~!

Stout out.

Ito Japanese Noodle Cafe.

2010-03-31T09:59:00.000+08:00

On a quest to seek more variety in food and spots to eat at in Melbourne, I've found this corner shop that specialises in Japanese cuisine. It was recommended to me because of its lunch menu, which I have yet to try, because I usually drop by for dinner instead.

Ito Japanese Noodle Cafe

On Bourke Street.

Ito Japanese Noodle Cafe is another Japanese goodie on the corner of Bourke Street and Market Lane, just two doors down from Ajisen Ramen.

First off, I find it weird that there are only lunch menus posted on the display on the outside, but the prices and selections look cookie cut enough to complete my interest in eating here.

I am not sure when, but it seems that they have renovated the are because it looks different from other shots which are floating around the internet. I like it better now.

*Bunny Hop*

Sushi Bar.

Another bar plus

American Hamburger style Booths?

The warm lighting is lovely and the partitioning of this place is a class above the rest.

I find that the cafe is large enough with ample of walkway to avoid overcrowding. Sitting at the sushi bar or towards the middle, there is almost an absent feeling of claustrophobia, except for the very back end of the cafe because of the lack of windows. Good thing for me, I manage to always get seats that offers a nice vantage point view of the entire establishment which has proven quite advantageous. I get to watch how the barkeep makes his drinks and the chefs going about their business in the sub-kitchen behind the sushi bar.

Sub-Kitchen,

Behind the Sushi Bar.

Have I mention how a menu is very important? Ito's menus appear to be clean and concise. Not to mention, there are some amazing shots illustrating their key dishes in the menu. The problem with this is that everything looks so good on the menu that you will be overwhelmed by what to order because you'd want to try everything. Let's keep it at that.

Ok now...so where's the food porn?

Ten-don.
AKA Tempura on Rice.

Here's the thing about all the 'Tendon's I have so far eaten here in Melbourne. They are ALL soggy which is a disappointment, really. I'm very accustomed to the usual dip-tempura-stuff-in-sauce practice in order to preserve the crunchiness of the fried batter. Despite that, this dish is very tasty albeit the rice has become salty and sticky due to the thickness of the tempura sauce soaked into it.

Served with two pieces of 'Ebi' (aka prawns), long beans, eggplant, capsicums and a large part of an onion on rice. Veggies are cooked to a point that it is sweet, but soft with a hint of its natural crunchiness left in them. As a general rule that was passed to me, veggies need to be prepared with their natural crunchiness intact. Still, I like this shot so this shall be my first of many food shots to come.

Unagi roll.

Unagi is a favourite amongst everyone, everywhere. For close to AUD20, you do get an above average portion. Avocado and cucumbers is probably what I'd use if I were to make this myself...In my opinion, dropping 20 bucks for this is a redundant seeing as how it's cheaper to just order the 'Una-don' as will be shown just below in a few. The kicker to this is how it is preped.

How to prepare if you're camping. *ponders*

This is the third that was prepared that evening.

This looks like a shot commonly found in a Taiwanese magazine...

I am going to take a wild guess here, but isn't that the gas canister commonly used for Korean BBQ grills? Besides this, there isn't any reason to order this. After being spoiled and pampered by the various sushi rolls in South Beach and Miami, Florida, I have come to a conclusion that rolls need to be unique and kickass in the mouth, and not plain and boring like this.

Fire fascinates me...

Unadon.

Unagi on Rice! This is something that I can eat everyday for the rest of my life. I'd prefer this to be charred a little more...but this is enough to satisfy my gluttony. The meat is soft and juicy. It is the PERFECT baby's food dish.

Grilled Salmon Set.

Second time ordering it.

The main dish itself consists of Grilled Salmon on a bed of Green Veggies topped with crunchy rice noodles covered in light soy sauce. I can't tell whether this is grilled or pan fried. It does look and taste like something my mother taught me how to make which is to season with salt and pepper and stir fry it until brown. The sides include a bowl of rice, salad (Props for freshness) and miso soup.

I find this to be a very lovely and simple Japanese meal, but it isn't as filling as I'd hope for. The slices of Salmon are really thin. Although this makes frying/grilling it according to my taste much better, the lack of fulfillment from this drives one to order more. Hell, I even finished all of the veggies and the salad, but I was still craving for more.

Oyakodon

"Oyakodon (親子丼), literally "parent-and-child donburi", is a donburi, or Japanese rice bowl dish, in which chicken, egg, green onions, and other ingredients are all simmered together in a sauce and then served on top of a large bowl of rice. The name of the dish, parent and child donburi, is a poetic reflection of the fact that both chicken and egg are used in the dish. In Japan, Oyakodon is often served in soba restaurants and other traditional Japanese restaurants." - Taken from Wiki

This tastes very close to the everyday Chinese simmered stew chicken, plus eggs. Tender meat, simple food...and that is all that I have to say.

Overall, I like this place. Dollar for dollar, I'd recommend anyone to eat here. There's always a large crowd so if you're heading their way, book early ;)

Ito Japanese Noodle Cafe Info.

122 Bourke St.

Melbourne, VIC.

Phone: (03) 9663 2788

Opens for lunch at 1200.

Photo Info.

Good old Nikon D700 with my one and only travel baby, the 17-35mm f/2.8. Handheld and shot at F/4 without any flash firing. Good practice.

One thing that made me uneasy is how often I get people staring when I'm trying to take a shot. This sort of wears down my patience sometimes. Also, walking around a place of business taking shots will guarantee a lot more halting and staring. Holding a big camera, although I dress very casually, people tend to give off a vibe that they are intimidated by me. I'd figure that an Asian sitting down to eat and taking pictures of everything should be very common around the world these days. =P

Enough ranting!

Hope you enjoy my shots and eat your fish because it's good for you!

Stoutyroo out!

Ajisen Ramen, Melbourne.

2010-03-29T22:48:00.002+08:00

I have grown bored of eating along Little Bourke Street and have upgraded to Bourke Street instead. In comparison, just because the restaurant is secluded, doesn't mean that the food comes cheap nor is it dirty. In fact, those eateries are the ones that are very popular and there are many who go out of their way just to eat at these establishments.

Little did I know, Ajisen Ramen is a Japanese fast food chain based in Kumamoto City...which sort of explains why there are a few of these all over the place in many cities and countries. =P

Ajisen Ramen on Bourke Street.

Well, enough of an introduction, let's just move on to shots of what I ate that day. =)

First off, this place is awfully dark. Not the romantic dark, mind you, but rather the hard-to-read-with-spots-of-glare dark.

Don't be fooled by how steady my hand can be.

My Body is a Tripod!

*wink*

It is a good thing that there is a light source coming from the outside, but once the sun sets, it gets really irritating to read. As I am handed the menu, I must say, my neurotic sense kept itching telling me to only handle that with two fingers.

There are quite a few items on the menu...but really, we all come to Ajisen Ramen because we want to pay 11 Aussie dollars for a bowl of ramen so that was my first choice.

Spicy Pork Ramen

Ramen served with Spicy stir fried Pork with Veggies and Egg. I particularly liked the dried thick seaweed and the broth. Together, they add a distinct crunchiness to the dish and doesn't come off as being dry. This is only a tiny bit spicy which is to my liking. Overall, this would be excellent for brekkie or supper, but for dinner, why bother? The portions doesn't justified to the price.

What else?

Fried Rice

What sort of fried rice this is called in the menu? I have no idea, for fried rice is fried rice. It has come to my attention many years ago that..

Eggs + Rice + Ketchup = Yum

...and this is a no brainer.

Lovely presentation of the rice wrapped in multiple thin layers of omelette on a bed of shredded cabbage. Don't let the shot fool you. This is an average portion of fried rice. Enough to fill a small eater.

EFTPOS is accepted at AUD25, which doesn't sit well with me because anything above a minimum of AUD20 will always require you to order more than just two dishes.

Well, I did enjoy the food and listening in on other people's chatter, but I'd rather come here for the lunch menu. Until then...

Ajisen Ramen info.

130 Bourke St.

Melbourne, VIC.

Phone: (03) 9662 1100

Photo info.

Shot with my trusty Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. White balancing for white plates are always a bitch. This time is no exception.

Look further for more reviews on eateries especially Japanese restaurants along Bourke Street.

Comments and critique are highly appreciated and welcomed.

Ciao!

Stout out.

Oriental Spoon

2010-03-18T07:47:00.001+08:00

When I was in Malaysia, Korean food was pretty much at the bottom of my list of genres of food to eat. My recent interest in Korean dining has piqued since the time I frequent Arirang and Koreana in Buffalo. In Melbourne, I have found a decent favourite of Korean stonepot BBQ.

Oriental Spoon. A very lively eatery with rays of boisterous youth beaming towards you. The energy of this place can be overwhelming to some, but it just goes to show that this place is really popular amongst the Koreans and other Asian youths. The establishment renovates and redecorates often. After the recent one was completed some time in January, I have been itching to come back for some Korean grub!

Oriental Spoon on La Strobe St.

Since I have ate here many times, I have quite a few shots to share with you. Mind you, most are before and after shots of the stone grill BBQ. Please enjoy =)

First off, the menu is very limited and predictable. It has most of your common favourite Korean and some Japanese selections. What is acceptable by Korean standards is that although variety is on the low side, the quality and portion compensates at least a little over average. The restaurant in itself is very spacious and has many tables, but don't be fooled, it is very busy and it frequent by many students, young asians, korean families and couples of dates. There is a main dining area which you can see in the above shot as well as tables for two in a little more quieter areas. Don't be fooled though. You definitely can have a field day on all the gossip from couples in adjacent tables. If you are lucky enough to avoid being placed at the horridly cramped table for two, the four seat semi-booth has ample amount of space for two and four, plus a stove.

The Fish Cakes are sweet and firm.

One redeeming quality of the sides, so you should request for the Fish Cakes,

But I am not sure if that is rude.

Variety of dishes, not so varied in sides.

As you may have noticed, the sides are very limited, but as with Korean customs, it is appropriate to ask for more sides and free refills. As a note, rice is not complimentary with the BBQ and if you ordered it sooner, it will arrive right off the bat and by the time the food is cooked, your rice would have cooled. It would be helpful to the servers to ask for rice by the time the food is cooked because they are usually very busy.

First time trying it out.

Bulgogi & Dwaeji Bulgogi

Second visit.

Bulgogi & Dwaeji Bulgogi

Again.

I ordered the classic Bulgogi (Marinated stir fried beef) and the heaty and spicy Dwaeji Bulgogi (Spicy marinated pork).

Before throwing in the meat, half a cup of soup base is added to the stone grill and heated up. Towards the end, most of it would have been evaporated, provided you continue to leave the stove on for about five more minutes from when the server suggests that the food is cooked.

Taken off the grill because it smells so good

And I can't wait! =P

It was so good, I decided to eat more and take less shots ;)

The end result is that whatever sweetness and seasoning that is in the meat is then caramelised and tastes like Chinese Beef Jerky, 'Bak Kwa'. The end result is surprisingly refreshing compared to the charcoal style grill that most people are used to. I find the meat pleasantly tender, not dried and very little evidence of it being burnt. My perfect kind of grilled meat. I get all the good qualities of overcooked meat from the charcoal grill, and no burnt-to-a-crisp meat.

This would be my third visit.

=^.^=

Bulgogi & Dak Galbi

Dak galbi (닭갈비) would be Spicy Marinated Chicken. If spicy isn't your thing, you can always request for a milder version for greater ease of finishing the portions.

Dak Galbi & Bulgogi

By now, I'm an expert in knowing the right time to eat it when the soup base is close to drying up. I absolutely adore this. Taste brilliant on rice and when downed with tea.

For those of you who are concerned about their diet, the Chicken (Dak Galbi) and Beef (Bulgogi) combination would be a much better choice over the Pork (Dwaeji Bulgogi). On a side note, you could always pick the grilled mushrooms and veggies for AUD9, which is abundant, but doesn't sit right with me for paying that much for just veggies.

As a final note, most Korean BBQ will force you to order at least 2 portions. Similar to bunch on Sundays, you do not have it alone ;) Prices for the BBQ range around AUD19 per portion is costly seeing as how there isn't any rice. I always feel cheated when I have to pay for rice and it comes down to AUD2 per bowl.

In the end, I would suggest that there be better lighting in the area because after awhile, the heat coming from the stoves, the loud noise coming from the horde of patrons and the cramped tables would make one nauseous after a while.

Oriental Spoon Info.

254 La Trobe Street,

Melbourne, VIC.

Phone: (03) 9654 9930

Photo Info.

Taken with my trusty Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. Lighting was very uneven, but adequate enough for me to be able to manage. I hate white balancing. Most are shot at f/4 at 1/15 seconds. Hand-held, no flash fired. It was dinner time and the sun was down, so no light interference from the outside.

Comments and critique are highly appreciated and welcomed.

Hope you enjoyed reading.
Stout out. \m/

Kimurakan Japanese Cafe

2010-03-17T06:00:00.002+08:00

When it comes to having lunch, I am very fond of the idea of the Japanese Boxed Lunch aka 'Bento'. Although I have tried Izakaya Chuji many times (Average of AUD15~ per bento), I was set in my mind to look for a another place offering similar quality and quantity bentos. After a short search, I came across this quiet little establishment called Kimurakan Japanese Cafe located along Little bourke Street. This place is known for its large variety of cheaper bentos and I agree with the variety part only.

Kimurakan on Lt Bourke St.
What looks quiet and empty the first minute...

Here is a straight up write up on what I think of this place.

There is an open air kitchen clearly visible through the glass panel, but is hidden when seated. A slim 'noren' covers just enough of what goes behind of the kitchen, yet revealing enough to pay attention to the servers going about their business. Being a very curious person, I find this very exciting, albeit worried that I might see some minor foul play done to my food. Ahhh~ When eating outside, never try to look at how the food is being prepared.

Ok, back to the dining area of the establishment.

...is quickly filled up in the next.

If you are a fan of the quick and large lunch, this place trumps fast food joints. The turnover rate during lunch hour is pretty high and there are ample of seats on the second floor. Service is quick and you will be greeted with many fair Japanese waitresses in jeans and sneakers. *wink*

Tori Teriyaki Bento - AUD11

Marinated Chicken with onion in Teriyaki sauce,

Gyoza (Japanese fried dumpling),

With a side of Jelly as dessert.

Tofu Ankake (a style of Japanese Fried Tofu).

And Salad.

Quite a variety, as with most bentos, which is why bentos are a good choice for a balanced lunch, or meal. The chicken is flavourful and mix well with the rice. The Gyoza tastes stale and the texture feels like it has just been defrozen. The Jelly is much like any other agar-agar. The Tofu is very well done. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside.

Kimurakan Bento - AUD18.80

Tonkatsu (Fried Pork),

Tatsuta-age (Japanese Style Fried Chicken),

Harumaki (Spring roll),

Steamed Prawn and Oyster,

Takoyaki (Missing from my portion)
Croquette (Missing from my portion)
Tempura Fish (Seems to be replaced by a Tempura Ebi (Prawn)),

Gyoza (Japanese fried dumpling),

Tofu Ankake (a style of Japanese Fried Tofu).

And Salad.

As you may be able to see, this is already a lot of variety in a single meal. I am kind of bumped out due to some of the items stated on the menu are absent in my portion. Seeing as how I am paying close to 20 bucks for a bento, I'd expect them to deliver and not miss out on any of the items. I blatantly have very bad memory so I took a shot of the menu, but realised it a little too late when I checked before writing this up. Oh well...It could be that it is the same name but on the lunch menu, so it could be my mistake entirely.

The fried items on the top corner are fresh and crispy. They are very well drained of oil and hasn't a single hint of sogginess. I dumped the oyster because I am allergic to it, but the prawns are tasty thanks to the light soy sauce. The Tofu and Gyoza are the same as the above. Tofu = good, Gyoza = rubbish.

All bentos are served with a choice of miso soup, green tea, soda or ice lemon tea. Try the ice lemon tea. It is really strong...my kind of drink!

A note to all Food Enthusiasts and establishments...Variety should always be backed up by consistency. I understand that most establishments strive to offer a more vivid array of products ranging from different prices. I'd strongly suggest that they try to keep up with the consistency of the quality to the price or take it off the menu.

Finally, I would also suggest that diners bring cash because the limit to the FPOS (Aussie debit card system) is a minimum of 30 bucks.

Kimurakan Japanese cafe info:

238 Little Bourke,

Melbourne, VIC.

Tel: 03-9650 2038

Email: kimurakan238@yahoo.com

Photo Info.

Shot with my usual Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. Hand-held, no flash. Florescent lighting coming from the kitchen and strong changing arvo sunlight/shade through the window. The black edges around the bento box makes it tricky.

Ciao!

Stout.

Max Brenner Stock photos

2010-03-15T11:28:00.002+08:00

Here are some old stock photos of Max Brenner that I've dug up and touched up a little. Hope you enjoy them.

Suckao Mug

MORE Suckao, pls!

The one thing that I enjoy about the presentation is when you are served with an order with many particular items such as the above Suckao Mug, they serve it on a wooden tray. Charming, to say the least. The Suckao is served with pellets of chocos in which you should drop a few into the heated milk of the Suckao Mug and in turn stir with a mini metallic spatula with the handle acting as a straw. Fascinating, up to a point where you wonder, are those cleaned properly? =P

Cuppachino

Very Choco-licious! I like how there's a mini ledge by the rim enough to allow a choco square to rest and slowly melt away into the coffee goodness! Yes, check out the packs of sugar which I've added on top!

What do you call this?

It's been a while so I've forgotten...then again I forget names instantly if I do not immediately associate it with some other silly little thing. For all I can recollect, this was pretty satisfying, but as usual for small portions of deliciousness, you will be left craving for more.

Strawberries.

For the less adventurous, why not spend AUD7 for some strawberries with some choco dip? From memory, this was rather clean and fresh so no worries there!

Photo Talk.

All right. Most of the shots were from last summer and it was then when I was using a Nikon D300, 50mm 1.4D and with a flash firing. From experience, I can tell you that with the flash, the subject will be illuminated with easy white balancing and yet still able to capture a generous amount of ambient lighting.

Somehow I do not feel that I have the confidence to be able to take ultra sharp images using the 50mm under low light without a flash. Perhaps it is time to send that lense to a tune-up. Over the past few months, I was shooting using the 17-35mm f/2.8 ED under very low light and it was sharper than using the 50mm. Perhaps I am doing something really wrong here.

Photo info: Nikon D300, 50mm f/1.4D, SB800 Flash. Shooting at 1.4 always helps create a nice bokeh. Increase the aperture if you want to show more detail in your shots.

Miao~

Stout out.

Melbourne Obon Festival

2010-03-13T22:41:00.004+08:00

"Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori." - Taken from Wiki.

Families enjoy performances on stage.

This is a world-wide custom by others but are known by different names and have a branches of practices. The commonly known name for it is The Qing Ming Festival (清明節). In Malaysia, some of us call it 'Ching Bing', which I would presume is Hokkien.

In Malaysia, it is known as the Japanese Bon-Odori festival and is held usually around Selangor (Shah Alam) and Penang usually following the Japanese summer months. For many years in Malaysia, the Bon-Odori has gotten much rave due to the fact that for the longest time, many Malaysians have a Japanese fetish and till this day, still burns strongly. The ignorance of the meaning to this celebration is really daunting even with all the interest that is spurred, yet it has not phased anyone yet as outside interest is always much obliged. The reason for this is because, rather than a celebration of the Buddhist practice, it is more of an exposure of the Japanese culture to promote interest and awareness. As you may have guess, Malaysian is a Muslin country with constant shifting moral borders. At these festivals in Malaysia, you are prohibited to wear high heels in the dancing field (understandable as you may step on someone), no smoking excepts in designated areas (Fuck yeah!) and not to wear anything impolite or offensive such as goth lolitas (seriously?) and NO cosplaying (As the older Japanese were offended when hordes of Malaysian cosplayers who showed up before). ;)

Pika! Pika!

In Melbourne, it was promoted as a Japanese Summer Festival, aka Melbourne Japanese Obon Festival, and is held at Docklands towards the end of the summer. Online resources seem to be very scarce and vague pertaining to this event, which is very disappointing. It was held at Docklands this year and thousands of people flock over to enjoy a nice day out as the summer draws to an end.

Yukata aka casual Summer Kimono.

"Bon Odori (盆踊り, meaning simply Bon dance) (August 1st) is an event held during Obon. It is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward one's ancestors.

"Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to express the effusive welcome for the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a respective local Bon dance, as well as different music accompanying the dance. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min'yo folk songs." - Taken from Wiki.

Scattered through the intervals of the Bon-Odori Dances are performances by Japanese primary and secondary schools and various Japanese performance groups.

A lovely lady playing a Shamisen between the numerous food stalls.

"The shamisen or samisen (Japanese: 三味線, literally "three flavor strings"), also called sangen (literally "three strings") is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi." - Taken from Wiki.

I find oriental traditional music instruments very attractive. The subtle yet defining plucking of the strings and emotions brought out by the melodies is highly mesmerising.

Anyway, the focus of many of the photog-s present were to shoot the kids. =) As this would be my very first attempt in shooting kids whom I have never met, I was hoping to at least be able to have gotten better shots. I wonder what would their parents think of as a random person keeps pointing their camera at their kids. I know for one thing that Americans are HIGHLY paranoid over such matters and it apparently is illegal in the US. I can understand why though.

Matching yo-yo balloon.

"Yo-yo balloons are a common type of water balloon found at matsuri festivals in Japan. Typically small, round, and colourful, the balloons are filled with 1/10 of water and hung from a rubber band. This gives them enough weight and bounce to function as a yo-yo, earning them their name.The balloons are often won in a game (Yo-yo Tsuri or just yo-yo) where they are set floating in a tub of water, with an elastic band and a paper clip affixed to one end. Players "fish" for the balloons with another paper clip attached to another rubber band, or (more commonly), a twisted "line" of paper, which they then try to hook through the paper clip of the desired balloon. As the paper line breaks easily, the game is often likened to goldfish scooping in terms of difficulty." Taken from Wiki.

Ganbatte!

Cheering for a performance on the stage.

To wrap it up, overall it was a fun and cloudy day. There were very few stalls and each were specialised in selling very specific items and trinkets. Perhaps this was organised in such a way where there would be no overlapping in stores selling similar items and food and able to cover a broad base of items related to the Japanese culture.

Although people would just crowd around the stalls selling trinkets, the lines for the food stalls were very very long that it discourages people like me to even bother queuing up. For those of you who would be interested in finding out the quality of food at fairs, my advice would be to go with a full stomach and bring bottles of water ;)

Photo-talk now.

From this shoot, I finally understand why photog can survive with just the holy trinity. I have tested a few lenses that I have with me and I must say, they are a little too specialised such as the fisy eye and 50mm. Throughout the shoot, I didn't really need my flash as it got dark around 2030 usually during the summer months. The stage had it's own lights and and there wasn't any sun to contend with as it was just cloudy. For dealing with shadows under low light, I just bump up the ISO up to 1600 and the illumination of darker areas turned out satisfying.

As a general tip of trying to take pictures of a person singled out from a crowd, it is best to shoot at a larger aperture to get a bokeh (Boke, in Japanese). The reason to this is simply because of the clutter and mess that a crowd of people can create in a shot. This bring focus onto the subject and make it pop extremely easy and makes it easy in selecting shots to put up.

On a note on the lenses, the 70-200mm is a godsend in situations that forces you to shoot from afar and the 17-35mm, although it is my all time favourite, it basically just excellent for a wide angle lense. On an FX camera, the 17-35mm can replace the fisheye when travelling (to reduce the number of lenses carried) just because of it's versatility. If you can move your legs, 17-35mm rocks.

Photo info: Nikon D700. 17-35mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8. Hand-held. No flash. Lighting is mostly cloudy in the evening.

Ciao!

Stout out.

Max Brenner - If you don't already know what it is

2010-03-11T05:58:00.002+08:00

Max Brenner is the choco version of Starbucks, and chilling out at Max Brenner is a way of life here in Melbourne. As for the slogan, the founder claims to have profound love for choco and the desire to share that love with everyone out there. As for me, all this talk about choco love from Max Brenner is cliche and drowned out pretty quick like all the maccas advertisements.

In fact, whatever you choose to order, you will be astounded by how rich and sweet everything is. Do not be phased if it is your first time at Max Brenner. They have an assortment of cups and ways to drink from them which many people still find cute and fascinating till this day...even after frequenting every other day.

If only things were always that simple

Since I have managed to stay away from this place for about 2 months, I think I should show some shots I've taken when my choco craving defenses were low ;)

This would be the Melbourne Central MB branch. Considerably more tables and seats, albeit busy, with lots of other non patrons walking by the tables outside.

Max Brenner at Melb Central

Aussie School kids dating

Different school have entirely different uniforms

The single tables in the middle are placed very oddly and gets uncomfortable as if you were on display

Menus are colourful, as always

I usually order an Alice Cup with Whipped Milk Choco Frappe. I will post up more shots of the different types of cups available at MB when I get around.

Tutti-Fruity Belgium Waffle

This would be perhaps the most popular choice as I'd like to refer it as the classic choice. The waffle should be freshly made with the crispiness due to the overload of burnt sugar in the waffle batter. Topped with ice-cream, strawberries and bananas with a finishing touch of MB's own rich melted choco. Honestly, AUD12~ for this isn't really worth it. The 2 waffle one should be around AUD17~. This is where the 'once-in-a-while-I-get-to-spoil-myself' rule applies, I guess. ;)

Shot with camera on hip

Assortment of Dark Choco niblets

As with any successful chain of dessert establishment, a large array and a assortment of knick knacks are available for purchase. You can find many items such as all the MB mugs and cups that are served, instant hot cocoa and choco greeting cards. I'd suggest this for anyone who are seeking souvenirs of Aussie.

This would be the MB branch over at QV square...which is a 5 minute walk from my door XD

"I invite you to watch, smell, taste and feel my love story" - Max

Does this mean I get some free samples?

Baskin Robins always gives free samples, Abang Max

One of the three new ice-creams at MB

As the name eludes me, this is some icecreamwich, cookiewich, chocolatewich thingie? I find it silly how people attach -wich-es to items that resembles a sandwich. Anyhoo...This is particularly sweet and addictive.

Fudge cookie with vanilla ice-cream sandwiched. Served with a tiny melted choco cup and sprinkles. I'd figured, this is how I should eat it, aye. Funny thing was how the chocolate froze on top of the ice-cream after a minute fusing the sprinkles to it. How should I put it...the chocolate taste deteriorates as it hardens. AUD15? Heh, seriously. Treat your gf to this, I'd advice ;)

Most expensive black tea that I will pay for this year

The tea setting is a little charming and the handle is at the bottom of the cup. Very pompous-ish feeling. Heh. AUD4 for this VS a box of tea bags bought from saveway...with change.

Overall, very good place to chill if you like crowds of young folks or are looking for a place to eat some fancy sweets. I'd recommend anyone who visits Aussie to pay Max Brenner a visit.

PS: It always closes early and is always crowded. =)

Photo info: Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8D. All shots are hand-held with a mix of indoor and outdoor lighting without flash. 1/15-1/25s exposures and f/2.8-4. Auto-ISO capped at 1600.

Enjoy,

Stout out.

Laneway Cafes - The Quarter VS Cafe Andiamo

2010-03-07T02:00:00.003+08:00

In Melbourne, you can find most establishments operational at around 1030-1100. I do often find it rather difficult to be able to get things done early in the morning because of this late start. Many of these tiny laneway cafes do open their doors at a very early hour offering those much needed 'Pick-me-up' drinks. For me, breakfast/brunch is the most important meal of the day and of course, I have to order the most expensive and biggest portion brekkie on the menu EVERY TIME! So, taking price, portion and availability into account is of utmost importance to me.

Last month I've tried eating at a few of the cafes along Melbourne's laneways. Here are two of them in comparison as they're more of the higher priced cafes and would be a little more appropriate as they are directly opposite each other and offer similar genre of eateries.

The Quarter

Cafe Andiamo

Using these 2 cafes as examples, I am just going to do a quick review and offer some insight on Melbourne laneway cafes. Read on, if you enjoy continental brekkies/brunch =)

First challenger! The Quarter! Mind you, if I am not mistaken, I popped my "Melbourne laneways" cheery by eating brunch here.

Menus strung across the wall adds to the decor

Very neat decorations of "designer water"

Lovely B&W photos of places from around Europe

Overall, I'd say that this place is spacious despite it looking very cramped from the outside. Onto the FOOD!

I have this habit of taking shots of menus as to not forget what I ordered

Eggs Florentine

For those unfamiliar with Eggs Florentine, is is actually just substituting the ham in Eggs Benedict with spinach. A quick quote from wiki, "Eggs Benedict is a dish that consists of a half of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce."

The Hollandaise sauce adds a rather creamy and buttery texture and taste to the dish. I am not a fan of ordering veggies, but this does seem like a quick hangover meal as described by them Englishmen. *Hands-up-in-the-air smile* Poached eggs this way will ensure that eggs will come out more tender than a regular hard boiled egg and with the absence of any oil or butter as with most brekkie fried eggs. Although I must say, buttered toast/english muffin/baguette always defeats the purpose, but it in always important to butter and pan fry it so that it isn't served super hard.

Works Breakfast

The biggest and baddest aussie brekkie that The Quarter has to offer! Lightly seared Tomato Half on top of a bed of Spinach, pan-fried button mushrooms, served with two links of sausages and bacon topped with what looks like a four egg omelette on half a slice of sour dough. Even for someone who gets hungry as easily as me, I'd skip lunch after wiping this plate clean.

As this is the perfect meal for me. My only complain was that perhaps cooks from around the world should learn to drain the oil with perhaps a paper towel after cooking something like bacon. The mushrooms were a little on the soggy side as I'd suspect that it was a little overcooked and over stirred.

The key to cooking veggies for continental brekkies is to not move them around so much. Cut large veggies into half, face down, pressed to sear and turn once for the other side then serve. It's the basics.

How's the service? Service was quick, very friendly and appropriate. Apparently it seems to be the habit for many food establishments for servers to NOT leave the bloody bottle of water at a table that only has 2 patrons. Come on, the cups for water is small enough to down it in a single gulp!

And now, the second challenger, Cafe Andiamo!

It is very common to display the menu for the passerby to decide easily

Brekkie served - 0700 on weekdays, 0800 on weekends

/win

And of course, a general shot to showcase what the cafe looks like.

Honestly, it was a very slow morning as we didn't get enough sleep. As far as for me, I enjoy the quiet. The place is littered with a variety of cute antique items. It definitely will be very crowded if filled as it is very small and cramped. However, the space seems exactly the same as with The Quarter. Perhaps better arrangement of tables would help. Trying to force 4 patrons into this tiny table doesn't cut it.

Ham & Cheese Sandwich?!

Note to self...Never pay money for simple food that you can make on your own under 5 minutes. Anyway, good toast, lots of cheese and a less than average amount of ham. At least you don't catch the 'fresh-out-of-the-meat-packet' smell. What more can I say? It is just a H&C sandwich =/

El Grande!

That's right!

THIS is my type of brekkie! I can eat this three times a day. BOOYAH! Three sunny side-ups on top of a huge slice of buttered Toast! Non-soggy Hashbrown that's better than Maccas! A generous amount of Bacon that isn't mostly fat! Lightly seared half slice of Tomato and a healthy amount of Sliced Mushrooms. About half a can of Baked Beans! Stalk of Parsley for garnish!

What can I say? Make me this everyday, please. A very healthy amount of protein, carbs and veggies. I love the variety and the finishing touches. The bowl to separate the Baked Beans was a nice touch. This attention to detail is always a clear sign that the food has been prepared with equal quality. The food isn't very oily, but still could be of some improvement. Dollar for dollar, this beast is the winner!

As everyone suspected, having few patrons, the food better be served FAST! A ten minute wait makes it feel like fast food!

IN CONCLUSION, if you're looking for a place to chill indoors with 3 other friends, head over to The Quarter. For a very filling meal for heavy eaters or 2 lightweights, I'd suggest Cafe Andiamo. Also, part of the reason this particular laneway is more expensive is due to the fact that it isn't so cramped and there are many tables in between the buildings. If you're sitting on the outside for a smoke or to chill, it wouldn't matter where you get your coffee from =)

Photo info: Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. No flash, hand-held, long exposures. Lighting is a mix of incandescent lighting as well as indirect glaring morning sun.

Hope that you enjoyed my little presentation of my love for continental breakfast!

Ciao!

Melbourne Laneways

2010-03-01T16:07:00.002+08:00

In Melbourne, the IN thing seems to be surrounded by all the hype of what can be found along the bustling graffiti lined laneways. One may find it fun to discover one of the many designer cupcake shops, hidden chic coffee and pastry cafe hangouts and packed fancy restaurants. Don't be fooled! Although many of these establishments are hidden even from the rays of the sun all year round, many of them are very high priced and would often appear in the travel guides. What you are paying for is the delicacy of what Melbournians would claim as the culture that surrounds their city. One might start a saying that goes, "This is our art and you get to eat it."

Love at a glance

People love taking photos of graffiti

This is where the view opens up after traversing a mini rundown building with lots of dingy and tiny shops called, 'Australia on Collins'

The smell of their soup rivals my own

Belgium Waffle stand,
I'd reckon that it's cheaper than in Max Brenner

If I'm not mistaken, this is the original Cupcake shop.
Where all Melbournian cupcakes are born ;)

As you cross from laneway to laneway,
The price differs by about 50-100%

Degraves Lane

This are just a few shots that I've managed to capture seeing as I have been here for the entire summer. I have only started to recently conform to capturing some of the urban display of art. Perhaps over the change of the seasons, I'd be able to capture more quirky lighting. As Ken Rockwell says, if you can't get a good shot, do not even bother trying to take it. I find it interesting how there is someone else who believes this as well. There is no point having a tonne of junk and trash shots of repetition of the definitive BAD.

Anyway, I will post up some shots and reviews of the recent laneway cafes that I've eaten brekkie at soon. Happy Cap Goh Meh, everyone!

Photo info: Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. All shots here are taken hand-held with high ISO and long exposures. The harsh daylight is actually due to the morning light penetrating the buildings.

Please feel free to comment and discuss about anything, including talking to me directly on MSN or facebook.

Cheers.

Stout out!

Last Suzuki Night Market

2010-02-26T12:40:00.003+08:00

Random walking around. This time, I managed to grab some snacks to eat after dinner.

Random lining up for food.

Yes, lines are this long all the time.

Funny looking people.

Beware of getting too close to the exhibits. The alligators will snap off your fingers. ;)

They had about a little under a dozen of these running simultaneously

Dutch Pancakes.

Butter, Choco & Sugar.

Honestly, it is really really disappointing. Some semi-sweet fine sugar sprinkled on top with very very diluted choco syrup and what's with the chunk of butter in the middle? Although it is made fresh, it gets cold really fast and the insides are really soggy. Seriously. Don't bother.

What's a Bretzel?

At first glance, this really does not look appetising at all. It does not look attractive nor does it look inviting. This is probably due to this stand being at the end of the entire Victoria Market. I blame the very harsh and strong lighting that makes others want to just pass by quickly. However, this is VERY GOOD.

Ohhh! That's a Bretzel!

Taste like Nutella goodness!

This is a piece of freshly baked bread shaped like a pretzel - Bretzel! The outside is coated with a layer of frosting similar to those of donuts and then covered with a generous amount of choco rice! To top it off, in the insides, the filling is a delightfully thick amount of rich choco pudding much like the Nutella choco spread! I'd imagine that this would have been heavenly if I had bought a few more and baked it in the middle of the night while watching a movie at home =^^= V

That night's main entertainment was this gentleman singing some oldies in the center of the market square. He is really good and he does sound vintage ;) There were a couple of other couples similar in age dancing and in hand in front of the stage and many more cheering on.

Anyway, that's a quick update. Looking forward to next year's Summer's Suzuki Night Market.

Ciao!

Izakaya Chuji

2010-02-22T00:00:00.001+08:00

I am going to jump right into an explanation of what an izakaya is. An izakaya is a Japanese style fusion of a restaurant and a bar. It is known for serving food together with drinks and the other way around. Older times in Japan, an izakaya was a favourite watering hole for the salaryman after work and is well known for its cheap food that is served with a lot of alcohol. These days, that has changed, whereby you may find many independent women, youngters and families who frequent izakayas. A mark of an izakaya would be the distinctive double akachojin (literally, red lantern) that stands on both sides of the entrance to the establishment. From what I read, there will always be a few very close by to the train stations in Japan.

There is one izakaya styled restaurant that Crystal and I used to frequent up until recently. Izakaya Chuji has claimed to be the oldest of Izakayas across Aussie. These points do not pique my interest one bit if the establishment is just so-so.

Izakaya Chuji, on Lonsdale st.

At first look, this is as much as you can see from the outside. The bar and restaurant is completely separated by a wall and actually having the feel that it is two separate establishments all together.

The restaurant part of Izakaya Chuji

The lighting is extremely dim, especially in the late evening, because the entire dining area is lit only by the multiple akachojins strung up across the ceiling. I like the idea of having a very wide mirrior along the wall in a narrow establishment as it produces an illusion of space...and for others to be able to spy discreetly. *Cheeky smirk*

You will first notice that the paint is chipping off the walls and it is littered with home printed menus and advert posters for Japanese beer and whisky. The main menu itself has been better days and I'll just use my usual method of checking out the menu with my 2 fingers from each hand.

As for the general cleanliness, you might want to think twice before taking a seat on their chairs. It does look very old and weathered and around the table legs, it does look like it could use a little more general cleaning. The utensils are dodgy, but enough to be able to pick up some food after a thorough scrubbing with the napkin.

As usual, for lunch time, try to catch the lunch menu as it is vastly lower in cost relative to the other main entrees that may be on the regular menu. The homepage may be wrong, but if I am not mistaken, the lunch ends at 1500. For the lunch menu, a single strip of paper is served and you get to pick and choose whichever entrees and sides that you would like with your bento box.

Here are a couple of shots of the Bentos.

Main Entree, top left, Teriyaki Chicken.

Sides include Sushi Rolls, Garden Salad and Japanese styled Calamari Squid Rings.

I usually enjoy sesame seeds on Teriyaki chickens and the Calamari squid rings is definitely catered to my fondness for fried food. Overall, if you were to swallow everything, you will be full. The width of their bento box would be from my elbow to my fingertips.

Main entree, top left, Tonkatsu.
Sides include Sushi Rolls, Potato Salad and Korokke.

The Tonkatsu is good, as in the crispiness is retained and it is not very dry as most subpar restaurants have made them otherwise. The slices of pork is NOT ultra thin with a heavy layer of flour instead, is just thin. =/ Although, judging from other pictures of other Tonkatsus, it is very common for restaurants to skim and offer a very thinly sliced piece of pork. Ripoff!

Sushi rolls pass as the rice is packed tightly and the potato salad seems fresh.

What I love most about this, is of course, the Korokke. It is a Japanese style Croquette. It is a helping of mashed potatoes batter together with the 3 popular mixed veggie (Corn, Peas and Carrots), and fried with an outer layer of flour. This is SO mouth watering for someone like me who loves fried food with strong tasting gravy. Crispy on the outside, very soft on the inside. The mixed veggies do offer many subtle differences in taste throughout eating it. YUM!

Price? 30AUD for lunch for 2. Honestly, it is a little over priced for an every day lunch. There are many other places that offer lunch at 10AUD per head, tops. Maybe it is time to renovate the restaurant. Being the oldest establishment of its kind does not mean that it has to look dingy in order to be authentic.

I am a huge Takoyaki fan. I have eaten here quite a few times before and I'd suggest to NEVER EVER order the Takoyaki. It is REALLY soggy with a pea-sized piece of octopus. Furthermore, the price to portion ratio = Major Ripoff! Finally, the batter may be questionable if ordered later in the evening.

Also, it is very important to not try to speak in Japanese as there are a couple of waitresses who are not Japanese. *hint for people who enjoy saying 'Arigatou!' to every Asian server* When it comes to the service here, it is usually leaning towards Speed over Haste. If you sit facing the wall, you will feel very claustrophobic as other people are moving back and forth very quickly in as much space similar to a little over in an aeroplane.

Would I return to Izakaya Chuji? Sure, though indefinitely. This isn't a restaurant to impress a date. *hint hint*

Photo info: Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. No flash, hand held. Very weak indoor lighting mixed with covered sunlight from the outside. Long exposures + steady hand ftw.

Stout out...

Hunting for better Takoyakis!

*Here tako tako tako*

Il Dolce Freddo

2010-02-19T05:51:00.005+08:00

Interested in some Italian Designer ice-cream in the arvo when you're all hot and sweaty? Hehehe.. Although Melbourne these days is pretty chilly, there are some scorching moments. A short walk down to Lygon Street and viola! The creme of the crop, Il Dolce Freddo!

IL DOLCHE FREDDO

After lunch with our primary school classmate, Jasmin Kaur, Tan Bee Cin and I decided to head over to this place that our mutual friend was raving about. Too bad Jasmin couldn't join us for some ice cream hunting ecause she's a lawyer and had to rush back to the office. *evil smirk*

Award Wining selections, huh...

Il Dolce Freddo won a award for their Gelato in an International Gelato Fair at Longarone, Italy in 2000. Their Gelato is made fresh daily and the small cafe is run entirely but a single person most of the time, or so I've heard/noticed. Seems like a waste throwing all that ice cream away =P~

From what I can tell, they have some kinky exotic flavours such as Pandan and Durian...Which is very rare to see any of those around western countries, let alone european based establishments. Definitely a plus for guts. On a side note, I now know what a passion fruit looks like and the insides do not look as sweet =)

Tiramisu & Green Tea

I've had this unquenched desire for some superb green tea ice cream for the longest time. I am sad to say that this tiny little cup isn't enough for an ice cream glutton like me. As far as I can say, it does taste like frosted green tea powder. It was mid day and yet the Tiramisu was the only flavour untouched...and hence, I shall be the one with first pick on that virgin bucket of Italian goodness! Yum yum. I am not a big fan of coffee, but this ice cream taste like really smooth coffee cake in my mouth.

Lychee & Mint

After debating on what flavours we would get, Crystal decided to try the Lychee and Mint flavours. I have always had this notion that mint flavoured items shouldn't look an oddly green. In fact, mint extracts is supposedly colourless. None the less, after a walk under the sun, the lychee and mint mix swirling around inside of the mouth does leave a nice subtle "Malaysian" aftertaste. This lingering taste makes me crave for more, grrrr...

And yes, it is a little under 10AUD for 4 scoops in 2 cups. Fairly on the expensive side, but since it is "Award-winning" and being Malaysian, 'we must try it' *Cheers!*

Photos info: Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. Shot mostly under flourescent lighting with a mix of sunlight from the outside. f/2.8 upclose FTW!

Stout out.

Papa Gino's Italian Restaurant

2010-02-13T13:19:00.002+08:00

When Melbournians think of Italian eateries, they think of Lygon Street, because this is where the collection of Italian food can be found. There are a few Greek corner restaurants that serve one of the most tantalising souvlaki (Greek lamb kebabs) as well as a wide variety of choco cafes such as Koko Black, and my personal favourite, Brunetti! It is about a good 15 minute walk from where we live to Papa Gino's, an Italian restaurant that we frequent. With a great scenery and lots of restaurants along the way, by the time we arrive at the restaurant, we've build up quite an appetite.

Papa Gino's on Lygon Street

I notice that this place caters to students and families who want to eat out and have a great time. The place has a lot of tables, but it is PACKED almost every time I decided to eat there and usually around dinner time. With how it is furnished, the brick pillars do give a little privacy to the tables in small nooks.

Although I view Asian noodles, Italian pasta and the like as over-priced food to order at restaurants, it is always good to have a little variety every now and then. Up until now, I have had little problems with the food and service from this place so that is a huge plus for me to return.

Fettuccine Tuna

Thin Strips of Pasta with Tuna in Napoletana Sauce

The sauce taste like tomato fish out of a can. Sweet and yet the taste of the fish is really strong. I have mixed feelings when I eat food that has a very strong taste/smell lingering from before it was killed.

Taken from Wikipedia, "Fettuccine (literally "little ribbons" in Italian) is a type of pasta popular in Rome. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour wider than but similar to what's called tagliatelle elsewhere in Italy. Fettuce is a wider version of fettuccine whilst fettucelle is thinner."

It is called Napoletana sauce in the menu, but reading in Wikipedia, "Neapolitan sauce is the collective name given (outside Italy, particularly in the U.S.) to various basic tomato-based sauces derived from Italian cuisine, often served over pasta and then sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese."

Penne Bolognese

Cylinder shapped pasta with Meat-based sauce

Bolognese is my favourite Italian sauce of all time. Penne is easy to eat with a fork and it will soak up loads of the sauce in its hollowed body. I ordered a main instead of an entree because I'm a pig and I'd rather be full and leave some food behind than to eat and still be hungry. It is a very healthy portion for dinner and filling as well.

The mince meat is very tender and sweet. I like my Bolognese thick and abundant! As a general rule, for items that come with sauces as the secondary bulk of the dish, always ask for more.

"Bolognese sauce (ragù bolognese in Italian, also known by its French name sauce bolognaise) is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Bolognese sauce is sometimes taken to be a tomato sauce, but authentic recipes have only a small amount of tomato."

As for pricing, this is a Italian restaurant in the heart of Lygon street. It is PRICY - with pastas at AUD9-14, small sized pizza at AUD10 and above, and meat dishes well above AUD20. If you are a couple with small appetites, you may want to order a main pasta dish and share between the two of you...and go early before the crowd.

What else can I say? Pasta is pasta...It's either you get it right or you don't...and it's dirt cheap and easy to make at home.

Stout out.

Meiji Japanese Cafe, Again

2010-02-11T05:42:00.010+08:00

It would appear that we really do have a thing for dining out, especially for a place with really good food for a relatively low price. Here's more shots of when we paid a visit to Meiji again. Click here for the Flickr album.

Meiji Japanese Restaurant

Meiji's Menu

So, with the many times we've been to this place, we've yet to try any of the deserts. I'd usually prefer heading somewhere else or shopping for grocery to buy some sweets since it's much cheaper. One hot and sweaty day later, I might just get some green tea ice cream here.

I am a very big fan of wooden and clean eating utensils. The bamboo spoons are my particular favourite here as they are very smooth and do not flake.

Sake Ikura
Salmon, Salmon Roe & Quail EGG.

If you enjoy eating fish on rice as much as me, this would be a treat! The fish was a little overcooked and dry, but when mixed with the gravy in the rice, it was just right. I particularly like the huge salmon roe. The saltiness of the roe bursting inside my mouth as I bite into them and the taste swirling around my taste buds was a treat that I looked forward to every time I scooped some into my mouth.

Sanshoku
Salmon, Pork Mince Meat & Fried Eggs.

Crystal ordered the Sanshoku again. This is the ultimate baby food dish IMO, being very easy to eat and swallow. I had a bit of the pork mince meat and it wasn't as dry as the fish. Mixed with the steamy gravy in the rice, it melts in your mouth.

Kamameshi
(Click for info on Kamameshi)

I have found myself to be very fond of this Japanese clay pot way of cooking. My particular favourite is when the rice is burnt properly and creates a pilaf-like base. The sweetness and crunchiness of this rice mixed with the gravy soaked rice in the middle is fun for my tongue! Anyway, most of the time, the rice is so soaked with gravy that it doesn't get burnt properly a few times I've ordered the Kamameshi.

Gyu-Niku Ramen
Beef, Onions & Pan Fried Egg .

Meiji Ramen
Pork, Fish cake, Egg & Vegetables.

The Ramen portion is almost just right for me for brekkie and lunch. For dinner, however, you will definitely get hungry under an hour. One of the cheapest dishes in Meiji, 17AUD for TWO, it's definitely an affordable place to head to for lunch. The meat of these dishes is VERY tender and juicy. The soup base is just right as in, not too salty nor is it too subtle. The ramen isn't as thick as the Korean Shin Ramyun, but it's just right for me because I don't really like my noodles to be so thick. As you may have thought, I think that the ramen is just right, but I do not think the world of it.

This would be the second time eating ramen outside here in Melbourne. I find it rather odd that I am being served with a mini ladle like spoon. Perhaps this is how ramen is served in certain parts of Japan. I am Malaysian and I like eating with multiple utensils at once. In the end, Crystal is bugging me to head back to this place SOON because she really enjoyed the pork with her Meiji ramen so much. I am glad that we've found a decent and affordable place to eat at.

A little inside info...Meiji Restaurant is owned by some Japanese and Hongkie and run by Chinese Staff. It would feel more authentic if we'd be greeted with 'Irasshaimase' (welcome, in shops) instead of a 'Hello'. Other than that, I came here to fill my belly =)

Photo info: Taken with a Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8. No flash, hand-held.

Stout Out.

Meiji Japanese Cafe

2010-02-07T08:34:00.010+08:00

Saturday night, nothing much going on. Been a tiring week primming for a better looking body so that we may fit into clothes and look better in them. Dieting is always the main thing to look out for these days when it comes to health =) I'd figured, since I eat out a lot due to me not having much kitchen utensils to cook, I'd start shooting some food porn. This way, I'd have good practice ninja-shooting the insides of establishments and inanimated objects. I'm new to blogging about food, but here goes...

Meiji Japanese Cafe

Quaint little Japanese restaurant to eat at should you ever be down Little Bourke Street, aka Chinatown.

The inside's decor is really cute and many of the ornaments of the maneki nekos are really eye catching! It does make me feel like stealing a few back home to watch all the cats waving their paws! I am surprised that although the restaurant is really small, it isn't cramped in the inside.

The ambient was mainly coming just from the TV, the falling water in the little water feature by the entrance and of course, chatter from the other patrons. Beware, everyone in the restaurant can hear your conversations. *smirk* The cafe was brightly lit and appears to be one of the cleanest looking places to eat that I have been to in a while and it is really refreshing! Besides the ceiling lights, the hanging lamps and lanterns is very effective in giving off a very warm and homely atmosphere. Most of the corners look clean enough and I take joy in the clean shine of surfaces. I love the simplicity of the wooden bar and the mirror placed behind it gives the subtle illusion of a more spacious area.

Hakone, as in menu.

Comes with Kani Maki (left), Inari (top) and Salmon Nigiri (bottom)

The Kani Maki Sushi (Crab sticks rolled with rice and seaweed) was really well make and it melts in the mouth unlike what I'm used to back in Malaysia. The rice is packed nicely and I like my sushi made with effort and care. The Inari Sushi (Fried sweetened tofu wrapped around sushi rice) however, was a little too sweet. It's definitely sweet to my liking, as in, if served to kids, they'll gobble up the sweetness. The salmon, as you can see, was giving in a really generous portion and is more than a mouthful for some.

Tori, cooked and served in a kamameshi, as in menu.

Deep fried chicken with Quails Eggs on top of some folded Omelette on Rice

So, I was fortunate enough to get ONE quail egg...which isn't a disaster and hence forgivable since there was a healthy portion of fluffy folded omelette. Note to self: do not bite on any quail eggs right off the bat as my lips were scalded by leaked gravy into that tiny little bomb. As I am a fan of fried foods, I was happy to find that the chicken was still crispy when served, although there was a generous amount of gravy on it. Props for frying skills!

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Kamameshi (釜飯) literally translates to "kettle rice" and is a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot. Similar to takikomi gohan, kamameshi is a type of Japanese pilaf cooked with various types of meat, seafood, and vegetables. By cooking it in an iron pot, the rice gets slightly burned at the bottom which adds a desirable flavor to the rice. It is often sold as ekiben.

"Chinese cuisine also prepare rice in a similar way using a clay pot and is known in Chinese as guō fàn (鍋飯) or in Cantonese po chai fan (煲仔飯). The cooking style is popular in Canton and Hong Kong."

Apparently, if you order many of the rice dishes, it is served with a bamboo scoop that is kind of short but, surprisingly efficient to scoop food from the pot without scalding yourself on the iron. Meiji is one of the very few places that serves food with reusable chopsticks. The chopsticks are a deep black with a golden back that shows elegance. Eating utensils, in my opinion, serves to impress and elevate the eating experiences. This is very important for someone like me to cleans all the utensils thoroughly before I eat.

Finally, even with the generous portions, the pricing is very decent when it comes to eating out. Be expected to pay anywhere between AUD8-14 for more selections. I will be back to try some of the ramen for lunch one day when I am too lazy to cook.

Photo info: D700, f/2.8D 17-35mm. Shot with long exposures to capture ambient lighting. Hand-held, no flash. Tips: Hold your breath ;)

Will take more food porn next time,

Stout out.

Portraits that I dugged up

2010-02-06T03:07:00.004+08:00

Here I am, awoken after 15 minutes of sleep in the wee hours on a Saturday morning. I have posted these on FB, but I think it looks nicer here thanks to the direct link to Flickr. Oh gosh, I'm one of those attention seekers now who post the same bloody thing all over the god damned place to get their name out. Honestly, I'd rather keep a low key and only showcase my talents for those concerned, ie prospective employers ;)

Less texts, more colourful shots of the glamourous, I suppose. Here's the thing. Most of these shots are impromptu shots despite how well dress the subjects turn out to be. I have always thought that the best portraiture shots would be centered around the idea of a highly controlled environment and "distilled" lighting and conditions. Where's the fun in that...Not that I do not mind learning the best of that, it's just that I used to enjoy pointing and shooting at people or stuff lying around. The percentage of the "wow-factor" shots is very low in those "recording"/"documenting" shots. The PRO shots which appear to be able to capture the subject as though it was that way when you found it is what I want to learn. Most of these shots are controlled either by moving certain items within the frame and/or, positioning yourself to frame it more naturally.

Anyway, let's not get into theory-crafting, but rather just enjoy good looking people because it is simply pleasing to the eye =P

Aveline

Zoe

Mum

Daphanie

Diana

Kaoru

Hannah

Chooling

Katie

- Stout out =^^=

Suzuki Night Market Walk Walk

2010-02-04T19:00:00.005+08:00

Queen Victoria Market by day,

Suzuki Night Market by night.

It is about 15 -20 minutes walk and it's good to sweat it off after din din. It starts around 1730 until late at night, but it's always good to head there early because it's really packed and crowded. And unending amount of food and drinks as well as entertainment. There's also lots of crafts and other weird stuff like fortune telling and massages =P

Sweets, Nuts & Coffee

Notice the mini choco fountain on the right ^^

Avidly popular.
Choco drizzled spongy donut balls topped with a very small scoop of ice cream.

Playing rock and roll with that?!

Playing country music...but still sounds very catchy and entertaining.

German glass lamps.

Junkie XL, 24th May 09

2009-06-12T10:28:00.009+08:00

This is my second time catching Dutch musician Tom Holkenborg AKA Junkie XL. First was at the legendary UMF10.

The work and collaboration that this guy pimps out is just amazing. I particularly like his remixes in the Animatrix OST as well for Ayumi Hamasaki. That was when I first heard of him actually. =)

JXL's Official Media page.

That night I heard that DJ Monk of Rabbit in the Moon was in town spinning and recording for his DVD...but I didn't manage to catch him.. Elusive as ever. Should RITM ever perform near you, be sure to catch their performance.. It is fucking amazing.

Anyway, here's the flickr for the shoot that night.

Fuck More
Very Naughty Funk.

Today
Funky stylist.

Eveline, Jason, Kien, Ethan, Raymond and Kendrick.

Tom Holkenborg AKA JXL

I don't know why, but it is surprisingly hard to get a sharp and frozen action shot that still is able to take in a decent amount of ambient lighting.

The ambient lighting in this rooftop patio is really attractive.

This is one of those times where I wish I had a fisheye =(

Spinning is SERIOUS BUSINESS!

Random pole in the middle of a bar =/

Second Sun @ Buffalo

2009-05-05T23:34:00.015+08:00

This would be Second Sun's first performance down here in buffalo. It's about damn time I get to witness some good music being played here. Heh.. First time I saw them was back in the UMF10.. It was awesome!!

Adam White and Antoine Becks make up the duo who are well known for their live performances. First time I heard them was with a collaboration with Paul Van Dyk around 2005. Of course, back then I didn't know about them. It was the song 'Crush' in PVD's album 'Reflections'. When I was in college, I used to spam that song on my MP3 player. hehe..

Second Sun's Myspace Page.

Here's the video of Crush.

Some how I cannot embed the info.. Myeh... oh well..

Here's the link to the Flickr for the whole album.

Here's the link to the Facebook album.

Through the shoot, I had many problems with capturing them from the stage. The bars between the stage and table did not help much. What I wanted was to capture the crowd as well as the 2 guys and it turned out pretty horrible so I dropped them =(

Anyway, here are the best picks of the night. I tried to up the contrast and it worked really well in this case. ^^

I tried my hand at making the contrast stronger and I found that it does make the subjects pop more.

Cory & Stacie

I'm always bad at action shots without my flash, but I'm glad that this turned out decent

Left to right: Adam White & Antoine Becks

I've got free reign and I get to move to any part of the club to shoot. I really enjoyed this freedom to shoot =)

I thought that the lighting and composure of this shot is one of the best in all my shots.
Slowly improving ^^

Jesse holding the fort down in the next room.

Stoutlager & Antoine Becks

Stoutlager & Adam White
Yes yes, I forgot to bring a pen for them to sign my CD.. sigh...

Next gig that I am looking forward to will be Junkie XL.. Huge huge huge..

Stout Out.

Japan Night 09

2009-05-05T21:44:00.031+08:00

After being in Buffalo for 3 years, I finally attended my first Japan Night. It was really funny =)

Everyone was really tired and yet there was a lot of energy and smiles to go around. This is what I can say is the JSA community in Buffalo.

For me, it was a long and tiring night.. At the end, I fell asleep in my car at McD at 0530 because I wanted to get some brekkie before crashing. It was really quiet and I felt kind of excited and nervous. At least I did not get a cold.. heh.

So, first off was the show at 1800 followed by the Matsuri and afterparty down at 'Quote'.

Here's the Flickr link for the Japan Night 09

I am currently seeking out all of the videos pertaining to this event. Let me know if I missed any.

Trailer for Japan Night.
'Home is Where the Heart is at'
Yes, THAT is Mari Talai in the opening! ^^

Japan Night Crew

Prologue - Myth of the Raccoon presented by Kyoko Umezaki.

Japanese Joke Clip presented by Ashley Yohn.
Seaweed.....

Smily Joe's Smily Shopping brought to you by Smily Joe and Ebay Jack!
It really does work!

Safety Information for 'Mr. I Want To Have A Good Dream Pillow'.
Brought to you by our safety intructor Maica!
Please bring exact change.

Pokemon Trailer Spinoff.
Featuring Ryosuke Kojima & Kazuhiro Ezaki
Audio has been turned off.
Facebook link here. =)

Sadako's Intermission.
Solo act by Yuki Tanimoto.
I keep thinking...Isn't the floor kind of dirty

Prime Minister Mori's Trailer 1.0
Featuring Takashi Nakamura.
Coming to a cinema near you.

Prime Minister Mori's True Story 2.0
Featuring Takashi Nakamura.
Coming to a cinema near you...This summer.
Do they really eat that black guck on a toast?

Princess Peach Spin Off.
Featuring Layna Stewman & Poor poor Masato Uenishi

Have you found a place where you belong?
Featuring JSA!

Japan Night Shots
The best picks

*Cry face*

Leng Chai! Don't get cheeky with the new classmate!

'I Heart Britney'

Cheeky lil' bugger.

Donut Pikachu.

Gorilla!

Winning performance in the International Fiesta.

New and Improved Pikachu! Vm

Mr. Director.

^____^

It's a guy thing ^^

15 feet ceiling? roflmao

DJ Kid & Wakako

I really like the red glare here... Of course I wouldn't get it if my lense hood hadn't cracked =)

The Doppelganger effect

Ryosuke floating!

Fuiyoh.. That was a really really a lot of work for me... And I got the easy part..

Ciao for now!

TJ Remix: Farewell...for now.

2009-05-02T20:06:00.021+08:00

So, only on the day itself do I find out that this will be the "last" party for TJ Remix. It has been a great and pleasurable year. Just like the flame of a candle, it burns as bright and soon is extinguished as its life is short lived. As bittersweet as it may seem, please, do enjoy the best picks of the night. =)

Here's a link to the flickr.

Here's a favourite of mine mixed by Kaskade.
Featuring Nelly Furtado, Why do all good things come to an end.

JSA E-board 08-09 Fun

2009-04-18T09:09:00.004+08:00

Hehe.. This was taken for the pamphlets for the upcoming Japan Night 09 =)

JSA e-board

Nakaoka Maica & Diana

Nagaishi Diago

Kanzaki Shota

Kosuke Benny Higo

Mari Talai

Umezaki Kyoko

Ashley Yohn

Look forward to the Japan Night shots next week. Off for a shoot for Second Sun for training =)
Cheers.

Almost one month =)

2009-04-15T07:22:00.014+08:00

Yeah, lately I have been having lots of free time and it is confusing for me =)

So, yeah.. Here are shots from MASA Night (Malaysian Student Association) and Taiwan Night over the last 2 weeks. Here are some of the best picks imo. Enjoy.

MaSA Night

Table lanterns found on all the tables =)

Derek was the MC for the night.

Peeps I met =)

Nancy & Fatema.

Sketch

I like how this turned out. Big natural Smiles. =)

Ohhh! Can they pull off that look.

Performance by Anchara Vivek from the Indian Student Association

MaSA e-board for 08-09
Left to Right: Michelle, Nurfazilla, Brian, Sharuna, Derek, Roxy and Naim.

Taiwan Night

Creepy pamphlet.

Going away on business.

And he died =(

Seducing the Widow.

Happy "Indian" style dancing. Metaphorically =)

Hot Mistress.

Thanks for the money. =P

Suicide and returned as a ghost. Rawr!

Looks familiar. Hehe

The best dumpling that you will ever taste!!

Visually appropriate. ^^

Scared "Doorstep" hahaha!!!

Piggyback.

I am the most powerful fortune teller.

Clensing.

Sweet Revenge. Kind of hot. O.O;

Will be putting up more soon.. Getting the hang of Flickr =)
Cheerio.

Short Films and Welcome Back From Spring Break

2009-03-15T20:13:00.098+08:00

Here are several short films which I manage to dig up recently. Some of them may be too harsh for some of you. So, please be advised.

Check Please

This is about the guy introducing his girlfriend to his parents. Very disturbing yet I find this highly intriguing. If you love someone, be ready for the whole package.

Not So Small Talk

This is so silly and hilarious. Look at those clumsy guys with their jaws dropping. =P

The Morning After

The start is sort of cute and as it progresses along, slowly climaxing into gruesome. If you cannot stand gruesome images, try not to watch it. Yeah, don't wake up in those situations, I'd suggest. ;)

Marry Me

Now, for a change to something not so negative. This was last year's Tropfest Australian winning film. It is about a girl who is in love with a boy and she sacrifices a lot in order to catch his attention. The non-diagenic music and the sound cues are very innocent and childlike and I find that it brings out the flavour of the scenes.

Mankind Is No Island

Now for this inspirational video. At first I thought that it was very creative and began to show appreciation because it seemed like it took a lot of work. Though, from just looking at the video, many couldn't really tell what exactly was going on without an explanation. I think that this is what was really lacking about it. Other than that, those who enjoy the mainstream will find this fascinating.

Knock Knock

I couldn't find a better quality video, but this is definitely one of my favourites. Several years ago while I was feeling despaired, this little 10 minute video caught my attention and made me feel better in an instant. Here, I would like to share this with everyone. The choreography is perfect and beautiful. Throughout the clip, you can interpret that his world is torn and that he is separated from it. The final scene is absolutely beautiful where it finally merge and his world is made whole again.

Validation

Here is one with one of my favourite actors from Bones, TJ Thyne. It is a short film about a character who is truly remarkable at making everyone's world more cheery, but yet he cannot bring a smile to the one he truly loves.

That is all for now. I will try to get in more hilarious videos and put up the shots I got from the International Fiesta and the after party.

Cheers.

Delirium V3

2009-03-10T08:47:00.025+08:00

It was a really fun night with a little mix of electronica which is very very rare in Buffalo. It always amazes me that when I go clubbing in Buffalo, I will surely be able to meet lots of people whom I know and I am quite happy with this. Partly this is due to the fact that it is an event hosted by friends so, bring out your party dress. The cold is only temporary ^^

Full size pictures are available at my newly made flickr, though I seem to have gotten the sequencing wrong. I still have not figured out how to correct it and to avoid making the same mistake again in the future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14772777@N07/sets/72157615042897048/detail

Here are some of the few best shots which I managed to snap.

Oh well, enjoy =)

I was greeted by Genya + DJ Kid.

Ashley + Yuki + Maika + Mari + Arisa

Arisa + Ahsley + Kyoko + Mie

I like the shots which I got off from Ryo.

Ashley

Janice

Zekun + The ghost of Janice + Ken

This is one of the most amazing action shots which I was lucky enough to be able to capture.

Mie + Kazuhiro + Arisa
I thought this was very befitting to be the title and main logo for the album.
Delirium 3, 3 snowboards lined up.

DJ Kid

I got a few good and steady close up shots with DJ Kid.
It was really difficult for me to be able to angle the flash as to not to over expose his face.

Nancy + Michelle
This is my favourite shot of the these 2 BFF.
It was disappointing since their skin tone was overexposed and that the background is dark.

Lora + Vivian
Again, I thought this was a little overexposed, but I like it because I can see the details of their dresses.

Ben + Yan + SS Mattie + Raymond + Annie + Hsiung Huei

I particularly enjoy this photo because of the vibrant colours of the individuals.
Notice that they are equally separated by the panels of the windows.

Wakako

I like this shot because of the raw expressions of the faces.
The only thing that was lacking was the lady whose back of the head was facing towards me.

Atsushi showing off his JSA logo =)

Mattie + Janice + Jessica
I thought that this was rather silly, though Ken's hand was too overexposed.
The particular whiteout is due to the irrecoverable detail from the flash.

Vicky + Shuen Siuan + Jerri + Hsiung Huei + Mattie + Anastasia
I thought that this was one of the most well composed amongst all of the group photos.

Jaffee
Nancy + Vicky + Rachel S + Rachel L + Anastasia
The word is 'Pimp'

Yuki + Maika + Genya + Maiko + Wakako + Lynette
This shot shows one of the many silly little things that I usually see.

Chika + Yuji

Genya

Jaffee + Stoutlager

Rachel L + Nancy + Vicky + Nanae + Rechel S

This was quite a good shot that Andy got of Maika.
I particularly like how this turned out, but I was hoping to get more of her front.

Hakuyou Ryu
While editing this, I thought of it as a Levi's Jeans commercial.

Kazuhiro

Wakako + Lynette + Maiko + Maika

Andy Lin
This was cool, but the colours were flat, so I turned it into sepia mode.

That's all for now. Looking forward to another shoot.

Starting point

2009-03-10T08:28:00.006+08:00

So, to start things off, I'm going to admit that this blog is sort of a gateway into my world of learning photography. I will try my hardest to blog often and to keep everything here clean and proper. I would like to inform my readers and visitors that I will try to keep this as professional as possible, yet able to share my raw interest and passion for documentation photography. What I post here will be a mix of new as well as old work from myself, my peers and other interesting things that are in relation.

I would also like to extend to everyone my interest and fascination in my other passions such as music, food and traveling, as well as humour and many other things related to the media world.

This said, I do hope that everyone will enjoy my work as well as many other interesting things that I will be sharing.

Here goes!