PHOTOfrenz Blog

by Wong Casandra

I was sieving through my collection of scanned film photos in my hard disk this fateful afternoon, and I found some interesting photos that I took early this year. I have been meaning to edit and put them up on my Flicker account, but have yet to get down to doing so. So I was thinking, why not do it today?

Anyway, I think most of us Singaporean Chinese will know what “Pai Ti Kong” is. For those who don’t, here’s a short crash course: it refers to praying to “Ti Kong” (Hokkien for Sky God) on the 9th of the Lunar Calendar Year (his birthday). This will commence late at night and is usually elaborately and lavishly prepared for, as you will see later.

With that said, it is one of the grand annual affairs that my grandparents look forward to, and they put their every heart and soul into making it a success. Around this time, I usually try and keep out of their way, knowing that they will not appreciate having their clumsy grandchild around. However, this year, I thought: why not document the event in photographs? It is one of the rare times where the whole family has the chance to gather around. Plus, I bought a small table tripod (yes, those were hard times), so I no longer had to improvise and prop my camera on some unsteady chair (and yes, I didn’t have an external flash then).

So I went on a rampage:

1. Ti Kong Kim (Joss Paper) These beautifully folded joss paper were prepared by my grandparents during the weeks before the actual day. These were to be burned as monetary offerings.	2. Grandma My grandma, visible in the background, in the midst of stringing the joss paper together.
3. Grandma Hard at Work Here’s a clearer shot of her busy at her work; as mentioned, she is sewing the joss paper today. When I asked her why, she said that it was to make for easy burning, and that it looked nicer all hung up in columns!	4. Offerings to Ti Kong As you can see, the table is filled to the brim with the customary delicacies; from fruits, chicken, steamed fish to beverages! Spot the hanging columns of Ti Kong Kim in the background.
5. Burnt-out Joss Sticks The next time for this to be filled with new ones… will be in the following year!

After the initial celebration (my memory is a little hazy), my grandparents went outside of the flat to, once again, pray for good luck and blessings. Note that I wasn’t the only pesky photographer around!

6. Praying for Luck My grandma was praying for good luck when my uncle took a shot of her. Everyone was in high spirits, naturally.	7. Burning the Ti Kong Kim I stole a shot of my granddad deep in his thoughts while leaning on the stairs opposite him with my camera on long time exposure.

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by Wong Casandra

I had been raring to take more photos with my new Nikon D90 DSLR and so when my friend needed someone, (“I don’t want to go alone”, she said), to accompany her to Little India for a last-minute photo assignment, I jumped at the chance. Little India is one of the coolest local places to go when you are sick of city life and so, I was pretty psyched. Plus, Deepavali celebrations were going on, so I wasn’t worried about getting uninteresting shots. The only shortcoming was that I had only less than 2 hours to spare due to evening classes.

We made our way round the outskirts of Little India, where the vegetable stalls and convenience stores were. Narrow paths accompanied the stalls, and I think we must have been interrupted by at least 10 irate passer-bys!

After a short stroll, we went ahead to the Deepavali bazaar, located at the heart of Little India, and started snapping pictures of colourful and glittery ornaments. Mostly, we were distracted by the hustle and bustle of the place, and stopped a couple of times to watch while girls got their henna painted on.

1. Surrounded by Veggies! This man was diligently stacking them from the back so I didn’t spot him initially… until I spotted a head bobbing up and down.	2. Grocery Shopping One of the many customers at a particular grocery stall; they were practically spoiled for choice because there are at least 7-8 such stalls in the entire stretch!
3. Sweet Dreams are Made of This I really like this photo – minus the hideous and out-of-place van in the background.	4. The Fallen Rose Petals A man was stringing flowers into garlands when this particular rose fell unto a stack of pandan leaves. Intrigued by this little “accident”, I promptly shot it before anyone could replace it back to where it was.
5. Of Pipes and Paper The door to this utility (?) pipe was open, so out of genuine curiosity, I decided to take a peek. I like it when things are out of their elements: like why would pieces of crumpled paper and brochures be there?	6. Little Green Elephant Several of such ornaments were strung up and left hanging like a baby’s hanging mobile.
7. Shiva in Gold The elephant god in all its majestic glory!

As expected, my friend and I stood out because of our heavy camera gear (she was using a pro-sumer Leica camera), and we were stopped by a man in his early twenties – all heavily tattooed, dreadlocked and funky –who asked us about taking double exposed photos with a Holga. Needless to say, being the Holga amateurs that we both are, we couldn’t offer much.

But it is always pretty cool to meet fellow photography enthusiasts, and I regretted not getting hold of his email (for valid photography-related reasons, of course!).

About PHOTOfrenz:
PHOTOfrenz offers easy online photo sharing, photo printing and photo gift ordering with fast upload and free online storage

by Wong Casandra

The best part about travelling is that you get to see all sorts of different things for the first time. And for photographers, we not only get to see, but photograph foreign animals, landscapes and people for the first time at the same time. Call it a double dosage of ecstatic visual pleasure –overwhelming at times, but never boring.

So on to the second part of our journey: It was pretty much focused on covering the Esala Perahara at Kandy – a grand festival procession that was, for me, the highlight of the trip. Elephants, dancers, fire-twirlers, drummers and musicians performed with such vigour and passion, and it was exciting, and difficult at the same time, to translate these emotions into digital photography.

1. Chained for Life? Before the festival, we toured the temples and saw several restless elephants in chains. I snapped this picture thinking of how the freedom of the crow contrasted strongly with the elephant’s. And there’s the word, “litter”.	2. Blazing Fire-Twirling An onlooker (me) snapping another onlooker while the young fire-twirler in the background did his thing.
3. Standing Tall & Proud One of the performers stepped up and gamely posed for the photographers.	4. The Furor of Dancing The blur of the dancers against the strong standing figure of the fire-torcher… made for a pretty good shot!
5. Glorious Tusks! This will give you a rough idea of how close this magnificent elephant was to me.

After that, we dropped by tea plantations, another animal safari (where we spotted the elusive leopard), rice fields and eventually made our way back to Colombo. By this time, I was pretty much homesick and tired from having to change hotels almost every day.

6. Tea Gatherers Resting We surrounded these tea gatherers and snapped away as if they were celebrities.	7. Rice - Their Livelihood A shot of a single rice stalk in a sea of brilliant green.

Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable experience with unforgettable newfound friends, and I look forward to going on similar expeditions as such in the future. A few practical things that I have learned though: bring all sorts of medication, travel lightly, and wear comfortable, breathable clothes.

Overall, I was really proud of myself, as I had successfully “survived” my first overseas photography expedition. So, up next on my list of countries to visit and photograph: Myanmar or India!

About PHOTOfrenz:
PHOTOfrenz offers easy online photo sharing, photo printing and photo gift ordering with fast upload and free online storage

by Wong Casandra

When I found out that I was shortlisted to be part of a photo expedition in Sri Lanka, I was elated. But as time passed and as the initial excitement had been comfortably absorbed, I realised that I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect from Sri Lanka; mainly because there were so many things I had to consider:

1. The political situation and safety issues:
   I don’t like knowing that I might be treading on undiscovered landmines. Enough said.
2. First time shooting on a Canon DSLR:
   I haven’t had the opportunity to toy with a DSLR as I primarily shoot on a film SLR. And I have never used Canon before!
3. Lack of experience in travel photography:
   Pretty much a perfectionist, I was troubled by the thought that I might not shoot well due to my inexperience. Plus, I was traveling with a marvelous group of people who have had much experience, so… I was naturally even more intimidated.

So, even before the 11th of August  (the set day to fly), I was overwhelmed with my own apprehensions and insecurities. Mostly uncalled for really, because - I very soon found out after touching down - firstly, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country flourishing with culture, and secondly, that my experience should start there was a privilege which I couldn’t afford to keep questioning. “Just shoot and worry later lah!”, my close friend said to me before I left Singapore - and these wise words served as an important reference every time I found myself faltering in self-confidence.

So for the first six days, we travelled a great part of Sri Lanka; visiting the famed Minneriya National Park, relaxing at beach resorts and distributing rice to tsunami-hit places like Trincomalee, Batticoloa - a major part of the trip was also to help the needy.

1. Tail-Swatting Elephant at the Park A photo of an elephant relaxing in the heat of the afternoon in the Minneriya National Park.	2. The Cattle’s Beach Stroll We were waiting for our lunch while at a beach resort in Trincomalee. And then we spotted this strange sight.
3. Morning Shoot - Waves All of us got up very early for this and the results were clearly worth the effort.	4. Families Gathering in Anticipation Many families gathered in the Hindu Cultural Hall, Trincomalee, and anxiously waited for the arrival of the rice.
5. Woman & Child She caught my eye while everyone in the background - Batticoloa - was busy queuing for rice. She seemed a little sad, and pensive.	6. Carrying Sacks the Head Way! After collecting their share of rice, these women made their way back home carrying their sacks on their heads.

About PHOTOfrenz:
PHOTOfrenz offers easy online photo sharing, photo printing and photo gift ordering with fast upload and free online storage

by Wong Casandra

I took a 5-day trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with my friends in June this year after quitting my first full-time job. It was a refreshing episode in my life – a mini-holiday taken to celebrate the end of a tediously boring 9-to-5 job and to bid for time while I a) rested enough before my Japanese classes b) decided what to do with the rest of my life.

Therefore, the trip held a special place in my heart as I was struggling at a crossroad in my life: disillusioned yet hopeful enough to wish for something great to happen (of what magnitude or nature; I wasn’t sure), but nonetheless, jaded and spiritually exhausted.

So I thought, what other better way to release this tremendous bout of stress than to bring my hardy, reliable Nikon F55D film SLR along for the trip! Back then, I was trying to get back into the rhythm of taking photos on a regular basis like how I used to before my job, and Vietnam, an exotic third-world country, presented many great photographic opportunities. Indeed, it was a soul-searching experiment of sorts.

And I wasn’t disappointed. I wouldn’t call myself a great photographer (well, I shoot too selectively to be one) – and plus, I was shooting casually – but I was happy with the results. Yes, I was rusty given the long period of inactivity, but I guess the joy of seeing my photos developed from those minute film canisters eradicated my usual level of expectations.

Anyone who has been to Vietnam would be spellbound by her characteristically chaotic traffic and rustic old-world charm. Roadside hawkers, boatmen, makeshift markets, speeding motorists - a whole new and hectic world, bursting at the seams, framed by a 35mm format camera.

1. Traffic at a Standstill HCMC, fondly referred to as the “Capital of Motobikes”, is flooded with hundreds of scooters, motorbikes, and riders who abide by their own traffic rules. At first glance, crossing a road might look hazardous, but it’s actually pretty elementary: just bravely walk on, and the vehicles will all swerve to avoid you!	2. Street Peddling Galore! HCMC is filled with roadside peddlers selling anything from pho, fruits, dumplings to even hats!
3. The Packed Buildings of HCMC A common sight in HCMC - buildings build closely packed together.	4. Rain, Rain Go Away A shot taken from the steps of the Ben Thanh Market; you can see workers lazing around while waiting for the rain to subside.
5. Lovers Caught! This newly married couple was posing for photos outside the HCMC Hall and Statue of HCM.	6. River Navigation The boatman took us along the river on a ride that was uncomfortable, wet and … scenic.
7. Stuck on the Other Side The old man looked ready to cross until he noticed me and stopped in his midst.	8. In Between Gates This girl didn’t look too pleased knowing that I was taking photos of her, but I did it anyhow.

Some of these photos granted me a chance to embark on a photographic expedition to Sri Lanka, of which I can safely say was the most memorable, grueling and eye-opening experience in my life (well, that will be saved for later!).

So to me, the capital of Vietnam will always remain a poignant symbol of renewed dreams and hope. Needless to say, I came back feeling much better.

About PHOTOfrenz:
PHOTOfrenz offers easy online photo sharing, photo printing and photo gift ordering with fast upload and free online storage