PHOTOfrenz Blog

by Wong Casandra

I recently took off to Hong Kong for a 5-day holiday (and work) trip, and it was honestly, an eye-opening experience – probably made even more interesting by the evident mix mash of Western and Eastern values: Chinese junks sailing quietly against the backdrop of towering skyscrapers scarred with disco lights; shops and buildings spotting international brands amidst coffee shops, dingy grocery stalls… and streets teeming with salary-men proudly adorning their business suits.The list goes on; and yet, Hong Kong has managed to retain its unique identity (I liken this showy display to a soldier proudly admonishing his golden badge) amidst the hustle and bustle of modern city life. It is a great example of what I call a cultural compromise… without throwing away one’s distinct characteristics.

1. New VS Old Notice the brand new commercial building with a huge poster of a Caucasian model plastered over it. Then, take a look at the trademark Hong Kong apartments and to-be-completed building with gaudy light bulbs (a la Geylang) on its right. Hong Kong’s architecture leaves one with a strangely uneasy but surreal taste.	2. Doing Business in Suits Young men in suits like these are commonly sighted in Hong Kong.
3. Tram Buses Hong Kong’s public transport system is nothing short of the word “meticulous”: other than the MTR, regular buses, mini green buses, there are also these thin, tall tram buses; sitting on the second level can be quite a hair-raising experience. .	4. The Deities Temples are also commonly found in Hong Kong.
5. Graham Grocery Shopping Tip: when in Hong Kong and itching to eat some fruits or to whip up a simple meal, visit Graham Street for affordable grocery shopping!	6. Lanterns for Sale! Simple surprises like this, a throwback to a childhood pastime, can be found in the streets tucked behind buildings awashed with branded commodities.
7. Buildings That Never Sleep Hong Kong doesn’t sleep, and so doesn’t its buildings. Dazzling by day and night, these buildings provide a scenic photo opportunity for tourists and citizens alike.

I knew, even before I left Hong Kong, that I would miss everything about her: the night markets, strange tram buses, interesting temples, great food and even the gimmicky tourist attractions: Ocean Theme Park, The Victoria Peak, et al. I am looking forward to my next trip to Hong Kong – and I promise myself that it will come soon!

By Wong Casandra

Unsurprisingly, the best time to visit Chinatown would be during the New Year. Why so? The place will be beautifully lit up with lights and stuffed with festive street bazaars, most selling festive goodies and decoration for home. Indeed, it is a great cultural experience for both locals and foreigners alike. So a few days ago, I made my way down to Chinatown with my mom – well, she works in the vicinity and she wanted to buy some CNY lightings to decorate the house with – and I was quite taken aback, albeit in a good way. (On a side note, I think the only time I came down to Chinatown during CNY was when I was in primary school, and memories of the place… were, let’s just say, hazy.)

The streets were brimming with the hustle and bustle of life – and that’s great for capturing quaint moments on photos. Which, of course, I am extremely thankful and grateful for. There’s never a dull moment even when you are standing in a corner of Chinatown observing everyone.

1. Photo-taking in Chinatown I first caught sight of the pretty decorations from afar, and then I realized that the couple in front me was captivated by them as well. It so happened that while I was snapping a photo of them, they were snapping a photo of the decorations as well!	2. Oxpicious Year! I spotted a couple of gigantic but cute ox figurines plastered on an overhead structure. And then it struck me; 2009 IS the year of the Ox!
3. Bak Gua Galore Everyone knows what the favourite CNY snack is – yes, it is Bak Gua! Here, a family samples some at the popular Mei Zhen Xian.	4. Prosperity A bored boy (background) guarding a horde of festive paper ornaments – and one can clearly see that they carry the common festive well wishes.
5. New Beginnings A very red and eye-catching plaque with the Chinese word for “Spring” on it. For the clueless: CNY is the celebration of all things new, and since it is all about abundance and growth during the Spring season, what other better word to represent the festival?	6. Fortune Imagine hanging this extravagant lighting at home - it will definitely usher in good luck and fortune to your family!

Just by standing still for a moment, you will be able to sample a taste of the vibrancy coursing through the heart of Chinatown. So if you haven’t already done so, please do drop by Chinatown now (the Chinatown Light up will be on till 15 Feb) for an amazing visual experience! Here’s wishing everyone A Happy Chinese New Year and all-year round good luck and prosperity. May the tides of 2008’s recession be washed away by the grand beginnings of 2009!

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 haven’t been to Orchard in quite awhile (or rather, haven’t gotten down to exploring it recently; I have been making quick trips to Orchard for my weekly Japanese classes, but nothing else), so one day last week, I decided to make an appointment with a friend in Takashimaya. While walking towards my destination, I was pretty much shocked by the extravagant lighting and decoration – perhaps because I haven’t really quite recovered from seeing the plight of houses in Phnom Penh. So I decided the next time I dropped by Orchard for my evening classes, I will bring my camera along for some casual shooting… and to immortalise this year’s celebration in Orchard.

1. Merry Christmas! The traffic lights, car lights and the Christmas lights – they all brighten up the roads and make them look pretty!	2. Towering Lights & Buildings I like how the lights contrasted with this tall building behind CK Tangs. Which is grander: the tall, towering building or the shimmering lights?
3. Santa Helpers I first spotted a couple of people wearing really tiny little red caps on their heads, and then I was wondering where did they get them. Later, along the stretch of road towards Takashimaya, I spotted a lady selling them. I wanted to get one, but decided against it since I would most likely misplace or drop it somewhere.	4. Kids Posing with Kids From far, I spotted a group of kids (and adults) crowding around something; when I got nearer, I realized it was a Bob the Builder lookalike!
5. Christmas Buskers I like seeing buskers perform. When I spotted a group of people crowding around some, I decided to stick around and listen myself.	6. Jesters! Spotted jesters gamely posing for some photos in the middle of nowhere.
7. Berry X’mas in Takashimaya What a lovely way to decorate. I wonder how many bears were used in the making of this “tree”?

In all honesty, I don’t really like the over-gratuitous lighting decorations – it really made Orchard look like a huge getai stage –, however, I do appreciate the fact that they add a certain celebratory excitement for many tourists, families and couples alike; in fact, while getting irritated by strangers who blocked my view by constantly standing around inspecting some ornate decorations, I spotted several groups of people enthusiastically posing for photos!

I haven’t had the time to check out the decorations at the neighborhood malls… but will soon, so do look out for the next post. Do get out there and snap some photos with your favourite Christmas decorations!

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

by Wong Casandra

Late last month, I had the good fortune to travel to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh for a media assignment. Having been to Vietnam earlier this year, and Bangkok two years back, I was… expecting a similar environment with similar infrastructure and culture. My deduction wasn’t entirely wrong; however, Phnom Penh’s infectious never-say-die spirit and resilience tugged at my heartstrings, and appealed to me greatly, even more so than the two fore-mentioned cities.

And I certainly wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Along the trip, I have met several people who had fallen in love with this exotic city and had not only made it home, but in their own magnanimous ways, also contributed greatly to helping the Cambodians. I haven’t been this inspired ever since reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (he had a great sense of black humour, but I digress.). And I will definitely make a trip down again (this time, personal!) early next year.

Therefore, I decided to dedicate this entry to the beautiful and precious children of Phnom Penh, all of whom deserve much more than what life has dealt out for them.

1. Boy with a Pram I shot this while on a van, traveling through the city. I can’t see what the little boy is looking at in the pram, but I can definitely see how unhappy he looks. Looking at this picture makes me sad; what’s a little boy doing alone, along a polluted street, with a pram carrying very possibly his baby sibling?	2. Playtime by the Pond These three kids seemed to be having fun catching small fishes while waiting for school to start. Nothing beats playing with water while under a hot sun!
3. Peering out of Home I spotted this shy girl with her body half in, half out of her house, and peering straight at me. Finally, she cracked a smile and I promptly took her picture.	4. Curious Brother While in the midst of us interviewing his sister, he returned home midway from play, and joined in the commotion.
5. Sitting by the Door A young teenager was sitting by the door of his house, and gave me a shy smile. I wanted to stop, say hi and chat a little, but I was in a rush, so I waved to him instead.	6. Gathering for a Photo A group of Cambodian children gathered around us because we stuck out like sore thumbs – we were carrying DSLRS, PnS cameras and camcorders. Look at how radiant their smiles are!
7. Resting Under the Shade of a Truck I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what this pretty little girl is doing. Is she playing hide and seek with her friends or is she just resting under the truck? I shall stick with the latter.

With that said, Singaporean children should count themselves lucky to have a proper roof over their heads; most of the Cambodian children that I have caught on my camera were living in poor and unsavory sanitary conditions. Still, they manage to keep a smile on their faces and live on.

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 was watching Channel News Asia last Saturday, and I spotted a familiar face in a programme called Warring Frontiers – Mr. Wayne Umehara, a photographer who taught Photojournalism in my school.

This was the man who taught us how to shoot on B&W (he was also the man who inspired me to take the plunge and venture into photography), how to develop film and print them. He is also a spectacular photographer with years of experience in both commercial photography and photojournalism.

Aside the man himself, what was also memorable about the module was the experience attained during the many shootings for my final project. We were given the liberty to do a photo essay on any subject, and I chose to do one on the subject of orphans. However, because of the tight legal issues surrounding orphans in Singapore, I had to make do with friends and friends’ siblings or cousins (who of course, weren’t orphans).

What happened was that for a couple of weeks, we had to report to Wayne with what we shot, and he would look at them during scheduled one-to-one sessions. These sessions were interesting and informative chats on how to improve your angle, how to make your shot more interesting by changing the background, etc. I would have say that I learnt a lot while shooting for this project.

1. Cracked This (and the 2nd and 3rd photo) was taken in a small-forested area in Yishun. It was really hot and humid when we went there, and everything was drying up (hence, the cracked ground).	2. Eyes Half Shut Impromptu shot! This was taken while standing on a plastic chair dumped at the aforementioned place.
3. Painted Love I got my friend’s brother (a very patient, sweet and cooperative boy mature beyond his age) to paint a heart on the ground. I deliberately left his face out of the composition.	4. Lines & Shadows Photographed my friend’s cousin at a staircase in Marsiling. The sunlight made it looked as if he is confined to a jail cell.
5. Peering He did a great job in looking forlorn and hopeful at the same time. He was peering out of one of those unnecessary ornamental structures found at the void deck of a HDB flat.	6. Stare I managed to rope in two friends to help me out. While unintentional, this shot had a more aggressive mood compared to the first five.

Though the shots were done when I wasn’t so sure about how to use a camera, I was far from disappointed by the results!

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 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.

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 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