Category Archives: Life

Angsty Ants

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I got a call from a very impatient-sounding ant the other day…

Ant: Do you do portraits?
Me: Sorry, I don’t do formals.
Ant: But the storks recommended you. Do you do casuals then?
Me: How big… eh… I mean how small are you guys?
Ant: My head is less than 1 mm.
Me: Depth-of-Field may be a problem.
Ant: It’s not our problem.
Me: Can I use flash?
Ant: No! Jeez. Flash is not allowed in the colony.
Me: No group shots I hope.
Ant: Why???
Me: Ants are hard to control and don’t take instructions well.
Ant: Alright. How much?
Me: What’s your budget?
Ant: A few grains of sugar. They are expensive nowadays, you know.
Me:  Deal. Promise you pay me in 90 days?
Ant: Of course. I don’t live that long anyway.

So the next day I went to the designated spot under a tree and there were a few ants hanging on a cable tied to a branch. I felt a sting on my left toes and realise I almost stepped on the client. And so my job began…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

First off was Jeremiah, a worker ant originally from Tapah. He stood still long enough for me to focus on the eyes.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Selvi insisted on a profile shot and was posing too hard. She needs to relax.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f4.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f4.5, 1/250 sec

Mike, the guy who commissioned the job, was bossy as usual but was easy to work with. Problem is his wife keeps tagging along. She can be seen hiding behind. Oh well.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Instead of saying ‘Cheese’, I said ‘Sweet’ and Annuar showed me his sharp teeth.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Siew Ying was most shy and didn’t strike an aggressive stance like the others. Turned out better.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Mike again, after pushing his wife off the cable. For my next ant portraits I must bring along a tripod. It was quite tough hand-holding the camera and trying to set focus on their eyes manually at the same time.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/80 sec with flash

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/80 sec with flash

Remember I told you I don’t like doing group shots for ants. It can get really messy as they refuse to follow instructions. For this shot, I sneaked in a burst of flash from a wireless FL-36R unit held with the other hand. That also contributed to the pandemonium.

All pictures photographed with the Olympus Pen E-PL2, Zuiko Digital 35mm f3.5 Macro Lens, Olympus EX-25 Extension Tube and Olympus MFF-2 Lens Mount Adapter.

See also: The Art Of Art Filters | Layang Layang | The Bird Park | Stalking Storks

Tip: You can view larger versions of the images here, gallery-style. When the page finishes loading, click on any picture. Navigate via the arrows on each side of the frame.

1 Malaysia 0 Heart

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Almost zero. Ever since the Pulau Ketam Dog Rescue Mission, I regularly get e-mails from well-meaning Malaysians seeking advice and help in rescuing abused or injured animals. Big hugs to them.

Lately, I have also been receiving plenty of mail from angry foreigners condemning two (globally-publicised) incidents involving our citizens. One guy brutally abused his ‘pet’ dog and another girl trampled a few kittens to death. As a Malaysian, I hold my head down in shame.

To quote Gandhi (again); “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” Yes. Not by its shiny towers and shallow Bolehness. As my faith in humanity floundered further, I received an e-mail from two students from the Multimedia University (MMU) in Cyberjaya last night. It read:

“hi… there is a dog stuck in a deep hole in cyberjaya… we tried to get it out but we do not have anything to get it out with.. this is the second day it’s been stuck in there.. is there a chance you could help get it out..??”

Dog In A Hole - Lonely, Hungry & Scared

Dog In A Hole - Lonely, Hungry & Scared

Photo credit: Sello Leteane

I called the given number and spoke to Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Mililo from Botswana. They told me a stray dog had fallen into a sink hole of about 2 meters deep. It was stuck inside for two days already and crying desperately. I told them to give it some food (which they already did) while I revert.

After consulting with Wani of the NGO Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (big thanks to her for picking up the phone late at night), I explained to the students that is best to call the Fire & Rescue Department in Cyberjaya. Neither of us have the equipment nor expertise to get into that hole.

I decided to go see myself the next day. Just before my arrival, the Fire & Rescue Department had already rescued the dog and it ran back into the woods. Kudos and gratitude to the Bomba team for responding swiftly.

After the rescue, I advised Sello to cover up the hole to prevent another mishap.

After the rescue, I advised Sello to cover up the hole to prevent another mishap.

Standing Tall: Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Millio (not in pic)

Standing Tall: Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Mililo (not in pic)

Sello, Siphiwe and I felt greatly relieved. Interestingly, Sello told me that back home in Botswana, dogs and cats usually have families. Notice he said family instead of owner? I hope more Malaysians will embrace their attitude. To take action and not walk away!

Layang Layang

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Strange as it may seem, there exists a place in Kuala Lumpur where people of different race and creed have fun together, voluntarily. No script, no slogans. No propaganda, no politics. That mythical place is the Kite Park…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/320 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/320 sec

The giant white teddy bear in the sky (seated left) pushes away the dark clouds, triggering nasty stares and gnashing from the angry dog (inside gap)…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/500 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/500 sec

A shy little red kite was the first to greet the sleepy white clouds…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/800 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/800 sec

Then, one by one they soared. Dancing with the clouds, teasing the reluctant sun.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/320 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/320 sec

The eagle and the wau soon rule the sky. Traffic on the highway came to a standstill. More people were arriving, many parked miles down the road. The poor children…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/125 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/125 sec

For this little girl, the long walk was definitely worth the extra effort. Here, she can command her kite, challenge the adults and master the wind.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/640 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/640 sec

For those not into kites, the nearby lake offers a soothing retreat from the city.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f8, 1/180 sec with fill in flash

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f8, 1/180 sec with fill-in flash

This city is not that far, as you can see in the background. This friendly and pretty stranger volunteered a pose. The halo effect is an artifact of this particular art filter and lighting.

All pictures here photographed with the Olympus E-PL2 with Dramatic Tone Art Filter enabled.

See also:
The Art Of Art Filters | The 1-Minute Food Pic | The Bird Park | Driving An Ultra-Wide

Tip: You can view larger versions of the images here, gallery-style. When the page finishes loading, click on any picture. Navigate via the arrows on each side of the frame.