Dong Zen CNY Light Show 2011

When I arrived at the Dong Zen Buddhist Temple in Jenjarom, a storm was already brewing. Which was all well and good as the dark clouds and rain added another dimension to the light show. The new Olympus E-PL2 handled the tricky lighting situations quite competently. As the camera was fitted with a fixed-focal pancake lens, I had to do a little bit of manual zooming with my legs…

The Dong Zen Temple

The Dong Zen Temple. Olympus E-PL2, ISO 640, f2.8, 1/250 sec

Here, I needed a relatively fast shutter speed to ‘pause’ the rotating rabbits.

Aisle To Buddha

Aisle To Buddha. Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/10 sec

I was having a hard time trying to align the shot when I realised the paper mache pagodas aren’t perfectly straight. Maybe it was the wind 🙂 Nevertheless, this is a beautiful entrance to the Buddha Memorial.

Reflections

Reflections. Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/13 sec

When the rain stopped, the sky was already pitch black and I had to quickly get this shot before the puddles on the ground dry off.

Magical  Wonderland

Magical Wonderland. Olympus E-PL 2, ISO 200, f13, 1.3 sec

I like how the visitors with camera freeze up in this very slow exposure.

Arch & Tunnel

Arch & Tunnel. Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f8, 1/5 sec

If you noticed, I shot mostly with a small aperture (big ‘f number’) where possible. This gives it the wide depth-of-field but a tripod is required.

Handsome Fler.

Handsome Fler. Panasonic LX-5, ISO 500, f2.2, 1.8 sec

Turns out the pancake lens (17mm f2.8) is a delightful lens for street photography. I brought along a tripod fitted with a fluid head in case I wanted to shoot some videos.

See also: Dong Zen lantern & Flora Fest Revisit | Chinatown Temple with E-PL2

Getting There: MyCen Map to FGS Dong Zen Temple in Jenjarom

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.

Nine Emeperor Gods Festival – Part 2

I have been photographing the Nine Emperor Gods Festival for a long time and this year is particularly challenging. With this new blog, I am displaying pictures captured in  wide-screen (16:9) ratio. The newer format requires a liitle more effort when composing but when framed properly; the images are unique and tell the story differently.

Deep Devotion

Deep Devotion

Some subjects lend itself to the wide format. The extra space allows the inclusion of the peripheral activities while keeping the main subject tight.

Dragons Into The Sunset

Dragons Into The Sunset

Although traditionally it has always rained during the festival, the sun was very intense today. Dialing down the exposure created the silhouette effect of the dancing dragon.

A Warm Feeling

A Warm Feeling

The dusk sky was a spectacular orange but I needed to get the colours into the faces as well. The solution was to swivel the external flash head and bounced it off a red cloth hanging behind me.

No Place Is Sacred Anymore

No Place Is Sacred Anymore

Earlier in the day, a scuffle broke out between rival lion dance troupes. Profanities and fists flew freely.

Babes Chimp, Too

Babes Chimp, Too

Chimping is the act of lowering the camera from the eye and checking the LCD screen after every shot. Nothing wrong with this digital age habit. I come from the film days where I sometimes don’t see the results for days until the rolls are processed. Since old habits die hard, I seldom check and just fire away.

Backstage

Backstage

Backstage at the opera, it was a bitter-sweet moment. The same opera has performed since I was a kid and many of the performers have retired or are retiring soon. The wide  viewpoint was tricky behind the scenes but turned out to be visually effective and powerful.

See also: Nine Emeperor Gods Festival – Part 1

More Of My Pics & A Map: Mycen Map Of Nine Emperor Gods Temple in Ampang

Nine Emeperor Gods Festival – Part 1

The nine-day festival begins today at the century-old Kau Ong Yah Temple in Ampang. There will be plenty of rain and fire in the days to come. Here are some pics from the ‘eve’ last night when things were less crowded and smoky…

Prayer Hall

Dress Code Forbidden

The Little Pilgrim

The Little Pilgrim

Hot Friends

Watching His Friends Burn

How to get there: Mycen Map Of Nine Emperor Gods Temple in Ampang

See also: Nine Emeperor Gods Festival – Part 2