Sunday, February 27, 2011

Portrait sessions at Singapore Botanic Garden

We decided to go to Botanic Garden for some portrait photos, as well as to test the Kodak Portra 400VC film on our camera. Our first session was in the late afternoon last Saturday. The sky was very cloudy, almost like it was gonna rain soon.

Admiré

Admiré

Somehow this shot becomes my fav...

Admiré

The scene was getting dark pretty quick. We could only finish half of the roll and decided to go back. Here is the last shot of the day by Admiré. It is not a portrait as I'm too shy to be her model.

Branches

Our second session to finish the roll was on a beautiful, sunny and breezy Sunday morning. Couldn't ask for more as we really enjoyed it!

Admiré

Admiré

Admiré

For me, the colors of the Kodak Portra are fine, vivid as its name (VC) suggests, but I'm more impressed by its sharpness. And it is pretty contrasty. If you haven't tried one, maybe you should ;)

Analox

Ps: due to some other commitments, I will be away from this blog for a while. The blog won't be inactive though, if Admiré has something to post. Hope that I could get back here soon, when things are done :)...


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Streets in Vietnam - Tet 2011

Just some snapshots of the streets in our hometowns during the Tet - Lunar New Year 2011. Interestingly, it turns out that she photographed my hometown (Ho Chi Minh city) and I photographed hers (Bac Ninh).

Last day of the Tiger Year, Ho Chi Minh City - by Admiré

Streets in HCMC

Streets in HCMC

Streets in HCMC

6th day of the Tet celebration, Bac Ninh - by Analox

Streets in Bac Ninh

Streets in Bac Ninh

Streets in Bac Ninh

Analox

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Chùa Bổ Đà - Bo Da Pagoda, Bac Giang, Vietnam

Chùa Bổ Đà

Chùa Bổ Đà - Bo Da Pagoda is situated at the foot of a hill of pines, beautiful and quiet, surrounded by walls of soil, with mountains and rivers at the distance. Everything in this old pagoda has a distinct brown soil color: the wall, the tiles, the big water jars, the plant pots, etc. The pagoda was first erected in the 11th century, in the Ly dynasty when Buddhism prospered in Vietnam. After nearly 300 years, it has been renovated many times and the current architecture style is from the Nguyen dynasty (the last dynasty of feudal Vietnam). Especially, there kept the oldest Buddhist texts in Vietnam, engraved in Diospyros decandra wood and lasted for hundreds of years without any preservatives.

Writing a proper introduction about the place may exceed my humble knowledge, so check out here for more information (in Vietnamese). However, we hope that the photographs here can be our invitation for you to visit this place in Vietnam.

Chùa Bổ Đà

Chùa Bổ Đà

For us, the most interesting scene in the pagoda must be the field of old tombs lied along the hill, which are said to be of the chief monks of the pagoda and some others.

Chùa Bổ Đà

Chùa Bổ Đà

You need to climb up the hill to visit another temple

Chùa Bổ Đà

Chùa Bổ Đà

And this is the view from the top of the hill

Chùa Bổ Đà

It was truly a pleasant trip in the afternoon and we must thank our brother & sister (Tú & Thủy) for bringing us there ;)

Chùa Bổ Đà

On our way back on the levee, we were lucky to catch a beautiful sunset by the river...

Vietnam

Sunset by the river

Technical info: Olympus XA (35mm f2.8) / Kodak ColorPlus 200
Analox & Admiré

Friday, February 11, 2011

Đền Ngọc Hoàng - Emperor of Jade Temple, HCMC, Vietnam

The Emperor of Jade Temple is located in Dakao Ward , District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The temple was built by Cantonese Buddhists who settled in Saigon in the 19th century. Aside from the historical facts and information which you can read from here, there is one thing I noticed when visiting the place two years ago: the temple looks beautiful and solemn at the midnoon, with the sunlight from above that lightens the temple and highlights the incense smoke.

So this year, I came back to the temple just a few days before Tet (Lunar New Year in Vietnam) so that the place won't be too crowded by visitors and prayers. And here is what I saw.

Emperor of Jade Temple

Emperor of Jade Temple

Emperor of Jade Temple

Emperor of Jade Temple

Technical info: Olympus XA (35mm f2.8) / Lomo LC-A 25th Anniversary Film ISO 800
Analox