Iceland's Volcanic Ash Against The Northern Lights.

I absolutely love this photograph owned by Reuters of thick black smoke rising above Eyjafjallajokull against the beautiful natural phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. These green auroras are caused by the emissions of photons in the Earth's upper atmosphere, above 80 km (50 miles), from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited state to ground state. They are ionized or excited by the collision of solar wind particles being funneled down and accelerated along the Earth's magnetic field lines; excitation energy is lost by the emission of a photon of light, or by collision with another atom or molecule.

Enough of geeky information. Enjoy the photograph.

Melbourne in Haze.

This is the picture of the day. I love how the haze makes the silhouette of the city look so soft and beautiful. This was taken from 10/96 York St, Richmond where I held residency for half a year. I miss Melbourne everyday, the city is so vibrant, easy and dynamic. It's alleys and lanes hide little bits of mystery, surprises and quirkiness.

43 Woo Mon Chew Road, Singapore.

9 days more to go. This is a very special photograph to me. The house in the background is my old house which we lived in for 20 years from 1995 to 2005. The new owner decided to take down the house to build their dream home. From time to time since I moved out, I would go make a detour to drive past this house to just have a good stare at it. I felt as though I had left a big part of me there and forgot to pack it. One day, I did my detour and realised that they had started to demolish the house. I stopped my car, sat there for quite a while in shock, watching them slowly take down part by part of the house. The light fixtures still hanging in their respective rooms, I could see the staircase that I used to run up and down, The living room which I would watch countless hours of telly in, my heart sank. Where did all the glass panes which we had spent hours cleaning, the doors that we would slam in anger, the balcony that hung over the our front patio, where did all that go? Part of me wanted to stop them, the other part of me had already resigned to fate. Then I decided to get down and take photos of what was left, and this is the one that I took with my car in the foreground.

After this had happened, I would still occasionally drive past just to see what had been done. The mango trees had disappeared one by one, the lawn we used to play on was gone and in its place was dirt and machinery. In a year's time, a new house had replaced my old house. Something I could not relate to or make myself to like. I had even broken into the place before a gate was put up (just before it was done), from the inside, I was lost. I stood where my room would have been, stared out of the window, I recognised the view but not the room. It was strange and foreign.

Mulberries on a Concrete Pavement.

There's something so fascinating about this photo of a concrete splattered with mulberries. The beauty of the mulberry is that the tree is not outstanding in terms of looks, it's exceptionally shady and has these little berries that are hidden near its leaves. The flavour of these fruits range from the delicate (white mulberries) to rich and unique (dark purple). The sad thing about these fruits is that they will not ripen further after being picked, when ripe, they are soft, juicy, don't travel well and bruise easily. The best ways to enjoy them are to actually own a tree, or know someone that does and pick them straight off the tree, savour them neat or in a jam, with simple vanilla ice-cream or custard.

So why is this post about mulberries on a concrete pavement? We always forget the small things in life which are special. We take for granted the things we see everyday. Sometimes forgetting its touch, smell, the lovely shape and colour. Mulberries are common in temperate countries sometimes on the side of a street. It's purple dye splattered on the concrete floor is commonly seen, its fruit lying there waiting its impending doom seems just too sad. That's how sometimes I see relationships. When things were new, free and every experience fresh, you realise how unique someone is and over time, we forget what makes that person special. Our senses become dull to that person.

He/She becomes another mulberry on a concrete ground. Recognised, yet indistinct. Unique and forgotten. Wasting our time towards an end that we are uncertain of; when, how, why. Together with our compatriots, we weave a tapestry of a life forgotten, could have been beautiful, delicate, fragile and sweet with no one to savour. A potential wasted.

Beautiful Piece of Sky.

I was driving on a really hot day with a broken down car air compressor and when I looked out of the window, there it was, this magnificent piece of sky. So beautiful that I just had to capture it. It is so full of hope, breathtaking and majestic.

Hope it reminds you that we all live under the same moody beauty everyday, and it doesn't hurt to take a few seconds off your busy day to look around at your surroundings. Take it all in. Life is far too short to let these things go unnoticed, especially when there will never be another moment that looks quite the same.

Some Shots of Hong Kong.

Last weekend, I skipped out of town to Hong Kong for a few days. No matter how many times I've visited Hong Kong, the cityscape never fails to stun me. It's so beautiful. The bright neon lights at night, and in the day, the myriad of grey shades against the blue sky. Thought I'd share some of the photos that I've taken with you.

Marian Drew.

As promised, the photos by photographer Marian Drew from Australia. She takes inspirations from old still life paintings. The animals which she uses are victims of human habitation. Some are road kills, or killed by power lines, etc. She uses native animals, fruits and flowers from Australia in her photographs. I love the way she presents her point of view of how opulent our lives are (in her style of photography, beautiful table linens and ceramics) and at the expense of another's life.

It is almost morbid and artistic at the same time; transcending grief and beauty that is heartbreaking.

Sunrise at Paris.

After a long tiring weekend, seeing this photo re-energises me. It is a photo of hope, faith and peace. It reminds me that everyday there is something to be joyful for and also that I have not enjoyed sunrise in a long time.

I think it is healthy for the soul to abandon the cares of the world and just let ourselves enjoy the little pleasures in life. Focus on our current environment, our current state and take it all in. Notice everything around us from the edge of our nails to the curve of a leaf or even the smell of your loved one's hair. Let your senses be free.

Lubitel 166B.

Remember I mentioned about getting myself a medium format camera? I think this is it for now. I am after a Lubitel 166B, which takes 60mm square photos. Having 2 lenses means that the focusing lense and the one that you look through are separate. These are usually vintage deadstock or preowned as they were made in the USSR in the 1950s - 1960s and made in USSR.

The photographs from this camera has sharper edges compared to the holga and the control of the exposure is better. I love the waist level viewfinder, it completes the vintage look. The best part of it is the fact that as it is not a collector's item, they come much cheaper.

Check out this site to see more pictures taken with the camera.

Akihiro Furuta.

Look at all the happy faces. Wouldn't you want to be in Akihiro Furuta's family? He periodically dresses his family in many different get-ups and photographs of them. He always seems to capture the love and most beautiful expressions (even from his dog).

He is well known to use medium format cameras. It's so inspiring to go hunt on ebay for an old Rollei or Hasselblad and take some pictures. Maybe, a few months time, you might see my very own medium format photos here.

Meanwhile, enjoy.