Andy Tong's Memory Box

Grand Canyon National Park

2010-10-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon National Park is known for it's overwhelming size and it's colorful landscape. Over time, the elements have scoured and carved the dramatically splendid Grand Canyon, known as one of the world's seven natural wonders. The distance from the south Rim to the North Rim varies from half a mile(0.8km) to eighteen miles(29km), and the canyon has a maximum depth of 6000 feet(1800m). This great range in elevation allows for a variety of climate, flora, and fauna; of the seven life zones on the North American continent, four can be experienced within the Grand Canyon.‏

The Golden Gate Bridge- San Francisco

2010-10-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yosemite National Park

2010-09-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Yucca Valley

2010-06-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

The Joshua Tree National Park- USA

2010-06-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

An awesome get away place from our city life. The park entrance fee is USD$15 per vehicle and it is valid for seven days. We got the annual pass for USD$30. When we hear “desert,” our mind will often link to “hot”. However, that is not always the case. The temperature in the park varies widely from season to season. Spring and fall temperatures are most comfortable, with an average high/low of 29 degree Celsius and 10 degree celsius respectively. Winter brings cooler days, around 15 degree celsius, and freezing nights. It occasionally snows at higher elevations. Summers are hot, with temperature over 38 degree Celsius during the day and 20 degree celsius in the morning.

Picture of the Joshua Tree above.

A Lady bird caught in action. An unlikely scene to be found in a desert.

Picture above taken at the Key View (Nikon fish eye 10.5mm shooting at f8).

Rock climbers can be seen almost everywhere.

The Joshua Tree is more like a private home or retreat… a super quiet place and if you are looking for a place like that, I just found one for you. With an airy space, you can bring along a chair, sit and read or go into the common area for barbecuing and chatting up people who might be nearby. The people are really nice. It's totally safe and I didn't have a single concern... an unique place, I will definitely be back.

A Moment Not To Be Missed

2009-08-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

Snapped this picture from the 13th floor of my mum's place in Bedok North. A rather spectacular Sunsets I have ever seen since young. Without second thought, I quicky mounted my Nikon 80-200mm lens onto my D70. Due to the weight of the lens, I have to get it shafted between the gap of the metal gate to avoid any possible camera shake. Picture came out well. If I had missed it, I bet I'll never have a chance to see it again in my life. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of chance... everytime when i look at this picture, it serves as a reminder to me that when chances came by don't let it slip!

Newcastle- Sydney Australia

2009-01-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Some of the favourite shots taken during the trip to Newcastle- Australia. After being reminded several times by my good friend-Alex, I had decided to put up not all but some of the pictures for the trip. More pictures will be posted for the trip once i gotta time to do so. So please stay tune...

This trip was actually a lab visit to the University of Newcastle Australia. The trip lasted 6 days. Never want to miss any chances of getting good pictures for my own collection, i decided to bring my D200 along.

Picture below is the view of Newcastle.

During the trip, I was fortunate to have some good buddies of the same course to travel together... Jowee, Kevin, Tengsoon, and of course not forgetting ALEX!("Star" of the trip). Alex really brought in a lot of fun and laugher to our group throughout the trip.

When we reached Sydney airport, the weather was not pleasing at all. First thing when the bus driver who came to fetch us from the airport said: "You guys brought the rain with you... I can see the clouds keep following you guys from the back of the plane". Ha humorous Aussies...

Inspite of the bad weather I was still able find my way to capture some wonderful shots anyway. Above picture was shot on the 2nd day. Looking out from my hotel window, I saw this interesting scene. I quickly took out my camera, carefully composed it and then snapped it!

Newcastle prides its magnificient coastline. We took a visit to the Nobbys Beach; Newcastle's highest profile beach, winner of Regional and State Clean Beaches Awards.

Closer look at the sandy beach.

Nobbys lighthouse.

Took the below two pictures while strolling along the Wharf Road.

On the last day of our trip. The same bus driver came to send us off to the Airport. It was a sunny day and a last word from him was: "See what I told you. Now you send back the rain... "

Trip to Bintan

2008-09-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Bintan is the largest island in the Riau province, area 1.140 sq. km, with a coastline of about 105 km. An unique paradise... simple life, beautiful beach, friendly people which bring us the leisure.

The Singapore Flyer

2008-08-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

I went to the Sinagpore Flyers with my wife for an evening ride. Views from the capsule is marvelous. Especially the night view of Singapore from a bird eyes view. To me, its difinitely worth it. Trust me its quite an unforgetable experience. I took the shot of the giant wheel just before the board.

What To Photograph When The Weather Is Bad

2008-06-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Right after rain, it is the perfect time to shoot foliage, forest, rivers, and waterfalls. This is because during this time, the green leaves look more saturated and alive, even leaves on the ground looks good, plus the water droplets on the leaves and flowers add more interest to your picture.

There may also be a good chance to capture a dramatic shot when the sun peeks through the clouds after the rain stops. It may only last a couple of minutes, and it will either start storming again or clear up and just get sunny. Thus, it is a few magical moments worth waiting for.

Gear:
1)Tripod

2)Rain coat
3)Close up adaptors/ lens

Tips to Protect Your Gear
You may buy rain gear for your camera but another way to go about it is to use a shower cap and put it around your camera- it's not pretty, but it works.

Photographing Babies

2008-06-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Photographing new born babies will probably be a challenge for most photographer. That may be true as newborns spend most of their days sleeping, so getting great shots of them is not as easy as you think. Generally, people like babies to be wide awake and smiling in photos. Why not try a different approach? By using a little bit of creativity, it will definitely make a difference to your shot. Here are some tips to creating great baby photographs.
Try using an apperture of f2.8 and focus on their tiny feet or fingers. You will be amazed on what you will see.Bring in probs(eg.cute toys) to the picture to add in more fun.Don't be afraid to take too many pictures. It's usually these extra photos that add interest to your baby's album. Create an interesting portfolio of photographs. Let your child be off center in a few photographs. This has aesthetic appeal. Use a diffused flash or you can use soft natural light from a side window. Below are the pictures of my little nephew Javier.

Flora & Fauna

2008-06-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

Product Shoot

2008-03-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Above are some of the shots I had experienced using a mini studio tent together with studio flashes.

Australia Scenic Photo Galleries

2008-02-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

Pictures below were taken by my Nikon FM2 film camera mounted with my favourite Tokina 28-70mm f2.8 lens. I was fortunate to bring them along with me during my trip to Victoria, else I would have missed all the fun.

All 3 pictures below were shot with an aperture of f16 which provided a good depth of fill. I waited for a few minutes on each pictures for the sun to be hidden behind the clouds. By doing so a diffused lighting was created and this was what I intended.

During the time of visit, the tide was low. By making use of the reflection of the low tide condition, I took the 3rd picture at a very low angle shot whereby the beach, the sky and the clouds could all be captured into the view finder. A creative and unique approach I think .

To understand more on the depth of field and the apperture, you can click on the "Video Tutorial link" provided in my blog.

Choosing The Right Pixel

2008-02-20T02:57:00.000-08:00

The article aim to help determine the maximium print size you can make...

If you are going to print your photo for the first time and are confused about the megapixel size, here are some of the information that might be useful in order to retain the picture quality:

4x6 prints: 1024 x 768 (640 x480 resolution is acceptable but not always recommended)

5x7 prints: 1152 x 864 pixels (1 megapixel)

8x10 prints: 1600 x 1200 pixels (2 megapixels) (1280 x 960 is acceptable but not recommended)

8x10 prints (cropped from original image): 1920 x 1600 pixels (3+megapixels)

16x20 prints: 1600 x 1200 (this is a bare minimum, for best results 2048 x 1536)

20x30 prints: 1600 x 1200 minimum, for best results 5 megapixel (2560 x 1920)

Wallet size: 320 x 240

Abstract Photography

2008-02-05T09:41:00.000-08:00