Oscar Asbanu

It was a very hot day in Adelaide. I was walking around Rundle Mall, taking photos of buskers. This guy is the last one I came across. I have seen this guy numerous times over the years busking in Rundle Mall, but never got to really appreciate what he does. This particular day he was playing the didgeridoo and drum so hard you can feel his passion for the music. The unforgiving sun was shining on him, and he was drenched in sweat. Still he carried on, determined that his music will somehow stop people in their tracks and may be donate some coins. He did. a small crowd gathered around him and some put money in his bag on the ground. It was an extraordinary sight to witness.

When I processed this photo I googled him. He busks for his passion for music,  but also he actually donates some of his earnings to a charity back in his home country West Timor. His name, is Oscar Asbanu.

"Oscar Asbanu"

"Oscar Asbanu 2"

Penangkia Photography Year In Review 2012

It seems like everyone is doing their photography year in review, so I thought I might get off my lazy arse and do mine too!

At first I thought, what should I write/include? I didn't think I had that much done photography wise this year due to very busy and stressful time at work (changed jobs TWICE this year, which is a first to me!). Then I thought, just fire up that external HDD and dig through the thousands and thousands of photos as I write this up! I guess that will work!

The first 'project' I've done this year would be when I went back to Malaysia for Chinese New Year, and I think this will be my project every year. That is if I go back, but I won't be going back during CNY in 2013 :(. Malaysia has so much to offer, and with its multicultural communities and unique lifestyle the country is one of the best in the world to take photos of. Buildings, food, people, CNY decorations, landscapes, historic places, famous tourist spots, you name it, Malaysia's got it! Here are some of the best photos that I've taken during that period, and feel free to browse the whole "Malaysia Truly Asia" album on Google+!

"Penang, Food Heaven"

"I See Land!"

"Pinang Peranakan Mansion - Living Quarters"

"行运一条龙"

I was really pleased with the results I got for that album, and I got into contact with another photographer from Malaysia Alex Lim, and together we setup the Malaysian Explorers page over at G+. However, due to lack of support and time, and lack of constant updates (partly because I AM overseas), the page has been abandoned. However it is one of the many things I would like to revive in 2013.

Well after I came back to Adelaide I've been to quite a few little photo adventures (as I like to call them) by myself. I've produced some pretty satisfying photos, but I felt that something was missing. I felt lonely.

"Summer Paradise"

"Everfresh"

"United We Stand"

In June, my partner and I went to one of the most beautiful places in Australia: Far North Queensland. We stayed in Palm Cove for a few days and that place is like paradise. No stress, just relaxing time. We did a few day-road trips chasing waterfalls and stuff, and I was really excited with taking lots and lots of photos. However, when I came home and edited the photos I was frustrated by my lack of on-the-field proper skills, with some shots that I thought would be good totally ruined. A lot of factors came in, like we went at the wrong time of day, rushing the shots and compositions etc, but I know that I have to improve more. Still I've got some pretty nice shots.

"Sunset In Paradise"

"Sunny Palm Beach"

"St Mary's By The Sea"

"Washed Up"

"Ellinjaa Falls"

The next few months proved to be my most rewarding yet. I found what I was looking for earlier in the year: a photography buddy! Edward Chew and I met through the internet, and we found out that we're both in South Australia. So we met up, and went on numerous photo adventures. I don't know if it's the company or what, but having him around actually improved my skills on the field, even though we almost never really talk to each other when shooting. And in the mean time, I was also motivated to setup my own website and this blog, even though the website has not been attended for a while (another thing I would definitely pick up again in the new year). Edward and I went on and became really good friends, all those long talks about photography and then later about life itself, about our family, friends, etc. Our friendship evolved beyond just "photography buddy". He has become my best friend. Sadly, he graduated from uni, and he has gone back to Malaysia for good. So I'm back to square one, alone in my photographic journey. I will definitely miss all the times we spent going on the photo adventures, and we promise each other that when i go back to Malaysia for holidays we will go photoshooting together! Looking forward to that!

"Secret Entrance to Hobbiton"

"Jagged Ruins 1"

"Stairway To Atlantis"

"Perfect Shot"

"Righteousness"

"O'Sullivan Beach Sunset"

"Skyfall"

Recently, late in the year, I have also taken a liking to street photography, and that is certainly something I would explore more. The results are pretty satisfying.

"Place For Style"

"Big Yellow Taxi"

"The Violinist"

And with that, I can confidently say that it's been a GREAT year for me photography wise, despite some minor hardships with my job and life. I really look forward to another awesome year in 2013, and hope that something will jump start and propel my photography career into new heights! And of course I also would love to meet and make new photography buddies!

PS: Special thanks to some people that keep on supporting me and also inspire me: my partner Alicia Tan, Everlook Photography, Edward Chew, Danny Xeero, HDR Shooter (Miroslav Petrasko), and many other great friends I've made on the internet, and of course, YOU!

Merry Christmas!

During this festive season, I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Stay safe and live well, be happy and be careful (not to eat/drink/spend too much!).

"XMas in Arcade"

Queen of the Jungle

"I am Queen of the Jungle, leader of all animals!"

"Queen of the Jungle"

"The Violinist"

When I saw this boy playing violin at Rundle Mall I knew that I HAD to take a photo of him. As soon as he saw me pointing my camera at him, he turned to me and gave me his best smile. For some unknown reasons, that made my day. It's like he has magic that makes everyone happy!

"The Violinist"

"O'Halloran Hill Summer"

I finally have reliable internet since moving into the new place, MY OWN PLACE. It feels so good!

Lately I've been so addicted to street photography, especially taking photos of buskers at Rundle Mall. However, I really miss the times when I do a little road trip to somewhere to shoot some landscapes. Landscape photography is still my passion.

You know when you see a scene and know immediately that you HAVE TO take a photo of the scene at that particular instance? I had one of those the other day. I was delivering lunch to my fiance's work and I saw this just right outside her workplace. I was lucky I had my camera with me. Some may think the brown, dead grass of summer looks boring, but I beg to differ. The brown went very well with the little bit of green that was left, and the 2 isolated farmhouse added to the scene. It was a very gloomy, overcast day, but in this case it was the perfect weather as the light is even throughout the scene, and gives the viewer a unique sense of calm.

"O'Halloran Hill Summer"

Man's Best Friend(s)

Have not been updating for about a week, it felt like forever.

Today's shots are of the dogs at the Oval near my place. It's a nice little community where everyone knows everyone, and all the dogs get well together.

Someone suggested I should try pet photography, so I gave it a try, what do you guys think?

Haystacks

We found this field of haystack on our way to Myponga Beach. I had to do a few dangerous u-turn and maneuvers to get a park, and then cross the road to get to it. However, the field is unfortunately barb-wired and we saw no way of getting any closer. Bummer.

I have considered using zoom lens to get a closer shot of the haystacks, but I've decided to go wide angle instead, just because I absolutely LOVE the mountain ranges as the background. Hope I can find more places like this in the future!

"Haystacks"

Pillars of Dreams

I just realized I have not shared this photo of Myponga Beach from the other day. This is the last photo that I took there, and it is also the ONLY long exposure photo using my ND400 filter, as suggested by Edward Chew. I have him to thank for this.

The filter usually causes a purple hue, and usually I have to fix the white balance for the photo to look realistic. However, in this shot I think it works really well. Along with the clouds and the water, the purple hue gives the shot a very dreamy feel. The more I look at this photo, the more I love it!

"Pillars of Dreams"

Painterly Harmony

Been really sick the past few days (and still sick), hence the lack of update on the blog. Life has been tough for me this week, but I'm sure I'll get through this somehow.

This is another shot taken at Myponga Beach. Even though there were too many clouds to my liking, together with the house it makes a very painterly scene. I was blown away at how nature and man-made buildings can live with such harmony and paint such a beautiful picture!

"Painterly Harmony"

Skyfall

Went to Myponga Beach few days ago with my photography buddy, Edward Chew. I have never driven that far out before, and it was quite a daunting experience.

We were quite disappointed with the sunset that day as there were too many clouds, and very little sunshine came through. We did, however, still take some shots of the old jetty remains. The results were not spectacular as there wasn't any dramatic colours happening.

This is one of the better shots I got out of that day. A lot has been happening in my life, some good and some bad. Part of me is crumbling, and the new Bond movie title (also Adele's song of the same name) Skyfall fits the description perfectly. Therefore I've named the below photo "Skyfall".

Let the sky fall; When it crumbles

We will stand tall; Face it all together

Let the sky fall; When it crumbles

We will stand tall; Face it all together

At skyfall

"Skyfall"

As I drove ourselves back we almost had an accident and almost lost our lives, if it wasn't for my trusted car.  The car was running at 80km/h on the road, which was super dark and you could barely see past 5 meters in front. Out of a sudden the road became a sharp T-junction with NO fluorescent arrow signs. Both of us saw it at the same time and I jammed my break as hard as I could, and the car stopped right before the junction. I could see another car coming from the other side but luckily we didn't collide. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my throat. We were both shaken but glad that we're okay. That was when we decided if we were to go that far out again we would spend the night there instead of driving back to town.

Therefore I must remind everyone, that when driving, always be careful and mindful of your surroundings. STAY SAFE! Till next time...

O'Sullivan Beach Sunset

There's just something about sunset at a rocky beach that is so mesmerizing. That coupled with strong incoming waves make one of the most beautiful scene ever.

"O'Sullivan Beach Sunset"

Dusk On Mars

If there's a sea on Mars, I imagine blue hour there would look like this.

"Dusk On Mars"

Brighton Sunset

In one of the previous posts I showed everyone how beautiful the Brighton Jetty is when all the lights are lit at night. Today I am sharing another photo taken on the same day, this time it is the sunset.

I am so glad that there were a lot of cloud that day that added so much drama to the scene. And I'm sure that will not be the last time I'll take photos there!

"Brighton Sunset"

The Summit

Mount Lofty has got to be one of the more popular tourist places to visit in South Australia, as it offers an unobstructed panoramic view of Adelaide. At the summit there's a tower/obelisk, and also a cafe. It is also a popular destination for runners and hikers alike, a lot of them trying to reach the summit at the best time they can.

I have not been up Mount Lofty for years, so one fine afternoon I decided to go up there (I drove, of course, with my current stamina there's no way in hell I'm climbing up there!). The weather was pretty hot, and the sun is too bright to make out anything distinct over the horizon. I tried to take some Adelaide skyline photos but with such bright lights shining directly at me it is almost impossible to produce good photos.

Therefore I turned around and took this instead. I wish I could take another step back to get a wider view and better composition, but that will also mean falling some 700++ metres down to the bottom. This is one of those moments where you're glad you have a wide angle lens!! :)

"The Summit"

Brighton Lights

Finally back to what I do best and what I'm comfortable with: HDR and landscape!

I have not been back to Brighton since my uni days, and certainly not after I picked up photography. I was up at Mount Lofty yesterday afternoon and was waiting to see if there'll be a good sunset up there, but I decided to actually go to Brighton instead (I will go up Mt Lofty for sunset another day, it's beautiful up there with unobstructed panoramic view of Adelaide, photos to come soon).

I am really glad I made the decision to go to Brighton. The sunset was nothing short of amazing, I was in awe the whole time. But what made the trip even more worth it was during blue hour (the hour straight after sunset when there is still a bit of light in the sky). The lights at the jetty lit up and cast some wonderful colours over the water, making the whole scene dream-like. And I knew I had to capture the moment and share with everyone.

So here it is, "Brighton Lights"...I swear I will go back there soon and stay longer, and may be enjoy their famous fresh hot chips!

"Brighton Lights"

Penangkia Photography's Facebook Covers

Sharing is always what I like to do, and I'm sure a lot of photographers feel the same. That's why we do photography right? To share with the world what you've got.

Therefore I have handpicked 10 of my recent photos and made them into ready-to-use Facebook Covers. Everyone and anyone is welcome to download them and use them as your Facebook Covers, as long as you do not edit them in any way at all. The files are exactly the right size and resolution for Facebook Covers, so no re-sizing or re-positioning necessary.

To download them, click on the cover you would like to use below, and it will bring you to the download link. Alternatively, You can also view and download all of them as a zip file here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pt71yy9ll1esjie/tIQXsmZXi8

 "Boom"

 "Cairns Blue Hour"

 "Procession of the Lantern Bearers"

 "Ellinjaa Falls"

 "Rich Man's Toys"

 "Sacrifice"

 "St Mary's By The Sea"

 "Stairway To Atlantis"

 "The Jagged Ruins"

"Wheel of Hope"

Enjoy!! Hope to see my photos decorating your timelines! :)

- Ken Wah @ Penangkia Photography