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The recent forum discussions on smartphone cameras can get even more dramatic than the most extensive "equivalence" argument on DPReview forums. It is true that in terms of smartphone wars, it is no longer just about specifications or what the smartphone itself can do (everything is about the same, having powerful processor with fluid, smooth operations, long enough battery life and beautiful, large responsive touch screen capabilities). The war centers on the camera prowess and feature sets, plunging smartphone photography right at the center of the most heated debates everywhere. Pandan Soda.  The popular topics being how the newer smartphone cameras can finally take photographs at night (as if the older ones suddenly stopped functioning) and that the newer iterations are replacing actual dedicated cameras. The brand wars can get quite aggressive with camps from Huawei championing their multiple camera module setup versus other alternatives out there, while Samsung claims t...

When I tried to recall when was the last time I changed my blog layout, I honestly could not remember. I must have been using the same theme on this blog for more than 5 years or more! I just thought I should give it a simple face-lift and a much needed refresh for a more modern and updated look. The previous layout did seem a little dated. The new layout is a work in progress and still requires some fine-tuning, so do expect a little hiccups along the way for the next few days until all the kinks have been ironed out. Do bear with me. Photo by Jason Lioh Also, I do have a Youtube Channel, and this may come as a surprise to many. A fun fact for all: I have owned a Youtube Channel since before Google bought and acquired Youtube on November 2006. Yeap, I have had Youtube for more than 10 years. I have also a few hundred videos which may or may not be related to photography. I have spent a huge amount of time removing non-photography relevant videos out of my channel and have a cleaner, m...

It is no secret that I am a pork lover and I eat all things pork. A few days ago, I was fortunate to be invited for an exclusive tasting session at ANTE , a highly acclaimed premium pork specialized restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. God knows where have I been all this time, missing out all the porky heavenly cuisines ANTE has to offer! The highlight dish was Pork Rendang Nasi Kerabu.  Pork Rendang Nasi Kerabu ANTE's Pork Rendang Nasi Kerabu   will be available as limited edition lunch feature from 11am to 3pm daily throughout 1st August to 31st August 2018 at RM23.90.  The combination of Pork Rendang with Nasi Kerabu was quite surreal and undoubtedly a great match. That was something I never saw coming. I have always been a fan of the traditional nasi kerabu, having vivid blue rice served with a plethora of accompanying condiments. Furthermore, rendang, both chicken and beef have been my comfort food and these dishes are unmistakably uniquely Malaysian. It is then fitting to...

I have a few Olympus cameras at the moment. The old and dying OM-D E-M5, which I have retired from active duty, the two E-M1 (original) bodies strictly for paid assignment and serious work, and an E-M10 Mark II which currently had a faulty screen (due to a nasty fall during a demonstration in one of my workshops). Oh and also an E-P5 which has stayed with me and strangely, of all my flirtations with different cameras over the year (there were Fuji X100, Sony RX100 series, Panasonic GM1, Panasonic LX100, etc) the one that I ended up keeping was the E-P5. Image was shot with the humble Motorola G5S Plus smartphone. Not too shabby for a budget friendly smartphone camera, eh? The E-P5 lacked a built in EVF, which I believe, otherwise would have made it a perfect street photography camera. The add on EVF unit made the shape look a little strange, and obviously compromised the overall sexiness of the PEN camera. That aside, the E-P5 had everything that I needed for street shooting: blazing f...

I know I have been blogging about Kuching food quite frequently since I have been returning home more often these days. However, I find myself loving the food shots I have taken each and every time I was home. There was just something about Kuching food that you cannot find elsewhere. And they are super photogenic too. All images were shot on Olympus PEN E-P5 and M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 lens Sarawak Laksa Chong Choon Cafe, Padungan.  Kolo Mee Kim Joo Cafe, Ewe Hai Street Kolo Mee (red version) KY Cafe, Sekama Belacan Bee Hoon Song Kheng Hai Food Market, Padungan There were a lot more food that I feasted on when I was home recently but most of the time I was too hungry I ate the food upon serving. I find myself going back to these same places to get my Sarawakian food fix. I personally think the Laksa and Kolo Mee at the above recommended places are super awesome and among the best around in the city.  If you have not been to Kuching you should deifnitely make a short trip just to tr...

Featuring Six Feet Under, not listed in the regular menu and available upon request from myBurgerLab. Shot on Olympus 45mm F1.8 lens. Not only it does wonders on people shots, but it creates surprisingly handsome burger close up portraits as well. 

OBSCURA is the largest photography festival in South East Asia and they run photography Masterclass by experienced industry experts. I personally know the organizing team of Obscura and also some of my photographer friends have participated in their Masterclass before. This allows me to interview these photographers and I shall be featuring them in this and following few articles, sharing their experience being in Obscura Masterclass. To find out more about Obscura Festival of Photography, kindly go to their official site here.  How did you get into the photography world? I picked up an old, used FED5D Russian camera to try out the film look. Also because it was the cheapest one I could find as a student in secondary school then. I found a group of KL street photographers on my very first shoot sat down with them, asked if I could join the next thing I knew, I started shooting with them. Robin's note: I was in that group of street photographer's and I remembered being amazed by...

I am not sure if I make any sense in saying that it is more difficult for me to shoot photographs of people that I personally know in real life, versus strangers. Shooting random strangers on the street has always been a touch and go affair. I found someone fascinating, either with interesting facial features (facial hair, nice smile, soulful eyes, etc) or unusual character (choice of clothing, doing something cool) and I would approach them and triggered the shutter button merrily, without much thought. We may exchange short conversations and the encounter ended just there. However, when it comes to shooting friends, family or anyone that I know, I think I have the fear of "what if they do not like how they look on my photographs?". Nevertheless, that did not stop me from taking the risk, and still point the lens on my friends anyway, with only willing participants of course. Recently my dear friend Georgette Tan visited KL after her work trip to Berlin, and I attended her p...