Jordan Lye

I get bored with the shooting I did normally, when I looked at other people photos I find that their macro shot are impressing and out of the world, I wonder how can I to be like them? So I try with no flash macro for the first day, the result is not bad, after that try to shoot with tripod but with some fill in flash together with my D.I.Y diffuser, I find that these shots are much more impressing than my previous one. Most of my shots are Dragonflies are because they seldom move around and they are not camera shy. Something to share here………..

Since I move to this house, I never try a studio macro, coincidently I saw a mantis in my garden while I’m gardening the plant. so I put it in a box and start shooting it after I finish my studio products shot for a client. Mantis is always one of my favorite insects, because of the way it pose……. At first it is not so cooperative, tends to fly away a few times, slowly I think it enjoyed his session with me. I spend almost 2 hours to finish the shots after i felt a bit dizzy and sleepy. I hope this shots will impress you all.

Finally I manage to complete at least first month of my project 365. I really struggle a few times. thank god that I finish it.

1. 1/365 – A menu test shot for Yue Lai Cafe, 2. 2/365 – Can you play me a memory?, 3. 3/365 – Spirit + Music = Party, 4. 4/365 – If I can turn back the clock, 5. 5/365 Yue Lai Cafe, 6. 6/365 Good Morning baby, 7. 7/ 365 G Hotel, 8. 8/365 My Believe, 9. 9/365 Damselfly, 10. 10/365 Empire of the Sun, 11. 11/365 Softly Spoken, 12. 12/365 Focus, 13. 13/365 First Meal, 14. 14/365 When Jadon meet Ah Quan, 15. 15/365 The House Keeper, 16. 16/365 I love my wife, my son and my 50mm f/1.4, 17. 17/365 Adorable, 18. 18/365 Welcome to Kek Lok Si, 19. 19/365 The 8th Month, 20. 20/365 Sail Away, 21. 21/365 Sunday Service, 22. 22/365 Only Yesterday, 23. 23/365 Absolut \ Vodka, 24. 24/365 Nature Armor, 25. 25/365 Splash, 26. 26/365 Early awakening, 27. 27/365 Kek Lok Si, 28. 28/365 Product Shooting

I started my macro at my home garden, but I get bored with those insects, now water dam is my favorite hang out place for macro, is close and got a lot of insects to shoot for. Initially wanted to shoot sunrise, but end up with cloudy sky, since already woke up, I just spend my short morning in these shots

This is my first macro for 2010, finally I can have my own time and use photography as my hobby I have been away from macro since Nov 2009, and I yet to make myself a good diffuser. I hope these shots will entertain you’ll a bit. Nikon is launching 2 new lens today, 24mm f/1.4 and 16-35 f/4, but all i hope is a lens like canon MP-E65 5:1 macro lens. Still waiting……..

I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them. ~Diane Arbus

I was awake by some chatting noise and the sound of bus engine. Today is Saturday, for sure there will be a lot of tourists in Cameron highland. I quickly prepare myself and heading to the bees farm to avoid the traffic and crowd. At 8:23am I’m the first one who reached the farm, it was a fantastic morning because I got all the shot I want, I can take my sweet time and composed it.

We left the apartment around 11:30am, then stop by the market to buy some corns before we really heading back home. I’m enjoying every moments here, first of all I love the climate, secondly I got some good photos to put in my flickr, thirdly I bought a lot of plants and flowers and lastly I had fulfill my promise to my wife

“It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to. . . . The feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures.”
Vincent Van Gogh

I was the one who woke up earliest today, sleep late and wake up early is not a holiday prastice, I’m against the holiday rules once again. The reason I woke up early today is because I want to shoot some macro and water droplets, the weather is cold here, should find the morning dew every where. Is not an easy shot because the sun is not raising up that early, I cannot get a good exposure……. so I got a disappointing shot this morning.

After our breakfast, the first spot we were going today was the bee farm. Is not easy to shoot those bees because of the fancing, more over if I focus on photo shooting too long, I afraid the rest of them will feel bored just to wait for me. I just took a few shot and decided to come back again tomorrow morning. I was lucky to get a flying Wasp shot.

Our next visit was the Cactus farm, if you’ve been here before, you might not feel the excitement, cause is quite a boring farm , so we decided to cut short our trip. My main purpose here is to buy some plants back, beside buying plants I did some shooting for my wife and the just married couple.

After we have some desserts and rest, we were heading for 2 waterfalls which were Parit and Robinson waterfalls, it took us a while to find the first waterfall, both located around Tanah Rata. Parit Falls can be accessed from the main road at a right turning just before Brinchang Town. But it was a dissapointing one, the river bank is full of rubbish, what a shame. Goverment should take care the enviroment, especially in this tourist area. After the dissapoinment we were heading to the second waterfall, this one need to track around 1.6KM into the jungle before you can see it, but this waterfall is more convincing. We took some photos before we go.

Tonight dinner will be in Brinchang pasar malam, we bought many variety of foods, most of them are deep fry. We ate a lot of unhealthy and junk foods tonight, luckily was just for a night. I almost finished 1 box of strawberry before I went to sleep.

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.” (John Ruskin)

I can’t really sleep for the whole night because of my excitement, so I started my journey a bit early with my mum and wife. When I arrived in the butterfly farm they hinted me I got a good prize but I can’t believe myself I actually got 1st prize when they announced the result.

I feel fortuned and finally I got payback for the hardwork I did for the past one year. I still remember my mum always scold me when I shoot macro in my garden and even though my wife was not supportive at all. This prize mean a lot to me and it remind me this proverbs ” Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time. ”

For those who want to see the rest of the photos, please visit the following link:

Today is 07-07-07, is a special date, I already plan to propose to Annie on this date before I came to Aus, I show her the ring in the early morning after she woke up, as you know when you just wake up your brain still can’t function properly, so is the best time to let her say YES, before she can tell you all the “terms & conditions”.

Actually my uncle plan to bring us to the Blue Mountain, unfortunately he got flu but is good also,   we can stay at home and take a rest, to feel the “life” in australia. Since the weather is so nice, I went around the house to shoot some macro and birds. We also go for a walk with Jeffery and Eugene but Jeffery fell down the drain so we heading back half way.

In the late evening we follow my aunty to the market and buy some seafood for dinner, she bought a lot of prawn and fish and promise to cook a good dinner before we going back tomorrow. Today I really feel the real “life” in Australia, after 2 weeks for rushing, today is my best moment, can relax myself and enjoy the every little things around me. So Soon I’m gonna say good bye already, but i promise I will be back…….

1st day of July, second half of the year…… time flies……..

Since is sunday, and is a day of rest, we can go outing together with Eugene and Jeffrey.  We went for bush walking first before we went to Bondi beach after our lunch. Bush walking in quite popular in Australia, but there are some risk also, because most of the bushes are dry, we must bring water and inform ppl where we go and when expecting back. Today we are going to the near by one, just outside my uncle house. I love walking in the nature, and especially enjoy with this 2 little boys, we were having so much fun and got some interesting macro to shoot as well.

I actually very thankful that my uncle willing to spend the time to take us around, luckily I’m not going every year, if not that will bother him a lot

Bondi beach is a famous place for the rich and famous, my last visit didn’t really cover much, because that time still need to rush to Woolonggong. I was happy that this time can cover most of the places and enjoy a little time on the seaside. Some people surfing, some playing skate board, some swimming and jogging….. really full of fun and joy to see these, we some more see some dolphins swiming on the sea.

After the walk in beach we spend our time on a higher ground to see the spectacular view of sunset, the clouds and colour are stunning, i can;t wait to take out my camera and record it down, maybe too happy and nervous, I got the wrong setting on my camera……..~sign~

My uncle even brought us to the Harbour bridge to take some photos, I already plan this long before I come to Australia, if the time is late evening then it will be more perfect, now the sky is too dark, but I still able to get some shot I like.