Showing posts with label orchard road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orchard road. Show all posts

Monday, July 02, 2012

Using T64 film : a cat, old buildings, and some graffiti



Camera: Superheadz also known as Vivitar Ultra wide&slim
Film: Fuji T64 Pro Tungsten 35 mm (expired)

Location: Singapore - Orchard Road, Everton Park, Serangoon North

Film is Cross processed C64 at Shalom Photolab, Bras Basah.
Film bought at Triple D, Burlington Square.

It feels so good to just say "I would like it to be cross-processed, C64, please."

Tungsten films were originally designed to take indoor shots, based on their high contrast. In the past, all major brands of films produced tungsten type films. And noticing the open-mouthed look of stupefaction the Expert-Uncles-at-photolab gave me when I handed them a roll of T64, I felt quite special inside.

The Expert Uncles looked like they reminisced the past as they asked me where I had found this film. Expert Uncle One told me he has not processed this film for ages! Expert Uncle Two told me about the effect on the white parts of the photo. "You see, the white part, becomes non-white!" I really felt a sense of camaderie after seeing the look on their face that told me they felt a sense of nolstalgia after helping to produce my photos.

The Expert Uncles told me to buy up many rolls of this film and store it in the fridge after putting them in a ziploc bag.





There are many Velvia film lovers out there and my interest was sparked to see what sort of 'purplish' and 'pinkish' effect could be produced. I wanted to try this roll out at different brightly-colored places and so on a super sunny Sunday afternoon I brought a friend out to the skate park in Orchard Road to capture also the bright designs of graffiti artists.

On a separate occasion, I did a lunch-time photowalk through the lovely, well-preserved old buildings in the heart of the city.



A pinkish cast was given to all the originally-white areas in my photos, as predicted, the plants, sky, and green or blue colored objects had a turquoise hue; more interestingly to me was the skin-tone, both of us appeared to have a pinky tone on the skin, well, I found it flattering as it accentuates my dark hair!

In places where there was no direct natural light though, the photo turned out completely dark.





Most liked effects:
1. Details on white-on-white buildings became quite outstanding and gave the building a more 3D effect, compared to other films.

2. The sunlight/lens flare is not so harsh, in fact it seems gradual, and the sky turns an awesome shade of medium blue.

Verdict: I cannot gush more about the pinky and purple tones, nice gradient effect.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Saturday afternoon (sábado después del mediodía)


So, it was a normal Saturday in Singapore, just like any other.

The only difference for me was that the past three Saturdays I had been away, overseas, in a little attempt to not face the monotony of having a lifeless job and an even more lifeless weekend. "Just be happy", was the exact phrase that was said to me by the closest person in my life. So I did try.
Trying out the role of being a frugal traveler for the first time, I secured free accomodation and 'volunteer' work for 2 weekends in Malaysia, and previous trip was kindly paid for in advance by a friend who brought 4 of us to Hong Kong.

A few weeks ago I had planned to meet a traveler from Valencia, Spain; who was in Thailand, Chiangmai for these months and had to stop by Singapore for the visa renewal. He came dressed thai-style and looked like he loved the place he was in very much, so much that I became quite curious and have made a pact to visit it too, soon.

So only having one day in Singapore to spend, I had a few places in mind to bring him and myself. I haven't been to Orchard Road for ages and a Frenchman who heard me bore him along the lines of "I love baguette/other european style bread" had recommended me to go to Scotts Square Maison Kayser, they have authentic French style breads and pastries there. We went, I had a honey flavored bun stuffed with cute cubes of candied orange peel and it was mmmmm! Just thinking about having it again makes my stomach growl.

And then also, the Orchid Gardens. It was quite an intensive walk through Botanic Gardens after the Orchard Road route, to reach there. And it was huge, honestly, I never thought I would see so many varietals of orchids in my entire life... I like purple flowers a lot, so just seeing the various hues of purples made me quite hyperactive and I was bounding down the roads despite unbelievably sore legs!

Going out with someone who is in Singapore for the first time makes you see the place excitedly like through the eyes of a child. You also notice the bad things perhaps, the rude people in the MRT train, the things that could be done better. We caught the Marina Bay Sands Light show (it is on 8 pm and 9:30 pm) and it was my first time watching it. 

At the end, we did so many things in one day.
It was a little drama the next day when he had to spend half a day more in Singapore... ...but that's another story for another day.

Our route:
11:30 am:
Tiong Bahru - Yong Siak Street
1pm:
Scotts Square Maison Kayser - Orchard Road - Somerset H&M, Mandarin Gallery - Orchard Road walk to Botanic Gardens
3pm:
Botanic Gardens - Orchid Gardens - Tanglin Mall
7pm:
Marina Bay Sands Olympic Walk, Marina Bay Sands Light Show, hang out at the Louis Vuitton island floating platform, met friends at Marina Bay Link Mall.
12mn: zzz...
 "I wonder what the neighbors will think"





My current obsession is with these mirrors. Each time I see one I cannot help taking a photo, heehee.
This photo is so funny!



Orchard Road, free coffee just when we needed it; and a busy intersection just outside H&M.




Botanic Gardens sights





Camera: Superheadz  also known as Vivitar Ultra Wide&Slim (Retired my Harikin and now using Kumo san)
Film: Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 35mm / Lomography Color Negative 800
Location: Singapore, Botanic Gardens, Orchid Garden, Tiong Bahru, Yong Siak Street, Orchard Road

Film is processed at Triple D, Burlington Square.

The backstory, "prequel" to this post:
http://www.spiriteddesigns.blogspot.sg/2012/06/one-small-dream.html