Bird + Dylan

Our colleague, Elizabeth is a consummate professional in front of the camera and takes regular outfit-of-the-day photos so Rebecca and I thought that it would be good practice if we did a couple shoot of her and her boyfriend.  Of course, it helps that they look like models!  

I have to say though, as couples go, they were so easy-going and fun to shoot (much like Ben and Amanda).  The day started off cool and got disgustingly hot as the morning wore on but Bird and Dylan were up for anything we asked them to do, including rolling around on a muddy river bank on a sticky picnic mat.  Their outfits also really made the photos pop, and I love the results.  Rebecca and I were amazed at how Dylan's face looked exactly the same in every shot no matter how tired or hot he was.  Modelling contract, anyone?

We took the first set of shots just outside one of the GB domes before wandering deeper into the gardens outside.  In fact, Bird and Dylan were so relaxed that we had time to break for brunch and enjoy pastries and pancakes before starting out again.

One of my favourite parts of that day was practising taking pictures into the sun using manual focus.  Clearly, the results are not always great but I feel like if I can just get the focus under control, I'll be there.  The colour of the picture is exactly what I want, so I suppose that's half the battle won.

We finished off by the Dragonfly Lake so that we could try getting a shot of their reflection in the water.

Apparently, Bird printed and strung some of the photos up into bunting as a birthday present for Dylan a couple of weeks ago, so I guess they liked them too!  Thank you so much for all the time and effort, guys!  It was a blast!

If you can't beat 'em...

Last month, in all the heat and rain, the garden was filled with little critters.  Rebecca was at my house when I took this photo of a rather sizeable grasshopper next to the fish trough.  At first, I'd recoiled - horny, bristly grasshopper are not my favourite animal - but then I grabbed my long lens and we pretended briefly to be Nat Geo photographers.

A few mornings later, as I was stumbling around getting ready for work, I saw a Lyssa Zampa the size of my hand chilling under the storeroom eaves.  (Singapore's been swamped with them of late!)  The long lens was still lying ready on the table so I blearily wandered into the dark to grab these.

Damn, nature!  You scary!

Tulipmania 2014, Part 2: Bigger

Apart from the macro shots I took at Gardens by the Bay this year, I thought I'd share some of the other ones that I took of tulips.  The colours were unbelievably vibrant this time round; the bed of creamy white juxtaposed with hot pink made my heart sing.

I can't tell how I feel about these furred petals.  I don't know if they're pretty or grotesque, but I can't stop looking at them. (Which I suppose is much the same way I feel about Nicholas Cage.)

These tulips though, are a big yes.  They are so deliciously purple they're almost black!

The cloud dome was misting when we got there, so we had a refreshing walk amid the orchids and ferns.  Everything was juicy, and dripping and green.

Aftewards, my brother, HS wanted to take some pictures at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple so we slogged over in the blistering heat.  It was decorated quite prettily for a spring though, so the walk was worth it...

... and of course, more worth it because Maxwell Market and the best goreng pisang in the world are right across the road.

The uncle in the coffee stall made me a beautifully creamy iced latte (he was very embarrassed when I told him how nice it was) and we sat in the car and drove home with the air-con blasting, munching our pisang and inhaling our drinks.  What more could you want?

PS  I have no idea how some bloggers so easily take pictures of their coffee and their feet.  I took this one as an experiment and had to contort myself very uncomfortably while HS muttered and rolled his eyes at me.

Also, in the blurry background are my new Birkenstocks, probably my most expensive experiment ever.  I've been wanting a pair of good walking shoes that are somewhat orthopedic but don't make me look like I'm a nurse and so I bought these. 

I knew they would be uncomfortable at first so I've been aggressively breaking them in and I hope that as I'm traipsing around Europe right now, they're not giving me any trouble.  The arches still hurt a little but then, they probably always will.  Such is the curse of flat feet.

Is it bad that I love the way they look?  At any rate, at least I'm backpacking round Italy looking like a granola-eating, maxi-skirt wearing hippie.  Can't nobody put a price on that.

Just a pebble

So here's the plan.  Here's how I plan to tackle four countries over one month.  I don't think I've ever packed quite so light before (that's my regular-sized backpack right there) but I also think I could pack lighter still.  

Inspired by tales of people going 17 days with just a handbag, credit card and toothbrush, I decided to doff all the things I would usually include including extra sweaters and t-shirts, my laptop and dozens of stationery items.  In the words of my friend David though, I didn't skimp on underwear.

I feel a bit nervous, but also oddly free.  Maybe next trip, all I'll really need is the backpack.  I'll let you know.