Category: Hobbies

Welcome to Stinky Park

Posted by lisadragon – July 27, 2010

I mean, Sg Akar Park.

I was heading to Mentiri to send Q after jogging/touch rugby in UBD and we had the windows down to cool down. Unfortunately. And as we passed by Sg Akar roundabout, there was a whiff.. no.. not a whiff, a BLAST of disgusting smell of.. well, I don’t want to say it here. But you get the picture. And this was our soon to be finished park? No way I’m going there!! O__o;; Something has to be done about the rubbish dumpsite next door and way before launch date.. -_-;;

On other news:

- My adapters arrived! Woohoo… !! :) Photos!

Taylor & Hobson

Taylor & Hobson f1.9 lens

The Taylor & Hobson f1.9 lens I got from evilbay. This was an old lens used in cinematography, now in demand after adapters were made to match the micro 4/3rd cameras. Examples from this lens on flickr was awesome!

Here’s my example:

Tree-keh

And the adapter for Nikon also arrived.. Unfortunately doesn’t AF (autofocus) at all.. =/

Olympus Pen EP1 with Nikon 50mm

And example pic:

Maggi

Nice separation, I like it. I’ve yet to bring it to test the wonderful fairylights around Bandar for His Majesty’s birthday celebration tho! Its been raining and  poor Oly is not the underwater camera! :P

Adobe Photoshop CS5

Posted by lisadragon – July 18, 2010

Hellooooo~ I finally have CS5 ! And just a quick rundown..

- Content Aware IS AWESOME!!

- Masking / Selection is much more easier!

This is going to be easier on me to cutout and removing unwanted distractions! Its not a perfect logarithm but its definitely an improvement :)

On other news:

- My Alyze is done! She’s at a customizer having her face done. She looks perfect .. can’t wait to get her home.

- My c-mount Taylor & Hobson lens is here already. Now I’m just waiting for my adapters.

- I am on leave til 24th for a much needed break. Sooo… hoping my adapters would arrive quick so I can play XD

- Am also on a Disney binge.. watched Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast and Aladdin so far =D

- Started my diet / health / slimming – aiming to lose at least 5 kg :P

So impersonal

Posted by lisadragon – July 6, 2010

For a personal blog, Murosaki doesnt feel like a personal blog anymore. I keep telling you all (and myself) that I’d write more. But I’ve been too worried, if I write too much of the normal daily stuff, wouldn’t you all be bored to death? Like “today I did this, and had that and read this.” Well, its all about how people write about it. I love how Maurina writes as well as Jan Shim, who is also a photographer like myself (but way better in expressing himself through photos AND words) .. unfortunately I dont have the talent to write creatively (or maybe lazy.. haha). Hence why my entries are sporadic.

But the reason why I started a blog in the first place was for ME. Not to please readers, but to please me, so I could look back and read about my days and remember about my days, no matter how boring it was. I wanted to re-read about what I was doing 2-3 years ago, remember that book I read or a movie I watched.

So yes, here comes the “dear diary” entry (after the cut) XD

More…

My New Oly

Posted by lisadragon – June 30, 2010

As an update to this post. Here is the big secret. I got a new toy! Olympus Pen EP1 Series, a compact with interchangable lenses. So versatile! I have been waiting for a camera of this LIGHT WEIGHT for a while. I got interested in the G10/G11 or P6000, but the photo quality is so so. One step up from P&S, no direct flash anymore, but no bokehness either.

I wanted a light camera but unwilling to sacrifice the bokehness. Along came the Canon S90 with its f2.0 lens and super light pocketability and in the pipelines the Samsung TL500 with the f1.8 lens! Great potential! Samsung has a flash hotshoe addition, but so far I haven’t seen anything like this from Samsung, so I’ll have to wait and see. (The camera was set to come out end 2010 and I would have to wait even longer for user reviews..) At the same time the new micro 4/3rd cameras were out already, Pana GF1 and Olympus Pen EP1 .. not long after .. the EP2 and not long after again.. EPL1 with popup flash!.

More research.

So, after some fangirling, and more poison by various flickr peeps, I have finally decided to get Olympus EP1. In terms of functionality, Pana GF1 wins, but I went with Oly as I wasn’t too bothered by the focusing, the body has IS, and I’m going to use it for experimentation with manual lens anyway so.. and I totally love Oly’s retro look!

My new toy (by lisadragon)
Meet my new toy ..

Quick review:

The body feels solid and I love the sharpness and contrast of the photos with 17mm f2.8 pancake lens kit. (I have not even glanced at the 14-24.. hehe). I’ve carried it everywhere in my bag and the thought that I still have a decent camera when out and about without my D90 is a reassuring one. I spent the first few minutes being “sakai” over having bokeh from a compact camera!

Some of my test shots of the first 24 hrs…
Please let me in.. (by lisadragon)
Contrast!

O_- (by lisadragon)
Night time test
Rocking the Bokeh (by lisadragon)
Rocking the Bokeh at f2.8 !

What’s next?
I’m getting some adapters from EvilBay and will test out Sigma’s f1.4 with it. I want an f1.2 anything! And for my birthday an f0.95? Hahaha~ This is taking a big chunk out of my savings for NZ Rugby WC 2011..

Italy is out.

Posted by lisadragon – June 25, 2010

I can’t believe it!! The team I’m supporting, been supporting since I know about World Cup (definitely after Maktab Sains days) .. is out of the world cup in the first stage! Hello Champions 2006.. what happened?? Sigh.

I’m determined not to let that bring me down, so had Adik helped me to take photos. Late morning light was pretty nice!. Too lazy to set up the tripod/timer/retaking again and again business today.

Sometimes I have to keep on..

Its a preview of what’s to come in my flickr. Stay tuned :)

Going Miniature

Posted by lisadragon – June 10, 2010

As an update from my previous post.

I received my tiny doll more than a week ago. She is the tiniest bjd I’ve owned! At only 11cm tall. My smallest had been Lati Green Lea, a 26cm tall boy.

Aww cute.. (by lisadragon)
Here she is at arrival

Super tiny <3 (by lisadragon)
She fits in my hand!

Introducing, Kasih (PP Pipi) (by lisadragon)BRB, pattern making (by lisadragon)
I made her a fur wig (my first time sewing a fur wig – amazing what anyone can do in desperation >_< ) and made her a dress

Kay, my sweet tiny girl (by lisadragon)
Complete! Sewing for her is difficult as way too tiny to machine sew!

Apart from that, I’m playing (and taking pics) of my other toys as well. 2 months ago I bought 4 capsule with robot figures in them and I haven’t gotten around to taking their pics..

Introduction (by lisadragon)
Here’s one with Kay. I’m not sure what they’re called. Drommel or some sort?

——————————-

In other news, I had a talk with airbiscuit the other day and I’m inspired to do more with my photography. Its an on and off thing. But his story about the scene in Korea during his trip at the ASEAN-Korea art was so motivating. I truly wish I can be selected for next year’s! Until then, I have to do something more in my style of photos. Concepts, manipulation and self expression.

Which makes me wonder if anyone likes seeing these types of photos. What’s your favourite styles? :D

Seamstress Again

Posted by lisadragon – May 28, 2010

The Seamstress (by lisadragon)

I have recently sold my wideangle lens, probably some more camera stuff. I’m not inspired in photography at the moment.. People go thru it, I’m sure you’ve gone thru it.

To my flickr contacts, just a heads up. There wont be many Self Portaits (if any) as I’m concentrating on my BJD hobby I’ve left neglected for 2 years now. I find peace in it, and that’s what I need right now. Some parts of my life sucks and this is my escape. Photography doesnt help, so hoping by creating stuff, does.

E-siput again..

Posted by lisadragon – May 8, 2010

Sigh, internet is so slow at home, i’ve resorted to going to Blue Eden for my internet fix. Yes, I cannot live without internet. Lols.

I haven’t done any of my to do list.. gah :( I’m still waiting for stuff I bought from etsy and ebay as well .. dum de dum .. no more shopping cos I need to clear the cc before June. I think I’ll do what my sister does, get a cashcard and buy stuff that way :D

Q Selfie (by lisadragon)
Q self portrait using 50mm

Yesterday (Friday) went on a quick roadtrip to Miri to accompany the Bebeh to look for his boots. He likes wearing boots =P I picked him up at 8am, arrived in Miri at 10.30am .. this and that and back in BSB by 4.30pm. Quick eh? Unfortunately we didnt find any, so continued on our shopping trip to Manggis Mall and Yayasan.. sigh, no luck either. We decided to go back at rest, arriving at home by 7pm. Haha far different from my usual Miri trips where at 7pm, I’m still stuck at the border. Yayness for no immigration queue~

What I did get was a new book “Blue Blood” by.. erm.. forgot, but yes, you guessed it, another vampire story. Synopsis sounded interesting though, so I got the first book of the 4 series. I got through the first chapter last night and it was a different take again on vampires. I think I’m an expert already on dragons and vampires stories and how different authors spin their take.

Dragons for example, Kate Forsyth did a changeling type dragon, Melanie Rawn with her Sunrunners communicating with dragons, Anne MacCaffrey with her planet of Pern and dragons as destroyer of Thread, Eragon and of course the famous dragons of DragonLance series. I believe dragons are much more open to different interpretation.. hence the many styles, but i like them all, mostly.

Vampires on the other hands are mostly standard nocturnal creatures who only comes out at night, and the rest gets played around with, such as allergy to garlic, crosses, have to sleep in coffins or not, how they were turned. I respect authors who experiments with the different characteristics but there’s only so much you can change until it doesn’t sound believable. Eg: Meyers who wrote Twilight. Hmmm vampires who comes out in the day and SHINES like crystals, ugh. I mean, I prefer Anne Rice, her formula works. Her Lestat is believable. But Edward Cullen? .. is downright rubbish. Sorry Twilight fans. I prefer having believable characteristics..

So what books do you love? :D