Archive for the ‘POTD’ Category

POTD: Stairs to heaven at Masjid Abdul Gafoor in Singapore

Sunday, July 26th, 2015

The Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Little India off Jalan Besar in Singapore. * The information in this article was derived from Wikipedia’s article on the mosque.

The rear facade of the Masjid Abdul Gafoor is actually two stairs that ascend to the cupola at its rooftop. Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The rear facade of the Masjid Abdul Gafoor is actually two stairs that ascend to the cupola at its rooftop. Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The area in which Masjid Abdul Gafoor was built is also known as Kampung Kapor, which was a centre of business activity for Indian merchants.

The mosque also served Muslims who worked at the old race course at Farrer Park.

The predecessor to the Masjid Abdul Gafoor at the location was an earlier mosque named Masjid Al-Abrar which was built in 1846 for the South Indian Muslim merchants and Baweanese syces and horse trainers living in the area.

The name of the mosque at the entrance. According to Wikipedia, “In 1881, a deed of assignment dated 14 November 1881 created the Dunlop Street Mosque Endowment or wakaf. The two trustees were Ismail Mansor and Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hydert. Abdul Gaffoor was the chief clerk at a legal firm. The wakaf was created for the building of a mosque for the Muslim community in Singapore. The deed of assignment also placed in trust several other properties including a Muslim burial ground and a house in Race Course Road. The burial ground was closed in 1921.” Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The name of the mosque at the entrance. According to Wikipedia, “In 1881, a deed of assignment dated 14 November 1881 created the Dunlop Street Mosque Endowment or wakaf. The two trustees were Ismail Mansor and Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hydert. Abdul Gaffoor was the chief clerk at a legal firm. The wakaf was created for the building of a mosque for the Muslim community in Singapore. The deed of assignment also placed in trust several other properties including a Muslim burial ground and a house in Race Course Road. The burial ground was closed in 1921.” Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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POTD: Masjid Abdul Gafoor in Singapore Kampung Kapor

Saturday, July 25th, 2015

The Abdul Gafoor Mosque is on Dunlop Street in the Kampung Kapor area of Singapore.

The visit to the Masjid Abdul Gafoor was part of an SG50 heritage photowalk organised by Canon Singapore, that also included visits to the Saint Joseph’s Church and Yueh Hai Ching Temple. I had the chance to try out the new EOS 5Ds and EOS M3 cameras. This photo was taken using an EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The visit to the Masjid Abdul Gafoor was part of an SG50 heritage photowalk organised by Canon Singapore, that also included visits to the Saint Joseph’s Church and Yueh Hai Ching Temple. I had the chance to try out the new EOS 5Ds and EOS M3 cameras. This photo was taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Originally built in 1907, the mosque was restored in 2003.

POTD: Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2015

Friday, July 17th, 2015

Here’s wishing all Muslim friends: “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri”!

Hari Raya ornaments for the home, on sale at the night bazaar prior to the actual day. Photo taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. It was so crowded you’ve got to keep moving. The fast 65-point autofocus of the 7D Mark II enabled many shots to be taken sharp despite the hurry. Photo credit: John Tan.

Hari Raya ornaments for the home, on sale at the night bazaar prior to the actual day. Photo taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. It was so crowded you’ve got to keep moving. The fast 65-point autofocus of the 7D Mark II enabled many shots to be taken sharp despite the hurry. Photo credit: John Tan.

It’s Hari Raya Puasa today.

After a whole month of fasting during Ramadan, today is the day that our Muslim friends have been looking forward to.

A traditional henna tattoo being done on the hands of a gracious lady who accented to letting me capture the beautiful design on her hand. Photo taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

A traditional henna tattoo being done on the hands of a gracious lady who accented to letting me capture the beautiful design on her hand. Photo taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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POTD: Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Saturday, June 27th, 2015

Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower designed and built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in 1889 – as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair in that year.

Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d'Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.

Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d’Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.

At 324m tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris, and was the tallest in the world for 41 years from 1889 to 1930.

It was surpassed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building in New York City.

Roughly 80 stories high, the base is square with 125m on each side.

There are three levels that visitors can visit.

I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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POTD: Portrait of happy horses in Hua Hin, Thailand

Saturday, April 18th, 2015

Photo of the Day: Remember the horses in love in front of the train station in Hua Hin, Thailand? Here’s the close-up portrait shot of those happy horses.

* This is a different snapshot from the previous one.

The sharp details and shallow field of view of the camera and lens really impressed me in this snapshot of the happy horses just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The sharp details and shallow field of view of the camera and lens really impressed me in this snapshot of the happy horses just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Looking at them really cheered up my day!

POTD: Horses in Love at train station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Sunday, April 12th, 2015

Photo of the Day: Right at the entrance of the railway station in Hua Hin is a landscape garden decorated with plenty of interesting statues. One of these statuettes were of a pair of toothy horses laughing happily away.

Why do these horse look so happy? Could it be that they’re in lurvvv? Just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Why do these horse look so happy? Could it be that they’re in lurvvv? Just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

These horses just looked so happy!

POTD: Walk down platform in train station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Saturday, April 11th, 2015

Photo of the Day: After all his passengers had safely alighted from his train, this weary but smart-looking driver alighted and walked down the length of  the platform, proudly inspecting his train as he walked.

This smart looking train driver - is he just visiting from Bangkok, or is he homeward bound to his home in Hua Hin? What kind of life story does he have? Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This smart looking train driver – is he just visiting from Bangkok, or is he homeward bound to his home in Hua Hin? What kind of life story does he have to tell? Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

We were visiting the historic and beautiful train station in Hua Hin when the train from Bangkok arrived.

The passengers promptly unloaded and dissipated quickly from the platform.

I was lingering on the platform, snapping photos when the train driver emerged from his driver’s cabin and began walking down the platform.

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Holiday greetings: Easter 2015 – In Te Speramus

Sunday, April 5th, 2015

Easter is a special day for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – three days after his crucifixion and death at Calvary on Good Friday, as depicted in the New Testament of the Bible.

Relief on the metal door of the Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). Assuming the inscriptions are in Latin, Google Translate says that “IN TE SPERAMUS” means “wait for you” or “we trust in you”. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Relief on the metal door of the Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). Assuming the inscriptions are in Latin, Google Translate says that “IN TE SPERAMUS” means “wait for you” or “we trust in you”. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The above photo was taken of the door of the Salzburg Cathedral when I visited Austria last summer in 2014.

I hope my Christian friends had a spiritual and reflective Easter today.

POTD: Fortress Hohensalzburg in Salzburg, Austria

Saturday, April 4th, 2015

Photo of the Day: Hohensalzburg Castle is named “Festung Hohensalzburg” which means “High Salzburg Fortress” in English. The fortress is built on top of of a small hill in Salzburg, overlooking the historic Austrian city.

* Information for this article was from Wikipedia.

View of Fortress Hohensalzburg from Kapitelplatz at the foot of the hill upon which it is built. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

View of Fortress Hohensalzburg from Kapitelplatz at the foot of the hill upon which it is built. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Construction of the fortress began in 1077 at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg.

With a length of 250m (820ft) and a width of 150m (490ft), Fortress Hohensalzburg is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

View of Salzburg City from the Fortress Hohensalzburg. You can see Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) in the centre with the Salzach River flowing in the background. The golden globe statue in front of Cathedral was where the above photo of the fortress was taken from. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

View of Salzburg City from the Fortress Hohensalzburg with the Altstadt (old town) in the foreground. The Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) is in the centre with the Salzach River flowing in the background. The golden globe statue in front of Cathedral was where the above photo of the fortress was taken from. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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Holiday greetings: Good Friday 2015

Friday, April 3rd, 2015

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary. It is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians, and is a public holiday in many countries, including Singapore.

We were trekking from the Salzburg Fortress to the Nonnberg Abbey one evening on vacation when we came upon these beautiful altarpieces set into the rock surface of the hill upon which the fortress was built. It even had a shelter above it to protect it from the elements. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan, 2014.

We were trekking from the Salzburg Fortress to the Nonnberg Abbey one evening on vacation when we came upon these beautiful altarpieces set into the rock surface of the hill upon which the fortress was built. There was even a shelter built above the altarpieces to protect them from the elements. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan, 2014.

The year of the crucifixion is estimated to have occurred in AD 33.

Here’s wishing our Christian friends a peaceful and reflective Easter Weekend.