Archive for the ‘POTD’ Category
Sunday, September 21st, 2014
Photo of the Day: Brought my daughter back to where I had discovered this kindle of kittens last year. Lo and behold, they were all still there sans one or two who had been adopted or died.
This photo was taken just after the cat had scuttled into the safety of this drain as it eyed us warily with its dilated eyes. It was already twilight and rather dark in the drain but the A7R didn’t have any problems getting a focus on the cat, although I had to dial up the ISO to its maximum of 25,600. The result was not surprisingly grainy but it was amazing that we even got any shot at all in that dim light! Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. 184mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO 25,600. Photo credit: John Tan.
In particular, there was one black and white cat which I had photographed previously (see below).
“陪伴小女儿重游去年拍摄小猫咪的地方，发现当时只有几个星期大的小妈咪如今已长大了。连小女儿也觉得些许感概。但看到它安然成长，却也是一种安慰。祈福它与同伴们日后也能够继续安然度日。” – 科技点心（微薄）
We had so much fun comparing the fully grown cat with the photos that I’d taken of the kitten a year ago to affirm they were the same cat – the lines emanating from the corner of the eyes, and the stripes on the forehead.
The retirees looking after the cats confirmed that these cats were indeed those kittens all grown up.
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Tags:A7R, animals, cats, kittens, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony
Posted in A7, Cameras, cameras, Gadgets, gadgets, MIL, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
Sunday, September 7th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Cliff the Golden Retriever is usually lively and enthusiastic. But why does he look so rueful today?
There’s a carnival just outside but it’s not time for Cliff to go for his walk yet. So after peering eagerly through the grills of the garden gate, he has resigned himself to the role of onlooker – resting his head on the grill to see the world go by.
* All the photos in this article were taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Cliff the Golden Retriever is a friendly fellow who loves to mix with the crowd.
Here’s Cliff looking ruefully at me while I snap his portraits from the garden.
There’s a rowdy carnival just outside and Cliff can see the kids out there.
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Tags:A7R, animals, dogs, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony
Posted in A7, Cameras, cameras, Daily life, Gadgets, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
Friday, August 29th, 2014
Photo of the Day: If you’re thinking of visiting Singapore this weekend and is keen on buying IT devices and tech gadgets, check out COMEX 2014 at Suntec Singapore.
The doors had just opened for COMEX 2014 and early-bird shoppers packed the aisles of the exhibition floor on Level 4 of Suntec Singapore. Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and Carl Zeiss 35mm F2.8 Lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Started yesterday, the IT trade show will be on until Sunday night.
You can check out some of the promotional discounts on offer by browsing selected flyers that I’ve compiled here.
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Tags:A7R, COMEX, COMEX 2014, full-frame, IT Show, photography, photos, potd, promotions, shopping, Sony, Suntec
Posted in Accessories, Audio, Brochures, Cameras, Compact camera, Desktops, DSLR, Events, events, Exhibition, Gadgets, Gaming, GPS, Lens, MIL, Monitors, Network, Notebooks, Phones, Photos, POTD, POTD, Prices, Promotions, Shopping, Sony, Tablets | No Comments »
Sunday, August 24th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Resinzbrunnen is the grand baroque fountain that sits in the middle Residenzplatz – right in the centre of Salzburg Altstadt (old town).
We couldn’t resist splashing the water in the fountain as well when we visited the Residenzbrunnen. Photo taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
It is also the fountain that Maria – in the movie “The Sound of Music” – splashes as she sings “I have confidence in me”, on her way to the von Trapp home.
The Residenzbrunnen is located in the middle of the Residenzplatz, one of the most popular tourist spots in Salzburg. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Sepia effect added with Adobe Photoshop CC (2014). Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, fountain, full-frame, Maria, photography, photos, potd, Residenzbrunnen, Residenzplatz, Salzburg, Sony, Sound of Music, travel, von Trapp
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel | 1 Comment »
Sunday, August 17th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Cavalia is an equestrian theatrical performance that leverages innovative multimedia displays and multi-disciplinary performances. It is now running in Singapore from 12 August to 14 September 2014.
* All the photos in this article (except the portrait of Alain Gaulthier) were taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
This pretty lady kept looking in my direction, so I took a portrait for her.
The production was created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of the famed Cirque du Soleil.
“Cavalia” is a fabricated word, inspired by the Spanish and French words for horse (caballo and cheval) and the English word cavalry.
Hailing from Montreal in Canada, the lavish production involves 50 horses and 46 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians from all over the world.
Since the show’s debut in 2003, some 4 million people from North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East have watched the show.
Cast and dancers of Cavalia at the end of the show. I love how the lady’s face lit up when she turned around and smiled at her fellow dancer.
There has been more than 2,400 performances over the course of ten years. The 50 horses in Cavalia comprises 11 different breeds.
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Tags:A7R, Austria 2014, Cavalia, Fuji Xerox, full-frame, horses, MBS, performances, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony, Vienna
Posted in A7, audioVisual, Cameras, cameras, Entertainment, Events, events, Fuji Xerox, MIL, Performance, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Shows, Sony | 10 Comments »
Saturday, August 9th, 2014
Here’s wishing all Singaporeans a Happy National Day.
Fireworks over the bay. Photo taken with a Sony A7R with Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Full-frame E-mount Prime Lens. Post edited using Photoshop. Photo credit: John Tan.
One highlight of the annual National Day celebrations is the fireworks, which are usually fired off in the evening towards the end of the National Day Parade (NDP) and mass display.
Here’s a video of the fireworks.
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Tags:Fireworks, Marina Bay, National Day, NDP, One Fullerton, Overeasy, photography, photos, potd, Tiger Beer, uncage
Posted in A7, Cameras, events, Holiday, MIL, Party, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | 8 Comments »
Thursday, August 7th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Nonnberg Abbey (Stift Nonnberg) is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria.
This was the convent where Maria served as a postulant before she was sent to look after the children of Captain von Trapp in the musical and movie “The Sound of Music”.
Graves within the compounds of the Nonnberg Abbey, just outside the Abbey Church. The entrance to the church can be seen in the background.
Maria Augusta Kutschera had joined Nonnberg Abbey as a postulant after graduating from college when she was eighteen.
My family and I took a stroll to Nonnberg Abbey after descending from the Hohensalzburg Fortress in the evening.
We wanted to visit the convent from which Maria came from before joining the von Trapp family.
It was really peaceful and tranquil – and free of other tourists.
As a postulant, she was requesting admission into the Abbey as a nun, which may or may not be granted.
The original plan was for her to look after one of Georg von Trapp’s daughters and return after 10 months to formally enter the nunnery.
She eventually went on to look after all of Georg’s seven children and agreed when the latter proposed to her, asking her to stay with him and become a second mother to his children.
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Tags:A7, Abbey, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, convent, full-frame, Maria, monastery, Nonnberg, nunnery, photography, photos, potd, Salzburg, Sony, Sound of Music, travel, von Trapp
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, travel | 8 Comments »
Sunday, August 3rd, 2014
Photo of the Day: Our first two nights in Austria were at the Villa Trapp, the original mansion of the Von Trapp family, in the suburbs of Salzburg.
The entrance to the Villa Trapp – where the real von Trapp family lived and played.
* All the photos in this article were taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The back of Villa Trapp with the lawn and facing the mountains. We picnic-ed for lunch here upon arrival on the first day.
I first watched the movie, “The Sound of Music” as a child and loved it – so did my entire family.
Fountain on the wall of one of the sheds on the grounds of Villa Trapp.
So when we decided to visit Austria, we jumped at the idea of staying in Villa Trapp, where the real Von Trapp family actually lived from 1923 to 1938, when they migrated to the US.
This house was not the one seen in the movie, which used two other grander houses for exterior shots and a studio set in Hollywood for the interior scenes.
The stately three-storey building was built in 1863 and has 22 rooms.
Georg Von Trapp had bought and moved to the house in 1923 with his seven children when his wife died of Scarlet fever.
Maria Augusta Kutschera came to the von Trapp family in 1926 to take care of one of the children – also named Maria.
Wedding photo of Georg and Maria von Trapp, on a mantelpiece in the lounge of Villa Trapp.
Although she was to stay for only 10 months, she began looking after the other children as well and married Georg in 1927.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, full-frame, hotels, photography, photos, potd, Salzburg, Sony, Sound of Music, travel, villa, Villa Trapp, von Trapp
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel | 6 Comments »
Sunday, July 13th, 2014
Did you know that there is an actual town in Austria which is called “Fucking”? And less than two hours’ drive to the east from Salzburg, you’ll hit the mountain named “Loser” which is also a popular ski resort.
Pit stop at Fucking, Austria. 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.
Fucking is a tiny miniscule hamlet about 40km to the north of Salzburg. This Austrian town is about 40 minutes’ drive from Salzburg.
Located close to the border between Germany and Austria, the town comprises a cluster of houses on either side of the road.
I wonder what else is not allowed in this idyllic town. But seriously, that’s just a sign to tell you that you’re leaving Fucking behind 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.
It is so tiny that less than 200m after passing the signboard that marks your entry into the town, you see the signboard that marks your exit from the town.
I’ve driven around Europe a fair bit and passed through many one-street towns – but Fucking is one of the tiniest we have driven through.
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Tags:A7, Apple, Austria 2014, Burghausen, Carl Zeiss, Franking, Fucking, full-frame, Galaxy, Germany, GO 2020, GPS, hell, iPhone, navigation, photography, photos, PND, potd, Samsung, Sony, TomTom
Posted in A7, Apple, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Gadgets, GALAXY, GPS, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, S5, Samsung, Sony, TomTom, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
Photo of the Day: We chanced upon this charming town while driving en route from Munich to Salzburg. The castle sitting on top of the hill looked majestic while the houses along the river looked so colourful and quaint.
Burghausen Castle, which has a length of over 1,000 metres, is one of the longest castle complexes in the world, sitting along a narrow ridge above the town. 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.
We were driving from Munich to Salzburg when we chanced upon the quaint little town right beside the fast flowing Salzach River, which marks the border between Germany and Austria in these parts.
This photo was one of the first few shots that took with the Sony A7 that I had brought along for the trip.
The compact full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera did not disappoint and impressed with fast focusing, strong low-light performance and good detail throughout the rest of the vacation.
This photo was taken using the Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens, which was really versatile for both street photography, portraiture and landscape shots.
If you’re looking for a compact travel camera but still desire good image quality, do check out the Sony A7.
The route that we were driving was a bit off the beaten track and we hadn’t expected to come across any touristy places along the way.
So imagine our surprise when we drove into this charming little town that was obviously a tourist destination.
After driving across the bridge straddling the Salzach, we stopped by the river bank and snapped some photos of Burghausen and its castle from across the river.
We didn’t realise at that time that by crossing the bridge, we had crossed from Germany into Austria, and that we were snapping photos of the German town from the Austrian bank.
The Austrian village on the other side of the river is called Ach and is so tiny you won’t find it if you do a search for it on Google Maps, although it’s actually marked on the map.
View of Burghausen Town across the Salzach River. By driving across the bridge, one crosses from Germany into Austria. 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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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Burghausen, Carl Zeiss, castles, full-frame, Germany, photography, photos, potd, Sony
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Gadgets, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, S5, Samsung, Sony, Travel, travel | No Comments »
