Alvin Leong's Workshop @ Kubah National Park

24th May, we headed down to Kubah National Park, following an outing organized by the Photomedia Club.

2 reason I went. Something different to shoot and to learn more.

Waking up at the crack of dawn was kind of an impossible feat for me as I never gotten up this early ever since leaving high school for good, aside from those few sleepless nights.

Anyway, we all got on the bus and headed up to Kubah, after being stalled for nearly 30 mins by SWATwolf, as his' clock was broken, as said by him.

So, going up the hilfl, down the hill, turning left and right, stopping and going, we arrived at the national park itself.


We have arrived.


Another group of school students were apparently having a camp at the National Park itself.

Kubah National Park is located about a few hundred meters inside, somewhere near Matang Family park, as directed by nerdrazor who knows more than I do (Its just somewhere inside after the turning. All I know was a sign saying Kubah National Park 400m.). Its like Camp Permai, minus the beach and sea water and sea breeze, and the saltyness of the air.

So, everyone clamber up towards the hill, heading to the large hall up there, and.....


Busy ants busy themselves with work.




Earlier in the morning, it was pouring and the place was quite soaked thoroughly, and it rained again.

Everyone settled down, not pulling out their equipments, chattering away while awaiting for the star of the event, whom wasn't there yet either we are too early or he's late. Either way, we all kinda did an ice breaking among ourselves, some sharing experiences of shooting and others. Others like me, went on a shooting spree.


Fanning herself from the heat, the President of Photomedia Club.

I wonder how long it was as Mr.Alvin suddenly appeared and everyone settled down and look at him as he pulled out this equipment, and plugs his laptop to the projector and sat down, giving all of us a sweeping look.

He begin by asking for an introduction. So, the president started it.


My name is ******** and I'm from ******** taking ******** course. I'm a **** year student. I like ******** and *********.

Meh. :D Don't ask.


Big bro listens attentively as everyone introduce themselves to him.


It was his turn to do an introduction of himself to everyone.



Alvin talked about what is photography, and the cameras, and all those little jargons they talk about. ISO, ASA, F number, shutter and so forth. He even explain about slr and stuff.


"The slr works by flipping the mirror up and letting light in." *proceed to show by using the marker as the mirror*



After much yakking and explaining about rule of third, and so forth, he sent us all packing outside into the scorching heat and damp forest floor, hunting for pictures worth taking using the principles that he had taught. I as usual went with what I have done before.

Time to test how well the d80 fare in forest shots.





Loiter around the place, looking under the leaves for insects and forest floor for bugs. On leaves for water droplets and tree barks for overgrowth, I found nothing that my mind can frame till I reach the asphalt road. Went low down, flat on my stomach, my trigger happy finger hits the shutter button and my thumb tweedling with the shutter and aperture, till I hit a sweet spot and.....


This will look nice if that signboard wasn't there.

I turned 180 degrees and took another shot.


Another nice shot.

I got up, squat and aim.


Swung around and took another hit.


It was then I got back to hunting something I can capture nicely.

Hunting around for a while, I found something interesting.


This little guy was the only leave on the rock, so I captured it.

Spotted a tap pipe leaking a few metres away, I couldn't resist the urge get a motion freeze frame shot, so I sat down on the walkway and capture this.


A bunch of people laugh at me when the walked pass but they have no idea what I was doing. Heard them saying I'm nuts taking photos of a tap.

30 mins went pass like a breeze and so we all went back to the hall. Since I was quite late, I took the opportunity to take this shot.



Back in the hall, teams had to present their shots to Mr.Alvin. My team members choose my shots as I wans't sure which was nice. I love em all.



While awaiting for teams to upload photos to Mr.Alvin, some people swap lens and started taking portrait shots on a prime lens.


I want!


Laptop of my fellow member. Spotted a XPS by Dell used by another team member. Boy, these people sure are serious performance users. They sure do know about their hardwares.

We hit lunchtime during that period of uploading and choosing shots. Lunch was quite decent, so I can say. It was inviting.


Fellow friend tucking heartily into his meal.


The 3 sisters, as I called them.

After 1 hour lunch break, or more, not really sure myself, we continued on.


Darn. Can't see. Tad blur from shakyness. It spelt out... "lighting". Ah, yes!

Alvin explain about 45 degree lighting and a few more which I cannot recall. My bad.

And time to head out for model shooting then.



We all got our equipment and was standing by awaiting for the models to get ready dressing themselves while I sneaked a few shots around the place on a 70mm lens.


Master speaks.


Student listens.


While some tweedle with their camera's settings and having a few test shots.

Models were ready and off we go, as Alvin lugged out his D2x (drool) and a 80mm zoom lens. And off we went shooting.

Snap snap.


Nice shot.

I feel the window was small, so turned the camera horizontally and snap.


Hey! You spoilt my shot!

Owh well, people were crowding over the place, wanting a good shot. I backup and took the photographer as my model and shot them instead.


Taking cover from other photographer's "shots" while shooting back at them.

I found a nice model, flicked the commander dail for a slower shutter and snap.
Result.

OMG! I was spotted. Time to run!

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew and I was still peering through the viewfinder, spotted this sweet girl smiling and took the snap with her hair flying with the wind.

Hey! Another fellow Nikonner.

Alvin directed the models to change place so they did. I creeped at the side, hoping to get to the front with a low shot and I was quite successful, except, they were at a lower ground than me.



After much fooling around, we went to a much more open space to take shots.


Talk to ze hand! (Meh. Spoilt shot by those wardens and the signboard.) *Alvin added saying we can photoshop them out of the pictures.*


Autumn Sonata?

Too many people crowding around the place, I steered away and rather take snaps of my fellow friends.



Next few shots are motion freeze.

My models. Way better as no one crowds around them.






I skipped 3 frames here. Too lazy to upload so many photos.


Found a nice clearing and took this snap.


Spun back and did a low shot.


Kawaii oneechan.





We all hiked back up to the hall.

While awaiting others,



Overpowered the flash. Using older flash on new SLR body is bad, bad, bad but I love it.

Alvin wrapped everything up and had a question and answer session where he showed us tricks to RAW editing and answered some questions by others.


He has become popular and people start asking him to sign the cert. I posed a fainted pose but I didn't manage to get it.


People gathered around and took shots with him.


Whacky group shot.

Awaiting for the bus arrival, I managed to chat with Alvin a little, talking about cameras and lens. I was surprised he asked if I knew any of those cosplay stuff and I enlighten him on it.

[I'll insert more pictures here after I get those group pictures he took on hid D2x and the photos of all the cameras of the participants.

Just wait.]

Then we all headed down to the hill to board the bus destined for home.

This poor bloke was dead tired, and we took a shot of him, before waking him up, which took quite a while.


*speechless* Owh well, it didn't meant anything.

Everyone bidded Alvin and his fellow partners farewell and we all headed home, in the bus.

Those few lads on the left were annoyed as I kept firing my flash and blinded on of them.


Cool welcoming airconditioning has left them in dreamland.


Being hyperactive as ever, I moved up to the front of the bus and took panning shots of a few cars and motorcycles, and I had a shot of a policecar with the policemens inside not wearing any seatbelts but it was blur cause the bus was jerked to a slow momentum.

That concludes our outing. I'll post some shots I took for my wallpaper of my computer. XD