A Day at Singapore Zoo

Singapore zoo has two white tigers in its collection. They are magnificent.
All but the last three photos in this post were taken and post-processed by Natalie Hitchens

African Warthog

Wild dog in motion

BabirusaA type of pig found only in Sulawesi.
The top two incisors actually grow through the top of the pig's snout

Keeper hand-feeding a red panda

The Zoo's new River Safari exhibit is very impressive

Malaysian Tapir

Red panda

Jia Jia, a female Panda, enjoying a bamboo stalk snack

Pink flamingo

Scarlet Ibis

Emperor Tamarin

Baby spider monkey

White-faced Saki

Look at me
A back-flipping Manatee

Small-clawed otter

Pink flamingo

Victoria crowned pigeon

Young proboscis monkey

Bornean Orang Utan

Sumatran orang utan

Sumatran orang utan

Sumatran orang utan

Banded water monitor

Lesser mouse deer(it's neither a mouse nor a deer - and it's the size of a cat!)

Fruit bat

Here's a magnificent male mandrill(Pic by Robin Nichols)

And here's a shot of the back end of the same mandrill displaying some truly surreal colouration
(Pic by Robin Nichols)

A pair of red lories(Pic by Robin Nichols)

In SIngapore: Nasi Padang Breakfast

When in Singapore you really have to try all the different options for eating. 
The first question most Singaporeans will ask you is; 'have you eaten yet?' which indicates how important food is in this tiny equatorial country.
This is an Indonesian Padang breakfast. All pre-cooked. You choose how many inclusions you want to pay for.
From top left: fried fish, fried egg, deep fried tempe, potato cake and fried tofu with veggies and chilli.
With sayur goreng (fried veggies in coconut milk) in the middle. Yum! $4.50

Shopping in Singapore: A Medication for Every Eventuality

This curious muscle oil caught my eye while I was shopping in a Chinese Emporium near People's Park (shopping centre) in Singapore this morning.
I was intrigued by a product that claimed to be able to "Conquer all demons..."
Amazingly the brand is called Chop Blackie Embrocation, which in many Western cultures would be found to be highly offensive.
According to the packing the recipe has been handed down from "an Indian herbalist from Calcutta" and, according to the splendid paper certificate this came with, "...has proved to be popular in numerous Oriental households and among seamen..." (?) reducing irritation from everything from sciatica to cuts and bruises...

I think this company likes to ride on the success of the famous Haw Par brothers (who invented Tiger Balm).
Tiger Oil (which actually contains no tiger parts at all) claims to fix "rheumatism, insect bites, cuts, wounds and 'bees stings'...."

Shopping at 36,000 feet

Although I never buy anything from the in-flight duty-free shop, I usually find the catalogs for the products a reasonable way to kill 10 minutes while the aircraft is waiting to take off.
Tuesday's flight to Singapore was no different except for the fact that this brochure seemed to outdo itself with a range of products with near-criminal claims to stop the aging process.

From anti-wrinkle products, to eye rejuvenation devices, energy sticks, and even a product that employs something called tillandsia usneodes (Spanish Moss) to add a natural 'moisturising factor' (i.e. 'add water to'...).

You could also order a 3.8kg Le Creuset pan for $400 (presumably not held onboard because of the extreme weight), a very desirable 'extreme passport holder...' as endorsed by Hugh Jackman (Yup, it's a wallet) from Mont Blanc, a travelling display case for your auto winding wristwatch collection, prams, $1,200 suitcases, scan-proof wallets, card safes, a $5,310 rooster statue, and a Hello Kitty doll for $35.

My personal favourite was the rejuvenating socks at $45 a pair which produce "healthier looking skin and nails in just 4 weeks. A great travelling companion too!"   I can't wait...

February Shipyards Shoot

Here's a small sample of images I shot at the Heritage Shipyards on Feb 18 using an Olympus Pen-F. It's sort of a full circle for me as I used to own a half-frame Pen-F in the 70s - and now I can go fully digital with a camera that looks as if it were designed, well, in the 60s. First impressions is that this is not only a great looker but also a very capable, fast and feature-full mirrorless camera.

All the shots here were processed using Aurora HDR Pro from five bracketed, or single RAW files.

Soft drink recycling. (Five frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Interior of the ferry Kanangra
(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Kanangra exterior
This was shot with the Olympus Zuiko 12mm f2 lens which shows some barrel distortion
(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Looking down into the Hopetoun's boiler room(Single RAW file processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

 

Pointy end of the ferry Kanangra(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Shipyard
Because the Olympus fires at up to 10 frames per second it means you can shoot HDR bracketed exposures without a tripod and still get exceptional registration in the HDR process.
Something you can't achieve nearly so easily using a regular DSLR at 3 or 5 frames per second.
(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Kanangra interior view

John Oxley on the dry dock
(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Close up of gear transmission
(Single RAW file processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Toolbox(Five bracketed frames processed using Aurora Pro HDR)

Japan Photo Tour 2017

I now have the final price for this year's Southern Sojourn: Japan Photo Tour, 10-28 November, 2017

Itinerary in brief:

Provisional itinerary
(Please Note: dates, times and locations may change subject to availability, access, flights and local holidays)

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Arrival Day

Osaka (Suggestion: Jetstar from Sydney via Cairns. Arr: 19:30

Group met by tour leader and escorted to hotel (via express train) in town.

Overnight Umeda, central Osaka

Day 01

AM: Osaka castle visit (escorted, via subway)
PM: Walking tour of Shinsekai suburb in afternoon/evening (Shin-Imamiya JR stop)

Overnight Umeda, central Osaka

Day 02

AM: Morning local express train to Kyoto. Leave luggage at hotel (check-in in Japan is normally 2pm)

Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple

PM: Lunch at Kyoto station, then take a local train to Fushimi Inari, the Fox shrine (local train) stopping off at Tofuku-ji shrine (if there’s time).
Overnight central Kyoto

Day 03 
AM: Taxi to Kiyomizu temple + then walk downhill through the old suburbs of Higashiyama and Gion.

PM: Lunch at Shijo-dori, a popular shopping street, then local bus to Shisen-do, a samurai house
PM: Return (taxi/bus) for evening photo shoot in the Shirakawa-minami dori area
Dinner in town

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 04

AM: North west to Arashiyama and World Heritage Sagano bamboo forest returning with a stop at Tenru-ji zen temple (local train)

Dinner in Kyoto

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 05
AM/PM: Visit the old capital of Nara and its parks and shrines, including the impressive Kasuga Shrine (full day, JR local train)

Dinner in Kyoto

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 06
AM/PM: Full day trip to Kanazawa, including a walking tour of the Omi-cho markets, World Heritage Kenroku-en gardens, and the old Higashi Chaya geisha district (on the Thunderbird express train)

Dinner

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 07

Early train to visit the most perfect castle in Japan, Himeji.  Lunch in Himeji, then afternoon free in Kyoto.

Dinner
Overnight central Kyoto

                                                        

Day 08
AM: Early Shinkansen train to Hakata (approx. 185 mins). Check into hotel.

Rest of day free, evening visit sumo tournament
Late dinner.

Overnight central Hakata

                                                        

Day 09

AM/PM: Full day trip north to Hiroshima, Visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum then on to the magical island of Miyajima. (Shinkansen 80 mins one way, then tram, local train, JR ferry)

Dinner in Hakata

Overnight central Hakata

Day 10
Full day trip to visit the Tenmangu shrine in Dazaifu then on for a cruise around the canal city of Yanagawa (local trains).

Dinner in Hakata
Overnight central Hakata

Day 11
AM: Long train trip to Kagoshima (approx. 240 mins)

PM: Check into hotel than take an escorted trip to visit the famous Edo period ‘borrowed view’ Sengan-en gardens

Izakaya dinner in city
Overnight Kagoshima

Day 12

AM: Local bus tour to visit the Chiran Kamikaze museum and beautiful samurai gardens nearby
PM: Ferry to the volcanic island of Sakurajima. We take a taxi tour around Sakurajima island then back to another ferry point for a trip back into the city.

Dinner in the city
Overnight Kagoshima

Day 13
AM: Early express train to Nagasaki (140 mins)

Visit to the Nagasaki Peace Museum, lunch then take the tram and cablecar to the summit of Mt Inasa for a magnificent view across the city

Dinner in town

Overnight Nagasaki

Day 14
AM: Morning ferry trip to visit Gunkanjima island, return to Nagasaki for lunch then a walking trip to visit the Dutch Slope/Glover Gardens area, finally arriving in the Megane bridge part of downtown and Chinatown
Dinner in Chinatown area.

Overnight Nagasaki

Day 15

AM: Morning flight to Naha, capital of Okinawa prefecture.
PM: Check into our accommodation then visit Shuri castle and museum in Naha, as well as Fukushu-en gardens and the historically significant Naval underground HQ, one of the few remaining monuments to the island’s tragic WWII history

Dinner in an izakaya restaurant
Overnight Okinawa

Day 16

AM/PM: Today we take a full day boat trip for scenic tour out of Naha to see some of the best beaches in this Pacific paradise.

Dinner along the main street: Kokusai-dori (TBA)

Overnight Okinawa

Day 17

AM: Flight back to Osaka

Optional: Stay Osaka, flights onward, or return home

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Tour price - $7,945 (double occupancy - add $500 for single room), $500 deposit, places strictly limited to a maximum of 11 people.

Price includes: 

17 nights Western style accommodation with breakfast (Japanese and Western style)

14 day standard JR rail pass

Domestic flights from Nagasaki to Naha

Domestic flight from Naha to Osaka

Boat trip in Okinawa

Chartered coach and guide to visit Chiran

Welcome dinner

Farewell dinner

Kaiseki dinner (Kyoto)

Standard sumodrome tickets

Kameoka boat ride tickets

All museum and garden entrance fees

Some taxi transportation

All bus/train and subway rides before and after the JR pass expires

(for information and bookings, call Robin on 0426 748 652 or email betterdigitalmag@gmail.com )

Broken Hill Workshop

I have just posted my 2017 Broken Hill Workshop for October 27th, 28th and 29th.
Click the image in the left-hand margin for details...

Japan Photo Tour 2017

Just posted here, my all-new Southern Sojourn Japan Photo Tour - interested?
Click the image in the right-hand column for more information and cost.

Japan's most perfect castle; Himeji

A Year of Passing Stars: the Photographic Life of a Rock Chameleon

Bowie's first album, David Bowie, released in 1967 displays a casual innocence.
By 2002, his artwork for the album Heathen (photographed by Markus Klinko) has changed virtually beyond all recognition...

As the media is currently noting, 2016 has been a terrible year for those in the music industry.

Nearly 30 years on from his first recordings, an image by Nick Night for Bowie's 1993 album Black Tie, White Noise

And for some reason it feels as if this rash of premature deaths seems to be more pronounced than in previous years. I think it's because we (baby boomers) grew up with these stars: Bowie, Cohen, Keith Emmerson - to name a few.  Many led high pressure lives, filled with heavy drug habits and alcoholism which must have contributed, at least in part, to their premature demise.

Original hand-coloured black-and-white image used for the breakthrough Spiders album back in 1972.
Photo was by Brian Ward and was shot in Heddon Street, central London.

Above all others, David Bowie transformed his persona many times through his life - so many times that I think he developed a real fear of schizophrenia. Here are some of the most memorable images documenting a truly remarkable career.

Top: Image shot in the 70s during Bowie's Stardust tour.
Bottom: Iconic studio shot of Bowie from Greg Gorman

Aladdin Sane
Iconic image (this is actually an outtake from the shoot) of Bowie shot by Duffy in 1973 and, at right, an image shot for Bowie's Heroes album, by Masayoshi Sukita.

Left: Another fine image shot by Brian Ward for the Hunky Dory album in '71.
At right: Bowie's last live performance, in Germany, in 2004, photo by Jo Hale

For me Bowie is probably the most iconic loss out of all these musos - I grew up with David Jones and his albums; Hunky Dory and Space Oddity, went mad over his groundbreaking The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, loved his metamorphosis into Aladdin Sane (even though I'd no idea what that was all about...) and have admired his career shifts through the years to Young Americans, Station to Station, Low and of course, the brilliant Heroes, A Reality Tour and  Let's Dance...

From a series of extraordinary shots of Bowie entitled "watch that man" by Masayoshi Sukita, and the artwork for Bowie's 1977 album Low which is a still from the Nicolas Roeg movie; The Man Who Fell to Earth...

Another great 70's look, again by master photographer Masayoshi Sukita, who photographed David Bowie on and off for 40 years. The image on the right is from Bowie's 1976 film, The Man Who Fell to Earth