Faces of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is an extraordinary place, not only it has been around since 1857, which also, the people who have been here, made here their home. What they brought with them, are the rich diversity of traditions, cultures, habits, faiths and hopes. In this historical muddy confluence, ironic concrete jungle has taken away our bare feet off the green grass. The governing bodies continuing its footstep of demolition historical sites, 114 years old prison demolished to make way for shopping complex, cultural buildings of Jalan Sultan to be demolish for the construction of railway. Not something to be proud of.

Before the cultural city suffers another losses for urbanization, i'd decided to start a little project, documenting life of the diversities- "100 Faces of Muddy Confluence". Would be great if other photographers want to join too.

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Pudu Prison is not the first and definitely will not be the last heritage building that is forced to make way under the spell of urbanization. For we, are certainly a lost cause, for fail to signify strength in time of crisis and fail to stand up protect our heritage. Stand for your heritage, your passion and your right.

Awakening: Urbanization a Curse. 

Regards,
JW

#OccupyBalokGebeng #StopLynas

Over the weekend, 300 protesters gathered at Balok Beach, Kuantan in solidarity to occupy Balok Gebeng for 24 hours. Hundred of funeral banners and makeshift billboards were speared into Balok Beach as Himpunan Hijau kicks off its' rally.

It's a beginning, startled the force from all across the nation. Not only to occupy Balok but to inject idea, the "people power", like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. Again, the nation has risen, intention voiced out loud and clear, we don't want Lynas.

However, on the same day, pro-lynas DAUN gathered at Teluk Cempedak, one of the tourist hotspot in Kuantan to show their support and confident towards Lynas, which also claimed attended by 10,000 of many. The  way the Government responded toward #StopLynas cries had turned to be childish and ignorant. I was devastated and heart broken, the way my Government treated this matter like a gag, a matter that could burden the fate of our future generation, a matter that could blot out the rich abundance nature.

Here i quoted, "Gebeng Yang Luka" by A. Samad Said.

Kita ghairah merubah sebanyak tanah bertuah

konon demi rezeki alam dan udara kita.

Kita sengaja terlupa tanah cicit yang syahdu,

tuli akan senandung insan dan unggas nan merdu.

Dari denai ke rimba dan sungai ke samudera

terdengar rintih ombak meraung bumi sejarah.

Pernahkah kita bertanya pada Gebeng terluka—

bersyair, berpantun demi kebahagiaannya?

Kita hanya memacakkan gedung dan kilang zahir

merela bumi Gebeng teracun beransur cair.

Kita sedang alpa malah amat bangat terlupa—

harta terkini menutup masa depan yang lara.

Di sisi mewah harta cemar sejarah bermula,

kita sedang memahat hikayat tragedi bangsa.

7 Oktober, 2011                    ––A. SAMAD SAID

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The Smallest Seed of an Idea can grow

it can grow to define or to destroy. #StopLynas

Regards,

JW

Red Velvet Mite (Trombidiidae)

Look at the cuddly red fluffy pillow! Don't you just want to scope in snuggle and wiggle? This little monstrosity is tiny, reaching a maximum size of 2cm, but in other sense, they're huge! 100 times bigger than any other mites!

Red Velvet Mites are members of subphylum Chelicerata, a group of critters that have tiny lobster-like claws that serve as mouthparts, a feature that relates them closely to spiders, scorpions, and harvestmen. Red velvet mites make their home in the litter layer of woodlands and forests. They live from one to couple of years, depends on the species. 

The Red Velvet Mites are extremely important to the environment. These mites are part of a community of soil arthropods that is critical in terms of rates of decomposition in woodlands and in maintaining the structure of ecosystem. By feeding on insects that eat fungi and bacteria, they stimulate the decomposition process. However still, in larvae stage, they attach themselves to a variety of arthropods and feed parasitically. Technically suck blood from a gnat or grasshopper. When red velvet mites become nymphs and then adults, they take to the soil to devour much smaller prey, including other mites and thier eggs, the eggs of insects and snails, and primitive wingless insects.

Red Velvet Mites- Larvae host on a Bark Louse

Due to their parasitism in larval stage, and appetite in their mature stage, they also play an important role in pest control. Such tiny organism plays such a massive part in maintaining healthy ecosystem.

The Tiny Treasure of the Forest Floor

Regards,

JW

Nikon R1 Macro Flash System

Here's my humble review on the Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System.

My setup:
Nikon D700 + Kenko Extension Tubes 68mm + Tamron SP90 + R1 + DIY Diffuser

Macro photography is very much about light diffusion, rarely see decent diffused light on macro shot using default snap-on diffuser, i tried, it was too harsh for macro works and the light was badly diffused. With some guidelines from Kurt, OrionMystery, i  manage to make myself a concave diffuser like this, 3 layers of different semi-transparent materials, make sure the bottom layer hard enough to slip up: i had my R1 on Manual power instead of i-TTL.

Couple sessions of light test, light diffused nicely but some noticeable light spills. (on the far left eye)

So i add-on 2 piece of papers like this, tested, it worked like a charm.

Been shooting in this setup for couple of weeks, i noticed 2 major problem with R1.

1. Over-sized attachment ring- often i have to work on an awkward position to get an eye level with bugs, especially when it was on a tree trunk, it will never level with an insect eye level. Very very disappointed with the ring design. Nikon should has designed the ring like Canon's MT-24EX Twins. Cut of bottom part of the ring.

2. Focusing light/Target light only auto-triggered with SU-800. If you're using your built in flash as a commander, you have to press the focusing/ target light button on the R1 (SB-R200), TWO TIMES! and every time when you want to take a shot, make that and multiply everything with TWO!!! I think these R1C1 stuffs are not designed by a macro photographer.

here's some sample shots taken with the posted setup, enjoy.

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Regards,
JW

Cicada Molting Process

and it's a lengthy process! here's an account of Cicada molt from start till finish. The whole process took around 1 in a half or longer. A Cicada, like all insects do not have a closed circulatory system like you and i. Their circulatory system is open, which blood flows freely around the body saturating the organs while supplying them with nutrients. The free flowing of blood helps the Cicada to harden. Which is why over time, the Cicada gets darker and darker in color. But then, not much blood flows to Cicada's legs as they remain mostly hollow. This is why Cicada stays so long in its upside-down position. Since their legs start out soft, if they try to use them to support their weight too early, it would probably be a disaster.

In the teneral stage which the Cicada has just finished out its molting process but still relatively soft. It's at this stage where the Cicada is most vulnerable. Usually, the Cicada teneral will not leave the vicinity of its discarded nymph shell, but it had been noted on some occasions that Cicada will often move a fair distance away from its nymph shell to find secluded spot to harden. The wings are also very fragile, should they brush against something or touched by human hands, irreparable damage can be done to the wings.

If you like lobsters or shell fish then Cicada Teneral may be just what you're looking for! as for this stage, you can actually eat Cicada Teneral!!! The soft and chewy Cicada Teneral!!!

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The Amazing Cicada Life Cycle.

Regards,
JW