35mm stem

Shorter is better.

Holy cow

I was surfing around and found a blog that I set up in, holy effing crap, 2002.

I barely graduated from uni then.

Henceforth, I am moving this blog over. This blog is now closed.

O Wheelie's run its course. It's not that I'm done with cycling. But maybe 18 months of riding and over 9000km have finally put that wanderlust to bed for now.

Moving forward (boy do I hate it when anyone/blowhard says this at work), you'll hear from me only at http://filmlab.blogspot.com.

Adios. The dream is alive again.

In other news, I asked for one potatoe with my bee hoon goreng. I asked 5 times. I have exactly 1/30th of a potatoe in my bee hoon goreng.

Annoyed. But mostly with myself.

Now I know they don't do potatoes.

Candyshop

Candyshop, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Sugar rushed.

Ben 19 Sep (morning close up)

Ben 19 Sep (morning close up), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Good morning.

Beautiful burnout

Shoot test (burn out), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Years ago, I was camera consultant to the first production to use a 24 fps video camera to film a drama in Singapore. I was also the producer of the first high definition movie ever shot here. During the former, the cameramen for the production came to do a test shoot for the camera, which happened to be mine.

Among one of the comments they made was: the highlights burnt out very beautifully. They said that in Cantonese. My buddy Dave and I have made a running joke on that for years. (Burn de hou leng wor!) That was a camera using the Leica Dicomar lens, another very beautiful piece of glass, although I am sure the 3 CCD chips (one for blue, one for green, and one for red) helped created the colour burn out effects...

Now, years on, I'm shooting with my fraction of the cost LX2 with a 2.8f/stop lens many times smaller than the Dicomar. Yet, I'm still seeing the same beautiful burnout. Is it the lens? Or something else? Perhaps my display?

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors have something like 68% colour reproduction accuracy, as opposed to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) (77% or above). Yet, they use CRT monitors on a film set to check colour - accurately calibrated, of course. This is part of the reason why I prefer a CRT. I come from the world of film/tv and CRTs are what I'm used to. The image on a CRT looks softer, more contrasty, and more 3-dimensional - as opposed to the luminally perfect if flat-looking LCD. Colours just seem more vibrant on a CRT, they have more 'pop'.

Hence my everlasting love for Trinitrons. I've noticed that all of Corvette's shots look far better on my Trinitron (even my Lightframe) than it does on my laptop LCD screen at work.

I have 4 Trinitrons at home. And none of them are gonna retire if I can help it. I'm now conducting shooting tests for my camera LCD, against the subjects I shoot, against my laptop display colour profile at work, against the Trinitron I use for colour editing, and against the final prints I make at a lab.

Fun fun fun. That should occupy me for another month or so while I decide which to calibrate against.

Maybe the new Apple notebooks, with their reflective screens, will do better.

Encounters

Encounters, originally uploaded by filmlab.

I stepped out to get a drink and knew immediately that I was missing a great photo op.

I'd left Corvette back upstairs. Immediately, I ran back, got the camera, and managed to squeeze off a few frames before this guy left.

Once again, I won't have gotten this if I had bought a DSLR. I simply won't have had it around. As it is, I narrowly missed it because I thought I won't see anything worth seeing.

Well, that, and I can't bloody afford a DSLR now can I. I have to buy my dad some new teeth.

And let this be a reminder to myself: bring Corvette *everywhere*.

Alien

Alien, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Mothership

Mothership, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Schwag

Schwag, originally uploaded by filmlab.

I like those ribbons. And I want to make my own Sun Jar.

Ben 18 Sep (morning close up)

Ben 18 Sep (morning close up), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Inspiring words from the Declaration of Independence, written on July 4,
1776.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. "

I love reading great speeches. Even though this isn't one.

Ben 17 Sep (evening close up flash)

Ben 17 Sep (evening close up flash), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Wipe your tears away...

Everything has its time.

Novel page 1

Novel page 1, originally uploaded by filmlab.

amie says: (PM 12:56)
what wld u do if u haf one week to live ah?
Vincent says: (PM 12:56)
get drunk
amie says: (PM 12:56)
haR?
Vincent says: (PM 12:56)
i'd drink all the alcohol i can find
Vincent says: (PM 12:56)
been there done that
Vincent says: (PM 12:56)
except i had less than a day to live
Vincent says: (PM 12:56)
i wanted to already be dead
amie says: (PM 12:57)
*faints*
Vincent says: (PM 12:57)
why
Vincent says: (PM 12:57)
who has one week left to live
amie says: (PM 12:58)
nah.. juz asking..
Vincent says: (PM 12:59)
nobody gonna pity u just coz u got 1 week left
Vincent says: (PM 12:59)
and let u do all the things u wanna do
Vincent says: (PM 12:59)
the same rules all still apply
Vincent says: (PM 12:59)
but since u won't be around after a week
Vincent says: (PM 12:59)
just do anything u like lor
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
but make sure if there are any negative effects, that they take 1 week to come
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
like
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
dun be a jackass and rob a bank
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
coz they nab you on the spot
amie says: (PM 01:00)
not saying that pple wld pity u.. but.. juz wonder what wld one do
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
and then u'll spend 6 days in jail
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
that wld be super uncool
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
then that's 6 wasted dayus
Vincent says: (PM 01:00)
unless all u wanna do is go to jail
amie says: (PM 01:00)
*pengZ*
Vincent says: (PM 01:01)
what u can try
Vincent says: (PM 01:01)
is to spend all that u can on your credit cards
Vincent says: (PM 01:01)
coz that takes abt 30 days to detect
Vincent says: (PM 01:01)
and by then u'll be dead. haha. so no problem
Vincent says: (PM 01:01)
i think i will write about this in my novel.
amie says: (PM 01:02)
rofl~
Vincent says: (PM 01:51)
if u cld commit one crime
Vincent says: (PM 01:51)
what wld it be?

This conversation made me think about my Novel again, which I've neglected since January. I wrote all 4 chapters in a month, and wrote 0 words since then. I have a chapter in mind that's supposed to happen some 20 chapters on, but since I don't have the intermediate 20 chapters, it can only remain in my head, as the entire novel presently does.

Maybe I should just write whatever is in my head right now. Forget about linear timeline, wot? Make what's already in my head, Chapter 5. This conversation with Amie will go in just fine as Chapter 6. The linear novel is dead anyway. Post-modernism, ya know.

Also need to get my new show on rails as soon as possible.

Getting old.... losing time. Will be dead soon.

Gonna be a busy bee. Or a dead one.

Ben 17 Sep (morning close up).jpg

Ben 17 Sep (morning close up).jpg, originally uploaded by filmlab.

What a difference a week makes.

And if the image seems less crisp, I don't have Photoshop at work for cropping. Adobe Acrobat does a crappy job of it but it's all we got. And what the hey, anyway I don't particularly care if the images aren't sharp. Got people pay money issit.

Rhythm

Rhythm, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Title: Lisa Ekdahl - The Rhythm Of Our Hearts lyrics

Artist: Lisa Ekdahl

Unapproachable i stare
For you my anguished heart despairs
There's nothing but sadness in the air
I reach out for you but you're not there
Or anywhere
Just sorrow left to bear

Unavoidable you say
There's too much pain for you to stay
And nothing we had remains the same
They say that everything must change

Even so
We can always start
Over from zero
And we'll be closer than
The rhythm of our hearts

Unapproachable i stare
For you my anguished heart despairs
There's nothing but sadness in the air
I reach out for you but you're not there

Even so
We can always start
Over from zero
And we'll be closer than
The rhythm of our hearts
Of our hearts
of our hearts
of our hearts
of our hearts...

Ben 16 Sep (evening close up)

Ben 16 Sep (evening close up), originally uploaded by filmlab.

1012 frames later, I am starting to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of this camera.

Strengths: small, full manual (ISO, aperture, shutter speed, manual focus!! SLR-style white balance adjustments, bracketing), lovely piece of glass with amazing colours (not to mention the 'glow'), sharp, wide angle/4x zoom, gorgeous LCD screen, and that durable, beautifully made aluminium body. Solidly built. Can shoot RAW, which means you can 'develop' the image like you would in a traditional dark/wet film lab - only digitally. This camera has most of the SLR features in a rangefinder style body - that's the size of a compact. Yet it behaves like one when you need it to, with full auto and scene modes.

Weaknesses: Noise. ISO 400 and above is NOT sharp after noise reduction. Focussing IS a bit hit and miss, even with the high speed modes. Could have a faster lock for street shooting. I wish there's filter threads too. Small body makes it hard to stabilise for a clear sharp shot. Optical Stabiliser doesn't work wonders for me (haven't checked it all out though).

But I'm not that exacting. I'd never shoot above ISO100. I won't print posters. I don't shoot sports.

And even if I do? I don't care about noise. It's like film grain to me. But having this much control in a camera I can bring everywhere: priceless.

You miss all of the shots you don't take.

Safe in Grandpa's arms

Safe in Grandpa's arms, originally uploaded by filmlab.

2 months 18 days. Shawn Wong.

He has so many expressions

He has so many expressions, originally uploaded by filmlab.

He really knows how to use those eyebrows of his.

He's going to be such a lady-killer.

Curious Shawn

Curious Shawn, originally uploaded by filmlab.

He has very long lashes. My neighbour thought he was a girl.

Tsk.

Shawn yawns

Shawn yawns, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Melonhead *has* a name.

Apparently his parents are calling him Shawn. I'm not sure if that's Sean the French or Shawn the Singaporean. Here's to Shawn 'Melonhead' Wong.

We are awesome.

Dad

Dad, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Come to think of it, that's actually a pretty fucking funny story. The question running through my mind is: did they bounce?

Also, it won't have happened if he had his visor down.

Even better still, it was down and it actually bounced off that before hitting the road, Jack. And imagine the driver's look behind if it hit his windscreen and just clung on there.

Damn it. We are all goofy goobers.

Weeed

Weeed, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Lookit the focus plane on this shot. That weed is barely 4 inches tall or even 3. Cor. Just a few mm and you're out of focus on your subject. There is NO depth of field. Now that's macro.

Lonesome

Lonesome, originally uploaded by filmlab.

It's very hard to get a sharp focus on something this small without a tripod.

Potato garden

Potato garden, originally uploaded by filmlab.

It really is time we ate these before they start going out to party on their own time during weekends.

Can you imagine these with an umbrella in their drinks?

Lots of potato-shaped people are at clubs looking just like this.

Aglio Olio

Aglio Olio, originally uploaded by filmlab.

I have a funny story to tell about dinner.

Turns out, Dad was on his way to see Grandma when he spat from his bike, with a little too much force. His dentures flew out and landed on the road, where it was run over by many many cars.

So I got to eat his share of aglio. Till he gets new dentures.

Yum.

My new porcelain

My new porcelain, originally uploaded by filmlab.

I had to run off and do an errand with Dad. Turns out a friend of his has his place renovated and didn't want these new porcelain that the government wanted to give him.

I carried most of them back, mostly, coz I don't want the old man to throw out his back, and also because when I talked, my voice would echo around in the deep recesses of the bowl.

It tickles me a bit. Yea. I'm twelve.

Ben 15 Sep (evening close up flash)

Ben 15 Sep (evening close up flash), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Nearly gonna burst, isn't he.

I've had to use flash in order to get these tiny little buds with any degree of sharpness. The flash enables me to stop down the lens and speed up the shutter.

Before

Before, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Old (spoilt) monitor - Philips Lightframe,

The lightframe feature went first, followed by the pincushion circuit.

I lived with this for months.

After

After, originally uploaded by filmlab.

New (used) monitor - My Sony Trinitron.

Gosh. I can see my corners again. After nearly 1 year.

It feeeelsss good.

Ben 15 Sep (morning close up)

Ben 15 Sep (morning close up), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Years ago, a musician taught me something profound. He asked "What is the difference between a professional and an amateur musician?"

I replied, "The length of their hair?'

He said, "An amercher practices till he gets it right. But a professional, he practices till he never gets it wrong."

That's when I knew I didn't have it in me to master the bass drum.

Raiding the fridge

Raiding the fridge, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Vincent - We so flash, we so awesome says (10:57 AM):
wats for lunchie?
David says (10:57 AM):
not sure
Vincent - We so flash, we so awesome says (10:59 AM):
i hav bread in the fridge that's a month old. shld I eat it?
David says (11:03 AM):
.....
David says (11:03 AM):
no.
David says (11:03 AM):
No.
David says (11:03 AM):
NO.
Vincent - We so flash, we so awesome says (11:10 AM):
i may give it Permanent Resident status. His name is Ashok.

Ben 14 Sep (evening close up flash)

Ben 14 Sep (evening close up flash), originally uploaded by filmlab.

I think my dad talks to our plants.

It's certainly doing well for itself.

Ben 14 Sep (evening close up)

Ben 14 Sep (evening close up), originally uploaded by filmlab.

Yippee.

So yummy in my tummy

Photography is not a spectator sport., originally uploaded by filmlab.

Please to read this: Photography is not a spectator sport.

And this is why I ate this mooncake after taking a photo of it.

Does it not look pert, sitting on its bum like that?

It's a moon. It's a cake. It's now in my tummy.

Yum.

Ben 14 Sept (morning closeup)

Ben 14 Sept (morning closeup), originally uploaded by filmlab.

This pic of Ben sucks coz he was moving around too much.

Like most women, Ben does not like being photographed so early in the morning.

If you've found a woman you can stand to see the next morning, you're a very lucky man.

Flowers

Flowers, originally uploaded by filmlab.

Are like snowflakes. Every one is different. Ish.