Thursday 16 June 2011

Matsumoto Castle - In Search Of The "Black Castle".


Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture- Also known the "Black Castle" or "The Crow Castle" because of its black exterior.The national treasure of Japan.During Sengoku period, Shimadachi Sadanaga of the Ogasawara clan was in charge the castle.However, in 1550 it came under the rule of the Takeda Shingen (The Tiger Of Kai) and then Tokugawa Ieyasu.


Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture Japan is quite an interesting town.

 
My first glimpse of the Castle.
This black castle is like a wedding cake with its six storeys of sloping roofs.It was built on the site in 1504 by the Ogasawara family.


Matsumoto ! I was really impressed by your beauty!



Included in your castle ticket is admission to the Matsumoto City Museum next to the castle.


There are several other architectural defensive area - like this extra wide window for musket or archer.


Erika striking a post in front of the Castle.


..........and now my turn !


Samurai's Yoroi and Kabuto (Armor and helmet) was also display at Matsumoto Castle. There is also an exhibit about the birth of Matsumoto castle and the politics of the successive lords.



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Monday 13 June 2011

A Macro Setting Does Not A Macro Lens Make.


In my previous post, I had explored multipal lens configurations that were available at cheap cost, which would enable an amateur photographer like myself the opportunity to experiment with super-telephoto lenses.

According to Bryan Peterson , author of Understanding Photography Field Guide "If you are intent on experiencing an endless journey in the world of macro photography, then you must also embrace the truth that anything you point the lens at has the potential to be a blockbuster image - anything !"



 On a bright sunny day.


"Cheap Macro ? Who Cares ?"


You bet ! My worst shot ever ! Yikes !
( Since I had left the house in hurry mood..) 


Some wonderful up-close and personal shot that also "tell stories" about Langkawi. Heh !



Praying Mantis
Macro shot without extension tube...


Interested parties are welcomed to reproduce or quote materials published in this blog with the condition  that they are
credited to
http://hasnulyakin.blogspot.com/ to avoid misunderstanding.Thank you.

Thursday 9 June 2011

Telaga Tujuh - The Seven Wells

The Seven Wells or Telaga Tujuh are a series of seven pools that break the fall of the waters from the peak of Gunung Mat Chinchang. The legend that surrounds the place speaks of fairies who delight in bathing in the cool waters, which many people claim to possess soothing healing properties. A mountain prince who once lived near the wells tried in vain to capture one of these fairy maidens, but until today, they have remained elusive.


Seven Wells Waterfall. The Seven Wells Waterfall is locally known as "Telaga Tujuh" and is indeed a geological marvel.


These plants have a beautiful lush jungle appearance and are great for covering a fence.


 Money plant creeper ?


You find a route that leads to the waterfalls midway of your trip. Don't miss to watch the magnificient waterfalls. Superb!!


The Seven Wells or Telaga Tujuh - a series of seven large tells of fairies who delight in bathing in the cool waters which are supposed to possess soothing healing properties.


Its the last week of school holiday.Our main agenda for today is to ride the cable car and climb the Seven Wells.


Please comply with all safety warnings and danger signs. The view is beautiful but do not go over the safety rope!


Be fit or take it easy climbing up and please beware of the monkeys !


Seven wells was really a peaceful early in the morning. If you can take the hike and the heat at that hour, well worth it....!!!






Wednesday 8 June 2011

Why Do We Wish On Shooting Stars ?


Among the most spectacular sights of the night sky are shooting stars. Unlike most celestial objects, shooting stars exist only briefly as they blaze across the sky and then suddenly fade. Shooting stars appear every night, as do several meteor showers in which dozens of shooting stars can appear every hour. For these reasons, many myths about shooting stars exist.

Legend has it that wishing upon a shooting star makes the wish come true. It is believed to have originated in Europe, when Greek astronomer Ptolemy, around AD 127-151, wrote that the Gods occassionally, out of curiosity, even boredom, peer down at the earth from between the spheres, and stars sometimes slip out of this gap, becoming visible as shooting or falling stars. Since the Gods are already looking at us at such a time, they tend to be more receptive to any wishes we make.

Another legend from native americans mentioned that in the land of Kluskap many years ago there lived two sisters who loved to watch the stars. One day when they were walking in the forest they became lost and in the evening they watched the stars as always. In two bright stars, one sister saw an Eagle and the other sister saw a hawk. These birds carried them up into heaven. They were very lonesome, for they were away from their own people and they prayed to Kluskap to have them returned to their homes. He said, "If I do this, you must not look back once we start on our journey". But the younger sister could not resist looking back to see if her older sister were following. As she did, she was immediately turned to flame. You can see her today. Look for a shooting star, it is the younger sister still trying to come back to her people in the old land of Kluskap.
People all over the world have different beliefs about meteors and meteorites. One thing they have in common though is a belief that meteors are extraordinary. For example;  





  • In Switzerland, a meteor was considered to possess the power of God.





  • Swabians believed that a shooting star presaged a year of good fortune, but if one saw three in one night, then he was doomed to die.





  • In Chile, one must pick up a stone when sees a meteor.





  • In the Philippines, one must tie a knot in a handkerchief before the light is extinguished.





  • Modern Hawaiian Japanese are reported to believe that if a meteor comes in your direction, you must open the collars of your kimono to admit the good luck.





  • In Baltic countries and central Europe, people believed that everyone had a personal star which fell upon his or her death. This led some to say such things as 'rest in peace' or 'may God guide you to a good path' upon seeing a meteor.





  • Pointing to a meteor or talking of a meteor was considered bad luck by some in America.





  • Among those who believed meteors signaled ill-omen, saying certain words could avert the bad luck--for example, 'amen,' 'God guide it,' or 'go away, go away, all by yourself.'





  • Perhaps the most famous omen was that divined form the Ensisheim stony meteorite which fell in Alsace (now in France) in 1492. The Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian assembled his council to help determine the meaning of the fall. The council determined that it as a good omen in his wars with France and the Turks 

  • But the truth is - Sometimes things happen, and sometimes they do not. Whether the event is preceded by 'wishing on a shooting star' has nothing whatever to do with it. However, it does remind me of the Japanese drama :Nagareboshi" which mean - Shooting Star ! 
    Heh!


    Source -Meteoritemarket.com.

    Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO DG - Testing Shots.

    I purchased this lens and expecting something with acceptable quality images.Here's some sample shots taken with the Nikon D3000! The Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO macro came close to a surprise but it still far behind the Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8. It delivered pretty decent results in most aspects especially at 70mm and 200mm. However, the colors on the pictures taken by Sigma were a little bit more appealing but again only when looked at under lot of scrutiny.As such it still remains an interesting budget solution. If you prefer a sharp border to border quality look elsewhere though and prepare yourself to invest quite a bit more.For me - I was absolutely thrilled with the closeups from the Sigma !  Happy shooting guys ...


     Sure its not as fast of a focuser as Nikon's AF-S lenses, but it's also about half of the Nikkor price.


    This len has given me some great shots without putting a "big hole" in my pocket.


    I dont make my living as photographer - as such , this kind of quality is quite acceptable.

     
    Not so sharp ! I missed image stabalization but during the day with a fast aperture and shutter its not a deal breaker. Suggested shooting with a mono/tripod for extra stability.


    I took a little over 2,000 images with this lense and I am satisfied and have to admit that it is a good lense for outdoor with plenty of light.


    Other than images that I took with this lens, I have also posted images taken from many of the other lenses I own . Please check them out and read through all my postings.


    So far I'm very happy with this lens, as time goes on I'm sure I'll experiment with settings, subjects and distances in the future.



    Sigma’s 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro is a compact telephoto zoom lens. With a range that is useful for candid portraiture, capturing children playing in the backyard, amateur sports or even wildlife at the zoo. This lens is usually the lens that photographers reach for first. It’s great on vacation for capturing scenic details or even groups of flowers in a garden.






    Interested parties are welcomed to reproduce or quote materials published in this blog with the condition  that they are
    credited to
    http://hasnulyakin.blogspot.com/ to avoid misunderstanding.Thank you.

    Tuesday 7 June 2011

    The Classic Bottom Fishing - The Grouper.

    Whether you want to get away from the office, have an adventure with your kids or spend quality time with the family, a grouper fishing trip may be just the right solution !! Grouper is very easy to catch -and if they are on a wreck when you stop to fish, they will usually bite quickly.  If you fish a wreck for thirty minutes or more catching only small fish with no big bites, you probably are fishing a wreck without a grouper population.  It's time to move. And to spend the whole day and not catch a fish, heck, spending the whole day and not even getting a bite - now that teaches patience !!!


    Different types of  lures vary not only in size,weight and colour but also in the way they are set up to trick the fish.  According to wikipedia, in early times, fishing lures were made from bone or bronze. The Chinese and Egyptians used fishing rods, hooks, and lines as early as 2,000 B.C. though most of the first fishermen used handlines. The first hooks were made out of bronze which was strong but still very thin and less visible to the fish. The Chinese were the first to make fishing line, spun from fine silk. The modern fishing lure was made commercially in the United States in the early 1900s by the firm of Heddon and Pflueger in Michigan.


    A  little special rigging ? Most anglers find that medium-heavy bottom fishing tackle and small hook is the best way to approach the grouper. There are basically three approaches used when fishing for grouper - straight bottom fishing, free lining live bait and slow trolling. 


    From ridiculous to sublime ! Good for "Gerut",Bream or Grouper fishing ! A good rod and reel, with fifty-pound test mono line can handle almost all the grouper you may encounter.  The battle now is one of brute strength between angler and fish.  More often than not the fish wins!


    A good size of "Gerut" caught by using the above rig. Despite their popularity as seafood, "Gerut" remain very plentiful throughout much of the world and are sometimes considered sportfish. There are species found in various parts of the world. "Gerut" are sought after because of their mild, white meat, considered some of the best of any white-meat fish.


    Depu or the "lion grouper" - Poisonous and dangerous fish but considered a special delicacy by some cultures in several parts of the world.


    Amazing moments - These stingray gives birth on land after being caught by us.


    Suddenly,we became a doctor all at one instant as this stingray gave birth to 2 cute baby stingrays.The baby was released unharmed and swam to the bottom of the sea.


    What a beauty grouper !  The word "grouper" comes from the word for the fish, most widely believed to be from the Portugese name, garoupa. The origin of this name in Portuguese is believed to be from an indigenous South American language.


    Another beautiful fish - The Coral will chase a bait occasionally, but their preference is to ambush their prey.It is this ambush ability that makes them relatively easy to hook, but difficult to land.


    The local call it "Ikan Landok"- a powerful game fish .


     Catch of the day ! Grouper run out, grab a bait, and head back for cover.  This habit will cause many lost fish and hung lines.  Serious grouper anglers will crank the drag down on their reel as hard as they can, often using a pair of pliers to lock it down.


    Malabar Grouper -  typically having a stout body and a large mouth. They are not built for long-distance fast swimming. They can be quite large, and lengths over a meter and weights up to 100 kg are not uncommon, though obviously in such a large group species vary considerably.


    A good catch by Erika !





    Interested parties are welcomed to reproduce or quote materials published in this blog with the condition  that they are
    credited to http://hasnulyakin.blogspot.com/ to avoid misunderstanding.

    Thank you.

    Monday 6 June 2011

    Happy Moment - No Caption Needed

    As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way.

    - Sharon Salzberg



    A family photo in front of Pahn Thai Restaurant - Berjaya Resort Langkawi


    Naomi with her catch of the day - the seabream.


    Erika with colourful grouper


    Dinner at Mizuumi Japanese Restaurant - Oriental Village Langkawi


    Erika is enjoying her school holiday.


    and Nana as well ..........


    Parasailing at Berjaya Resort Langkawi - for the thrill seeker. 



    Cable car to the top of Mat Chinchang Mountain.



    I love Japanese food !


    Mmmmmm...I'm lovin it !



    Interested parties are welcomed to reproduce or quote materials published in this blog with the condition  that they are credited to http://hasnulyakin.blogspot.com/ to avoid misunderstanding.Thank you.